Thumri

Thumri (Hindi: [ˈʈʰʊmɾiː]) is a vocal genre or style of Indian music.^[1][2] The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb thumuknaa, which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dramatic gestures, mild eroticism, evocative love poetry and folk songs, especially from Uttar Pradesh, though there are regional variations.^[3]

The text is romantic or devotional in nature, the lyrics are usually in Awadhi and Brij Bhasha.^[4][5] Thumree is characterized by its sensuality, and by a greater flexibility with the raga.

Thumri is also used as a generic name for some other, even lighter, forms such as Dadra, Hori, Kajari, Sawani, Jhoola, and Chaiti, even though each of them has their own structure and content — either lyrical or musical or both—and so the exposition of these forms vary. Like Indian classical music itself, some of these forms have their origin in folk literature and music.

Thumari being a popular form of Indian light classical music, characterized by tenderness and themes of love, separation, or union. It is distinct from folk music and the more masculine dhrupad and khayal styles. One theory attributes its origin to the court of Wajid Ali Shah of Oudh. However, this causal explanation overlooks the continuous evolution of Indian classical music. Thumari's development is best understood within the broader context of India's musical traditions. Thumari is considered an evolution of dhruvas mentioned in Bharata's Natyasastra. Specifically, it is linked to the prasadiki or prasadini dhruva, associated with shringara rasa and characterized by colorful delight (rangaraga) and happiness (prasada). Bharata recommends madhyalaya (medium tempo) for this type of dhruva.^[6]