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On the Variants of Kedar Rajan P. Parrikar is a recognized expert on Indian Classical music and shares his knowledge freely with those interested in the subject. He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music some of which have been archived on Sawf. Click here to read Rajan's earlier articles.

Mr. Ali Akbar Khan with Dr. Rajan P. Parrikar (Marin County, California, 1995)

Namashkar.

A disquisition on Raga Kedar was presented last year (2000) in Raga Kedar - A Perspective. We pick up the threads again and broaden that perspective, this time training our attention on Kedar's liaisons. Familiarity on the part of the reader with the central themes embodied in the parent Raga Kedar will be assumed since such a background is essential for any intelligent appreciation of the derivates.

Traditionally, four prakArs of Kedar are recognized (vide Bhatkhande's Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati) and they are: Shuddha Kedar, Chandni Kedar, Maluha Kedar and Jaladhar Kedar. Over the course of the past 150 years or so, several new prakArs have entered the fold, most of them joD-rAgas, i.e. hybrids, formed by combining Kedar with other rAga(s). The first two of the traditional prakArs - Shuddha Kedar and Chandni Kedar - have been addressed in the earlier feature on Kedar. We shall presently deal with the unfinished business. As always, M=shuddha and m=teevra madhyam.

Raga Maluha Kedar

Of all the variants of Kedar, Maluha Kedar is the most widely practiced and sought after. Its arresting tonal behaviour finds full expression primarily in the mandra saptak. The Maluha concoction is fashioned in an overall Kedar framework from raw material provided by Kamod and Shyam Kalyan. It is a highly vakra rAga and a set of tonal phrases are now suggested as a heuristic guideline:

S, R S (N')D' P' M', M' P' N', (D')N' R S
The declination from the rishab down to the mandra madhyam is the lifeblood of this rAga. The nyAsa on M' thus approached is exceedingly pleasing. Shades of Shyam Kalyan are observed as the movement repairs upward to the shaDaj.

S, R S (N')D' P' D', D' M', P' N' (D')N' S
A variation on the foregoing foray. The brightening of the dhaivat and the meeND from D' to M' are points of note, the latter, a recognizable Kedar germ. A powerful madhyam is a natural consequence of having Kedar for a parent; the pancham, too, commands respect.

S M, M (G)P, P D M | G M P G M R S | M, M R S N', (S)R S
This movement has been partitioned into three for purposes of discussion. The first third clearly betrays Kedar's façade, the second third is the contribution from Kamod, and the final third packs both Kedar and Shyam Kalyan. It must be emphasized that in matters of implementation things are never quite as clear-cut. The disparate elements are to be fused together by appropriate punctuation and intonation (ucchAraNa) so as to yield a seamless composite.

PDPP S", M P N S", S" R" S", S" DPM, M P M, S R S
A sampler of the uttarAnga launch, it mostly carries Kedar's genetic material. The teevra madhyam is either absent of alpa (weak presence).

Despite its vakra build Maluha Kedar is highly rewarding in the hands of those who have mastered it. With its lumbering meeND-laden gait in the mandra saptak, the rAga is best savoured at vilambit laya.

Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" sets the tone with a splendid abstract of his Khayal in vilambit Ektala: aba mori mA'i -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/jha_maluhakedar.ram

A 1959 mehfil by Gangubai Hangal finds her with the traditional Khayal composition, attributed to "Sadarang": mandara bAjo re -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/gangubai_maluhakedar.ram

A Kirana votary from the past, Ganpatrao Behre was known for his animated and propulsive gAyaki. Behrebuwa brings freshness to his conception of Maluha Kedar, the presence of a Nand-like phrase adding to its charm -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/behrebuwa_maluhakedar.ram

C.R. Vyas presents a traditional composition favoured by the Gwalior musicians, set to the 16-beat Tilwada tAla: acharA morA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/vyas_maluhakedar.ram

D.V. Paluskar imparts a different spin to the same composition casting it in vilambit Ektala and re-orienting the melodic approach to the sam -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/dvpaluskar_maluhakedar.ram

In this prized recording of Sarangi-nawAz Bundu Khan, the lovely mukhDA is a standout -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/bundu_maluhakedar.ram

We wrap up this section with an unpublished Bade Ghulam Ali Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/bgak_maluhakedar.ram

There is a recent release of Bhimsen Joshi's Maluha Kedar. He is completely out of his depth there, alas.

