Discussion 6 Option #1
Actions for Discussion Option #1
What made India and Indian music attractive to the "world traveler" or "hippy"
generation of the 1960s and 1970s? How does this context of India's music contrast
with the current music scene (as you perceive it) in the United States?
МОЕ
Indian music is one of the oldest on earth. Indian music is full of variety of instruments and
composers that are well educated to fit them in the lyrics. Since the first half of the 20th century
interest in Indian music started to show the West. Western musicians come to India to explore
traditional Indian musical instruments. Ravi Shankar became the first Indian musician whose name
has become a household name in the West; after he took the hippie movement in the sixties of the
last century. At the Monterey Pop Festival he introduced Indian classical music to the Western
popular audiences. Indian music became popular for the "hippy" generation during the 1960s and
1970s. "Hippies" different freethinking and their musical tastes were very diverse. Indian music is
close to hippie movement because Indian music is peaceful and spiritual. Hippy movement preached
world peace, non-violence, as the beauty of self-worth. Hippies like to dance and the peacefulness of
the Indian music is what may have attracted them. India and the hippy culture shared the common
idea of expanding one's spirituality. Music in the United States is very diverse. I could say that many
people in the United States enjoy meditation and rich tone music. The use of the internet has made it
easier for musical styles from India and the United States to mix.
223
Joseph Westhouse on Jul 9, 2015 11:55 AM
I think the religions and culture of India are attractive to a world traveler because of the
depth and history of the country. The architecture, religion, lineage, culture and history
is absolutely fascinating and also a representation of peace and equanimity (Sikhism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) which is why I feel there was a draw to work travelers and the
“hippy” generation. I think a light has been cast upon India as being this beautiful land
where everyone pretty much lives a Bollywood life… obviously not the case in real life,
but for a certain type of person (myself included) there is a mysticism, or romance in
India. Granted it’s actually one of the dirtiest countries in the world with insane levels of
poverty and pollution, media still portrays a certain image.
The music industry in India is incredible. They put on magnificent performances with the
most intricate of details. Putting on such a production without the level of technology
we have here in the United States is what makes us different. The United States has
incorporated the sounds of Indian music into our own.
, Reply
Hi joseph. I like how you mentioned that India attracts tourism or is a scenic place to visit to
the "world" travelor. The religion that i am most familiar with there is Hindu.
Reply
Hey Joseph,
I think there is this sense of mysticism that draws us to a different culture, especially with
media influence that gives us this idea in our minds of how we think the culture or country is
(i.e. the Bollywood life as you mentioned). Its that sense of the unknown that intrigues us.
Reply
I too would like to visit India and experience the culture and see the history for myself. It is
saddening that the poverty rates are so crazy there and people can be excluded from their
own community for helping the poor. Although like you say it still holds a certain mysticism
for many. I bet it would be incredible to see some of those performances.
Sarah Viscidy on Jul 7, 2015 7:35 AM
Indian classical music was born when time barely existed. It developed further within the structures
of royal courts and a system of patronage where the ruler or the feudal master determined all. The
hippie participation in Indian music started with George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. Ravi
Shankar was a virtuoso sitar player long before he became part of the hippy generation, which they
found the exquisite music he played from the strings a perfect accompaniment with their movement.
A number of hippies in the 60s had gotten drawn to India and Indian culture and were looking for
various types of spiritual elixir. Ravi Shankar’s music was described as a scientific, precise, subtle
and aesthetic melodic form with its own peculiar ascending and descending movement consisting of
either a full seven-note octave, or a series of six or five notes in a rising or falling structure called
the Arohana and Avarohana. By the late 60s, India was subject to an extraordinary new category of
tourist. The Beatles and Stones moved on to other things. As with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in later
years, the "fusion" between west and east was only partially successful. The Beatles' affair with
Indian music helped project it to a global audience. There was rarely an empty seat at Shankar's
concerts in the United States and Western Europe.
Reply
I have never heard of George Harrison I don't think? I will have to research him some more,
very interesting. Finding articles linking India to Hippies was not as easy to find as I thought
they would be. Thank you for the information.
Reply
, Thanks for the additional background regarding Ravi Shankar. It makes it more clear why
people were so drawn to his music, the message he shared, and value he held in this
movement. I like that the mechanics of the music is the emphasis of your post, and how
those technicalities created the draw towards the hippie movement.
Reply
I was reading an article on Ravi Shankar to familiarize myself with him a little more and he
said " I was listening to this song on the radio by Janis Joplean and thought wow what a
powerful spuirtual song" and then he heard the lyrics and it was about her Mercedes, Ravi
was confused. He had such a connection with the spirtuality of humans and music, it would
have been great to see and hear him perform.
