Abstract

Any Musical form, constitutes of three fundamental aspects: Raga, Tala/Laya and Bhava. Moreover, Vocal Music has an additional aspect, i.e. the lyrical or poetic aspect. Dhrupad, as described by several practitioners, musicologists and scholars of the field, is a fine blend of these three fundamental aspects. Khayal, which probably broke out of Dhrupad in order to explore novel aesthetic avenues, amalgamates these aspects while also reflecting the inherited elements from its parent genre, Dhrupad, and still maintains uniqueness in its approach towards these fundamental aspects. Laya or the rhythmic aspect is very crucial to these genres in terms of both, the differences and similarities that Dhrupad and Khayal have between them and thus, the following research paper aims to comparatively analyse this aspect in order to get a better understanding of the approach towards the laya aspect in these two genres.

Keywords: Dhrupad, Khayal, Gharana, Raag, Laya, Talim

Introduction:

Dhrupad and Khayal have been coexisting in the Indian Classical Music scenario since more than almost two to three centuries now. One cannot point out at a particular time period or an individual behind the creation of these genre. However, it can be rightly said that, the term ‘dhruva’ and ‘Dhruvapada’ can be found in musicological texts in as early as the period between 6^th to 9^th century. Bharat Muni in ‘Natyashastra’ has described five types of ‘dhruva-s’ namely: praveshiki, akshepiki, naishkramiki, prasadiki and antara. These are associated with the various stages involved in the presentation of a ‘natya’ or a play and the music to be played in each of these five stages. Further, Sharangdeva in the ‘Sangeet Ratnakara’ mentions ‘Dhruva Prabandha’ as one of the several types of Prabandha-s. Also, ‘dhruva’ is one of the four ‘ang-s’ of a prabandha (the other three being udgrah, melapak and abhog).

The very term Dhrupad is a combination of dhruva and pada (a song). Thus, based on the above analysis it can be inferred that, the term Dhruvapada or Dhrupad existed several centuries prior to its emergence as an individual genre in around the 14^th century where, Raja Mansingh Tomar of Gwalior, amongst several other scholars and patrons of music contributed to the establishment, popularisation and flourishing of Dhrupad as a genre.

Khayal is a Persian term which means thought. Some scholars opine that, Amir Khusro around the 12^th century developed this form by combining elements from Persian music with that of local and indigenous styles of music prevalent in India during that particular period. Another opinion suggests that, Hussain Shah Sharqi the sultan of Jaunpur, infused certain elements from a genre named ‘chutkula’ into local musical forms.

As stated earlier, the three aspects Raga, Laya/Tala and Shabda are fundamental to all forms that classify under vocal music, be it Classical genres such as Dhrupad and Khayal or the Semi Classical forms such as Thumri, Ghazal etc. Interestingly, what differentiates these genres, at a very fundamental level is, the importance given to a particular or in some cases two of the three fundamental aspects. These doesn’t imply that the other aspects are completely neglected, and rather indicates that, the prominent aspect is the one which drives the genre, while the other aspects play a complementary or supportive role in the overall enhancement of the form.

Based on several scholarly opinions, it can be inferred that, Dhrupad and Khayal classify under what is called as Swar Pradhan forms. These dedicate utmost importance to the delineation of a raga which also include prohibition of individual or a group of notes that are not a part of the principal structure of the raga. This places a certain kind of limitation on the melodic aspect. This limitation is totally absent in forms that classify under Shabda Pradhan genres, such as Thumri/Dadra, that accord highest importance to the lyrics and the melodic expression of the inherent emotions in the composition. This leaves us, with only the Laya aspect.

The Inheritance of Laya:

Laya is inherited by all the living beings and especially humans, from the nature itself. Every natural phenomenon happening around us contains a laya in it. After discovering this laya several thousands of years ago, humans demarcated it into a ‘chhand’ or a metre, which is a group of fixed number of syllables. Furthering this development of demarcating the laya into chhand, musicologists devised the concept of tala which can be described as a rhythmic cycle having a fixed number of beats which is also based on a particular division of Matra-s or beats known as Vibhag. This concept of tala was further developed into what is called as the theka, which can be defined as the musical and aesthetic presentation of the rhythmic cycle (tala). The concept of theka is a pre requisite to the presentation of any genre and particularly Khayal and Dhrupad.

Role of Laya/Tala:

A typical Dhrupad/Khayal recital begins with a slow paced alaap, (nom tom alaap in case of Dhrupad, and vilambit khayal in terms of Khayal recital). In Dhrupad, it is observed that the tempo at which the theka is played by the pakhawaj player is maintained till the very end of rendering the composition. In Khayal, as the rendition progresses, the longevity of the rhythmic cycle decreases or in other words, the interval between two matra-s gets shortened and hence the tempo increases. This aspect of playing the same tala and its theka at different speeds starting from vilambit (slow) to drut (fast) and ati–drut, changes the character of the improvisation that is being presented at a particular moment in a particular tempo.

