|
Jugalbandhi [from Sanskrit "Yugala" = a pair, a couple; Sanskrit
"bandh" = to join, unite, fasten, put together, so arrange]
"Jugalbandhi" means (a performance by a) duet. It is said to have taken
place when two performers perform an item together, during a (musical)
performance.
The announcement of a jugalbandhi in a programme is a promise, seldom
fulfilled by the quality of the duet performance: it hardly goes beyond
the gimmick of attracting larger crowds by inclusion of two big names in a
single recital. Neither artist forming the duet can do justice to the
mystical awareness that Indian classical music is capable of producing.
Jugalbandhi is typically a musical attempt thrown out of orderly
function, disjointed, lacking coherence, marked by lack of orderly
sequence and utterly incomplete and unsatisfactory. A notable exception
to this broad generalisation is a typical jugalbandhi in dhrupad
singing. But there is a reason for it to be an exception.
How many kinds of jugalbandhi exist? The following types have been
noted:
(1) Dhrupad singing (Dagar brothers)
(2) Instrumental of identical class (Sitar/Surbahar)
(3) Instrumental of a similar class (Sitar/Sarod)
(4) Instrumental of dissimilar classes (Santoor/Flute; Shehnai/Sitar)
(5) Instrumental of experimental type (Piano/Harmonium)
(6) Khayal singing (Rajan and Sajan Mishra)
(7) vocal innovative (Hindustani/Karnatic)
(8) Percussions (Tabla/Pakhavaj, taal kachahari) etc., etc.
What is raison d'etre for the existence and justification of
Jugalbandi? Under what circumstances? When is a jugalbandhi justified?
How would the individual member of the duet fare if he performs as a single
performer? Also, what is the share of each of the duet members in a
performance? Equal? -- I doubt.
In the above list of eight types of jugalbandhi, we probably have the
following sub-classes: (i) the first two in the list, and, perhaps, the
sixth; (ii) the remaining types. In the (ii), we have several
sub-categories. The distinction here is based on the principle that the
duet members of the successful teams belong to closely knit
backgrounds. This background is interpreted in terms of either sameness
of gharana or very close similarity between the pairing instruments.
And, lastly, when did the jugalbandhi phenomenon start? And, how did it
start? The question of "when" is a matter of tracing the history of
jugalbandhi. The question of "how" can be speculated upon -- perhaps
like this:
Recall the age-old tradition of the shishya (pupil) always accompanying
the Guru (the eacher) during a performance. The accompanying
student is encouraged to sing, but usually his contribution is small
and secondary. My speculation is that this is the origin of
jugalbandhi. I think there can be circumstances in which the student
may assume a more important role when accompanying his guru. For
example, the student may prove to have an exceptional calibre and his
guru may think it fit to assign to him a more significant role. Or, the
student may demonstrate sufficient maturity and mastery. Or, the guru
may decide, for his own reasons, to play a relatively subsidiary role.
This hypothesis, of course, needs to be examined in the light of known
and factual cases.
2004/03/02
|
Online Store
