Category: Music and Cinema

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Nache man mora magan dhig dha dhigi dhigi ….
Raag Bhairavi, Tal Tintal/Kaherava

I feel that I haven’t given you enough of what is known as the Queen of Melodies: Raag Bhairavi. So far I have given you just two songs: Babul mora naihar chhooto hi jaaye, one of the finest examples of this raag (Tal Kaherava; ‘Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #11′); and Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho after I lost my mother on 09 Aug 17 (Tal Kaherava; Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #57‘). I haven’t given you, for example, any of Jaikishan songs; he was so fond of Bhairavi that he named his daughter Bhairavi. Indeed, so popular is this raaga for composing Hindi songs that for the next hundred days I can keep giving you songs in this raaga and will still have some songs left.

This one is a favourite on many counts. The first one is Mohammad Rafi, the best male singer that we ever had and perhaps shall ever have. It is fashionable for people to say, without knowing enough, that perhaps Manna Dey was a better singer of classical songs. I like Manna Dey too but he is nowhere near the range of Rafi Saab. The second is the superb composition by SD Burman not only for this song but in other songs of the movie Meri Soorat Teri Aankhen such as Poochho na kaise maine rayn bitayi (I have already given you this, in Raag Ahir Bhairav; Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #22’) and Tere bin soone nain hamare (Raag Pilu, Tal Dadra). Indeed, composers like SD Burman and Naushad are the reasons I started learning about raaga based songs.

The third reason is that Tabla accompaniment to Mohammad Rafi was Pandit Samta Prasad (Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri), a legend in his own right. Please recall what I told you about Taal (Rhythm) in the beginning (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #2‘). I told you that Taal or Tal has literally come from Taali (Clap) and that’s how rhythm used to be kept at one time. Nowadays, Tabla does it but you still see, in concerts, people keeping rhythm by Clap or Wave of the hand. That’s the importance of Tabla for you. This song has two different Tal at two different stages of the song: Tintal and Kaherava. In addition, this song has so much dependance on Tabla that only a maestro could have done justice to it. Pandit Samta Prasad (by the way, he was RD Burman’s guru in music) did it so exellently.

We have completed seventy-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 seventy-third post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #73‘ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1957 Kedar Kapoor movie Miss Bombay starring Ajit, Nalini Jaywant and Rehman: Zindagi bhar gham judaai ka mujhe tadpaayega. It is in Raag Malkauns, Tal Rupaktal.

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 Yaman – Part III‘.

In the last seventy-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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas and Shankara; making it a total of 58 raagas. The raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara, Basant Mukhari and Malkauns. Today, I am repeating Raag Bhairavi.

Today’s song has been sung by Mohammad Rafi on the lyrics of a great lyricist: Shailendra (he was the lyricist (together with Hasrat Jaipuri) for one of the best Raaga Based Songs movies Basant Bahar with compositions by Shankar Jaikishan. Interestingly, Pandit Samta Prasad played Tabla in that movie too) and on a composition by SD Burman. As I said, it is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Tintal/Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Saregama Classical, another application available on Google Play with subscription (Free trial available). Here is the description:

Saregama Classical App, the one stop destination for Indian Classical music with 10,000 music compositions featuring 400 artistes, 50 editor’s choice channels and 14 instruments.

Activate your free trial from your first registered device

This app features:
50 Curated Editor’s Choice Stations:
– Listed basis artistes and instruments
– Enjoy unique commentary by musicologists, aficionados and specialists. Includes anecdotes, information on Raagas, and biographical bites
– Get information on Raaga and Taala of the currently playing song

Rich Content:
– Carnatic Artistes include: M.S. Subbulakshmi, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, T.M. Krishna, M.S. Gopalakrishnan, U. Srinivas, and many more
– Hindustani artistes include: Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, , Pt. Jasraj, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Rahul Sharma, and many more
– Instrumental Radio Stations include: Violin, Veena, Mandolin, Mridangam, Tabla, Guitar, Sarangi, Flute, Nadaswaram, Sitar and Shehnai
– Raagas library include: Bhairavi, Marwa, Indira Kalyan, Megh Malhar, Jog, Pilu, Darbari, Hamsadhwani, Dhanyasi, Mohanam and many more
– Songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam

Film Music:
– Listen to Bollywood and Tamil film songs based on raagas
– Each song is complemented by a commentary that describes how the raaga has been used in that specific song

Classical Studio:
– Watch videos of Indian classical maestros deliver soulful music

Other Features:
– Link up to 4 mobile devices to a single subscription account
– Use our Offline feature and listen to your favourite songs without being connected to the internet
– Tune into the ‘What’s new section to listen to the newest tracks added on the app
– Listen to the songs recommended by our editor under the Specials section of the app
– Value for money subscription plans available in monthly, semi-annual or annual options

Remember! Your subscription automatically renews at the prevailing subscription rates for Google Play & PayTM account users.
If you have paid through Google Wallet, go to subscription list in your Google Play account, to turn off auto renewal.
If you have paid through PayTM, go to ‘My Account’ under the main menu of the app & tap Cancel Subscription.
No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period.
Subscribe to Saregama Classical for as low as Rs. 99 for a month, Rs. 199 for 3 months, Rs. 495 for 6 months and Rs. 890 for a year (within India). If you are from US, plans start from $2.99 for a month.
Please go to http://www.saregama.com/classic-static/privacy_policy and http://www.saregama.com/classic-static/faq for more information.
All content available on this application is legitimate and owned by publisher, Saregama India Ltd.

– For Android: 4.0 and above.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Bhairavi Tal Tintal/Kaherava.

Raag Bhairavi is the basic raag of the Bhairavi Thaat. Bhairavi makes use of all the komal swars, Rishabh, Gandhar, Dhaivat, Nishad. When singing compositions in Bhairavi raag, the singers however take liberty to use all the 12 swars. Bhairavi raag is named after the shakti or feminine aspect of the cosmic life force, which is personified as a consort to Lord Shiva. Bhairavi is a powerful raag filled with devotion and compassion. Its Jati is Sampurna – Sampurna, which means all seven swar (heptatonic) both in Aaroha and Avaroha. I have already told you that in a concert Bhairavi is usually the concluding raaga since it is supposed to cure mistakes of the earlier performances. Hence, if a concert has started at night (which is usually the case), Bhairavi would be played in the wee hours of the morning.

A pleasant sobering atmosphere full of love and piety is created with this raag and one feels so close to the Supreme. Its compositions include several Thumris, Bhajans, Ghazals, Songs etc. Since it is an ocean of immense possibilities the melodic combitions can include all the twelve notes with skill.

Some of the other songs composed in Raag Bhairavi are:

The song Nache man mora magan dhig dha dhigi dhigi is from the 1963 RK Rakhan  movie Meri Surat Teri Ankhen starring Ashok Kumar, Asha Parekh and Pradeep Kumar.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Tintal/Kaherava: Nache man mora magan dhig dha dhigi dhigi…….

aa aa aa…

Naache man moraa, magan, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii -2
Badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
Naache man moraa magan, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii -2
Dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii, dhiigadhaa

Bansuri: tana~~N … tan tan tan tuu~~~~N tuu
Sitar: tain tain tain, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN

Kuhuke koyaliyaa, kuhuke koyaliyaa, kahii.n duur papiihaa pukaare
daNaNaNaNaNaN
Jhuulaa jhuule.n sakhiyaa.N, jhuulaa jhuule.n sakhiyaa.N, ke ghar aajaa baalam hamaare
Ghir aaye, badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
Naache man moraa, magan, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii
Naache re man moraa re
Naache man moraa, magan…

Tan ta tan taNa tanatu tan~~ tanatu
Tainta taiN, tainta taiN

Yahii.n ruk jaaye, yahii.n ruk jaaye, ye shaam aaj Dhalane na paaye
DaNaNaNaNaNaN
TuuTe na ye sapanaa, TuuTe na ye sapanaa, ko_ii ab mujhe na jagaaye
Ghir aaye, badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
Naache re man moraa, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii
E, naache man moraa re
Naache man moraa, magan…

Bansuri and sitar duet
Tain tain tain, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN, tataNtaN
DaNandaNandaNang DHUNg

Chhup chhup aise me.n, chhup chhup aise me.n, ko_ii madhur giit gaaye
Chhanchhanchhanchhan chhananchhan
Giito.n ke bahaane, giito.n ke bahaane, chhupii baat ho.nTho.n pe aaye
Ghir aaye, badaraa ghir aaye, rut hai bhiigii bhiigii
Naache re man moraa, dhiigadhaa dhiigii dhiigii
E, naache man moraa, aa aa
Naache man moraa, magan…

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
69. On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
70. On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
71. On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
72. On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
73. On the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.
74. And today, on the seventy-fourth day, we learnt about Saregama Classical, another application for Classical Raagas.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Zindagi bhar gham judaai ka mujhe tadpaayega….
Raag Malkauns, Tal Rupaktal

I have told you several times that I am basically a Lyrical man. On Facebook, I run a page titled ‘Lyrical‘ as tribute to the least remembered people in the making of songs: the Lyricists. For the Birth Centenary of my favourite lyricist, Shakeel Badayuni, I did a tribute to him on my blog in six parts. This was reconstruction of my posts (three per day) on ‘Lyrical‘. Everyday, I would also take up, a lyricist with somewhat matching lyrics to those of Shakeel. I kept two of the best in the end: Asad Bhopali and SH Bihari. On the 30th, out of 31 days, it was Asad Bhopali with his best: Woh jab yaad aaye bahut yaad aaye. Today, I have for you a song that has been penned by Asad Bhopali as well as Prem Dhawan, the lyricst who gave us: Seene mein sulagate hain armaan for the 1951 movie Taraana starring Dilip Kumar and Madhubala (one of their rare movies that didn’t have songs penned by Shakeel).

Hansraj Behl composed the song in Raag Malkauns. I remember him best for two numbers: One, Jahan daal daal par sone ki chidhiyan karti hain basera; and two, one of my father’s favourites: Jab raat nahin katati, zindagi kaise kategi? I also remember those super hits that he composed for 1959 Punjabi movie Bhangara that I saw with my parents with such unforgettable songs as: Jatt kudiyan to darda maara, Batti baal ke banere utte rakhdi haan, Been na bajayin mundeya meri gutt sapani ban jaayegi, Rut hai milaapan wali chann mera door ni, Rabb na kare meri akh phadke, and that beautiful number: Mull wikda sajan mil jaave lai lavan main jind bech ke. The best part is that I saw this movie as a child and 58 years later I still remember the magic of those songs; that’s Hansraj Behl for you.

So far, I have given you just one song in Raag Malkauns, the best ever by Shakeel-Naushad-Rafi: Man tadpat Hari darsan ko aaj (Tal Tintal; Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #23‘).

We have completed seventy-two 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 seventy-second post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #72‘ and the song was a Lata Manheshkar song from the 1949 Kamal Amrohi movie Mahal: Mushkil hai bahut mushkil chaahat ka bhula dena. It is in Raag Basant Pahadi, Tal Kaherava.

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 Yaman – Part II‘.

In the last seventy-two 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas and Shankara; making it a total of 58 raagas. The seven raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara and Basant Mukhari. Today, I am repeating Raag Malkauns.

Today’s song has been sung by Mohammad Rafi on the lyrics of Asad Bhopali and Prem Dhawan and on a composition by Hansraj Behl. As I said, it is in Raag Malkauns, Tal Rupaktal.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.

Here is the description from Google Play Store:

“Raga” is a melodic mode used in Indian classical music. It is a rhythmic expression of a mood in Indian melody. “Indian Classical Ragas” is an e-Learning application where you can learn the Ragas by knowing Aaroh, Avaroh, Vaadi, Samvaadi, Prahar and some more information. Application also displays the list of famous hindi songs based on the ragas for reference.

We are in continuous process of adding more and more songs to the application hence you can expect more frequent updates to the application. Application works very well on mobile devices as well as tablet devices.

Application shows few Devnagari letters like “Swara’s”. To view them correctly; we would recommend using the application on Android version 4.2+; though few earlier versions are able to render the application without any issues. Our recommendation to use 4.2 is because; Android has officially started supporting Indic Fonts from version 4.2″

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Malkauns, Tal Rupaktal.

Raag Malkauns or Malkaush belongs to the Bhairavi Thaat. Bhairavi makes use of all the komal swars, Rishabh, Gandhar, Dhaivat, Nishad. When singing compositions in Bhairavi raag, the singers however take liberty to use all the 12 swars. Bhairavi raag is named after the shakti or feminine aspect of the cosmic life force, which is personified as a consort to Lord Shiva. Bhairavi is a powerful raag filled with devotion and compassion.

Malkaush is another raag dedicated to Lord Shiva like Bhairav; however, to his consort Parvati. The name Malkaush is derived from the combination of Mal and Kaushik, which means he who wears a garland of snakes; ie, Shiva. It is believed that the raaga was composed by Lord Shiva’s wife Parvati to calm him down. As a matter of interest all pentatonic raagas belong to Shaivait musical school and so does Malkaush.

Its Jati is Audhav-Audhav. The five notes used are: Sa, komal Ga, shuddh Ma, komal Dha, and komal Ni. The two notes that are totally omitted are: Re (Rishab) and Pa (Pancham).

Malkaush is a late night raaga and is calming, soothing and even intoxicating. One would use such a raaga in deep and serious meditation.

Some of the other songs composed in Raag Malkauns are:

The song Zindagi bhar gham judaai ka mujhe tadpaayega is from the 1957 Kedar Kapoor movie Miss Bombay starring Nalini Jaywant, Ajit and Rehman.

Please enjoy in Raag Malkauns, Tal Rupaktal: Zindagi bhar gham judaai ka mujhe tadpaayega…….

