Music of Assam
Encyclopedia
The music of Assam
, a state in the northeastern part of India
, can be divided into various categories of folk music. In recent times starting the late eighties popular artistes have modernized the music that caters to local popular demand.
A basic characteristic of the ethnic music of Assam is its descending scale which distinguishes it from the raga-based or folk music from the rest of India. This style is shared by ethnic music of the hill people surrounding the state of Assam, and by the music of Thailand
, Myanmar
and China
. Furthermore, the tunes are structured in a pyramid, in contrast to the music of rest of India which is meend
based. Assam is a state with valleys and hills, and the home of many ethnic tribes. Just as the geography and varied people co-exist, the pulsating Bihu
songs co-exist with languorous music of other forms.
Music has been imperative in the Assamese subsistence. There is no precise attestation to substantiate the dawning of Assamese music, however, it could be stated that Assam has been musically affluent since the naissance of the mighty Brahmaputra.
Historians claim that a distinctive culture of the conglomeration of Songs, Musical Instruments and Dance was observed in Assam during the 2nd century. The legend of Princess Usha of Sonitpur and her cohort Chitralekha also enlighten us on the Musical expertise of the Assamese women. History also claims that Assamese Music was admired even in China.
During the Vedic era Assam was introduced with Ragas and Dhrupad Shailee of the Indian Classical music. The connoisseurs however have divided the classical Assamese music into two parts – Borgeet and Ojapali. The composers of Borgeet Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardev and his disciple Madhabdev gave a new definition to the Assamese music.
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, a state in the northeastern part of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, can be divided into various categories of folk music. In recent times starting the late eighties popular artistes have modernized the music that caters to local popular demand.
A basic characteristic of the ethnic music of Assam is its descending scale which distinguishes it from the raga-based or folk music from the rest of India. This style is shared by ethnic music of the hill people surrounding the state of Assam, and by the music of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Furthermore, the tunes are structured in a pyramid, in contrast to the music of rest of India which is meend
Meend
In Hindustani music, meend refers to a glide from one note to another. It is an essential performance practice, and is used often in vocal and instrumental music. On the veena, sitar, and other plucked stringed instruments, it is usually done by pushing the strings across the frets to vary their...
based. Assam is a state with valleys and hills, and the home of many ethnic tribes. Just as the geography and varied people co-exist, the pulsating Bihu
Bihu
Bihu denotes a set of three different cultural festivals of Assam and celebrated by the Assamese diaspora around the world. Though they owe their origins to ancient rites and practices they have taken definite urban features and have become popular festivals in urban and commercialized milieus in...
songs co-exist with languorous music of other forms.
Music has been imperative in the Assamese subsistence. There is no precise attestation to substantiate the dawning of Assamese music, however, it could be stated that Assam has been musically affluent since the naissance of the mighty Brahmaputra.
Historians claim that a distinctive culture of the conglomeration of Songs, Musical Instruments and Dance was observed in Assam during the 2nd century. The legend of Princess Usha of Sonitpur and her cohort Chitralekha also enlighten us on the Musical expertise of the Assamese women. History also claims that Assamese Music was admired even in China.
During the Vedic era Assam was introduced with Ragas and Dhrupad Shailee of the Indian Classical music. The connoisseurs however have divided the classical Assamese music into two parts – Borgeet and Ojapali. The composers of Borgeet Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardev and his disciple Madhabdev gave a new definition to the Assamese music.
Regional folk music
- Kamrupiya Lokageet
- Goalpariya LokageetGoalpariya lokageetGoalpariya lokageet is a regional folk music of Assam basically from the erstwhile Goalpara district. It is due to the folk singer Pratima Barua Pandey who popularised and integrated-hitherto little known, the genre of Goalpariya lokageet into the mainstream Assamese music and even to the national...
- Ojapali
- Tokari geetTokari geetTokari geet is a type of Assamese folk song sung playing a Tokari. Earlier it was called Tokari naam. It is so called because a tokari is played while singing it. A tokari is a single stringed musical instrument played with the fingers; a kind of guitar.These are usually philosophical songs based...
- Deh Bisaror Geet
- Baramahi geet
- Malita (ballad)
Ethnic folk music
- Jhumur
- Bharigaan http://web.archive.org/web/20091027150744/http://www.geocities.com/bipuljyoti/music/bharigaan.html
Bihu songs
- Bihugeet
- Husori http://web.archive.org/web/20091027150630/http://www.geocities.com/bipuljyoti/music/huchori.html
Bhakti music
- Borgeet http://web.archive.org/web/20091027150711/http://www.geocities.com/bipuljyoti/music/bargeet.html
- Zikir and Zari
- Ainaam
- DihanaamDihanaamDihanaam is a type of congregational prayer sung by women in Assam in praise of the Assamese saint Sankardev. Instruments like the Negera, taal, khol and also hand-clapping is used in it. The songs are derived from Vaishnava religious scriptures like Kirtan-ghosa. The songs are sung in call and...
- HiranaamHiranaamHiranaam is a form of Sattriya music related to the Vaishnava religious scriptures. The singers, the Gayans accompany themselves with cymbals played by the Bayans. The singing mainly involves chanting the names of Krishna, in a call and response style....
Musical instruments
- DholDholDhol can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent and nearby regions. Its range of distribution in India and Pakistan primarily includes northern areas such as the Assam Valley, Bengal, Gujarat,...
- GogonaGogonaThe gogona is a type of jaw harp, a vibrating reed instrument that is used primarily in the traditional Bihu music in Assam. It is made of a piece of bamboo/horn that has a bifurcation on one end...
