S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S

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Perhaps more like a compendium of interlinked folk tunes than a ‘formally codified’ raga framework, Kafi offers expansive freedoms. Typically appearing in mishra (‘mixed’) form, its free-roaming melodies may borrow from affiliated ragas as well as drawing on a wide range of light-classical styles such as thumri, bhajan, dadra, and ghazal – although most performers give some precedence to mid-scale pakads of mPD; mP(m)gR. Lyrical material has long tended towards the romantic, with Faqirullah’s 1666 Raga Darpan treatise describing how “Kafi’s dominant theme is love, together with the passions aroused”. Chosen by Bhatkhande as the titular raga of Kafi thaat (akin to the Western Dorian Mode: a ‘palindromic‘ scale beloved in jazz, blues, rock, pop, funk, and beyond) – and prakriti with many ragas, notably including Bageshri, Bhimpalasi, Shahana, and the predominant modern forms of Desi and Dhanashree. Also see other members of the Kafi raganga such as Sindhura, Barwa, and Zila Kafi.

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Aroha: SRgmPDnS

Avroh: SnDPmgRS

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Pakad: e.g. mPD; mP(m)gR

Chalan: variable – illustrative sequences e.g. SRgmP; mPD(m)gR; gRSRmP; PnPmPgRS; mPmgRg; mPDmPgR; gRgS;  SgRS; mPDnS; DnDPDnS; RnSnDP

• A folksy, flexible raga which invites many types of motion (straight, vakra, sparse, clustered, etc), as well as permitting the use of outside swaras (e.g. shuddha Ni as mPDNS)

• Ascents can be ‘straight’ (SRgmP), although some skip komal ga in aroha to accentuate its role in avroh conclusions such as mPgR; gRnDS

• The Pa-Sa axis is strong, with Pa in particular used as a focal point – central to characteristic mid-scale motions such as mPD; nDP; mPDmgR

• Shuddha Re is a popular stopping tone in descent, set up via ornate phrases which move from Pa to ga via a touch of ma (e.g. mP(m)gR)

• Traditionally associated with late-night sentiments of shringara (‘love, romance, attraction’) – drawing thematic inspiration from dhun and light-classical forms such as thumri and bhajan

–Kala Ramnath (2019)–

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“Kafi, who inspires lust, tenderly sits on the lap of her playmate in the royal palace. Fond of parrots, she is dressed in blue, and decked with jewels: the image of sensuality. In the lotus of my heart I cherish her, lovelier than Lakshmi, goddess of fortune…” (from Holi Khelat Nandal, a famous Hori)

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—Context—

Origins, myths, quirks, & more

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[COMING SOON: click here to hasten the project’s expansion, so all 365+ raga pages can eventually look more like these]

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—Phraseologies—

Melodies, movements, characteristics…

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[coming soon]

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—Geethanjali demo (2013)—

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“Kafi’s basic framework includes all seven swaras, and in progression it allows all kinds of movements: simple, straight, convoluted, and so on. It also allows all kinds of tempi to be employed in raga-elaboration. It must be considered as one of the most accommodating of all ragas…” (Ashok da Ranade)

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—Listen—

A brief selection of superb renditions

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–Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar (2019)–

• Jaipur-Atrauli khayal (11m): a captivating tappa originally made famous by Benares vocal queen Girija Devi (Ve Parija Tanda Pare Bandhe), showcased at Darbar 2019 with Chinmay Kolhatkar on harmonium and Gurdain Rayatt on tabla:

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[tappa, e.g. 1:38] mPm m(gR)g, g(Rg)SS S/g R(gR); m/P, Sn(Dn)D Pmg(R)g, g(RgSS), S/g R(gR)…

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–Nityanand Haldipur (2014)–

• Maihar bansuri (7m): the Maihar purist draws on his deep study with Pannalal Ghosh and Annapurna Devi for an unaccompanied Mishra Kafi, laden with liberal servings of shuddha Ni (filmed by Darbar in 2014):

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[themes, e.g. 0:59] g (g)RS, D\n D\n, S, S(NR)S; DnRgR, Sn\DP (DnDPDnSR)g (R)S, S(N) S(NSR) S(nDn)D, DNS(N), NSR(S), NS(R)g R(SnS) D\n, DnSRgR(m)g (RS)N S(NgRSnSn)D, m(nD)S(NR) S(nD) (S)NS…

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–Further Recordings–

• Faiyaaz Khan (4m): Pradhan: “Elements of thumri, and tappa-like taan patterns…with ‘pukaar’, a heart-wrenching call…”
• Aarshin Karande (8m): “Mewati students are taught this bandish early on, to acquaint them with [our] meend–gamaka“
• Ajoy Chakraborty (9m): an AUTRIM pitch-graph (“Wake up from the slumber and surrender to God; You cannot remain asleep…”)
• Ulhas Kashalkar (9m): singing a bandish by Kadarpiya, “a music-loving minister at the ill-fated court of Wajid Ali Shah”
• Ali Akbar Khan (13m): a vital Maihar sarod rendition, with stellar tintal accompaniment from Zakir Hussain
• Budhaditya Mukherjee (30m): an excellent Mishra Kafi, filmed in Toronto with longtime tabla accompanist Soumen Nandy
• Pratik Shrivastava (31m): at FEA Parallel Lines, accompanied by Debjit Patitundi, another young Kolkata star, on tabla
• Aminuddin & Moinuddin Dagar (33m): as per Pradhan: “this hori reveals how they have internalised thumri gayaki too…”
• Pushparaj Koshti (44m): surbahar in dhamar, captured at the 2013 Dutch Dhrupad Festival, with Sanjay Agle on pakhawaj
• Ajoy Chakraborty (59m): a full-length take from the Patiala scholar-singer, recorded at a Sagarika Classical session

• Guitaragas •

My attempts to capture the raga on electric guitar (see more on my Insta)

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—Aaj Khel Shaam Sang Hori (electric guitar)—

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My improv on the adha bandish Aaj Khel Shaam Sang Hori (from ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton)

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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: Kafi thaat, Bhimpalasi, Bageshri, Shahana, Desi, Dhanashree, Hussaini Kanada, Mudriki Kanada, Raisa Kanada

Also compare to other members of the Kafi raganga

–Proximate Forms–

Khamaj = ‘Kafi shuddha Ga‘

Patdeep = ‘Kafi shuddha Ni‘

Ahiri = ‘Kafi komal re‘

Darbari = ‘Kafi komal dha‘

Sindhura = ‘Kafi double Ni‘

(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: SRgmPDnS (=itself)

• Complement: SrGMdNS (=Din ki Puriya)

• Imperfect: 1 (Dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (S—M)

• Murchanas: Bilawal set

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

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Kapi

S-R₂-G₂-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Dorian

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

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

(2–1–2–2–2–1–2)

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o • o o • o • o • o o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Re)

• Names: Kafi, Kafee, Qafi

• Transliterations: Hindi (काफी); Punjabi (ਕਾਫੀ)

—More—

Further info: links, listenings, learnings, etc

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• Raag Kafi: [coming soon]

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• Header audio: Drut gat on chaturangi by Debashish Bhattacharya (2000)
• Header image: Celebratory folk dancers in Punjab (Darbar)

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