Srinivas Koumounduri: Indian Musician

Srinivas Koumounduri is an accomplished virtuoso of the sitar. He began his musical training under his father Koumounduri Venkatachary and his older brother Koumounduri Narsimachary. He later trained under C. S. Ramalingam, and finally Atmaram of Hyderabad. He received his diploma in music in 1985. He has performed extensively in the US, Germany, Switzerland, and India. He has been involved in "Young Audiences" and other arts and education organizations. His credits include numerous stage, TV, and radio performances.

The Music of India is one of the oldest musical traditions in the world. It has its roots going back to the Vedic period (circa 1000 BC). This system is based upon two major concepts; "Rag" and "Tal". "Rag" is the melodic or modal form while "Tal" is the rhythmic cycle. When one listens to Indian music one must not think in terms of harmony or melodic counterpoint. One should think in Indian terms of "Rag" and "Tal". There are many "Rags" in North Indian music. Where Western music is based upon only two to three scales, North Indian music is based upon about twenty. These scales form the basis for the extreme melodic variety which characterizes the music. The "Tal" is also highly developed. Where Western music is based upon measures of 2, 3, or 4 beats, Indian music is based upon cycles of 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 beats. This is further subdivided in a complex form. It is the "Tal" which gives the extreme rhythmic variety to the music.

The Sitar is a common stringed instrument of North India. It consist of a gourd (calabash) attached to a long wooden neck. It has three to four main playing strings with three to four drone strings. Additionally, there are a dozen sympathetic strings which are not strummed but vibrate when the corresponding note is sounded. It is these strings, along with a flat bridge made of camel bone, which gives the distinctive timbre of sitar.

Bagheshri - Sitar performance accompanied by David Courtney on tabla

OTHER LINKS
David Courtney - My permanent accompanist on the tabla.

David and Chandrakantha Courtney's Homepage - The homepage of David and his wife.

Realm of Raga Rock - A fine fusion group.

Chandrakantha Courtney's Music Page - A good streaming audio site of traditional Indian vocal.

Tabla Site - An excellent source of information on the Indian tabla.