Tarana

Tarana Tarana is a classical vocal form originating within the Indian subcontinent tradition of Hindustani music and adopted in parts of Carnatic music, characterized by the use of mnemonic syllables and rhythmic syllabi. It occupies a specialized place alongside genres such as khayal, dhrupad, and thumri, and is frequently performed in concerts by maestros associated with gharanas like the Agra gharana, Patiala gharana, and Gwalior gharana. Tarana repertoire is often accompanied by instruments including the tabla, sitar, sarod, and harmonium, and appears in recordings and broadcasts by institutions such as All India Radio and festivals like the Tansen Samaroh.

Definition and Etymology

The term derives from Persian and Urdu linguistic exchanges in the Indian subcontinent milieu during the late medieval and early modern periods, intersecting with the lexicons of courts such as the Mughal Empire and princely states like Baroda. Scholars trace phonetic and semantic roots alongside terms found in Persian literature and Urdu poetry, linking the vocal ornamentation of the form with syllabic devices used across Central Asia and West Asia. Tarana is defined by the deployment of vocables—mnemonic consonant clusters and vowel forms—that function similarly to the bols of tabla compositions and to the syllables in Carnatic music solkattu, situating it at an intersection of interregional musical grammars like those codified by teachers from the Maihar gharana and composers associated with the Lucknow and Calcutta scenes.

Historical Development

The emergence of tarana is usually dated to the 18th and 19th centuries within the evolving performance practices of Hindustani music, during which artists from lineages like Kirana gharana and Jaipur-Atrauli gharana experimented with rhythmic syllabification and Persianate poetic forms. Key figures in its consolidation include vocalists influenced by the pedagogies of masters such as Ustad Aman Ali Khan and patrons from courts like Bhopal State, while dissemination accelerated through institutions like All India Radio and ensembles linked to the Bharatiya Kala Kendra. During the colonial and postcolonial eras, musicians associated with the Indian National Congress cultural circuits and with festivals such as the Dagar Festival and Sarod Festival further professionalized tarana repertory, and recordings by labels such as Hindustani Records and companies linked to Saregama amplified its reach across diasporic communities in London, New York City, and Kolkata.

Structure and Musical Features

Tarana typically foregrounds short, tempo-driven sections employing mnemonic syllables—parallel to tabla bols—such as sequences resembling bols used by ensembles playing tabla or pakhawaj. Performances often open with an alaap-like introduction influenced by the practice of maestros from the Maihar gharana and proceed into faster-tempo compositions where the singer alternates between fixed syllabic motifs and improvised melodic phrasings derived from rāgas like Yaman, Bhairavi, Darbari Kanada, and Bageshree. Rhythmic cycles (tala) employed include teentaal, ektaal, and jhaptaal, and the interplay with accompanists from traditions such as the Banaras gharana produces cross-rhythmic ornamentation comparable to instrumental khayal improvisation. Harmonic support, when present, may involve drone textures from the tanpura and chordal grounding via the harmonium, aligning tarana with concert repertories of artists who also perform ghazal or thumri styles.

Notable Composers and Performers

Performers who popularized tarana include vocalists and instrumentalists from diverse lineages: Ustad Amir Khan, whose phrasing influenced tarana tempi; Pandit Ravi Shankar, who introduced elements into international presentations; Bhimsen Joshi, known for integrating tarana into festival repertoires; Ustad Rashid Khan and Ustad Allaudin Khan, associated with expanded improvisatory approaches; and vocalists such as Kumar Gandharva and Kishori Amonkar, who adapted tarana within experimental concert formats. Composers and pedagogues like Allauddin Khan, Faiyaz Khan, and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan contributed templates and transcriptions preserved in archives maintained by institutions such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Cultural Context and Usage

Tarana functions within courtly, devotional, and public concert settings linked to cultural sites like the Red Fort and the Sangeet Research Academy, and features in ceremonies organized by bodies such as the Ministry of Culture (India) and university music departments at Banaras Hindu University and Rabindra Bharati University. It is performed at festivals including the Tansen Samaroh, Sawai Gandharva Music Festival, and international events hosted by institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and Carnegie Hall, where artists have presented tarana alongside khayal and ghazal repertoires. The form also appears in film-soundtrack experiments by composers affiliated with studios in Mumbai and in crossover projects with Western classical ensembles collaborating with organizations like the London Symphony Orchestra and recording labels such as Nonesuch Records.

Category:Hindustani music forms