Monday, April 1 2002
On Gaud Malhar and Miyan Malhar
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some of which have been archived on Sawf.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 with nephew Yash (2001)
|
Namashkar.
A couple of aprachalita Malhar prakArs were discussed in
an earlier feature, A Tale of Two Malhars. This
note
extends that discussion through a formal inquiry into the
Malhar Raganga, culminating in an exploration of its two most significant
representatives: Gaud Malhar and Miyan Malhar (Note: A brief discussion on Raga
Ramdasi Malhar was later added to this feature). The Malhar group is extremely
popular and its
sub-melodies legion. A nimble imagination and an
afternoon to spare are all it takes, it would seem, to add your personal Malhar
to the catalogue. We shall not go into the whole shebang and visit every known
variant. There will be occasions aplenty to sample the other Malhars. Already
there are a few Malhar prakArs available through the
earlier features on SAWF and more will be added to The Treasure
Trove in the fullness of time. The traditionally significant Malhars are
few, and all the derivatives are essentially extensions of two central themes
that constitute the Malhar kernel. The earlier articles have illuminated the
power of the idea of the Raganga, the fundamental guiding 'principle' of the
melodic Hindustani superstructure. To understand the variations, it is
desirable to first grasp and internalize the tenets of the Raganga.
Throughout this excursion, M=shuddha and
m=teevra madhyam.
Raganga Raga Shuddha Malhar
This very old rAga is the original default "Malhar" and the carrier of the
principal Malhar lakshaNAs. However, it has become scarce in recent times with
the result that "Malhar" today has come to be synonymous with the vastly
popular Miyan Malhar. For a scholarly exegesis of the Malhar group, the reader
is referred to the treatise Raga Malhar Darshan authored by Jha-sahab's disciple, Dr. Geeta
Banerjee. Here we shall content ourself with a broad view and touch upon the
key points of rAga structure.
Shuddha Malhar has a pentatonic scale set, S R M P
D, shared by later rAgas such as Jaladhar Kedar and Durga (of the
Bilawal thAT). The chief Malhar lakshaNA, the quintessence of every Malhar,
is:
M (M)R (M)R P
The ucchAraNa (intonation) of the rishab graced by the madhyam is crucial.
The nominal M R P construct is common to other
rAgas (eg. Durga) but the distinction lies in the ucchAraNa. Recall the
dictum, often heard in Jha-sahab's discourses: ucchAraNa bheda se rAga
bheda.
The second phrase contributed by Shuddha Malhar belongs to the uttarAnga:
M P (S")D S", S", D P M
The nyAsa swara is the madhyam. This prayoga is heard in several Malhars,
eg. Gaud Malhar.
A ponderous gait and a meenD-rich contour characterize Shuddha Malhar. With
its stately mien, it is ideally suited for Dhrupad-anga gAyaki. A sample
chalan is now written out. The audio clips following will bring home the
nuance:
S, R M, M R (M)R P
M P (S")D S", S" R" S", S", D P M,
M (M)R (M)R P, P M, R M, M R S
Some remarks on the scale-congruent Jaladhar Kedar and Durga are in order.
Jaladhar Kedar: The primary lakshaNA
expresses the Kedar anga, viz., S R S M, M P M,
M R S. An AbhAs of Shuddha Malhar prevails in the uttarAnga.
Durga: The key phrases are - (P)D (P)M R P and S R
(S)D' S. Both ucchAraNa-bheda and chalan-bheda insure a melody that
steers clear of Shuddha Malhar.
< -- Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" at the
author's home in Goa
As always, Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" brings to bear his exceptional
breadth and depth of knowledge,
clarity and precision of thought, and felicity of expression in this interview
broadcast many years ago
from AIR, Allahabad. His interlocutor is S.L. Kandara, a violin player and
disciple of the
Sarangi maestro Ram Narain. Jha-sahab dwells on the structure of Shuddha
Malhar, spells out the
highlights of the scale-congruent Jaladhar Kedar and Durga, and finally
sketches a Dhrupad -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/jha_malharspeak.ram
A Shuddha Malhar composition of S.N. Ratanjankar rendered by his disciple
K.G. Ginde reinforces its features: dhooma dhooma dhooma Aye -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/ginde_shuddhamalhar.ram
To recap, the tonal sentence M (M)R (M)R P
is a sine qua non for
Raganga Malhar. In recent times, the overwhelming influence of Raga Miyan
Malhar has lead to the definition of a second, subsidiary Malhar lakshaNA, one
that involves the two nishAds. To wit, S, N' n' D' N',
N' S and M' P' n' D' N' S. More on this
later in the Miyan Malhar section.
