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Des: Tunes from the Countryside Rajan P. Parrikar 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 He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music which have been archived on Sawf. Click here to read Rajan's earlier articles.

Rajan P. Parrikar in Biloxi, Mississippi (1989)

Namashkar. We open this feature with a salute to the matrubhoomi.

Vande Mataram

In the heyday of radio, Indians woke up to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Vande Mataram broadcast nationwide every morning by All India Radio. Our national song has been matched to several other tunes but the impress of the Raga Des version has been the most lasting, unmatched in its sweetness and allure. That is no coincidence. Des, arising from the soil of the land, is a rAga of prodigious seductive power. On behalf of the ladies of SAWF, I invite the reader to a promenade of the countryside, to sample and delight in some of the most enthralling tunes ever conceived in the history of music.

Throughout the discussion, M=shuddha and m=teevra madhyam.

Raga Des

Raga Des falls to the Khamaj thAT and has the following Aroha-avaroha contour:

S R M P N S"::S" n D P M G R, S

The gandhAr and dhaivat are varjya (absent) in Arohi movements (although in some older compositions the gandhAr is occasionally discerned in Aroha), the avaroha is sampoorNa. The shuddha nishAd is employed in Aroha and the komal nishAd in avaroha; this hews to the line of the well-established aesthetic principle in Indian music where the higher shade of a swara prevails in ascent. The utterly magical ambience created by Des lies in its special swara prayogas, in particular the potent role assigned to the rishab. The definitive gestures are now addressed:

R M P D->M->G->R, P M G R
The rishab serves not only as a location of nyAsa but also as a centre of melodic gravity, the point where melodic forays often originate from, point to and terminate at. The D->M->G->R intonation is crucial, pregnant with a meeND from M to R grazing G en route. It is this subtle, seemingly innocuous, touch of the gandhAr that has turned Des into a horse of a different colour and hastened the demise of its progenitor, Raga Sorath (to be addressed shortly).

R n D n D P, R M P N, N, S", R" n D P, D->M->G->R
The first cluster shows a quaint Des artifact, namely the jump from R to n. The elongated N in the second sub-group is standard Des issue for the uttarAnga launch. Notice the langhan (skip) of the tAr S" on the way down via R" n D P. A straight trajectory along S" n D P M G R is also routine.

S R M P n D P, R P M->G->R, (R)G, N' S
This prayoga illustrates another key G-laden cluster, to wit, (R)G, N' S. The coupling between R and P is vital. The role of G cannot be overstated: it is not a nyAsa sthala but its mediation along the M->R locus makes for Des's lifeline.

Des, like Khamaj, is a kshudra prakriti rAga and is often subjected to variations drawn from other rAgas. The fund of melodic variety brought into play will be evident in the audio banquet. The komal gandhAr is fruitfully recruited in a vivAdi swaroopa, especially in the tAr saptak. Elements of Malhar (M R P or the chromatic slide from n-N or N-n) are sometimes woven into Des and the melody then termed as 'Des Malhar.'

Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang"

Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" initiates the proceedings with a masterful inquiry into Des, illustrating its underpinnings and essence:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/jha_desspeak.ram

Des is a strong presence in virtually all musical genres and the amount of available material is voluminous. Although several estimable items have had to necessarily sit out, our panoply gathers the finest cuts available, many of them hitherto unpublished. As a kshudra rAga, much of the expression of Des takes place in a non-Khayal setting, through Thumri, Hori, Geet, Ghazal, Sadra and so on. The full spectrum of Des will be surveyed in this report and the pace onward will be brisk, the commentary terse. The first few selections are culled from the 'light' arena and they are a rich source of variations purchased through creative license with the rAga structure.

Asha Bhonsle's Guru Vandana warms up to the Des theme. The music is composed by Mr. Alubhai Khan, the (naked) Emperor of San Rafael and a great afficionado of cheej pijja (ethnopimps in Canada and America may now write a thesis on Italian influences in Indian music): Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Maheshwara -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/ashabhonsle_gururbrahma.ram

Lacchiram's composition for the movie MAIN SUHAGAN HOON (1964) is textbook Des. Mohammad Rafi ends up sounding like a rookie next to Asha Bhonsle's phirat: gori tore naina -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/asha_rafi_goritore.ram

< -- Kundan Lal Saigal

Another romp by K.L. Saigal and Suraiya to Lal Mohammad's tune in TADBIR (1945): milne kA din Aa gayA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/saigal_suraiya_tadbir.ram

