Met een aantal verhalen wil ik het wezen van Indiase muziek naar voren brengen, verhalen die over meer dan alleen muziek gaan:
#Over een van de ragas uit de Hindustaanse variant, de raga Bilaskhani Todi.
Miyan Tansen was the premier court musician of Akbar, the sixteenth-century Moghul emperor. Tansen was not only a performer of the highest calibre, but was blessen with the rare gift of translating sound into the purest expressions of the human soul. He understood this connection directly, intuitively, which led to his discovery of several profound ragas such as Miyan Ki Malhar, Miyan Ki Todi, Miyan Ki Sarang and Darbari Kanada, all still cornerstones of the classical repertoire. [It is sain that ragas are discovered and given names for the identities they already possess: they are not created]. The mythology of Hindustani classical music attributes magical powers to Tansen: it is said that he was able to command the forces of nature with the power of musical sound: bring rain with rainy season ragas, generate fire with raga Dipak, and cause flowers to bloom with springtime ragas. At the time of his death, as legend has it, a struggle ensued for an heir to occupy Tansen’s venerable position. Tradition says that his sons were asked to sing at his funeral and one of them, Bilas Khan, who had be leading the life of an ascetic, sang a mournful, yet transcendent melody of such profoundity and power that it caused the hand of the deceaced Tansen to move, indicating Bilas Khan to be the true successor. Such melody was later named Bilaskhani Todi [uit een beschrijving van India Archives Music].
#Over een van de grondleggers van de ‘moderne’ Klassiek Hindustaanse muziek genaamd Miyan Tansen.
One day, after listening to Tansen, Akbar was so thrilled that he asked him: “Tansen, tell me who was your teacher?” “Swami Haridas, my lord” replied Tansen. Akbar asked again, “Is he as great a musician as you are?” Tansen said very humbly: “Please never compare me to my master. He is not a musician but music itself.” Akbar was intruigued, “Then I would like to hear him sing.” Tansen answered, “But he will never agree to come to the court to sing.” “Then we will go to him”, said Akbar. Tansen was still diffident, “My teacher sings of his own will and he won’t be happy if he is compelled to sing before the emperor”. But Akbar was determined, “Then I will come with you, disguised as your servant.”
So, Tansen and Akbar travelled far the where the sage lived in a hut, his temple of music. The sage received Tansen, his former pupil, and his servant Akbar, with love and affection. He listened to their request but remained silent. Three days passed. Then one day, just before sunrise, Swami Haridas began to sing. Akbar and Tansen were spellbound. It seemed as if the sound had no beginning and no end, as if the trees, the stones, and all the living creatures had turned into music and forgotten themselves. After some time, when the spell was broken Akbar and Tansen found that they were alone in the hut. Swami Haridas was nowhere to been seen. “Where is he?” asked Akbar. “He has left this place forever, fearing that we may come again and trouble him, “replied Tansen sadly. They turned to the palace, slilent and withdrawn. Several days passed but Akbar never forget the effect the song had had on him. One day he asked Tansen whether he knew the raga and the song that Swami Haridas had sung. “Yes, I learnt it from him”, replied Tansen. At Akbar’s request, Tansen sat down and sang the raga as only he could. But Akbar’s heart was not satisfied, “Tansen, you sang beautifully. But still, why is it not the same as when Swami Haridas sang”. Tansen answered softly and humbly, “My lord, I sing for you, the emperor among men. But my master sings only for the lord and creator of the entire universe. Herein lies the difference [uit het boek Alaap: a discovery of Indian Classical Music].
#En dan een tweetal eigen ervaringen:
Toen ik eens ontspannen en geconcentreerd naar een cd van Aruna Sairam luisterde, kreeg ik een haast fysiek voelbare ervaring dat ik vloog en over zonnige groene heuvels van Ierland uitkeek, ik vloog en ik zag zeer scherpe beelden. Later las ik het informatieboekje van de cd dat Aruna Sairam in de gehoorde track vliegen uitbeeldde, zij wil dat overbrengen op de toehoorder.
Tijdens het Saptak Music Festival 2008 in India hoorde ik Kalapini Komkali, dochter van Kumar Gandharva [helaas overleden] en Vasundhara Komkali. Ieder moment dat ik mijn ogen sloot zag ik direct kleuren en beelden. Onvoorstelbaar ergens, maar hoe verder ik in de Indiase muziek duik, hoe vaker ik deze ervaringen heb. En ik voel de muziek steeds vaker in mijn lichaam en zeg wel eens dat je niet alleen met oren en ziel moet luisteren, maar ook met het lichaam. En ik noem mezelf nog steeds nuchter.
Klaas Bouma