Indian Film Cine Music

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Indian Film (Cine) Music
Raja Harischandra (1913)
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Overview

• Most films are musicals (have song and dance
  numbers)
• Popular among all castes and classes and often
  cross language barriers
• Many large regional film industries
• Widely disseminated via (pirated) cassettes
• Films use playback singers to record the songs
  the stars lip sync

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Lata Mangeshkar

• Playback singer
• Recorded 30,000 songs for more than 2,000 films
  between 1948 and 1984
• Has sung in more than 20 major Indian languages

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Musical Style

• Blend of Indian and Western elements
• Instruments violin, clarinet, conga, sax,
  synthesizers, guitars, etc.
• Rhythms foxtrot, polka
• Harmony (use of chords)
• Melodies mostly diatonic, short phrases
• Form (contrasting sections, lack of
  improvisation)
• Homogenous vocal quality

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Musical Examples

• Film Bhajan. Combines traditional devotional song
  form with Western characteristics.
• Examples from the 1960s.

2006 Hindi film
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History of Indian Film Industry

• Cinema introduced in 1896 by the Lumiere
  brothers. Their tour included Bombay (now,
  Mumbai).
• 1898 - First Indian films were of theatrical
  productions.
• 1912/13 First feature-length film. Subject is
  religious (life of Hindu saint).
• 1931 First musical

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History (cont.)

• Pre-1940s
• actors were classically trained singers and
  dancers, greater influence from Indian classical
  music tradition, use of light classical genres
• Films produced locally, often reflecting
  reactions against British colonialism. Some were
  censored.
• Post-1940s (1947-end of British rule)
• British taxes and censorship forced many smaller
  companies out of business
• Replaced by large corporations in Bombay
  (Bollywood) and Madras, star system

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Why Popular?

• Continuity between traditional rural theater and
  cinema in themes, style
• Widely disseminated outside of cinema
• Fantasy element serves as escape for those in
  severe poverty (escapist?)
• Strong star system
• Genre conducive to incorporation and blending of
  various Indian and non-Indian musics.

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• Vijaya Anand examples

Cooking Up a Song