Evolution and Genres of Odissi Music

Abstract

Utkal, also called Odisha, the holy land of Lord Jagannath is known for its excellence in the sphere of the arts. The pursuit of excellence in art, sculpture, music and literature is one of the defining features of the Odishan culture. Rich in musical tradition, the fertile land of Odisha has produced rich harvest in the form of Odissi Dance and Music. Exuberance of human feelings has always sought expression either in rhythmic movements of the body or in melodious modulations of the voice. Historical evidences suggest that in Odisha, music and dance were being seriously pursued under royal patronage right from 2nd century BC and that by around 10th century A.D. Odissi music had crystalised into a distinctive classical form. The treatises unmistakably point to the fact that Odissi is one among the few schools of Indian classical music and it has a distinctive system of Raga and Taala and a characteristic style of rendition that is lyrical in it’s movement with wave like ornamentations. The tradition has always two components, the written and the oral. Of the many treatises written on this distinctive tradition of music, the bulk were written between 16th and 18th century. Five of these treatises, such as, Geeta Prakash, Sangeeta Narayan, SangetaKalpalataetc are now available in parts and two are in the form of palm leaf manuscripts.