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Short Takes: Kamod and Shyam Kalyan 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 He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music some of which have been archived on Sawf. Click here to read Rajan's earlier articles.

Rajan P. Parrikar in New Orleans (1990)

Namashkar.

The nightly Ragas Kamod and Shyam Kalyan are the subject of this filing of Short Takes. Both these melodies furnish a rich and fertile tonal space for elaboration. Throughout the script, M=shuddha and m=teevra madhyam.

Raga Kamod

It is hard to convey Kamod's spirit with the written word. The gestalt is best imbibed through sustained study and reflection. Such rAgas have very little basis in scales. Among the deleterious habits to have come to nest in recent times in the realm of Hindustani pedagogy is the urge to pigeonhole rAgas into an Aroha-avaroha set, then add on the vAdi-samvAdi pair and a pakkaD phrase, and think that one has successfully described the rAga. The Aroha-avaroha set is an ex post facto construct that ought not to be the starting point of inquiry.

Let us now consider Kamod and put its key lakshaNAs under the lens. The reader who is not familiar with the terminology I bring to bear is encouraged to remedy the situation for this is the language of Indian music and of Raga in particular. Gone are the days of the illiterate ustad with his indifference, not to mention ignorance, to the intellectual component of our musical heritage.

S, (M)R (M)R P, G M P G M (S)R, S
This sentence represents Kamod's signature. The R-P coupling is a recurring theme; the special sangati G M P G M R S has come to embody the Kamod anga. The (M)R R P cluster is suggestive of the Malhar anga.

S M R R P, m P D P, G M D D P, G M P G M (S)R S
Two points are of interest here. The teevra madhyam is very weak in Kamod and appears only under the aegis of the pancham; it can be dispensed with without injury to the rAga swaroop. The G M D D P cluster draws on Raga Hameer.

P P S", S" R" S", S" R" (S")D D, P
The uttarAnga uthAv is Kalyan-inspired (note, despite the absence/weakness of N). Notice the elongation of D (deergha bahutva) in the avarohi sense and the weak N (alpatva). The komal nishAd is occasionally introduced in a vivAdi dosha via S" D n P.

PDPPS", S" (N)R" S" NS" D, P, m P D P
Another variation of an uttarAnga launch.

The P and R swaras are very powerful, the former in a sampoorNa nyAsa bahutva role (i.e. nyAsa allowed in either direction), the latter as nyAsa bahutva in the avarohi sense only. Tying together these disparate and elusive strands into a seamless composite presents a challenge. The zigzagging contours erect formidable barriers to quick tAns in a Khayal setting. Their formulation, therefore, assumes groups of swara doublets such as SSMRPPDDmPS"S"DP.

Strands of Malhar, Hameer and Kalyan prevail in varying degrees, so does some genetic overlap with melodies such as Kedar and Chhayanat. But all these rAgas have their respective lakshaNA lines clearly marked out.

Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" in his study in Allahabad

A great vidwAn, like great books, is a source of perpetual delight (to paraphrase Valluvar in the Kural). Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" gives us a magisterial account of Kamod, recorded over the telephone -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/jha_kamodspeak.ram

The music redacted for this edition is calculated to illustrate and enthrall. Some of the key selections are unpublished and hard-to-find. We kick off the clipathon with Lata Mangeshkar's number from CHITRALEKHA (1964), adapted by Roshan from an old Kamod bandish: eri jAne na dooNgi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/lata_erijaane.ram

Straddling the Kamod-Gaud Malhar boundary comes naturally to Roshan. Try, for instance, his utterly seductive composition from NOORJEHAN (1967) in Suman Kalyanpur's voice: sharAbi sharAbi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/suman_sharabi.ram

Shankar-Jaikishan affirm their trust in Lata in this strong tune from AMRAPALI (1966): jA'o re jogi tum -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/lata_jaore.ram

The last two compositions were earlier filed under Gaud Malhar but they hew much better to the Kamod line (I had no intentions of writing on Kamod at the time). As indicated earlier, Kamod does carry a strand of the Malhar anga.

