Monday, October 30, 2000
The Sarang Family
Rajan P. ParrikarRajan 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on Classical Indian Music some of which have been archived on Sawf.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. |
Rajan P. Parrikar with Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" (Goa, Sept2000)
| 
Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" with Shubha Mudgal, enjoying a Sawf feature at her
home (New Delhi, Oct 2000)
Namashkar.
The Sarangs are rAgas of the early afternoon and have their provenance in
the
folk music of the land. Their effective expression in the classical theatre
demands acquaintance with their rustic antecedents. This widely loved
enclave of Sarang melodies is the subject of our current discourse. First,
some preliminaries:
- Gaud Sarang is not included in this selection since it is a misnomer.
There is no Sarang
anga in Gaud Sarang. If the publication "Raga Guide" (Nimbus) asserts otherwise
then its authors
"may be excused only on the grounds that before deluding others they have taken
pains to
delude themselves" (to paraphrase Sir Peter Medawar). The reader is referred
to Raga Gaud
Sarang - An Exegesis for an elaboration.
- The intent here, as in the earlier commentaries, is to enucleate the
Raganga and illuminate the major highways in the Raga. It is not my intention
to take you down every little bylane and clutter the page with stultifying
detail. Several Sarang prakArs disclose superficial variance across Gharana and
regional borders as the clips will testify. I do not propose to remark on
every idiosyncrasy contained in a rendition. The assumption is that the curious
reader will be motivated to further this inquiry on his own.
Raga Sarang
Raga Sarang is today considered the flagship rAga of Raganga Sarang. It is
also known as Brindavani Sarang, a pointer to its popularity in the Mathura
region. Throughout this causerie M = shuddha and
m = teevra madhyam.
The kernel of Raganga Sarang is embedded in the following tonal cluster:
R M P (M)R, n P M R, S.
Specializing it to Brindavani Sarang, we have:
N' S R, R M R, (S)N' S.
For the komal nishAd-only Raga Madhmad Sarang, N is replaced by n.
The key idea above - and every Sarang wears it on its sleeve - is the
treatment accorded the rishab. The R here is
always sthira (i.e. unoscillated, not Andolita) and independent. It is the
vAdi, the most important nyAsa swara, in both the ascending (Arohi) and
descending (avarohi) movements. This is later demonstrated tellingly by
Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang."
The nominal Aroha/avarohana set for Brindavani Sarang is:
S R M P N S"::S" n P M R S
A sample chalan may be stated as follows:
S, N', N' S R, P (M)R, n P M R, N', S
The prayoga of the shuddha nishAd in ascent and the komal nishAd in descent
renders Brindavani Sarang distinct from Madhmad Sarang although they share the
rest of the rAga-lakshaNAs. In some old Dhrupad compositions, the shuddha
dhaivat
is occasionally and modestly (alpa-pramANa) sought in a few in avarohAtmak
phrases,
either as a kaNa to the komal nishAd or to inject a vivAdi dosha.
All the traditional prakArs of Sarang are derivatives of the central
themes outlined above. Some degree of likeness of the Sarang-anga obtains in
other important rAga families, namely the Malhars and the Kanadas. Territorial
integrity and identity are established and defended through appropriate
swara-ucchAraNa and Raganga bheda.
<-- Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande
Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande's exegesis Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati gives a detailed account
of the Sarangs. He remarks on the confusion prevailing in the early 20th C
apropos of Brindavani and Madhmad Sarang, the bone of contention being the
nishAd swaras - which type went into which rAga. The prevailing consensus
awards to Brindavani Sarang both the nishAds and to Madhmad the komal nishAd.
This completes our preamble of the Sarang basics.
Earlier, the connection of the Sarangs with folk music was asserted; we now
establish it through various exhibits. The gestalt of the Raganga comes through
very well even in these 'light' melodies. The encounters later segue into the
demesne of classical proper.
The choice for the opener is automatic. A late 1920s collector's item of the
Indian national song Vande Mataram rendered by Vishnupant Pagnis -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/vandemataram.ram
Lata Mangeshkar's domination of the Sarangs is consummate, as witness the
following sequence of four gems.
