Kartashova T.V. The system of musical culture of Northern India

Abstract: This article is the first in Russian India studies to examine the system of musical culture of Northern India and define the category up-shastriya, or "semi-classical", which occupies a special position in it. This musical stratum is the most extensive and multi-tiered and occupies most of the sound "field" of Indian culture today. The author also considers a leading genre of up-shastriya, the vocal thumri, in the context of the related genres of dadra, tappa and traditional regional Hindustani music. Methodologically the article is based on the principles of an integrated approach, which is almost inevitable for the study of such a uniquely multi-faceted cultural phenomenon as the "semi-classic". In general, up-shastriya represents a phenomenal synthesis of massive layers of culture formed over many centuries – the classical (shastriya-sangeet) and the traditional (lok-sangeet). The essence of the process of interaction between the two categories lies in the concept of up-shastriya: this music, which is saturated with the scent of "high" classical, has moved further and further away from its traditional roots. Currently up-shastriya forms the main part of the sound space in the two musical systems of northern and southern India, becoming the stylistic and structural basis of a large number of genres of "light" music and the most important component of such varied artistic phenomena as theater and dance performances, film and pop music. All regional genres, raised to the level of "semi-classical", have taken to the concert stage and become popular not only in the Indian states but also abroad. It can be argued that up-shastriya has become a cultural trademark of the South Asian subcontinent.

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