Categories: MUSIC

WHEN THE MUSIC BEGAN INTEGRAL PART OF LIFE – Indian Music

Music has always occupied a central place in the imagination of Indians. The range of musical phenomenon in India, and indeed the rest of South Asia, extends from simple melodies, commonly encountered among hill tribes, to what is one of the most well- developed “systems” of classical music in the world. Music in India began as an integral part of socio-religious life. India’s classical music tradition (including Hindustani music and Carnatic), has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. Visiting India, you need to remember that the music of India includes multiple varieties (folk music, pop, and Indian classical music). In India, however, music is most commonly associated with film music. Popular Indian films, whether in Hindi, Tamil, or any of the other Indian languages, are most often described and understood in the West as “musicals”, as they are seldom without songs, though they by no means constitute a genre as did American musicals.