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Shehnai
The Indian musical instrument Shehnai, known with slight variations in name, such as Shah-nai, Shenaietc is basically a mangalvadya, to mean an instrument to be played during auspicious occasions, because of which fact, it has been widely used in the Northern and Western part of India, during marriage functions, besides it is also the sacred musical instrument played in Temples, also used during processions of glorious nature, comparable to its counterpart Nagaswaram which is also a wind borne instrument played by blowing air from the mouth of the player.
Shehnai instrument is made out of wood material, with one to one and a half feet length, coming under double reed category, its origin is still debated whether it is a product of Indian music heritage or one imported from the Central or West Asia regions, while there are similar instruments prevalent in all these places called Sundri , Naferietc, which are smaller size oboes.
Origin ofShehnai
The source of Shehnai’s birth is still under debate, while there are so many interesting legends and stories giving information as to how the name Shehnai could have emerged, while some believe that it is created from out of PersianSurna, which means the flute played during feast times, although most of the people say that it is an improvised version of Pungi, which is a Snake Charmer’s musical instrument.
One of the legends profess that Shah, the ruler of a kingdom, did not like Pungi to be played in his Court and ordered banning of that instrument as it makes shrill sounds, hearing which a barber, whose origin was from a musical family, developed it into the present instrument, with some small modifications and presented it in Shah’s court, which pleased him to get his approval, because Shah had adopted an instrument made by ‘nai’ which depicts a barber, the instrument got its name as Shah-nai, ultimately to become Shehnai.
There are few other legends too, justifying the name of Shenai, that it was named after the player of the instrument who is referred as shehinaia and that it was constructed out of two terms sheh and nai, meaning breath and flute, etc.
There are theories advocating that Shehnai came from the word Sur-nal, sur to mean tone or tune and nal giving the meaning of pipe in most of the Indian languages, although the word sur-nal is derived from surna or zurna, the name of the reed pipe known in countries in Middle east and Eastern Europe, which fact leads many to argue that this instrument could have arrived from those countries.
Shehnai is particularly played when the bride leaves her parents’ home to join her future home of the husband, at the time of ‘vidaye’, which is a moment of accomplishment and happiness, at the same time giving lot of heaviness to the parents, thus Shehnai music would bring in inexplicable feelings to the listener, the instrument sometimes coming in doubles, with two shehnais bound together, like what ancient Greek aulos used to function.
There are counterparts to this instrument , indigenously developed and used, in Western India and also coastal Karnataka regions, and these instrument players are part and parcel of Goan and Konkani temples, called Vajantri, who are honoured with provision of temple lands for their service to temples.
Design
The design of this wind instrument is very simple, its belly made out of wood, lower part adorned with a metal bell, with two basic functional parts reed and the tube, while its bore is conical, the two small reeds having a small gap, reeds fixed to the tube part of the instrument, the main body being the resonator in conical shape, while the blowing end is smaller and narrow, gradually widening in its structure, with seven playing holes and a couple of additions for pitch adjustments with the main reed, while the other reed which gives the drone effect is made out in such a manner that the player can set the ‘sruti’ or drone according to the requirement, flexibility of which is established with wax plugs.
Shenai is similar to Nadhaswaram instrument in southern parts of India, in terms of its shape and the method of playing also, however except for the fact both are played during auspicious occasions, their tunes and music are different.
Playing Positions
Playing Shehnai is a beautiful art and the player has to practice with sincerity to place the mouthpiece a the top of the reed well within his mouth, his mouth becoming the air storage part of the entire shehnai music system, releasing his breath or blowing air through the reed, while holding the holes in the main reed part, with his right hand in the bottom portion and the left hand in the top portion, making variations in sound by blocking or opening the holes according to the music requirements,also ensuring the correct level of humid condition of the instrument, ultimately bringing out the desired pitch and melodies to match the occasion or the music’s excellence.
Notable Players
As anyone thinks of Shehnai among those who enjoy music, the name of Ustad Bismillah Khan would flash in one’s memory, this genius having rendered so much of music through Shehnai during his life time of 90 years, who was one among the three maestros who were awarded the highest honor of the country, viz, Bharat Ratna, who lived with this Instrument for over 80 years, starting very early in life,and it is his contribution that made Shehnai popular in the music world, while his concert in All India Music Conference at Kolkata in 1937 held the audience spell bound and made him popular throughout the Globe, and Ustad Khan is considered one of the best music wizards of the country, and also the standing example of Hindu Muslim unity in India, a Music genius well acknowledge by the world of music in India, which is mostly patronised by Hindus.
UstadBismillah Khan is no more, but he has produced so many legends in Shehnai music, such as BagheshwariQamar, who is considered to be the first woman shehnai player of India, and who was awarded the title Shehai Queen at Chandigarh in 1983, who is a living legend in this art.
AnantLal was another well knownShehnai player who was dedicated to this instrument, who performed a number of concerts in Shehnai in India and abroad, Uttar Pradesh SangeetNatakAkademihonoring him with prestigious awards in more than one occasion, basically from Varanasi, who spent many years of life with Akashwani as a Station artist.
PanditRaghunathPrasanna was yet another important Shehnai player of the country, also hailing from Varanasi, from a family which has been practicing Shehnai playing for more than 300 years, rendering sterling performances in the Royal courts of Kings and emperors.
India that way has a selected number of Shehnai experts in the country, to name la few, Ali Hussain Khan, LokeshAnand, Krishna Ram Chaudhary, Ali Ahmad Hussain, Hanuman Jadev, YusefLateed , Dave Mason.
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