Badalaa to aise badalaa hai kuchh ra.ng-e-gulasitaa.N
Ik phuul pe bahaar hai ik phuul pe Kizaa.N

Zindagii bhar Gam judaa_ii kaa mujhe ta.Dapaa_egaa
Har nayaa mausam puraanii yaad lekar aa_egaa
Zindagii bhar Gam …

Hai.n vahii raahe.n vahii galiyaa.N magar sunasaan hai.n
Tuu nahii.n to dil kii saarii bastiyaa.N viiraan hai.n
Dil me.n hai jo Gam teraa vo jaan lekar jaa_egaa
Zindagii bhar Gam …

Ho.n mubaarak tujhako Kushiyaa.N aur mujhe rusavaa_iyaa.N
Tujhako teraa ghar salaamat aur mujhe tanahaa_iyaa.N
Marate-marate bhii teraa hii naam lab pe aa_egaa
Zindagii bhar Gam …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Zxb41yevg

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
69. On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
70. On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
71. On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
72. On the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.
73. And today, on the seventy-third day, we learnt about Indian Classical Ragas, an Android application for mobile phones.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Mushkil hai bahut mushkil chaahat ka bhula dena….
Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava

Am I tethered to Raag Pahadi, the raaga of my place in the hills? It appears so considering the alacrity with which I revert to this raag every now and then. This one is special not just because it is a fine example of Pahadi; but, because its lyrics are so good and apt. For example, taste this:

Ye khel nahin lekin ye khel hai ulfat kaa
Roton ko hansaa denaa hansaton ko rulaa denaa.

These remarkably beautiful lyrics have been penned by Nakshab who gave us such songs as Badi mushkil se dil ki beqraari ko qaraar aaya, Aayega aayega aanewala aayega, and Zindagi hai yaa koi toofaan hai. These were composed by Khemchand Prakash who lived between 12 Dec 1907 to 10 Aug 1950 and who gave us several unforgettable songs such as: Diya jalao jagmag jagmag, Baraso re baraso re, Ghata ghanghor ghor mor machaye shor, and Kyaa hamane bigaada hai kyun hamako satate ho.

So far, I have given you the following songs in Raag Pahadi: Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo (Tal Dadra; Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #7‘), Zara sun haseena-ai-nazneen (Tal Rupaktal; Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #8‘), Chal udd ja re panchhi (Tal Kaherava; Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #32‘), and O door ke mussafir (Taal Kaherava; Please see: ‘Pleaser See: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #55 – A Tribute To My Late Mother‘).

We have completed seventy-one 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 seventy-first post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #71‘ and the song was a Lata Manheshkar song from the 1968 Amar Kumar movie Mere Hamdam Mere Dost: Chalo sajana jahan tak ghata chale. It is in Raag Basant Mukhari, Tal Kaherava.

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 Yaman – Part I‘.

In the last seventy-one 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas and Shankara; making it a total of 58 raagas. The seven raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, Gara and Basant Mukhari. Today, I am repeating Raag Pahadi for the fifth time.

Today’s song has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar on the lyrics of Nakshab and on a composition by Khemchand Prakash. As I said, it is in Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava.

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

If you remember just three days ago (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #69‘), I told you about Raaga Quest, a mobile application for identifying raagas. Today, I tell you about another free Android application available for providing accompaniment of musical instruments whilst doing Riyaaz or even during a Concert. Here is the description:

“TaalMala provides personalized accompaniment of Tabla, Pakhawaj, Manjeera, Tanpura, SwarMandal and Lehra/Nagma on Santoor and Harmonium. Use TaalMala for your daily riyaaz or live concerts. With high-quality Tabla, Pakhawaj, Manjeera, Tanpura, SwarMandal, Santoor and Harmonium sounds sampled from real instruments, huge library of 340+ pre-composed Taals, 240+ pre-composed Lehra/Nagma compositions and 450+ SwarMandal sequences in 41 most popular Ragas, TaalMala provides a complete practising solution for any Indian musician.

With TaalMala Composer, you can compose Taals, Lehras/Nagmas and SwarMandal patterns by simply entering the notation. For example, enter “Dha Dhin Dhin Dha” and TaalMala will play those bols, 1 beat each. Enter “S R G M P M G R” and TaalMala will play those notes. With a powerful sequencer, you can compose your own sequences of fixed or randomized Taal, Lehra/Nagma and SwarMandal patterns.

If you have the Windows desktop version of TaalMala, you can import your compositions from Windows to your Android device and play them on the Android device.

TaalMala features:

– High-quality studio-recorded Tabla, Pakhawaj, Tanpura, Santoor, Harmonium and Manjeera (Zanj) sounds
– Two sets of Tabla/Dagga sounds and ability to choose and mix-match between the two sound sets
– 340+ pre-composed Taals and Taal sequences, including most popular Taals and their variations
– 240+ pre-composed Lehra/Nagma compositions and sequences in multitude of ragas and Taals
– 450+ pre-composed SwarMandal patterns and sequences in 45+ Hindustani Ragas
– New Taals, Lehras and compositions added frequently as free updates
– Automatic Manjeera/Zanj accompaniment synchronized with the Tabla/Pakhawaj Taals
– Adjustable tempo from 10 bpm to 2000 bpm for Taal and Lehra
– Pitch control (+/- 0.5 octave), with independent fine-tuning of all instruments for precise matching with your scale
– Compose your own Taals using notation for the Taal
– Compose your own Lehras/Nagmas and SwarMandal patterns using notation
– Powerful sequencer to compose fixed and automatically randomized sequences from the Taals, Lehras and SwarMandal library
– Independent volume/level balance for Tabla/Pitch, Dagga/Bass, Manjeera, Lehra/Nagma and SwarMandal
– Ability to import and use your own Tanpura sounds and loops
– Choose between chromatic or just/harmonic tuning for all instruments
– Up to 2 simultaneous Tanpura playback
– High-quality Tanpura sounds with all popular Tanpura patterns included
– Adjustable Tanpura tempo
– Adjust strumming speed of 4 Tanpura strings independently
– Option to slightly vary the Tanpura plucking delays randomly for better realism
– Tap on the screen twice to set exact tempo
– Set start beat (matra) of the Taal, particularly useful in live concert mode if your composition starts from middle of a Taal cycle OR if composition is Vilambit (slow tempo)
– Compose your own Taals using our Windows desktop application and play them on your Android device

This is a trial version of the application with following limitations:

– Playback restricted to 5 minutes every hour
– Trial expires after 14 days from first use. To continue use after 14 days, you must purchase the licensed edition of the application.
– Trial period resets 74 days after the date of first installation, in case you had tried an older version and want to install and try the upgraded version now.
– To unlock full functionality and remove the time-limit, click “Upgrade” option on the main screen and purchase a license.

Web-site: http://www.taalmala.com

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

Why do I have this urge to get back to Pahadi? On the tenth day, I had covered for you, the sources of names of raagas and mentioned that raagas like Marwa, Jaunpuri, Mand and Pahadi were named after places. Pahadi is not a place, in the same manner, as Marwa, Mand and Jaunpur. You should expect Pahadi anywhere you see pahad or hills but actually the name is from hills in Himalayas, my home place. It is a light raaga and is more akin to being a dhun.

Pahadi is a very beautiful raag. Soundofindia.com describes it beautifully: the raga is like a lover, unruffled in union, serene in separation, powerful enough to achieve eternal union, but resigned to the painful parting ordained by destiny.

All raagas are supposed to transport you to the mood of the raaga (bhaav). But, none other does it better than Pahadi: you can’t escape the freshness, quiet, wetness, echoing effect and palpable romance of the hills. It is as if the raaga says to you: ‘Love is in the air’.

Today, once again, I take recourse to being resigned to the painful parting ordained by destiny, another beautiful facet of Pahadi.

Pahadi is a very popular raag for composing songs in Hindi movies. Some of the other songs composed in Raag Pahadi are:

The song Mushkil hai bahut mushkil chaahat ka bhula dena is from the 1949 Kamal Amrohi movie Mahal starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala. One other song from the movie that became super-hit was: Aayega aayega aane wala aayega.

Please enjoy in Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava: Mushkil hai bahut mushkil chaahat ka bhula dena…….

Mushkil hai .a .a

Mushkil hai bahut mushkil chaahat kaa bhulaa denaa
Aasaan nahii.n dil kii ye aag bujhaa denaa

Ye khel nahii.n lekin ye khel hai ulfat kaa
Roto.n ko ha.Nsaa denaa ha.Nsato.n ko rulaa denaa
Mushkil hai bahut mushkil …

Dilavaalo.n kii duniyaa me.n hai rasm ke jab ko_ii
Aa_e to
Aa_e to qadam lenaa, jaa_e to duvaa denaa
Mushkil hai bahut mushkil …

Ulajhan hai bahut phir bhii ham tum ko naa bhuule.nge
Tum ko naa bhuule.nge
Mumakin to nahii.n lekin tum ham ko bhulaa denaa
Mushkil hai bahut mushkil …

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
69. On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
70. On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
71. On the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.
72. And today, on the seventy-second day, we learnt about TaalMala an Android application for personalized accompaniment of musical instruments during Riyaaz or even during Concert.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Chalo sajana jahan tak ghata chale….
Raag Basant Mukhari, Tal Kaherava

One more song composed in Basant Mukhari. But, once again a reminder that films songs composers are not sticklers to purity of any raaga in their compositions. It is not their aim. Their aim is to come up with tunes for songs that would be popular. As far as popular tunes are concerned, Laxmikant Pyarelal came up with such hit songs in this movie, penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri, that these are still fondly remembered some 50 years after the movie Mere Hamdam Mere Dost was released. This was sung by Lata Mangeshkar. For me, it is indeed a nostalgic song as it was shot in the lawns of Palace Hotel in Chail, on the hill across from my house in Whispering Winds, Kandaghat (Please see: ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is: Kandaghat In Shimla Hills‘).

If you recall, on the 50th day, I had given you a song in Basant Mukhari composed by the best music duo ever: Shankar Jaikishan: O basanti pawan paagal (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #50‘). That time, I missed giving you this; as I said, a song shot on the hill opposite Whispering Winds, Kandaghat. Hence, here I am, again with the same raaga.

We have completed seventy 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 seventieth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #70‘ and the song was a Mubarak Begum song from the 1966 Mahendra Pran movie Sushila: Bemuravvat bewafa begaana-e-dil aap hain. It is in Raag Shankara, 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 – Raaga Todi‘.

In the last seventy 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada, Vibhas and Shankara; making it a total of 58 raagas. The six raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, and Gara. Today, I am repeating Raag Basant Mukhari.

Today’s song has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri and on a composition by Laxmikant Pyarelal. As I said, it is in Raag Basant Mukhari, Tal Kaherava.

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

I had mentioned Sangita Makarand in the passing earlier; an ancient work on classical music penned by Narada. For those of you who don’t know about Narada (and I can’t think of many), Narada is a Vedic sage, famous in Hindu traditions as a traveling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. When I was small, we used to read about Narada Muni both as wise and as mischievous. I recall that when I read Mahabharta and Ramayana as a child, Narada appeared out of nowhere chanting his famous: Na-ra-in, Na-ra-in (God Vishnu).

As far as music is concerned, you would recall that I told you that our most ancient musical instrument Veena was invented by Narada (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day 48‘). Coming back to Sangita Makarand, this work is a rare collection of definitions, descriptions and comments on all the essentials music by other ancient reputed authors from Bharata Muni to Sharangdeva. Its main feature is the treatiment of Raagas; categorizing them as male, female and neuter. The treatise circa 1100 CE is the earliest text where rules similar to the current Hindustani classical music can be found. Narada actually names and classifies the system in its earlier form before the advent of changes as a result of Persian influences.

There have been three distinct stages in Raaga nomenclature:

1. Named after Swaras. This stage occurred prior to 2nd Century BC. For example, after Shadaj swara, originated the name of the Raaga called Shadaji.
2. Named after different Janas (Tribes or Clans) in different locations. For example Shakatilak Raaga was named after Shaka tribe.
3. Named after Janapada or desh or country of their origin. Therefore, Bengal Raaga originated in Bengal.

The idea of giving you above was to tell you, yet another time, about the richest and most ancient musical tradition in the world.

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

Raag Basant Mukhari belongs to the Bhairav Thaat. Coming at the heels of Raag Shankara in Bilawal Thaat, let me tell you that Bhairav is one of the names of Lord Shiva especially in his powerful form as a naked ascetic with matted locks and body smeared with ashes. The raag too has some of these masculine and scetic attributes in its form and compositions. That’s exactly like Shankara in description of name only. However, the difference is that though Basant Mukhari it is a Sampurna-Sampurna raag, Rishabh, Dhaivat and Nishad Komal. Rest All Shuddha Swaras; whereas in Bilawal Thaat, all swaras are Shuddha.

Basant Mukhari is performed during the second prahar of the day; ie, 9 AM to Noon. Raag Basant-Mukhari is a sweet melodious form among morning Raagas. It is however difficult to render smoothly.

Other songs composed in Raag Basant Mukhari are: Dekho bijali dole (Tal Tintal; Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon), O basanti pawan paagal (Tal Rupak Tal; Jis Des Mein Ganga Behati Hai), and Wada kar le sajana (Tal Kaherava; Haath Ki Safai).

The song Chalo sajana jahan tak ghata chale is from the 1968 Amar Kumar movie Mere Hamdam Mere Dost starring Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Rehman and Mumtaz. The movie had seven songs. All of them were super hits:

As I said, all the songs were penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Please enjoy in Raag Basant Mukhari, Tal Kaherava: Chalo sajana jahan tak ghata chale…….

Chalo sajanaa jahaa.N tak ghaTaa chale
Lagaakar mujhe gale
Chalo sajanaa jahaa.N tak ghaTaa chale

Su.ndar sapano.n kii hai ma.nzil kadam ke niiche
Fursat kisako itanii, dekhe jo mu.Dake piichhe
Tum chalo ham chale.n, ham chale.n tum chalo
Saavan kii havaa chale
Chalo sajanaa jahaa.N…

Dha.Dakan tumare dilakii, ulajhii hamaarii laT me.n
Tumare tan kii chhaayaa, kaajal banii palak me.n
Ek hai.n do badan, do badan ek hai.n
Aa.Nchal ke tale-tale
Chalo sajanaa jahaa.N…

Patthariilii raaho.n me.n tum sa.ng mai.n jhuum luu.Ngii
Khaaoge jab Thokar, ho.nTho.n se chuum luu.Ngii
Pyaar kaa aaj se, aaj kaa pyaar se
Hamase silasilaa chale
Chalo sajanaa jahaa.N…

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
69. On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
70. On the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.
71. And today, on the seventy-first day, we learnt about Sangita Makarand.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Bemuravvat bewafa begaana-e-dil aap hain….
Raag Shankara, Tal Dadra

Third consecutive day of another new Raag. Since the time I have discovered raaga based songs, I like composition of songs by various music directors in Hindi films. However, I am primarily a Lyrical man. On Facebook, I run a page titled ‘Lyrical‘. This song has been penned by Jaan Nisar Akhtar and is indeed one his best. It is also one of the best of the singer Mubarak Begum.

