Lost in Translation: India

An Exploration of Indian Music in Scotland

By Aki Sanjay

Despite the admittedly broad name of this article, it is impossible to categorise Indian music under a single term or genre. The music of India is incredibly varied and historic, with several schools, branches, and traditions each unique to a different region or culture of the country. Broadly, however, there are two main schools of Indian classical music: the northern Hindustani style, from the North, and the southern Karnatak (or Karanatic) style. Both styles have been influenced by surrounding regions; Hindustani music, for instance, features several Turko-Persian music elements that are noticeably absent from the Karnatak style. Other genres of Indian music have developed in association with specific faiths: most famously, a bhajan (भजन) refers to a Hindu devotional hymn performed as prayer. Musical traditions are inherent to all Indian communities, having been passed down orally for centuries.

There are, at first glance, many similarities between Scottish and Indian musical histories. Both countries have embraced music as an expression of identity, especially during times of foreign oppression and systematic cultural homogenisation. Both traditionally accompany dances: the cèilidh in Scotland and Bharatanatyam, to name one of many classical Indian dances, in South India. Both are founded in percussion and rhythm - the Scottish tenor drum, and the Hindustani tabla. It is perhaps then not surprising that various styles of Indian music have taken root across Scotland, aided by the efforts of numerous cultural groups and local initiatives.

SaReGa, the Scottish Asian Raga Group, is a Glasgow-based organisation focused on the promotion of Indian classical music. At just over ten years old, the group has partnered with several leading Indian classical musicians, such as the violinist Kala Ramnath. SaReGa aims to foster “collaboration and performance” through the “celebration of arts and culture” by bringing together talent from India and Japan in commemorative showcases. Their most recent event this past March featured PT Prattyush Banerjee on the sarod, a Hindustani stringed instrument, alongside soprano Lynne Harvey-Allan and pianist David Murray. 

In Edinburgh, The Sitar Project hosts a variety of workshops, performances, and masterclasses on the sitar, a plucked stringed instrument used often in Hindustani music - and, quite famously, in the hit song ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’ by The Beatles. The project, founded in 2005 by Laurence Howells and Mehboob Nadim, is a collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. The group is uniquely committed to preserving the art of sitar playing, prioritising technique and theory, but also encourages experimentation and exploration of how the sitar can be incorporated into Scottish and English music. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) has also contributed to the introduction of Indian music into Scotland, hosting short courses such as ‘Raag Rhythms: An Introduction to North Indian Classical Music’. 

British music has historically incorporated Indian musical instruments and traditions; as mentioned previously, George Harrison used the sitar in several songs released by The Beatles, including ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ and ‘Within You Without You’. English session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan released an entire album dedicated to the sitar in the late 1960s, entitled Sitar Beat. The crossover between Indian and British traditions in the mid-twentieth century owes its existence to the British fascination with Indian culture, which was considered attractively exotic. Cultural bleed was a two-way phenomena: many upper-class families in India adopted cricket, British teas, and a notably British way of speaking. Music was an unmistakable part of the exchange, and continues to be. Scottish music is widely appreciated in India; the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra toured the country in 2014, performing in Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai. The tour, which focused on musical education, was the first time a professional Western orchestra had visited India in over a decade. 

Cross-cultural projects continue, both within and outside the world of music. The British Council’s ‘Scotland in India’ initiative works in several types of art, including music, theatre, and writing. The initiative is involved in organising Glasgow’s Counterflows Festival, an experimental music festival which has, in the past, involved performances from Indian classical artists such as mridangam player Antanth R Krishna. In India, the Madras Jazz Festival, held in Chennai, often features the Glasgow-based Brian Molley Quartet. Collaboration has not been limited to music: a partnership between Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre and Mumbai’s Rage Theatre allowed young playwrights to develop their skills under the guidance of Scottish and Indian experts, resulting in “laughter, debates, conversations and vibrant stories told in both English and Hindi.”

The intersection of Indian and Scottish music often emerges in educational spheres, with few modern Scottish bands actively incorporating Indian musical traditions. Moving forward, it would be interesting to see more experimentation between the two styles. The similarities in instrumentation, history, and storytelling amongst Scottish, Hindustani, and Karnatak musical traditions would foster innovative collaboration and further the already-present blend of cultures.