A Worthy Sibling - Räg Märu-Bihäg!

Räg Märu-Bihäg proves its mettle as a worthy sibling to Yaman with countless melodies...

A new post after a long hiatus here  (due entirely to my lethargy, let me confess!) after we looked at one of the most complete rägs (Räg Yaman) in detail! But now let’s move on our enjoyable musical trek towards a few more räg-matrices that are performed during the first quadrant of night. Naturally, the framework of notes used here is also similar to some extent. Most naturally, Räg Märu-Bihäg beckons us due to its closeness with Räg Yaman.

Märu-Bihäg, undoubtedly, is one of the most pleasant matrices in Indian Classical music tradition that uses all seven flat notes in the octave and also uses Teevra Madhyam (sharp fourth note) additionally. A number of musicologists have highlighted its similarity with Yaman, especially in its descent and can, therefore, be called its sibling! Märu-Bihäg also allows for a vast potential in its expansive treatment in presentation and has, therefore, been one of the favoured rägs with vocalists and instrumentalists, alike.

A number of seniors have left behind some remarkable compositions in this matrix, but Pt Vasanträo Deshpände’s ‘Mein patiyä likh bheji’ set to mid-tempo Teen-täl merits a special mention here. Thanx to good old DoorDarshan, you can actually enjoy Vasanträo’s super-expressive Märu-Bihäg bandish in video here!

Also special is Pt Bheemsen Joshi’s ‘Tarpat rainä din’ with some outstanding and breath-taking tän-patterns. But what I have specially for readers of ‘Music-Fundaaz’ is one of the most memorable Märu-Bihäg presentations by internationally reputed violinist Pt DK Dätär in a concert organized by Saptak, Nashik in 2000 where he was accompanied by Pt. Vibhav Nageshkar on tablä – enjoy the violin that sings…

Popular music has borrowed heavily on Märu-Bihäg matrix treating listeners to a number of delightful compositions. The top-recall, without doubt, is the immortal Latä-Rafi duet ‘Tum to pyär ho’ (Film: Sehrä) under the baton of Late Vasant Desai. But Mukesh, not really well known for classical singing, also holds his own in ‘Matwäli när thumak-thumak chali jäy’ based on Märu-Bihäg. The crown, however, definitely goes to late RD Burman for composing an exceptionally delightful song based on this räg in recent times. ‘Pancham-dä’, the composer responsible for popularizing Western music in Hindi films single-handedly, was always unpredictable in the sense that he came up with a lilting and hummable yet conservative, hardcore classical composition that was least expected of him - the most fitting example being ‘Rädhä jäye nä’ (Film: Mehboobä) sung by Latä Mangeshkar!

The enchanting world of Maräthi bhäv-geet is replete with many such compositions in Märu-Bihäg. Geet-Rämäyan, as usual, gives us an all-time favourite, ‘Palavili Rävane Seetä’.

However, my personal choice is ‘Jeevanät hi ghadi’ (Film: Kämäpuratä Mämä, Music: Yashwant Dev) sung by Lata-didi. 

Indeed a worthy sibling to the eternally pleasant Yaman – this Märu-Bihäg...!

'Yaman'-mania continues...

We conclude our trek in Räg Yaman with an overview of compositions in Maräthi.

Just like Hindi film and non-film music domain, Raag Yaman has spawned numerous compositions in Maräthi soundscape. With nätya-sangeet paving the way in popularizing classical music amongst the masses, the magic of Yaman-matrix was practically irresistible.

Pt. Bhäskarbuwä Bakhale, composer par excellence and mentor to greats like Bäl Gandharva, gave us ‘Rädhädhar madhu milind’ (Play: Saubhadra) and ‘Näth hä mäjhä’ (Play: Swayamvar) – evergreen compositions that refuse to fade from popularity charts even after a century. But late Bäl Gandharva is still nostalgically remembered for his ‘Nayane läjaveet’ (Play: Mänäpmän) and ‘Läge rhudayi hurhur’ (Play: Ekach Pyälä). The beauty of all these compositions is that these famous nätyageets have achieved immortality over the traditional bandishes from whom they were inspired. But the most significant composition (from this perspective) came from Mst. Krishnaräo. His ‘De maj devä janm hä’ (Play: Kone Eke Käli) made such a distinctive mark that a bandish was later composed (‘Preetam Saiyyan Lägi Re’) on the outline of this famous pad. 

