| GAZAL |
| The Muslim counterpart to
the Hindu-derived ṭhumrī is gazal [Arabic "to talk... in an amatory and enticing manner," a form of Urdu poetry and the sung version of that poetry; also sometimes transliterated as ghazal]. |
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History. As with many South-Asian genres, many credit Amir Khusrau with the transformation of this traditional form of poetic recitation into a musical form. However, gazal did not become important until the 18th-19th centuries in the courts of the rulers of Delhi and Lucknow when dancers and courtesans began including this music in their repertoires. The genre has been subject to much social stigma, in part due to its association with these performers, but its performance practice borrows extensively from Islamic devotional music and, in particular, qawwālī. The condemnation is ironic considering the important role these women played in preserving the urban culture of South Asia against the many attempts at Westernization both by foreigners and well-meaning citizens. The gazal khwān ["a reciter of gazal"] or gazal sarā ["singing or singer of gazal"] is an important figure in north Indian culture and gazals are enjoyed by both Muslims and Hindus. |
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| Poetry. Gazal is both a musical and poetic form. The traditional modern context for recitation gazal poetry is the muśairā ("poetic symposium"). The texts are commonly erotic, sensual, and superficial although some texts treat philosophical, mystical, social, and political themes. The genre also suggests a kind of emotional abandon that in most South Asian contexts would be prohibited. Sufis (a sect of Islam) tradition is clearly an influence and texts are subject to allegorical interpretation; i.e., texts often metaphorically equate God with the beloved. The tradition derives from Persian models with the voice of the poem commonly from the male perspective. |
| Musical Structure. Gazals generally have five or more independent couplets (śer) — each a complete statement in itself ś with the rhyme scheme aa, ba, ca, da, etc. The melody is related to rhyme scheme where "a" is a sthā'ī (recurring melody) in a lower tessitura than the alternating antarā section. The melodies associated with the higher tessitura are usually sung in free time, often without percussion so the words can be heard more clearly. The percussion (usually the tablā) enters on the rhyming words. The melodies are generally composed in standard north Indian rāgs although some unique composed melodies sometimes appear. |
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| References |
| Jairazbhoy, Nazir. 1980. "India: Thumri and Ghazal." In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 9:141b-143a. |
| Manuel, Peter. 1988. "A Historical Survey of the Urdu Gazal-song in India." Asian Music 20 (1):93-113. |
| Platts, John T. 1977. A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English. New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation. |
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| Selected Performance |
| Mehdi Hassan, Gazal: "Bāt Karani Mujhe Muskil" |
| Mehdi Hassan, Gazal: "Bāt Karani Mujhe Muskil" [video performance] |
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