Raaga Based Song of the Day #8

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Zara sun haseena ai nazneen…
Raag Pahadi, Tal Rupaktal

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

Our seventh post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #7’ and the song was a Geeta Dutt (when she was still Geeta Roy) song from the 1951 Guru Dutt movie Baazi: Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo. It is in Raag Pahadi, 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 II’.

Raag Pahadi again!

There is no doubt in my mind that the best of any genre’ of music has been sung by the god of songs: Mohammad Rafi.

The best in Raag Pahadi is also by him: Chaudhvin ka Chand, in Taal Kaherava.

By the way, my favourite lyricist Shakeel Badayuni received his first Filmfare Award in 1961 for this song. Shakeel’s association with Ravi resulted in some remarkably beautiful songs sung by Mohammad Rafi. The theme of describing husn (beauty) of the woman was prominent in these songs. Indeed the second song for which Shakeel received his Filmfare Award in 1962 was also a husn song: Husn wale tera jawab nahin for the movie Gharana.

In 1963 movie Kaun Apna Kaun Praya, Shakeel, Ravi and Rafi made yet another enchanting husn song that Vijay Kumar lip-synced to Waheeda Rehman.

This song and a part of the movie was shot in the picturesque hill station of Nainital.

You can feel the Pahadi dhun with Rupaktal. I have told you enough about Pahadi, let me give you a few songs in Rupaktal though not in Pahadi. Before that: Rupak is unique among the tals in that the first beat (ie, the sam) is khali (ie., represented by a wave of the hand).

wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, clap, 2

Some songs in Rupaktal: Aap ki nazaron ne samajha, Ghar aaja ghir aaye badra sanwariya, Haay re vo din kyun na aaye, Kisi raah pe kisi mod par, Piya tose naina laagi re, Tum gagan ke chandrama and Megha chhaye aadhi raat.

What about the value-added learning for today? Well, today, we shall learn about parts of a compostion in Indian Classical Music.

In Indian Classical Music, a composition has four parts, of which only the first two are performed regularly:

  1. Asthaai including mukhda.
  2. Antara.
  3. Sanchari.
  4. Abhog.

The other day (Raaga Based Song Of The Day #2), I mentioned to you the concept of Sam – the first beat of a taal (rhythm) cycle. It is also the syllable(s) of the bandish (composition) on which the first beat of the taal cycle falls. When an artist begins a composition, the tabla enters at the sam syllable.

Reshma Hingorani, in her celebrated blog on Indian Classical Music  explains this with an example (a bandish in afternoon raag, Shuddha Sarang: Ab mori baat maan le piharava) and it is worth going through that.

She then gives description of each part:

  1. Asthaai (pallavi in Carnatic music, base or refrain in western music) is the first part of a composition, its first line serving as a Mukhda, while the Asthaai itself serves as a base for the singer to returns to, repeatedly.
  2. Mukhda: literally ‘face’, is the opening phrase of an asthaai, which comes before, leads up to, and arrives on the sam. So a mukhda introduces and sets the tone. When artists improvise, they return to the Asthaai periodically, by picking up the mukhdaa at the right time.
  3. Antara: literally ‘within’; (Anupallavi in Carnatic music, “Stanza” or “verse” in western music). It is the second part, a continuation from where the mukhda left off, sung in a high octave, focusing on the taar shadaj, with a good deal of text manipulation and repeated forays into asthaai.
  4. Sanchari: literally, “wandering”; the 3rd section (Charanam in Carnatic music) – remains a free-flowing, section.
  5. Abhoga: 4th or concluding section (Pallavi in Carnatic music); includes notes from all three octaves, and in present-day performances, may well be sung with the Sanchari, if these two sections are included.

The song Zara sun haseena ai naazneen takes you straight to the hills (where I am) with its Raag Pahadi, Tal Rupaktal and beautiful rendition by Mohammad Rafi.

