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Raga Pooriya Kalyan

< -- Prasad Savkar (right) and Prabhudeo Sardar (centre) give 'daad' to Ramrang at the author's home in Goa (2001)

The mingling of the Kalyan-anga, typically in the uttarAnga space, with elements of either Pooriya or Pooriya Dhanashree in the poorvAnga, is the chief idea here. The rAga spans the full gamut of the Marwa thAT: S r G m P D N. We have examined Raganga Kalyan at length in another feature. Pooriya Dhanashree is discussed in the companion feature dealing with Poorvi-thAT rAgas. Several flavours of Pooriya Kalyan have been conceived by varying the proportion and balance of swaras, and by introduction of special sangatis.

Jitendra Abhisheki's composition in the Marathi drama, KATYAAR KALJAAT GHUSLI, is rendered by a fellow Goan, Prasad Savkar: Muralidhar Shyam -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/savkar_katyar.ram

Another Marathi song, tuned by Vasant Prabhu for Lata Mangeshkar: haravale te -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/lata_haravalete.ram

Bhimsen Joshi -- >

The opening moments of this vintage Bhimsen excerpt hew to the Kalyan line before elements of Pooriya Dhanashree kick in: bahuta dina beete -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/bhimsen_pooriyakalyan.ram

Amir Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/amirkhan_pooriyakalyan.ram

Special sangatis dot this version advertised as "Poorva Kalyan" by K.G. Ginde. Take stock of m D m G and the elongation of D for an AbhAs of Marwa. S.N. Ratanjankar's composition is presented by Ginde-ji: hovana lAgi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/ginde_poorvakalyan.ram

< -- Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale

Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale's own composition: Ali morA mana har leeno -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/lpj_pooriyakalyan.ram

The cheej pijja lover, Mr. Alubhai Khan of San Rafael -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/alubhai_pooriyakalyan.ram

An unpublished recording of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan rounds off the Pooriya Kalyan excursion -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/bgak_pooriyakalyan.ram

Raga Shree Kalyan

A conception of Kumar Gandharva. This rAga is scale-congruent with Pooriya Kalyan but the Kalyan-anga here cohabits with the Shree-anga. The latter is articulated through appropriate ucchAraNa and the S-P and P-r sangatis (see Raga Shree: Close Encounters): dekho re ruta -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/kumar_shreekalyan.ram

Raga Maligoura

Ali Akbar Khan's version of this aprachalita rAga employs only the shuddha dhaivat and is scale-congruent with Pooriya Kalyan. Personality-wise, however, it is a horse of a different colour. The Kalyan-anga is de-emphasized and subtle sangatis are inserted (G-P; the meenD-laden P-m-G, N-P etc). The G-m-G, m-P-m, P-D-P combinations employed in Pooriya Kalyan are eschewed (cf his Pooriya Kalyan clip) -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/alubhai_maligoura.ram

S.N. Ratanjankar -- >

Both the dhaivats grace this version advanced by S.N. Ratanjankar. The komal dhaivat is seen in Shree-laced phrases such as S, r N' d P. The shuddha dhaivat is employed in Pooriya-like gestures. This engaging performance of a traditional Khayal (documented by Bhatkhande) begins with a brief introduction by Acharya Ratanjankar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/snr_maligoura.ram

Raga Sazgiri

Although there is scant evidence to support the case, folklore accuses Amir Khusro of fathering this rAga. Perhaps the name (not the rAga as we know it) does go back to Khusro's time. Both the dhaivats and both the madhyams are pressed into service. The komal dhaivat role is limited to Poorvi phrases such as P, m d P and r" N d P. The shuddha madhyam is manifested in a striking movement: G M, M N (D)m G. The tail end of the preceding phrase derives from Pooriya.

Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang": darbAra gA'ooN tore Khwaja Moiuddin Auliya-

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/jha_sazgiri.ram

< -- Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang"

K.G. Ginde's voice and S.N. Ratanjankar's composition -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/ginde_sazgiri.ram

The ersatz two-bit Sazgiri peddled by Vilayat Khan (of the "Mommy-mommy-I-didn't-get-the-Bharat-Ratna" fame) does not merit space here.