We have completed sixty-nine 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 sixty-ninth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #69‘ and the song was a Suresh Wadkar song from the 1984 Girish Karnad movie (Shashi Kapoor production) starring starring Rekha , Shekhar Suman, Shashi Kapoor, Shankar Nag, Amjad Khan and Anuradha Patel: Sanjh dhale gagan tale hum kitane ekaki. It is in Raag Vibhas, Tal Kaherava.

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 Pilu – Part I‘.

In the last sixty-nine 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang, Manj Khammaj, Darbari Kanada and Vibhas. The six raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, and Gara. Today, I am giving you a new Raag Shankara. That makes it a total of 58 raagas so far.

Today’s song has been sung by Mubarak Begum on the lyrics of Jaan Nisar Akhtar and on a composition by C Arjun. As I said, it is in Raag Shankara, Tal Dadra.

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

I introduced you to Melakartha or Melakarta when I told you about Carnatic Music (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #62‘). Melakarta is a collection of fundamental raagas (musical scales) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). Melakarta raagas are parent ragas (hence known as janaka ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A melakarta raga is sometimes referred as mela, karta or sampurna as well, though the latter term is inaccurate, as a sampurna raga need not be a melakarta (take the raga Bhairavi, for example).

It would be easy to guess that it is similar to Thaat in Hindustani music.

I had also told you that there are 72 Melakarta raagas whereas Bhatkhande brought down the number of Thaats to merely 10.

Ragas must contain the following characteristics to be considered Melakarta.

• They are sampurna raagas – they contain all seven swaras (notes) of the octave in both ascending and descending scale.
• They are krama sampurna raagas – that is the sequence is strictly ascending and descending in the scales, without any jumps or zig-zag notes.
• The upper shadjam is included in the raaga scale. (raagas like Punnagavarali and Chenchurutti are not melakarta as they end with nishadam)
• The ascending and descending scales must have the same notes.

The mela system of ragas was first propounded by Raamamaatya in his work Svaramelakalanidhi, c. 1550. He is considered the father of mela system of ragas. Later, Venkatamakhin, a gifted musicologist in the 17th century, expounded a new mela system known today as melakarta in his work Chaturdandi Prakaasikaa. He made some bold and controversial claims and defined somewhat arbitrarily 6 swaras from the known 12 semitones, at that time, to arrive at 72 melakarta ragas.

A hundred years after Venkatamakhin’s time the Katapayadi sankhya rule came to be applied to the nomenclature of the melakarta ragas. The sankhya associates Sanskrit consonants with digits. The digits corresponding to the first two syllables of the name of a raga, when reversed, give the index of the raaga. Thus the scale of a melakarta raga can be easily derived from its name.

For example, Harikambhoji raaga starts with syllables Ha and ri, which have numbers 8 and 2 associated with them. Reversing them we get 28. Hence Harikambhoji is the 28th melakarta raaga. Have a look at the attached picture to understand it more.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Shankara, Tal Dadra.

Raag Shankara belongs to the Bilawal Thaat, the most basic of the ten thaats, which are, according to Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, the basis of almost all raagas in Indian Classical Music. Why is it most basic? Simple, Bilawal is the thaat that has all swars (notes) shuddha or in their natural scale. Raagas based on Bilawal are generally rich and sensuous. The Jati of Raag Shankara is Audhav-Shadhav Vakra, that is, five notes in Aaroha (Rishabh and Madhyam Varjya) and six notes in Avaroha (Madhyam Varjya). Dhaivat note is weak, ie, occasional.

Shankara, as you would have guessed it, is an epithet of Lord Shiva whose primal association with music & dance have long been a source of inspiration to Indians. The image of Shiva as Nataraja has moved millions of hearts and fired the imagination of artists through the ages. This leitmotif is a powerful stimulus to many an intoxicated soul, a spoor to the creative impulse as it searches for the ideal sounded in the famous apothegm: Satyam Shivam Sundaram (Truth Divinity Beauty).

Raga Shankara’s immense popularity and prestige derive not merely from a share in the Lord’s name. The raaga is the musical embodiment of His personality, comporting with all its attributes: raudra, veera, irrascible, volatile, capricious and, above all, cool. Veer-Rasa (Raudra Roop for Tandav of Lord Shankara) is the best expression of this Raag. You wake up from a stupor or disturbed state of mind upon hearing this Raag which implies as surge of the life force with the sharp rather bold pronunciation of notes in this melody.

The time for rendering this raag is the last phase of night.

Other songs composed in Raag Shankara are: Bolo bolo Kanha bolo chhaliya (Tal Dadra; sung by Runa Laila in 1960 movie Chhaliya), Desh pradesh (Tal Kaherava; sung by Kishore Kumar in 1978 movie Desh Pradesh), and Rumjhuma rumjhuma chala tihari (Tal Tintal; sung by KL Saigal in 1943 movie Tansen).

The song Bemuravvat bewafa begaana-e-dil aap hain is from the 1966 Mahendra Pran movie Sushila about which nothing much is known except that the movie had two other songs that were excellent: Gham ki andheri raat mein sung by Talat Mahmood and Mohammad Rafi, and Nazar nawaz nazaron mein kho gaya hoon main sung by Mahendra Kapoor.

All the song were penned by Jan Nisar Akhtar and composed by C Arjun.

Please enjoy in Raag Shankara, Tal Dadra: Bemuravvat bewafa begaana-e-dil aap hain…….

Dard-e-dil dard-e-vafaa dard-e-tamannaa kyaa hai
Aap kyaa jaane.n mohabbat kaa takaazaa kyaa hai

Bemuravvat bevafaa begaanaa-e-dil aap hai.n -2
Aap maane yaa na maane mere qaatil aap hai.n
Bemuravvat bevafaa

Aap se shikavaa hai mujh ko Gair se shikavaa nahii.n -2
Jaanatii huu.N dil me.n rakh lene ke qaabil aap hai.n
Bemuravvat bevafaa

Saa.Ns letii huu.N to yuu.N mahasuus hotaa hai mujhe -2
Jaise mere dil kii har dha.Dakan me.n shaamil aap hai.n
Bemuravvat bevafaa

Gam nahii.n jo laakh tuufaano.n se Takaraanaa pa.De -2
Mai.n vo kashtii huu.N ki jis kashtii kaa saahil aap hai.n

Bemuravvat bevafaa begaanaa-e-dil aap hai.n
Aap maane yaa na maane mere qaatil aap hai.n
Bemuravvat bevafaa

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
69. On the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.
70. And today, on the seventieth day, we learnt about Melakarta Raagas.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Sanjh dhale gagan tale hum kitane ekaki….
Raag Vibhas, Tal Kaherava

Well, another new Raag today. Three days ago, when I put up a list of Raagas, you would have noticed one spelt Vibhas at one place and Bibhas at another. That’s the raag that Laxmikant Pyarelal used for composing two of the four songs in the 1984 Girish Karnad movie Utsav, a Shashi Kapoor production. Suresh Wadkar sang it.

We have completed sixty-eight 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 sixty-eighth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #68‘ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1958 Bimal Roy movie Madhumati starring Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Pran: Toote huye khwaabon ne. It is in Raag Darbari Kanada, Tal Kaherava.

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 Jhinjhoti – Part II‘.

In the last sixty-eight 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang and Manj Khammaj. The six raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi, and Gara. Today, I am giving you a new Raag Vibhas. That makes it a total of 57 raagas.

Today’s song has been sung by Suresh Wadkar on the lyrics of Vasant Dev and on a composition by Laxmikant Pyarelal. As I said, it is in Raag Vibhas, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about a mobile application to help identify raagas.

This was launched on Independence Day, 2013.

To the untrained enthusiast, Indian classical music can be daunting. Some can’t tell Raag Bhairav from Raag Bhairavi, others can’t tell any raagas at all. Even music students find it challenging to identify complex raagas.

Now, a mobile application launched on Independence Day aims to make raaga identification much easier. The app, called Raga Quest, uses a hangmanstyle game to help users guess the name of the raga being played in a 30-second sound clip.

It has been created by Indian Raaga, a Boston-based company launched in November 2012 to promote Indian classical music through digital technology. The app is available on the iOS AppStore and can be downloaded for free. It can be used on Android phones and Windows phones in addition to iOS.

“Identifying ragas is not something that comes naturally to everyone, but one can get better at it with practice,” said Sriram Emani, 27, co-founder of Indian Raaga and an MBA student at Boston’s Massachusettes Institute of Technology. “The app will be a simpler, fun way to practice raaga identification.”

With a user-friendly interface, Raga Quest can be used for both Hindustani and Carnatic music. Users can pick from a range of difficulty levels, and during the hangman game, can use a raga spelling guide to guess the raaga.

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

Raag Vibhas or Bibhas belongs to the Bhairav Thaat (that makes use of Komal Rishab and Komal Dhaivat. Bhairav is one of the names of Lord Shiva especially in his powerful form as a naked ascetic with matted locks and body smeared with ashes). Naturally, it makes one assume that the raag too has some of these masculine and ascetic attributes in its form and compositions.  Its Jati is Audhav-Audhav, that is five notes in Aaroha and Avaroha (five notes except Madhyam and Nishad). The time for singing this raag is first prahar of the day, that is 6 PM to 9 PM. As you can make out from the song itself, the raag has a heavy feel to it, perfect for Bhakti Ras.

One other songs composed in Raag Vibhas are: Neelam ke nabh chhayi (from the same movie).

The song Sanjh dhale gagan tale hum kitane ekaki is from the 1984 Girish Karnad movie Utsav starring Rekha as Vasantsena, Shekhar Suman as Charudutt, Shashi Kapoor as Samsthanak, Shankar Nag as a thief named Sajjal, Amjad Khan as Vatsayana, author of Kama Sutra, and Anuradha Patel as Charudutt’s wife Aditi.
There were four songs in the movie. One of them, sung by sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle became a super-hit: Man kyun behka re behka aadhi raat ko. Another one Neelam pe naabh chhayee was also composed in Raag Vibhas. The song was penned by Vasant Dev who received Filmfare Award for having penned Man kyun behka re behka aadhi raat ko.

Please enjoy in Raag Vibhas, Tal Kaherava: Saanjh dhale gagan tale hum kitane ekaki…

Saa.njh Dhale gagan tale
Ham kitane ekaakii

Saa.njh Dhale gagan tale
Ham kitane ekaakii
Chho.D chale naino ko
KiraNo.n ke paakhii

Path kii jaalii se jhaa.Nk rahii thii.n kaliyaa.N – 2
Ga.ndh bharii gunagun me.n magan huI thii.n kaliyaa.N
Itane me.n Timir dasa sapane le nayano me.n
Kaliyo.n ke aa.Nsuo.n kaa koI nahii.n saathii
ChhoD chale nayano ko
KiraNo.n ke paakhii
Saa.njh Dhale gagan tale …

Juganuu kaa paT o.Dhe aayegii raat abhii – 2
Nishiga.ndhaa ke sur me.n kah degii baat sabhii
Kapata hai man jaise Daalii ambavaa kii
Chho.D chale nayano ko
KiraNo.n ke paakhii
Saa.njh Dhale gagan tale …

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. On the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.
69. And today, on the sixty-ninth day, we learnt about a mobile application to help identify raagas.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Toote huye khwabon ne….
Raag Darbari Kanada, Tal Kaherava

Today, 05 Sep, happens to be the death anniversary of Salil Chowdhury. A song by him, coming at the heels of the last post wherein we took up a delightful song in Raag Gara composed by Sachin Dev Burman and sung by Mohammad Rafi for Dev Anand, is only apt. Some of you would recall that Bimal Roy had asked SD Burman to compose songs for his 1958 movie Madhumati. However, SD Burman had told Bimal Roy that Salil da would do a much better job of accomplishing what Bimal Roy had in mind. Thus were born some of the greatest and most popular songs composed by Salil Chowdhury.

Salil da was influenced by the Western Classical collection of music with his father. His music, continued to have that metronomic Western beat, say, from Ghadi ghadi mera dil dhadake to, say, Jaaneman jaaneman tere do nayan. Eventually, we all know that Salil Chowdhury came up with a fusion music that was entirely his signature tune.

We have already taken up a song in Raag Bageshri on the 19th day: Jao jao Nand ke lala (Tal Tintal) (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #19‘). This one had been sung by Mohammad Rafi and has the same metronomic swing to it that is the signature of Salil da; even though this is a sad song.

We have completed sixty-six 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 sixty-seventh post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #67‘ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1965 Amarjeet movie Teen Devian starring Dev Anand with his three women, Simi Grewal, Kalpana and Nanda: and Balraj Sahni: Aise to na dekho. It is in Raag Gara, 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 – Raaga Jhinjhoti – Part I‘.

In the last sixty-seven 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang and Manj Khammaj. The six raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti, Bhairavi and Gara. That makes a total of 55 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a raaga that I should have given long time back but didn’t: Raag Darbari Kanada.

Today’s song has been sung by Mohammad Rafi on the lyrics of Shailendra and on a composition by Salil Chowdhury. As I said, it is in Raag Darbari Kanada, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall have a look at the emotions that raagas evoke.

We had taken up this subject, in brief, on the sixth day (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #6‘). Today, lets embark on the subject a little more comprehensively especially due to our yesterday’s post about the health benefits of raagas.

The word Raaga means colour or hue. That’s because, it was beleived that raagas could evoke diverse emotional responses in the audiences. Neuro-surgeons have now established that indeed raagas can evoke emotional responses ranging from happy, calm, tensed and sad.

Lets have a look at the findings of the National Brain Research Centre at Manesar, Haryana and the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK:

The two institutes, for the first time, conducted a study to establish the kind of responses people experiences whilst listening to Hindustani Classical Raagas.

