What instrument is this?

proxyindian

I saw the film Nayak: The Real Hero last night. Near the end of the song Rukhi Sukhi Roti, Anil Kapoor is holding a gourd and a stick and another thing that's supposed to be a bow, and he's pretending to play it in a bouncy happy way. Reminds me of a fiddle.

I don't think its supposed to be a sarangi because the sound is a lot more precise, upbeat, higher... and I haven't seen anyone dancing with a sarangi.

What instrument is it?

Extra Credit:
And what is that excited buzzing noise during Saiyyan? I don't think it's a shehnai or sarangi (two totally different instruments, I know).

proxyindian

I would like to thank everyone here at Indiamike for allowing me to ask all my questions about India even when it doesn't involve travel plans. It's just that India has the most unique and interesting culture(s) I've ever encountered. It's so exotic but completely accessable (to me anyway; my dear Mom finds it stupifying.)

I think I asked my question prematurely. I found a list of instruments at a South Indian site and they listed the violin. I went to YouTube and found this shaky video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdVC6sJjEtI

This
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjHYiu4-iBU

and this, which is great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H53i7bBuZBo

I'm pretty sure it is a violin. Especially the way it's being held. And the fact that Nayak was a remake of a Tamil film.

But now I have a new question. Who is that woman in the last video? I love this music. Is a karnatik concert something I'll be able to find in Delhi? Or are the types of music relegated to their specific regions? (Our trip is strictly Golden Triangle places, but how I want to go to the south!)

vir

She is M. S. Subbulakshmi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.S._Subbulakshmi

Sama

carnatic is south....

ask our Grumpy Mod, Nick-H, all about carnatic music. He knows ALOT!!

__________________
My India, 2005-2008
sama: Pali/Sanskrit: that state of consciousness which reflects neither attachment nor aversion

greenchutney

that is a carnatic concert. in that video you see all the accompanists. a back up singer (usually when the main singer is older), the ghatam (clay pot), mridangam [side drums], the two tamburas (drone to keep pitch), the violinist [the typical sitdown pose with the violin against the neck/shoulder], the jalra [small metallic cymbals] and the kanjira [small drum with woven cymbals on the side..someone correct me on this if i am wrong]

ms subbulakshmi as vir pointed out was a legend in the carnatic genre. she is singing a rajaji composed tamil song which is one of everyones favorites.. and a lot of young artists sing that in her memory.

the classical tamil song title and opening line translated means :- (i)have no regrets. rajaji the composer was involved in the freedom struggle with gandhi. attached is the link from the hindu newspaper to an interesting article in the context of this particular song, the composer, his life...

Rajaji's unknown collaborator

dzibead

Interesting link, GC.

cdrake

That's not a fiddle (the youtube ones you posted features a fiddle played in the south Indian style(ie sitting down, not held up)).

That's a baul ektara with a bow.

or the turkish spike fiddle

Nick-H

My internet connection doesn't seem able to cope with YouTube this morning --- but everyone else seems to have answered all the questions admirably.

There are many bowed instruments in Northern India, both folk and classical, both simple and complex.

Southern Indian classical music, traditionally has none. The violin came here with Irish soldiers in the late 18th C and caught the attention of musicians here. My music teacher was surprised to hear the word fiddle in London: he thought it was a Tamil word!

It must be one of the most successful pieces of colonisation ever ---or should I say that it is yet another example of India taking to its own whatever usefully comes its way? It is the accompanying instrument for all vocal concerts, all instrumental concerts except vina, and nadaswaram and is usualy part of the line up for dance accompaniment.

The tuning is different, but I'm sorry, I can't remember the notes. For accompaniment the first string (and the rest to standard intervals) would be tuned to the tonic for the main artist anyway; tuning is not fixed to the instrument here.

GC: the Kanjira is best equated to the tambourine to explain in western terms. In percussionists' terms it is a small frame drum. There will be (usually one) one or more small cymbal pairs built into the frame. It is a very hard instrument to play: the musician is expected to reproduce the mridangist's rhythms and speed --- with only one hand. The other hand is used to adjust the tension of the head, giving expression.

The small symbols (keeping the beat) are not usualy played for a vocal or instrumental classical concert, with the excpetion of nadaswaram performances (which have a different line up of instruments). But they are always used in Bharatanatyam, for the natavangam. This person is loosely translated as conducter. He or She will also say those wonderful pieces of spoken rhythm.

GC... you forgot my instrument ...

The Morsing. Known in UK and America as a Jews harp, played world-wide (including elsewhere in India) as a folk instrument, but (I think) only here in Southern India is it used for classical concerts. Up North they call it a Morchang

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

proxyindian

I think you're right. It's the turkish spike fiddle. In Nayak (but not Mudhalvan) the hero holds a bunch of found objects that represent that instrument.

I might have gotten it wrong, thinking it was a violin, but I did get to learn about the violin's use in Indian music.

But what's that noise that plays through Saiyyan? Is it the same thing?

proxyindian

Nick-H et al,
Thanks for the information about those instruments!
I wish Bollywood CDs would give credit to the orchestra or band like our showtunes and classical CDs do. Then I'd always have a list of what's playing and then play this game of matching. As it is, I have to scour the net looking for soundbites or videos. It's still fun to do it this way.

greenchutney

apologies nick...didnt want to take your profession away...

i was looking at that youtube video of MS in the link...and just pointing out the various accompanists from that video for that concert. i didnt see a morsing player there.

the morsing is not an accompaniment in all carnatic concerts ...and while times have changed, usually you didnt have female morsing players..(in fact i dont know if we still have women playing morsing) or for that matter ghatam as well...and in early times, men would not play as accompanists to women singers.

dont know that for sure nick that south india never had any bowed instruments eons ago.... research on the tamil sangam era music is very much wanted and there are enough indications to illustrate use of many stringed instruments. it seems like tamil sangam era civilisations were rich in their music instruments repertoire and almost developed a parallel genre to the more predominantly sanskrit/telugu carnatic genre. dont know which came first ..the sanskrit or the tamil civilisations..but they left their own imprints..

here's one of the links that mentions something called 'yals'

Some New Light on Stringed Instruments of the Ancient Tamil Country

agree that the violin's use in carnatic music is a fascinating story. carnatic musicians used to be such staunch traditionalists..even the mandolin's success is interesting.

greenchutney

i dont think its a formalised orchestra or a band that plays these soundtracks to be honest. it might be just a motley collection of instrumentalists organized together by the music composer or producer.

they do mention playback singers, the composers what not in these bollywod, tollywood, kollywood CDs.

in comparision, indian classical CDs do list out all the details of the accompanists. some of the liner notes also talk about the raga/ragams/song they are singing..details about them, the history, background what not.

greenchutney

yeah...found it while searching for the english translation of this song. powerful personalities with fascinating stories, some of their tales i am glad made it out to print.

Nick-H

Thanks for that, GC. I'm sure bowed strings must be found somewhere in the tradition. Haven't had time to take in that article yet...

Very few women choose percusion, even these days. There is one group of female percussionists. Although led by a tabla player, the others play carnatic instruments. Name of Stree Shakti? I think... Of course, I think we won't be seeing open-shirt playing from the female ghatam players!

I don't know why this should be. The girls have to do dance and vocal and veena, the boys have to do percussion. Violin is more evenly split. Well, I suppose vocal is too

Sexism in carnatic music is a whole other story. Unfortunately it is still alive and well. I heard a good story recently: a senior female vocalist was visiting a senior mridangist. He asked if she would sing so that he could play. She told him, 'if you won't accompany me in public, you're not going to in private...'. Our Hindustani brothers don't seem to have the same hangup...

anu_k

My favourite instrument is the carnatic flute or pullanguzhal... but ofcourse I am biased.

Nick, sexism in carnatic music is decreasing slowly. As a teenager, I had quite a few lads in my bharatanatyam class and some of them have gone on to become professional dancers now.

And I have noticed in every recitals I go to, there are more and more girls playing percussion now.

Times are changing... .