Raaga Based Song Of The Day #54

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Yaad na jaaye beete dinon ki….
Raag Kirwani, Tal Kaherava

Today is the death anniversary of the greatest Indian playback singer: Mohammad Rafi. Yesterday I had brought out that the best of old Hindi songs featured Mohammad Rafi, Shakeel Badayuni, Naushad and Dilip Kumar together (Please read: ‘The Best Of Old Hindi Songs: Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad and Dilip Kumar Together‘). However, the fact is that Mohammad Rafi, the god of songs, sang equally well songs of other lyricists and composers. Take this one for example – put together by Shailendra and Shankar Jaikishan; Rafi made this into one of the most memorable Yaad songs ever.

Is this the song that we would want to sing about Mohammad Rafi, telling him that the Yaad of those days when he used to sing would never die?

We have completed fifty-three days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. 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.

Our fifty-third post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #53‘ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1960 SU Sunny movie Kohinoor: Madhuban mein Radhika naache re. It is in Raag Hamir, Tal Tintal.

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 – Raaga Darbari Kanada – Part II‘.

In the last fifty-three days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati and Hamir. The only two raag that has been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, and Maru Bihag. That makes a total of 49 raagas so far; today’s one too I am repeating: Raag Kirwani.

Today, I give you a song in Raag Kirwani, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Surbahar.

This write-up about Surbahar comes to you on the heels of my telling you about Sitar yesterday. The reason is that Surbahar is closely related to Sitar but has a lower tone, two to five pitches below. In short, one can say, that it is a Bass Sitar. The technique of its playing is similar to that of Sitar and hence one can easily go from one instrument to the other. Surbahar has an advantage over Sitar in that it has a longer sustain and an ability to meend (glissando) up to an octave in a single fret.  Therefore it is possible to play complex melodies without using more than a single fret.  This instrument is very well suited to long slow alaps.

Surbahar is significantly longer than a Sitar and also has a wider neck. is over 130 cm (51 inches). It uses a dried gourd as a resonator, and has a neck with very wide frets, which allow a glissando of six notes on the same fret through the method of pulling.

Surbahar was invented by Omrao Khan Beenkar and Ghulam Mohammad was his disciple.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Kirwani, Tal Kaherava.

The last time I gave you a song based on Raag Kirwani, ie, Ka karun sajani, aaye na baalam (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #17’), I mentioned the fact that Kirwani or Keerwani doesn’t fit into any Thaat in Bhatkhande’s system of raagas. Raga Kirwani is a South Indian raga, assumed to have originated from the Carnatic system of music. It is a sampoorna ragaa similar to ancient Raag Pilu. Songs in Kirwani raga have a melancholy, heart-rending and sentimental feel. It is a harmonic minor raaga with moods of love, devotion and sadness. Its Jati is Sampoorna-Sampoorna, ie, all seven notes in Aaroha and Avaroha.

Kirwani is to be normally sung at Midnight or Madhyaratri.

As far as Tal Kaherava is concerned, I have already told you enough about this most popular Tal.

Some of the popular songs composed in this raaga are: Aanewala pal jaanewala pal (Tal Kaherava), Aankhon se jo utari hai dil mein (Tal Kaherava), Beqraar di tu younhi gaaye ja (Tal Kaherava), Ek Radha ek Meera (Tal Kaherava), Geet gaata hoon main gungunaata hoon main (Tal Dadra), Kahe jhoom jhoom raat ye suhaani (Tal Kaherava), Kya karun sajani (Tal Kaherava), Main pyaar ka rahi hoon (Tal Kaherava), Mera dil ye pukaare aaja (Tal Kaherava), Meri bheegi bheegi si (Tal Kaherava), Neend na mujhako aaye (Kaherava), Pukarta chala hoon main (Tal Kaherava/Dadra), Tumhin mere meet ho (Tal Kaherava), Ye raat bheegi bheegi (Tal Kaherava), and Ye raaten ye mausam nadi ka kinara (Tal Dadra). You would have noticed that almost all songs are in Kaherava Tal and those which are not in Kaherava, are in Dadra.

Today’s song is widely regarded as one of the best Yaad songs in Hindi movies and is from the 1963 CV Sridhar movie Dil Ek Mandir starring Rajendra Kumar, Meena Kumari, and Raaj Kumar. I saw this movie too with my parents in our colony in the Himachal town of Mandi, on a portable screen, when I was small, and it left a deep impression on my mind.

Songs of the movie were penned by Shailendra worthy of my deep admiration, and composed by Shankar Jaikishan, the best music duo that Hindi films ever had. Shankar Jaikishan, with their team of lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri, always had the best match between lyrics, compositions and background music.

Please enjoy Mohammad Rafi sing a composition of Shankar Jaikishan in Raag Kirwani, Tal Kaherava, on the lyrics of Shailendra: Yaad na jaaye beete dinon ki….

Yaad na jaae, biite dino.n kii
Jaake na aaye jo din, dil kyuu.N bulaae, unhe.n
Dil kyo.n bulaae
Yaad na jaaye …

Din jo pakheruu hote, pi.njare me.n mai.n rakh detaa – 2
Paalataa unako jatan se
Paalataa unako jatan se, motii ke daane detaa
Siine se rahataa lagaae
Yaad na jaae …

Tasviir unakii chhupaake, rakh duu.N jahaa.N jii chaahe – 2
Man me.n basii ye suurat
Man me.n basii ye suurat, lekin miTe na miTaae
Kahane ko hai vo paraae
Yaad na jaae …

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. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
54. And today, on the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!