Playing music pieces composed by Pandit Mukesh Sharma, an eminent sarod player from New Delhi, the scientists got 122 study participants from India to rate their experiences across ‘alaap’ (slow, free flowing introductory part) and ‘gat’ (faster, rhythmic part) of twelve ragas.

“Ragas indeed evoked an entire gamut of emotional responses,” says Avantika Mathur, who conducted the study led by Nandini Chatterji Singh at NBRC.

The scientists found that emotions changed as the tempo picked up from alaap to gat. For instance, emotional ratings for ragas like Desh and Tilak Kamod shifted from ‘calm/soothing’ in the slower arrhythmic alaap to ‘happy’ in the faster rhythmic gat. Similarly, the emotional responses for Shree and Miyan ki Todi shifted from ‘sad’ to ‘tensed’.

Chatterjee Singh says specific tonic intervals also emerged as robust predictors of emotional response. “Ragas that were rated as happy and calming comprised primarily of ‘shuddh swaras’ (pure notes) but the addition of ‘komal swaras’ (softer notes) introduced sadness, longing and melancholy,” she says.

In specific, ‘komal re’ was found to be a direct predictor of aversiveness (or negative valence). The scientists suggest that ‘komal re’ with its tension and high ‘yearning’ towards the tonic may build a narrative of hope or fear, the resolution of which brings associations of tension, yearning and a release of energy.

In Hindustani music, a tonic interval is defined in terms of its relation to the tonic which is the base ‘Sa’.

Chatterjee Singh says the mood-defining qualities of Hindustani ragas have been documented in ancient Indian performing arts treatise such as the ‘Natya Shastra’ by Sage Bharat. The word ‘raaga’ originates in Sanskrit and is defined as ‘the act of coloring or dyeing’ (the mind and mood or emotions in this context) and therefore refers metaphorically to ‘any feeling or passion especially love, affection, sympathy, desire, interest, motivation, joy, or delight’.

Mathur, who wants to conduct the study on a bigger scale with musically untrained and trained people, adds that their future research will try to look at the neural networks underlying emotion perception using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Finally, lets have a look at some of the raagas and the emotions these are known to evoke:

(Please remember that time and again I have brought out that the optimal mood of the raaga is felt when it is played at a certain time of the day)

1. Raag Bilawal

Nature of the Raga – ‘Shant’ – Serene, Quiet, Peaceful

Timing – Early hours of the morning

2. Raag Bhairav

Nature of the Raga – ‘Shant’ – Serene, Quiet, Peaceful

Timing – Morning

3. Raag Bhairavi

Nature of the Raga – ‘Gambhir’ – Serious

Timing – Evening

4. Raag Bhupali

Nature of the Raga – ‘Shant’ – Serene, Quiet, Peaceful

Timing – Early hours of the night

5. Raag Vihag

Nature of the Raga – ‘Karun’ – Sad, Compassionate

Timing – Second half of the night

6. Raag Desh

Nature of the Raga – ‘Karun’ – Sad, Compassionate

Timing – Second half of the night

7. Raag Bhim Palasi

Nature of the Raga – ‘Shant’ – Serene, Quiet, Peaceful

Timing – Third half of the day

8. Raag Peelu

Nature of the Raga – ‘Karun’ – Sad, Compassionate

Timing – Third half of the day

9. Raag Tilak Kamud

Nature of the Raga – ‘Chanchal’

Timing – Second half of the night

10. Raag Bageshri

Nature of the Raga – ‘Gambhir’ – Serious

Timing – Afternoon

11. Raag Purvi

Nature of the Raga – ‘Gambhir’ – Serious

Timing – Evening

12. Raag Vrindavani Sarang

Nature of the Raga – ‘Chanchal’

Timing – Afternoon

At INK2012, celebrated classical violinist H K Venkatram demonstrates the brilliance of Indian raga music. Watch as Venkatram illustrates how a change in one note of a raga can alter the emotions conveyed and affect the mood of the listener.

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

Raag Darbari Kanada belongs to the Asavari Thaat. We saw that Kafi Thaat has Komal Gandhar and Komal Nishad. Now, if you add Komal Dhaivat to Kafi Thaat, you get Asavari. Asavari thaat has the mood of tyaag and renunciation to it. Its Jati is Sampoorna-Sampoorna Vakra, that is all seven notes in Aaroha and Avaroha, but twisted. The time for singing this raag is third part of night, that is midnight to 3 AM. Darbari Kanada, as the name suggests, is a raaga of Carnatic music. It was brought into Hindustani stream by Miyan Tansen in the Darbar of Emperor Akbar.

Some of the songs composed in Raag Darbari Kanada are:

The song Toote huye khwabon ne is from the 1958 Bimal Roy movie Madhumati starring Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Pran and Johnny Walker. Most of the movie’s songs became super-hits. These were penned by Shailendra and composed by Salil Chowdhury:

One has to hand it to God of Songs: Mohammad Rafi for having sung a song for the hero Dilip Kumar and comedian Johnny Walker in the same movie; talks highly of his versatility.

Please enjoy in Raag Darbari Kanada, Tal Kaherava: Toote huye khwabon ne…

TuuTe hue Kvaabo.n ne, hamako ye sikhaayaa hai
Dil ne, dil ne jise paayaa thaa, aa.Nkho.n ne ga.nvaayaa hai
TuuTe hue Kvaabo.n ne

Ham Dhuu.NDhate hai.n unako, jo milake nahii.n milate
RuThe hai.n na jaane kyuu.N, (mehamaan mere dil ke – 2)
Kyaa apanii tamannaa thii, kyaa saamane aayaa hai
Dil ne, dil ne …
TuuTe hue …

LauT aaI sadaa merii, Takaraa ke sitaaro.n se
Uja.Dii huI duniyaa ke, (sunasaan kinaaro.n se – 2)
Par ab ye ta.Dapanaa bhii, kuchh kaam na aayaa hai
Dil ne, dil ne …
TuuTe hue …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkjfF11k7ls

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. On the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.
68. And today, on the sixty-eighth day, we learnt a little more comprehensively about the moods and emotions that raagas evoke.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Aise to na dekho ke hamako nasha ho jaaye….
Raag Gara, Tal Dadra

Sachin Dev Burman had a great affinity for his Dev Anand; so much so that the former used to say that his middle name Dev was for his favourite star, Dev Anand.

I have given another song in Raag Gara, Tal Kaherava earlier: my second song at that: Unake khayal aaye to aate chale gaye (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #2‘).

We have completed sixty-six 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 sixty-sixth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #66‘ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1960 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Anuradha starring Leela Naidu and Balraj Sahni: Kaise din beete kaise beeti ratiya. It is in Raag Manj Khmmaj, Tal Kaherava.

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 Jaijaivanti‘.

In the last sixty-six 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan, Madhamat Sarang and Manj Khammaj. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 55 raagas so far. Today, I am repeating Raag Gara.

Today’s song has been sung by Mohammad Rafi on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri, the only lyricist to have been awarded the highest: Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and on a composition by Sachin Dev Burman. As I said, it is in Raag Gara, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall have a look at use of raagas for good health as well as for treatment of diseases.

For a long time, ancient Indians believed that music had value much more than just the entertainment value of it. Music was considered a powerful tool to make us come closer to our inner selves and God. At a fairly early stage, I told you about the season and the time of day and night that a certain raag could be played to derive maximum benefit from it. Both were considered important to get into the emotion (bhaav) of the raaga to obtain the optimum that the raaga had to offer.

The health benefits of listening to specific raaga at a specific time have been proved to the extent that lately there is renewed interest in it. There are, now, a number of institutes that treat you with music either by itself or as a supplement to medicine. From the reading of ancient texts, it has been derived that singing a particular raaga has even more benefits than merely listening to it.

Right vibes? Well, Indian civilization was, in ancient times, already experimenting with the vibrations with therapeutic value that certain music produced.

Don’t believe me? Well, read about Nada Yoga, for example. Nada Yoga is all about the impact that music has on body and mind (ancient Indians thought of both being seamless) and in uplifting one’s level of consciousness. What do received vibrations from music do? Well, they can cause resonance in one’s mind and synchronise it to the mood of the raaga. As I said, either that by itself could have health benefits or as a supplement.

Do you remember when I told you about the moods that raagas could induce? Well, now imagine how raagas could intensify joys, positivity, peace etc in the listener or the singer. Therefore, it is easy to guess that only certain types of raagas could have health benefits.

Lets now think about the origin of raagas itself in ancient India. Please remember what I told you about the chanting of Vedic mantras in praise of God or gods and goddesses and how that was used to get positive benefits to individuals as well as to remove disharmony in either self or society. Gradually, we had a stream called Raaga Chikitsa (Raaga as a Doctor). Just to give an example, Haridas Swamy, who was Tansen’s Guru in the court of Emperor Akbar, had actually treated one of the queens with only music and she recovered.

Legend has it that Saint Thyagaraja brought a dead person back to life with his Bilahari composition Naa Jiva Dhaara. Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s Navagriha Kriti is believed to cure stomach ache. Shyama Sastry’s composition Duru Sugu uses music to pray for good health.

Raaga Chikitsa was an ancient manuscript, which dealt with the therapeutic effects of raaga. The library at Thanjavur is reported to contain such a treasure on raagas, that spells out the application and use of various raagas in fighting common ailments.

So, in addition to just the acoustic vibrations, in  Raaga Therapy, it is believed that they relied on magnetic and electro-magnetic energy too with concomitant effect on physiological and psychological components.

According to an ancient Indian text, Swara Shastra, the seventy-two melakarta raagas (parent raagas ) control the 72000 important nerves (nadis) in the body. It is believed that if one sings with due devotion, adhering to the raaga lakshana (norms) and sruti shuddhi (pitch purity), the raga could affect the particular nerve in the body in a favourable manner.

I am sure, by now, I have evoked adequate interest in health benefits of raagas. Here is just an example in real terms now (there is much more to be studied):

1. Raga Pooriya Dhansari (Hamsanandi-Kamavardini ) – evokes sweet, deep, heavy, cloudy and stable state of mind and prevents acidity..

2. Raga Bageshri – arouses a feeling of darkness, stability, depths and calmness. This raga is also used in treatment of diabetes and hypertension.

3. Raga Darbari (Darbari Kanada) – is considered very effective in easing tension. It is a late night raga composed by Tansen for Akbar to relieve his tension after hectic schedule of the daily court life.

4. Raga Todi – give treamendous relief to patients of high blood pressure.

5. Raga Ahir-Bhairav (Chakravakam) – is supposed to sustain chords which automatically brings down blood pressure.

6. Raga Malkauns – helps to cure low blood pressure.

7. Raga Bhairavi – Provides relief T.B, Cancer, Severe Cold, Phlegm, Sinus, toothache .

8. Raga Malhar – Useful in the treatment of asthma and sunstroke.

9. Raga Todi– Provides relief from cold and headache.

10. Raga Hindol & Marava – These ragas are useful in blood purification.

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

Raag Gara belongs to the Khammaj Thaat. Its Jati is Shadhav-Sampoorna, that is six notes in Aaroha (five notes except Rishab) and has all seven notes in Avaroha. The time for singing this raag is second part of morning. Khammaj Thaat’s pictorial description is sensuous and raagas derived from it have a certain degree of flirtatious mood about it. Listen to the song that I have selected for you and you will know what I mean.

Some of the songs composed in Raag Gara are:

The song Aise to naa dekho is from the 1965 Amarjeet movie Teen Devian starring Dev Anand with his three women: Simi Grewal, Kalpana and Nanda. The movie had remarkably beautiful songs penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by SD Burman: Are yaar meri tum bho ho gazab, Kahin bekhayal ho kar mujhe chhu liya kisine, Khwaab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat, and Likha hai teri aankhon mein.

Please enjoy in Raag Gara, Tal Kaherava: Aise to naa dekho ke hamako nasha ho jaaye….

Aise to na dekho, ke hamako nashaa ho jae
Khuubasuurat sii koI hamase Kataa ho jaae (2)
Aise to na dekho

Tum hame.n roko phir bhii ham naa ruke.n
Tum kaho kaafir phir bhii aise jhuke.n
Qadam-e-naaz pe ik sajadaa adaa ho jaaye
Aise to na dekho

Yuu.N na ho aa.Nkhe rahe.n kaajal ghole.n
Ba.Dh ke bekhudii ha.nsii.n gesuu khole.n
Khul ke phir zulfe.n siyaah kaalii balaa ho jaaye
Aise to na dekho

Ham to mastii me.n jaane kyaa kyaa kahe.n
Lab-e-naazuk se aisaa na ho tumhe.n
Beqaraarii kaa gilaa ham se sivaa ho jaaye
Aise to na dekho

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. On the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.
67. And today, on the sixty-seventh day, we learnt about the health benefits of raagas.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Kaise din beete kaise beeti ratiyan….
Raag Manj Khammaj, Tal Kaherava

This song is from the 1960 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Anuradha. The movie had songs composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar on the lyrics of Shailendra. So important was this raag to Pandit Ravi Shankar that he composed two of the five songs of the movie in this raag. All were sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Please listen to Pandit Ravi Shankar performing this raag live at Woodstock Festival:

Also, you may like to listen to his daughter Anoushka Shankar performing this raag:

I have given you enough songs in Khammaj Thaat. I have given you a song in Raag Khammaj, the basic raag of this thaat: O sajana barkha bahaar aayi (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #12‘).

We have completed sixty-five 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 sixty-fifth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #65‘ and the song was a Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1967 SN Tripathi movie Rani Roopmati starring Nirupa Roy and Bharat Bhushan: Aa laut ke aaja mere meet. It is in Raag Madhamat Sarang, Tal Kaherava.

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 III‘.

In the last sixty-five 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan, Gorakh Kalyan and Madhamat Sarang. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 54 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a song in a new raag Manj Khammaj. That makes it 55 raagas so far.

