sitar Blanzac

The sitar

The Indian sitar is a large lute with 20 strings which cover 4 octaves and which give the instrument its harmonic and rhythmic versatility. It is accompanied by tablas, which are hand drums consisting of two chambers.

Indian music, raga and tala….

Indian music started about 3000 years ago with the chanting of vedic hymnes.

Indian music started about 3000 years ago with the chanting of vedic hymnes.

Raga is the foundation of Indian music. It consists of 5 to 7 notes linked to emotions, hence the word ‘raga’ which means ‘colour of the spirit’. Reflecting the cosmos and primeval, Raga is linked to the hours of the day and of the night, and to the seasons.

Tala is a specific system where the tempo is divided into rhythmic circles. Teental, the supreme tala, consists of 16 tempos and is the most frequently used in instrumental music.

Development of a recital:

The introduction of the raga is performed with the sitar alone in a section which is called ‘Alap’. The musician establishes the identity of the raga and depicts the emotion associated with it.

In the part called ‘Gat’, the tabla enters. Keeping the tempo, it accompanies the progression of the raga and nourishes it with its improvisations. The outcome of each of these is the marriage, called ‘Sum’,of the two instruments on the first strong beat of the rhythmic circle.

After a raga, a lighter piece, called a ‘Dhun’, is generally played.

 

Artistic progression

Sylvie Hiely is now commencing a solo career as Sylvie de Saaj in memory of the Duo Saaj which, started in 1991 with her friend and tabla player Laurent Gherzi, was ended by his untimely death in early 2016.

Together they gave numerous recitals in France and abroad. In India they performed with:

  • the 4th music and dance festival organised in New Delhi by the ICCR in Otober 2013
  • the Poona Music Society of Puna in January 2014
  • the luxury hotel chain of Mr Francis Warcziarg at the Neemrana Hotel and in Pondichery, Hotel de l’Orient in January 2014…

Having been recommended by the Indian Embassy in Paris, they performed at the embassy on 30 October 2015, at the Unesco for the festival of No-Rouz and in Grasse on the occasion of the town’s application to Unesco.

Sylvie de Saaj is now performing with Nabankur Bhattacharya.