Cool Stuff 3: Arab and India

1: As I was going into more depth in Arab music, I found out that there also existed some heavy-metal style Arab music in the modern day. I was very fascinated to find a lot of heavy metal music in Arab which is very unique to its own style. As we all know heavy metal is a genre of rock music that had its roots from the United Kingdom. It also has some mixed styles of blues music, psychedelic music and the acid rock. As we have discussed in class that the Arab region is like the hub for other continents surrounding it. It is very common that a lot people from different countries come in with their own ideas and spread its influences across the region and take ideas to other places around the world. Similarly, we can totally relate to how early Arabic music has evolved with other western influences including to the heavy metal style. Interestingly I found an Persian Heavy metal band with the Lead Singer “Farshid A’rabi”. The song is named Faryad Kon which means “Scream Out!). It very fascinating to know how music of any genre or style can be an influence to any other type of music from anywhere in the world.

In this video we can see their costumes and music instruments that have a lot of western influence.

2: In India, there is a very unique music and dance culture called Kathakali. It is basically a traditional classical Indian dance. It is a form of art that is typical to the Hindu Malayalam speaking state of India (Kerala). Kathakali had been developed during the 17^th century. Some major music patterns that depict different moods and scene include: Cempata (battles and fights between good and evil), Campa (tension, dispute, disagreements or competing ideas between lovers), Pancari (sharpening of a sword), Atlanta (involving kings and divine characters), etc. Some common instruments used in these dance and plays include: Three majors types of drums (Maddalam, Centa, Itaykka) and the Chengala that makes the clinking sounds.

A Chengalam

A Kathakali dancer

Kathakali performance

3: Another type of classical music and dance tradition of the South India, that we also saw in class today towards the end, is the Bharatanatyam. It had originated from the state of Tamil Nadu. It represents popular spiritual ideas, beliefs and some areas of Hinduism belonging to South India. The themes and contents of the a particular performance maybe be taken from stories and epic temple sculptures from Hinduism. The dance is performed with complex moves that include foot work, hand signatures and gestures with facial and eye expressions. Each pose of the movement indicates a emotion, mood or feeling. Some movements and gestures represent different things that we can see around us.

The music to which they dance Bharatnatyam is a Carnatic style of South Indian recitation and chanting. The singer in the vocal performance is the usually the “guru” (teacher) of the dance. Some popular instruments used in this includes the Mridangam, Nadaswaram, nattuvangam, flute, violin, veena. 

A Nattuvangam

A Bharatnatyam dancer

Bharatnatyam performance