In RAAGINI (1958) Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali render a cheez for O.P. Nayyar. Not a kosher Kamod but still a respectable effort: chheDa diye mere dil ke tAra ko -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/raagini.ram

The classical segment begins with a couple of druta compositions by Jha-sahab. The first, his own: kala na Ave ho balamA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/jha_kamod_druta1.ram

Jha-sahab picked up this fetching cheez in his days with the drama company. They don't make these type of compositions anymore: mAna mat mAna kara mAnani -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/jha_kamod_druta2.ram

<-- D.V. Paluskar (seated far right) with his guru Vinayakrao Patwardhan (seated second from right) D.V. Paluskar lays bare Kamod's soul with a couple of traditional compositions. The vilambit, hooN to jana mana chhANDe, is followed by the chestnut, lAgi re mori na'i lagana- http://www.sawf.org/audio/ kamod/dvpaluskar_kamod.ram

The Rampur-Sahaswan view by Mushtaq Hussain Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/mhk_kamod.ram

'Aftab-e-Mousiqui' Faiyyaz Khan draws out long, graceful meeNDs. Notice the AbhAsa of n around 3:35. Again, lAgi re -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/fhk_kamod.ram

Kumar Gandharva -- > Kumar Gandharva's is a fine example of the recensions famous compositions are subjected to: lAgi re has its mukhDA and sam suitably re-vectored - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/kumar_kamod.ram Kumar's own creation, Raga Kamodvanti - a smoothie whipped up with Kamod and Jaijaivanti: ye to mAna - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/kumar_kamodvanti.ram Sublime moments with Bismillah Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/bismillah_kamod.ram

< -- Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Kamod was especially dear to Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The cannonade of tAns issuing in this popular recording is a spectacle no words can adequately render. BGAK's own bandish: chhAND de - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/bgak_kamod_druta.ram Heightening the frisson, Bade Ghulam Ali's unpublished tarAnA - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/bgak_kamod_tarana.ram

Raga Shyam Kalyan

A chalan bheda within the Kalyan framework and an overlay of the Kamod signature G M P G M R S are the chief features of Raga Shyam Kalyan. Although one observes idiosyncratic touches, chiefly in the poorvAnga, across various stylistic schools, the core of the rAga is almost universally acknowledged. It goes without saying that a certain intelligence and maturity are required to recognize and abstract away the central themes. The definitive tonal activity in Shyam Kalyan is summarized below (Reminder: m=teevra madhyam):

S, R N' S (M)R, R m, m P, P G M R, M R N', R S
Much may be gleaned from the above phrase. The opening sangati is shared by Raga Shuddha Sarang but the agency of intonation and punctuation keeps the two rAgas apart. The Sarang-anga demands a straight Arohi approach and nyAsa on R. Whereas in Shyam Kalyan an Arohi approach to R must formulated so as to not precipitate the Sarang-anga. This is usually accomplished by spiriting away the sangatis in the direction of the teevra madhyam. The avarohi nyAsa on R is necessary. The concluding G-laden cluster lent by Kamod evaporates any further Shuddha Sarang aspirations: P G M R, S or G M P G M R, S.

R m, m P, D P, D m P, G M P, G M R, R N' S
The teevra madhyam is elongated (deergha bahutva), the gandhAr is skipped in ArohAtmak sangatis (langhan alpatva) going from R to m. The dhaivat receives Kalyan-like treatment (another point of departure from Shuddha Sarang which, as a Sarang-anga rAga, keeps a weak D).

R m P N, N, S", N S" D, D, P, S" N D P m P, N, N S"
The elongation of N in Arohi and of D in avarohi passages are points of interest. In avarohi prayogas, N may be skipped as indicated above.

With this preamble, we have in place all the necessary procedures to venture into the theatre of performance.

