Tappa

Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music. Its specialty is its rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. Its tunes are melodious, sweet and depict the emotional outbursts of a lover. Tappe (plural) were sung mostly by songstresses, known as Baigees, in royal courts.

Tappa originated from the folk songs of the camel riders of Punjab, the Tappa style of music was refined and introduced to the imperial court of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. And later on by Mian Ghulam Nabi Shori or Shori Mian, a court singer of Asaf-Ud-Dowlah, Nawab of Awadh.

In Bengal, Ramnidhi Gupta composed Bengali tappe and they are called as Nidhu Babu's Tappa. Tappa gayaki took new shape and over decades became puratani, a semi-classical form of Bengali songs.

Tappa, as a significant genre in Bengali musical styles, reached levels of excellence in lyrics and rendition (gayaki), arguably unmatched in other parts of India. Hugely popular in the latter half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, Tappa was the genre of choice of the wealthy elite as well as the classes with more modest means. An evolved format of the tappa was the "baithaki" style, which evolved under the direct patronage of the landed elites of the zamindari classes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in their baithak-khanas (literally, baithak - assembly, khana - halls or salons) and jalsaghar (literally, halls for entertainment, mujra or nautch halls)

Composers of repute included Bidyasundar, Roopchaand Pakkhi, Dadathakur, Hiralal Sarkhel and many others. (Citation required) Unfortunately, tappa being mainly a vocal tradition, a lot of priceless material from the body of art has been lost in the passage of time. A lot of celebrated artists have died before recordings of music became common. What is left today is mainly handed down from the generations by oral traditions as well as some written matter, occasionally turned up in the course of research.

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