Tarana

Tarana or Taranah is a type of composition in Hindustani classical vocal music in which certain words and syllables based on Persian and Arabic phonemes are rendered at a medium or fast pace . It was invented by Amir Khusro, and is similar to the Qalbana form of Sufi poetry. In modern times, the tarana is most commonly associated with the singer Amir Khan, who helped popularize it and researched its origins and the syllables used. Tarana was also used by Sikh tenth Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh in his compositions like "jagardang nagardang bagardang".FormThe structure consists of a main melody, usually short, repeated many times, with variation and elaboration at the performer's discretion. There is a second, contrasting melody, usually with higher notes, which is introduced once before returning to the main melody. The tarana may include a Persian couplet, and may use syllables from sitar or tabla such as "dar-dar" or "dir-dir"; singers might recite full compositions (e.g. tihais, gats, tukdas) within the body of the tarana.HistoryIn the words of Thakur Jaidev Singh, an influential commentator on Indian music:DerivativesThe thillana from Carnatic music is based on the tarana, according to Balasaraswati, and is widely used in dance performances.