Stay informed!
Jadu Music Instruments
Pakhawaj, Dohl, Tabla
The pakhawaj is a barrel shaped drum that has been played for thousands of years, it is said to emulate the sound of creation. It is a very deep and powerful instrument, ideal for drawing you deep into your soul.
The dohl is a very loud and dynamic drum played with sticks, also double ended.
The tabla is comprised of two drums, a treble and a bass. The construction of this instrument is very complex, rice and iron filings are used along with hard wood and goat hide.
The tabla is about 300 years old and is very similar to the pakhawaj but it has more definition between bass and treble.
Harmonium, Ragas
Rajesh is the vocalist in JADU, improvising with elements of Indian classical music. These include: -
- Sargams, i.e. singing the musical notes (sa, re, ga etc) in rhythmic fashion
- Taranas, a dynamic form of singing syllables, and alaaps, improvising with vowel sounds. This is done within the context of ragas.
Raga (Sanskrit lit. "colour" or "mood") refers to melodic modes used in Indian classical music. It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made. In the Indian musical tradition, ragas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Indian classical music is always set in a raga. A raga can be regarded as a tonal framework for composition and improvisation: a dynamic musical entity with a unique form, embodying a unique musical idea. As well as the fixed scale, there are features particular to each raga such as the order and hierarchy of its tones, their manner of intonation and ornamentation, their relative strength and duration, and specific approach. Where ragas have identical scales, they are differentiated by virtue of these musical characteristics. As the term raga itself implies, it should 'colour' the mind, bring delight, move the listeners and stimulate an emotional response.
As well as singing, Rajesh also plays the harmonium, a wind and reed instrument, which was introduced into India by western missionaries, but then adapted by Indian musicians to suit the monophonic style of their music.
Guitar
Paul plays a Lowden 032 guitar fitted with a Fishman Rare-earth pickup into a Radial P.Z. preamp.
Soprano Saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a wonderfully versatile instrument. As well as its obvious associations with jazz it also blends well in folk and world music contexts. Pete tells us: ‘When I was working with The Bavaiyars of Gujerat - a visiting folk opera company from Gujerat – the members of the company insisted on referring to my soprano sax as a shenai (the Indian oboe or shawm). I was very flattered by this because I have always loved the shenai playing of Bismillah Khan. But I had to explain that it was really a soprano sax. In the end we agreed to a compromise and called it a shenai-ophone’
Alto-flute
The alto-flute is pitched a fourth lower than the regular concert flute. Its soft tones are reminiscent of the large bamboo flutes used in Indian classical music.
Bansuri
The bansuri is a simple bamboo flute said to be as old as mankind itself. It is mentioned in the Vedas and is depicted in the Buddhist art of 2000 years ago. One Sanskrit verse credits the bansuri as the source of swarajnana - the knowledge of music. Krishna is often pictured as a shepherd who plays the flute.
The Tamboura
The Tamboura is one of the most ancient instruments of India. It has four to six strings and comes in various sizes. The purpose of the Tamboura is to provide the essential drone effect in a sustained manner. Seemingly very simple to play, this instrument requires tremendous focus, control and concentration in order to play, so that it will complement and not disturb the tonal structures and the interplay of notes of the melody (Raga).