The greatest Muslim mystic, Jalal Uddin Rumi said, There are many ways to the divine, but I have chosen the ways of song, dance and laughter.
On the contrary, the greatest exponent of atheism and intellectualism, a radical German philosopher and composer, Friedrich Nietzsche said, Without music, life would be a mistake.
Music is a precious gift from nature and it is the only catharsis of humans ever and nowadays in clinical psychology music has become credible psychotherapy. Music is the language of the universe and it is the only thing, which can never be eliminated from any aspect of life. It can also never be unrecognisable for any creature of this universe, even animals can understand the language of music. Music has the same value and importance in all cultures across the globe and no civilisation has ever existed without the colour of music, but the music of subcontinent is more ancient and more adorable than other civilisations of the world. That is sad to us, After partition, we have intentionally sidelined all kinds of fine arts, particularly music. We have perished the value of fine arts. Rather, we have destroyed the image of those people who were directly related to fine arts, particularly musicians. We didnt give the real respect to the greatest musician of the Kasur Gharana, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib. Thats why he left Pakistan after partition and settled in India. We always degrade musicians and all types of artists. Music is a divine sound and is directly related to our metaphysical core. The Sufi mystic of our region, Hazrat Ali Hujwiri alias Data Gaj Baksh, said in his book, Kashf-ul-Mahjoob, Except hypocrite, every person understands the language of music.
Music is the language of the universe
The music of subcontinent is technically called Shastri Sangeet or Hindustani classical music. It is the first and very ancient music in the world. The music of subcontinent dates back to more than 1500 BCE and it is first time written as literature in Hindu religious scripture Samaveda.
Our first musical instrument was Veena, Sarangi and Tanpura. Veena is the very classical and ancient form of Sitar, which is no longer used today. Shatria Sangeet or Hindustani Classical music is purely based on melody. Like western music, we do not use notations and scales. We utterly emphasise on vocal techniques and give chance to a learner that he can use the natural strength of his vocal range. So on the base of that rule, in Hindustani music, the particular vocal techniques have discovered. Later on, it was called Gharana, i.e. singing school. Our music is based on Layakari. Layakari means vocals following the rhythmic cycles. The most prominent Gharanas in Pakistan are Patiala Gharana, Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana, Shamchurasi Gharana and those in India are Mewati Gharana, Gwalior Gharana, Agra Gharana, Kirana Gharana, Bhendi Bazaar Gharana, Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana and Indore Gharana. Gharana is a style of singing, which is a specific recognition of the musicians.
The Sufi singing style is called Qawwali and it is specifically performed by Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana. In Pakistan, the most prominent members of Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana were Ustad Iftekhar Ahmed Nizami and Ustad Munshi Razi Uddinuddin. Similarly, the Patiala Gharana is the most influential musical school in subcontinent music, It was founded by Fateh Ali Khan and Ali Baksh Khan and was initially sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, Punjab. It was known for Ghazal, Thumri and Khayal styles of singing. The most influential Patiala singers are Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan and Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan.
This Gharana tends to favour pentatonic ragas for their ornamentation and execution of intricate taans. Ektaal (12 beats rhythmic cycles) and Teentaal (16 beats rhythmic cycles) are the most common taals chosen by members of this Gharana. Besides, Khayal exponents sing the Punjab-Ang thumri. The special feature of Patiala Gharana is its rendering of taans. Taan is the singing of very rapid melodic passages using vowels. These are very rhythmic, vakra (complicated) and phirat (wandering) taans, and are not bound by the rhythmic cycle. Taans with clear aakaar are presented not through the throat but the naavi (navel).
This Gharana has been criticised for neglecting basic raga characteristics such as the primary development octave and for overusing ornaments and graces (thumri style) without considering the nature and mood of the raga. The music of subcontinent is the music of nature, like western music our musicians do not emphasise on falsetto. The musicians of these Gharans do not use any scale or orchestral arrangement like western musicians rather they use a melodic pattern which is recognised as raga. Raga is the essence of subcontinent music. Without a melodic pattern, the style of singing becomes light or pop music. Raga, alap, aakaar, taan, murki, khatka, gamak, meend and kan are the specifications of Hindustani music.
