Gharana of Music

Gharana of Music : gharana, (Hindi: “family” or “lineage”) in Hindustani music of India, a community of performers who share a distinctive musical style that traces to a particular instructor or region. The notion of a gharana arose in the 19th century, but it was not until the 20th century that the gharana took shape as a veritable system for the transmission of classical music. The system emerged as a means by which musicians could maintain their artistic authority—through emphasis of the lineage—in an era of declining court patronage. In the 21st century the gharana system remains a vital force in the validation of North Indian classical musicians.