Jesse Starr on Jul 10, 2015 1:14 PM
The word "hippy" came from jazz musicians in the 40s and 50s, for disapproval and the denoting of
a person originating in the square world that had a desire to be hip and attempted to speak in jazz
jargon, but was still an outsider And unable to connect. In the 60s and 70s "hippy" was more of a
synonym for a "clueless wannabe beatnik", they didn't want to be jazz musicians or speak the jargon,
they just didn't want to be their parents in any way shape or form. This started an explosion of
curiosity and people started to search out different music, religion, and other forms of being.
A number of the 60s hippies were drawn to India and the Indian culture, some by the introduction of
Indian musical instruments and rhythms used by the Beetles. Many others were looking for a
spiritual elixir to quench their soul, and found it within the religion and song of India itself. Indias
music is only like ours because of shared rhythms and melodies, even some instruments are shared
but the feeling the music gives is much different and seems to have more of a purpose than just for
entertainment like here in the U.S. Sure there's songs that mean a lot here, but in India the spiritual
value of the melodies and rhythms are meant to bring a person to higher plane.
Stephen Welton on Jul 9, 2015 12:18 PM
The Indian culture as well as the country itself was attractive to the world traveler as well as the
hippy generation was that the people there dont have homes like western culture does. their lifestyle
is more embracing the environment and what their god has given them. The music there is more of
praising mother nature and all of that other stuff for what she has given them. As in the western
world closer to home, we as americans perceive music as a way to express ourselves and what we
are felling inside. You could say that emotions we fell are our main driver for inspiration when it
comes to writing music and lyrics. I myself am moved by the rich and colorful sound of somebody
strumming a sitar from around there. I mess around with that instrument as well as alot of
others "virtually" in a game that i mentioned in previous discussion posts called wii music made by
nintendo. I know alot of music in video games even that have a sitar sound recorded into them
electronically or digitally. Moving on, I know that the sitar has inspired alot of potential and current
musicians out there when it comes to writing music. The guy that had a sitar on him and travelled
the world inspiring musicians and musicians to be is none other than Ravi Shankar. This guy is my
hero when it comes to idolizing and loving the rich sound of the instrument and im sure he inspired
nintendo to incorporate it into their games including the previously mentioned wii music as well as
animal crossing.
Actions for Discussion Option #1
What made India and Indian music attractive to the "world traveler" or "hippy"
generation of the 1960s and 1970s? How does this context of India's music contrast
with the current music scene (as you perceive it) in the United States?
МОЕ
Indian music is one of the oldest on earth. Indian music is full of variety of instruments and
composers that are well educated to fit them in the lyrics. Since the first half of the 20th century
interest in Indian music started to show the West. Western musicians come to India to explore
traditional Indian musical instruments. Ravi Shankar became the first Indian musician whose name
has become a household name in the West; after he took the hippie movement in the sixties of the
last century. At the Monterey Pop Festival he introduced Indian classical music to the Western
popular audiences. Indian music became popular for the "hippy" generation during the 1960s and
1970s. "Hippies" different freethinking and their musical tastes were very diverse. Indian music is
close to hippie movement because Indian music is peaceful and spiritual. Hippy movement preached
world peace, non-violence, as the beauty of self-worth. Hippies like to dance and the peacefulness of
the Indian music is what may have attracted them. India and the hippy culture shared the common
idea of expanding one's spirituality. Music in the United States is very diverse. I could say that many
people in the United States enjoy meditation and rich tone music. The use of the internet has made it
easier for musical styles from India and the United States to mix.
223
Joseph Westhouse on Jul 9, 2015 11:55 AM
I think the religions and culture of India are attractive to a world traveler because of the
depth and history of the country. The architecture, religion, lineage, culture and history
is absolutely fascinating and also a representation of peace and equanimity (Sikhism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) which is why I feel there was a draw to work travelers and the
“hippy” generation. I think a light has been cast upon India as being this beautiful land
where everyone pretty much lives a Bollywood life… obviously not the case in real life,
but for a certain type of person (myself included) there is a mysticism, or romance in
India. Granted it’s actually one of the dirtiest countries in the world with insane levels of
poverty and pollution, media still portrays a certain image.
The music industry in India is incredible. They put on magnificent performances with the
most intricate of details. Putting on such a production without the level of technology
we have here in the United States is what makes us different. The United States has
incorporated the sounds of Indian music into our own.
, Reply
Hi joseph. I like how you mentioned that India attracts tourism or is a scenic place to visit to
the "world" travelor. The religion that i am most familiar with there is Hindu.