Please enjoy: Zara sun haseena ai nazneen…

Zaraa sun hasiinaa ai naazanii.n
meraa dil tujh hii pe nisaar hai
tere dam se hii mere dilarubaa
merii zi.ndagii me.n bahaar hai

hu_ii jab se mujh pe terii nazar
mai.n huu.N apane aap se beKabar
hu_aa jab se dil me.n teraa guzar
mujhe chain hai na qaraar hai

tere husn se jo sa.Nvar ga_ii
vo fizaa_e.n mujhako aziiz hai.n
terii zulf se jo lipaT ga_ii.n
mujhe un havaa_o.n se pyaar hai

ye hasiin phuulo.n kii Daaliyaa.N
tujhe de rahii hai salaamiyaa.N
mujhe kyo.n na rashq ho ai sanam
tere saath fasl-e-bahaar hai

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. And today, on the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day #7

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s value added learning is about Swar.

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

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

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

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

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

A scene from the 1951 movie Baazi. Although in the movie, Dev Anand was romantically inclined to Kalpana Kartik, it is with Geeta Bali that he made waves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day #6

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Tere sur aur mere geet….
Raag Bihag, Tal Dadra.

We have completed five days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day and hence it is not such a new series on this blog anymore. 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 fifth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #5’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur song from the 1964 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Sanjh Aur Savera: Ajahun na aaye balma sawan beeta jaaye. It is in Raag Madhuvanti, 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 – Raag Yaman – Part -I’.

This is from the 1959 Vijay Bhatt movie Goonj Uthi Shehnai, seven years after he made Baiju Bawra, the only movie for which Naushad received his only Filmfare Award (though later he was conferred with the highest, ie, Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Just like Baiju Bawra, this film too had great songs such as Jivan mein piya tera saath rahe (Raag Gara), Keh do koi na kare yahan pyaar (Raag Jogiya), and Dil ka khilauna haay toot gaya (Bhairavi).

The film starred Rajendra Kumar with Ameeta and Anita Guha

The song was put together by lyricist Bharat Vyas and composer Vasant Desai, a great team that gave us Ai malik tere bande hum.

Lata Mangeshkar sang it.

Raag Bihag belongs to Bilawal Thaat and is a late night song. It is a wedding raag since it is both romantic and celebratory.

Goonj Uthi Shehnai is the story of a Shehnai player Rajendra Kumar. The success of the movie made him very famous. Throughout the movie there is Shehnai recital by the greatest Shehnai player in India Ustaad Bismillah Khan who was conferred the highest award Bharat Ratna in 2001 together with Lata Mangeshkar, three years after MS Subbulakshmi and two years after Pandit Ravi Shankar.

What about our value added learning for today? Today, let’s briefly learn about the ‘mood’ of the raag that explains why Raag means colour, hue or tinge.

For instance, anybody who talks about Raag Darbari Kanada (a raag that Tansen brought from the South (Carnatic Music) to the North (Hindustani Music), into the court of Akbar in the 17th century) would know that the raag has a majestic touch about it, eg, Guzren hain aaj ishq mein ham us mukaam se, and Main nigaahen tere chehre se hataayun kaise?

There are the following eight Ras (sentiments) in the Raagas as given in Bharat Batya Shastra:

1. Shringaar (romantic).
2. Veer (heroic).
3. Hasya (comic).
4. Rudra (wrathful).
5. Bhayanak (terrifying).
6. Bibhatsa (odious).
7. Karuna (pathos).
8. Adhbhut (wondrous).

Later, another ras Shant (calm or peaceful) was added and the entire list was called Navras.

Naturally, Bihag belongs to Shringaar Ras.

Please enjoy Lata Mangeshkar sing in Raag Bihag, Tal Dadra: Tere sur aur mere geet…

Tere sur aur mere giit
tere sur aur mere giit
dono mil kar banegii priit
tere sur aur mere giit

(dha.Dakan me.n tuu hai samaayaa huaa
khayaalo.n me.n tuu hii tuu chhaayaa huaa) – 2
duniyaa ke mele me.n laakho.n mile
magar tuu hii tuu dil ko bhaayaa huaa
mai.n terii jogan tuu meraa miit
dono mil kar banegii priit
tere sur aur mere giit

(mujhako agar bhuul jaaoge tum, aa aa aaaa
mujhase agar duur jaoge tum ) – 2
merii muhabbat me.n taasiir hai, aa aa aaaa
merii muhabbat me.n taasiir hai
to khii.nch ke mere paas aaoge tum
dekho hamaarii hogii jiit
dono mil kar banegii priit
tere sur aur mere giit

P.S. Please enjoy Bismillah Khan’s Shehnai immediately after Lata’s alaap.

