What is a rElA?
Vallath Nandakumar
Could someone please explain to me what a rela is? I know
that it is some sort of tabla composition. What is the
structure? Is there another kind of rela in folk music, and
does it ever refer to a melodic composition, as opposed to
a rhythmic one for tabla?
Thanks.
Vallath Nandakumar
Corvin Russell
A rela is a type of tabla composition. You can check out the
FAQ which I prepared for Murali for more details. Rela of
some sort is also performed in kathak, to the best of my
knowledge. Otherwise there is no other genre that uses
compositions called relas, again, to the best of my knowledge.
PS: re: FAQ, I have noticed in some other groups that the
FAQ articles are not erased by the Stanford nntp server until
updated versions of these articles are posted. However, the
rmic FAQ has been deleted long back. Does someone know how to
take care of this? Is there some standard way of writing the
subject line? Maybe I'll check one of the news.* groups.
Corvin
Hemant Sharma
TiReKeTe and DhiNaGeNa
It is played at a fast speed in a drum roll like fashion and is
traditionally the last part of a tabla solo.
In addition, there are Kayda Rela's which are in based on the same
concept but have a 'macro-scopic' composition on top of them giving
them the kayda structure.
I'm sure there's much more to it, but this is what I know....
Hemant Sharma
"Learn to live in different languages... and you may just discover
what it is you speak"
h5sh...@sms.business.uwo.ca (Hemant Sharma)
Western Business School -- London, Ontario
Corvin Russell
|> val...@vishnu.labs.tek.com (Vallath Nandakumar ) writes:
|>
|> >
|> > Could someone please explain to me what a rela is? I know
|> > that it is some sort of tabla composition. What is the
|> > structure? Is there another kind of rela in folk music, and
|> > does it ever refer to a melodic composition, as opposed to
|> > a rhythmic one for tabla?
|> > Thanks.
|> >
|> > Vallath Nandakumar
|>
|> TiReKeTe and DhiNaGeNa
????
"tirakita" and "dhinagena" are by no means exclusively rela bols. In
fact, "dhinagena" is much more frequently used in kayda. There is
a huge vocabulary of bols that are used in rela. See my FAQ
contribution for some of them.
|> It is played at a fast speed in a drum roll like fashion and is
|> traditionally the last part of a tabla solo.
Rela is played in fast speed, but usually is the middle part of a
tabla solo. Gat. paran, tukra, and chakkardar generally come afterwards.
|>
|> In addition, there are Kayda Rela's which are in based on the same
|> concept but have a 'macro-scopic' composition on top of them giving
|> them the kayda structure.
Kayda-rela is as you suggest somewhat obliquely, a type of composition
which has elements of kayda and rela. The elements from either kayda or
rela may be bol material, style of barhat, or structure of the
composition. Usually all the elements of the composition show
influence from both kayda and rela.
Corvin
Makarand A. Kulkarni
>In article <4NXaac...@sms.business.uwo.ca>, h5sh...@sms.business.uwo.ca (Hemant Sharma) writes:
[much stuff deleted]
>
>|> It is played at a fast speed in a drum roll like fashion and is
>|> traditionally the last part of a tabla solo.
>
>Rela is played in fast speed, but usually is the middle part of a
>tabla solo. Gat. paran, tukra, and chakkardar generally come afterwards.
>
>
In the Ecstacy recording by Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussein, Zakir Hussein mentions
that a rela is played at a fast speed in a drum roll like
fashion and is traditionally the last part of
a tabla solo. He also mentions that in Punjab relas are composed of dhinagenas
and terekitas which are the forte of Maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. This is almost
a verbatim qoute. I suspect Hemant is quoting from the same source.
Is the timing of a rela a gharana feature?
Regards
Makarand
maka...@puma.larc.nasa.gov
Corvin Russell
What he probably meant is that rela is the last theme-and-variation
composition to be played in solos. Most of the solos I have heard by Zakir
end with tukras and chakkardars.
