Is it possible to combine Carnatic and Hindustani music into a single performance?

Renu sundriyal 

Yes. you can. just make sure that you don't get the systems mixed up and that you keep them separate. here are a few things that teachers don't tell you and please do your own research. both hindustani music and carnatic music come from the samaveda. for a very very long time, there was only one system of music in india. but due to poersian and islamic invasion in the north sometime in the 17th or 18th century, a split happened, and the northern part of india came to be known as hindustan. hence the name " hindustani music" the southern part of india was not much influenced by islamic and persian inflyence and retained the old tradition and came to be known as carnatic music. for carnatic music, vocalists put thalam in the hand. for hindustani music, vocalists do not put taal in the hand. so to help with learning taal, if you are a male, i would highly recommend learning how to play tabla because that will help you master taal in hindustani music faster. if you are a female, i would highly recommend that you learn either kathak or odissi which are one of the north indian style dances to gain mastery of taal faster. (i unfortunately could not do this in my younger days, and i come from a carnatic music background and I really like hindustani music. with the help of itablapro, naad sadhana apps, and the guidance of my teacher, i was able to gain mastery in taal in hindustani music, and i am now possibly considering to join for kathak lessons as i think it will be a good form of exercise). please buy a few useful apps for your hindustani practice. these include: itablapro, naad saadhana, and komal gandhaar. these are available for reasonable prices. please also keep in mind that when learning carnatic music, you will start with all the basic beginning exercises, geethams, but then you will learn lots of types of compositions before trying to sing improvisations. please keep in mind that when learning hindustani music, you will start with all the beginning exercises, geeths, etc.. and then learn raagas which will include the song and the teacher will also teach you how to do the improvisations for the song at the same time. here, there will no waiting. the song is taught and the improvisations are also taught immediately after the song. Also, please keep in mind that carnatic compositions are longer than hindustani compositions. Also, please keep in mind that carnatic compositions are all god based or bhakthi based themes. Hindustani music compositions could be a variety of themes such as radha krishna leela, about seetha ram, about ganesh, about shiv parvathi, about hanuman, or about nature such as rain, cloud, or about spring, or about certain issues like mother in law daughter in law issues etc… Also as one starts to learn both systems one can see the raga equivalents and tala equivalents in both systems and both systems have borrowed from each other also. for example the carnatic mayamalavagowla is the hindustani bhairav, the carnatic mohanam is the hindustani bhupali, the carnatic hindolam is the hindustani malkauns, the carnatic shudha dhanyasi is the hindustani dhani, the carnatic kharaharapriya is the hindustani kafi, the carnatic dheerashankarabharanam is the hindustani bilaval, the carnatic mechakalyani is the hindustani yaman, the carnatic nata is the hindustani jog, the carnartic shudha saveri is the hindustani durga, the carnatic valaji is the hindustani kalavathi, the carnatic dwijawanthi is the hindustani jaijaiwanthi, the carnatic shubha panthuvaraLi is the hindustani miyan ki thodi, the carnatic mohana kalyani is the hindustani shudh kalyan, the carnatic hamir kalyani is the hindustani kedar, the carnatic panthuvaraLi is the hindustani puriya dhanashree, the carnatic madhyamavathi is the hindustani madhamat saarang. The carnatic system has borrowed ragas such as tillang, shudha saarang, hindustani kapi, from the hindustani system. The hindustani system has borrowed hamsadwani, abhogi, charukeshi, vachaspathi from the carnatic system. Tala equivalents include: the carnatic adi tala is equivalent to the hindustani teentaal, the carnatic khanda chapu tala is equivalent to the hindustani jhaptal, the carnatic mishra chapu tala or thriputa tala is equivalent to the hindustani rupaktal, the carnatic roopaka thala is equivalent to the hindustani dadra

so if one can remember and keep all these things clear, then i don't see why a person cannot learn both hindustani and carnatic music together.

While Carnatic and Hindustani music are two distinct classical music traditions of India, with their own unique ragas, talas, and aesthetics, it is indeed possible to combine elements of both traditions into a single performance. This fusion is often referred to as "Indo-fusion" or "Carnatic-Hindustani fusion."

Many musicians have experimented with blending the two traditions, creating new and innovative sounds. Some possible ways to combine Carnatic and Hindustani music include:

1. Using ragas from both traditions in a single composition.
2. Incorporating Hindustani taans (rapid melodic passages) into a Carnatic song.
3. Blending Carnatic konnakol (vocal percussion) with Hindustani tabla or pakhawaj accompaniment.
4. Creating new compositions that draw on the melodic and rhythmic structures of both traditions.

However, it's worth noting that combining Carnatic and Hindustani music requires a deep understanding of both traditions, as well as a sensitivity to their unique characteristics and nuances. When done well, such fusion performances can be truly magical, offering a fresh and exciting perspective on India's rich musical heritage.