The RANI ROOPMATI (1959) bandish brings together her extraordinary talents.
Music: S.N. Tripathi, Lyrics: Bharat Vyas: AjA AjA bhaNwara -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/aajaa.ram
Film: SANSAR (1951); Music: Emani Shankar Sastry, M.D. Parthasarathy, B.S.
Kalla; Lyrics: Pandit Indra: pyArA munnA humArA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/pyarahumara.ram
Film: BHABHI (1957); Music: Chitragupta; Lyrics: Rajinder Kishen: kAre
kAre bAdarA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/kaare.ram
Film: NAGIN (1954), Music: Hemant Kumar; Lyrics: Rajinder Kishen:
jAdugar saiNyyAN -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jadugar.ram
Who better than O.P. Nayyar to represent the folk music of Punjab which
draws liberally on the Sarangs? An Asha-Rafi romp from KASHMIR KI KALI (1964);
Lyrics, S.H. Bihari: hAi re hAi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/balleballe.ram
Another Punjabi contribution by the Punjabi diva Noorjehan: hA'ye dilbar
dildArA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/noorjehan.ram
From an earlier era springs this beautiful number by Khursheed in TANSEN
(1943). D.N. Madhok's lyrics are worked on by master tunesmith Khemchand
Prakash: ghaTA ghanghor -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/ghata.ram
Uma Devi (better known as Tun Tun) in CHANDRALEKHA (1948). Music: S.
Rajeshwar Rao, Lyrics: Pandit Indra: mana bhAvana -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/manbhawan.ram
RANI ROOPMATI was a Sarang orgy of sorts. Rafi and Lata: jhananana jhan
-
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jhananana.ram
Another vintage number by the Punju songstress Surinder Kaur. The film,
SUNAHERE DIN (1949), Lyrics, D.N. Madhok, Music: Gyan Dutt: tum sang akhiyAN
lagAke -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/tumsang.ram
We conclude the Sarang folkfest with the popular Rafi-Asha number from DIL
DIYA DARD LIYA (1966), tuned by Naushad to Shakeel Badayuni's words: sAwan
Aye yA nA Aye -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/sawan.ram
Each of the preceding clips reveals a rustic facet or two about Sarang. The
classical selection kicks off with a traditional Dhrupad-anga composition,
delectably presented by Bhimsen Joshi: tum raba tum sAheb tum ho
kartAra -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/bhimsen_sarang.ram
R. Fahimuddin Dagar's authoritative presence in this Dhrupad is palpable
despite the poor recording quality:
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/fdagar_sarang.ram
A composition of Agrawale Faiyyaz Khan "Prempiya" is flawlessly executed by
Basavraj Rajguru: sagari umariyAN mori -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/rajguru_sarang.ram
Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze -->
Among the great Gwalior masters of the early 20th C was Ramkrishnabuwa
Vaze. Very little of his life is documented, as is the case with many Indian
greats. In the West, utter mediocrities are often enshrined in biographical
tomes. We, on the other hand, are content with writing a sketch or two. This
state of affairs can be easily remedied by inculcating in Indian children the
admirable Western habit of never letting lack of knowledge and detailed study
get in the way of writing books.
Vazebuwa brought to his gAyaki certainty and attitude. Both are on display
in this scintillating Tarana -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/vazebuwa_sarang.ram
Sarang has migrated southwards and is quite popular with the musicians
there.
A Carnatic sampler from a concert recording of flautist K.S.
Gopalakrishnan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/ksg_sarang.ram
Raga Madhmad Sarang
Madhmad Sarang has much the same rights as Brindavani Sarang for the coveted
position of 'Raganga Raga.' Almost all its rAga-lakshaNAs are identical to
Brindavani, the difference being in the nishAd: Madhmad carries the komal
nishAd only. In Carnatic music, Raga Madhyamavati shares the same scale.
The Madhmad spirit pervades this immortal S.N. Tripathi composition from
RANI ROOPMATI. Those were the days when composers intimately knew the ropes of
their metier. Mukesh delivers:Aa lauT ke Aja mere meeta -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/aalautke.ram
We come to the most important clip of this article from the point of view
of understanding the subtleties of Raganga Sarang. The monologue by Pandit
Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" also touches upon the provinces of Kanada and Malhar.
