Minstrels Through The Ages

Minstrels and troubadours were travelling musicians of the medieval age. Their songs and ballads reflected themes of love and chivalry. The performance was usually a single voice with a single instrument like the harp or lute. Later other instruments were heard accompanying the voice such as stringed instruments like the flute, fiddle and percussion instruments like the drums, bells, tambourine and cymbals. Here’s a modern performance of how the music of the minstrels and troubadours might have sounded.

The Bhakthi saints who made their appearance around the 7th century in India spread their message through music. Their songs were spiritual in nature and spoke of their intense devotion to God. The simple lyrics of their songs resonated with the common folks. The use of local languages or vernaculars made this a pan-India phenomena. The music of the Bhakthi saints ranged from the thevarams, thiruppavai in Tamil to the vachanas in Kannada and bhajans of Tulasidas and Mirabai in Hindi. In historical texts, the saints are sometimes depicted carrying the one-stringed instrument ektara. Later other instruments such as the tanpura, pakhwaj, dhol became part of the bhakthi music repertoire.

Here is a popular bhajan of Meerabai sung by Hindustani vocalist D.V.Paluskar

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Alleged arson, road plans and builders’ greed: All that Dindoshi Hills is fighting

Dindoshi Hills, located close to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, are being targeted by builders who want to denude and excavate the forested hills.

The green cover at Dindoshi Hills in Malad East is one among the disappearing forests of Mumbai. Rich in biodiversity, it extends over 138 hectares and is close to Tulsi Lake and Kanheri Caves. Unfortunately, the hills have fallen prey to the greed of developers, leading to deforestation. During a study conducted by Vanashakti from June 2021 to October 2022, we found forty species of plants in the close vicinity of the site. This includes Strobilanthes callosa, locally known as karvy, which blooms once in seven years and is categorised as ‘threatened’ in the IUCN Red List. We also observed…

Similar Story

Clearing Bengaluru’s air: Urgent reforms needed for commercial vehicles

In Bengaluru, commercial vehicles make up only 4% of the total fleet but contribute a massive 49% of PM2.5 vehicular emissions.

A long weekend drive on the highway sounds like a good way to unwind, but the massive, often overloaded trucks and other commercial vehicles belching black-grey smoke can make city roads less pleasant.  While commercial vehicles are crucial for the supply of essential goods across cities, they also cause major pollution. In Bengaluru, commercial vehicles make up just 4% of the total vehicle population but contribute a staggering 49% of the city's PM2.5 vehicular emissions. A recent study published by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) revealed this fact.  Particulate matter from vehicle emissions penetrates deep into the lungs…