Homepage >> Indian Classical Music >> Genre >> This Page

SANGEET - VOCAL MUSIC, INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, AND DANCE

by David Courtney working tools


Sangeet is a word which doesn't really translate into Eng­lish.  In its most ge­ne­ral sense it is con­si­dered synon­ymous with the term "music"; how­ever it is ac­tually a threefold art-form of vocal music, instrumental music, and dance.  Since classical dance is also a compo­nent, it is not stric­tly synon­ymous to the Western term "music".



There is a historical rea­son why sangeet is composed of these three art-forms.  In the Vedic and post Vedic period it was customary to perform mythological dramas.  These dramas used dan­cers to mime the story, instrumentalists to play the mus­ical accompaniment, and vocalists to tell and sing the story.

There is a standard terminology whenever one wishes to be specific.  Dance is re­fer­red to as "nritya", vocal is re­fer­red to as "gayaki", and instrumental is known as "vadhya sangeet".

 

© 1998 - 2020 David and Chandrakantha Courtney

For comments, cor­rections, and sug­gestions, kindly contact David Courtney at [email protected]