KANUPRIYA MODI
Music Meets Mythology to Create Magic
‘ Raghukul reet sada chali aayi , praan jaaye par vachan na jaayi ’
These words resonate in our heads with that unique musical tone that goes with it . Our memories of watching Ramayana and Mahabharata on TV make us hum the tune along while reading this verse isn ’ t it ? That ’ s what happens when music meets mythology . It helps you revisit history in a lighthearted manner , that ’ s what magic is all about .
Musical narratives go a long way into our glorious history with epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata having a musical element attached to it . Nothing beats the rhyming verses which the storytellers of the past beautifully narrated in a peculiar tone . Music has been etched in the minds enabling the awareness about our rich legacy and culture over several years . These poetic narratives portrayed the human characters that possessed superhuman qualities and powers . They spoke of their brave deeds and applauded their courage through musical renditions . Puranic epic songs became reservoirs of our rich heritage and prestigious past . Royal festivities had musicians singing their own compositions ( or gathas ) in appreciation of their patrons .
These songs that narrate episodes from the texts continue to be popular even today . The context and matter of the songs is known to the people but the way it ’ s rendered adds novelty to the experience . There are some regional oral epics in addition to the Sanskrit epics . Blackburn ( 1989 ) segregates these epics based on geographical range , theme ( martial , sacrificial , or romantic ), and setting ( ritual or entertainment ). The local ones ( range 10-100 miles at the widest ) are : Tampimar or the bow song , Kordabbu , Teyyam ; the subregional ones ( range 100-200 miles ) are Annanmar , Palnadu , Jungappa , and Kanyaka ; the regional ones ( range 200- 300 miles ) are Pabuji , Devanarayan , Ellamma , and Tolubommalata ; and the supra-regional ( 400 + miles ) are Lorik-Chanda , Guga , Dhola , and Alha . It ’ s a world of interesting recitals that are popular in small regions of the country .
Be it villages or cities , a lot of importance is attached to the singing of epic songs There are many regional variants to the narratives accounting from different epics and the Puranas . Ramalila and Rasalila , that are based on the lives of Rama and Krishna respectively , are the most loved classic stories narrated in a musical way . Ramalila , is based on Tulasidasa ’ s Ramacharitamanasa , is performed for nine days before the festival of Dussehra , which celebrates the slaying of Ravana by Rama . Raslila is based on Krishna ’ s life filled with entertainment and merry-making during his youth .
Music indeed goes back in time forming the very foundation of what we call our rich culture and legacy . With music meeting mythology we have a timeless experience of what history looked like back then . Maybe it is music and poetry that helped pass on our legacy from one generation to the other . There ’ s an abundance of stories and narratives hidden in these musical verses and that has actually shaped all our ideologies . The role of music is integral in keeping the memory of these epics and mythological narratives alive for years to come .
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