Dancing With The Tunes
Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed Unversity
The history of music education in India dates back to ancient period when all education was imparted in Gurukulas & Ashrams of great Saints, Rishi, Munis. The system of mordern institutionalization of education in graded, time bound structure was ushered in by the British rulers from the mid 19th century.
Bhatkhande has a very glorious history with exemplary achivements in the past. The alumni of this Institute are spread all over the world and many are in the active pursuit of music education and performance...
Influence Of Mughals On Dance and Music
Music and dance in Lucknow has been much influenced by the Mughal rule India. The kings were known to lead a life of pleasure and their main source of entertainment was to indulge in music and dance. The royal courts had some of the best dancers and musicians of Lucknow. The performances in dance & music in Lucknow was something that was worth watching. Even today, various artists all over India keep Lucknow music and dance alive. The realm of fine arts flourished during the Mughal rule and Lucknow emerged as one of the best places to indulge in music and dance. he musicians and dancers from the other parts of the country are said to have flocked in the city to get the Nawabi patronage. It was the time when the music and dance revived in the state and found its strong base in the city. At this time art forms like Kathak, khayal, thumri, natak, qawali and dadra where at there apex. There were frequent cultural and musical gatherings in these affluent classes of Nawabs known as (Mushyra Mafils) - the cultural evenings that use to spread over the night, smoking the traditional Hookahs - a part of the Nawabs life. The grace of these mafils was not less then any royal court event, where participants in their best glittering silk attires, tying jasmine bracelet around their wrist accompanied with some of their latest creations, where ladies of the house set behind veiled windows with their musical laughs echoing in the air and the aroma of Nawabi delicacy rightly setting the mood for the night, what a treat for eyes!
Other Art Forms
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Mushaira
Plan a trip to the city of Mushaira where you will find even the shopkeepers reciting the couplets of famous Urdu poets and chewing the Paan (beetle leaves). The aroma of the local delicacies spiced with the legendary hospitality (Adab and tehzeeb) invites every one to taste the Awadhi cuisine and watch out the architectural ingenuity and musical legacy of Nawabs. Visit once and enchant the lifetime memories.
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Qawali
Qawwalis were best enjoyed during the Urs. In and around Lucknow there are umpteen number of dargahs where qawwalis are held.
Kathak -Lucknow Gharana
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Kathak Academy
Vishal Kharnd Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226010 09415463565
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Dance
Today the technique of Kathak is characterized by fast footwork (tatkar) and pirouettes (chakar). There are three gharanas (forms) of Kathak. kathak dance is perfomed on the beats percussion instruments as tabla and pakhawa
Music
Lucknow is famous for its collection of classical music that is called as Hindustani classical music. The various ragas, compositions and beats were highly inspired by the poetry written by the famous poets and literary figures. Lucknow traditional music is highly evolved and every detail is taken into attention while singing so as to impart the right feel and the meaning.
Dance and music
The classical Indian dance form took shape here only. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, was a great patron and a passionate champion of Kathak. After him dancers like Lachhu Maharaj, Acchchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj and Birju Maharaj have kept this tradition alive.
Lucknow is also the city of the most prominent singers of Ghazal , likeBegum Akhtar. She was a pioneer in Ghazal singing and took this aspect of music to amazing heights. "Ae Mohabbat Tere anjaam pe rona aaya" is one of her best musical renditions of all times.
The Bhatkande music university at Lucknow is named after the great musician Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. It is a very eminent university. People from Sri Lanka, Nepal and other countries come to Bhatkhande to study music or dance.
Lucknow has also given music legends like Naushad Ali, Talat Mehmood, Anup Jalota and Baba Sehgal to the entertainment industry. It is also incidentally the birthplace of British pop legend Sir Cliff Richard.