Saturday, November 9, 2013

Dil Hoom Hoom Kare - a beautiful Bhoop composition by Late Bhupen Hazarika

Further to my classical post on Raag Bhoop, I would like to share a lovely light composition on Raag Bhoop, by Late Bhupen Hazarikaji.  This is a beautiful song called "Dil Hoom Hoom Kare" from the 1993 Hindi movie, Rudaali.
Its a very dark movie, about "Rudaali", a custom in certain areas of Rajasthan where women of a lower caste are hired as professional mourners upon the death of upper-caste males. These women are referred to as a "rudaali" (roo-dah-lee), literally translated as "female weeper" or "weeping woman". Their job is to publicly express grief of family members who are not permitted to display emotion due to social status. 

The film is set in a small village in Rajasthan, India. It tells the story of a woman named Shanichari, who was abandoned by her mother shortly after her father's death. Bad fortune follows as she marries an alcoholic, who leaves her with little hope of a brighter future for herself and her mentally challenged son.   

Throughout Shanichari's lifetime of misfortune she has never cried. This creates great difficulty once she is called to become a rudaali until Bhinkni, an experienced mourner, enters her life. Shanichari and the local landlord's son fall in love with each other, but Shanichari is reluctant to ask the rich lover for money as she does not want to lower her love even for the sake of getting out of poverty and misery.

Movie/Album : रुदाली (1993)
Music By : भूपेन हजारिका
Lyrics By : गुलज़ार
Originally Performed By : भूपेन हजारिका, लता मंगेशकर
Cover by : Swaravanshi

दिल हूम हूम करे, घबराए
घन धाम धाम करे, डर जाए
इक बूँद कभी पानी की
मोरी अंखियों से बरसाए

तेरी झोरी डारूं सब सूखे पात जो आये
तेरा छूंआ लागे, मेरी सुखी डार हरियाए
दिल हूम हूम करे...

जिस तन को छुआ तुने, उस तन को छुपाऊँ
जिस मन को लगे नैना, वो किसको दिखाऊँ
ओ मोरे चन्द्रमा, तेरी चांदनी अंग जलाए
ऊंची तोर अटारी, मैंने पंख लिए कटवाए
दिल हूम हूम करे...


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Meera Bhajan - Mharo Pranaam, Banke Bihari ji


This is a very pristine composition in Raag Yaman Kalyan, based on Meerabai's beautiful poetry in Braj bhasha.  I was mesmerized when I heard the soulful rendition of Gaansaraswati Smt. Kishori Amonkar. Truly an amazing composition in praise of Mohan, and a clean rendition that lingers in the heart for days on.

Please check out my humble attempt. I performed this for a Diwali party and it was very well received.



Bhajan: Mharo Pranaam
Poet: Mirabai   Language: Braj bhasha
Based on performance by: Kishori Amonkar
Raag: Yaman Kalyan    Taal : Keherwa, Madhyalaya

Translator: Animesh Kumar (from Internet)
Words and interpretation:
Mharo pranaam Banke Bihari ji
Mharo pranaam
Mor mukut mathya tilak biraja
Kundal alaka kari ji
Mharo pranaam Banke Bihari ji
Adhar madhur dhar bansi bajav
Ri jhiri jhawa braj nari ji
Mharo pranaam Banke Bihari ji
Ya chhab dekhya mohya Meera
Mohan giriwardhari ji
Mharo pranaam Banke Bihari ji
Interpretation:
My obeisance to Banke Bihari, Who has a crown of peacock-feathers,
a tilaka mark rested on the forehead and locks of hair hanging over his earring hoops.
With His sweet lips, He holds and plays the flute
And playfully entices His dear Radha.
This image captivates Meera—this image of Mohana,
Who lifted the Govardhana Mountain

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Raag Bhimpalasi 


I have to admit, like many a music lover, I have also fallen in love with this naturally sweet raag. As Rajan ParrikarJi quotes in his music site,"The ati-madhur and ati-priya Raga Bhimpalasi has the penetrating power to infect the human mind and control it for days and weeks on end. There is as yet no known antidote to the Bhimpalasi contagion."
It is a raag we have been quite attuned to, Thanks to the many light music compositions extensively employed in Indian cinema.

I first learnt the simpler Drut composition, Jaa Ja re Apne Mandirwa, but it was an absolute pleasure to learn a beautiful khayal - Akhiyan Mori laag rahi, in Vilambit ektaal from my Guru.

I have a long way to go mastering this raaga, but I can say learning it made me immensely happy, and helped shape my vocal skills as well.
This raaga sounds very similar to Abheri ragam of Carnatic (derived, janya of Karaharapriya)

The structure of Raag Bhimpalasi is as follows:

Aroha: n' S g M P n S"                  Avaroha: S" n D P M g R S
The raag has komal Ni and Ga, shown here as n and g.
Jaati: Audava-Sampoorna raga, implying that it has 5 notes in Arohana and 7 in Avarohana.
Vadi: Ma                                         Samavadi: Sa
Pakad or Chalan: n' S M, M g, P (M) g, M g R S
Thaat: Kafi                                      Samay: Late Afternoon

This raag, just like Bageshree (which is also of Kafi Thaat) rests a lot on Ma, and is characterised by a beautiful Meend reprise coming from Ma to Komal Ga, with a meend on Komal Ga.
While Re and Dha are omitted in Aaroh, it comes back in Avaroh, and Dha is beautifully clustered with Komal Ni, to present a pristine phrase like g M P n D P. Re comes attached uniformly with Ga while descending back to Sa, as (M)g M g R, S.

I am sharing a short beginning Alaap I learnt from my Guru, which precedes our khayal. I hope to share the full recordings of my recital in Bhimpalasi later.




Live performance in Bhimpalasi from Guru Poornima concert - Vilambit Ektaal Bandish 
and a Drut bandish