Raaga Based Song of the Day #7

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo…
Raag Pahadi, Tal Dadra

We have completed six days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Although Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge (It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava), the fact is that on WhatsApp groups I had started with these posts three or four days before putting them up here on this blog. Today, I am going to merge these posts.

Our sixth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #6’ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1959 Vijay Bhatt movie Goonj Uthi Shehnai: Tere sur aur mere geet. It is in Raag Bihag, Tal Dadra.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raag Todi’.

Thank you guys and gals, many of you have written back that you love the songs that I put up; reliving the era of forties to seventies when melody ruled.
You can’t call me biased simply because I keep returning to Raag Pahadi. The fact is that I am from the hills and Pahadi is not just a raag but also a dhun and hence can be easily recognised in such songs as Aaja re aaja o mere dilbar aaja, Chal udh ja re panchhi,   Chaudhvin ka chand ho, Ham jab simat ke aap ki baahon mein aa gaye, Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein, Mushkil hai bahut mushkil chahat ka bhula dena, Parbaton ke pedon par shaam ka basera hai, Raat ka sama jhume chandrama, Sawan ka mahina pawan kare sor, and Suhani raat dhal chuki.

Pahadi is the favourite raag of Music Director Khayyam (you will remember those enchanting Noorie songs). Pahadi also allures me because many songs have my favourite theme Chand in them.

Today’s value added learning is about Swar.

We already know Swar are seven notes of the Indian musical scale. On day #4 we learnt the complete seven note Sargam: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni and learnt their full forms: Shadj, Rishab, Gandhara, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhaivat, Nishad. The equivalent in Western Solfege are Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La Ti.

Swar are of four types: Shuddha, Achal, Komal and Teevra. Two of the Swar: Sa (Shadj) and Pa (Pancham) are fixed on the scale. Hence, these are called Achal or immovable. The other five Swar, ie, Re (Rishab), Ga (Gandhara), Ma (Madhyam), Dha (Dhaivat), and Ni (Nishad) are called Vikrut (Movable). In Vikrut Swar, Re (Rishab), Ga (Gandhara), Dha (Dhaivat) and Ni (Nishad) can be moved below their Shudha place on the scale. They are called Komal (Soft or Flat). In Indian musical notations, these are shown by a small horizontal line below the note. That leaves only Madhyam as a Vikrut (Movable) note that can be one note above the Shuddha Madhyam. It is called Teevra (Sharp). It is shown by a small vertical line above the note.

The swar (notes) are assembled to make the scales.  These scales are called Saptak.

The swar have special relationships with one another.  Although there are only seven notes they repeat in the upper and lower directions.  Therefore, when ascending the scale when one reaches Ni, then the scales starts over with Sa, Re, Ga, etc.  This is the upper register.  By the same token when one is descending the scale, it does not stop at Sa but continues down as Ni, Dha, etc.; this is the lower register.

Today’s is from 1951 movie Baazi, the second movie of Dev Anand and Chetan Anand’s company Navketan Films.

The movie has some of the best songs of Geeta Dutt, the movie director Guru Dutt’s wife (she was Geeta Roy at that time; she married him in 1953), eg, Dekh ke akeli mohe barkha sataye, and Tadbir se bighadi hui taqdir bana le.
This song that I have selected for you has been penned by Sahir Ludhianvi and composed by SD Burman. The duo did 17 movies together until after 1957 Guru Dutt movie Pyaasa when they fell apart.

If Guru Dutt and his would be wife Geeta were together in the movie, so were Dev Anand and Kalpana Kartik.

By the way Baazi was a crime thriller that Hindi films produced by dozens at that time, with story, screenplay and dialogues written by – hold your breath – Balraj Sahni!

Please enjoy Geeta Dutt sing in Raag Pahadi, Taal Dadra: Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo dil ki baat piya maan lo….

Aaj kii raat piyaa
aaj kii raat piyaa dil na to.Do
man ki baat piya maan lo
aaj ki raat piya

dil kii kahaanii apanii zubaanii tum ko sunaane aayii huu.N
aa.Nkho.n me.n leke sapane suhaane apanaa banaane aayii huu.N
cho.Dake saath piyaa muu.Nh na mo.Do
man kii baat piyaa maan lo
aaj kii raat piyaa

chandaa bhii dekhe taare bhii dekhe hamako gagan kii oT se
ghaayal kiyaa hai dil tumane meraa meeThi nazar kii choT se
thaam ke haath piyaa yuu.N na cho.Do
man kii baat piyaa maan lo
aaj kii raat piyaa

 

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
7. And today, on the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!