Practitioners of Hindustani music have responded to nature by creating raags corresponding to the diurnal-nocturnal cycle and to the seasons. Of these, Basant or spring has inspired them to create raags and compositions that reflect the mood and imagery associated with this season. Basant and Bahar are the two major raags related to spring. Over the next few weeks, this column will feature these raags and their variants presented by vocalists and instrumentalists.
Abdul Karim Khan
Basant: Phagava brija dekhana ko chalori
The first track is the famous composition Phagva Brij dekhanko chalo ri sung by Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1938), the renowned Kirana gharana vocalist. Set to the 16-count Teentaal, this madhya laya or medium paced composition in raag Basant is an invitation to experience nature’s splendour in the Brij region of northern India during the season of Basant. The rendition has a variety of taans or quick melodic phrases sung with vowels and boltaans sung with words from the song-text.
Pandit DV Paluskar
The next audio track features Gwalior vocalist DV Paluskar singing a composition in raag Basant set to a drut or fast tempo Ektaal, a 12-matra time-cycle. The composition breaks away from the traditional description of flora in most Basant compositions, and instead recounts the many names of the god Shiva or Shankar.
Ustad Rashid Khan
Rampur-Sahaswan vocalist Rashid Khan sings a medium-paced Basant composition in the 16-matra Teentaal.
Bismillah Khan
The concluding track features an instrumental rendition of the same raag by shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan. The melodic elaboration of the composition set to Teentaal is influenced by vocal music, but it also using specific instrumental techniques that were characteristic of Bismillah Khan’s musical style.
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Abdul Karim Khan
Basant: Phagava brija dekhana ko chalori
The first track is the famous composition Phagva Brij dekhanko chalo ri sung by Abdul Karim Khan (1872-1938), the renowned Kirana gharana vocalist. Set to the 16-count Teentaal, this madhya laya or medium paced composition in raag Basant is an invitation to experience nature’s splendour in the Brij region of northern India during the season of Basant. The rendition has a variety of taans or quick melodic phrases sung with vowels and boltaans sung with words from the song-text.
Pandit DV Paluskar
The next audio track features Gwalior vocalist DV Paluskar singing a composition in raag Basant set to a drut or fast tempo Ektaal, a 12-matra time-cycle. The composition breaks away from the traditional description of flora in most Basant compositions, and instead recounts the many names of the god Shiva or Shankar.
Ustad Rashid Khan
Rampur-Sahaswan vocalist Rashid Khan sings a medium-paced Basant composition in the 16-matra Teentaal.
Bismillah Khan
The concluding track features an instrumental rendition of the same raag by shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan. The melodic elaboration of the composition set to Teentaal is influenced by vocal music, but it also using specific instrumental techniques that were characteristic of Bismillah Khan’s musical style.