What separates Madhmad Sarang from the scale-congruent Megh is clearly
demonstrated as are the points of difference between Megh and Megh Malhar.
Jha-sahab holds forth for almost 14 uninterrupted minutes and accomplishes what
no reams of the written word can. Those handicapped by language will do well to
find someone to translate the proceedings -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_sarangspeak.ram
<-- Bismillah Khan
The swarasmith par excellence, Bismillah Khan, at play in Madhmad -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/bismillah_madhmad.ram
Patiala's Fateh Ali Khan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/fateh_madhmad.ram
Among the greatest of the great masters, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/bgak_madhmad.ram
Kumar Gandharva -->
Kumar Gandharva with his own charming
composition:
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/kumar_madhmad.ram
<-- Kishori Amonkar
Two virtuoso displays from Jaipur-Atrauli conclude the Madmadh Sarang
round. L'enfant terrible Kishori Amonkar -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/kishori_madhmad.ram
Mallikarjun Mansur's masterly performance in an unpublished concert
recording - 
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/mansur_madhmad.ram
Mallikarjun Mansur -->
Raga Shuddha Sarang
This is perhaps the most popular Sarang prakAr on the concert circuit today.
It employs both the shuddha and teevra madhyam. The shuddha nishAd is allocated
a vital nyAsa sthAna in the mandra saptaka. A large number of compositions
place their sam on this nishAd. The komal nishAd is either eliminated or plays
a diminished role, usually in an avarohi sanchAri either tied to the shuddha
dhaivat or in a declining n P M R movement. The
teevra madhyam features primarily in the Arohi passages. The avarohi slide
m->M is pleasing.
Encapsulating the above thoughts and recalling the Saranga-anga lakshaNAs
lead
to the following tonal strips:
- S, N' S R, R M R, S N', P' N' D' S, N' R, S
- R M R, m P, P R M R, S N', N' S R, S
- N' S R M R m P, R m P N, (D)P, P N S" R" S", R" S" N
(D)P, R M R, M R (S)N', N' S
PRIVATE SECRETARY (1962) carried a lovely Lata Mangeshkar solo executed to
near-perfection. Music: Dilip Dholakia, Lyrics: Prem Dhawan: sANware AjA
pyAra liye -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/sanware.ram
A take-off on the popular Shuddha Sarang mukhDA found in traditional
bandishes such as jA re bhaNwarA door or Faiyyaz Khan's ab mori
bAta is seen in this CHANDI KI DEEWAR (1964) song. Music is by N. Datta (a
vast Bong conspiracy to shamelessly claim this gifted fellow from Goa as their
own was fearlessly exposed some years ago) and lyrics are by Sahir. The patron
saint of losers in love, Talat, whose claim to fame is a palindromic name,
teams up with Asha: lAge tose naina -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/lagetose.ram
Mohammad Rafi, Chitragupta, Majrooh in NACHE NAGIN BAJE BIN (1960), the
final item in the 'light' round: leke sahArA tere pyAr kA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/lekesahara.ram
Jha-sahab's composition is set to Roopak tAla and places the sam on the
uttarAnga shuddha nishAd: dharani dharo -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_shuddha_vil.ram
Padmavati Shaligram sings the lovely Atrauli-Jaipur issue, E tapana lAgi
gaili so balmA morA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/shaligram_shuddha.ram
Basavraj Rajguru plies a traditional bandish: jA re kagawA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/rajguru_shuddha.ram
<-- Hirabai Barodekar
Shuddha Sarang is synonymous with the cheez, jA re bhaNwarA doora,
rendered here by Hirabai Barodekar -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/hirabai_shuddha.ram
This Bismillah sparkler can hardly be resisted -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/bismillah_shuddha.ram
Vijay Raghav Rao's flute brings a change in tone colour to the Shuddha
Sarang fest -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/vrr_shuddha.ram
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan -->
The final piece by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan will linger on in the mind:
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/bgak_shuddha.ram
Raga Miyan ka Sarang
Legend attributes this variant to Tansen, whence the name Miyan ka Sarang.
