As a connoisseur of "Khyaal" gayaki , one realizes how Khyaal
represents a composite intervening of various artistic forms of India.
It truly expresses in musical form , complex interpretations of poetry,
melody , rhythm , philosophy and even science of sound to provide a
complete entertainment to mind and soul. 95% of the Indian Classical
Music or Hindustani Classical Music is in form of Khyaal , presenting
the raagdari through bandishes,
sadras, thumris , bhajans and gazals. Khyaal
truly represents the culture and philosophy of the Indian Sub-continent
and the concept of "Sangeet" ( music , dance and poetry )
Khyaal (or
Khayal,
Urdu: خیال,
Hindi: ख़्याल, ) is the modern genre of classical singing in North India. Its name comes from an Arabic word meaning “imagination”. It appeared more recently than
dhrupad, is a more free and flexible form, and it provides greater scope for improvisation. Like all Indian classical music, khyal is
modal, with a single
melodic line and no
harmonic parts. The modes are called
raga, and each raga is a complicated framework of melodic rules.
Khyaal is a Contemplation , Musing, Imagination , a poetic expression of emotions (bhaav - ras ) through musical notes.
Dhrupad , the art (and science) of expressing through sound .. is regarded as the
language of sound. It is essentially the primary basis of the classical
music of India as we know it today. The development of Khyaal , the use
of poetry to express in musical form , gives it a more practical and
grounding characteristic. The combination of poetry with the classical
basis of raag system ( as envisioned in Dhrupad) has become popular
means for musical expression in Hindustani Classical Music.
A Khyaal has a thought ,a story , an intense feeling and more worldly
situation to express emotions. ( bhaav / ras as we know it in classical
music ) One is stimulated to think, imagine, fantasize and experience the immense possibilities of situations and blissful experiences encompassed or described in a single sentence. The interpretations of the situation described in a khyaal is the crux, expanded and explored through musical expressions, creating a milieu that often is the "Bhaav" and "Ras" of a bandish.
I am often tempted towards comparing "Khyaal" to a modern day "Twitter" where a precise thought is expressed in 140 characters ! Bandishes could be analogous to poetic "Tweets" that describe a worldly interpretation of a "Bhaav" / "Ras" or sometimes even a deeper philosophy through a description of situation or act , leaving us with a broader imagination and pondering !
Here are some examples :
"
लट उलझी सुलझा जा बलमा" : बिहाग
"
ढूंढू वारी सैयाँ" : नन्द
"
कटत नाही साजन बिन" :अहीर भैरव
"
मैं तो कर आई पिया संग रंगरलियाँ" : पुरिया
"
देख बेक मन ललचाए" : सोहनी
"
ना मानोगे तो दूंगी तोरे गाली" : मालकौंस
"
झगडा करत पकड़ी मोरी बैयाँ मरोड़ी" : बागेश्री
"
साजन मोरे घर आए" : जोग
"
ढूंढन जाऊं,शाम मुरारी बनवारी गिरिधारी" : पुरिया धनाश्री
"
मोरी गगर ना भरन देत" : यमन
"
अब मोरी नैया पार करो तुम": तोड़ी
"
जो भजे हरी को सदा सोही परम पद पावेगा" : भैरवी
"
बिन देखे पड़े ना चैन" : भैरवी
This brings me to an interesting dialogue by Ut Bade Gulam Ali Khan
saheb recorded in 1950s while delivering his quintessential ChayaNat
where he succinctly explains what Khyaal Gayaki is … Thanks to Rajan
Parrikar for
this ten minute edited recording. The full live concert is
here.
( To translate this in English :
In the beginning he says Sangeet is a very difficult thing. I am afraid
of Lay and Sur ..these two are very big things.. We are all “Pujari”
(worshippers) of lay and sur.. we worship lay and sur.. it is only the
favor and blessings of the Almighty that it creates something special..
otherwise it is just a play with air and wind ! Explaining the Khyaal
gayaki (4.35) the Ustad drawing example of the bols of bandish “Nehvar
baaje re” , “jhanana jhanana jhan jhan jhan jhananana baje” .. says, “if
you see , these are simple day-to-day words , phrases or sentences,
sometimes meaningless too, but when they come out of the mouth of Ustad
as a bandish ,in a certain way , they really make huge sense !” )
References :
Dhrupad - Khyaal Sanvaad
How old is Indian Classical Music
The Story of Bundu Khan
ख्याल गायकी के घराने एक दृष्टी
