Hindustani instrumentalists often teach their disciples the intricacies of raag grammar by singing phrases and compositions and not necessa...
Hindustani instrumentalists often teach their disciples the intricacies of raag grammar by singing phrases and compositions and not necessarily by using their instruments as their medium of instruction.
One of the chief reasons for this is to enculturate disciples into the practice of mirroring through their instrument embellishments that are used in the gayaki or vocal style. This is not to say that instrumental technique is not taught. It is, but the effort is primarily focused on harnessing instrumental technique to heighten the gayaki aspect. I am not suggesting that the influence has only been a one-way street, for instrumental music has also impacted vocal styles.
However, for this week’s episode, the second one in our series covering the multidimensional artistry of some musicians, we will listen to a vocalist’s instrumental renditions. These tracks feature the Kirana gharana maestro Abdul Karim Khan, who recorded his rudra veena performances on 78 rpm discs in the 1930s along with other discs of his vocal music. Abdul Karim Khan was also known to be an equally accomplished sarangi player, but unfortunately, his sarangi recitals have not been recorded.
We begin with a vocal performance by the maestro. He sings a composition in the raag Darbari Kanada. It is set...
