People around the world listen to all types of music, but not everyone is familiar with all of the genres that are out there. Making music is very common in these modern times, and this means that you can always find a new genre or two different ones combined into something entirely new, and so on.
Everyone has a different taste when it comes to liking songs, and we can’t say if we have a better taste compared to someone else, simply because that’s entirely subjective. However, we can always introduce a person that we know with a certain music genre that we seem to like, and who knows, maybe they’ll become a fan as well.
In this article, we are going to talk about Indian music, something that’s rising in popularity, but it’s still not as popular as we would like it to be, meaning that most of you probably never heard an Indian song before. To be more exact, we are going to focus a bit more on styles and types, so if you are eager to learn some more, feel free to keep reading until the end. Let’s take a look.
Karnatak – Karanatic
This type is very popular in Southern India, and according to a lot of people and music experts as well, it has tons of similarities with the Hindustani classical music. Karnatak is a style that has a very freeing and upbeat mood to it, which is one of the key elements on almost all Indian songs that you’ll ever hear.
It’s a very unique style and people love it, and when it comes to the origins, Parundara Dasa is the artist considered to be the father of the Karanatic genre. When it comes to the instruments being used in these songs, they are almost the same as the other popular genres, such as the Dhrupad and the Thumri styles.
Tamil Music
The music of Tamil Nadu is probably one of the most popular styles that you can find when it comes to Indian songs, and most of you probably know at least one due to the amazing Bollywood movies. If you didn’t know, the Bollywood film industry is working very closely with the Indian music industry, and almost every song produced finds its way into some of the popular titles that play in the Indian cinemas.
Because of this reason, there are numerous Tamil artists, and just so many songs that you can listen to if you want to completely explore this genre. If you are curious to find some of them in a well-sorted online library, you can visit masstamilan.
When it comes to Tamil, there are very interesting things that you can learn about the genre, because it has very long origins which date years and years back in the past. So, if you are interested in learning some history and taking a trip down memory lane, there are many useful things that you can find on the internet for Tamil songs.
Hindu Devotional Music
This is a style that is not very popular in Southern India, but it’s the complete opposite in the Northern parts of the country. This “genre” is not something that you’d listen at your own home just for fun, because it’s a very special kind of devotional melodies which are being played at festivals and chanted by Pilgrims. Hindu Devotional has a very special meaning and a close connection with the Hindu Mythology, so if you are into listening something like this, definitely give it a try. The Nordic Mythology songs and culture became very popular after the release of Vikings, so if you’re done exploring that, why not give the Hindu mythology a try as well? Chances are that you’ll end up liking it. We warned you about the uniqueness of it, however, so do not be even slightly surprised if it doesn’t end up sounding like the regular songs that you listen on an everyday basis.
Indian Folk Music
A lighter genre that comes mostly from Bangladesh, but there are so many different styles of it that evolved through the past decades, that it’s almost impossible to distinguish “original” from something that’s a mix of modernism and traditional.
I think we all know that Folk means because almost every country has its Folk singers and artists, but you should see what Indian people have to offer in this field. Most of these things can be found in movies from the Bollywood industry because as we already mentioned above, both the music and the film-making industries work together to make successful products.
Folk music in India starts to become modernized as well, meaning that sooner or later the original sound might become rarer, but we’re pretty sure that some of the artists will keep it very traditional because that’s just the way people in this country are. They appreciate tradition and everything original and unique for their culture.
Bhangra
Last but not least, the Bhangra genre is something a bit more fast-paced, energetic and mood-lifting, and it is usually played a lot at weddings and some special types of parties. Currently, Bhangra might be one of the fastest-growing styles, and if you have some interest in the Indian culture, maybe you’ve already heard a couple of these songs.
The most famous Bhangra album is called Teri Chuni De Share by the popular group named Alaap. You should give this a try if you are more into energetic melodies and instruments that can make you feel better with the sound they’re producing. While we are at instruments, for Bhangra, the artists use Acoustic Guitars, dhol, table, accordion, and a violin, but that’s for the more traditional style of it.
Just like everything else, Bhangra managed to become pretty modernized in the late nineties, and then artists started utilizing drum kits, synthesizers, electric guitars and drum machines. We can’t say which form of Bhangra songs is better because that’s highly subjective, but you can listen to both types and choose which one sounds better for yourself.
