'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...!!!