The bol dhinagena I usually write as "dhenegene", which is undoubtedly
the bol he meant. There are, of course variant pronunications.
|> Is the timing of a rela a gharana feature?
As far as its position in the solo? I think the general consensus is
about the same. But I have a tape of Amir Hussain, e.g., where the
very first composition played is a rela. It's not a hard and fast rule.
|>
|> Regards
|> Makarand
|> maka...@puma.larc.nasa.gov
Corvin
Harsh Agrawal
A Rela is another "structured" composition in Tabla, just like a "kayda".The
difference is that a rela is played at a very fast speed, and while it's
being played, it gives the intonations of a moving train ("Rel" in hindi).
I'll give an example which might give you some idea as to what I'm talking
about. The following is a simple rela in Teentaal:
DHATIR KITDHA TIRKIT DHATIR KITDHA TIRKIT DHATIR KITTAK
TAATIR KITTAA TIRKIT TAATIR KITTAA TIRKIT DHATIR KITTAK
Another example, again in Teentaal, is:
DHATIR KITDHIR DHIRDHIR KITTAK DHATIR KITTAK TINNAA KITTAK
TAATIR KITTIR TIRTIR KITTAK DHATIR KITTAK DHINNAA KITTAK
In my fifteen years of tabla playing experience, I have never heard of a rela
in folk music, or in kathak for that matter.
Harsh
Corvin Russell
[snippety-snip]
|> A Rela is another "structured" composition in Tabla, just like a "kayda".The
|> difference is that a rela is played at a very fast speed, and while it's
|> being played, it gives the intonations of a moving train ("Rel" in hindi).
|> I'll give an example which might give you some idea as to what I'm talking
|> about. The following is a simple rela in Teentaal:
|>
|> DHATIR KITDHA TIRKIT DHATIR KITDHA TIRKIT DHATIR KITTAK
|> TAATIR KITTAA TIRKIT TAATIR KITTAA TIRKIT DHATIR KITTAK
|>
|> Another example, again in Teentaal, is:
|>
|> DHATIR KITDHIR DHIRDHIR KITTAK DHATIR KITTAK TINNAA KITTAK
|> TAATIR KITTIR TIRTIR KITTAK DHATIR KITTAK DHINNAA KITTAK
|>
|> In my fifteen years of tabla playing experience, I have never heard of a rela
|> in folk music, or in kathak for that matter.
|>
|> Harsh
Other etymologies for "rela" exist. Jim Kippen's ustad, e.g. believed
the term to come from the Hindi verb meaning "to flow".
A propos rela in kathak, perhaps Eric Parker could answer that question
for us. I was under the impression I stated above, but this is a
highly tenuous opinion at best, drawing on some dim memory.
The difference between rela and kayda is not merely one of speed.
In Lucknow particularly, kayda can be played at astonishing speeds.
The primary difference is in bol material and in structure of
phrasing. As I said in my FAQ (Murali....could you post that thing
with a cross-post to news.answers and a long expiration date --
thanks. Also, thanks Sridhar for your info. I think it might be well
considered to post what there is of the FAQ now and simply replace
it when Murali has collated.), rela tends to have a much simpler
chhand (movement of phrases) with little irregularity. E.g.,
a kayda in tintal might have divisions as follows:
5-6-5-4-4
Whereas the relas you cite above illustrate a much more
straightforward phrasing, in the first case;
3-3-3-3-4,
and in the second case
3-3-2-4-4 by one reading at any rate.
As one implication of these two differences, rela tends to
be better suited for playing in fast speeds than kayda. There
are exceptions. Some relas have extremely difficult fingering,
and weird divisions. But hey, that's the music -- no universal
truths here.
Corvin
Roderick M. Reed
Here is an ethnomusicological tidbit which I will throw out for
grins.