Raga Gaud Malhar
Among the oldest Malhars, it predates Miyan Malhar. As the name suggests,
the basic building blocks are supplied by Gaud and
Shuddha Malhar. Additional material is contributed by Bilawal. Tying these
diverse strands together are special sanchAris.
The poorvAnga activity is typically initiated with clusters contributed by
Gaud:
S, R G M, M G M G R G S, R G M, P M
The strong, glowing madhyam stands out.
The Gaud-inspired tonal phrase paves the way for a segue into Malhar
territory:
S, RGM, M (M)R (M)R P
Then comes:
M (M)R P, D [n] P, G P M
The n in square brackets denotes a shake on
that swara that will be heard in the clips later.
M P (S")D S" (from Shuddha Malhar) or
P P N D N S" (from Bilawal) are
the two most common modes of uttarAnga conduct. Also employed to good effect is
a straight and quick MPDNS". Very
occasionally there's the P D n S" in a
Khamaj-like phrase. The Miyan Malhar-inspired Arohi
uThAv - M P n D N S" - plied in Atrauli-Jaipur
and some Gwalior treatments is
frowned upon by the Malhar purist who considers it to be at best superfluous
and at worst injurious to Gaud Malhar's health.
The avarohi passages reveal the influence of Bilawal - S" D n P - and Shuddha Malhar - S", DPM.
Putting it all together, a façade of Gaud Malhar is synthesized:
- S, RGM, M (M)R (M)R P, D, [n] P
- MPDNS"R", S", S" D n P, D G P M
- P, P N D N S", S" DPM, (M)R R P, G P M
- S, RGM, R G R M, G R S
The above formulation carries the essence of the rAga. The nitty-gritty of
the various supporting artifacts, we shall not delve into. The clips reveal
them all and the excited reader is encouraged to bring his own measure.
Obiter dicta: There are a few other flavours
of
Gaud Malhar. There's one that takes in the komal gandhAr only and another with
both the gandhArs. These are mostly
favoured by the Dhrupadiyas. Yet another type of Gaud Malhar adopts the
posture detailed above but with
an excess of Khamaj influence. And there's the gandhAr-less outlier too.
Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" speaks on Gaud Malhar with not a word wasted
in this segment recorded over the telephone line -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/jha_gaudmalharspeak.ram
Ali Akbar Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Chaturlal and Ravi Shankar (note how
Alubhai is trying to hide his bidi) -- >
Gaud Malhar has found much favour with film composers. The rAga was
especially close to Roshan's heart as the next
couple of clips bear out. In MALHAR (1951) he recruits Lata Mangeshkar for an
exquisite rendering of the traditional
bandish: garajata barasata bheejata Ai'lo -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/lata_garajata.ram
One wonders why nobody thought of systematically recording the traditional
cheezs in Lata's voice while at its peak. What a valuable document that would
have made. Today, we have every Tom, Dick and Pussy (as in Ms. Pussy Galore),
armed with the zeal of freshly circumcised converts, scampering to "save" and
"preserve" Indian music. Inspired by these cultural saviors, I have often
fantasized about opening an Indian restaurant to inaugurate my own campaign of
"saving" the samosa from extinction.
ChhayAs of Gaud Malhar peer through now and then in this beautiful Lata
number from TAJ MAHAL (1963): jurm-e-ulfat pe -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/lata_jurmeulfat.ram
Gaud Malhar is much adored in western India (i.e. Goa and Maharasthra), the
hotbed of Hindustani music and culture. I once
revealed this latter fact to a gentleman who had been introduced to me as a
"Bengali intellectual." Alas, he
turned out to be more Bong than intellectual. He was devastated and first
turned into a shade of red. I thought he
was going to punch me in the face (luckily, this wasn't the "Punjabi
intellectual"). Then, without warning, he went
completely blue, shed a few tears and died with the words "keyhollo! keyhollo!"
on his lips.
The Marathi drama SAUBHADRA is a cornucopia of memorable tunes. Prabhakar
Karekar, who speaks Marathi with a Konkani accent, tries his hand at this old
favourite: nabha meghAne Akramile -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/karekar_nabha.ram
Another Goan, an adept at classical gAyaki, but not known beyond the borders
of the tiny state, sings a marvellous composition of Jitendra Abhisheki
conceived for the drama MEERA MADHURA. Balkrishna Kelkar: swapnAta pAhile
je te -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/kelkar_swapnata.ram
The splendid Mehdi Hasan: phooli phool khil uThe -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/mehdihasan_phoolhi.ram
For the classical banquet we have before us a spread of the fat of the land.
