Monday, Jan 28 2002
Kalyan (Page 1 of 2)
By 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He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music some of which have been archived on Sawf.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 in the shade at Mobor, Goa (2001)
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Namashkar.
In this compendium we turn our attention to the most imposing and elemental
of Indian melodies - the Raganga Raga Kalyan. In the Hindustani stream,
it is denominated variously by Yaman, Iman, Eman and Aiman. Although
the rAga is as old as the hills, its historical antecedents are not easy to pin
down. There's the ipse dixit that assigns credit for its conception to Amir
Khusro. In recent times several writers have reflected an awful lot of
moonshine off Mr. Khusro and the consensus now is that he was
the first man in the world to perform surgery on the testicles of
the axolotl. This feature is wholly dedicated to Raga Kalyan; we shall
train our sights on its contemporary musical structure and
performance practice, dispensing entirely with the traditional lore
enveloping it.
The Raganga And The Raga
Raga Kalyan - we shall use the name interchangeably with Yaman - is the
65th melakartA rAga of Carnatic music bearing the name Kalyani. The
reader is referred to the companion feature Kalyani by
Drs V.N. Muthukumar and M.V. Ramana for a considered Carnatic
perspective. In the Hindustani system, Kalyan represents a thaT,
a rAgAnga and a rAga. Throughout the discussion, M = shuddha and m = teevra madhyam.
What does one mean by rAgAnga? The word is a sandhi of rAga+anga
and signifies a collection of tonal gestures that have been abstracted from
a 'parent' rAga. For the most part the parent is drawn from the 'basic' rAgas
but it need not always be so. The rAgAnga has a life of its own and is seen
in full flower under the auspices of its parent rAga. The rAgAnga content
provides seed material for derivates of the parent or to other unrelated
melodic situations. The rAgAnga may thus be considered a summary, a generalization of melodic 'observations,' analogous to a theory or a law
in science, which may then be brought to bear on specific configurations.
The "rAgAnga rAga" is, as should be apparent by now, the supplier parent.
It furnishes the building blocks for the rAgAnga and hence best embodies
it. For instance, Raga Bhairav is the rAgAnga rAga of the Bhairav anga.
In this case Bhairav is a major rAga representing a thAT as well. An
example of a rAgAnga rAga that does not represent a thAT is Sarang.
< -- Pandit V.N. Bhatkhande
The Kalyan thAT is among the ten recognized by Pandit Vishnu Narayan
Bhatkhande, the great musician, theorist and scholar. The swara set
comprises S R G m P D N. Raga Kalyan employs all the seven
swaras which makes it a sampoorNa jAti rAga. The rAgAnga vAchaka
swaras (the definitive rAgAnga tonal clusters) are:
1) S, N' D' N' R G R S
In this characteristic poorvAnga cluster the mere hint of N' R G R S at
once suggests Kalyan. Notice the langhan (skipped) shaDaj in the
Arohi mode.
2) G m P->(mG)R, S
A seminal tonal sentence; the ucchAraNa (intonation) of the P->R coupling,
mediated by a grace of the teevra madhyam and gandhAr, is crucial and
carries the Kalyan identifier. The P->R coupling also occurs in
Ragas Gaud Sarang and Chhaya but is distinguished by the ucchAraNa.
It is this manner of subtlety and sophistication of approach to swara
that elevates Indian music to a level unmatched and unattained by any
other civilization on the planet. In the first clip of this feature, Pandit
Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" brilliantly draws attention to the three forms
of P->R coupling just mentioned -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/jha_panchamrishabspeak.ram
Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" at the author's place in Goa (2001) -- >
3) m D N D P
The bridge between poorvAnga and uttarAnga movements.
4) S" N D N D P
This avarohAtmaka phrase in the uttarAnga completes the rAgAnga
abstract.
The Kalyan rAgAnga is a melodic cornucopia. Several basic rAgas
follow naturally or through an ad hoc variation. A sufficiently
reflective and insightful musician ought to be able to 'derive'
these linkages. For instance, the chalan of Ragas Bhoop and Shuddha
Kalyan may be inferred from the rAgAnga. It is important to note that
the historical development may not have followed this sequence
and that a rAga may predate its rAgAnga. Nevertheless the
rAgAnga viewpoint provides a powerful unifying framework
of the thought processes that have guided the musician's mind
through the ages.