One viewpoint is that the rAga obtains by eliminating the komal gandhAr from
Miyan Malhar and by advancing the Sarang Raganga. Miyan Malhar supplies the
following tonal molecules:
n D, n D n M P
n D N, S or the slide N n (D)P.
The rest of the lakshaNAs hew to the Sarang line.
These ideas are implemented handsomely in Jha-sahab's vilambit
composition: sira rAje mora mukuTa -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_miyaka_vil.ram
Jha-sahab delivers a traditional composition addressed to
'Rangile':
palaka na lAgi rahi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_miyaka_druta1.ram
The final item in this triple header is Ramrang's own composition, jaba
Hari hAtha liyo, with the text describing an incident from the Lanka kAnDa
of the Ramayana -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_miyaka_druta2.ram
Basavraj Rajguru deals the old Dhrupad composition, dayAnidhi, a
Khayal-like treatment -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/rajguru_miyaka.ram
<-- S.N. Ratanjankar
Jaya jaya Rama japa nAma, sings S.N. Ratanjankar, his own
composition in Jhaptala -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/snr_miyaka.ram
The final selection in Miyan ka Sarang by Ali Akbar Khan is unorthodox and
diverges significantly from the earlier clips. This version uses Shuddha
Sarang, rather than Brindavani, as its base. It is curious that the version
taught to Bhatkhande by Wazir Khan is nothing like this. The implication is
that Allauddin Khan got Miyan ka Sarang elsewhere, not from Wazir Khan.
Bhatkhande mentions that another Rampur ustAd independently taught him Miyan ka
Sarang which was identical to Wazir Khan's, so the latter peddling an ersatz
version to Bhatkhande can be ruled out in this instance. Furthermore,
Bhatkhande's alert and extraordinarily sharp mind was not easy to dupe. In most
instances where the ustAds played foul with the words of a bandish, or with
rAgas,
he knew he had been lead down the garden path. He would have chased Wazir Khan
like he would a rat through the Tundra and indeed he did so on more than one
occasion, forcing the ustAd to out with the truth or to plead ignorance. The
case of Bahaduri Todi makes interesting reading in this context but that is a
story for another day. I should mention that whenever someone appears in less
than favourable light in these encounters, especially his gurus such as Wazir
Khan, Bhatkhande does not directly mention them by name but makes oblique
references. How one wishes there were independently documented accounts of
these encounters. Bhatkhande, always self-effacing in his writing, must have
left unrecorded many a fascinating story.
Alubhai Khan, the (naked) Emperor of San Rafael -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/aak_miyaka.ram
Raga Samant Sarang
The approach to the shuddha dhaivat and its assimilation in vakra prayogas
is the definitive theme in Samant Sarang. Typically, such sangatis include
tonal sentences of the type:
R M P, M n D
P
R M P n D P
RMPDnDPM R
R M R, M D P
Some folks employ both the nishAds, others have use for only the komal
nishAd. There is an occasional Avirbhava of Desh. Soor Malhar is an allied rAga
swarawise but is distinguished by its affiliation to Raganga Malhar.
Jha-sahab's vilambit composition in dheemA Teentala comes with an arresting
mukhDA that swiftly scythes to the rAga's core: hamari sudh kAhe bisAri Udho
-
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_samant_vil.ram
A brisk run of Ramrang's druta cheez: mandara more Ayo sANwariyA
-
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_samant_druta.ram
Ravi Shankar presents the Maihar viewpoint -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/shankar_samant.ram
Faiyyaz Khan -->
Faiyyaz Khan's AlAp in Samant Sarang, much prized, like any other vignette
of the great man -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/faiyyaz_samant.ram
Raga Badhans (Badhamsa) Sarang
This Sarang prakAr comes in at least 3 disparate flavours. We present here
one old version where the shuddha gandhAr is introduced rather piquantly into
the avarohi flow. To wit, n P G M R, N' S R M P
N. Ramrang sings a traditional "Sadarang" composition -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_badhans_vil.ram
<-- Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" (Goa, Sept 2000)
Shaunak Abhisheki renders Jha-sahab's composition: bharmAyo mana mero
ina sANwaro ne -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/shaunak_badhans.ram
An old recording of Birendra Kishore Roychaudhri on Surshringar discloses a
slightly different interpretation, especially the attack on the shuddha
gandhAr-
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/bkr_badhans.ram
Raga Lankadahan Sarang
This rather 'small' rAga carries an impressive name. The idea here is the
insertion of the komal gandhAr into Sarang framework. Typically, this is
accomplished in the avarohAtmak sanchAris. The precise attack on the komal
gandhAr varies and principally takes one of two modes:
A Darbari-like g M R S or a Desi-like P R g R S. Still others posit a Jaijaivanti-inspired
R g R cluster. Other gharAnA-specific details
include inclusion/exclusion of the dhaivat, use of one/both nishAd(s).
