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The Pros And Cons Of Indian Classical Music

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India is a nation replete with rich history, numerous languages, diverse cultures, multiple religions, and expressive arts. The Indus Valley civilization, consisting of modern day India and Pakistan, was one of the three earliest and most widespread civilizations of human history (Wright 2009). Indian classical music dates back to ancient times, almost four thousand years ago. The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition (Ruckert 2004). Traditions, customs, and other societal norms envelop Indian classical music. In recent times, however, previously revered traditions have drastically diminished. Some claim that the decline of ancient traditions is causing the music to be …show more content…

The greater population had no access to the classical music of India. This severely limited the potential for competition and creativity. Ustad Zakir Hussain stated in an interview, “Today’s musician is more aware of his audience and the aesthetics. More variety is given. I wouldn’t call it a watering-down of the music. They are doing great new things with the tablā!” (Ruckert 2004). The obliteration of the feudal structures and the modern day transformation to grant access to the greater population offer an immense potential for innovation within Hindustani classical music.
Globalization is one of the advantages of modern changes that affect classical music because it has helped the genre to successfully acquire worldwide appreciation. “An increase in the number of artists indulging in fusion and a growing number of organizations dedicated to spreading the richness of the tradition has helped revive interest in classical music” (Singh 2014). Second generations of Indian emigrants to the west have added driving percussion tracks, bass lines, and even hip-hop special effects to the music (Ruckert 2004). The transformations of traditional ideas of Hindustani classical music to modern ideas help to renew interest in the music in a new light.
One of the crucial traditions of Hindustani classical music that has diminished is the Guru-shishya parampara, the tradition of the

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