Raga Yaman is the flagship rAga of the Kalyan rAgAnga. A few additional
details bear scrutiny. The presence of several nyAsa sthAnas - S, R, G, P, N -
is indicative of its expansive melodic space. The teevra madhyam
is often elongated in rAga elaboration. Only the dhaivat gets the
cold shoulder; a nyAsa on that swara is potentially damaging to
the rAga flow. Some of the commonly used launches for the antarA
are:
G m D S"
m D N S"
P P S"
P (m)G P P N D S"
The skipping of the shaDaj and pancham in Arohi movements - N' R G
and m D N - lend Yaman a distinct flavour. Some musicians (typically
non-Indians) tend to view these two clusters as symmetric on account of the
superficial intervallic likeness. To view the rAga structure solely in terms
of intervals is flawed and completely misses its essence. No Indian musician
worth his salt thinks in terms of intervals. Apropos of the above clusters,
the vital point is that R is a nyAsa bahutva swara in either direction, D is not accorded that role.
The langhan alpatva of the S and P is sometimes observed in avarohi
movements as well. To wit, R" N D m G R. Although the skipping of S and P is sui generis to Yaman's normative behavior, the inclusion of Arohi S and P is not verboten. A deliberate construct such as
S R G m or m P D N is occasionally inserted in bandishes and tAns (as some of the clips will later attest). Another striking feature of Yaman is the wide leaps across G-N and N-G, m-N and N-m.
Putting together the pieces in the foregoing discussion, a sample chalan
is assembled:
S, (N')D' N' R G(nyAsa), R S, G m D N(nyAsa),
S" N D N D P(nyAsa), m (G)R G(nyAsa), G m P->(mG)R(nyAsa), G R S
This completes the introduction to the lakshaNAs of Raga Yaman. It is
not possible to chronicle every auxiliary gesture employed;
a careful hearing of the clips ought to fill in the gaps. Kalyan is so
pervasive that there is essentially no divergence in its behavior
across gharAnA and regional boundaries. The differences, when they
are observed, are of proportion (of particular melodic gestures)
than principle.
The inclusion of the shuddha madhyam M in Raga Yaman gives rise to the irrationally-named Raga Yaman Kalyan (sometimes also called Jaimini
Kalyan). The nomenclature is not strictly followed and one comes
across musicians partaking in the shuddha madhyam under the 'Yaman'
label. The nature of M in Yaman is not unlike that of a vivAdi swara; soft and judicious use occasions moments of great delight. Its frequency of occurrence and swara-lagAv are matters of individual and stylistic taste with allowance of latitude on this score. Its manner of
approach is, however, uniformly implemented, for the underlying
aesthetic seems to have been appreciated all over. But for the shuddha
madhyam-laden tonal construct in the poorvAnga the rest of the
structural contours of Yaman Kalyan are congruent with Yaman. The
distinguishing phrase is:
N' R G, m G R G, M G R S
The shuddha madhyam does not have an independent existence. It
is sandwiched between the gandhAr and touched only after first
emphasizing it (G, M G) or via its grace (G)M G R S. In particular,
a direct approach from the pancham is to be shunned (P M G - not!).
Occasionally, and especially in the lighter genres, the chromatic slide
m M is heard.
All these ideas and much more are encapsulated superbly in an
exposition by Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" pinched off the telephone
line. Once Jha-sahab is done speaking on a rAga virtually nothing
more needs to be said on the subject -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/jha_kalyanspeak.ram
As the preeminent night-time rAga, Yaman carries with it considerable
gravitas. No other rAga has cut so wide a swathe across all genres of
music and no other rAga has purchased so viselike a hold on the Indian's
thoughts and feelings. Every child embarking on a preliminary
study of classical music brings with her a working familiarity of
Kalyan obtained through folk and other sources. Yaman has come to
be acknowledged as the touchstone among classical musicians in
calibrating a peer's quality and depth, its mastery deemed a sine qua non
for any serious student. The magnitude and extent of Yaman's
reach impel us to offer here a substantial listening experience both in
the realm of the 'light' and the classical. The Yaman and
Yaman Kalyan instances are commingled.
Yaman - The 'Lighter' Side
That Yaman has seduced every creative mind of the post-recording era
generation is evident from the enormous volume of documented work. Here,
we must content ourselves with only a modest slice of that output.
Not every 'light' composition will align with Yaman according to
Hoyle, but some important, and sometimes surprising, gesture of
the rAga will be manifested in each of the adduced clips. To the
non-Indians among us, this ought to be an object lesson in driving
home the nexus between classical and 'light' music.
