Music is the language of emotion and is an integral part of the Indian culture. Music is a language by itself and is capable of expressing subtle thoughts and refined ideas. Just as a Poet expresses his thoughts through the medium of words and a Painter through the medium of brush and colors, a composer expresses his thoughts through the medium of music.
India has developed not only an excellent system of music and dance, but also has taken adequate steps to ensure their preservation and development. India's hoary musical culture, the richness, variety and prolific character of her musical literature and repertoire, the amazing number and variety of musical instruments and the fine galaxy of musicians, composers and musicologists produced by her have all earned for India a dignified place in world culture in general and world music in particular.
From early times south India has been famous for her eminence in fine arts. The southern provinces of India delight in various kinds of dances, vocal music and instrumental music and they are characterized by a graceful style and their abhinayas are clever and polished. This beautiful land of fine arts extends from Vindhya Mountains to the sea in the south.
Indian and European MusicIndian music and European music are two great musical systems. They stand as the embodiment of two distinct branches of musical thought and expression. They are respectively the perfection of melodical and harmonical systems of music. Both are great systems and show the heights to which the genius of man has soared in anxious search for new forms of musical expression. The composers in both the systems had before them the same ideas, but the approach was different. The raga system, which is life and soul of Indian music, served the same purpose to the Indian composer as did harmony to the composer in Europe.
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