Raga Bhankari

Although this tantalizing melody shows flashes of Bhatiyar, Jait, Bibhas and Deshkar there prevails an aesthetic unity in its character. Ramrang navigates the tight rope with ease: sanga nA keejiye manuvA durjana soN doora haTiye-

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/jha_bhankhari_druta.ram

Raga Malavi (Marwa thAT)

An uttarAnga-pradhAna rAga that draws on Deshkar (eg. P D P G, G P D, P D S" etc). The teevra madhyam is introduced via m D S". A sample chalan is:

P D P G, P G r S, S G P, G P D, P, PDS", S" r" S", S" (D)m D S"

Mallikarjun Mansur: anga sugandha -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/mansur_malavi.ram

Raga Poorba (Marwa thAT)

The version of Poorba served by Mr. Jasraj uses both the madhyams and the shuddha dhaivat. Banditji's sargam reveals the melodic outline -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/banditji_poorba.ram

Bhatkhande has described a different Poorba, also of the Marwa-thAT, that only takes the teevra madhyam.

Raga Vihang

This aprachalita item is a specialty of Atrauli-Jaipur. The Kalyan anga is clearly expressed through tonal strips such as m D N D P. The shuddha madhyam then saunters in via G M G r G.

Mallikarjun Mansur -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/mansur_vihang.ram

Nivruttibuwa Sarnaik -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/sarnaik_vihang.ram

Raga Baradi (Marwa thAT)

This aprachalita rAga goes by Barari, Varari and Varati and has accreted different facets (and sometimes names) in its journey across Gharana boundaries. Several melodic themes encountered earlier are easily discerned in the rAgas under the Baradi umbrella.

Consider K.G. Ginde. The pramukha swara sangatis here are:

S G P DG P; P D m G, m G r S; N r" N D N D P
The first cluster draws from Jait, the second from Bhankar, the third from Pooriya Kalyan. The skill lies in bonding these swara molecules to synthesize an independent swaroopa. Ginde sings his guru's (S.N. Ratanjankar) compositions -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/ginde_baradi.ram

K.G. Ginde -- >

Changing a syllable here and there, a swara here and there, and marketing it as a "rare raga" has been a longtime cottage industry in Hindustani music. The underlying rAga behaviour - if you have cultivated the acuity to recognize it - is of primary importance, not the label affixed. Richard Feynman has expressed this idea appositely in another context: "...You can know the name of that bird in all the languages of the world, but when you are finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatsoever about that bird..."

The version of Anandrao Limaye (Limayebuwa) goes by the name "Virat" (probably an emendation of "Varati"). This brand is similar in spirit to Ginde's but there are minor points of departure. Limayebuwa's consummate mastery of his material makes even the most vakra rAga look like putty in his hands. Notice the sparing, subtle komal dhaivat just after 0:09 -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/limayebuwa_baradi.ram

Mr. Jasraj's Baradi (prefixed with "Shuddha" to qualify the dhaivat) is a different kettle of fish. The stretched nishAd (durbal in the Ginde and Limayebuwa versions) lends a different flavour. Banditji's explicit sargam gives the game away -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/banditji_baradi.ram

Nivruttibuwa Sarnaik offers yet another version -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/sarnaik_baradi.ram

Raga Shuddha Basant

This older variety of Basant typically favoured by the Dhrupadiyas employs the shuddha dhaivat and drops the pancham. Recall that the Basant in vogue is komal dhaivat-based and falls to the Poorvi thAT. The shuddha madhyam is introduced through a dash of Lalitanga. The interested reader is urged to compare this rAga with Raga Pancham.

Ram Chatur Mallick -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/marwa/rcm_shuddhabasant.ram

Several other important rAgas of the Marwa thAT have been dealt with in the earlier features. For Ragas Bhatiyar, Bhankar, Pancham, Lalit and Gouri, see On Raga Bhatiyar and On Raga Lalita Gouri.

Acknowledgements

My deepest thanks to Romesh Aeri for his affection and enthusiasm; the rare gems from his music collection have lighted up every feature. Additional help comes from Ashok Ambardar, Ajay Nerurkar and Guri Singh; they share my passion for music though not necessarily my views. Discussions with V.N. Muthukumar have been useful. Sir Vish Krishnan has enhanced these musings by enabling me to bounce things off his keen intellect and outrageous power of recall, not to mention with his assistance in selection of 'light' material. Anita Thakur turns my dreary text files into beautiful Web pages and is the prime mover behind SAWF.

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