Jha-sahab's guru Bholanath Bhatt
came from a musical tradition that specialized in Malhars. To the repertoire
handed down, Jha-sahab has added his
own compelling creations. For instance, this bandish in dheemA Teentala: jA
re jA tu badarA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/jha_gaudm.ram
Much of the textual content of the Malhar bandishes revolves around
descriptions of the rains and associated seasonal phenomena.
The Gwalior vocalists embrace this rAga with relish. Malini Rajurkar's
vilambit treatment in Tilwada
adopts the old "Sadarang" composition: kAhe ho hama soN -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/rajurkar_gaudm.ram
Yeshwantbuwa Joshi wields another traditional bandish, also in Tilwada, in
this solid performance.
Notice the very opening movement for the prayoga from the komal nishAd to the
tAr rishab: piyAre A'oji -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/yjoshi_gaudm.ram
<-- A bust of
Faiyyaz Khan made by sculptor Madhubhai Patel
Faiyyaz Khan flashes the Agra picture as the Sadarang bandish, kAhe
ho, stays put. The treatment
takes a slightly different course - the n D N S
'molecule' is not employed, the tAr S" is
approached via M P D n S". The lakshaNAs emerge
gloriously, stamped with the certitude and energy of the Aftab-e-Mousiqui -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/fhk_gaudm.ram
K.G. Ginde hauls in his bag of Gaud Malhars. His outline of the
traditional bandish: mAna na kare ri gori -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/ginde_gaudm1.ram
Ginde-ji's second take is Khamaj-laced -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/ginde_gaudm2.ram
The final Ginde item is a komal gandhAr-laden version of Gaud Malhar,
through a composition of S.N. Ratanjankar: garvA DArUN hAra -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/ginde_gaudm3.ram
Ratanjankar has also composed in a type of Gaud Malhar that dispenses with
the gandhAr altogether.
Salamat Ali -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/salamatali_gaudm.ram
Anjanibai Lolienkar -- >
The Agra lass from Goa, Anjanibai Lolienkar, plays with an old bandish:
balamA bahAra A'ai -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/anjanibai_gaudm.ram
The Tarana specialist of Rampur-Sahaswan, Nissar Hussain Khan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/nhk_gaudm.ram
<-- Amir Khan
The next item is our Ewe-lamb, an unpublished recording of Amir Khan. The
great man opens with remarks on the provenance of the bandish. The design of
the mukhDA is unusal with its sam placed on the rishab in a Nat-like fashion,
thus creating a tirobhAva and temporarily displacing Gaud Malhar. There are
refreshing and magical moments to be had here -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/amirkhan_gaudm.ram
The Atrauli-Jaipur innings opens with Kesarbai Kerkar's mAna na kare
ri. This
traditional bandish was refurbished by Alladiya Khansaheb to serve as the
vilambit vehicle
for his vision of the rAga. Kesarbai's tAns reveal such extraordinary
breath-control as to take one's breath away -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/kesarbai_gaudm.ram
Kishori Amonkar breaks ranks with her gharAna confreres by adopting another
composition as her mainstay: ko'u yAko barajata nAhiN -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/kishori_gaudm.ram
We return to mAna na kare ri in what is indisputably the greatest
rendition in the rAga. Mallikarjun Mansur's tour de force is manna
for the soul. This manner of singing can only come to those in whose
bones the daemon of 'madness' has taken refuge. For this is not the
handiwork of rational beings -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/mansur_gaudm.ram
Raga Miyan Malhar
The prevailing lore credits Tansen with creating this rAga which has come to
occupy a high station
in the Hindustani society. The Ragangas of Malhar and Kanada support its
architecture. Raganga Malhar
supplies its signature phrase:
M (M)R (M)R P
and the Kanada component is expressed through:
n P M P (M)g (M)g M R, S
Then there's the sui generis prayoga (mentioned earlier in the
Shuddha Malhar section) with the two nishAds, a signpost of Miyan Malhar:
Arohi prayoga: S, N' n' n' D' N', N'
S
avarohi praoyga: M' P' n' n' D' N' S
(or P' n' N' S )
Miyan Malhar bears kinship to Raga Bahar, a member of the Kanada group. But
while Bahar flaunts a powerful madhyam Miyan Malhar does not. The komal
gandhAr is Andolita in Miyan Malhar (a la the avarohAtmak komal gandhAr of
Darbari) whereas in Bahar it is not.
