JYOTI HEGDE

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Jyoti Hegde is an Indian musician and Rudra veena (Dhrupad) artist who performs on various stages around the world. Sought after for being a rare female artist who is accomplished in both Sitar and Rudra Veena. She has students of all levels learning from various parts of the world.

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Rudraveena is an ecstatic instrument that drives listeners to the enigmatic realm of Naad – or a meditative sound. Rudraveena is the ancestor of all Indian instruments, recognized for its mysterious melody and majestic beauty. Rudraveena has been foretold to be Lord Shiva's mightiest creation - God of time and arts, also known as Rudra. Rudraveena's history originates from ancient times when it was surrounded by a spiritual and religious culture. Rudraveena is unique in every way, from the instrument's manufacture to its playing style. A long wooden tubular body. Two big circular resonators made of good quality gourds, set at an equal distance from the center of the tube. These two big gourds resonate with the sound in the player's body, giving the instrument a strong connection to the physical body.

Lord Shiva is said to have created the Rudraveena as a tribute to Goddess Parvati's beauty. Rudraveena, which is said to be played by Shiva himself, is bestowed with spiritual abilities. Its powerful resonance leads listeners down the path of Naad-Yoga. Beginning the recital in lower octaves with the slowest part, Aalap, is something that belongs to the deepest mystical essence. We close our eyes and become completely immersed in it. As the recital progresses, a slightly rhythmic part known as Jod appears. Following Jod, we have the fastest rhythmic part known as Zhala, which gives us the impression of a constant meditative assembly of musical notes.

 This particular style of playing Rudraveena belongs to the Dhrupad tradition. Rudraveena is mostly played in Dhrupad genre. Dhrupad is a term that denotes both the verse form of the poetry and the style in which it is sung. It is spiritual, heroic, thoughtful, virtuous, embedding moral wisdom, or a solemn form of song-music combination. It’s India’s oldest meditative form of music.

 

Dhrupad

Dhrupad is the oldest classical style of Hindustani (or North Indian) vocal music still in existence. Its name is derived from Dhruva-pada, which simply means "refrain," and it now refers to both a type of poetry and a musical style in which the poetry is sung. Dhrupad music is typically divided into three sections: Alap, Jod-Zhala, and composition.

A slow tempo-ed, rather solemn and disciplined, recurring group of syllables (non-words) known as an alap precedes a dhrupad. With excellent pitch, the musician tries to emphasize the purity and clarity of each note. It can last for up to an hour until the melody starts. Dhrupad's composition is entirely spiritual and divine. Through the Nadas, the music form attempts to produce spiritual tranquility in the listener. Raga develops gradually and gracefully in Dhrupad music, much like meditation.

Dhrupad's teaching is strongly intertwined with the ancient system of guru-shishya parampara (the teacher-disciple tradition). It is an oral tradition dating back thousands of years, in which pupils resided in the home of their Guru and dedicated themselves to riyaz (music practice). Pupil’s life was centered on learning music and assisting their Guru with household chores.

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Sitar

How could one define a playful instrument like Sitar! Its euphonious sound gradually reveals human emotions gracefully. Whether it was in the hands of Pt. Ravishankar or Pt Vilayat Khan, Sitar has always performed her duty of delighting the soul and bringing tranquility to the surrounding. The sitar is a unique and enchanting instrument that has been enjoyed by musicians for centuries. It offers a versatile playing style and beautiful sound that will captivate your audience.

The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau Khan, an 18th-century figure of the Mughal Empire has been identified by modern scholarship as the originator of Sitar. However,  sitar has evolved over time to become the instrument that we see today.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 - Mrunalini