This also means that, even if the singer uses the very same melodic phrase, but in a different tempo, with a varied reference to the laya, that particular phrase sounds different. This can be understood with the following example: a sentence “How are you?” spoken at two different speeds and varied tonal accents will have different meanings. This characteristic of laya provides unlimited possibilities to the artist who is otherwise bound by the rules of the raga which provide him only a handful of phrases at his dispersal. Laya can be of two types, first the one in which the tala and its theka is played and can be called as the aadhar or reference laya. Second, the laya or speed in which a phrase is/has to be executed by an artist. Both the reference and the phraseological laya need to be in sync in order to create optimum impact of the improvisation.

Then, there is also the notion of presenting the bandish which is relative to the perspective through which both these genres look at laya. In Dhrupad, it is observed that, at the time of presenting the bandish, the singer constantly maintains the counting of matra-s through hand gestures. The same is observed while the artist engages in layakari or bol–baant (rhythmic play). This is also because, the pakhawaj player plays several varieties of compositions known as paran and ends with a tihai. In this effort, he tries to match the improvisations being performed by the singer in order to complement it and enhance the overall aesthetic value of the presentation. This also reflects the difference in the whole concept of playing the theka between the two genres. The pakhawaj player hardly plays the actual bol-s or syllables of the theka while accompanying Dhrupad/Dhamar. Even if he does, the proportion of playing paran-s, gat-s and other compositions is substantially more.

In Khayal, the role played by the tabla accompanist is different. During the entire alaap section in the vilambit bandish, the tabla player confines to playing only the theka and seldom plays improvisational phrases that may hinder with the alaap.

Contrary to Dhrupad, Khayal bandish-s (especially vilambit ones), cannot be sung while keeping the tali. Even if the singer attempts to do so, it would result in compromising with his involvement with the whole improvisational process (especially the alaap portion). Khayal, in this regard goes one step ahead of Dhrupad and demands that, the theka be internalised so much that, the singer needn’t count the matra-s. In fact, it can also be inferred that, a well-trained Khayal singer might not be able to tell as to which beat of the rhythmic cycle is currently being played if he/she was asked about the same in the midst of an improvisation. This proves that, Khayal looks at laya in a more subtle manner, while Dhrupad looks at it in a comparatively grosser way.

This notion of internalising the laya and theka is true even in case of drut compositions in Khayal, which are shorter in span (smaller the rhythmic cycles). Compositions that are set to tala-s like Jhaptal (ten beats), Rupak (seven beats) are often rendered in medium tempos (35-65 BPM) and are dealt with in a different manner. Firstly due to the tempo being comparatively faster, one doesn’t see a detailed and leisurely alaap as in vilambit compositions. Moreover, bandish-s in these tala-s are more suitable for presenting layakari-s, bol baant-s and other rhythmically oriented elements. In fact, such compositions are also termed by musicologists as ‘Dhrupad ang bandish’ or a Khayal bandish sung like a Dhrupad. There are several compositions in the Khayal repertoires across different gharana-s that were originally Dhrupad’s and later converted into Khayals or are sung in the Dhrupad ang.

Layakari Aspect:

Among the several elements that Khayal has inherited from Dhrupad, layakari has been an important one. It can be defined as an interesting rhythmic play that involves intricate rhythmic patterns coupled with melodic phrases that are rendered either using the bol-s of the bandish or using sargam-s (in Khayal). Dhrupad has always been considered as a ‘masculine’ form. Naturally the layakari section is also rendered in a similar manner due to which the presentation of sookshma or subtle and intricate rhythmic play isn’t observed as much as that in Khayal.

Upaj is a term associated with both Classical and Semi Classical Music, and can be loosely translated into a spontaneous improvisation. In this regard, we come across four types of upaj as described by practitioners of the art: (A) swaratmak, which involves creating different patterns of the swara-s (notes). (B) Layatmak, which is presenting improvisations that are rhythmically oriented and include playing with the laya which includes layakari, bol-baant. (C) Talatmak, similar to layatmak but often engaging more with the tala and its divisions. Such improvisations are rhythmically driven, but go hand in hand with the theka and seldom involve intricate or subtle layakari-s. (D) Shabdatmak, type of improvisations involve more number of words from the bandish to be used. Sometimes, a word may be uttered multiple times or a line be repeated twice or thrice depending upon the singer’s idea of the improvisation. In this type of upaj, the repeated occurrence of bol-s is what serves as a tool for the singer to improvise upon, coupling it with different melodic phrases.

The above mentioned four varieties of upaj can be prominently observed in Dhrupad, irrespective of the tradition/baani a singer belongs to. For e.g., the Darbhanga style which is famous for its robustness in vocalisation, can be observed performing similar kinds of upaj that suite their overall style. The dagur–s on the other hand are well known for their inclination towards presenting subtle aspects and thus, swaratmak and shabdatmak variety of upaj-s that depend more on the melodic and lyrical element rather than the tonality of voice are observed prominently in this tradition.

Considering the same parameters, if we analyse the style of some prominent Khayal gharana-s with a special focus on the layakari aspect, it can be observed that, several traditions have amalgamated these elements from Dhrupad and modified them. For instance, Agra gharana which had a tradition of training disciples in both the Dhrupad/Dhamar and Khayal genres, included elements such as singing a detailed nom tom alaap preceding the vilambit bandish. This gharana is also famous for the prominence it gives to the bol-s and their presentation, be it bol-banav in the alaap portion or bol-baant in the layakari portion.

“As stated earlier, the peak of the definiteness and the mastery over lay-tala is reached in the sphere of layakari. A competent artist of the Gharana exploits its vast range of various forms of layakari which are termed as ad, kuad (beat, offbeat), dugun, tigun, tisra, chatusra, khand and sankirna jaati. This is no doubt the most exciting region of khayal and most of the artists of this gharana get themselves lost in this play while enjoying” (Haldankar, 2001, 84).

Singers also actively indulge in presenting small tihai-s in the layakari section. An interesting phenomenon that can be observed in the Dhrupad/Dhamar and Khayal renditions of this gharana is the singing of the bandish (sthayi and antara) in dugun, tigun and chougun (double, triple and four times of the generic laya) in the layakari section. Something which is not observed very often in mainstream Dhrupad traditions such as Dagur-s, Mallick-s etc. Even the laya preferred for singing the vilambit bandish-s fall into the madhya-vilambit category, again something which is true with Dhrupad traditions.

The Jaipur Atrauli gharana which is a comparatively more recent gharana as compared to Gwalior or Agra traditions, was created by Alladiya Khan who modified the original Atrauli gayki (singing style) by his creative genius. Originally belonging to a tradition of Dhrupad singers, Alladiya Khan included several elements from his ancestral tradition of Dhrupad gayki into his newly created style of Khayal singing. This style focuses on maintaining a close relation between swar and laya. Each note that is sung has a reference to the laya. Furthermore, this style even emphasises on having the ability to sing phrases that fall on the micro beats i.e. the interval between two beats.

Another aspect fundamental to this gayki is the presentation of the bandish. This tradition demands utmost adherence to the singing of bandish as imparted through oral tradition, generation after generations. Each word or even a syllable in the bandish is expected to be placed on a particular matra of the tala. Having a long breath holding capacity is a pre requisite to this style so that it creates an effect of continuity or a sense of unbrokenness throughout the singing that this style pledges to achieve. Layakari follows the same principal of being closely associated with the theka and the laya that it provides.

Very complicated layakari which is executing phrases in dugun tigun or other fractions of the laya are not heard very often in this gharana (taan-s which are a special feature of this style do have a complex structure and are intricately woven in rhythm, something which has become a signature of this gharana). Mogubai Kurdikar, a celebrated singer of this tradition and disciple of Alladiya Khan and his brother Haider Khan introduced a style of layakari which included singing the bol-s in dugun tigun and even chougun. This could be observed in Kishori Amonkar’s singing as well. However, scholars opine that this aspect could be the result of Mogubai’s training in other traditions, particularly Agra gharana under Vilayat Hussain Khan. This inference seems to be true given the fact that contemporaries of Mogubai who also learnt in the same tradition did not perform this variety of layakari.

“The layakari which is distinctly different and graceful is to be experienced with my guru Mogubai Kurdikar and her worthy daughter Kishori Amonkar, ace singer of this era. Their layakari is not simple and straight forward but is an unpredictable combination of tisra and chatusra jaati. Their presentation invariably commands the applause of the audience though there is discontinuity due to their strict adherence to the dictates of the Gharana, especially in bada Khayal, these short comings are not experienced in khayals sung in talas like jhap Taal and rupak, which are of ten and seven beats respectively. The graceful pronunciation of bols by both these artists gives an added flavour to their layakari” (Haldankar, 2001, 40-41).

Gwalior gharana is considered as the first of all other gharana-s of Khayal. Musicians of this gharana drew their lineage to Sadarang Adarang who were primarily Dhrupad singers. Upon analysing the fundamental style of the Gwalior gharana, a preference to sing in the madhya laya is evident in almost all the singers. Secondly, the gayki is famous for its gait especially while performing the bandish. Alankars that are less acrobatic or fast paced such as meend, gamak, soot etc are preferred. This style is famous for its linear passages that cover all the three octaves. The same could be observed in its layakari section which includes behlava like phrases but are more rhythmically driven and include more number of words unlike Agra gharana which starts with a small group of bol-s at first and then goes on to cover the entire stanza. While analysing a recording of Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, a stalwart of the Gwalior gharana, Bonnie Wade writes “Krishnarao made most passages- even alankarik ones-more complex by rhythmic play (layakari), which is a characteristic of his style. He made a succession of short units rather than a conjunct long Bol-Baant unit. Variety is marked in Ex 3-3ac (avarts 76-7), by use of ornamentation and also by the tihai (thrice repeated phrase ‘Mhare dere aao’) with which the passage ends.” (Wade, 2016, 59-60).

Conclusion:

Based on the above analysis, it is clear that, both Dhrupad and Khayal share several similar characteristics, especially in reference to the laya aspect. While the approach of Dhrupad towards layakari can possibly be termed as a bit more gross, while that of Khayal more inclined towards attempting to explore subtle and finer dimensions of the rhythmic aspect. Still, laya plays a key role in both the fundamental as well as presentational aspect of both Dhrupad and Khayal.

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