Raga Jaladhar Kedar

This rAga is almost extinct. The singular feature of Jaladhar Kedar is its retention of parental (Kedaric) characteristics even while sharing the scale - S R M P D - with two other pentatonic rAgas, namely, Shuddha Malhar and Durga (of the Bilawal thAT). Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" demonstrates how:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/jha_jaladharkedar.ram

The alert reader may have noticed traces of Raganga Malhar (M R-P). Running over passages of Durga and fleshing out points of divergence can lead to a fun and profitable exercise.

The second selection in Jaladhar Kedar features the late Agra master Vilayat Hussain Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/vhk_jaladharkedar.ram

Raga Deepak Kedar

This is an interesting variation on the parent Kedar where the teevra madhyam is advanced in Arohi prayogas over the shuddha madhyam. That is to say, in lieu of the S M, M P opening in Kedar, we have here S m, m P. This tweak gives rise to a peculiar swaroopa. The remainder of the story essentially hews to the standard Kedar line. The name is somewhat misleading since that there is neither hide nor hair of Raga Deepak in Deepak Kedar.

Let us inspect the theme as it unfolds in this old recording of Vilayat Hussain Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/vhk_deepakkedar.ram

Jagannathbuwa Purohit "Gunidas" has composed a beautiful bandish in this rAga and his pupils, such as Jitendra Abhisekhi, have rendered it in mehfils. Alas, we are here compelled to present faute de mieux the meagre talents of Shivanand Patil: bhavana bhaNwarA goonjata sAnjha -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/patil_deepakkedar.ram

The rest of the discussion below is devoted to joD rAgas, i.e. those in which two or more rAgas are explicitly joined.

Raga Basanti Kedar

As the name suggests, this is a hybrid of Kedar and Basant. The most popular version of this joD rAga is due to the Atrauli-Jaipur vocalists, to whom the rAga is very dear. It is indeed a masterful conception of Alladiya Khan who, it cannot be underscored, had no equal in this business of fashioning joD rAgas. For it is not simply a matter of bundling together two rAgas and praying for something worthwhile to come out of their congress. A judicious coupling requires forethought, a clear identification of the entry and exit points for a switch between rAgas, and the imagination to conjure special sanchAris to tie it all together. All this while retaining the aesthetic content.

The Atrauli-Jaipur Basanti Kedar retains the framework of Kedar and draws relatively sparingly on Basant. The latter is introduced typically at the tail end of the following sequence:

P S", NDN D P, D M, G m D m G m G r S

The komal dhaivat of Basant is abandoned. Both the rishabs are employed, the komal as shown above is the Basanti contribution, the shuddha, for the most part, in the tAra saptak in Kedaric moves. A live recording of a mehfil by Mallikarjun Mansur illustrates these ideas in a manner that takes one's breath away: attara sugandha -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/mansur_basantikedar.ram

A breathtaking procession of the legendary Atrauli-Jaipur ladies from Goa follows. Their cheek by jowl placement offers an instructive experience as they erect Alladiya Khan's citadel from the ground up stamping it with the imprimatur of of their own intensely individual personality and character.