Today, I give you a song sung by Lata Mangeshkar on the lyrics of Shailendra and on a composition by Pandit Ravi Shankar. As I said, it is in Raag Manj Khammaj, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall have a look at the list of raagas in Hindustani Classical Music that have been taken up separately in Wikipedia. I am doing so only to satisfy your curiosity, especially of those who have commented that we seem to be having any number of raagas. The raagas that we have already taken up from this list in Wikipedia are in blue:

• Alhaiya Bilaval
• Amritvarshini
• Asa
• Asavari
• Bageshri
• Bahar
• Bairagi
• Bairari
• Barwa
• Bhairav
• Bhairavi
• Bhatiyar
• Bhimpalasi
• Bhinnashadaja
• Bhoopeshwari
• Bhopali
• Bhupal Todi
• Bibhas
• Bihag
• Bihagara
• Bilaskhani Todi
• Bilaval
• Brindavani Sarang
• Darbari Kanada
• Deepak (Poorvi Thaat)
• Desh
• Desi
• Dhanashree
• Durga
• Gauri
• Gond
• Gurjari
• Hameer
• Hem Bihag
• Hindol
• Jaijaivanti
• Jaitsri
• Jaunpuri
• Jhinjhoti
• Jog
• Jogiya
• Kafi
• Kalavati
• Kalyani
• Kedar
• Khammaj
• Kirwani
• Lalit
• Madhukali
• Madhuvanti
• Malgunji
• Malhar
• Malkaush
• Marva
• Megh
• Megh Malhar
• Multani
• Nat Bhairav
• Patdeep
• Pilu
• Puriya
• Puriya Dhanashree
• Purvi
• Rageshree
• Ramkali
• Sahana
• Sarpada
• Shankara
• Shivaranjani
• Shree
• Sindhu Bhairavi
• Sohni
• Sorath
• Suhi
• Todi
• Vasant
• Yaman
• Yaman Kalyan
• Zeelaf

You would notice that only 37 of the 55 raagas that we have taken up have been mentioned in the list. Also, that from the above list 42 raagas haven’t yet figured in our Raaga Based Songs Of the Day! And here is a clincher: the other raagas, not in the list of those in Wikipedia and belonging to Hindustani Classical Music are (once again I those that have been taken up here are in blue):

• Aarabi
• Abheri Todi
• Abhogi Kanada
• Achob
• Adambari Kedar
• Adana Bahar
• Adana Malhar
• Adbhut Kalyan
• Adbhut Ranjani
• Ahimohini
• Ahir Kanada
• Ahir Lalat
• Ahiri Malhar
• Ahiri Todi
• Alahiya Bilawal
• Alamgiri
• Amba Manohari
• Ambika Sarang
• Ananda Bhairav
• Ananda Malhar
• Anandi kedar
• Anandi
• Anjani Kalyan
• Anjani Todi
• Anuranjani
• Araj
• Arun Malhar
• Asa Bhairav
• Asa Mand
• Asa Todi
• Averi Bhairavi
• Badhamsa Sarang
• Bageshri Bahar
• Bageshri Kanada
• Bahaduri Todi
• Bairagi Bhairav
• Bairagi Todi
• Bakul Bhairav
• Bangal Bhairav
• Bangal Bilawal
• Barari (Marwa aang)
• Barari (Purvi aang)
• Barathi Todi
• Barhams Sarang
• Basant Bahar
• Basanta Mukhari
• Basanti Kanada
• Basanti Kauns
• Basanti Kedar
• Bayati
• Beehad Bhairav
• Bhairav Bahar
• Bhairav Bhatiyar
• Bhankhar
• Bhankhari
• Bhaskali
• Bhatiyar (Marwa aang)
• Bhatiyar (Purvi aang)
• Bhatiyari Bhairav
• Bhavmat Bhairav
• Bhavsakh
• Bhawani Bahar
• Bhawani
• Bhilalu
• Bhim (Kafi thaat)
• Bhinna Bhairav
• Bhinna Kauns
• Bhinna Lalat
• Bhinna Rageshri
• Bhinna Shadaja
• Bhoopal (Bhairavi thaat)
• Bhoopal Todi
• Bhup Bilawal
• Bhup Nat
• Bhupawali
• Bhupkali
• Bhuplai
• Bibhas (Marwa aang)
• Bibhas (Purvi aang)
• Bihagada (with N)
• Bihagada (with n, N)
• Bihari
• Bilaskhani todi
• Bilawal Malhar
• Bilawali
• Birju ki Malhar
• Chaiti Bhup
• Chakradhar
• Chalnat
• Champak bilawal
• Champak
• Champakali
• Chanchalsas Malhar
• Chandani Bihag
• Chandani Kalyan
• Chandani Kedar
• Chandra Bhairav
• Chandra Bhankar
• Chandrakauns (Agra Gharana)
• Chandrakauns (Bageshree aang)
• Chandrakauns
• Chandramouli
• Chandranandan
• Chandraprabha
• Charju ki Malhar
• Charukauns
• Charukeshi
• Chhaya bihag
• Chhaya Gaud Sarang
• Chhaya Hindol
• Chhaya Kalyan
• Chhaya Tilak
• Chhaya
• Chhayanat
• Dagori
• Dayabati
• Deepak (Bilawal Thaat)
• Deepak Kedar
• Deepawali
• Deepranjani
• Deosakh
• Desh Malhar
• Deshi Tilang
• Deshkar (Purvi aang)
• Deshkar
• Dev Gandhar (Jogia aang)
• Dev Gandhar
• Devaranjani
• Devata Bhairav
• Devgiri Bilawal
• Devkauns
• Dhan Basanti
• Dhanakoni Kalyan
• Dhanashri (Bhairavi aang)
• Dhanashri (Kafi aang)
• Dhanashri (Khamaj aang)
• Dhanawarchi Kalyan
• Dhani
• Dhanikauns
• Dhanya Dhaivat
• Dhulia Malhar
• Dhulia Sarang
• Dinka Shankara
• Dinki Puriya
• Durga (Khamaj thaat)
• Durga Kedar
• Durgeshwari 1
• Durgeshwari 2
• Enayatkhani Kanada
• Gagan Vihang
• Gandhari 1
• Gandhari 2
• Gandhari 3
• Gandhi Malhar
• Ganeshwari
• Gara Bageshri
• Gara Kanada
• Gara
• Gaud Bahar
• Gaud Bilawal
• Gaud Malhar
• Gaud Sarang
• Gaudgiri Bahar
• Gaudi Lalat
• Gauri (Bhairav thaat)
• Gauri (Kalingada aang) (2 M’s)
• Gauri (Marwa aang)
• Gauri Basant
• Gavati
• Gawati
• Gopika Basant
• Gorakh Kalyan
• Govardhani Todi
• Gujari Todi
• Guna Kalyan
• Gunakali (Bilawal thaat)
• Gunakali Jogia
• Gunakree
• Gunaranjani
• Gunji Kanada
• Gunjikauns
• Gurjari todi
• Guru Kalyan
• Gyankali
• Hamir Bahar
• Hamir Kalyan
• Hamir Kedar
• Hamir
• Hamiri Bilawal
• Hansanarayani (Purvi thaat)
• Hanskinkini
• Hansvinod
• Harikauns
• Haripriya
• Hem Bihag
• Hem Kalyan
• Hem Lalat
• Hem Nat
• Hemant
• Hijaj Bhairav
• Hindol Bahar
• Hindol Basant
• Hindol Hem
• Hindol Kalyan
• Hindol Pancham
• Hindolita
• Hussaini Kanada 1
• Hussaini Kanada 2
• Hussaini Kanada 2
• Hussani Bhairavi
• Imratkauns
• Indumati
• Jaijaiwanti
• Jaij Bilawal
• Jait Kalyan
• Jait
• Jaladhar Basanti
• Jaladhar Desa
• Jaladhar Kedar
• Janasammohini
• Jangla Purvi
• Jangula (Asavari aang)
• Jaunkali
• Jaunpuri Bahar
• Jaunpuri Todi
• Jayajawanti (Desh aang)
• Jayajawanti Kanada
• Jayajawanti Todi
• Jayajawanti
• Jayet
• Jetashree
• Jhanjh Malhar
• Jog Bahar
• Jogeshwari
• Jogi Bhairavi
• Jogi Mand
• Jogia Kalingada
• Jogia
• Jogiya Asavari
• Jogkauns
• Jogwanti
• Joun Bhairav
• Kabir Bhairav 1
• Kabir Bhairav 2
• Kafi Bahar
• Kafi Kanada
• Kafi Malhar
• Kalahans
• Kalaranjani
• Kalashree
• Kalawati
• Kalingada
• Kamal Shree
• Kamalaranjani
• Kameshwari
• Kamod Nat
• Kamod
• Kamodwanti
• Kanada Bahar
• Kapar Gauri
• Kedar Bahar
• Kedar Bhairav
• Kedar Bhankar
• Kedar Mand
• Kedar Nand
• Kesari Kalyan
• Khamaj Bahar
• Khambavati
• Khammaji Bhatiyar
• Khat Dhanashree
• Khat Todi
• Khat
• Khem Kalyan
• Khemb
• Khemdhwan
• Khokar
• Kiranranjani
• Klawanti
• Komal Bageshri
• Lachari Todi
• Lachchasakh
• Lagan Gandhar
• Lajwanti
• Lakshmi Todi
• Lalat Bahar
• Lalat Pancham
• Lalat
• Lalit Bhatiyar
• Lalit Bilas
• Lalita Gauri (Bhairava aang)
• Lalita Sohani
• Lalitdhwani
• Lalitkali
• Lankeshri 1
• Lankeshri 2
• Lankeshri Kanada
• Lankeshwari
• Lom
• Madha Kalyan
• Madhukauns
• Madhasuraja
• Madhu Basant
• Madhu Kalyan
• Madhu Malhar
• Madhu Sarang
• Madhu Saraswati
• Madhukauns
• Madhumadh Sarang
• Madhumalati
• Madhuranjani
• Madhusurawali
• Madhyamad Sarang
• Malagunji
• Malashree
• Malati Basant
• Malati Bihag
• Malati
• Malava
• Malavi (Marwa thaat)
• Malavi (Purvi thaat)
• Malawa Bihag
• Malawati
• Malayalam
• Maligaura (d)
• Maligaura (d, D)
• Malini Basant
• Malkauns Bahar
• Malkauns Pancham
• Maluha Bihag
• Maluha Kalyan
• Maluha Kedar
• Maluha Mand
• Manavi
• Mand Bhairav
• Mand Bhatiyar
• Mand
• Mangal Bhairav 1
• Mangal Bhairav 2
• Mangal Todi
• Mangaldhwani
• Mangalgujari
• Mangiya Bhusan
• Manjari Bihag
• Manjari
• Marga Bihag
• Maru Basant
• Maru Bihag
• Maru Kalyan
• Maru Khamaj
• Maru Sarang
• Marwa Shree
• Medhavi
• Meghranji
• Mehkali
• Mirabai ki Malhar
• Miyan ki Malhar
• Miyan ki Todi
• Mohankauns
• Motaki
• MotakiTodi
• Mrig Savani
• Mudrika Kanada
• Multani dhanashree
• Nagaswaravali
• Nanad
• Nanak Malhar
• Nand Basant
• Nand Kauns
• Nand
• Narayani
• Nat Bihag
• Nat Bilawal
• Nat Kamod
• Nat Kedar
• Nat nagari
• Natachandra
• Natahams
• Natnarayani 1
• Natnarayani 2
• Nayaki Kanada
• Neelambari
• Nindiyari
• Niranjani Todi
• Pahadi
• Palas Kafi
• Palasi
• Pancham (Basant aang)
• Pancham (Hindol aang)
• Pancham Malkauns
• Pancham se Gara
• Pancham
• Paraj Basant
• Paraj Kalingada
• Paraj
• Parameshwari
• Pat Bihag
• Pat Kafi
• Pat Ranjani
• Patdeepak
• Patmanjari 2
• Patmanjari 3 (Talwandi Gharana)
• Phulashree
• Poorbya
• Prabhakali
• Prabhat Bhairav
• Prabhateshwari
• Pradeepaki
• Pratapvarali
• Priya Kalyan
• Purabi Kalyan
• Purva (Purvi thaat)
• Purva Kalyan
• Purvi Bihag
• Rageshri Bahar
• Rageshri Kanada
• Rageshri Kauns
• Rahi
• Raja Kalyan
• Rajani Kalyan
• Ram Gauri
• Ram Kalyan
• Ramdasi Malhar
• Ramsakh
• Rangeshwari
• Rasia
• Rasranjani Rasavati
• Rati Bhairav
• Rayasa Kanada
• Rewa (Purvi aang)
• Rupawati Kalyan
• Rupkali
• Rupmanjari Malhar
• Sagera
• Sagunaranjani
• Saheli todi
• Saindhavi
• Sajan
• Salagvarali
• Salang Sarang
• Samanta Sarang
• Sampurna Bageshri
• Sampurna Hindol
• Sampurna Kedar
• Sampurna Malkauns
• Sandhya Shree
• Sanjani
• Sanjh Barari
• Sanjh Sarawali
• Sanjh Tarini
• Sanjh
• Santuri Todi
• Sar Nat
• Sarang Kauns
• Saraswati Kalyan
• Saraswati
• Savani 1
• Savani 2
• Savani Barwa
• Savani Bhatiyar
• Savani Bihag
• Savani Bilawal
• Savani Kalyan
• Savani Nat
• Saveri Todi
• Sazgiri
• Sehra by Sultan Khan
• Shahana Bahar
• Shamvati
• Shankara Bihag
• Shankara Kalyan
• Sharada
• Shiv Abhogi
• Shiv Kauns
• Shivmat Bhairav
• Shivranjani
• Shobhavari
• Shree Kalyan 1
• Shree Kalyan 2
• Shreetanki
• Shuddha Barari
• Shuddha Basant
• Shuddha Bhairavi
• Shuddha Bihag
• Shuddha Dhanashree
• Shuddha Kalyan
• Shuddha Kedar
• Shuddha Lalat
• Shuddha Malhar (Bilawal thaat)
• Shuddha Malu
• Shuddha Nat
• Shuddha Sarang
• Shuddha Shyam
• Shukla Bilawal
• Shyam Kalyan 1
• Shyam Kalyan 2
• Shyam Kalyan
• Shyam Kauns
• Shyam Kedar
• Shyam Sarang
• Shyam Shree
• Simhendramadhyam
• Sindhura Bahar
• Sindhura Kafi
• Sindhura
• Sohani Bhatiyar
• Sohani Pancham
• Sorath Malhar
• Sourashtra
• Shuddha Bahar
• Sugandh
• Sugharai
• Suha Adana
• Suha Kanada
• Suha Malhar
• Suha Sughrai
• Suha Todi
• Suha
• Sujani Malhar
• Sukhiya Bilawal
• Sukul Bilawal
• Sur Malhar
• Swanandi
• Swarparda
• Tanseni Madhuwanti
• Tilak Bihag
• Tilak Des
• Tilak Kedar
• Tilak Shyam
• Tirbhukti
• Triveni Gauri
• Triveni
• Utari Gunakali
• Vasanta Carnatic
• Vibhas
• Vibhavari
• Vihang
• Vijayaranjani
• Vikram bhairav
• Vinod
• Virat Bhairav
• Viyogvarali
• Vrindavani Sarang
• Vyjayanti
• Yamani Basant
• Yamani Bilawal
• Yamani Hindol
• Zeelaf (Bhairav aang)

Now, you know, how difficult it would be to get to the end of this list. Also, now you would know how difficult it must have been for Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande to include most of these in just Ten Thaats!

