Indian Classical Music And Sikh Kirtan
by Gobind Singh Mansukhani (M.A., LL.B, Ph.D.) © 1982
Khayal
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by Gobind Singh Mansukhani (M.A., LL.B, Ph.D.) © 1982
Khayal
Indian Classical Music And Sikh Kirtan by Gobind Singh Mansukhani (M.A., LL.B, Ph.D.) © 1982 Khayal |
| Khayal Literally, khayal means “imagination” or “fancy”. This form was created as a reaction to the rigidity of dhrupad. When the singer, complying with the rules of music creatively embellishes a song with alaap, tan, and tal, the composition is called khayal. It is said that Amir Khusro (1235-1325) popularised this form of singing in the thirteenth century. Sultan Hussain Sharque of Janpur (1458-1480) created a new form of khayal. Today it is popular in northern India. Khayal consists of two parts- asthai and antra . Literally, asthai means “stable” and consists of the first portion of the composition in lower and middle octaves. It is in fact the recurring burden of the song. The second part of the khayal is antra, its middle and last portion in the middle and upper octaves. Both are complimentary to each other. Khayal is of two kinds: vilambit or bara khayal; drut or chota khayal. Vilambit khayal is sung in vilambit laya (slow rhythm) and consists of antra. It has a great depth of improvisation, but the singer returns to the sam (first beat indicated by a clap) after every improvisation. As the raga progresses it covers a greater range. In the beginning the singer displays the features of the raga (both asthai and antra) in slow rhythm, with emphasis on vadi and samvadi notes. Thereafter, he increases the tempo and sings tans and bol tans is asthai and antra. In vilambit khayal, the singer uses tals like ek, tal, tilwara, and chautala etc. Just as in older times, dhrupad was popular and rated high, in the same way, in modern times khayal is considered as an important and excellent type of composition. Drut or chota khayal: Its composition is very small, and consists of asthai and antra, but its laya (rhythm) is quick. It embodies shingar (erotic) and karuna (pathetic) rasas. Like the vilamabit khayal, it makes use of tan, alaap, bol tan, alankar, and bol alaap (first word of the song). The tals used in drut khayal are ek tal, teental, jhaptal and rupak tal. Khayal deals with more than one rasa (emotions) while thumri is limited to shingar (erotic) rasa. |