We open with an invocation to Ganesha, an Arati in Marathi,
written by the 17th century saint Swami Samarth Ramdas. Hridaynath
Mangeshkar's tune and Lata's voice come together in a melody that is
immensely loved in Goa and Maharashtra: sukha kartA dukha hartA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_ganapatiaarti.ram
< -- Vasantrao Deshpande
Another prArthanA to Ganesha, again in Marathi. Vasantrao Deshpande
is joined by Anuradha Paudwal: prathama tulA vandito -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/vasantrao_prathamatula.ram
M.S. Subbulakshmi's ethereal voice illuminates the chant,
vande padmakarAm -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/mss_vande.ram
Lata Mangeshkar -- >
Kalyan is Lata and Lata is Kalyan. Not even the classical masters can
hope to hold a candle to the magic she conjures in Yaman. The following
segment ought to establish it without leaving behind a
sliver of a doubt.
These verses from the Bhagavad Geeta are set to music by Hridaynath -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_bhagvadgeeta.ram
Another bhakti rasa assay, this time from the Gurbani. The transcendent
words of the 3rd Guru, Amardas, are set to music by the Singh brothers: mila
mere preetamA jiyo -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_gurbani.ram
Tulsidas's feelings for Shri Rama are expressed in his famous
Shri Ramanchandra krupAlu bhajamana -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_shreerama.ram
Meerabai's bhajan, Hridaynath's tune: keNu sanga -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_kenusanga.ram
From BHABHI KI CHOODIYAAN (1961), a luscious Yaman-based
beauty set to music by Sudhir Phadke: lau lagAti -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_laulagati.ram
The next two corkers were conceived in the highly discriminating
mind of Madan Mohan. From BAHAANA (1960), jA re badarA bairi jA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_jarebadaraa.ram
Film: ANPADH (1962), jiyA le gayo -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_jiyalegayo.ram
Ghalib's exceptional ability with verse more than meets its match
in Lata in this memorable composition set to music by Faiyaaz
Shauqat: har eka bAta pe -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_harekbaatpe.ram
Vasant Desai's gentle communion with swara finds an ally in Lata's
equally gentle treatment of swara. From ARDHAANGINI (1959),
baDe bhole ho -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_badebholeho.ram
Film: SHOKHIYAAN (1951), Music: Jamal Sen: supnA bana sAjana Aye -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_supnabana.ram
Film: PAKEEZAH (1971), Music: Ghulam Mohammad: mausam hai -
< -- Roshan
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_mausamhai.ram
Film: SATI SAVITRI (1964), Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal: jeevana Dor -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_jeevandor.ram
Yaman, alongwith Bhairavi and Pahadi, has been mined extensively
by the Hindi film composers. Roshan shared a very special
relationship with Yaman. Roshan and Madan Mohan were, in
some sense, musical twins. In their shared penchant for conceiving melodies that blended intimately with the lyric, in their drawing on India's classical music and traditional bandishes, and in their attention to the design of the interludes they seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Both
remained in a state of creative ferment throughout their relatively
short lives. Roshan's genius came to full flower in Yaman as witness
some of the extraordinary compositions that follow.
Film: RAGRANG (1952), this is a take on the very popular classical
cheez, eri Ali piyA bina sakhi. The words of the mukhDA are attributed
to Meerbai. Lata delivers admirably -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/lata_eriaali.ram
This hauntingly beautiful composition from MAMTA (1966) is
distinguished by Lata's intensity of feeling -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/latahemant_chhupalo.ram
And now, that immortal composition, with its
celebrated sarod and flute interludes. Roshan draws inspiration from a famous old Yaman Kalyan bandish
words of which are attributed to Tulsidas,
manA tu kAhe nA dheera dharata aba. Sahir Ludhianvi's mukhDA
reflects Tulsi's sentiment as it issues from Mohammad Rafi in
the movie CHITRALEKHA (1964): mana re tu kAhe nA dheera dhare -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/rafi_manare.ram
Roshan and Sahir combine again in this classic from BARSAT KI
RAAT (1960): zindagi bhar nahiN -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/rafi_zindagibhar.ram
Asha Bhonsle's tour de force in the qawwali from DIL HI TO
HAI (1963). Sahir and Roshan must have enjoyed working on
this: nigAheN milAne ko ji chAhatA hai -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/asha_nigahen.ram
The final Sahir and Roshan baby. Film: BABAR (1960), delivered
by Sudha Malhotra: salAm-e-hasrat -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/sudha_salaamehasrat.ram
We change tracks now. Bhimsen Joshi is joined by Vasantrao
Deshpande in this abhanga set to music by Ram Kadam: tALa bole -
Govindrao Tembe -- >
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/bhimsen_taalbole.ram
Bhimsen Joshi in yet another bout of bhakti, in this magnificent
composition of the bel esprit Govindrao Tembe. On the first
occurence of Atmaranga rangale one can palpably feel the searing
energy in Bhimsen's voice: mana ho Ramranga rangale -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/bhimsen_ramaranga.ram
< -- Bhimsen Joshi
Two of Goa's finest creative minds collaborate in the next enterprise.