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

Raag Manj Khammaj belongs to the Khammaj Thaat. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampoorna, that is it is heptatonic in Aaroha (five notes except Rishad and Pancham) and has all seven notes in Avaroha. The time for singing this raag is midnight. In Manj Khammaj, Ma assumes dominance and acts as the tonic. Manj Khammaj is a raaga of recent origin, reported to have been created by Sarod maestro Allauddin Khan. And now, you will appreciate the picture of Lata Mangeshkar with Pt. Ravi Shankar that I selected for you in the beginning of the article: the picture shows Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan to extreme left. He was Ustaad Allauddin Khan’s son. The mood of the raaga is to wonder at the unpredictable nature of the world.

Two other Hindi films songs composed in this raag are: Jaane kaise sapno mein kho gayi akhiyan from the same movie Anuradha and Kanha aan padi re tere dwar from Shagird. Both songs are in Kaherava Tal.

The song Kaise din beete kaise beeti ratiyan is from the 1960 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Anuradha starring Leela Naidu in the title role with Balraj Sahni.  The movie had another four beautiful songs also penned by Shailendra and composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar and sung by Lata Mangeshkar: Samaa albela din hain milan ke (with Mahendra Kapoor, Manna Dey and chorus), Haay re vo din kyun na aaye, Jaane kaise sapano mein kho gayi akhiyan, and Saanvre Saanvre. Jaane kaise sapano mein kho gayi akhiyan also is in Raag Manj Khammaj

Please enjoy in Raag Manj Khammaj, Tal Kaherava: Kaise din beete kaise beeti ratiyan….

Ha~~ay~
Kaise din biite kaise biitii ratiyaa
Piyaa jaane na
Haay

Nehaa lagaa ke mai.n pachhataa_ii
Saarii saarii rainaa nindiyaa na aa_ii
Jaan ke dekho mere jii kii batiyaa
Piyaa jaane na
Haay
Kaise din biite kaise biitii ratiyaa
Piyaa jaane na

Rut matavaalii aa ke chalii jaaye
Man me.n hii mere man kii rahii jaaye
Khilane ko tarase nanhii nanhii kaliyaa.N
Piyaa jaane na
Haay
Kaise din biite kaise biitii ratiyaa
Piyaa jaane na

Kajaraa na sohe gajaraa na sohe
Barakhaa na bhaaye badaraa na sohe
Kyaa kahuu.N jo puuchhe mose morii sakhiyaa.N
Piyaa jaane na
Haay
Kaise din biite kaise biitii ratiyaa
Piya jaane na

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. On the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.
66. And today, on the sixty-sixth day, we looked at a list of Raagas in Hindustani Classical Music.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Aa laut ke aaja mere meet….
Raag Madhmat Sarang, Tal Kaherava

Just like Raag Kalyan, Raag Sarang has many variations. The first time I gave you a song in Raag Sarang was on the 9th day when I gave you a Shakeel Badayuni – Naushad Ali creation for the the 1966 movie Dil Diya Dard Liya: Sawan aaye ya na aaye (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #9‘). Then I gave you an all-time favourite of mine penned by Shailendra: Kuchh aur zamaana kehta hai in Raag Gaur Sarang (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #34‘).

Today I shall give you a song in Raag Madhmat Sarang, Tal Kaherava.

In my mind I have a long association with this song. During my childhood, when my family used to visit my maternal grandparents’ house in Punjab, from my dad’s duty station Mandi in Himachal, this song, amongst others, used to play on their Murphy radio kept in a large hall that served as sitting toom cum drawing-room. It nearly won the Binaca Geetmala that year but Haal kaisa ha janaab ka from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi edged it out. In any case, just two years ago, song’s composer SN Tripathi had Binaca Geetmala bugle blowing for his: Zara saamne to aa o chhaliye.

Many years later, during my Higher Command Course with the Army at Mhow, near Indore in Madhya Pradesh, we visited Rani Roopmati’s palace at Mandu and the first thing that I did was to recall this song. I think Bharat Vyas, the lyricist, SN Triapthi, the composer, and Mukesh and Lata as singers made it into one of the immortal songs of that era.

We have completed sixty-four 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 sixty-fourth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #64‘ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1967 Mahesh Kaul and SU Sunny movie Palki starring Rajendra Kumar and Waheeda Rehman: Dil ki kashti bhanwar mein aayi hai. It is in Raag Gorakh Kalyan, Tal Kaherava.

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 sixty-four 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati, Shyam Kalyan and Gorakh Kalyan. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 52 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a song in a new raag Madhmat Sarang. That makes it 54 raagas so far.

Today, I give you a song sung by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar separately on the lyrics of Bharat Vyas and on a composition by SN Tripathi. As I said, it is in Raag Madhmat Sarang, Tal Kaherava.

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

Nothing describes the dedication that is required for honing vocal as well as instrument skill for Indian Classical Music than the Carnatic equivalent of Riyaaz: Sadhana or Sadhakam. Riyaaz or Riyaz is an Urdu term that roughly translates to this dedication or discipline in Hindustani Classical Music. You would have heard of Ghazal Singers such as Mehdi Hassan doing Riyaaz throughout the night in order to get their bandish right by morning. This is despite the fact that they were and are accomplished vocalists. Now you can imagine how much Riyaaz would be required by the students. Similar Riyaaz is required even for dance forms.

Riyaaz is indeed the bedrock of Guru-Shishya parampara until the skills of the Guru are completely imparted to the Shishya. The English tenet practice makes a man perfect is the thought behind Riyaaz. However, Riyaaz or Sadhana had been in vogue much before the English discovered their tenet.

So then, does Riyaaz translate to Practice, Far from it. An exponent Omkar Singh explains:

“Throughout my musical journey, riyaaz was a critical and important aspect towards its growth, nurturing and development.  Loosely translated, riyaaz is to create discipline with vocal/instrumental music through its daily practice and repetition.  Think of it as the act of rehearsing over and over for the purpose of mastering it, as in the phrase “practice makes perfect”.  Sure, I could agree with this when it comes to competitive sporting events where teams diligently practice their strategies, physical endurance exercises etc. so as to prepare themselves for the “big game”.  The odds are that a team that work’s as a unit and has given 100% day in and day out at practices, put themselves in a position likely to become victorious.  I believe music is entirely different.  Indeed, through daily riyaaz, one’s voice matures, becomes more refined, sophisticated, smooth, gentle, on “sur” (perfect pitch and tonality).  However, instead of saying “practice makes perfect”, in the context of the musical journey, “riyaaz makes one surrender”.  In essence, you learn about your imperfections, you are brought to your realm of humbleness.  It is through this humility that one is able to carry the momentum of riyaaz throughout their lifetime.   I am reminded of this humility by one of my early teacher’s.  His name was Giani Bishambar Das.  A legendary musician and composer who was known all over the world through his unique compositions.   Yet, no one seemed to know about this gentle man as for him, music was the ultimate expression and “prayer”.  He felt that “riyaaz” was his “true” audience and riyaaz was the instrument.  He did not seek the limelight although it seeked him whereever he travelled.  He was very humbling to my growth as a musician.  I have fond memories of having to practice a composition literally 100 times before he would let me perform it in front of a sangat or audience.  His common response was always, “Onkar, it could be better, you could have sung it with a little more feeling, expression, emotion”.  I am indebted to his brilliant way of teaching me the art of riyaaz.”

Indeed, that comment above, also is a pointer towards how Indian classical music itself is so different from the Western concept.

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

Raag Madhmat Sarang is also called Madhmad, Madhmati or Madhumadhavi Sarang. It is a raag of Kafi Thaat. Its Jati is Audhav-Audhav, that is, five notes each in Aaroha and Avroha (Gandhar and Dhaivat are Varjya (absent), Nishad is Komal. Rest all are Shuddha). It is a raaga of Early Afternoon. Indeed, all raagas of Sarang are early afternoon raagas. Being of Kafi Thaat, these have roots in folk music.

Madhmad Sarang is as sweet and playful as all the other members of the Sarang clan. As compared to Brindavani Sarang, of whose song I gave you earlier, which uses the shuddha nishadh in the ascent and the komal nishadh in descent, Madhmad uses only the komal nishadh. The hallmark of any Sarang is the rock steady and unattached shuddha rishabh (no kan permitted), which is the vaadi. The komal nishadh in Madhmad gives that extra shade of pathos.

Note that Raag Megh has exactly the same notes as Sarang, but differs vastly in its swar lagav. In Megh, Re has no independent existence. Also nishadh has that characteristic Malhar application.

Salil Chowdhury’s composition for the 1958 Bimal Roy movie Madhumati: Chadd gayo paapi bichhua sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey, on the lyrics of Shailendra, is another fine example of Raag Madhamat Sarang, though that is in Tal Dadra.

The song Aa laut ke aaja mere meet is from the 1967 SN Tripathi (yes, the music director actually directed the movie too) movie Rani Roopmati that starred Nirupa Roy in the title role and Bharat Bhushan as baz Bahadur Khan her lover. The movie had another beautiful song also penned by Bharat Vyas and composed by SN Tripathi and sung by Mohammad Rafi: Baat chalat nai chunari rang daari. Of course, that is in Raag Bhairavi, Tintal.

Please enjoy in Raag Madhmat Sarang, Tal Kaherava: Aa laut ke aaja mere meet….

Aa lauT ke aajaa mere miit tujhe mere giit bulaate hai.n
Meraa suunaa pa.Daa re sa.ngiit tujhe mere giit bulaate hai.n

Barase gagan mere barase nayan dekho tarase hai man ab to aajaa
Shiital pavan ye lagaae agan
O sajan ab to mukha.Daa dikhaa jaa
Tuune bhalii re nibhaaii priit
Tuune bhalii re nibhaaii priit tujhe mere giit bulaate hai.n
Aa lauT…

Ek pal hai ha.Nsanaa ek pal hai ronaa kaisaa hai jiivan kaa khelaa
Ek pal hai milanaa ek pal bichha.Danaa
Duniyaa hai do din kaa melaa
Ye gha.Dii na jaae biit
Ye gha.Dii na jaae biit tujhe mere giit bulaate hai.n
Aa lauT…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyIVG9SM46Y

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. On the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.
65. And today, on the sixty-fifth day, we learnt about Riyaaz.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Dil ki kashti bhanwar mein aayi hai….
Raag Gorakh Kalyan, Tal Kaherava

For the last two days I have been trying to cover up for not having given you adequate songs in Raag Kalyan and its variations. With yesterday’s song in Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra, I have given you now three songs in Raag Kalyan: I had given you a song in Raag Kalyan earlier on the 14th day (Lagta nahin ahai dil mera ujade dayaar mein) (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #14‘). However, the entire song was in Alaap and hence didn’t have a Tal. Then I had given you a song in Raag Shuddha Kalyan (Tal Kaherava): Rasik balma; being my #1 favourite of Lata Mangeshkar (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #33‘). Yesterday I gave you a song in Shyam Kalyan: Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman (Tal Dadra).

Today’s song’s raaga has Kalyan only in the name and bears no resemblance to Kalyan raaga or thaat. It is in Raag Gorakh Kalyan, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has many posts on the Lyricist – Music Director combination of Shakeel Badayuni with Naushad Ali. I consider them the best pair that Hindi movie songs ever saw. Today’s song is from their 1967 movie Palki and the song was sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

We have completed sixty-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 sixty-third post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #63‘ and the song was a Mukesh song from the 1961 Pramod Chakravorty movie Sanjog starring Pradeep Kumar and Anita Guha: Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao. It is in Raag Kalyan, 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 – Raaga Darbari Kanada – Part I‘.

In the last sixty-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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati and Shyam Kalyan. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 52 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a song in a new raag Gorakh Kalyan. That makes it 53 raagas so far.

Today, I give you a song sung by Lata Mangeshkar on the lyrics of Shakeel Badayuni and on a composition by Naushad. As I said, it is in Raag Gorakh Kalyan, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about the evolution of musical instruments in India from ancient times (Please read this in conjunction with the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments that I had put up three days ago (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #61‘).

Musical Instruments are a major part of music making in all forms of music including Indian music. Over a period of time, both in classical and folk music, varied instruments were developed. Lets have a look at them down the ages.

Vedic Music (2500 BC – 1000 BC)

Vedic literature refers to various types of musical instruments. The bow-shaped Veena with many varieties such as Godhaa, Vakraa, Alabu, Kapishirsha Veena are mentioned in Vedic texts. Other stringed instruments were Aaghaati or Kaand Veena (like todays Ektari), Gargar (like harp) and Waan (hundred string lute). The Dundubhi (drum), Bhoo-Dundubhi (earthern drum) and Talav (single drum) were percussion instruments; and Venu (flute), Tunav (like a war trumpet Tutaari), Naali (metal flute), Bakur (two piped flute), Karadhuni (conch attached to flute) were blowing instruments during Vedic period.
In the epics, Buddhist & Jain sources, many musical instruments are mentioned such as – The percussion instruments mentioned are Marduk, Dardur, Mridang, Dindim, Panaw, Anak, Adambar. Cymbals such as Patah & Zarzar are mentioned in Panini’s grammar text. The string instruments – Veena, Gargar. Blowing instruments – Venu, Vamshi, Tunaw, Shankha, Bheri.

