Agra gharana
Encyclopedia
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi
.
The first known musician of this tradition is Nayak Gopal. The style prevalent then in the Gharana was “Dhrupad-Dhamar”. Ustad Ghagghe Khudabuksh (1790-1880 AD) introduced the “Khayal” style of Gwalior Gharana
into Agra gharana
which Khudabaksh learnt from Natthan Paribaksh of Gwalior. Furthermore the Khayal style of Atrauli Gharana was added in the late 19th century.
is a blend of khayal gayaki and Dhrupad - Dhamar. In training, both the khayal and dhrupad components run hand in hand and are not taught in an isolated fashion. This is obvious from the svaroccara(The method of singing notes) of the Agra Gharana
which demands that the projection of voice be more forceful and voluminous than encountered in khayal gayaki.The svarocarra of the gharana also hints the reminiscent of Dhrupad in which swaras are uttered open and bare( without grace notes).
Most khayal performances by artists of Agra gharana
commence with the nom - tom alaap, a tradition unique to the Agra gharana
. Different facets of a raga are displayed with the help of bandish
or cija while the raga is liberated using vistaar. The use of bandish or cija for performing a raga is ubiquitous in all Hindustani classical music
gharanas but cija or bandish
occupy a special position in the teaching methodology of the Agra Gharana
.
This is the only Gharana that has still continued to sing Dhrupad-Dhamar along with Nom-Tom Alap, Khayal, Thumri
, Tappa
, Tarana
, Hori
, Dadra
, Ghazal
, Kaul, Rasiya
etc.
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
The first known musician of this tradition is Nayak Gopal. The style prevalent then in the Gharana was “Dhrupad-Dhamar”. Ustad Ghagghe Khudabuksh (1790-1880 AD) introduced the “Khayal” style of Gwalior Gharana
Gwalior gharana
The Gwalior Gharana is one of the oldest Khyal Gharanas. The rise of the Gwalior Gharana started with the reign of the great Mughal emperor Akbar...
into Agra gharana
Agra gharana
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....
which Khudabaksh learnt from Natthan Paribaksh of Gwalior. Furthermore the Khayal style of Atrauli Gharana was added in the late 19th century.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The gayaki of the Agra GharanaAgra gharana
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....
is a blend of khayal gayaki and Dhrupad - Dhamar. In training, both the khayal and dhrupad components run hand in hand and are not taught in an isolated fashion. This is obvious from the svaroccara(The method of singing notes) of the Agra Gharana
Agra gharana
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....
which demands that the projection of voice be more forceful and voluminous than encountered in khayal gayaki.The svarocarra of the gharana also hints the reminiscent of Dhrupad in which swaras are uttered open and bare( without grace notes).
Most khayal performances by artists of Agra gharana
Agra gharana
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....
commence with the nom - tom alaap, a tradition unique to the Agra gharana
Agra gharana
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....
. Different facets of a raga are displayed with the help of bandish
Bandish
Bandish, Cheez or Gat is a fixed, melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. It is set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhavaj, a steady drone, and melodic accompaniment by a sarangi, violin or harmonium. There are different ways of...
or cija while the raga is liberated using vistaar. The use of bandish or cija for performing a raga is ubiquitous in all Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
gharanas but cija or bandish
Bandish
Bandish, Cheez or Gat is a fixed, melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. It is set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhavaj, a steady drone, and melodic accompaniment by a sarangi, violin or harmonium. There are different ways of...
occupy a special position in the teaching methodology of the Agra Gharana
Agra gharana
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....
.
This is the only Gharana that has still continued to sing Dhrupad-Dhamar along with Nom-Tom Alap, Khayal, Thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
, Tappa
Tappa
Tappa is a city and a municipal council in Sangrur district in the Indian state of Punjab.-Demographics: India census, Tappa had a population of 18,887. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Tappa has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Tarana
Tarana
Tarana is a type of composition in Hindustani classical vocal music in which certain words and syllables based on Persian and Arabic phenomes are used in a medium-paced or fast rendition...
, Hori
Hori
Hori may refer to:HoriThe son of Khaemweset. Hori became a scribe and High Priest in Ancient Egyptian Times. He is the grandson of Ramsees II.-General:*Hori , a Japanese manufacturer of video game peripherals...
, Dadra
Dadra
Dadra refers to two separate but originally linked concepts in Hindustani classical music.-Dadra tala:This is a Hindustani classical tala , consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka or basic pattern for this tala is dha dhi na, dha tu na...
, Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
, Kaul, Rasiya
Rasiya
Rasiya is a style of folk song of North India's Braj region .Rasiya songs are sung in the regional Hindi dialect of Brajbhasha, and are performed in a variety of styles, ranging from unpretentious women's songs to group performances by semi-professional akharas of men, who sing in a more...
etc.
Some Prominent Exponents
- Ut. Ghagghe Khudhabaksh
- Ut. Mehboob Khan "Daras Piya"
- Ut. Kale Khan "Saras Piya"
- Ut. Ghulam Abbas Khan-"Sabrang"
- Ut. Natthan Khan
- Ut. Tassaduq Hussain Khan "Vinodpiya"
- Ut. Faiyaz Khan Faiyaz KhanUstad Faiyaz Khan is so far the best known exponent of Agra Gharana in Hindustani classical music. He was the master khayal vocalist of his time. Born at Sikandara near Agra in 1886 , he was the son of Shabr Hussain, who died three months before his birth...
(1880–1950) "Prempiya" - Ut. Atta Hussain Khan "Ratan Piya"
- Ut. Vilayat Hussain KhanVilayat Hussain KhanUstad Vilayat Hussain Khan Sahib was a prominent musician of the Agra Gharana, who excelled both as singer and teacher. His father, Natthan Khan, was himself an acclaimed performing artist of his time, and a noted guru. Vilayat Hussain Khan's elder brothers were also noted singers and taught him...
"Pran Piya" - Ut. Khadim Hussain KhanKhadim Hussain KhanKhadim Hussain Khan was an Indian singer born in Atrauli, Uttar Pradesh, India. Initiated into music by his father Altaf Hussain Khan, he went on to learn from his grand uncle Ustad Kallan Khan. They were both court musicians of the Jaipur Kingdom....
"Sajan Piya" - Ut. Latafat Hussain Khan "Prem Das"
- Ut. Sharafat Hussain Khan "Prem Rang"
- Ut. Anwar Hussain Khan
- Ut. Azmat Hussain Khan "Dil Rang"
- Pt.Madhusudan Joshi of Baroda (foremost disciple of Ut. Atta Hussain Khan)
- Pt. Shrikrishna (Babanrao) Haldankar "Raspiya"
- Pt. Arun Kashalkar "Rasdas"
- Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan "Darpan"
- ZohrabaiZohrabaiZohrabai Agrewali was one of the most noted and influential singers of Hindustani Classical Music from the early 1900s. Along with Gauhar Jan, she marks the dying phase of the courtesan singing tradition in Indian classical music. She is known for her macho style of singing.-Early life and...
(1868–1913) - Ut.Yashpaul "Sagun Piya"
- Pt. Ramarao Naik
- Pt. Harish Chander Bali
- Pt. Jagannathbua Purohit-Gunidas
- Mardav Sangeetgya Prof. Satya Dev Sharma Jalandhar Wale Disciple of Pt.Harish Chander Bali
- Smt.Lalith J. RaoLalith J. RaoSmt. Lalith J. Rao is an Indian classical singer and a representative of the Agra gharana.-Early life:...
- Ut. Asad Ali Khan - migrated to Pakistan
- Pt. Vijay Kichlu
- Pt. Shrikrishna Narayan RatanjankarShrikrishna Narayan RatanjankarPt. Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar was a distinguished scholar, teacher of Hindustani classical music, and vocalist from the Agra gharana...
- Pt. S. C. R.Bhatt
- Pt. K.G.Ginde
- Pt. Chidanand Nagarkar-"Chit Aanand"
- Pt. Dinkar Kaikini "Din Rang"
- Smt. Sumati MutatkarSumati MutatkarSumati Mutatkar was an Indian classical music vocalist and musicologist from the Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music, and a Professor of Department of Music in University of Delhi....
- Smt. Manik Verma
- Pt. Jitendra AbhishekiJitendra AbhishekiPandit Jitendra Abhisheki was an Indian vocalist, composer and scholar of classical, semi-classical, and devotional music...
- Moni Babu (Manindralal Sengupta) Click here for some wonderful agra* gharana alaaps
- Ut. Ghulam Hasnain Khan alias "Rajamiyan"
- Pt. Dhruv Tara joshi"Prem Rang" and "Rasikpiya"
- Pt. Ratnakant Ramnathkar "Premrang"