The writer is a psychologist and a polymath
The rest is here:
The music of the subcontinent - Daily Times
- Chapel Hill police: Parking dispute may have led to triple shooting - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Chapel Hill killings shine light on particular tensions between Islam and atheism - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism and obesity - Main Page - Conservapedia - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Demographics of atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Main Page - Conservapedia - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- science against atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Conversations Regarding Atheism & Theism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- My Journey to Atheism - Part 5: Faith in God as an Adult - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Russell Brand Rips Stephen Fry's Atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Book about Jaclyn Glenn @jaclynglenn #freespeech #atheism #freethought - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Response to Atheism Episode 6 - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheist Analysis S04 E07: Interview With Peter Boghossian/ Street Epistemology /Atheism Evangelism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Unleashed Presents.. 5 Stupid Questions... - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Follow-up to "Defining Atheism" - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Implodes Hard - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- God, Science & the Big Questions: Leading Christian Thinkers Respond to the New Atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Does Atheism Lead To A Bad Society? - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism vs India Revisited 9 - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Robert Richert 'Communicating Atheism' - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- John Lennox exposes Peter Atkins and the truth of his Atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- My Testimony - from Atheism to Biblical Christian - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- How to Convert a Theist to Atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Materialism begets atheism removing inherent spiritualistic realization *Nouman Ali Khan* - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Creation,Evolution, Christianity and Atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism, World Religions 1 - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- How I Got Saved From Evolution/Atheism To Christ - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Why Atheists Are Atheists - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Not Belief - War on Easter - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- A Christian defines Atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheist Dan Barker proves Atheism is madness - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- St. Athanasius & Why Atheism in on the Rise - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- LIVE Multi-Topic Hangout. Atheism, Christianity, My Personal Life With Sarah - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- The Deceit Of Atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism-is-Unstoppable-2: What a moronic video! - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Cool People in Heaven Song #freespeech #atheism - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism-is-Unstoppable-2 is a douche. - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Man's Biggest Delusion - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Unleashed Presents.. The Animated Atheist. - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism is Irrational - Crazy Atheists Compilation - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Response to Atheism Episode 5 - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Neil deGrasse Tyson Talk Science Religion Morality and atheism. - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Is Atheism of the Devil? - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Is Atheism a "Man Thing"? - The Stats (+ muslims) - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Fr. Barron on Atheism and Philosophy - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Part 1 Election: Jacob and Esau; Atheism & Agnosticism Debunked - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- A Short Talk About Christianity VS Atheism - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- The Rules Of Atheism - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- A few current events relevant to atheism - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Finish Drive Into City Of Lancaster, PA 2/11/15, Atheism Is An Ideology - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- 'The Atheist Experience' Responds To Me - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Atheist Psychologist Admits Atheism is Unscientific - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 1 | Asadullah Ali - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Atheism: No Good, No Evil, No Hope | Big Objections | Andrew Wilson - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Atheism vs India Revisited 9a - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Atheism is... - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Hamza Tzortzis vs Lawrence Krauss - Islam or Atheism which one makes more sense? The Big Debate - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Stupid Anti-Vaxxers - Eric Hovid on How Atheism Causes Suicide - Stupid Ads - DPP #83 - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Theism vs Atheism with Christjahn Beck - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Session 1|| Understanding Atheism|| Asadullah Ali - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- New Atheism and a Meaningless Universe | William Lane Craig, PhD - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Richard Dawkins slams video that claims to 'destroy atheism' - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Atheism - New World Encyclopedia - Info:Main Page - New ... - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Does Atheism Exist? - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 5 | Asadullah Ali - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 3 | Asadullah Ali - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Meeting of the Minds: Eve Reele - Moderate vs. Extreme Atheism 2/3/15 - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 2 | Asadullah Ali - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Don't blame Atheism. - Video - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- Bibles atheism moms why me? - Video - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- A C Grayling - Atheism, Theism and Proof - Video - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- 2 reasons why it's a bad week to be an atheist - February 18th, 2015 [February 18th, 2015]
- North Carolina shootings do not represent Atheism - February 18th, 2015 [February 18th, 2015]
- Godless Voices Podcast 2/10/2015: Atheism is a Suicide Risk - Video - February 18th, 2015 [February 18th, 2015]
- Religious Atheism - Video - February 19th, 2015 [February 19th, 2015]
- Session 3|| Understanding Atheism|| Asadullah Ali - Video - February 19th, 2015 [February 19th, 2015]
- Muslims targeted in the US - February 20th, 2015 [February 20th, 2015]
- Atheism can't CAUSE anything - Video - February 20th, 2015 [February 20th, 2015]
- Atheism is a Terrible Motivator - Video - February 20th, 2015 [February 20th, 2015]
- Oh No Is Atheism Destroyed - Video - February 21st, 2015 [February 21st, 2015]