Carnatic Singing – South India Style is Still Popular
Along with Hindustani, Carnatic music is one of the two major branches of Indian classical music. The former is more prevalent in the northern regions of the country, while the latter has long been associated with the southern states, including Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The two main forms of Indian classical music have been around for hundreds of years and are considered to be divine art forms. Still, they remain popular to this day. There are plenty of people interested in learning the Carnatic style, along with a vast number of educators willing to teach it.
What is Carnatic Music?
Indian classical music is said to have been invented by the Hindu gods and goddesses and was sent down from Svarga Loka for the people to enjoy. For this reason, it is hard to put an exact date on when it all began. However, historians have been able to trace the history of Carnatic music and the point that it began to deviate from the Hindustani style. This was in the 12th Century when Persian and Islamic influences in the north started to have an effect on the music in those regions. The Carnatic style in the south was less affected and managed to stay true to its roots.
Carnatic music was reserved for kings and royalty for hundreds of years, but in the 19th Century, the city of Madras (which is now known as Chennai) started to popularise it for the masses. The style is mainly vocal, and even when instruments are being used they are supposed to replicate the sound of a singing voice.
How do People Learn Carnatic Singing?
Carnatic singing is an exceptional skill to learn, but it certainly isn’t easy. Aspiring singers need to develop a strong understanding of all the elements that make up the genre including sruti, which refers to the pitch, and the raga system, which is the set of rules for building a melody. Improvisation is a key aspect of the music as well, and singers must be able to achieve this while sticking to the general principles.
The main way that people learn how to master Carnatic singing is through practicing with a singing teacher. This can be done in an online setting, meaning that anyone can learn the style no matter where they are based. This could certainly be a big factor in helping Carnatic music to remain popular for many more years to come.
Learning singing styles online is becoming more fashionable, as there is access to a much greater range of teachers in this setting. This means that learners are able to find the perfect teacher to suit their specific needs, out of an online database of millions of experts.
Carnatic music has such a long and rich history in India, and it’s great that people are still trying to keep it alive. This is being helped by the sheer number of people wanting to learn, along with educators available to teach it.