''Tarana'' is a type of composition in Hindustani classical vocal music in which certain words (e.g. "odani", "todani", "tadeem" and "yalali") based on Persian and

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

phonemes are rendered at a medium (''madhya laya'') or fast (''drut laya'') rate. It was invented by

Amir Khusro Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253 – 1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau, sometimes spelled as, Amir Khusrow or Amir Khusro, was an Indo-Persian culture, Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar, who lived during the per ...

(1253-1325 CE). In modern times, the singer Amir Khan helped popularize it and researched its origins and the syllables used.

Nissar Hussain Khan Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan (1906 – 16 July 1993) was an Hindustani classical music, Indian classical vocalist from the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. He was a disciple and son of Fida Hussain Khan and after a long and illustri ...

was a tarana singer. Tarana was also used by

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

tenth

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

in his compositions.

Form

A second, contrasting melody, usually with higher notes, is introduced once before returning to the main melody. The tarana may include a Persian quatrain, and may use syllables from

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

such as "dar-dar" or "dir-dir"; singers might recite full compositions (e.g. tihais, gats, tukdas) within the body of the tarana.

History

Thakur Jaidev Singh, a commentator on Indian music, said:

References

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