The uttarAnga trek assumes familiar trails: M P n D
N S" or a direct M P D N S". We now
cobble up a portrait of Miyan Malhar:
- S", N', n' D' N', N' S
- M (M)R (M)R P, M [P] (M)g (M)g M R, S
- M P n D n D N, N S", S" D n M P
- MPDNS", S" R" S", D n M P, nn P M P (M)g
- [P] (M)g (M)g M R, R S
The written word is superfluous when we have at hand the spoken
word of Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/jha_miyanmalharspeak.ram
< -- Pandit Ramashreya Jha
"Ramrang"
A couple of film compositions of Vasant Desai flag off the audio rally.
The very familiar tune from GUDDI (1971) in Vani Jairam's voice: bola re
papiharA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/vanijairam_bolare.ram
Lata Mangeshkar in SAMRAT PRITHVIRAJ CHAUHAN (1959): nA nA nA baraso
bAdala -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/lata_nana.ram
Lata again in a Marathi song tuned by Vasant Prabhu: jana paLa bhara
-
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/lata_jana.ram
A formidable classical arsenal awaits us. We ignite the proceedings with
Bhimsen Joshi's classic recording of that most celebrated Miyan Malhar
composition, credited to "Adarang": kareema nAma tero tu sAheb sattAra -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/bhimsen_miyanm.ram
D.V. Paluskar -- >
The selfsame vilambit bandish glistens in D.V. Paluskar's masterful hands.
He tops it off with the druta chestnut bola re papaiyarA composed by
"Sadarang" -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/paluskar_miyanm.ram
Amir Khan's deeply contemplative deportment more than matches the gravitas
demanded by the rAga
to make this an experience of the first water. The Adarang Khayal is reprised,
but notice the change in the placement of the sam -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/amirkhan_miyanm.ram
Ummeed Ali Khan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/uak_miyanm.ram
We punctuate the Khayal parade with a Dhrupad rendering. N. Aminuddin
Dagar's long meeNDs register well -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/nadagar_miyanm.ram
An old composition in this unpublished Faiyyaz Khan segment,
none the worse for its scratchy audio: bijuri chamake barase -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/fhk_miyanm.ram
< -- Balkrishnabuwa
Ichalkaranjikar (1849-1926)
Among the first Khayal singers in Maharashtra, Yashwant Sadashiv Pandit
(popularly known as "Mirashibuwa") was born c. 1883 and
received training from Balkrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar. Like his gurubhai,
Vishnu Digambarji, Mirashibuwa was an outstanding teacher.
He also authored books on Gwalior gAyaki. In this collector's item,
Mirashibuwa throws open a window to the past
through which we hear echoes of the traditional Gwalior values. Notice the
pace of the 'vilambit' bandish -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/mirashibuwa_miyanm.ram
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's gAyaki is the Achilles' spear of our age with its
power to both wound and heal. This
unpublished excerpt contains fantastic passages, especially the play on the two
nishAds, and is
punctuated by Ghulam Ali's shoptalk (see the Appendix at the end of this article) -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/bgak_miyanm.ram
A portrait of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan --
>
The Bongs have been making some noises about one Ajoy Chakraborty (allegedly
listed in
the Who's Who of Tollygrunge), suggesting that
he is the successor to
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha. What a hoot. Bongs, do you
mean in terms of body weight?
Please clarify. Pandit V.N. Bhatkhande has written that the Bongs know no
nuthin' about
vocal music. Today, of course, this fact is known to even women and children
and the qualifier "vocal" is
deemed unnecessary.
Nazakat Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/nazsal_miyanm.ram
The nauuuughty chick from Goa, Kishori Amonkar, in an AIR-Panjim recording -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/kishori_miyanm.ram
Mallikarjun Mansur unpublished -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/mansur_miyanm.ram
< -- Mallikarjun Mansur
with Smt. Indira Gandhi
The great sitar player and teacher Mushtaq Ali Khan (1911-1989)
had Barkatullah Khan for his guru. He takes sitar to an altogether
different level -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/mak_miyanm.ram
It is always a privilege to present rare snippets of Sarangi-nawAz
Bundu Khan of Delhi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/bundukhan_miyanm.ram
A very old recording of Abdul Karim Khan toying with Adarang's bandish -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/akk_miyanm.ram
Gangubai Hangal with her
daughter Krishna -- >
A very sweet and young Gangubai Hangal -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/gangubai_miyanm.ram
Jha-sahab's creative genius strikes gold in this superb design:
A'ayi re badariyA -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/jha_miyanm.ram
Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/vazebuwa_miyanm.ram
< -- Kumar Gandharva
It was given only to Kumar Gandharva to take bola re papaiyarA
to the nines. This is a fun ride all the way -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/kumar_miyanm.ram
Raga Ramdasi Malhar
Ramdasi Malhar is a sankeerNa rAga and comes in three
or more flavours. No general statement of swaroopa can be
written down given the disparate strategies adopted in the various designs.
