World Music

Front 1

Raga

Back 1

all melodic material in North Indian classical music. Means "to color" or "to colorize". Notes come with a set of rules and specifications.

Front 2

Tala

Back 2

equal to meter in North Indian classical music. Means "hand".

Front 3

Srutis

Back 3

the micro-tonal pitches in between the svaras.

Front 4

Sargam

Back 4

melodic recitation of syllables, like Indian solfeggio (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa').

Front 5

Bols

Back 5

rhythmic recitation of syllables, like Indian solfegge for rythm

Front 6

Alap

Back 6

the introduction of Indian classical music. Follows Raga, but is the most complicated and advanced part of the piece. Slow, out of time.

Front 7

Tehi

Back 7

a rythmic phrase repreated three times so that it ends on sam. Indian classical music.

Front 8

Vedas

Back 8

ancient sacred hymns of poems in India. Four volumes 4,000 years old or more.

Front 9

Gharana system

Back 9

prominent musician families that keeps music protected in North India.

Front 10

tambura

Back 10

Indian cordophone, provides the background drone, 4-6 strings, fretless.

Front 11

sitar

Back 11

Indian cordophone, the lead instrument. Ravi Shankar.

Front 12

tabla

Back 12

Indian drums. Two sit side by side.

Front 13

sarod

Back 13

2nd most common solo instrument in North India behind sitar. Is fretless, the player presses his fingernails on the strings against the fretboard.

Front 14

bansuri

Back 14

made of bamboo, like a flute, India.

Front 15

harmonium

Back 15

originally from Germany, a portable organ.

Front 16

Tansen

Back 16

a 16th century North Indian musician, responsible for taking parts of ancient Indian and Islamic tradition and melding them. Composed many Ragas.

Front 17

Tyagaraja

Back 17

renown composer in South India, 18th century, a monk, dedicated to Rama, composed hundreds of Kritis.

Front 18

mrdanga

Back 18

drum, membranes on each side, sits on its side. South India.

Front 19

ghatam

Back 19

simple clay pot, hits with bare hands. South India.

Front 20

tavil

Back 20

double headed drum, one hand a stick, other hand metal thimbles. South India.

Front 21

moorsing

Back 21

jaw harp, South India.

Front 22

alapanam

Back 22

the optional intro into a South Indian song.

Front 23

pallavi

Back 23

composed section of South Indian song, a repeated refrain.

Front 24

anupallavi

Back 24

more composed material section of South Indian song, sticking mainly to composed material.

Front 25

caranam

Back 25

the improvised section of a South Indian song.

Front 26

Kathak

Back 26

classical North Indian dance, very secular.

Front 27

Nritya

Back 27

narrative, miming, depicts characters and story lines, has narrative information in North Indian classical dance.

Front 28

Nritta

Back 28

abstract North Indian dance, no narrative meaning behind it.

Front 29

Ghunghuru

Back 29

small bells worn on the feet of North Indian classical dancers.

Front 30

Mudras

Back 30

specific hand motions & gestures that depict narrative information in North Indian classical dance.

Front 31

Abhinaya

Back 31

head and eye movements that depict narrative information in North Indian classical dance.

Front 32

Qawaal

Back 32

the leader of a Pakistani Qawwali trance music session.

Front 33

Haal

Back 33

a state of religious ecstasy that is achieved through music in Pakistani Qawwali music.

Front 34

Sama

Back 34

???

Front 35

saron

Back 35

a xylaphone like instrument, made of brass. Indonesian.

Front 36

bonang

Back 36

bronze bowl turned upside down, struck on the top. Indonesian.

Front 37

kenong

Back 37

a larger bonang. Indonesian.

Front 38

gong

Back 38

large cymbal, most powerful. Indonesian.

Front 39

gong ageng

Back 39

the largest cymbal in the Gamelan, the spirits dwell within it. Indonesian.

Front 40

kendang

Back 40

the conductor of the Gamelon, a mrdanga-like instrument. Indonesian.

Front 41

suling

Back 41

bamboo flute, Indonesian.

Front 42

rebab

Back 42

spike fiddle played like a cello. Indonesian.

Front 43

Wayang Kulit

Back 43

Javanese puppet show, Javanese, accompanied by a full Gamelon.

