Hanskinkini | SRgGmPDnNS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S

Running something like a ‘double-Ga, double-Ni Dhanashree’, Hanskinkini is full of florid alankars and intricate melodic turns – reflected in the meaning of its name, which translates as ‘swan’ + ‘small tinkling ornament’. Performers may draw on the melodic flexibilities of other ‘double Ga+Ni’ ragas including Pilu and Jaijaiwanti, while preserving the Dhanashree-ang kernel via phrases such as mPnDP; SnDP; mPGRS (Tanarang: “a flittering, volatile melody”). Famously highlighted by Lata Mangeshkar in the 1952 film Naya Zamana (Kahan Jate Ho Toota Dil Hamara), the raga’s direct lineage seems to stretch back to at least the era of Sadarang (~17th century), although detailed historical records are hard to come by. Aneesh Pradhan recommends the renditions of D.V. Paluskar and Shruti Sadolikar (also noting that “curiously, the image of the ‘hamsa-mithun’ [swan-couple], a symbol of eternal love, seems missing in Hindustani compositions: intriguing, since one encounters birds in other compositions…”). Also see Patdeepaki, an intertwined form which prefers the flavours of Bhimpalasi to those of Dhanashree.

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राग हंसकिंकिणी

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Aroha: e.g. NSGmPNS

Avroh: e.g. SnDPmP, GmPgRS, NS

Chalan: signatures e.g. NSGmPgR; SRNS; GmPnDP; GmPgRS (Tanarang)

—Soumik Datta (2018)—

[gat, e.g. 12:04] PPnn D(n)PP, SGmP, (m)g RR(S)nS…

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

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

Double: rR | gG | mM | dD | nN

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

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

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

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.

Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

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

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Murchana: Bhup. | Bihag | Bilaw. | Charu.

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Jaijaiwanti, Jaijaiwanti Nat, Gara, Zila Kafi, Jayant Malhar, Ramdasi Malhar, Rageshri Bahar, Tilang Bahar, Nagadhwani Kanada, Patdeepaki

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–R–gG–m–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmPdDnS (=Amiri Todi)

• Negative: 5-5-2

• Imperfect: 1 (Ni)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (r—P)

• Murchanas: Jaijaiwanti set

• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’) • ‘Pa-repeating‘ (poorvang and uttarang take the same ‘semitone shape’)

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: ~Kapi

S-R₂-G₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Dorian-Ionian

1-2-b3-3-4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-3-4-5-7-9-10-11-0

(2–1–1–1–2–2–1–1–1)

o • o o o o • o • o o o o

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Hanskinkini, Hans Kinkini, Hanshakankani, Hams Kankani, Hamskankini

• Transliterations: Hindi (हंसकिंकिणी)

—Rajan & Sajan Mishra (2018)—

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George Howlett is a London-based musician, writer, and teacher (guitars, sitar, tabla, & santoor). Above all I seek to enthuse fellow sonic searchers, interconnecting fresh vibrations with the voices, cultures, and passions behind them. See Homepage for more, and hit me up for Lessons!