We begin the fifth episode of our series on the raag Khamaj with a track featuring a composition set to Chautaal, a cycle of 12 matras or time-units. As has been discussed over the past few weeks, dhrupad, dhamaar and khayal compositions are seldom composed in Khamaj. This track, therefore, is a rare instance. Dhrupad exponent Siyaram Tiwari presents this composition. He is accompanied by Pannalal Upadhyaya on pakhawaj and by Roshan Ali on the sarangi.
As in the case of vocal recitals, instrumental renditions of Khamaj also borrow from the thumri-dadra idiom, although there are specific gats or instrumental compositions that are also composed in this raag. Here is a 78 rpm recording of sitar maestro Inayat (Enayat) Khan. He plays a drut or fast gat in the 16-matra Teentaal. The performance finishes with a jhala, a section involving repeated percussive plucked strokes of the right hand.
Respected sarod maestro Radhikamohan Moitra plays a short aalaap in Khamaj followed by a medium-paced gat set to the 10-matra Jhaptaal. The next gat is set to drut Teentaal that is brought to a close with a jhala.
Sitar exponent Bimal Mukherjee plays a composition that seems to be an instrumental interpretation of a bandish ki thumri set to a medium-pace. He follows this with a gat in the same taal.
Also read:
Listen: Raag Khamaj finds an ideal showcase in these creative tappa compositions
Listen: These dadras from different gharanas offer diverse interpretations of Khamaj
Listen: Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Shobha Gurtu and Salamat Ali Khan sing bol banaav thumris in Khamaj
Listen: These bandish ki thumri performances offer a melodious introduction to Raag Khamaj