January 30: Gandhi, Dagars and Music

It has been said by many about the cautious and somewhat unwilling mind of Gandhi towards arts and aesthetics. He himself wrote once that whatsoever distracted him from his ‘chosen mission’ was considered by him as a sin.

But in an interview given to All India Radio by Ustad Aminuddin Dagar of the senior Dagar brothers, there is an interesting incident remembered. Once the great Drupad singers had been to Gandhi and they were given thirty minutes from Bapu’s busy schedule. The musicians who were known for great vlambit alaaps, had naturally taken more time from Gandhi affecting his back-to-back programme schedules for the nation’s struggle for independence. When the music was over by 50 minutes, Dagars were little puzzled as Mahatma went away from the scene without saying anything. But after a few minutes, Gandhi’s secretary came with a piece of paper and told them that as Bapu was on ‘maun vrut’ (fasting by silence) he had given his reflections in writing. The paper had this single line: “while listening to your music, I was experiencing God”.

Let me dedicate this vilambit Asavari by Dagar brothers on January 30^th, the day of Bapu’s martyrdom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Vi62ir-VQ&feature=related

Rag Bhatiali , Ustad Vilayat Khan, East Bengal and Bauls

Ustad Vilayat Khan rendered a Dhun composed in Bhatiyali, a raga supposed to be his own invention. However, please see what Ustad said about it in ‘Komal Gandhar’, an autobiographical narration documented by Shankarlal Bhattacharya:

“Where from did I get the compositions that I play, "Bhede mor gharere chabhi"? Actually this is not Bhatiyali, this is Baul. I changed its name -- To bring in a famous name so that a person keeps thinking that is this Bhatiyali? And I did this because... How many things of Bihar, or Rajasthan, of Lavani have I taken for use in my music and if I take something from Bengal what else can it be called but Bhatiyali? So, put this connection to use. In this vein I did a lot of research and this piece that resulted is Baul. "Bhede mor" is Baul but I called it Bhatiyali with an aim, to make it popular outside Bengal. Heh, heh, heh!

And just think Shankar, how many varieties are there in Mand. There is Sarama ki Mand, Garama ki Mand, Virayat ki Mand and yet Brindavani Mand -- how many Mand-s are there. There are a hundred Pahadi-s. Similarly there are over hundred Lavani-s. In the same way there are pieces in Bhatiyali, Baul... All these things get proximate by the influence of mood and philosophy. So I tell you that I gave the name of Bhatiyali just out of need, but it is nothing but Baul” : ( Courtesy: http://omenad.net: Bhatiyali in my view)

1. Dhun by Ustad Vilayat Khan in Bhatiyali: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvad2eGHGXA

2. Ustad Vilayat Khan’s Bhatiyali with an introduction by Ustad Shujat Khan, his son: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHhUt7MjbRM

3. Ustad Shahid Parvez: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXM9MXLytTA&feature=related

4. Tagore’s famous song Bhenge More Gharer Chabi in Bhatiyali ( Baul as Ustad Vilayat Khan says)

Why Mani Iyer didn't sing that composition?

This year is the birth centenary year of Madurai Mani Iyer. While listening to ‘panthuvarali’ raga composition ‘Appa Rama Bhakthi’, I was reading an article on Mani Iyer by Shri V. Sriram in the Sruti Magazine in 2009. The essay says that Mani Iyer never sang the famous Thyagaraja composition in Raga Kalyani “ Nidhi Chala Sukhama”. The lyrics say about the futility of possession of wealth and Mani Iyer was of the view that it would be hypocritical to sing such a song when the musician accepts fee for the concert!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46eNC5gBW68&feature=related

Musings on a Republic Day

Here is a link to the rendering of the full text of Vandemataram by Bankimchandra Chatterjee. This was recorded in 1947 and there are very few occasions where the entire text of Vandemataram was being rendered. M.S.Subbulakshmi and Dilip Kumar Roy had sung this duet for a 78 RPM disc and was composed as a ragamalika. This was much before the present day’s popular rendering in Rag Desh was conceived. Much before in 1930s, Pt. D.V.Paluskar sang it rag Kafi and later by Pt. Omkarnath Thakur in Rag Bangiya Kafi. Vandemataram was also sung in Ragas Sarang, Kalingada, Deshkar before Indian independence. On a suggestion by Subhash Chandra Bose, Timir Baran had composed this song for the Indian National Army in raga Durga as a marching song. Master Krishna Rao had also composed it in ragas Jhinjoti and Kafi. It is said that Dr. B.R.Ambedkar loved the composition by B.V.Ambhaikar in Rag Khambavati. ( Bankimchandra Chatterjee wrote this nationalistic lyric on 7^th November of 1875)

Please listen to this rare ragamalika by two legendary singers, M.S.Subbalakshmi and Dilip Kumar Roy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sJg7-lYwSI

How were they communicating each other?

Ustad Bismillah Khan was 18 years younger to the greatest Nagaswaram maestro T.N.Rajarathinam Pillai( 1898-1956). Ustad was 40 years old when Rajarathinam Pillai passed away at the age of 58 years. Both of them lived together for four decades in this country and I have no idea whether they could meet at any point of time in their brilliant and fascinating journeys through music. This morning I was listening to the Raga Malkauns ( Hindolam) by both the maestros.

1. T. N. R: 6^th cut: http://gaana.com/#/streamalbums/T_N_Rajarathnam_Pillai_13996

2. T. N. R: http://www.muzigle.com/artist/t-n-rajarathinam-pillai#!track/samajavarah

3. Ustad Bismillah Khan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hveeMDC6Dro

Longer Alap: 33’ : Ustad Bismillah Khan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=962DbFK9ZKI