Reply
Hey Joseph,
I think there is this sense of mysticism that draws us to a different culture, especially with
media influence that gives us this idea in our minds of how we think the culture or country is
(i.e. the Bollywood life as you mentioned). Its that sense of the unknown that intrigues us.
Reply
I too would like to visit India and experience the culture and see the history for myself. It is
saddening that the poverty rates are so crazy there and people can be excluded from their
own community for helping the poor. Although like you say it still holds a certain mysticism
for many. I bet it would be incredible to see some of those performances.
Sarah Viscidy on Jul 7, 2015 7:35 AM
Indian classical music was born when time barely existed. It developed further within the structures
of royal courts and a system of patronage where the ruler or the feudal master determined all. The
hippie participation in Indian music started with George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. Ravi
Shankar was a virtuoso sitar player long before he became part of the hippy generation, which they
found the exquisite music he played from the strings a perfect accompaniment with their movement.
A number of hippies in the 60s had gotten drawn to India and Indian culture and were looking for
various types of spiritual elixir. Ravi Shankar’s music was described as a scientific, precise, subtle
and aesthetic melodic form with its own peculiar ascending and descending movement consisting of
either a full seven-note octave, or a series of six or five notes in a rising or falling structure called
the Arohana and Avarohana. By the late 60s, India was subject to an extraordinary new category of
tourist. The Beatles and Stones moved on to other things. As with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in later
years, the "fusion" between west and east was only partially successful. The Beatles' affair with
Indian music helped project it to a global audience. There was rarely an empty seat at Shankar's
concerts in the United States and Western Europe.
Reply
I have never heard of George Harrison I don't think? I will have to research him some more,
very interesting. Finding articles linking India to Hippies was not as easy to find as I thought
they would be. Thank you for the information.
Reply
, Thanks for the additional background regarding Ravi Shankar. It makes it more clear why
people were so drawn to his music, the message he shared, and value he held in this
movement. I like that the mechanics of the music is the emphasis of your post, and how
those technicalities created the draw towards the hippie movement.
Reply
I was reading an article on Ravi Shankar to familiarize myself with him a little more and he
said " I was listening to this song on the radio by Janis Joplean and thought wow what a
powerful spuirtual song" and then he heard the lyrics and it was about her Mercedes, Ravi
was confused. He had such a connection with the spirtuality of humans and music, it would
have been great to see and hear him perform.
Jesse Starr on Jul 10, 2015 1:14 PM
The word "hippy" came from jazz musicians in the 40s and 50s, for disapproval and the denoting of
a person originating in the square world that had a desire to be hip and attempted to speak in jazz
jargon, but was still an outsider And unable to connect. In the 60s and 70s "hippy" was more of a
synonym for a "clueless wannabe beatnik", they didn't want to be jazz musicians or speak the jargon,
they just didn't want to be their parents in any way shape or form. This started an explosion of
curiosity and people started to search out different music, religion, and other forms of being.
A number of the 60s hippies were drawn to India and the Indian culture, some by the introduction of
Indian musical instruments and rhythms used by the Beetles. Many others were looking for a
spiritual elixir to quench their soul, and found it within the religion and song of India itself. Indias
music is only like ours because of shared rhythms and melodies, even some instruments are shared
but the feeling the music gives is much different and seems to have more of a purpose than just for
entertainment like here in the U.S. Sure there's songs that mean a lot here, but in India the spiritual
value of the melodies and rhythms are meant to bring a person to higher plane.
Stephen Welton on Jul 9, 2015 12:18 PM
The Indian culture as well as the country itself was attractive to the world traveler as well as the
hippy generation was that the people there dont have homes like western culture does. their lifestyle
is more embracing the environment and what their god has given them. The music there is more of
praising mother nature and all of that other stuff for what she has given them. As in the western
world closer to home, we as americans perceive music as a way to express ourselves and what we
are felling inside. You could say that emotions we fell are our main driver for inspiration when it
comes to writing music and lyrics. I myself am moved by the rich and colorful sound of somebody
strumming a sitar from around there. I mess around with that instrument as well as alot of
others "virtually" in a game that i mentioned in previous discussion posts called wii music made by
nintendo. I know alot of music in video games even that have a sitar sound recorded into them
electronically or digitally. Moving on, I know that the sitar has inspired alot of potential and current
musicians out there when it comes to writing music. The guy that had a sitar on him and travelled
the world inspiring musicians and musicians to be is none other than Ravi Shankar. This guy is my
hero when it comes to idolizing and loving the rich sound of the instrument and im sure he inspired
nintendo to incorporate it into their games including the previously mentioned wii music as well as
animal crossing.
