Music of South Asia

 Introduction

    About 25% of the world's population resides in East Asia, compared to 1.8 billion in South Asia. With 1.3 billion people, India not only leads South Asia in population, but also in landmass. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are also included in this region. Pakistan and Bangladesh have coastlines stretching to the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Sri Lanka is an island southeast of India. Some other island groups are also considered to be part of South Asia despite their modest populations, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Maldives, and the Seychelles. Parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan are mountains while they cover most of Nepal. Bangladesh and the neighboring islands are at risk of flooding due to the rising sea levels. Much of this region has harsh climates. From the intense heat in India to the tropical moisture from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and the harsh writers in the northern areas.

Raga and Tala

    A raga comes from the melodic structure that the musician uses to compose and perform a song. This includes certain notes, tones, and rhythms that are put into the piece to show the listeners the artists’ emotions. A tala is the beat of measuring time in the piece known as the musical meter. Typically, this is created through physical gestures or by using percussion instruments.

Tambura

    This is a rounded gourd lute and it creates the “drone” element in Indian classical music. A longneck instrument that had 4 strings and was found to originate in the Indian subcontinent and found in various forms of Indian music. This video features a man playing the Tambura.

History of Ayyappan

    Ayyappan also referred to as Dharmasastha and Manikandan, is the God of truth and justice. This practice is most seen throughout South India. He has gained more notoriety during the late 20th century although he has always been around.  In Hindu theology, he is the son of Vishnu and is seen as the connection between Shaivism and Vaishnavism. The mythology surrounding Ayyappa changes from region to region and typically reflects the tradition that has evolved over time. He is typically depicted as a celibate man in his adolescence riding a tiger while carrying a bow and arrow. Ayyappan is referred to as a warrior deity and admired for his devotion to Dharma which is said to be an ethical way of living.

Javad Bashir

    Javed Bashir was born in August of 1973 and is a Pakistani playback singer who is most known for singing classical music. He has sung in a lot of Bollywood movies like Cocktail Kahaani, Rush, Bombay Talkies, etc… He started singing in his adolescence but didn't begin training professionally until 1992 with his father who was a popular qawwal musician himself.

Music of South Asia

    South Asian music forms continue to influence musical practices today and offer an insight into a wide variety of regional languages, cultures, and historical traditions. South Asian musicians have incorporated their religious and spiritual beliefs into their art and music style like Qawwali, Ghazai, and Hindustani classical music are the result of this practice.