Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Tero Chaakar Kare Pukar - a Bhavani bhajan originally sung by Smt. Ashwini Bhide

This is a beautiful bhajan in reverence to Goddess Bhavani - the giver of Life. This was originally sung by Smt. Ashwini Bhide.
In wake of all the devastating news we have heard recently, it was my honor to learn this song from my Guru and perform it for a Bhajan Sandhya organized by her. 
I hope Mata Bhavani gives us all the strength and courage to face all the vicissitudes in life. So many of us have lost our loved ones, or are facing some major difficulties. This is a humble prayer from me to the Lord to give us strength and relentless energy to face Life.God also save those who have ill thoughts and bad notions of people. Let’s please think positive… Love Begets Love – our actions are a mirror of what we think.


Bhajan : Tero Chakar Kare Pukar
Scale: G#
Taal : Dadra (on iTablaPro)
Lyrics:
Tero chaakar kare pukaar bhavani beig padhaaro na
Aisi bhool bhayi kya karni sankat taaro na
bigad gayi kachhu rahi na baaki beg sudharo na
Bhavani beig padhhaaro na
Aiso sapno humne na jaano dukh nivaaro na
nithur bhayi naga kyu jagdamba aakh ubhaaro na
Bhavani beig padhhaaro na
kaaran kaun bhayo jag janani so dukh jaano na
binati sun agyaan hridaya ki sab nirvaaro na
Bhavani beig padhhaaro na
bhava saagar mein bahu doobto haath pasaaro na
sakal daan dehi chhodi ambika aur sahaaro na
Bhavani beig padhhaaro na
tero chakar kahe ardaas kripali beig padhaaro na
tero chakar kare pukaar bhawani begi padharo na

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Johar Maibaap - Sant Chokhamela Marathi abhang

I am presenting an Abhang (Marathi devotional) from Marathi drama Sant Kanhopatra (1931). The abhang was written in 14th century by saint-poet Sant Chokhamela, a Mahar devotee of Vithoba.
The era was when the “Mahars” (an outcaste, based on the caste system) used to be forcibly kept outside city limits and only allowed to perform tasks deemed too lowly for uppercastes. The poet Chokhamela was a Dalit Mahar devotee of Vitthala living in Pandharpur, and they used to refer to their social superiors as “Johar”…
In this Abhang, Sant Chokhamela pays obeisance, in all humility, to Vitthala, (referring to him as his Johar parent) offering himself as a servant of his servants and pleads that he be given any left overs of food other bhaktas have consumed…
Forced to work as an indentured servant to build a wall, Chokhamela was buried under the rubble as the wall collapsed. Sant Namdev picked up his remains and buried him outside the Vitthala temple in Pandharpur where he used to worship. His tomb is in front of the Vitthala temple, Pandharpur, where it can be seen to this day.
What a ugly and moving tale of the caste system from those days…
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, leader of the ‘Dalits’, belonged to the same Mahar community as Chokhamela and was instrumental in architecting the Indian constitution.
Here is my humble attempt of this Natyageet Marathi abhang, to pay a tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkarji and the great saints who just wrote such meaningful eulogies in honor of Vitthala and other forms of the Lord, while losing their lives to the bane of the caste system.
Marathi Abhang based on Raag Bibhas (of Marwa Thaat) - also goes to some Bhairav, Todi (Lalit) as the song progresses..
Lyrics/Poetry: Sant Chokhamela
Play: Sant Kanhopatra (1931)
Originally sung by : Lalji Desai, also presented in concerts by artists like Pt. Kumar Gandharva
Cover by: swaravanshi
Based on versions by Classical vocalists: Manjusha Patil, Madhura Datar
Arrangement using iTablaPro (Set to Scale C, in Bhajani Theka): swaravanshi
Lyrics/Meaning:
——————-------
जोहार मायबाप जोहार |
Salutations to you,
my mother and father (Vitthala)
तुमच्या महाराचा मी महार ||१||
I am an untouchable Mahar to your Mahar
God, I am even inferior to the people inferior to you…
बहु भुकेला जाहलों |
God, I am extremely starved (for your love)
तुमच्या उष्ट्यासाठी आलों ||२||
I came hoping for your leftovers
(for the little mercy you will show me)
चोखा म्हणे आणिली पाटी|
उष्ट्यासाठी आणिली तुमच्या
Chokha mela says…
I brought with me a basket
for your discarded leftovers…
Johar Maibaap Johar - Sant Chokhamela Marathi Abhang by swaravanshi

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Raag Bageshri/Bageshree - Lovestruck, playful and always majestic..