Natya Shastra (3th century AD)

By the time of NatyaShastra, there was much development in instruments; naturally NatyaShastra mentions several musical instruments and the way they should be played. It classifies musical instruments in to four categories –

(1) Tata (lutes)

(2) Sushira (flute)

(3) Ghana (cymbals or solid bodied isntruments)

(4) Awanadhha (drums).

This classification given by Bharat became a role model of further studies and classification of instruments and which is actually valid till date.
String instruments – Chitra (seven stringed lute), Vipanchi (nine stringed lute), Ghoshaa (prototype of Tanpura) & Kachhapi Veena.
Blowing instruments – Vamsha and Venu (bamboo flutes), Shankha (coanch), Tundakini and Tutari (war trumpets),
Percussion instruments – Mridanga, Dardur, TriPushkar, Dundubhi, Panav, Dindim, Duff, Zallari.
Solid bodied instruments – Taal, Patah, Ghanta – these instruments were used to keep rhythm with showing Sam & Kaal divisions of Taal.
One can see many of these instruments in paintings in Ajanta caves & sculptures at Ellora, Sanchi, etc.

Sangeet Ratnakar (13th century AD)

In the sixth chapter ‘Waadyadhyaay’ of Sangeet Ratnakar, Sharangdeva gives explanation of classification of instruments into four categories, manufacturing and playing techniques of instruments, as following –
String instruments – Ekatantri (single stringed instrument, todays Ekatari), Tritantrika (three strings), Jantra, MattaKokila (21 stringed lute, todays Swar Mandal), Alapini Veena (a drone instruments resembling to Tanpura), Kinnari Veena (Veena with three drones), Chitra (seven stringed lute), Vipanchi (nine stringed lute), RavanHasta (todays Ravanhathha or Koka).
Blowing instruments – Venu (9 inch long and thumb shaped bamboo flute with seven holes for producing note) and Vamsha, Pawa, Murali (bamboo flutes), Kahala (metal flute), Shankha (coach), Shring, Madhukari (Horns), Tundakini and Tutari (war trumpets)
Percussion instruments – Mardal, Dundubhi, Tumbaki, Ghat, Mridanga, Dardur. There is a mention of many folk percussion instruments such as Hudukka, Kudukka, Selluka, Dhakka, Runja, Damaruk.
Solid bodied instruments – Taal, Patah, Ghanta, Kshudra Ghantika, Jaya Ghanta, Patta, Shukti. The dancer’s anklets (ghungru) were called as ‘Ghargharikaa’.

Medieval Period & Modern Period

In the last seven centuries, there is much addition and replacements in instruments due to a vast change in performing tradition and techniques.
String instruments – There are many stringed instruments to which one can classify in different categories, such as instruments to play with bow or pluck, instruments having frets and fretless ones, instruments with skins or wooden sound post, instruments having resonating strings, etc. Tanpura became an essential drone instrument with emergence of Dhrupad and Khayal to provide base note to singer.

The ancient Veena was replaced with Been or RudraVeena with two drones and frets. There are other instruments similar to Been such as VichitraVeena, Gotaa Been, etc. Sitar, SurBahar, Kachhawa belong to a family of string instruments which have frets and played in solo style. The development of Sitar was a major phenomenon in 19th cent which made a change in instrumental styles or Gatkari formats (Alap-Jod-Jhala, Masitkhani Gat, Razakhani Gat, Tant Ang and Gayaki Ang playing).

Sarangi originated from folk music, became an important accompanying instrument by the rise of Khayal & Thumari. Solo concert status was given to Sarangi by Bundu Khan and Ram Narayan. Other instruments in the family of Sarangi are Kamaicha, Sarinda, Chikara, Ravanhathha. With combination of Sitar and Sarangi, the instruments like Dilruba, Israj, Taus, and Taar Shehnai were made.

Rabab was modified into Sarod which became a prominent solo instrument under Wazir Khan, Allauddin Khan, Hafiz Ahmed Khan, Amjad Ali Khan. SurSingar was invented with combination of Sarangi, Sarod and Sitar by Ust Allauddin Khan.

The western violin was adapted in Indian music in last century and was popularized by Pt Gajananbuwa Joshi, V G Jog, N. Rajam & D K Datar. One can find similar instruments such as Ravanhathha, Penna, Banam in folk music of India. SwarMandal or Kanun was used for tonal support while singing. Ekatari, Tuntune, Gopichand, Tingri, Anand Lahari are the single stringed instruments basically used to maintain tempo rather than providing base note.
Santoor became very popular under propagation by Pt. Shivkumar Sharma.
Along with development of this wide spectrum of stringed instruments Gharanas/Baaj of playing also developed such as Seniya/Maihar Gharana (Ust Allauddin Khan, Ust Ali Akbar Khan, Pt Ravi Shankar, Pt. Nikhil Banerji), Itawa/Gauripur Gharana (Vilayat Khan, Imrat Khan, Shahid Parvez), Jafferkhani Baaj (Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan), etc.

Blowing instruments – Many varieties of flutes were made such as Bansuri, Venu, Pawa, Pawari, Murali (bamboo flutes). Shehnai, NaagSwaram, Sundri are blowing instruments with reeds. Pungi, Shing, Kahal, Karna, Shankha, Tutari are some folk instruments in blowing category. Ust. Bismillah Khan, Pt. Pannalal Ghosh and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia gave concert status to Shehnai and Bansuri. Harmonium or Samvadini was derived from European church Organ and from last hundred years, it has become a main accompanying instrument for Indian music. Many Harmonium players such as Govindrao Tembe, Vithhalrao Korgaonkar, P. Madhukar, Govindrao Patwardhan, Manohar Chimote, Dr. Arawind Thatte, etc have cultivated solo playing technique and given concert status to Harmonium. (Though Harmonium is classified under key-board instruments in western music, in Indian music is falls in the category of blowing instruments because the basic sound production of Harmonium depends on air blow.)

Percussion instruments – Pakhawaj or Mridang became important percussion instruments in Dhrupad genre and Tabla were a chief instrument for Khayal genre. One can find other percussion instruments such as Khol, Dhol, Dholak, Dholaki, Sambal, Halgi, Duff, Nagara, and Tasha in folk music and Khanjira, Ghatam, Mardal, Edakka, Timil in south Indian music. Due to advent of Tabla as a solo instrument, there was emergence of many Gharanas such as Lucknow, Delhi, Benaras, Fariqabad, Ajrada etc. One can easily make a list of dozens of celebrated Tabla and Pakhawaj players in yester century, to name a few, Thirkawa, Amir Hussain Khan, Samta Prasad, Kishen Maharaj, Allarakha & Zakir Hussain, etc.

Solid bodied instruments – Taal, Morchang, Zanza, Manjira, Kartaal, Chimta, Khulkhula, Ghanta, Nupur.

There is a group of ‘Tarang’ instruments which are hybrid instruments, such as Jal-Tarang, Tabla-Tarang, Kaashtha-Tarang, Kaach-Tarang, Patti-Tarang.
Earlier there was an idiom that stated ‘Uttam Gana, Madhyam Bajana, Kanishta Nachanaa’ (vocal music is supreme, instrumental is secondary and dancing is lower form of art). But in the modern age, with concept in music been analyzed with rationality and equality, this hierarchy is outdated and all three forms of art under music are given equal status. So, in modern times, instrumental music also have flourished to a pinnacle.

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

Raag Gorakh Kalyan is not even associated with Kalyan Thaat in Bhatkhande’s syestem of raagas. The Kalyan in its name is misleading since it contains not the slightest trace of the Kalyan raag or thaat. Some suggest, perhaps apocryphally, that it is named in honour of Sant Gorakhnath. Raag Gorakh Kalyan, on the other hand, belongs to Khammaj Thaat. Its Jati is Surtar-Audhav, that is, only four notes (Swar) in Aaroha (Gandhar, Pancham  and Nishad Varjya) and five notes in Avroha (Gandhar and Pancham Vrajya). All are shuddha notes except Nishad in Avroha, which is Komal. It is sung during the second prahar of the night, that is, between 9 PM and midnight. Belonging to Khammaj thaat, Raag Gorakh Kalyan is indeed a very sweet melody. It is possible to get shades of raag Durga and Bageshri in Gorakh Kalyan. However inclusion of komal Ni and restricted use of Pa in Gorakh Kalyan helps to keep its identity distinct from both these raagas.

I do not know of any other Hindi films songs composed in raag Gorakh Kalyan. We could expect this from Naushad since the credit for introducing raaga based songs in Hindi movies goes to him.

The song Dil ki kashti bhanwar mein aayi hai is from the 1967 Mahesh Kaul and SU Sunny movie Palki that starred Rajendra Kumar and Waheeda Rehman. The movie had some very beautiful songs penned by Shakeel Badayuni and composed by Naushad such as: Dil-e-betaab ko seene se lagaana hoga, Kal raat zindagi se mulaqaat ho gayi, and Jaane waale tera khuda haafiz.

This song as a fervent appeal to Khuda would remind you of another one from Mughal-e-Azam, also sung by Lata Mangeshkar when Anarkali was chained and put in a dungeon by Emperor Akbar for the crime of being in love with Prince Salim: Beqas pe karm keejiye sarkar-e-madina.

Please enjoy in Raag Gorakh Kalyan, Tal Kaherava: Dil ki kashti bhanwar mein aayi hai….

(Note: The expression “Kamali wale teri duhayi hai” refers to Prophet Mohammad. ‘Kamali’ means a blanket and Prophet Mohammad was to be found in a black blanket; hence sometimes, he is referred to as ‘Kali kamali wale’)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKoqeorgleU

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. On the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.
64. And today, on the sixty-fourth day, we learnt about evolution of musical instruments in India down the ages.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao….
Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra

Yesterday, I brought out that I hadn’t even given you a proper (melodic) song in this favourite raag of beginners in Indian Classical Music as well as favourite with Hindi films music directors. I had brought out that I had given you a song in Raag Kalyan earlier on the 14th day (Lagta nahin ahai dil mera ujade dayaar mein) (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #14‘). However, the entire song was in Alaap and hence didn’t have a Tal. Of course, I missed telliing you about having given you a song in Raag Shuddha Kalyan (Tal Kaherava): Rasik balma; being my #1 favourite of Lata Mangeshkar (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #33‘). Hence, with yesterday’s song in Shyam Kalyan, we have had three songs in Raag Kalyan and its variations so far: Lagta nahin hai dil mera (Alaap), Rasik Balma (Tal Kaherava) and Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman (Tal Dadra).

Today lets make up for not having given you a song in Raag Kalyan, the basic raag of Kalyan Thaat. It is in Tal Dadra.

Despite the fact that Madan Mohan‘s first recorded song, in the 1950 movie Aankhen, was sung by Mukesh: Preet lagake maine, Madan Mohan and Mukesh, in 25 years, recorded only nine songs together and were together in just five movies: Aankhen (1950), Samundar (1957), Duniya Na Mane (1959), Sanjog (1961), and Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963). In Sanjog, Madan Mohan gave Mukesh one of the finest song that the latter is rememberd by and I am giving you that today.

We have completed sixty-two 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 sixty-second post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #62‘ and the song was a Kishore Kumar song from the 1978 Sunil Dutt movie Dard Ka Rishta starring Sunil Dutt, Smita Patil, Reena Roy and Ashok Kumar: Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai. It is in Shyam Kalyan, 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 – Raaga Bhimpalasi – Part II‘.

In the last sixty-two 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati and Shyam Kalyan. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 52 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a song in a new raag Kalyan. It appears to be repeat; however, last time I had given the song in Alaap only.

Today, I give you a song sung by Mukesh on the lyrics of Rajendra Krishan and on a composition by Madan Mohan. As I said, it is in Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Natya Shastra since I have referred to this ancient treatise a number of times.

Natya Shastra, written in Sanskrit by the sage Bharat Muni, in the years 200 BC to 200 CE, is the oldest surviving document on performing arts in the world. The word ‘surviving’ is used to convey the fact that Natya Shastra was based on a still older document called Natya Sutra but the latter didn’t survive.

Music is just one of the wide range of topics discussed in Natya Shastra. There are 36 chapters containing 6000 poetic verses describing performance arts. The subjects covered by include dramatic composition, structure of a play and the construction of a stage to host it, genres of acting, body movements, make up and costumes, role and goals of an art director, the musical scales, musical instruments and the integration of music with art performance. There is, as far as music is concerned, a detailed analysis of musical scales and movements (murchhanas). As far as dance is concerned, there is an analysis of dance forms that considers several categories of body movements and their effect on the viewer. The ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ posits that drama originated because of the conflicts that arose in society when the world declined from the Golden Age (Kŗta Yuga) of harmony, and therefore a drama always represents a conflict and its resolution.

Bharata’s theory of drama refers to bhavas, the imitations of emotions that the actors perform, and the rasas (emotional responses) that they inspire in the audience. The eight basic bhavas (emotions) are: love, humor, energy, anger, fear, grief, disgust and astonishment. In observing and imagining these emotions, the audience experiences eight principal responses, or rasas: love, pity, anger, disgust, heroism, awe, terror and comedy. The text contains a set of precepts on the writing and performance of dance, music and theater, and while it primarily deals with stagecraft, it has influenced Indian music, dance, sculpture, painting and literature as well. Thus, the Natya Shastra is considered the foundation of the fine arts in India.

After the Samaveda that dealt with ritual utterances of the Vedas, the ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ is the first major text that deals with music at length. It is considered the defining treatise of Indian Classical Music until the thirteenth century, when the stream bifurcated into Hindustani classical music in North India and Pakistan, and Carnatic classical music in South India.

While much of the discussion of music in the ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ focuses on musical instruments, it also emphasizes several theoretical aspects that remained fundamental to Indian music:

1. Establishment of Shadja as the first, defining note of the scale or grama. The word Shadja (षड्ज) means ‘giving birth to six’, and refers to the fact that once this note (often referred to as “sa” and notated S) is fixed, the placement of other notes in the scale is determined.