I, with my own ears, heard Zakir Hussain state during a concert
that rela, the term and the style, derived from listening to
trains speeding along the RAILs!!
He seemed serious. The imp of the perverse??
Makarand A. Kulkarni
>In article <27s7gm$p...@reznor.larc.nasa.gov>, maka...@gazelle.larc.nasa.gov (Makarand A. Kulkarni) writes:
>|> In article <1993Sep23.0...@leland.Stanford.EDU> bud...@leland.Stanford.EDU (Corvin Russell) writes:
>
>
>What he probably meant is that rela is the last theme-and-variation
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he meant is quite obvious, thank you.
>composition to be played in solos. Most of the solos I have heard by Zakir
>end with tukras and chakkardars.
Have these solos included relas before the chakkardars and tukras? I
would appreciate pointers to any commercial recordings where this is the
case.
>
>
>The bol dhinagena I usually write as "dhenegene", which is undoubtedly
^^^
>the bol he meant. There are, of course variant pronunications.
>
>
I write dhinagena.
^^^
>
>|> Is the timing of a rela a gharana feature?
>
>As far as its position in the solo? I think the general consensus is
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aong whom ???? I would appreciate pointers.
>about the same. But I have a tape of Amir Hussain, e.g., where the
>very first composition played is a rela. It's not a hard and fast rule.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My point exactly.
>
>
>|>
>|> Regards
>|> Makarand
>|> maka...@puma.larc.nasa.gov
>
>
>
>Corvin
Makarand
Corvin Russell
Once again, Makarand, I am floored by your (as I see it)
disproportionately aggressive response. I've been guilty of
such in the past (hello, CV Ravishankar, Jay Gordon), and
probably will be in the future, so I'm on no pedestal here.
In article <27uugt$p...@reznor.larc.nasa.gov>, maka...@gazelle.larc.nasa.gov (Makarand A. Kulkarni) writes:
|> In article <1993Sep24....@leland.Stanford.EDU> bud...@leland.Stanford.EDU (Corvin Russell) writes:
|> >In article <27s7gm$p...@reznor.larc.nasa.gov>, maka...@gazelle.larc.nasa.gov (Makarand A. Kulkarni) writes:
|> >|> In article <1993Sep23.0...@leland.Stanford.EDU> bud...@leland.Stanford.EDU (Corvin Russell) writes:
|> >
|>
|>
|>
|> >
|> >What he probably meant is that rela is the last theme-and-variation
|> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|>
|> What he meant is quite obvious, thank you.
I'm glad these things are so open-and-shut for you!
|>
|> >composition to be played in solos. Most of the solos I have heard by Zakir
|> >end with tukras and chakkardars.
|>
|> Have these solos included relas before the chakkardars and tukras? I
|> would appreciate pointers to any commercial recordings where this is the
|> case.
As far as I remember they have, and I would be more than happy
to give you the references.
|>
|> >
|> >
|> >The bol dhinagena I usually write as "dhenegene", which is undoubtedly
|> ^^^
|> >the bol he meant. There are, of course variant pronunications.
|> >
|> >
|>
|> I write dhinagena.
|> ^^^
Dude, chill! I wan't being assertive. I was offereing an
explanation for some confusion that I may have shown in an
earlier post -- i.e. I was explaining something that might
have been MY fault.. Whatsa matta, this is not like Makarand
at all!
|> >
|> >|> Is the timing of a rela a gharana feature?
|> >
|> >As far as its position in the solo? I think the general consensus is
|> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|>
|> Aong whom ???? I would appreciate pointers.
So far as I can see, among everyone. The rough order most
solos follow is
uthan/equivalent, peshkar/equivalent, kayda/equivalent,
rela, gat, tukra, paran, chakkardar.
There is considerable variation in this order of course,
and intermediate forms, different types of compositions
than the ones above are also played. That was a skeleton
outline.
|>
|>
|> >about the same. But I have a tape of Amir Hussain, e.g., where the
|> >very first composition played is a rela. It's not a hard and fast rule.
|> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|>
|> My point exactly.
