Tha Dhi Gi Na Thom
May 1, 2021 8:39 AM   Subscribe

Konnakol is a style of vocal percussion in South Indian Carnatic music distinguished by its rhythmic intricacy and ancient heritage. It is based on a sophisticated system of rhythmic solfege that invites the expression of elaborate interlocking patterns and time signatures, like this musical exploration of the Fibonacci sequence.

Introductions to Konnakol: Traditional: Modern:
posted by dmh (9 comments total) 43 users marked this as a favorite
 
Fantastic post, one of my absolute favorite subjects. I made this post 3 years ago. Very glad about all the additions you have here.
posted by FirstMateKate at 9:22 AM on May 1, 2021 [2 favorites]


*emerges from shadows with mandolin links*

U Srinivas:

U Srinivas - Gajavadhana

Best of Mandolin U Srinivas | Carnatic Classical Instrumental

*recedes into shadows*
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:38 AM on May 1, 2021 [4 favorites]


In all seriousness, though, great post! Looking forward to digging into the links.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:38 AM on May 1, 2021 [1 favorite]


I made this post 3 years ago. Very glad about all the additions you have here.

Great, I find it absolutely wonderful as well. I must have missed your earlier post because it uses slightly different spellings of "konnakol" which I didn't consider. Added them as tags!
posted by dmh at 9:40 AM on May 1, 2021 [3 favorites]


Bri'nt! in a don't try this at home kids sense. I was in a Samba school for a while in the 00s. I could manage a couple of different percussion instruments in rehearsals by not thinking really hard [I live in my head]. On parade, however, we were required to a) do the instrument thing b) move forward and c) sway from side to side together. I could reliably manage any 2 of these different parts. I'd get confident; add in the sway; my feet would stop and I'd get rear-ended.
posted by BobTheScientist at 10:33 AM on May 1, 2021 [1 favorite]


There's a lyrics and rhythm transcription video of the V Shivapriya & Somashekar Jois duet so you can follow along. No time signatures are noted, but some of it's kind of in 7. Interesting musical notation includes a nonuplet (9:8). Even more respect for the talent they have.
posted by kurumi at 11:40 AM on May 1, 2021 [1 favorite]


Thank you for this amazing post. I'd never heard of any of this before. Truly mind blowing.
posted by greenhornet at 1:32 AM on May 2, 2021 [1 favorite]


I'd never heard of any of this before.

This was my status when I first saw it live, it was a John McLaughlin Trio show and Trilok Gurtu performed it. This was not the only thing that Trilok Gurtu did that evening that was news to me, but it was memorable to say the least. What's he doing? Wow! Later the whole band did some more.
posted by thelonius at 7:21 AM on May 2, 2021


Thanks for this! I was exposed to some of the vocabulary of konnakol in a high-school workshop some 30 years ago, and it stuck with me, but I could never find more about what it was or where it really came from.
posted by anhedonic at 9:43 AM on May 2, 2021


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