Music Families
Music Families
Since early eighteenth century, a significant development in classical gayeki took the form of evolution of gharanas or extended music families, each having its own style or interpretation of raags and their relative emphasis on the tone (sur), level of voice, beat (taal) and improvisations. Nowadays the expression gharanas is applied only to Khayal singers. In Dhrupad Gharana counterparts were called banis. Four banis were identified during the time of its dominance. These were known as Nouhari, Daguri, Goudari and Khandari. Tansen was the founder of Goundari bani. 18 Daguri bani is still in existence with Rahimuddin Dogar, Mueen Naseeruddin and Ameen Naseeruddin, commonly known as Dagar brothers as its great singers in modern times.
Gharanas came into prominence and acquired their own peculiar styles during the disintegration of the Mughal dynasty. A number of local princes, rajahs and sultans seized power and established their own courts patterned on the Mughal model. Leading musicians also dispersed and attached themselves with different courts entertaining their patrons and at the same time coaching their disciples. Interaction between these leading figures in music was limited and, therefore, the same raags were sung by different ustads according to their own interpretations. Gradually these differences became marks of distinction between gharanas. It must, however, be clarified that there are many instances of singers belonging to one gharana learning from Ustads of other gharanas and thus combining and integrating different singing styles, Ustad Ameer Khan and Salamat Ali are its vivid examples.