The extraordinary Saigal-sahab turns the mood around in this haunting masterpiece from DEVDAS (1935) tuned by Timir Baran: dukha ke aba dina bitata nAhiN -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/saigal_devdas.ram

Lata Mangeshkar and the gifted tunesmith Anil Biswas combine to create a memorable melody for MAAN (1954): mere pyAr meN -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/lata_merepyar.ram

G.S. Kohli's elegant composition in THE ADVENTURES OF ROBINHOOD (1965). This time Mohammad Rafi rises to the occasion: mAnA mere haseeN sanam -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/rafi_robinhood.ram

Anil Biswas -- >

From ANUBHAV (1971), composer Kanu Roy's baby is delivered by Manna Dey: phir kahiN ko'i phool khilA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mannadey_phirkahin.ram

Shubha Mudgal is primarily known for her vocal talents. Not as widely known are her skills as a composer. Her creative acumen finds expression in the 17th century verse of Rasleen in this steely rendition: bAjata nagAre ghana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/shubhamudgal_des.ram

Lakshmi Shankar's plaintive plea ...

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/lakshmishankar_des.ram

... is formally elaborated upon by Malavika Kanan through the parent bandish: Eri beeti jAta barkhA rtu -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/malavikakanan_des.ram

The eminent Ghazal expert from Pakistan, Mehdi Hasan: umaDa ghumaDa -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mehdihasan_des.ram

It is not often that one hears a vilambit Khayal in Des. Roshanara Begum offers one -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/roshanara_des.ram

< -- Zia Mohiuddin Dagar

The deeply sonorous tones of Z.M. Dagar's Rudra Been -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/zmdagar_des.ram

K.G. Ginde wields Des through his guru S.N. Ratanjankar's composition. Notice the subtle drop of the vivAdi komal gandhAr in the tAr saptak just past 0:56 into the clip. The reader is urged to smoke it out in the other clips: Eri bANsuri kauna kiyo TonA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/ginde_des.ram

S.N. Ratanjankar -- >

Acharya Ratanjankar himself steps up to the plate with another splendid composition of his own making, a brisk Hori: hori khelana ko chale Kanhaiyya -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/snr_des.ram

The komal gandhAr is even more subtle in this popular chestnut. Shaila Datar: piyA kara dhara dekho dharakata hai -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/datar_des.ram

Pushparaj Koshti, a student of Z.M. Dagar, plays Sitar in the Been bAj of his guru in this Dhamar performance -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/koshti_des.ram

< -- Mallikarjun Mansur

The next serving is decidedly the pièce de résistance of this feature - Mallikarjun Mansur on two unpublished occasions, the first in Ichalkaranji in 1979, the second in Calcutta in the 1980s. In some commercial releases the rendition of this bandish carries "Raga Sorath" for its label. However, Mallikarjun clearly articulates the lakshaNAs of Des through the very devices calculated to keep the two rAgas apart, namely the ucchAraNa of the gandhAr-laden sequences in Des. In my considered opinion, there is no better Des than Mansur's: nAhiN bane -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mansur_des1.ram


http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mansur_des2.ram

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, accompanied by his son Munawar Ali: kAri ghaTA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/bgak_des.ram

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan -- >

Faiyyaz Khan's Hori set in Dhamar tAla: Aja hori khelata -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/faiyyaz_des.ram

A traditional cheez by Ulhas Kashalkar: ghana gagana ghana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/kashalkar_des.ram

< -- Khadim Hussain Khan

Among the most influential Agra figures of the second half of the last century, Khadim Hussain Khan studied under his father Altaf Hussain and uncle Kallan Khan. Commercial recordings of Khadim Hussain, if they exist, are hard to obtain and private recordings are few and far between. We are pleased to offer this engaging mehfil: neendiyA bairana bhayi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/khk_des.ram

The Gwalior doyen, Krishnarao Shankar Pandit -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/krsp_des.ram

We wind down the Des banquet with a Tarana by Nissar Hussain Khan:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/nhk_des.ram

Raga Sorath

This rAga is virtually extinct today. Which is ironic since the two - Des and Sorath - are joined at the hip and the hugely popular Des derives all its genetic material from Sorath. The gandhAr in Sorath is very weak, hidden in the D->M->R sangati, to the point of not being explicitly intoned. This is a splendid example of a seemingly trivial tweak setting off a chain of unexpected returns. The increase in gandhAr's strength imbued Des with so great a melodic appeal that it put paid to Sorath's days in the ring. The rest of the lakshaNAs coincide with Des's. Some few accept a stronger role for the dhaivat in Sorath as another point of departure from its 'Des'cendent. We examine a couple of recordings in this rAga.

Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" -- >

Z.M. Dagar's Rudra Been walks the tightrope steering clear of Des. The reader is urged to flesh out the difference(s) by comparing this to his earlier clip of Des, in particular by examining the treatment of the gandhAr:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/zmdagar_sorath.ram

S.N. Ratanjankar brings his own compositions to the Sorath essay:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/snr_sorath.ram

Raga Tilak Kamod

Nomenclature in Hindustani music can be misleading for there is neither hide nor hair of Kamod in Tilak Kamod. Tilak Kamod works with the same raw material used to fashion Des. The resulting dichotomy resoundingly demonstrates the signal possibilities in the very notion of Raga: a chalan-bheda within a swara set may lead to a radically different melodic organism of equal or more beauty. Indian music, it should be obvious to even freshly-born babies, has no equal in its intellectual depth, range and beauty. Some Western commentators, unable to stomach and concede the absolute superiority of India's music, couch their prejudices in well-worn shenanigans and other pretentious rubbish (more on this in the fullness of time).

The essence of Tilak Kamod's poorvAnga is encapsulated in the following tonal sentence:

P' N' S R G S N', S R P M G, S R G S N'...
The nyAsa on the mandra nishAd is a key lakshaNA. Take stock of the relative weight accorded the shuddha gandhAr here vis-à-vis Des. The rishab is now relegated from the powerful station it occupied in Des.

The uttarAnga markers are embedded in the next cluster:

S R M P N S", S"-->P, D M G, S R G S N'...
The Arohi launch is Des-like but the nishAd is rarely elongated. The swoop from S"-->P is characteristic of Tilak Kamod. Oftentimes the shuddha nishAd is skipped in Aroha as in M P S". Attention is also drawn to a mild Khamaj chhAyA via D M G. The departure from Des ought to be abundantly clear at this point.

The komal nishAd is not deemed necessary in Tilak Kamod but when it occurs an AvirbhAva of Des obtains. To wit:

S R M P S", S"-->P, P n D M G, P M G, S R G S N'...

Once again we pick Jha-sahab's brains and have him inform us on the vitals of Tilak Kamod. There is only one soul alive in the Hindustani paramparA today who has what it takes to bring to the topic the depth and certainty of knowledge, and the precision and verve in expression: Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/jha_tilakkamodspeak.ram

< -- Jaidev

We inaugurate the Tilak Kamod fest with a well-known Lata number from PREM PARBAT (1973). The composer, Jaidev, was among the very best we've had in recent memory: yeh neera kahAN se barse -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/lata_yehneer.ram

Salil Chowdhary, indisputably the finest bong musician-composer ever, (and incidently the only bong musician to be accorded respect outside Bongland) extracts an inspired performance from Asha Bhonsle in this gem from JAAGTE RAHO (1956): thanDi thanDi sAwana ki -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/asha_thandithandi.ram

Ravi Shankar's creative faculties sparkle in the Mukesh number from GODAAN (1963): hiyA jarata rahata dina-raina -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mukesh_hiyajarata.ram

Dinanath Mangeshkar -- >

Tilak Kamod is much loved in Goa, Maharashtra and in a few other areas lying below the Tropic of Cancer (i.e. the last remaining civilized regions of India). Dinanath Mangeshkar's classic ravi mee is all too familiar. Presented here is another Dinanath beauty, from the Marathi drama RANADUNDUBHI: vitari prakhara tejobala -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/dinanath_vitariprakhara.ram

That Natyageeta was much later parlayed by Dina's son Hridaynath and then handed to Lata: gagana sadana tejomaya -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/lata_gaganasadana.ram

Mehdi Hasan's rich voice embellishes a traditional bandish composed by "Premdas": kAse kahuN more sajani -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mehdihasan_dukhava.ram