The Ramdasi Malhar most often heard nowadays employs both the
gandhArs and both the nishAds and the elaboration proceeds from a
Miyan Malhar base. Consider the following strands in the poorvAnga:
M (M)R (M)R P, P (M)g (M)g M R S
To this Miyan Malhar strip is added the following (or a variation thereof):
S R G G M, M G M, P (M)g M R S
The first half here is Gaud-like.
In the uttarAnga, the Miyan Malharic M P n D N
S"
phrase mingles with additional special prayogas such as:
M P D N DPMGM
and
S" D n P, M P D n P
We shall now consider a set of renditions and flesh out the lakshaNAs
germane to the specific case. Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang"
outlines his swaroopa and presents a few bandishes, including one
of the G-only flavour -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/jha_ramdasim.ram
K.G. Ginde sings two compositions, the first one
composed by his guru S.N. Ratanjankar, the second
traditional -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/ginde_ramdasim.ram
Amir Khan's is also a bi-gandhAr flavour -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/amirkhan_ramdasim.ram
In the Atrauli-Jaipur design the komal gandhAr dominates,
the shuddha gandhAr is of alpa-pramANa. Consequently, the
Miyan Malhar influence is strong here. There are special
prayogas inserted, to wit, M P P D D n P.
We consider here Mallikarjun Mansur's beautiful performance in Mumbai in 1988.
Notice the cameo shuddha gandhAr (for instance between 0:37 and 0:38) -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/mansur_ramdasim.ram
The Maihar musicians play the G-only version
(addressed
earlier by Jha-sahab) and there prevail hints of Gaud Malhar now and then but
since
the shuddha gandhAr is advanced (over the madhyam) there is a clear
demarcation.
Alu whips up a spicy tikki in Ramdasi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/malhar/alu_ramdasim.ram
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to Romesh Aeri, Ashok Ambardar and Ajay Nerurkar.
Sir Vish Krishnan always has much more 'light' material lined up
than can be included here. My special thanks go to Chetan Vinchhi,
Sanjay Havanur and V.N. Muthukumar. Anita Thakur, it does not bear
repeating, is why this effort has survived and thrived.
Appendix
From B.R. Deodhar's Pillars of Hindustani
Music:
...One day [Bade Ghulam Ali] Khansaheb had a radio broadcast at 1 p.m. As
I was working for the Bombay Radio Station at the time, I too had to be in
attendance. After he had finished, Khansaheb said, "Wait for a while. I have
sent for a taxi - we shall go together." It was mid-july and the rain was
coming down in torrents. Besides, I was hungry. But I did not have the heart to
say 'no' to Khansaheb. The taxi came along and we got in. Water in any form
made Khansaheb happy and heavy rains in particular were pure bliss for him.
Some of the rain-water seeped into the taxi and began to drench us but
Khansaheb seemed to be in high spirits. He said, "Come Deodharsaheb, let us go
to the sea-shore; the sea would be something to be seen right now." I
protested, "For one, I am famished and besides my clothes are beginning to get
wet. So let me go straight home." However, by way of compromise I agreed to let
the taxi driver take us via Marine Drive. We came to Marine Drive and Khansaheb
asked the cabbie to stop his vehicle at a spot where there is a cement-concrete
projection. The waves of the turbulent sea at this point were thirty to forty
feet high. Khansaheb said, "Deodharsaheb, the time and this place are just
right for doing riyaz. Listen." And he began to sing. Whenever a particularly
massive wave broke and water spouted up Khansaheb's tana rose in
synchronization and descended when water cascaded down. Water rose in a single
massive column but split at the top and fell in broken slivers; so did
Khansaheb's tana in raga Miyan Malhar. Sometimes, if his ascending notes failed
to keep pace with the surging water, he was angry with himself but tried again
till it synchronized perfectly with the surging water. This went on for three
quarters of an hour. I got so interested in the whole proceeding that hunger
and thirst were forgotten. Finally Khansaheb's son, who happened to be with us,
said to his father, "Let us go now - it is two-thirty p.m. and we are both
hungry."...
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