The true ‘näyak’ of nätya-sangeet in recent years, however, has been late Pt Jitendra Abhisheki. His exceptional treatment of Yaman in compositions like ‘Devägharache dnyät kunälä’ (Play: Matsyagandhä) or ‘Tujhä ge nit nootan sahawäs’ (Play: Väsavdattä) has left a special ‘Abhisheki’ stamp on Yaman-matrix for other composers to follow. His Yaman compositions also include several popular songs like ‘Kashi tuj samajäoo säng’ in the bhävsangeet domain. Here’s a special treat for all Abhisheki-buwä fans - ‘Devägharache dnyät kunälä’ (Play: Matsyagandhä) in his own inimitable style from a private concert in the early 80s!

Once we enter the realm of Maräthi bhävsangeet, there’s a range of songs to choose from in Yaman-matrix. We have feasted on Ashä Bhosale’s ‘Känadäu Vitthalu’, or her rendition of Pt Dinänäth Mangeshkar’s landmark nätyageet ‘Suhäsya tujhe’ and ‘Mee maj harapun basale ga’ (based on this nätyageet) for decades. She has also immortalized ‘Mäge ubhä mangesh’ (in company with sister Ushä  Mangeshkar) and ‘Kä re durävä’ (Film: Mumbaichä Jävai) based on this raag. Sudhir Phadke, the doyen of Maräthi music, has also teamed up with Ashäji while humming ‘Dhundi kalyänä’ (Film: Dhäkti Bahin) while his solos like ‘Samädhi sädhan’, ‘Toch chandramä nabhät’, ‘Parädheen ähe jagati’ (from Geet-Rämäyan) have regaled rasiks forever. Very few listeners today are aware that ‘Kä re durävä’ (Film: Mumbaichä Jävai) and ‘Dhundi kalyänä’ (Film: Dhäkti Bahin) are twin compositions that Babuji had to do at the insistence of the film producer. Here's the original version of Ashä Bhosale - Ushä Mangeshkar 'Mahänandä' number and some more...

Pt Bhimsen Joshi, in his ‘Abhangwäni’ has rendered ‘Adhik dekhane tari’ in Yaman-Kalyän and has joined late Pt Vasanträo Deshpande in ‘Täl bole chipalilä’ (Film: Bholi Bhäbdi) to music-lovers’ joy. Vasanträo himself is forever remembered for ‘Pratham tulä vandito’ (Film: Ashtavinäyak), a film song based on Yaman. Songsters like Arun Date (‘Shukratärä’), Late Smt Mänik Varmä (‘Kabiräche vinato shele’), Suman Kalyänpur (‘Jithe sägarä dharani milate’) have also left a mark on the Yaman-matrix with some memorable songs. Even younger composers like Shreedhar Phadke has given us his best in ‘Tejomay näd bramha he’ while attempting his hand at Yaman.

But the piece-de-resistance, so to say, still remains in the form of Latä-didi’s wealth of songs. Her early songs like ‘Tinhi sänjä sakhe milälyä’, ‘Sundar te dhyän’ or ‘Chäphä bole nä’ are as valuable as khändäni bandishes in hardcore classical. The Yaman-mania will continue to haunt us forever, but we must move on due primarily to sheer vastness of the räg-matrix. More on some other raag-matrix in the next post – till then enjoy this medley of songs in the greatest räg of them all – Räg Yaman...!!!

A Veritable Treasure Trove - Raag Yaman On the Lighter Side...

Raag Yaman has given us innumerable songs that have stood the test of time and changing public tastes.  We look at some of the truly 'timeless' numbers from the Hindi Film-world in this post!

