KANUPRIYA MODI
Exploring The Thumri
A Soulful Rendition
The Roots of Thumri
An interesting vocal genre or style of Indian classical music , Thumri originates from the word ‘ thumakna ( ठुमकना )’. It means ‘ to walk gracefully with dancing steps making the ankle-bells tinkle ’.
Thumri is a form of classical music rendition that finds its origins in the 19th century and is linked to Kathak , a classical dance form . Evolving from the Land of Nawabs , Lucknow , this was the bandish ki thumri or bol-baant that began in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah .
According to historical records , the late 19th century led to a new version of Thumri . It was slow-paced , independent of dance , and called bol-banav , from Varanasi .
Thumri v / s Khayal
Thumri has two parts , the sthayi and the antara . It supports tala-s such as Deepchandi , Roopak , Addha , and Punjabi . These tala-s come with a special lilt that ’ s not present in the tala-s used in Khayal . Thumri compositions are mostly in raga-s such as Kafi , Khamaj , Jogiya , Bhairavi , Pilu and Pahadi . These ragas are marked by the free movement they allow the artist , since they do not depend on rigidly formulated tonal sequences . They let the singers enjoy the liberty to mix raga-s or move out of the raga for adding vibrancy to the rendition .
The khayal unfolds a raga with great detailing and attention . However , Thumri expresses the shringar with a combination of melody and words . The contours of a khayal are fluid . Thus , a khayal singer can express a wide range of complex emotions . A Thumri singer goes straight to the emotional core of a composition and evokes each yarn of amorous feeling , each strand of sensuous sentiment , with great discretion . Khayal aims at achieving poise and splendour ; Thumri is romantic in spirit .
Thumri Singers
Some Khayal singers who rendered beautiful Thumris and sang it their own way are Abdul Karim Khan , Faiyaz Khan , Bade Ghulam Ali Khan , Bhimsen Joshi , Madhav Gudi , Rajan and Sajan Mishra , Barkat Ali Khan , Jagdish Prasad and Prabha Atre .
Thumri is all about the emotions or ‘ bhaav ’. The song with the soul . It is mostly rendered by women . Girija Devi is fondly remembered as the last Thumri Queen . In an interview with a renowned publication she once said , ‘ Thumri has become a mix of raag and regional music . But I try to retain the purity of words and swar which need a lot of bhav to make it lyrical ’.
Shubha Mudgal is also known for the Thumris she beautifully presents . According to her perspective in an interview , she mentioned , ‘ There are not many thumri specialists today , and neither is it a form that finds acceptance with electronic media . It may become rare or even extinct if not given due attention ’.
Thumri involves the repetition of a particular bol . The singer cannot sing the same words in the same manner every time . There need to be a lot of variations . In order to keep this light-classical form of music alive , we need to encourage the connoisseurs and performers to continue taking initiatives and host Thumri festivals and workshops across the country .
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