- PepaPepa (musical instrument)'Pepa' is a flute-like musical instrument that is used in traditional music in Assam.It is usually with very short stem made from small diameter bamboo/cane/reed with the end away from the mouth capped with the horn of a buffalo....
- Taal
- Toka
- Xutuli
- KholKholThe khol also known as a mrdanga or mridanga is a terracotta two-sided drum used in northern and eastern India for accompaniment with devotional music...
- Mridanga
- Madol
- Dotara
- Dogor
- Baanhi (Flute)
- NageraNaqarehThe naqqāra is a drum with a rounded back and a hide head. It is thus a membranophone.The term naqqāra , also naqqarat, naqqarah, naqqåre, nakkare, nagora comes from the Arabic verb naqr- that means "to strike, beat".-Construction:The rounded section of a naqqara is made of baked clay, while the...
- Ektara
- Bhortala
- Doba
- Bah jantra (Bamboo sound)
- Zuri tala
Exponents of Assamese music
- Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardev
- Sri Madhabdev
- Rudra BaruahRudra BaruahLuit Konwar Rudra Baruah was one of the foremost music pioneers of Assam. He was a actor, composer, lyricist, singer and musician. He served with Govt...
- Dr. Bhupen Hazarika
- Jayanta HazarikaJayanta HazarikaJayanta Hazarika was arguably the most melodious singer and composer in the world of Assamese music . In His short life span of 34 years he performed playback singing for numerous Assamese films and made a number of vinyl records and audio cassettes...
- Jyoti Prasad AgarwalaJyoti Prasad AgarwalaJyoti Prasad Agarwala was a great Assamese playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film maker from Assam. He was considered as Assamese cultural icon, deeply revered for his creative vision and output and is popularly called the Rupkonwar of Assamese culture...
- Bishnuprasad RabhaBishnuprasad RabhaBishnu Prasad Rabha was born in Dhaka on 31 January 1909. He was a multifaceted artist and revolutionary singer of Assam. A doyen of the Arts, he is popularly known as Kala Guru . From an early stage, he played an active role in the struggle for Indian independence. However, he never joined Indian...
- Parvati Prasad BaruwaParvati Prasad BaruwaParvati Prasad Baruva was a poet, lyricist, dramatist: an icon of Assamese literature and the Culture of Assam. Known for his simple and sensitive use of the Assamese language, he is popularly known as the Geetikavi—the lyrical poet of Assam...
- Ambikagiri Raichowdhury
- Begum Parveen Sultana
- Apurba Kumar Das
- Mihir Bordoloi
- Jyotirmoi Kakoti
- Rani Paul
- Tarulata Das (Playback singer 1951-52)
- Hemanta Dutta
- Nurul Haque
- Bhaben Borthakur
- Indreshwar Sharma
- Sudakshina Sharma (Queen Hazarika)
- Dipali Borthakur
- Pratima Barua PandeyPratima Barua PandeyPratima Barua Pandey was a popular folk singer from the royal family of Gauripur in lower Assam's Dhubri district...
- Partha Pratim Choudhury
- Aniruddha Barua
- Sher Choudhury
- Khagen MahantaKhagen MahantaKhagen Mahanta is an exponent in folk and traditional music of Assam. He was awarded Sangeet Natak Academy award for folk and traditional music in the year 1992....
- Samar Hazarika
- Ankur Deka
- Zubeen GargZubeen GargZubeen Garg is a singer and composer from Assam, India, in the Bollywood and Assamese music scene. He plays dhols, guitar, dotora, mandolin, keyboard and various percussion instruments.-Background:...
- Prabhat Sarma
- Alaap Dudul
- Angarag Papon Mahanta
- Joi BaruaJoi BaruaJoi Barua is a singer, musician, and lead vocalist of the band Joi. He was born in Assam and is currently based in Mumbai, India. He has lent his voice to many Indian movies including 2010's Filmfare Award Winner Udaan and National Film Award Winner Dev D...
- Kalpana Patowary
- Jitul Sonowal
Some other prominent composers, musicians, technicians and playback, AIR singers
- Anima Choudhury
- Apurba Kumar Das
- Apurba Bezbaruah
- Arun Das
- Ashim Hazarika
- Bhupen Uzir
- Birina Pathak
- Bijoy Bhuyan
- Prashun Ghosh
- Dhanada Pathak
- Dipalee Borthakur
- Dolly Ghosh
- J. P. Das
- Jayanta Das
- Jitul Sonowal
- Keshab Mahanta
- Late Nupur Bordoloi
- Loknath Goswami
- Mahendra Hazarika
- Malobika Bora
- Manisha Hazarika
- Mayukh Hazarika
- Mousumi Sohoria
- Namita Bhattarcharjya
- Nanda Banerjee
- Nilima Khatun
- Pulak Banerjee
- Queen Das
- Queen Hazarika
- Rameshwar PathakRameshwar PathakRameshwar Pathak was an acclaimed Indian Kamrupi Lokgeet singer from Assam. He also worked as a teacher in Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary and Multipurpose School, Guwahati from 1963 to 1996.- Early life :...
- Ridip Dutta
- Saswati Phukan
- Sandhya Menon
- Shanta Uzir
- Surja Das
- Tarali Sharma
- Saru Guhain
- Zubeen Garg
- Alaap Dudul
External links
- Candid Conversation With Kalpana Patowary
- Markin Kalpataru - The Oldest Assamese Internet Music Station
- Rupaliparda.com, a free resource for current happenings in Assamese entertainment world.
- North-East India.