Three examples of Lankadahan Sarang are offered, first in the voice of
Jha-sahab -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/jha_lankadahan.ram
An AlAp by Ali Akbar Khan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/aak_lankadahan.ram
And a rare recording of Vilayat Hussain Khan "Pranpiya" of Agra-
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/vhk_lankadahan.ram
Raga Salang
C.R. Vyas -->
This auDav jAti Sarang prakAr is in a sense the obverse of Madhmad. That is,
the komal nishAd in Madhmad scale set is replaced by its shuddha counterpart
here (S R M P N). This makes it somewhat
tAna-unfriendly (recall how the komal nishAd makes life easier in descent).
C.R. Vyas renders his own composition: aba to mori mAna moorakha manvA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/crvyas_salang.ram
Raga Dhulia Sarang
An aprachalita prakAr, mostly found in the Agra armoury. Even among the
various stems of Agra there is a difference of opinion as regards the
rAga-swaroopa.
Like its Malhar counterpart, Dhulia Malhar, the version included here
combines elements of Desh and Sarang. In the attached clip of Latafat Hussain
Khan there is a fleeting, albeit discernable, touch of the shuddha gandhAr.
Typically it enters the picture via a M-G-R
meeND or via RG S R M P or through a quick
RGM type of flourish. His initial AlAp clearly
exhibits this shuddha gandhAr prayoga but it is not included in the following
segment -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/latafat_dhuliya.ram
Raga Ambika Sarang
This rAga was conceived by Chidanand Nagarkar. The gandhAr is
rendered varjya and elements of Shuddha Sarang and Kafi are blended
together in a delicious melodic cocktail. There are occasional
reminders of Raga Saraswati but the shuddha nishAd and the shuddha
madhyam present sufficiently clear marks of divergence.
Nagarkar composition is presented here by C.R. Vyas: E ho bhaNwarA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/crvyas_ambikasarang.ram
This completes our survey of the Sarang tableau. We have touched upon
all the traditional members of the family.
Some other prakArs exist but are either localized or have gone out of
circulation.
For example, Roshanara Begum sings Maru Sarang, which, if I correctly recall,
uses the scale
of Madhmad. I am not excited about that rendition although I may listen to it
again one of these days just to refresh my memory. Then there is Noor Sarang
which employs only the teevra madhyam. Parveen Sultana has recorded the
hybrid Sarang Kauns. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan has left behind Hindoli Sarang.
No matter what the fancy, a legitimate Sarang prakAr must carry the
germ of Raganga Saranga.
Sir Vish Krishnan's assistance in compiling the 'light'
segment is gratefully acknowledged.
Appendix
Raga Madhyamavati in the Carnatic paddhati shares its scale with the
Hindustani Madhmad Sarang. Some selections of the Carnatic masters in
Madhyamavati are offered here.
G.N. Balasubramaniam's AlApanA is followed by a Tyagaraja composition,
Rama kathA sudhA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/gnb_mvati_alapa.ram
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/gnb_mvati_rama.ram
M.D. Ramanathan's take on the same Tyagaraja composition -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/mdr_mvati_rama.ram
Another rendition by M.D. Ramanathan, this time a composition of Shyama
Sastry, Palinsu Kamakshi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/mdr_mvati_palinsu.ram
Finally, T.V. Sankaranarayana presents Papanasam Sivan's Karpagame -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/tvs_mvati_kalpagame.ram
Glossary
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