Front 44

Mahabharata

Back 44

the national Hindu epic of India. Depicts the history of the world, a common setting for Wayang Kulit.

Front 45

Dalang

Back 45

the Wayang Kulit puppeteer, revered, super human performer.

Front 46

kadjar

Back 46

single bronze instrument, time keeper with distinctive pulse. Bali.

Front 47

gangsa

Back 47

similar to saron, longer resonating tubes, main melodic instrument, mallet made of deer antler. Bali.

Front 48

cengceng

Back 48

tiny symbols facing up, shape of a turtle or other animal. Bali.

Front 49

Kotekan

Back 49

interlocking patterns shared between two instruments creating a hocket. Bali.

Front 50

Ombak

Back 50

out of tuneness that results from two instruments that are slightly out of tune, presence of the supernatural. Bali.

Front 51

Kecek

Back 51

Balanese monkey chant.

Front 52

shamisen

Back 52

Japanese lute, fretless, played with a huge pick.

Front 53

nohkan

Back 53

Japanese flute, associated w/ Noh theater.

Front 54

sho

Back 54

Japanese tiny, organ, aerophone, 17 pipes, plays chords or tone clusters.

Front 55

hichiriki

Back 55

a double reed Japanese oboe, really small, huge sound.

Front 56

ko-tsuzumi

Back 56

Japanese hour-glass shaped double headed drum.

Front 57

Kabuki Theater

Back 57

a form of Japanese dance theater with musical accompaniment. Elaborate.

Front 58

Hanamichi

Back 58

a runway that connects the stage to the pack of the hall in Japanese Kabuki theater.

Front 59

chobo

Back 59

a duo of a narrator/singer accumpanied by a shamisen player. Japanese.

Front 60

Debayashi Ensemble (Nagauta)

Back 60

means "come out orchestra" emerges on the stage.

Front 61

Bunraku

Back 61

Japanese puppet theater.

Front 62

Gagaku

Back 62

Japanese imperial court music and dance. Elegant and refined music. Possibly the oldest ensemble music.

Front 63

Azan

Back 63

Islamic call to prayer.

Front 64

Meuzzin

Back 64

the Islamic guy that sings the call to prayer.

Front 65

Khandan

Back 65

recitation of the Koran or the Azan, always acceptable in Islam, conservative.

Front 66

Musiqi

Back 66

radical ensemble music, unacceptable in Islam, liberal.

Front 67

Dastgah

Back 67

the melodic material in Persian/Iranian music (like raga).

Front 68

ney

Back 68

an aerophone, recorder like, very difficult to play, made of cane. Persian/Iranian.

Front 69

tar

Back 69

Persian/Iranaian lute, figure eight body, adjustable fretts.

Front 70

kamancheh

Back 70

spiked fiddle, played like a cello, Persian/Iranian.

Front 71

dumbek

Back 71

drum, hourglass shaped, Persian/Iranian.

Front 72

santour

Back 72

a zythar, played w/mallets made of balsa wood, Persian/Iranian.

Front 73

mehters

Back 73

oldest variety of military marching music. Turkish.

Front 74

Alevi

Back 74

religious sub-group in Turkey. Associated w/ Islam, sub-Sahara African roots. A type of Suffism.

Front 75

Cem

Back 75

a Alevi ceremony involving prayer, music & dance.

Front 76

Saz

Back 76

an instrument that is a long necked lute, provides accompaniment in a Cem.

Front 77

Mevlevi

Back 77

the sect of Sufism that produces the whirling dervishes.

Front 78

Sema

Back 78

the ceremony where the whirling dervishes whirl. (Mevlevi).

Front 79

Maqam

Back 79

the melodic material in Arabic music (like Raga).

Front 80

Taksim

Back 80

the style of improvisation in Arabic music.

Front 81

Oud

Back 81

short necked fretted lute, most popular.

Front 82

Gnawa

Back 82

an ethnic minority in Morroco and a belief system.

Front 83

Lila

Back 83

the central ceremony of the Gnawa, an all night music and dance healing ceremony.

Front 84

Gimbri

Back 84

rudimentary lute played in Gnawan Lilas.

Front 85

garagab

Back 85

clapper instruments played in Gnawan Lilas.