2. Principle of Consonance: Consists of two principles:

a. The first principle states that there exists a fundamental note in the musical scale which is Avinashi (अविनाशी) and Avilopi (अविलोपी) that is, the note is ever-present and unchanging.

b. The second principle, often treated as law, states that there exists a natural consonance between notes; the best between Shadja and Tar Shadja, the next best between Shadja and Pancham.

3. The ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ also suggest the notion of musical modes or jatis, which are the origin of the concept of the modern melodic structures known as ragas. Their role in invoking emotions is emphasized; compositions emphasizing the notes gandhara or rishabha are said to be related to tragedy (karuna rasa), and rishabha is to be emphasized for evoking heroism (vira rasa). Jatis are elaborated in greater detail in the text Dattilam, composed around the same time as the ‘‘Natya Shastra.’’

Raag Kalyan is the basic raaga of Kalyan Thaat. Its Jati is Sampurna-Sampurna, that is, all seven notes in Aaroha and all seven notes in Avaroha.  All the scale notes (called swaras) in the raga are Shuddha, the exception being Teevra Madhyam or prati madhyamam. It is sung during the first prahar of the night, that is, between  6 to 9 PM. Raag Kalyan of Hindustani Music is also known as Raag Yaman in Carnatic Music; however, Raag Yaman Kalyan is a totally different raag. Considered to be one of the most fundamental ragas in the Hindustani Classical tradition, it is thus often one of the first ragas taught to students.

Some of the Hindi films songs composed in raag Shyam Kalyan are:

The song Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao is from the 1961 Pramod Chakravorty movie Sanjog that starred Pradeep Kumar and Anita Guha.

The song was penned by Rajendra Krishan and composed by Madan Mohan (Kohli). It was sung by Mukesh, one of the nine of Madan Mohan songs that he sang in 25 years.

Please enjoy in Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra: Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao….

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
63. And today, on the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai….
Raag Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra

None of you noticed it, but I haven’t given you a proper (melodic) song, so far in Raag Kalyan or any of its variations. I had given you a song in Raag Kalyan earlier on the 14th day (Lagta nahin ahai dil mera ujade dayaar mein) (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #14‘). However, the entire song was in Alaap and hence didn’t have a Tal. I am going to give you, songs in Raag Kalyan and its variations in the next few days.

Today’s song is in Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

Kishore Kumar has sung some of his best songs composed by Rahul Dev Burman and this is one of them. Some of their best songs are: Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahin, Chingari koi bhadake, Rimjhim gire sawan, Mere sapno ki rani, Mere naina sawan bhadon, Ye shaam mastani, Kuchh to log kahenge, Sagar kinare, ham dono do premi, and one of my favourites: Tum bin jaayun kahan. It would be correct to say that RD Burman brought out the best in Kishore Kumar.

We have completed sixty-one 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 sixty-first post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #61‘ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1963 V Shantaram movie Sehra starring Sandhya and Prashant: Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunayen. It is in Raag Desh, 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 – Raaga Bhimpalasi – Part I‘.

In the last sixty-one 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar and Gawati. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 51 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a song in a new raag Shyam Kalyan.

Today, I give you a song sung by Kishore Kumar on the lyrics of Anand Bakshi and on a composition by Rahul Dev Burman. As I said, it is in  Raag Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Carnatic Music. Even though the focus of my posts, so far, has been exclusively Hindustani Music, tonight, lets know a little about the other major stream of Indian Classical Music called Carnatic Music.

Carnatic Music is, simply put, the classical music of South India. The pitamah (grandfather) of Carnatic Music has been Purandra Dasa who lived between 1484 and 1564 AD. He was a musicologist from Hampi in Vijayanagara Empire. Indian Classical Music of ancient times was a form of veneration of gods and goddesses. If you recall, from the 15th century onwards until 17th century, we had Bhakti movement in our country. Much of it was focused on singing hymns for gods and goddesses. Please do recall that I have been telling you about the raagas contained in the holy book of the Sikhs: the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Well, Purandra Dasa was also a devotee of Lord Krishna. In his part of India, he systematized classical Indian music theory and developed exercises for musicians to learn and perfect their art. He travelled widely sharing and teaching his ideas, and influenced numerous South Indian and Maharashtra Bhakti movement musicians. These exercises, his teachings about raaga, and his systematic methodology called Suladi Sapta Tala (literally, “primordial seven talas”) remains in use in contemporary times. The efforts of Purandara Dasa in the 16th century began the Carnatic style of Indian classical music and hence a clear demarcation emerged between Hindustani Music and Carnatic Music. The former, as I have laboured to tell you at very early stage, was heavily influenced by Persia and the fusion of Sanskrit/Hindi music created in Moghul Courts. The latter stayed clear of such influences.

Carnatic music, from South India, tends to be more rhythmically intensive and structured than Hindustani music. Examples of this are the logical classification of raagas into melakarthas, and the use of fixed compositions similar to Western classical music. Carnatic raaga elaborations are generally much faster in tempo and shorter than their equivalents in Hindustani music. In addition, accompanists have a much larger role in Carnatic concerts than in Hindustani concerts. Today’s typical concert structure was put in place by the vocalist Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. The opening piece is called a varnam, and is a warm-up for the musicians. A devotion and a request for a blessing follows, then a series of interchanges between ragams (unmetered melody) and thaalams (the ornamentation, equivalent to the jor). This is intermixed with hymns called krithis. The pallavi or theme from the raga then follows. Carnatic pieces also have notated lyrical poems that are reproduced as such, possibly with embellishments and treatments according to the performer’s ideology.

Primary themes include worship, descriptions of temples, philosophy, and nayaka-nayika (Sanskrit “hero-heroine”) themes. Tyagaraja (1759–1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1776–1827) and Syama Sastri (1762–1827) have been the important historic scholars of Carnatic music. According to Eleanor Zelliot, Tyagaraja is known in the Carnatic tradition as one of the greatest composers, and he reverentially acknowledged the influence of Purandara Dasa.

Carnatic music was mainly patronized by the local kings of the Kingdom of Mysore and Kingdom of Travancore in the 18th through 20th centuries. Some of the royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were themselves noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena, rudra veena, violin, ghatam, flute, mridangam, nagaswara and swarabhat.

The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known as gāyaki).

Raag Shyam Kalyan belongs to Kalyan Thaat. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampurna Vakra, that is five notes in Aaroha (minus Gandharva and Dhaivat) and all seven notes in Avaroha but twisted. It is sung during the first prahar of the night, that is, between  6 to 9 PM. This Raag is a very melodious and considered a mixture of Kalyan ang and Kamod ang (G m P G m R S). Raag Shuddh Sarang and Shyam Kalyan have some similarity; although the former doesn’t include Ga. The concluding phrase – G m R S helps to maintain the impression of Shyam Kalyan. Although this phrase also occurs in Raag Kamod, dominance of sharp Ma and Ni in Shyam Kalyan gives it a distinct character.

Two of the songs composed in raag Shyam Kalyan are: Ye sham ki tanhayiyan aise mein tera gham (1953 Aah) and Tu mere saath rahega munne (1978 Trishul).

The song Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai is from the 1978 Sunil Dutt movie Dard Ka Rishta that starred, besides him, Reena Roy, Smita Patil and Ashok Kumar.

The song was penned by Anand Bakshi and composed by RD Burman. It was sung by Kishore Kumar. As you listen to the song, I am sure, you are bound to marvel at the excellence of lyrics by Anand Bakshi and composition by RD Burman. And that’s the time you’d say what an excellent song, though not so well known.

Please enjoy in Raag Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra: Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai….

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
    
62. And today, on the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunayen….
Raag Desh, Tal Dadra

I had given you a song in Raag Desh earlier on the 15th day (Beqasi hadd se jab guzr jaaye) (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #15‘). However, even at that time I had clarified that it was anything but pure Desh and indeed was a cross between Desh and Khammaj. Today’s song, however, is a fine example of Desh.

It is also signature Mohammad Rafi with his passion, outstanding voice and ability to go to high pitch with ease. Everytime I return to Mohammad Rafi, I keep thinking that there was and is no one with his calibre of singing. He was the one for whom we can use the word incomparable, doing it full justice. This one is with a forgotten music director Ramlal who gave us remarkably beautiful songs in this movie Sehra as well as in Geet Gaya Pathron Ne (both V Shantaram movies); songs such as: Tum to pyaar ho sajani, Pankh hote to udd aati, Ja ja ja re tujhe ham jaan gaye, Tere khayaalon mein ham, and Mandve tale gareeb ke do phool khil rahe hain.

We have completed sixty 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 sixtieth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #60‘ and the song was a Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy song from the 2001 S Shankar movie Nayak: The Real Hero starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji: Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein. It is in Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava.

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 Bhairavi – Part III‘.

In the last sixty 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar and Gawati. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 51 raagas so far. Today, I am repeating Raag Desh.

Today, I give you a song sung by Mohammad Rafi on the lyrics of Hasrat Jaipuri and on a composition by Ramlal. As I said, it is in  Raag Desh, Tal Dadra.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.

Now that we have, over a period of time, got a smattering of Indian musical instruments, today, lets learn something about their classification.

Raag Desh or Des belongs to Khammaj Thaat. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampurna, that is five notes in Aaroha (minus Gandhar and Dhaivat) and all seven notes in Avaroha. It is sung during the second prahar of the night, that is, between 9 PM and midnight. This Raag is a very sweet melody that announces itself with the combination D s m G R – G ,N s S. The musical compositions in this Raag bear the Shadja-Pancham (S-P) and Shadja-Madhyam (S-m) Bhava and therefore very pleasing and essentially melodic.

Desh has been used in patriotic songs; the most popular being a version of Vande Mataram, the national song.

Some of the songs composed in this raag Desh are:

The song Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunayen is from the 1963 V Shantaram movie Sehra starring his wife Sandhya with Prashant.

The song was penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and composed by Ramlal. It was sung separately by Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. I am giving you the Mohammad Rafi version.

Please enjoy in Raag Desh, Tal Dadra: Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunaayen….

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. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
61. And today, on the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein….
Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava

Finally, our fifty-first raaga today: Raag Gawati, Gavati or Gavti. As you listen to the freshness of the song, you would be straightway reminded of Raag Pahadi’s songs, particularly: Tere mere honthon pe meethe meethe heet mitwa. But, we shall come to that later.

We have completed fifty-nine 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-ninth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #59‘ and the song was a Talat Mehmood song from the 1950 Shaheed Lateef movie Arzoo starring Dilip Kumar, Kamini Kaushal and Shashikala: Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahan koi na ho. It is in Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava.

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 Bhairavi – Part II‘.

In the last fifty-nine 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, Hamir, Bhatiyar and Gawati. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 51 raagas so far. Today, I am repeating Raag Adana.

Today, I give you a duet sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Subramaniam on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri and on a composition by Anil Biswas. As I said, it is in  Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava.

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

In Hindustani Classical Music notes are often sung in the vowel “Aa” in the form of alaap or taan etc. Therefore when notes are sung in vowel “Aa” it ia called Aakaar.

Now here, we have a major difference between singing normally and singing in Hindustani classical music. Most people are used to singing songs with lyrics, which contain both consonants and vowels. Consonants play the role of stabilizing the voice and helping it transition from one note to another, so it is much easier to sing tunefully when you use consonants. Take the consonants out, and suddenly you are left without a crutch, the notes seem to merge into each other and become blurry. The challenge is to train your voice to sing each note with precision and clarity without the consonants. Serious students must eventually practice singing in all of the pure vowel sounds – a (the schwa sound), ā, i, u, e and o, as well as the nasal consonants n and m, because the voice behaves differently with different vowels. Some notes are harder to hit with certain vowels.

One of the reasons it is important to learn to sing clearly in aakaar is because when you are singing rapid note patterns at dizzying speeds, a pure vowel sound is all there is time for. You cannot afford the luxury of consonants and lyrics at those speeds. Another reason is that Hindustani classical music requires the artist to improvise melody, and singing in aakaar allows the artist to focus on and freely explore melody. Apart from all this, there is the very important fact that melody can be experienced at its purest when no distractions in the form of lyrics are present.

I am sure, next time you listen to a vocalist of Hindustani classical music, you will understand the melody and its bhaav better by the sheer pleasure of listening rather than having to concentrate on lyrics.

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

There is some discussion about whether Raag Gawati belongs to Khammaj or Kafi Thaat. It is because Raag Bheem is also called Raag Gawati. My study shows that some distinguish the two by adding to the latter a vivadi komal gandhar in the tar saptaka. However, this Bheem is not the same as that of the Kafi thaat.

Gawati, you must have already guessed, is a rare raga (Gaoti, Gawoti, Gavati, and Gavti are some of the ways in which it is called). Until about 18 years no Hindi song was ever composed in it. Why only in Hindi movies, even though it is a gem of a raag, it wasn’t very popular with the musicians.  Some sitarists such as Vilayat Khan, Imrat Khan, Nishat Khan, Shahid Parvez and Wajahat Khan and some rare vocalists made use of the raag.

There are many such gems in Indian Ragaas, forgotten and nearly extinct. And then you have a maestro like AR Rahman who revives them. The other day, we saw how well he handled Raag Bhatiyar, another rare raag.

Love for Gawati is like acquiring the taste for, say, olives; slowly it grows on you. But, you still have no idea why you like it. Another thing about Gawati is that like Pahadi it is a happy raag. However, it can also convey some of the saddest and rueful feelings.

Its Jati is Audhav-Sampurna Vakra. It is normally to be sung or performed in the third prahar of the day, that is in the afternoon.

Some of the songs composed in this raaga are: Baat meri suniye to zara (2003 movie Kuchh Na Kaho), Ek saathi aur bhi tha (2003 movie LOC Kargil), and Kariye Na (1999 movie Taal). Hence, as you can make out, it is only recently that this raag found its way into Hindi films songs.

The song Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein is from the 2001 S Shankar movie Nayak: The Real Hero starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji.

The song was penned by Anand Bakshi and composed by AR Rahman, reused all the songs except “Mudhalvane” song, from the original film Mudhalvan. It was sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Please enjoy in Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava: Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein….