THE
EVOLUTION OF TABLA GHARANAS
Percussion
instruments similar to tabla can be seen in Indian temple
sculptures dating back thousands of years, however it
is generally agreed that the present form of tabla became
popular in the royal courts of Delhi during the 17th
and 18th centuries. The individual usually credited
with the most significant developments of tabla technique
and repertoire at this time was Siddhar Khan Dharhi.
His grandsons and their various disciples carried the
art of tabla playing to other major centers of North
Indian cultural life, a dispersion which naturally led
to the evolution of a number of distinct regional performance
styles. At the present time these schools of tabla playing
or gharanas (- derived from the Hindi word ghar or "house"-)
commonly include those of Delhi, Ajrara, Benares, Farukhabad
and Lucknow. A sixth style, the Punjab gharana, which
developed independently in what is present-day Pakistan
is also included in this list. Each gharana has imbibed
the essence, culture and character of its founding city/area
into its tradition.
This
site is dedicated to furthering the knowledge and history
of these six main schools of tabla playing:
GHARANAS
OF TABLA
Any
discussion pertaining to tabla solo performance or accompaniment
is not complete without mentioning the various styles
of playing the tabla which manifested in specific families
or groups known as "gharanas". The term "gharana"
(literally meaning "family" or "household")
has an important meaning for tabla players. It describes
the traditions established by a founding artist, his
descendants and their disciples.
Gharanas
came into existence in most areas of Hindustani classical
music largely because being a professional musician
was usually a hereditary occupation. Musical instruction
followed genealogical lines from father to son, and
also from guru to shishya (teacher to disciple). It
was this manner of transmission of knowledge that led
to the formation of stylistically unique schools known
as gharanas. Sometimes, the term "baj" is
also used, although this does not have the same connotation
as gharana, as it refers more to playing style.
The
most serious emphasis in the gharana tradition was the
apprenticeship of sons of the main family members, as
they were expected to continue the profession of their
fathers. Even though many artists taught other motivated
disciples, they placed the greatest emphasis on teaching
their own sons and family members. Gottleib points out
that for this reason, the custom of a disciple marrying
into a gharana family was considered very important
from a professional standpoint. Such intermarriages
proved mutually beneficial as the disciple gained access
to a gharana's wealth of musical knowledge, and the
gharana in turn secured the proliferation of its own
knowledge by acquiring a fine disciple.
Gharanas
held many hidden musical treasures that were jealously
guarded by families. In India today, it is still sometimes
difficult for an artist outside of a particular gharana
to gain access to information regarding its traditions.
Gottleib mentions accounts of how a father might not
teach gharana traditions to his own son if he fears
that the son in turn might pass them on to someone outside
of a gharana.
Of
particular interest is the leading living exponent of
a given gharana who is considered to be of special prominence.
Among Muslims, the title "khalifa" (literally,
"a successor" or "a leader") is
given to this practitioner, whereas others may refer
to this individual as the "gharandar". The
title is used only with legitimate blood-line descendants
of the original family, passed on from father to son.
If there is no son, it passes on to his eldest brother's
oldest son. The daughter of a khalifa can never inherit
the title, nor can it be assumed by a non-related disciple.
The title is sometimes passed from the father to his
son while the father is still living, but this occurs
rarely and only when the father no longer actively performs
or represents the traditions of the gharana.
As
mentioned before, the six major gharanas of tabla provide
the backbone for all professional activity on the Indian
classical concert circuit. Their names are derived from
the places of their geographical origin: Delhi, Ajrara,
Farrukhabad, Lucknow, Benares, and Punjab. (Some ethnomusicologists/authors
also mention the following gharanas of tabla: Vishnupur,
Dacca and Orissa.) These gharanas, although they each
hold a distinct repertoire of compositions and musical
knowledge, are no longer so isolated from each other
and have merged with one another to some extent. This
has resulted in less distinct playing styles and more
fusion of styles, a phenomenon that has manifested in
many world-class tabla players today who are affiliated
with more than one gharana, including Ustad Zakir Hussain
(Punjab, Farrukhabad) and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee (Farrukhabad,
Lucknow).