Among Jha-sahab's personal favourites is his suite of compositions in Raga Tilak Kamod. He had passed them on to Jitendra Abhisheki to whom they were very dear. The prasang in the text is that singular episode in the Mahabharata - Draupadi's vastraharaNa (disrobing). The vilambit Roopak composition expresses, with striking economy of verse and melody, Draupadi's predicament and her call to the Lord, stunned that she is at the sight of her supine, helpless husbands and other apathetic elders in the assemblage over Duhshasana's outrage. It is an unforgettable experience, hearing these compositions pratyaksha from Jha-sahab -

mero pata rAkho Murari
Bheesham-Drona baiThe pANwara vhai
soora sabhA saba kroora vhai baiThe
'rAmrang' baiThe pati Parath pAthara vhai

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/jha_tilakkamod_vil.ram

Sri Krishna responds with alacrity -

begi-begi Aye Hari
Arata suni bAni DhAye paga ughAre
deenAnAtha anAtha ki pata rAkhi
'rAmrang' jana hita basana-roopa dhAre

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/jha_tilakkamod_druta.ram

Jha-sahab concludes with a smart-looking Tarana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/jha_tilakkamod_tarana.ram

The traditional composition of "Manrang" - teeratha ko saba kareN - is pried by two masters:

Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/vazebuwa_tilakkamod.ram

Bhimsen Joshi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/bhimsen_tilakkamod.ram

The astounding beauty of Tilak Kamod unravels in this moving rendition by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan: tana-mana-dhana tope vAra -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/bgak_tilakkamod.ram

D.V. Paluskar: koyaliyA bole ambuvA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/dvpaluskar_tilakkamod.ram

A sprightly dhun, the kind that is right up Bismillah Khan's alley -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/bismillah_tilakkamod.ram

The Atrauli-Jaipur vision of Tilak Kamod resides in the composition conceived in the supremely original mind of Alladiya Khansahab and vouchsafed to Kesarbai Kerkar. The structure of the bandish and its organic evolution in Kesarbai's hands make this a singular musical event: sura sangata rAga vidyA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/kesarbai_tilakkamod.ram

< -- Alladiya Khan

The same composition, passed through the filter of Alladiya's son Manji Khan, acquires a few quirks as witness this treatment of Mallikarjun Mansur:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mansur_tilakkamod.ram

Faiyyaz Khan's felicity in the auxiliary genres is evident in this Dadra. Liberties are taken with the rAga structure but judiciously so. The fly in the ointment is the uninspired violin accompaniment which fails to duplicate some of the Aftab-e-Mousiqui's delicate graces (the sole suspect that comes to mind is V.G. Jogstermeister): more jobanA pe Ayi bahAr -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/faiyyaz_tilakkamod.ram

Raga Jaijaivanti

This rAga comes in two versions, the Des-anga Jaijaivanti and the (mistakenly called) Bageshree-anga Jaijaivanti. The former type is dominant and hence will be taken up for discussion of the lakshaNAs.

Two special sanchAris give Jaijaivanti away:

S N' S D' n' (G)R
A small variation on the above is sometimes observed. As a sidelight, it is interesting to note that an appropriate grAha bhedam on this cluster yields intonationally and scalically a seminal phrase of Raga Hameer: P m P G M (N)D.

P' (G)R...
The leap from the mandra pancham to the rishab in the madhya saptak is a Jaijaivanti marker.

Mogubai Kurdikar -- >

The Des influence, with its special approach to and attack on the rishab, is written all over the rAga's structure. The rishab lords it over as the following tonal sentences illustrate:

R G M P N S", R" n D P D M G R

N' S R G M G R, R P M G R

Variations of these may prevail. Needless to say, it is not possible to capture every nuance and detail on paper. Almost always the above phrases are concluded with another Jaijaivanti artifact: R g R S. The komal gandhAr has no independent existence and is always sandwiched between the rishabs. Some versions of Jaijaivanti drop the komal gandhAr completely (S.N. Ratanjankar has a composition in this type).

The heroic role awarded to the rishab will be apparent as soon as we line up for the audio buffet. Jaijaivanti carries chhAyAs of two other rAgas besides Des, namely, Gaud (S, R G M) and Bilaval (P D G P M G etc).