Raag Bageshree/Bageshwari is a very beautiful raag & the main beauty of this raag lies in swars म ध & नि॒. In this raag swar प is eliminated generally, but used stylistically to anchor the beauty of its Ma and Dha.

Raag Details:
Bageshri is an old and ‘big’ raga, the warmth in its tones wraps the listener in enchantment. It finds mention in the older treatises as “Vageeshwari.”

Thaat – Kafi
Jaati – Shadav- Sampoorna
Vadi Swar – M i.e म (मध्यम )
Samvadi Swar- S i.e सा (षडज)
Time – Midnight
Aaroh – सा नि़॒ ध नि़॒ सा, म ग॒ म, ध नि॒ सां ।
Avroh – सां नि॒ ध , म ग॒, (to detail… म प ध ग॒) म ग॒ रे सा ।
pakad – सा नि़॒ ध, नि़॒ सा, म ध नि़॒ ध म ग॒ रे सा
(़ this indicates that it is a lower octave (मंद्र सप्तक)

Andolan on Komal Ga (g) and nyaas on Shuddha Ma (M)
Komal Swars : ग॒,नि॒ (g,n)

Sharing a beginning alaap to start with..

Raag Bageshree - A beginning Alaap by swaravanshi

On the lighter side, one of the songs I have always enjoyed is "Radha Na Bole Na Bole Re" sung by Lata Mangeshkar from movie Azad (1955), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music by C Ramchandra. This song shows the playful, playing hard-to-get mood (bhaav) of Bageshree. Meena Kumari looks very pretty and adorable dancing and singing in the movie, and Lataji has sung this tough on breath management number with poise and inimitable ease!
Sharing my recording of the song - Radha Na Bole Na Bole Re..

Radha Na Bole Na Bole Re - Azaad (1955) by swaravanshi

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Taare Zameen Par - Title song (Kho Na Jaaye Yeh..)

Taare Zameen Par is one of my most favorite movies to date. This is one movie that gives such a distinct message for both parents and teachers on how to treat their children and students. It's a film about parents and children, about the pressures we put on our kids, about how we push them into becoming assembly-line products instead of encouraging them to find their own unique strengths. It's also about finding our heroes.

The awareness of respect, inclusion and empathy to be fostered towards children, and specifically children with any disabilities is gradually permeating amongst the educated community. However, both parents and teachers, at times are poor role models themselves for children as they expect so much from kids, and resort to labeling or identifying or classifying children with disorders in order to deal with them. This movie gives us a perspective of how we lose sight of the big picture and makes one introspect as we identify ourselves with each of its characters..

The songs in this movie, hit the spot for me, with the amazing composition and rendition by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, one of my favorite music directors.

I performed a part of the Title song "Taare Zameen Par" for my local community channel, and chose this song for its beautifully penned lyrics by prolific writer, Prasoon Joshi.
In writing the song "Taare Zameen Par," lyricist Prasoon Joshi followed the theme of "however much you talk about children, it's not enough." Every line throughout the song describes children, and only one repeats: "Kho Na Jaaye Yeh / Taare Zameen Par" ("Let us not lose these / Little stars on earth").

Sharing my complete recording here..

Taare Zameen Par - Title song Female cover by swaravanshi

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Raag Miyan ki Todi

Most of you must have heard or be aware of this plaintive contemplative deep raag called Todi also called Miyan ki Todi since it was originally composed by Mian Tansen, and was a raag that he was particularly fond of.

Todi (Hindi: तोडी) is a Hindustani classical raga which gave its name to the Todi thaat, one of the ten modes of Hindustani classical music. Ragas from the Todi ‘raganga’ include Todi (a.k.a. Miya ki Todi) itself, Bilaskhani Todi, Bahaduri Todi, and Gurjari Todi.
Gurjari Todi is a commonly used derivative raag of Todi Thaat but unlike Miya ki Todi, it omits Pa both in Aaroh and Avaroh. Other Todi Thaat raags are Multani, Lilavati and Madhuvanti.

Structure : Sampoorna/Sampoorna
Aaroh: S r g M’ P d N S’
Avarah: S’ N d P M’ g r S

Vadi – Komal Dha i.e d
Samvadi – Komal Ga i.e g

r, g, d are Komal/Flat notes. M’ is Tivra Ma
Samay/Time : Todi is performed in the late morning.

Pakad/Signature: The distinctive phrase is r/g-\r\S, where r may be subtly oscillated.

The equivalent raga in Carnatic music is Shubhapantuvarali.

I really enjoyed learning this raag from my Guru, here I am sharing an alaap, and a Madhyalaya bandish in Jhaptaal