The past week saw a massive change in weather patterns across the country, with unseasonal rains bringing a cool breeze to most regions ‒ but wreaking havoc on crops. This is not quite what the compositions in raags Basant and Bahar and their variants describe about the spring season. Fortunately, the weather seems to be returning to its earlier pattern in some places, almost signalling that we can enjoy a few more raags belonging to this season, though not without pausing to think that we would lose much material and cultural wealth if we were not conscious of our actions that are causing harm to the environment.
Mallikarjun Mansur
Raag Basant Kedar
The first track contains a well-known vilambit or slow composition in raag Basanti Kedar set to Teentaal, the time cycle with 16 units or matras. This raag is a combination of the two raags Basant and Kedar, and the composition is a favourite with vocalists of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. It is sung here by the maestro Mallikarjun Mansur, one of the chief representatives of this style. Listeners will notice the typical taans or quick melodic phrases that are used in this vocal style.
Kumar Gandharva
Raga Gauri Basant
This track features raag Gauri Basant, a creation of the inimitable experimentalist Kumar Gandharva, who had a unique utterance and philosophy of music. Here, he sings a self-composed piece in medium tempo or madhya laya Teentaal.
Siddheshwari Devi
Raag Pilu
Over the past two days, most parts of Northern India have experienced Holi, the festival of colours. Music has played an integral part of this festival with many of the song-forms describing Krishna’s play with colour. Originally belonging to folk repertoire, many of these song-forms have been stylised by thumri singers. One of the more popular song-forms is called hori, as the festival is also referred to by the same name. Here is a hori thumri sung by Siddheshwari Devi in raag Pilu and set to the 14 matra Deepchandi taal.
Pandit Uday Bhawalkar
Rag Hindol
Dhrupad singers present a different kind of hori that uses the 14 matra Dhamaar taal. This taal is normally played on the pakhawaj, the horizontal cylindrical drum used to accompany the dhrupad-dhamaar style. Uday Bhawalkar, one of the leading representatives of the Dagar bani or vocal style of the dhrupad-dhamaar forms, sings a composition in raag Hindol set to Dhamaar taal. A detailed aalaap introduces the raag before the composition begins.
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Mallikarjun Mansur
Raag Basant Kedar
The first track contains a well-known vilambit or slow composition in raag Basanti Kedar set to Teentaal, the time cycle with 16 units or matras. This raag is a combination of the two raags Basant and Kedar, and the composition is a favourite with vocalists of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. It is sung here by the maestro Mallikarjun Mansur, one of the chief representatives of this style. Listeners will notice the typical taans or quick melodic phrases that are used in this vocal style.
Kumar Gandharva
Raga Gauri Basant
This track features raag Gauri Basant, a creation of the inimitable experimentalist Kumar Gandharva, who had a unique utterance and philosophy of music. Here, he sings a self-composed piece in medium tempo or madhya laya Teentaal.
Siddheshwari Devi
Raag Pilu
Over the past two days, most parts of Northern India have experienced Holi, the festival of colours. Music has played an integral part of this festival with many of the song-forms describing Krishna’s play with colour. Originally belonging to folk repertoire, many of these song-forms have been stylised by thumri singers. One of the more popular song-forms is called hori, as the festival is also referred to by the same name. Here is a hori thumri sung by Siddheshwari Devi in raag Pilu and set to the 14 matra Deepchandi taal.
Pandit Uday Bhawalkar
Rag Hindol
Dhrupad singers present a different kind of hori that uses the 14 matra Dhamaar taal. This taal is normally played on the pakhawaj, the horizontal cylindrical drum used to accompany the dhrupad-dhamaar style. Uday Bhawalkar, one of the leading representatives of the Dagar bani or vocal style of the dhrupad-dhamaar forms, sings a composition in raag Hindol set to Dhamaar taal. A detailed aalaap introduces the raag before the composition begins.
