Regional Classic Folks Music

Karnataka

Both the Carnatic and classical music of Hindustan were improved with long tradition in the state of Karnataka.

The development of classical music of India were done during the period of king of Kalyana, Prime minister of Bijjala, Basaveshwara, leader of the Bhakti movement who used to create the Vachanas.  This period is also a witness of the evolution of greater composers like Allama, Akka Mahadevi, Shantala, and Chandraja.  Later on these traditions were refined by the Chaturkallinatha's Sangitaratnakara, Ventamakhin's Chaturdandi Prakashika, and Vidyaranya's Sangitasara.

Some of the most famous composers like Kanakadasa, Vijaya Dasa, Jagannathadasa, and PUranadaradasa were came in existence with the rise in the movement of Haridasa and Vaishnavism. The great patrons were Wodeyars of Mysore in field of art.

Development

There is no tradition of written text in the earlier times, but only GuruShishya tradition is followed by Sangeeta Shaastra. Before the formation of Shaastras, only Abhyasa is there as the first classical music. The first theory of sangeeta documentary came in existence at the time of Bharatmuni in 300 BC that is named as “Naatya Shaastra”. All over the India for most of the time period, only this one is served as a Pramaana Grantha.  Later on, different forms of music were developed in different part of world with independent growth.

A musical treaty served as first classical music documentation named “Sangeeta Ratnakara” was launched by name of a scholar “Shaarjnadeva” in 1200 BC.  He used a Devagiri in that, which was at that time the Karnataka part, but now at present it is a Hyderabad province.  As with the help of Vidhyaranya and Maadhava in the 1350 BC, the music with South Indian Classical got well defined.  Both these were also the heads of Shringeri Mutt and minister of Vijayanagara Empire as besides their contribution by writing Sangeeta Saara to strengthen the sangeeta shaastras (pravartane sangeeta shaastra).

Through the movement of Vyasaraja, Kanakadasa, Purandara Dasa by Kannada Haridasa at the time of empire of Vijayanagar, there is tremendous growth in the Carnatic music. Apart from the movement of Haridasa, a system of teaching the Carnatic music was accomplished by the SAngeeta Pitamaha Purandara Dasa.  He helped the composers of the present time by teaching them and spread the knowledge of music other than movement of Haridasa. Acknowledgement of Purandara Dasa was influenced by the Thyagaraja. In the book Sangita Saramrita, the rule of Maharashtra Tanjore, Tulajaji writes about the music of Haridasa and venerates the most famous composers named Puranadaradasa and Vyasaraya.

A mention of Sangeeta Saara by Vidhyaranya and Maadhava was done by the Raghunatha Nayaka in his composition “Sangeeta Sudha” in 1650 AD.  The introduction of “Sangeeta Sudha” was given by Govinda Deekshit, who is a King Achuta Nayaka’s minister in Tanjavore.  In the system of Melakarta, all the classification of ragas were distinguished by the son of Govinda Dikshita named Venkatamakhin and also the famous Chaturdandi Prakasika in the Sanskrit version was written by him.  The writer of the “Shrungaara Padas” named Kshetrajna also lives at that time period in 1650.  The Melakarta ragas from ranges 15 increases to 22 from the time of VidhyaraNaya to the time of Venkatamakhin.  In the development of Carnatic music, lots of theorists give their contribution other than Somanatha, Kallinatha, and Raamaamaatya.

Carnatic music got very well developed in the time period starting from the time of Sharngadeva to the period of Venkatamakhin in the state of Karnataka.