The name Lalit brings to mind several associations, not all of which are pleasant in present times. Notwithstanding the constant reference to it in the past two weeks or so, for the Hindustani music lover, the name immediately brings to mind an important raag that is performed at dawn.
Raag Lalit is lent a special flavour by a vakra or crooked movement and the chromatic use of the shuddha or natural and teevra or sharp varieties of the madhyam or fourth note. Here are three tracks that showcase concert renditions of this raag.
Amir Khan
The path-breaking vocalist Amir Khan (1912-1974), founder of the Indore gharana, presents a detailed exposition of raag Lalit on the first track. He sings a vilambit or slow composition in Jhumra, a taal consisting of 14 matras or time units. The elaboration is unhurried with long meends or gradual slides between notes, exploring to the fullest the mandra swaras or notes in the lower octave and those in the purvanga or the area between the tonic and the fourth note. The radiance of the shuddha madhyam is revealed after this extended melodic movement involving the preceding notes, with the teevra madhyam constantly trying to be a part of the lustre.
Half-way through the track, Amir Khan introduces sargam or solfege, which is at times rhythmically arranged but also moves away from any such uniform pattern. His taans or rapid melodic passages using gamak or rapid oscillation of the notes explore merukhand patterns or permutations and combinations that go beyond their original formulaic character because of the unpredictable manner that he uses them.
This is followed by a madhya laya or medium paced composition in Teentaal, the popular 16 matra time cycle, which steadily increases to the drut of fast laya. Once again, Amir Khan sings several intricate sargam patterns and aakaar taans or those that use the vowel "aa", which swoop unexpectedly on the matra just before the one that begins the mukhda or the first line of the song-text. Importantly, this is done in a seemingly effortless manner and not as mathematical design.
The last piece on this track is a tarana in the same raag set to Teentaal.
Tabla accompaniment is provided by Afaque Hussein Khan, a noted exponent of the Lucknow gharana.
Vilayat Khan
The next track features an expansive aalaap in raag Lalit performed by renowned sitar player Vilayat Khan (1928-2000). He begins with minimal strokes demonstrating myriad ways of approaching the shadja or the first note/tonic. Caressing each swara and phrase gently and gradually, he employs meend and deliberately positions spaces between plain swaras. The chikari or last strings of the sitar that are tuned to the upper tonic punctuate the phrases every so often.
His masterly use of dynamics through the performance adds to the atmosphere and makes it amply clear that the instrument is simulating gayaki or vocal rendition to the fullest. The aalaap is followed by the jod, a section with a rhythmic pulse that is maintained by the right hand, while the left hand conjures up different melodic patterns. He plays a short jhala, a climactic rhythmic section, towards the end.
Kesarbai Kerkar
Despite the indifferent audio quality in the first minute of the final track, here is Kesarbai Kerkar (1892-1977), one of the chief representatives of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. She presents a vilambit khayal in raag Lalit set to Tilwada, a 16-matra taal. Marked by her characteristic emphatic and direct voice projection, the elaboration moves from long meends between swaras to the typical Jaipur-Atrauli double-stranded swara patterns. Kesarbai Kerkar’s voice reaches into the upper octave with clarity and precision, after which she stridently launches a series of taans. The second piece is a drut laya composition set to Teentaal.
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Raag Lalit is lent a special flavour by a vakra or crooked movement and the chromatic use of the shuddha or natural and teevra or sharp varieties of the madhyam or fourth note. Here are three tracks that showcase concert renditions of this raag.
Amir Khan
The path-breaking vocalist Amir Khan (1912-1974), founder of the Indore gharana, presents a detailed exposition of raag Lalit on the first track. He sings a vilambit or slow composition in Jhumra, a taal consisting of 14 matras or time units. The elaboration is unhurried with long meends or gradual slides between notes, exploring to the fullest the mandra swaras or notes in the lower octave and those in the purvanga or the area between the tonic and the fourth note. The radiance of the shuddha madhyam is revealed after this extended melodic movement involving the preceding notes, with the teevra madhyam constantly trying to be a part of the lustre.
Half-way through the track, Amir Khan introduces sargam or solfege, which is at times rhythmically arranged but also moves away from any such uniform pattern. His taans or rapid melodic passages using gamak or rapid oscillation of the notes explore merukhand patterns or permutations and combinations that go beyond their original formulaic character because of the unpredictable manner that he uses them.
This is followed by a madhya laya or medium paced composition in Teentaal, the popular 16 matra time cycle, which steadily increases to the drut of fast laya. Once again, Amir Khan sings several intricate sargam patterns and aakaar taans or those that use the vowel "aa", which swoop unexpectedly on the matra just before the one that begins the mukhda or the first line of the song-text. Importantly, this is done in a seemingly effortless manner and not as mathematical design.
The last piece on this track is a tarana in the same raag set to Teentaal.
Tabla accompaniment is provided by Afaque Hussein Khan, a noted exponent of the Lucknow gharana.
Vilayat Khan
The next track features an expansive aalaap in raag Lalit performed by renowned sitar player Vilayat Khan (1928-2000). He begins with minimal strokes demonstrating myriad ways of approaching the shadja or the first note/tonic. Caressing each swara and phrase gently and gradually, he employs meend and deliberately positions spaces between plain swaras. The chikari or last strings of the sitar that are tuned to the upper tonic punctuate the phrases every so often.
His masterly use of dynamics through the performance adds to the atmosphere and makes it amply clear that the instrument is simulating gayaki or vocal rendition to the fullest. The aalaap is followed by the jod, a section with a rhythmic pulse that is maintained by the right hand, while the left hand conjures up different melodic patterns. He plays a short jhala, a climactic rhythmic section, towards the end.
Kesarbai Kerkar
Despite the indifferent audio quality in the first minute of the final track, here is Kesarbai Kerkar (1892-1977), one of the chief representatives of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. She presents a vilambit khayal in raag Lalit set to Tilwada, a 16-matra taal. Marked by her characteristic emphatic and direct voice projection, the elaboration moves from long meends between swaras to the typical Jaipur-Atrauli double-stranded swara patterns. Kesarbai Kerkar’s voice reaches into the upper octave with clarity and precision, after which she stridently launches a series of taans. The second piece is a drut laya composition set to Teentaal.
