JOIN USThe magical and melodious sound of jal tarang, one of oldest and least heard musical instruments, will echo in the City soon. Jal tarang — which literally translates to ‘waves in water’ — has been a part of Indian tradition for several centuries.
It was used extensively in Bollywood music in the 50s and 60s. In this instrument, music is created using water placed in metal or ceramic bowl.
The jal tarang is unique in the sense that it is perceived both as a percussion as well as a non-percussion instrument. It comprises a series of china or clay bowls of descending size, filled with water and spread out in a semi circle. The player sits in the centre with chopstick-like strikers, and taps these bowls to produce a very sweet chime. The bowls are tuned to the notes of the raag by adjusting the amount of water in them.
However, the instrument is losing its popularity because it can be quite difficult for an artiste to play a complex raga on it. In fact, the famous director O P Nayyar once said that one of the musicians of his troupe used to use the bowl of his jal tarang whenever soup was being served.
In an attempt to encourage the traditional art form, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is organising a jal tarang performance by Manish Sharma. Manish belongs to an exclusive club of five to seven performers in India who can competently play the instrument. He is the grandson and disciple of Pandit Ghasi Ram Nirmal, a grade-A jal tarang player.
“The music produced by a jal tarang is gentle and melodious, very soft and sweet — close, probably, to the music of a piano or octopad. The performance by Manish Sharma is an attempt to protect, preserve and encourage our traditional art forms,” says Dr Suresh K Goel, the director general of the ICCR.
Manish Sharma has participated in many prestigious music festivals, including the United Nation Celebrations in 2009, for the Commonwealth Games delegation and Sangeet Natak Academy’s ‘Sangeet Pratibha Utsav’.
Capable of producing both delicate and vibrant sounds, the jal tarang can be used to play Indian classical ragas and light melodies as well. An uncommon instrument, it is often played solo, as a melodic instrument accompanied by the tabla or as a percussive accompaniment to Kathak dancing.
The performance will be held at the ICCR’s Azad Bhawan on April 20 at 7 pm.