Kesarbai Kerkar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/kesarbai_basantikedar.ram


Mogubai Kurdikar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/mogubai_basantikedar_vil.ram

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/mogubai_basantikedar_druta.ram


Kishori Amonkar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/kishori_basantikedar.ram


Master Krishnarao is not a familiar name today to those living outside Maharashtra and Goa. Krishna Phulambrikar's exceptional talents cut a wide swath of artistic activity - a vocalist proficient in stage as well as classical music, a repository of rAgas especially of the aprachalita kind, a composer for stage and film music, an actor, teacher and author. His primary guru in music was Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale. Master Krishnarao's recipe for Basanti Kedar shows the relative roles of Basant and Kedar reversed from the Atrauli-Jaipur conception. Here the Basant presence is significant and Kedar is injected via P D M, SR, S -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/krishnarao_basantikedar.ram

The formulation of Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" carries poise, elegance and more than a hint of his formidable intellectual power. The druta bandish in Ektala is masterfully conceived: pavana sungandhana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/jha_basantikedar.ram

For an muddleheaded, terrible Basanti Kedar, to make the point that not everyone is an adept at this art of joD rAgas, we bring in C.R. Vyas -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/vyas_basantikedar.ram

Incidentally, there is an illegitimate Kedar offspring called Kedar Bhankar mothered by Vilayat Khan (of the "Mommy-mommy-I-didn't-get-the-Bharat-Ratna" fame). It is a measure of my humanity that I choose not to foist that atrocity on my dear readers.

Raga Nat Kedar

Elements of Nat - S R, R G, G M and RGMP M R M, (S)R S et al - are sewed onto the Kedar framework in the poorvAnga territory. Ram Marathe sings a traditional bandish: Aja manAvana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/marathe_natkedar.ram

The recently deceased Mogubai Kurdikar had withdrawn from the active performance circuit several years ago, ceding that department to her daughter Kishori Amonkar. Commercially available recordings of Mogubai's profound artistry are extremely few in number and her private holdings are jealously guarded. We are fortunate to have on capture here one of her prized mehfil performances in Raga Nat Kedar where she is accompanied by Kishori. Once again, Aja manAwana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/mogubai_natkedar.ram

Raga Adambari Kedar

A key phrase of Shankara - P (P)G P (R)G (R)S - intercepting an otherwise standard Kedar is all there is to the fancy-sounding Adambari Kedar. A bravura performance by Mallikarjun Mansur in this unpublished recording -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/mansur_adambarikedar.ram

Raga Kedar-Bahar

It may come as a surprise to unusually retarded children that this melody is a combination of Ragas Kedar and Bahar. The union, however, is not straightforward; there are special prayogas tying the two strands. Conceived and delivered by one of the all-time greats, S.N. Ratanjankar: madamAte Aye ata alasAye -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/snr_kedarbahar.ram

Raga Tilak Kedar

Here Kedar finds itself in concert with Tilak Kamod. The latter is primarily seen in the P S" P D M and an occasional uttarAnga P N S" R" G" S" or its variant PP N S" R" G" S". A peculiar tonal phrase MGRSR embedded in the mukhDA during the approach to the sam constitutes sanchAri unique to this formulation. Master Krishnarao:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/krishnarao_tilakkedar.ram

Raga Shyam Kedar

Shyam Kalyan dominates the proceedings in both these instrumental sitar assays although its characteristic G M P G M R, S phrase is absent. The contribution of Kedar is represented by a bright, strong shuddha madhyam, allowing conclusion of a Shyam Kalyan pattern with the Kedaric (P)m P M, M (S)R, S.

First, Nikhil Banerjee...

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/nb_shyamkedar.ram

...and then, Abdul Haleem Jaffer Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kedar/ahjk_shyamkedar.ram

In his book Aprakashita Ragas (1956) , J.D. Patki credits Shyam Kedar to Bhaskarrao Ghodke of Nasik, a disciple of Krishnarao Shankar Pandit. From the compositions given therein it is apparent that there is significant divergence in conception from the two instrumental pieces adduced above. That the same idea (of combining Shyam Kalyan and Kedar) resulted in two entirely different babies should hardly come as a surprise.

Raga Anandi Kedar

See On Raga Nand.

Glossary

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