The Bageshree-anga Jaijaivanti differs from the Des-anga Jaijaivanti primarily in the manner of the uttarAnga launch. The Bageshree-anga Jaijaivanti takes off via G M D n S" and sometimes also via G M D N S". The Bageshree label is a misnomer - the justification advanced is that the chalan, if not the notes, follows a Bageshree-like contour. Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" makes a compelling case that it is in fact Raga Gara (not Bageshree) that furnishes the basis for this type of Jaijaivanti. We go straight to Ramrang's disquisition:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/jha_jaijaivantispeak.ram

Lata Mangeshkar's invocation of Shri Rama's name coincides with the P'-(G)R signpost of Jaijaivanti in this Tulshidas bhajan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/lata_shreerama.ram

The composer duo of Shankar-Jaikishan were known to whip up tunes in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Their recourse to rAgas often produced pleasant surprises. Take, for instance, this Jaijaivanti corker by Lata Mangeshkar in SEEMA (1955): manamohanA baDe jhooTe -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/lata_manamohana.ram

Shankar-Jaikishan again, in TEESRI KASAM (1966), a flippant, folksy tune that filches Jaijaivanti's signature cluster for its mukhDA: mAre gaye gulfAm -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/lata_maregaye.ram

We now move to the classical theatre. Unless otherwise stated the Jaijaivantis portrayed are of the Des-anga.

N. Aminuddin and N. Moinuddin Dagar's clip begins with forceful gamaka-laden AlAps and culminates in a Dhamar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/dagar_jaijaivanti.ram

< -- Amir Khan

Amir Khan's stately rendition -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/amirkhan_jaijaivanti.ram

A peek at the Bageshree-anga Jaijaivanti through the prism of an old Gwalior bandish, treated with relish by D.V. Paluskar: achala raho rAja -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/dvpaluskar_jaijaivanti.ram

Sharafat Hussain Khan -- >

The Agra view is presented by the Atrauli-born Sharafat Hussain Khan (1920-1985). Sharafat Hussain learnt from his father-in-law Vilayat Hussain Khan ("Pranpiya"). Most Agrawallahs are wont to sing the Bageshree-anga Jaijaivanti. A vigorous round of nom-tom AlAp is followed by the very popular cheez composed by Aftab-e-Mousiqui Faiyyaz Khan "Prempiya." Recall that Jha-sahab recites it in the Jaijaivanti-speak clip to strengthen his point concerning Gara's influence: more mandira aba -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/shk_jaijaivanti.ram

The Aftab-e-Mousiqui cuts to the bone in a glorious display -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/faiyyaz_jaijaivanti.ram

< -- Vinayakrao Patwardhan

Vinayakrao Patwardhan is full of beans in this final item of the Bageshree-anga Jaijaivanti pool: sundara Shyam dekhana ki AshA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/vpatwardhan_jaijaivanti.ram

In a recent posting on the Usenet group rec.music.indian.classical I read about a middle-aged, middle-class, mid-sized Maharashtrian lady unfairly accused of being India's foremost singer. Elsewhere the said lady has been falsely accused of possessing a doctorate degree. I believe we ought to implement stricter measures to combat this kind of verbal terrorism directed against upstanding, innocent and pedestrian Maharashtrian ladies, with or without hyphenated last names. Speaking of foremost vocalists, we are compelled to step outside the boundaries of Maharashtra and into the demesne of amche sundar Goa.

The next three selections demonstrate what the highest level of achievement in Music is all about. Kesarbai's mastery is such that it makes navigation within the rAga look like duck soup. This is vocalism at its spectacular best: jiyarA tarase -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/kesarbai_jaijaivanti.ram

Another Atrauli-Jaipur legend, Mogubai Kurdikar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/mogubai_jaijaivanti.ram

Mogubai's daughter Kishori Amonkar rounds off the Atrauli-Jaipur feast -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/kishori_jaijaivanti.ram

Krishnarao Shankar Pandit's rendition illustrates the non-uniformity of treatment within the larger Gwalior family. His is a Des-anga Jaijaivanti -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/krsp_jaijaivanti.ram

A syncopated Tarana composition of Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/jha_jaijaivanti_tarana.ram

The final act - Bade Ghulam Ali's classic recording of his self-composed bandish: binati kA kariye -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/des/bgak_jaijaivanti.ram

Acknowledgements

I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to Romesh Aeri for his unstinting support to this entire series and for making available a large number of rare recordings from his vast personal collection. Additional support from Ajit Akolkar, Ashok Ambardar, Vish Krishnan, V.N. Muthukumar and Ajay Nerurkar is gratefully acknowledged. And as always, Anita Thakur remains the custodian and gateway to SAWF's musical kingdom.

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