New Age Relaxation Music

             

New age music is a recent genre - end of the 60s - and found popularity only after the 80s. It basically includes everything in music that is relaxing, spiritual and exploratory of the inner self. It can include any instrument, any language and any genre as long as it fits the new age bill. Lyrics are usually chants or derived from an inclination towards spiritual. You can choose from a variety of artists and bands. The primary aim of new age music is self-development through natural and inclination music. The types of new age music are formed purely according to their purpose.It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments.

  

                                      Instruments And Sounds Used In New Age Music

Piano, synthesizer, sampler, sequencer, strings, found sounds (often bird song or whale song, waterfalls, etc), folk and ethnic instruments, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, flutes, harp, sitar, tamboura, tabla, organ.

Music in Blood

Folk music is part of a popular culture, although the term “popular music” or “pop music” today refers to a kind of music which people can hear through television, radio and other means of recording.

South Asia has a very rich tradition of folk music. The extreme cultural diversity creates endless varieties of folk styles.  Each region has its own particular style.

Music in the villages is learned almost by osmosis. From childhood the music is heard and imbibed. There are numerous public activities that allow the villagers to practice and hone their skills. These are the normal functions which synchronize village life with the universe.

Musical instruments are often different from those found in classical music.  Although instruments like the tabla may sometimes be found it is more likely that cruder drums such as daf, dholak,or nal will be used.  The sitar and sarod which are so common in the classical genre are absent in the folk music.There are lots of  instruments which are used only in particular folk styles in particular regions.These instruments are innumerable.

The instruments that folk musicians use are generally not as refined as the classical musicians use. The instruments of classical music are crafted by artisans.

It is very common to find folk instruments that have been fabricated of commonly available materials.




                Some of folk music instruments played in southern Asia

sorud, tanburag, Dhon Dholok Cholom,  Pung Cholak, Sita Harana, rasa lila, drum, flute, barrlel drum, dhime, bhapang - kamayacha (fiddle), khatal (castanets), harmonium, jantar (zither), murali (double clarinet), pungi (double flute), ravanhatha, sarangi, satara (double flute), surnai.

Keeping Our Qawwali Tradition Alive

The Qawwali form of Islamic song is practiced in India and Pakistan. qawwali is a form of music practiced by Sufi s to inspire religious devotion and instruction. Sufism is a mystical school of Islamic thought where truth and divine love are achieved through personal experience.

         

                                          

                                        

                                                           History of Sufi music Qawwali

The godfather of Qawwali is said to be Amir Khusru from the 13th century.He was born in mominpur. His father was from Turkey.His father died when he was eight years old. Amir Khusru was so important to the development of qawwali that he is often said to be the inventor of it,a legendary musician, politician and philosopher who mixed elements from Turkey, Persia and India in the creation of a new music.

                                           

                                                               
                                                     
                                                                Guru Nusrat Fateh Ali khan

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was born on October 13, 1948, in Lyallpur, Pakistan. He learned qawwali from his father.he had the greatest voice ever recorded, he possessed an extraordinary range of vocal abilities and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family, Khan is widely credited with introducing Qawwali music to international audiences.He is popularly known as "Shahenshah-e-Qawwali meaning "The King of Kings of Qawwali. In 1966, he sang qawwali for the first time publically. He went on to tour internationally, contribute to soundtracks. He died on August 16, 1997, in London, England.

  He was the uncle of famous singer Rahat Ali khan and on one TV show he shared his emotions and said: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab used to always tell me that I have a great memory. I remember as a child, listening to my dada singing some qawaalis would touch me so much that I would go to the washroom and cry. That was the only place in the house where I could be alone. I could not understand the meaning of the words or the raags, but just the sur touched me and would make me cry. I started singing at the age of five. After a little practice, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab (I was his younger brother's son) heard me and he started teaching me and I performed for the first time on my Dada's barsi at the age of 7. I can never play the harmonium like my father, but I learnt to play it from him and try and follow him.

                                                             
                                                            Aziz Mian Qawwal





Tamaam duniya ko dikha baitthe apna jamaalMera waqt aaya to chilman daal diBade badnaseeb the hum, ke qaraar tak na pauhancheDar-e-yaar tak to pauhanche, dil-e-yaar tak na pauhancheYou showed your beauty to the whole world.
When it was my turn, you let the curtain fall.
It was my misfortune, that I could not reach this rest.
I could only reach her door, I could not reach her heart.






Abdul aziz also known as Aziz Mian Mairthi. He was born on 17 April 1942 in Delhi. Aziz Mian is one of the classic qawwal of our history.Aziz Mian urdu qawwalis have captivated his aundience over the decades.Aziz mian Qawal earned pakistan a great name internationaly through his ever new urdu qawwlaies.

He was a great Singer-songwriter, musician(great player of harmonium), poet philosopher, writer, scholar. Aziz Mian Qawwal was one of Pakistan's leading  traditional qawwals and also famous for singing ghazals in a unique style of qawwali. Aziz is still one of the most popular qawwals of South Asia. He holds the record for singing the longest commercially released qawwali (Hashr Ke Roz Yeh Poochhunga) which runs over 115 minutes.

Aziz Mian had three sons Tabraiz, Junaid and imran. They all followed his father and joined the word of sufi music.Tabraiz is however considered to be the closest to his father.Tabraiz also toured North America for a tribute to Aziz Mian Qawwal.

Aziz mian qawwal died in Iran on 6th December 2000. He was invited by the government of Iran to perform on the occasion of Imam Ali's death anniversary. He was buried in Multan.