In the seventh episode of the series on tabla accompaniment to Hindustani music and dance, we explore the manner in which the 14-matra Deepchandi is used for bol banaav thumris. which are slower.
There is no major departure from the basic theka or universally accepted vocabulary that represents the taal when Deepchandi is used for bol banaav thumri. But after completion of the vocal improvisation on the entire theme, the structure of the composition is changed to the eight-matra Kaherva in order to accommodate the laggi section played on the tabla.
Deepchandi is also called Chaachar, though some musicians differentiate between the two. Here is a link to more information about the structure of this taal.
The first track this week features a live concert recording of thumri exponent Siddheshwari Devi. The laggi section can be heard towards the end of this thumri based on the raag Manjh Khamaj.
The second track is a television recording featuring a hori thumri in the raag Kafi sung by Begum Akhtar. She is accompanied by the well-known tabla player Ramzan Khan and the sarangi maestro Shakoor Khan. Once again, the track ends with the laggi section on the tabla.
One of India’s leading tabla players, Aneesh Pradhan is a widely recognised performer, teacher, composer and scholar of Hindustani music. Visit his website here.
This article is based on Pradhan’s book Tabla: A Performer’s Perspective