But it seems to be a general rule that even Zakir follows.
I'll do some research the next couple of days. Certainly,
it is not appropriate to say that relas are the last comp.s
played in solo in all gharanas, because this is patently
untrue.
|> >
|> >
|> >|>
|> >|> Regards
|> >|> Makarand
|> >|> maka...@puma.larc.nasa.gov
Bye,
Corvin
|> >
|> >
|> >
|> >Corvin
|>
|> Makarand
|>
|>
A.Pavan
> difference is that a rela is played at a very fast speed, and while it's
> being played, it gives the intonations of a moving train ("Rel" in hindi).
> I'll give an example which might give you some idea as to what I'm talking
> about. The following is a simple rela in Teentaal:
>
> DHATIR KITDHA TIRKIT DHATIR KITDHA TIRKIT DHATIR KITTAK
> TAATIR KITTAA TIRKIT TAATIR KITTAA TIRKIT DHATIR KITTAK
Writing it as
Dha Tirekite Dha Tirekite Dha Tirekite Dha Tirekite Dha Tirekite Taka
Ta Tirekite Ta Tirekite Ta Tirekite Ta Tirekite Dha Tirekite Taka
is easier to read. It is popular rela with beginners, oftentimes,
the last phrase Dha Tirekite Taka is substituted by "Dha Dha Tirekite".
Sounds better at higher speeds.
> In my fifteen years of tabla playing experience, I have never heard of a rela
> in folk music, or in kathak for that matter.
There are relas in Kathak. They are sometimes called 'ladis'.
A popular one is :
Takite Takite Taka Takite Taka Takite
Which is expanded to included double, triple speed portions, at which
time, phrases or complete relas can come in. I often accompany Kathak dances
in Minneapolis and have played the very same rela many times in performances.
Also, in Kathak, in compositions called "Gat Nikas", elaborate 'laggis' are
employed, with a heavy use of the bayan and a subtle use of off beat
patterns and flourishes. Gat Nikas almost always ends with an exciting
sequence which is commonly played as a rela on the Tabla for effect.
So the statement of yours that relas are not employed in Kathak is not
true. This summer Pt. Birju Maharaj taught me a couple of relas and ladis
to be used specifically for dance.
> Harsh
Pavan
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
pa...@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu Off: 612-626-7509 Res:612-341-0708
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.Pavan
That is true. My Guruji said the same, of the origin of the word 'rela'.
Corvin Russell
|> Dude, chill! I wan't being assertive. I was offereing an
|> explanation for some confusion that I may have shown in an
|> earlier post -- i.e. I was explaining something that might
|> have been MY fault.. Whatsa matta, this is not like Makarand
|> at all!
|>
BTW, the confusion I was referring to is this -- I
originallythought the bol meant was dhiinaagenaa, as in "dhati
tedha tite dhadha tite dhage tina kena", not the dhenegene (or
^^^^^^^^^
dhinagena) of, e.g., the phrase "takadhenegenedhatigene".
Corvin
Dinkar Sitaram
(A.Pavan) writes:
|> In article <27un35$7...@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>,
dt...@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Roderick M. Reed) writes:
|> |>
|> |> Here is an ethnomusicological tidbit which I will throw out for
|> |> grins.
|> |> I, with my own ears, heard Zakir Hussain state during a concert
|> |> that rela, the term and the style, derived from listening to
|> |> trains speeding along the RAILs!!
|> |> He seemed serious. The imp of the perverse??
|> |>
|>
|> That is true. My Guruji said the same, of the origin of the word 'rela'.
|>
trains in the
same way that the US loves automobiles. The best discussion of this
that I have
seen is in Chidananda Dasgupta's discussion of the train scene from Pather
Panchali in his book on Satyajit Ray's films.
Dinkar