S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S

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Basant (meaning ‘Springtime’) is a historic and highly influential form, with a lineage stretching back to at least the 8th century. The raga’s modern incarnation matches the swaras of Poorvi thaat, with shades of shuddha ma also permitted in many interpretations (e.g. SmmG; mdrS). Phraseological allies include Puriya (GMdNM; mdGmG) and Shree (e.g. NrS; rNdP), although tivra Ma is elongated more than komal re, and melodic development is mostly focused on the uttarang portions of madhya and taar saptak. Tanarang gives a pakad of P; MGMG, describing “shringar and separation pangs…a meend-pradhan raga creating a heavy atmosphere”. A perennially popular jod ingredient (e.g. Gauri Basant, Malti Basant, Dakshinatya Basant, & Basant Bahar), and particularly cherished by Sikh traditions, with many great saints having composed hymns in it – as per one Sikh writer, Basant “encourages the mind to brush away its selfishness…there is hope and expectation of new beginnings, the start of new cycles”. See melodic summary below, as well as the vivid tale of how a young Vilayat Khan first encountered the raga (“I keep opening my eyes to see yellow, yellow…“). Compare to Paraj, which often shares significant overlap with Basant (e.g. Venkatesh Kumar’s Basant bandish below is very close to a famous Paraj composition: PdS(rSNS), (S)N\d, P(dPM)P vs. dNS(rNS), S(NS…N)d (dP)P).

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Aroha: SGMdNS

Avroh: SNdPMG, MGrS

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Pakad: e.g. MdS; NdP; PMGM; MGrS

Chalan: e.g. MdNS; NdP(M)GMG; MGMdMNdSNrS; rNdP; dP(M)GMG; GMNdPMG; MGrS; SmG; MdNS (Bor/Chaurasia)

• Ascents typically skip re and Pa (SGMdNS), sometimes downplaying Ni as well (MdS) – and descents wind around themselves with phrases such as the Shree-ang MdrS; rNdP and the Puriya-ang GMdN; MdGMG

• Tivra Ma is prominent in both directions, often placed on the sam and highlighted in core movements such as MGM; MdNMG; dPMGM; MdNS

• Detailed ornaments around Sa and Pa are vital to the raga’s development, especially in avroh – with a variety of congruent shapes available (e.g. N(Sr); M(Pd) & S(rSN)S; P(dPM)P)

• Many include shuddha ma – usually restricting it to Lalit-ang flourishes (MmG) or alternate concluding motions (SmmG MdNS; SmmG MGrS)

• Famous as the preeminent springtime raga (‘vasantha’: ‘spring’), associated with Shiva and Kamadeva – and rendered with florid, ‘blossoming’ meend shapes in the zone above madhya saptak Pa

• Compositions •

—Venkatesh Kumar (Kirana khayal):

• [tintal] MdS, N\dP, P(dPM)P, MGrS

—Venkatesh Kumar (2019)—

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[refrain, e.g. 7:50] Pd S(rSNS), N\d P(dPMP), MG M(PMGM), dN S(rSNS), Pd S(rSNS)…

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• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

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—Vilayat Khan’s ‘Yellow Basant’—

On being asked about his earliest memories of raga music, Imdadkhani sitar pioneer Vilayat Khan recounted a vivid tale: “I go back to 1932, to Albert Hall in Calcutta. My father [Enayet Khan] enters, and everyone rises to applaud, even the British governor and his splendid retinue. What a challenge to match Abdul Karim Khan, who had sung before. But my father casts a new spell. I fall asleep, though I keep opening my eyes to see yellow, yellow everywhere. ‘Silly child!’ said my father the next morning. ‘That was the colour of Raag Basant’…”. [n.b. I can’t find any Basant recordings by either Enayet or Vilayat: although you can hear Vilayat’s Basant Pancham here, and a selection of Enayet’s short-takes here: also see Enayetkhani Kanada, created by Vilayat and dedicated to his father]. 

 

(Vilayat Khan, age 16 / Enayet Khan)

• Ragmalas •

Historic miniature paintings (learn more)

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“Vasanta Ragini, blue-skinned and crowned, with seven female musicians and dancers…” (Penn, c.1800)

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• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):

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Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Poorvi thaat, Shree, Puriya Dhanashree, Gauri Basant, Jaitashree, Tankeshree

–Proximate Forms–

Todi = ‘Basant komal ga‘

Bhairav = ‘Basant shuddha ma‘

Poorvi = ‘Basant double Ma‘

Din ki Puriya = ‘Basant no Pa‘

Maligoura = ‘Basant double Dha‘

Hansa Narayani = ‘Basant no Dha‘

(n.b. these are just ‘scalar similarities’, with nothing particular implied about phraseological overlap)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–r–G–M–P–d–N–S

• Reverse: SrGmMdNS (=Lalit)

• Complement: SRgmDnS (=Shadav Bageshri)

• Imperfect: 2 (Pa, dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Basant set

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Kamavardhini (mela #51)

S-R₁-G₃-M₂-P-D₁-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian b2 b6

1-b2-3-#4-5-b6-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-4-6-7-8-11-0

(1–3–2–1–1–3–1)

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o o • • o • o o o • • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ni)

• Names: Basant, Vasant, Vasanti, Vasantha

• Transliterations: Hindi (बसन्त); Bengali (বসন্ত); Gujarati (વસંત); Punjabi (ਬਸੰਤ); Urdu (بسنت); Kannada (ವಸಂತ್)

—Salamat Ali Khan (1945: aged 11)—