Krsna Kirtana Songs est.
2001 www.kksongs.org
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Santoor
The santoor is a dulcimer
that originated in Persia. Some argue that it came from the instrument satatantri vina (lit.
“one-hundred stringed string instrument”) from the
Vedas. Regardless of its origin, it was initially used in folk music of
Kashmir, although within the last century, it has gained reputation of a
classical solo instrument. The santoor consists of 15
clusters of strings that are struck with small mallets or kalams.
As a principal property of a classical instrument must be able to emulate the
human voice, this one has some difficulty in performing glissandos and other
ornamentations of North Indian music. Despite this limitation, the rhythmic
style of the santoor has been accepted and honored by
all musicians.