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, that is, today, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song of the Day #5

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Ajahun na aaye balma…
Raag Madhuvanti Taal Kaherava

Fifth day of a still new series on this blog. The first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

The second post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #2’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1971 Sushil Majumdar movie Laal Patthar: Unake khayal aaye to aate chale gaye. It is in Raag Gara, Tal Kaherava.

Similarly, the third post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #3’ and the song was, once again, a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1956 GP Sippy movie Chandrakanta: Maine chand aur sitaaron ki tamanna ki thi. It is in Raag Bhimpalasi, Tal Dadra.

The last post, that is the fourth post, was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #4’ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song pictured on Asha Parekh from the 1960 Ramanand Sagar movie Ghunghat: Laage na mora jiya. It is in Raag Shivaranjani, Tal Dadra.

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

The song is from 1964 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Saanjh Aur Savera that had Guru Dutt and Meena Kumari in lead roles. The song is however pictured on Mehmood and Shubha Khote with Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur singing for them.

Music Directors loved to compose for Mehmood and Shubha Khote and some really fine classical Raaga based songs are pictured on them. In the same year, for the 1964 movie Ziddi that is, SD Burman composed a song for them which is considered the purest example of Darbari Kanada in Hindi movies; the song was sung by Manna Dey and is: Pyaar ki aag mein tan badan jal gaya.

Madhuvanti belongs to Todi Thaat. As you must have guessed it Madhu means honey and the raag is as sweet as honey in sringar ras depicting love and romance. It is an evening raag like Yaman aur Kalyan.

About Taal Kaherava I have already told you. But since we are in early stages of our learning here it is again:

Kaherava is most popular 8 beat Tal in Hindustani music, with two vibhags of four matra each, first vibhag being clap, second being wave (khali), which makes it:

Clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4. Theka is 

Dhaa Ge Naa Tee Naa Ka Dhin Naa.

Before we take up the song, as always, let’s take up our value added learning. Let’s briefly take up North Indian or Hindustani music notation or swar lipi that dates back to – hold your breath – Vedic times. This is all the more surprising since Indian music is largely based on oral tradition.

Cut from Vedic period to modern times. The great musician Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (a contemporary of Bhatkhande), in early 20th century started the modern musical notation. It was a precise notational system but difficult. It was replaced by a much simpler system by Bhatkhande.

When it came to internationalization of North Indian Music, two approaches were used: one, the Western staff notation with its main disadvantage being that in this, music is tied to a specific key and so much is lost in translation.
The other is simply to use Bhatkhande’s notations in Roman script. Even though it too has aberrations but it is now widely accepted.

Coming back to Ajahun na aaye, it was composed by my favourite music duo Shankar Jaikishan who did wonders in Raaga based songs.

What about other popular songs in Raag Madhuvanti? Madan Mohan composed Rasm e ulfat ko nibhayen to nibhayen kaise in the same Raag and Taal.

Please enjoy in Raag Madhuvanti, Tal Kaherava, Mohammad Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur sing a composition of Shankar Jaikishan, penned by the great Hasrat Jaipuri and picturized on Mehmood and Shubha Khote: Ajahun na aaye balma sawan beeta jaaye..

Ajahu.N naa aae baalamaa, saavan biitaa jaae
haay re saavan biitaa jaae

nii.nd bhii a.nkhiyan dvaar na aae
tose milan kii aas bhii jaae
aaI bahaar khile phulavaa
more sapane kaun sajaae
aa … ajahu.n …

chaa.nd ko badaraa garavaa lagaae
aur bhii more man lalachaae
yaar hasiin gale lag jaa
morii umr guzaratii jaaeaa … ajahu.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, that is, today, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

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