Benares gharana
Encyclopedia
Benares gharānā is one of the six most common styles of playing of the Indian tabla
.
to become the disciple of Modhu Khan of the Lucknow gharānā. When Ram Sahai was seventeen years old, Wazir Ali Khan, the new Nawab, asked Modhu Khan if Ram Sahai could perform a recital for him. Modhu Khan agreed, on the condition that Ram Sahai would not be interrupted until he finished playing. It is said that Ram Sahai played for seven consecutive nights, and that after this incredible performance, Ram Sahai was praised by all the members of the community and was showered with gifts. Shortly after this performance, Ram Sahai returned to Benares.
After some time performing in Benares, Ram Sahai felt the need to make a significant change in his tabla playing. For six months, he withdrew into seclusion, and worked to develop what is now known as the Benares baj or style of tabla playing. The philosophy behind this new style of tabla playing is that it would be versatile enough to perform solo, and to accompany any form of music or dance. The tabla would be able to play delicately, as required for khyal
, or more aggressively, like pakhawaj
, for the accompaniment of dhrupad
or kathak
dance. Ram Sahai developed a new way of fingering the tabla strokes; especially important is the sound Na, being played with a curved ring finger to allow for maximum resonance of the dahina. He also composed numerous compositions within existing compositional forms (gats, tukras, parans etc.) and created new forms, such as uthan, Benarsi theka, and fard.
The tabla solo is highly developed in the Benares gharana, and some artists, such as Pandit Sharda Sahai, Pandit Kishan Maharaj
, and Pandit Samta Prasad
, have become famous as tabla soloists. New generation of tabla players of Benares Gharana are Ustad Kausar Ali
, Kumar Bose, Samar Saha, Balkrishna Iyer, Shashanka Bakshi, Sandeep Das, Partha Sarathi Mukherjee, Sukhwinder Singh Namdhari, Arvindkumar Azad, Shubh Maharaj, Vineet Vyas and others.
The Benares baj makes use of over twenty different compositional types, and has an enormously varied repertoire of each type.
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
.
History
The Benares tabla gharana was developed a little over 200 years ago by Pandit Ram Sahai (1780–1826). Ram Sahai began studying the tabla with his father from the age of five. At the age of nine, he moved to LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
to become the disciple of Modhu Khan of the Lucknow gharānā. When Ram Sahai was seventeen years old, Wazir Ali Khan, the new Nawab, asked Modhu Khan if Ram Sahai could perform a recital for him. Modhu Khan agreed, on the condition that Ram Sahai would not be interrupted until he finished playing. It is said that Ram Sahai played for seven consecutive nights, and that after this incredible performance, Ram Sahai was praised by all the members of the community and was showered with gifts. Shortly after this performance, Ram Sahai returned to Benares.
After some time performing in Benares, Ram Sahai felt the need to make a significant change in his tabla playing. For six months, he withdrew into seclusion, and worked to develop what is now known as the Benares baj or style of tabla playing. The philosophy behind this new style of tabla playing is that it would be versatile enough to perform solo, and to accompany any form of music or dance. The tabla would be able to play delicately, as required for khyal
Khyal
Khyal is the modern genre of classical singing in North India. Its name comes from an Arabic word meaning "imagination". It is thought to have developed out of the qawwali singing style. It appeared more recently than dhrupad, is a more free and flexible form, and it provides greater scope for...
, or more aggressively, like pakhawaj
Pakhavaj
The pakhavaj, pakhawaj, pakuaj, pakhvaj or pakavaj is an Indian barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, the North Indian equivalent to the Southern mridangam....
, for the accompaniment of dhrupad
Dhrupad
Dhrupad is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition. Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" and "pada"...
or kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
dance. Ram Sahai developed a new way of fingering the tabla strokes; especially important is the sound Na, being played with a curved ring finger to allow for maximum resonance of the dahina. He also composed numerous compositions within existing compositional forms (gats, tukras, parans etc.) and created new forms, such as uthan, Benarsi theka, and fard.
Characteristics
Today, the Benares tabla gharana is well known for its powerful sound, though Benares players are also very capable of playing delicately and sensitively. The gharana is categorized into the Purbi (eastern) baj, which includes the Farukhabad, Lucknow, and Benares gharanas. The Benares style makes use of the more resonant strokes of tabla, such as Na (played on the lao), and Din. Benares players preferentially use the full-hand TeTe strokes, rather than the single finger alternation preferred by the Delhi style, though both stroke types are integrated into the Benares baj repertoire. Benares tabla players are successful in all forms of tabla playing, including tabla solo, instrumental, vocal, and dance accompaniment.The tabla solo is highly developed in the Benares gharana, and some artists, such as Pandit Sharda Sahai, Pandit Kishan Maharaj
Kishan Maharaj
Pandit Kishan Maharaj was an Indian tabla player who belonged to the Benares gharana of Hindustani classical music.-Early life and background:...
, and Pandit Samta Prasad
Samta Prasad
Pandit Samta Prasad was an Indian classical musician and Tabla player from the Benares gharana. He also played tabla in many Hindi films including, Meri Surat Teri Ankhen and Sholay , and film music composer Rahul Dev Burman was one of his disciples He was the son of Pandit Hari Sunder, also...
, have become famous as tabla soloists. New generation of tabla players of Benares Gharana are Ustad Kausar Ali
Ustad Kausar Ali
Ustad Kausar Ali was born in a family of musicians in Rudauli village near Benaras, India. He started his training in tabla playing at an early age under the tutelage of his Uncle Jan Mohammed and received further training under Pt. Kamal Mishra and Pt. Kishan Maharaj.He gave his first performance...
, Kumar Bose, Samar Saha, Balkrishna Iyer, Shashanka Bakshi, Sandeep Das, Partha Sarathi Mukherjee, Sukhwinder Singh Namdhari, Arvindkumar Azad, Shubh Maharaj, Vineet Vyas and others.
The Benares baj makes use of over twenty different compositional types, and has an enormously varied repertoire of each type.