Cool Stuff No.4: Arabic and Indian Music/Culture

 

Hello everyone! Thank you for coming to my blog. Today we are going to be traveling to the Mena Region as well as India and the surrounding countries! These two cultures are vibrant and colorful with diverse music and dances. 

Indian Dances

In India, there are eight classical dances that are recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. 

• Bharatanatyam (Baa-ruh-taa-naa-tee-uhm): Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest classical dances, if not the oldest as it pre-dates India.. It comes from Southern India and was original a solo dance performed by women in Hindu temples. The name roughly translates to a dance where Bhrava (emotions and feelings), Raga, and Tala are expressed.

• Kathakali (Cah-tha-cah-lee): Kathakali is a story telling art that comes from South India. The dance communicates to the audience through dramatic makeup, precise footwork, hand movements, and facial expressions. Rather than developing in Hindu temples, Kathakali was performed in courts and theaters in Hindu regions.

• Kathak (Cah-Thack): Kathak is one of the main classical dances that was made popular by Indian bards called Kathakers in North India. Kathakers would tell stories through music, dance, and song, much like the ancient Greek did. Kathakers would use foot movements, hand movements, facial expressions, and eye work to convey their message and story. It is used to tell epics and legends in the courts of northern kingdoms. 

• KuchiPudi (Coo-cha-poo-dee):Kuchipudi originates from a village of Krishna and dates in pre-eminent India. Like many other Indian dances, Kuchipudi was used in Hindu temples as a religious art form and passed on by travelling bards. There are even 10th century inscriptions that mention the Kuchipudi dance. 

• Odissi (Ow-Dee-See): Odissi is a religious dance that comes from the Hindu temples of the east coast of India. This dance depicts poems, legends, and epics that are not only related to Hinduism but Buddhism and Jainism. Hindu art will often depicts Gods and Goddesses in positions from this dance. 

 

• Sattriya (Sah-tree-yah): Sattriya (also knows as the Dance of Assam) is typically performed during the winter in the north easter regions of India. Unlike the other classical dances that had to be revived after suppression during the British rule, Sattriya has been a tradition since its creation. Tradditionally, this dance was performed by Bhokots, male monks, and had a mythological theme. Today, it is performed by men and women with many different themes. 

• Manipuri (Mah-nuh-pur-ree): Manipuri is a popular dance for its themes of Vaishnavism and its portrayal of the love between Radha and Krishna. It originated in the north east of India in the state of Manipur. The costumes associated with the Manipuri dances are the male costume that includes a brightly colored dhoti that covers the lower half and a crown with peacock feather. The women wear a dress that resembles a Manipuri bride which includes a skirt in the shape of a barrel! 

• Mohiniattam (Moe-hin-ee-ah-tam): Mohiniattam is the one of the two most popular dances, the other being Kathakali. Mohiniattam is seen as more graceful and feminine. Its name comes from Mohini, which is the female avatar of  Lord Vishnu. Because of this, it is conventionally performed as a female solo. 

Arabian Nights

Now I know this isn't exactly conventional but one of my favorite movies is Aladdin. Now that I know elements of Arabic music and music of the MENA region, I did a little inspecting of the soundtrack of Aladdin to see if I could find those elements. Much to my delight, there is!! When you listen to Arabian Nights, (I'm listening to the Will Smith version), you can hear the riq, violins, the oud, and the drums. It also has the 5-7 meter that you typically find in Arabic music.

Henna

Henna has been used for thousands of years in India, Pakistan, and the MENA region. Henna has cooling properties so people would wear henna to regulate body temperature because of the warmer weather in those area. Since henna would stain the skin, people began to use them for decorative purposes as well as cooling. It is even documented that Cleopatra wore henna as decoration. Henna became popular in all members of society because it was just as accessible to the lower class who couldn't afford jewelry. Henna in the west became very popular in the 90's with celebrates like Gwen Stefani, Madonna, and Liv Taylor donning a henna tattoo.