The poet laureate B.B. Borkar and the musician-composer
par excellence Jitendra Abhisheki: kashi tuzha -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/abhisheki_kashituzha.ram
Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale's enduring tune is given deft treatment by Kumar
Gandharva in a nATyageeta from SWAYAMVAR: nAtha hA mAzhA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/kumar_nathaha.ram
Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale -- >
This nATyageeta from SAUBHADRA brings sweet childhood memories
as I recall my father's rendition of it in the role of Narada. Here, it is rendered by Sharad Zambekar: Radhadhara madhu milinda -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/zambekar_radhadhara.ram
Asha's rendition of Sant Dnyaneshwar's poetry, set to music by
Hridaynath, is so glorious as to give one pause before conceding
the Yaman dominion to Lata: kAnaDA-o-Vitthalu -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/asha_kanadaovitthalu.ram
An evergreen hit from K.L. Saigal displays Yaman in bits and parts.
Film: ZINDAGI (1940), Music: Pankaj Mullick: maiN kyA jAnu -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/saigal_mainkyajanu.ram
< -- Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh
The transparent sincerity in Mukesh's voice has deposited quite a few
Yaman-based compositions permanently into the public memory bank.
The bhajan composed by Lacchiram, for instance: chhoDa jhamela jhooThe
jaga kA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/mukesh_chhodjhamela.ram
Madan Mohan's gem from the movie SANJOG (1961): bhooli
hui yAdoN -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/mukesh_bhoolihui.ram
And who hasn't heard of this jeremiad from PARVARISH (1958) tuned
by Dattaram? Aansoo bhari haiN -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/mukesh_aansoobhari.ram
Every college Romeo has at some stage allowed himself the fantasy of
wooing a babe with this well-worn number from SARASWATICHANDRA (1968)
under Kalyanji-Anandji's baton: chandana sA badana -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/mukesh_chandansabadan.ram
Mukesh finds some more romance in this Sardar Malik classic from
SARANGA (1960): sArangA teri yAda meN -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/mukesh_saranga.ram
Pt. Kishore Kumar of Khandwa -- >
We now turn to the suzerain from Khandwa, Pandit Kishore Kumar.
Panditji's first offering is a canonical Khandwa cheez from ANURODH (1977)
composed by Laxmikant- Pyarelal: Aapke anurodh pe -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/kishore_aapke.ram
Panditji now gives a dhrupad-anga treatment to this sAdrA in jhaptAla
composed by the Punjabi ruffian O.P. Nayyar for the movie EK BAAR
MUSKURA DO (1972): savere kA sooraj -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/kishore_saverekasooraj.ram
Panditji coos wistfully in this chhoTA kHayAl specially procured here
from the Khandwa bag of tricks. The movie, KHAMOSHI (1969), and
the composer, Hemant Kumar: woh shyAm kuch ajeeba thhi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/kishore_wohshyam.ram
The final contribution by the God-in-human-clothing. Panditji, for
a change, presents a 'light' composition. Anu Malik's tune for
AAPAS KI BAAT (1982): terA chehrA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/kishore_terachehra.ram
Ghalib's classic gHazal is tuned by Ghulam Mohammad in this
Suraiyya number from MIRZA GHALIB (1954): nuktAcheeN ha gHam-e-dil -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/suraiyya_nuktacheen.ram
Another superb gHazal of Ahmad Faraz delivered by the richly gifted
Mehdi Hasan: ranjish hi sahi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/mehdihasan_ranjishhi.ram
The Pakistani songstress Farida Khanoum's stentorian voice takes
charge: woh mujhse -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/faridakhanoum_wohmujhse.ram
Only rarely did Laxmikant-Pyarelal surpass themselves. Once such instance
is the movie PARASMANI (1963): woh jaba yAda Aaye -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/latarafi_wohjabyaad.ram
Ravindra Jain's handsome tune in CHITCHOR (1976) was a rage in its
time. K.J. Yesudas delivers: jaba deep jale AanA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/yesudas_jabdeepjale.ram
We wind down the Ya'mania' with a couple of Shankar-Jaikishan
compositions. Their folksy number in TEESRI KASAM (1966)
was its time the national chant. A rollicking Asha rises to the
occasion: pAn khAye saiyyAN humAro -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/asha_paankhaye.ram
In LAL PATTHAR (1971) we watch in despair as Manna Dey comes a cropper. It hurts to see an adult man whipped so badly by a girl but the pain is instantly diminished upon realizing that the male in question is a bong. Those Manna tAns are indistinguishable from the first cries of a freshly baked baby as it tries to cope with life outside the amnion: re mana sur meN gA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/kalyan/ashamanna_remana.ram
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