ludwig

Gandharva-Sangīta: On the origins of Sangīta (vocal, instrumental, and dance music)

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The non-sacrificial, musical counterpart to Sāma-Gāna in ancient times was Gandharva-Sangīta, later Sangīta, which has three divisions; vocal, instrumental, and dance. Performed by “Gandharva” musicians in Indra’s heavenly court, earthly Gandharva-Sangīta was a replica of this celestial music. […] Gandharva-Sangīta was also associated with pūjā, a form of worship with non-Aryan or indigenous roots that … Read more

The bamboo flute of South India

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The flute has played a key role in India’s artistic life since antiquity. This is evident from writings on dance-drama, mythology, sculptures and paintings. Its playing technique must have been highly developed for a very long time. Different names are used for it, for instance kuzhal (pronounced like “kulal” or “kural”) in Tamil speaking regions; and bansuri in northern India. In poetry, song … Read more

Mela DIY

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Give it a try and DIY (“do it yourself”) – become part of a larger “musical home”; one that welcomes and accommodates scales and tunes from all over India and beyond! For music lovers aged 20+ (or even below), grasping and applying the principles underlying South India’s 72 melakarta scale system is more than an … Read more

Why Carnatic Music Matters More Than Ever

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by Ludwig Pesch For this musicologist and author, there are good reasons to believe that Carnatic music matters, perhaps more than ever and almost anywhere in the world. So why not perform and teach it in the service of better education for all, for ecological awareness or in order to promote mutual respect in spite … Read more

Gamaka determines the character of each raga in vocal and instrumental music

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By N S Ramachandran (University of Madras, 1938) | Compositions >> Gamaka has been defined by Sarngadeva and others as the ornamentation of a note by shaking it. But evidence from their works can be cited to show that the idea of gamaka is more extensive than the connotation of this definition; it has been … Read more

Time theory in Vivekananda’s Concepts of Indian Classical Music

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The notion of a particular time prescribed for ragas (gāna kāla) plays a greater role in Hindustani music than for exponents of its southern counterpart where sārvakālika ragas prevail: ragas suited to any day or night time. A few ragas nevertheless continue to be associated with the moods indicated by song lyrics (notably in dance … Read more

Video | Tyagaraja’s ekaika raga kritis – lecture recital by Dr R S Jayalakshmi (vina)

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Vina: Dr R S Jayalakshmi & Charulatha Chandrasekar  Mridangam: Kalaimamani Sri TR Sundaresan >> Live lecture-recital at Arkay Convention Center (Chennai) on 17 October 2025 organized by Madhuradhwani *Ekaika kriti raga refers to a “single song raga” though additional songs or kritis may, of course, have been added later on. In 1996 senior musicologist and … Read more

A music for all: How Carnatic music unites and keeps spreading

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by Ludwig Pesch Carnatic music – the classical music of South India – unites people from a variety of social backgrounds. Over two hundred fifty million people now inhabit a region that comprises five modern states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana) drawn up on the basis of their respective linguistic majorities. They take pride … Read more