Kirtan

Kirtana (Sanskrit: कीर्तन; IAST: Kīrtana), also rendered as Kirtan or Keertan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story,^[1]^[2] specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts, connoting a musical form of narration or shared recitation, particularly of spiritual or religious ideas,^[1] native to the Indian subcontinent. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankara (or kirtankar, कीर्तनकार).^[3]^[4]

With roots in the Vedic anukirtana tradition, a kirtan is a call-and-response or antiphonal style song or chant, set to music, wherein multiple singers recite the names of a deity, describe a legend, express loving devotion to a deity, or discuss spiritual ideas.^[5] It may include dancing or direct expression of bhavas (emotive states) by the singer.^[5] Many kirtan performances are structured to engage the audience where they either repeat the chant,^[6] or reply to the call of the singer.^[7]^[8]^[9]

A kirtan performance includes an accompaniment of regionally popular musical instruments, especially Indian instruments like the Indian harmonium, the veena, sitar, or ektara (strings), the tabla (one-sided drums), the mrdanga or pakhawaj (two-sided drum), flute (woodwinds), and karatalas or talas (cymbals).^[10] It is a major practice in Hinduism, Vaisnava devotionalism, Sikhism, the Sant traditions, and some forms of Buddhism, as well as other religious groups. Kirtan is sometimes accompanied by story-telling and acting. Texts typically cover religious, mythological or social subjects.^[11]

^ ^a ^b Ananda Lal (2009). Theatres of India: A Concise Companion. Oxford University Press. pp. 423–424. ISBN 978-0-19-569917-3.
^ MacDonell, A. A. (2004). A practical Sanskrit Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, pages 15, 382-383
^ Jayant Lele (1981). Tradition and Modernity in Bhakti Movements. Brill Archive. p. 121. ISBN 90-04-06370-6.
^ Christian Lee Novetzke (2013). Religion and Public Memory: A Cultural History of Saint Namdev in India. Columbia University Press. pp. 75, 85–91. ISBN 978-0-231-51256-5.
^ ^a ^b Ananda Lal (2009). Theatres of India: A Concise Companion. Oxford University Press. pp. 422–424. ISBN 978-0-19-569917-3.
^ Sara Brown (2012), Every Word Is a Song, Every Step Is a Dance, PhD Thesis, Florida State University (Advisor: Michael Bakan), pages 25-26, 87-88, 277
^ Alanna Kaivalya (2014). Sacred Sound: Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra and Kirtan. New World. pp. 3–17, 34–35. ISBN 978-1-60868-244-7.
^ Peter Lavezzoli (2006). The Dawn of Indian Music in the West. A&C Black. pp. 371–372. ISBN 978-0-8264-1815-9.
^ Sara Black Brown (2014). "Krishna, Christians, and Colors: The Socially Binding Influence of Kirtan Singing at a Utah Hare Krishna Festival". Ethnomusicology. 58 (3). University of Illinois Press: 454–480. doi:10.5406/ethnomusicology.58.3.0454.
^ Manohar Laxman Varadpande (1987). History of Indian Theatre. Abhinav. pp. 95–96. ISBN 978-81-7017-278-9.
^ Varadpande, Manohar Laxman (1992). History of Indian Theatre. Vol. 2. Abhinav Publications. p. 95. ISBN 9788170172789.

[Lal2009p423-1] Ananda Lal (2009). Theatres of India: A Concise Companion. Oxford University Press. pp. 423–424. ISBN 978-0-19-569917-3.

[2] MacDonell, A. A. (2004). A practical Sanskrit Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, pages 15, 382-383

[3] Jayant Lele (1981). Tradition and Modernity in Bhakti Movements. Brill Archive. p. 121. ISBN 90-04-06370-6.

[4] Christian Lee Novetzke (2013). Religion and Public Memory: A Cultural History of Saint Namdev in India. Columbia University Press. pp. 75, 85–91. ISBN 978-0-231-51256-5.

[Lal2009p422-5] Ananda Lal (2009). Theatres of India: A Concise Companion. Oxford University Press. pp. 422–424. ISBN 978-0-19-569917-3.

[Sara_Brown_2012_pages_25-26-6] Sara Brown (2012), Every Word Is a Song, Every Step Is a Dance, PhD Thesis, Florida State University (Advisor: Michael Bakan), pages 25-26, 87-88, 277

[Alanna_Kaivalya_2014_3–17,_34–35-7] Alanna Kaivalya (2014). Sacred Sound: Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra and Kirtan. New World. pp. 3–17, 34–35. ISBN 978-1-60868-244-7.

[lavezzoli371-8] Peter Lavezzoli (2006). The Dawn of Indian Music in the West. A&C Black. pp. 371–372. ISBN 978-0-8264-1815-9.

[Brown-9] Sara Black Brown (2014). "Krishna, Christians, and Colors: The Socially Binding Influence of Kirtan Singing at a Utah Hare Krishna Festival". Ethnomusicology. 58 (3). University of Illinois Press: 454–480. doi:10.5406/ethnomusicology.58.3.0454.

[10] Manohar Laxman Varadpande (1987). History of Indian Theatre. Abhinav. pp. 95–96. ISBN 978-81-7017-278-9.

[11] Varadpande, Manohar Laxman (1992). History of Indian Theatre. Vol. 2. Abhinav Publications. p. 95. ISBN 9788170172789.

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