Shyam Kalyan was the first to come under Jha-sahab's critical gaze (vide Volume 1 of Abhinava Geetanjali). An entire library of his penetrating commentaries has now evolved on SAWF. These are documents of inestimable value to the serious student of Indian music. Ramrang holds forth on Shyam Kalyan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/jha_shyamkalyanspeak.ram

Prof. Kishore Kumar makes a subtle point regarding Raga Shyam Kalyan -- > We warm up to a cheez from Khandwa's Pt. Kishore Kumar. Keep your ears peeled for Panditji's subtle caress of the komal nishAd in the antarA (the Khandwa school specializes in vivAdis, among other things). The film is DARD KA RISHTA (1983) and the composer, R.D. Burman: yooN neeNd se - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/kishorekumar.ram Ramdas Kamat's modern rendition of the Marathi nATyageeta from the 1916 drama, SAUNSHAY KALLOL: svakara shapatha vachani - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/kamat_svakara.ram In the first offering from Jha-sahab's felicitous suite, a baDA kHayAl, the rAga-chAritra emerges beautifully in the asthA'i itself: aise subanA ke -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/jha_shyamkalyan_vil.ram

Ramrang's druta bandish in ektAla has made its way into the repertoire of several vocalists (Satyasheel Deshpande briefly provides vocal support in the antarA): belA sANjha ki -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/jha_shyamkalyan_druta1.ram

Some 30-35 years ago, a disciple of Omkarnath Thakur called on Ramrang and sang his guru's beautiful Shyam Kalyan composition. A couple of days later he dropped by again and was astonished to find that Jha-sahab had not only remembered Omkarnath's bandish but had produced a near-identical song by stitching new words onto the melody. We hear in Jha-sahab's own voice Omkarnath's original composition and then his matching riposte -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/jha_shyamkalyan_druta2.ram

Jitendra Abhisheki

Jitendra Abhisheki's superb concert at the 1985 Kesarbai Kerkar Samaroh in Panjim, Goa, is framed in the next two clips; both are Jha-sahab's compositions. The vilambit, hamare piyAre mA'i - http://www.sawf.org/audio/ kamod/abhisheki_shyamkalyan_vil.ram We heard belA sANjha ki above in Ramrang's own voice. Jitendra-bab also makes good on it - http://www.sawf.org/audio/ kamod/abhisheki_shyamkalyan_druta.ram

The Agra contingent is out in full strength. A careful listening will reveal some of the special Agra touches, especially in the poorvAnga. Khadim Hussain Khan prefaces his kHayAl with a nomtom style AlAp -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/khk_shyamkalyan.ram

Vilayat Hussain Khan ("Pranpiya") on an old 78 rpm -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/vhk_shyamkalyan.ram

Vilayat Hussain Khan "Pranpiya" -- > Pranpiya's son Younus Hussain Khan - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/yhk_shyamkalyan.ram A mehfil recording of Basavraj Rajguru - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/rajguru_shyamkalyan.ram A tarAnA by Satyasheel Deshpande -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/satyasheel_shyamkalyan.ram

< -- Bismillah Khan at his home in Varanasi No Shyam Kalyan catalogue can be complete without Bismillah Khan's old recording - http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod /bismillah_shyamkalyan.ram Nikhil Banerjee - http://www.sawf.org/audio/ kamod/nb_shyamkalyan.ram Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's treatment stands apart from the rest of the pack for its maverick turn of phrase, a brazen G m P sangati. The rasika is urged to find it in his heart to forgive the great man for this venial sin -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/bgak_shyamkalyan.ram

Raga Shuddha Gunakali

This aprachalita rAga is also called "Raat-ki-Gunakali." It retains a Kamod base and draws on strips of Bhoopali/Deshkar. The following chalan expresses its essence:

S, (M)R (M)R P, P P D P, P D->R P, G M S R (S)D' S

Ulhas Kashalkar deals an old bandish, mohe leta ri rasa batiyana sanga -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/kashalkar_gunakali.ram

As a vidwAn and as a teacher, Ram Marathe was highly regarded. But his effete vocalism, as any middle-class Marathi hag will tell you, had the virtue of running out of steam even before he got down to his foreplay. The same cheez, mohe leta -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/kamod/marathe_gunakali.ram

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