In addition to Deepchandi and Jat, bol banaav thumris have also been sung in the eight-matra Kaherva. This taal has its roots in folk music and is also commonly played on dholak and other percussion instruments that are used in folk music. It is equally a popular tala for film and non-film popular music.
There are several variations to the theka, each used to suit the particular mood, lilt and tempo of compositions. Here is a link to the structure of the taal.
As is the case with the format of bol banaav thumris set to Deepchandi and Jat that we have discussed over the past few weeks, thumris sung in Kaherva are also concluded with the laggi section focusing on rhythmic variations played by the tabla player.
The first track is a recording of a thumri in the raag Sindh Bhairavi sung by the celebrated brothers Salamat Ali Khan and Nazakat Ali Khan from Pakistan.
While Kaherva is usually counted as an eight-matra taal, a variation of it is used as a four-matra taal and is also used to accompany some thumris. An example of this is featured on the next track. Sung by the maestro Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, this thumri immortalised by him has been a favourite with many vocalists in the recent past.
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.