The music department of the Patiala-based Punjabi University has lauded Kashmiri classic music and musicians for placing greater emphasis on words than on notes, adding that this uniquely contributed to the region’s culture and traditions.
In a research study of this school of music, Punjabi University scholar Iqbal Hussain Mir said this music does not use Ghamak, Khatka, Sargam and Taan.
Conducting his study under the supervision of Professor Jasbir Kaur, Mir said Kashmir’s classical music cannot be presented as a solo performance and is quite similar to Qawwali, which requires a group of people to perform a song.
Both Mir and Kaur said Kashmir’s Sufiana Kalam has been around for centuries and has evolved with an intermingling of foreign and indigenous elements. They added that it uses Santoor, Saaz-e-Kashmir, Kashmiri Sahatra and Tabla is a fusion of Central Asian, Parsi, Turkish and Indian music.
Mir said that a comparative study of Hindustani classical music and the classical music of Kashmir has revealed many unique aspects.
“Analysis of style, structure and performance shows that according to the definition of Indian classical music, three types of Jati are currently used in the classical music of Kashmir: Avada-Sampooran, Shadow Sampooran and Sampooran. For example, Aaroha can have five, six or seven notes, but Avaroh is always there. It is used as Sampooran in all Makams whereas Indian classical music on the other hand has nine genres,” he said.
Professor Jasbir Kaur said, “In the modern age, the roots of culture and tradition are getting eroded. In such a context, this research about the tradition of Kashmiri music can prove to be important for the purpose of reviving the past.”
Appreciating the research, University Vice Chancellor Professor Arvind congratulated Kaur and Mir and said their research was the need of the present time, “When our own heritage arts are under threat due to the influence of the West”.
“We should highlight their uniqueness in terms of cultural and comparative studies and for further research,” he added.