Having said that Rāg Yaman is one of the most versatile matrices capable of expressing a range of emotions, we can find numerous songs in the Hindi film and non-film domain. Practically every singer / composer has given us a few gems in Yaman and Yaman-Kalyān, but the melody-queen Latā Mangeshkar still reigns supreme in the domain.

We begin our day with Latā-didi’s ‘Shree Rāmchandra Krupālu’ in the early hours and drift off to sleep late in the night with ‘Beeti nā bitāyi rainä’ (Film: 'Parichay' with Bhupendra). The range of songs in-between is simply amazing! Consider just a few – ‘Sansārse bhāge phirate ho’ (Film: Chitralekha), ‘Lau lagāti’ (Film: Bhābhi ki Chudiyān), ‘Jeevan dor tumhi sang’ and ‘Tum gagan ke chandramā’ (both from Film: Sati Sāvitri), ‘Kinu sang khelu holi’ (Meerabāi’s devotional song), ‘Jāre badarā bairi jā’ (Film: Bahānā), ‘Jiyā le gayo ji’ (Film: Anpadh), ‘Mausam hai äshikānä’ (Film: Pākizāh), ‘Chhupālo yun dil mein pyār’ (Film: Mamtā with Hemant Kumar), ‘Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi’ (Film: Barsāt Ki Rāt) and a host of others truly memorable ones!

Other artists from film-world are not far behind. Talat Mehmood, with his velvety voice, has given us ‘Aānsoo samazke kyoon mujhe’ (Film: Chhāyā) and ‘Seene mein sulagate hai aramān’ (Film: Tarānā with Latā) while Mukesh has left behind ‘Tum bin jeevan’ (Film: Anitā), ‘Sārangā teri yād mein’ (Film: Sārangā), ‘Chandan sā badan’ (Film: Saraswatichandra) and ‘Bhooli hui yādon’ (Film: Sanjog) for posterity. Mohammed Rafi, the voice with an incredible range, sang ‘Man re tu kāhe na’ (Film: Chitralekhā), ‘Lagtā nahin hein dil merā’ (Film: Lāl Quilā), ‘Ehsān terā hogā mujhpar’ (Film: Junglee) and ‘Abhi na jāo chhodkar’ (Film: Hum Dono) in Rāg Yaman.

Late KL Saigal, the immortal singer, is also best remembered for ‘Mein kyā jānoo kyā jādoo hai’ (Film: Zindagi), ‘Diyā jalāo’ (Film: Sangeet Samrāt Tānsen) and ‘Do nainā matwāle’ (Film: Meri Bahen / aka My Sister) sung in Yaman-matrix.

Even Kishor Kumar, not particularly known for his classical leanings, has given us ‘Woh shām kuchh ajeeb thi’ (Film: Khāmoshi) and ‘Aāp ke anurodhpe’ (Film: Anurodh) based on this matrix. Yesudās, the southern superstar, is still best remembered for ‘Jab deep jale ānā’ (Film: Chitchor) from his forays in the Hindi film world. And who can forget veteran Mannā-dā  with Ashā Bhosale when they belt out effortless tāns in ‘Re man sur mein gā’ (Film: Lāl Patthar)...!

The younger generation also feels gravitated to the irresistible magic of Yaman’s scale and the evidence can be found in compositions like ‘Aāye ho meri jindagimein’ (Film: Rājā Hindustāni), ‘Ghar se nikalate hi’ (Film: Pāpā Kehte Hai) and ‘Sochenge tumhe pyär’ (Film: Deewānā). Shankar Mahādevan’s ‘Breathless’ composed in Rāg Yaman stayed atop the best-seller charts for a considerable time.

But the icing on the cake, also my personal favourite, in Yaman is ‘Ranjish hi sahi’ sung by Mehdi Hasan, the ghazal-maestro. Oh gosh, what a wealth of compositions and we have not even scratched the surface...!

To round off this lovely riot of songs, here's a 'fun-medley' of some evergreen Yaman songs for your pleasure – a true treasure trove indeed!!!  We will round-off this Yaman-trek with the next post especially devoted to Marathi compositions in this pleasure-domain...