Kambhoji | SRGmPDnS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S

Sometimes summarised as ‘Dhrupad Jhinjhoti’, Kambhoji also invites shades of Kalavati via omitting ma in upward motions (Parrikar: GPD; PD; GPDnD; nDS). The raga’s history stretches back to pre-Medieval times: listed as a derivative of Shree in Narada’s 8th-century Sangita Makaranda, and as a spouse of Nat-Narayani in Pundarika Vittala’s 16th-century works (n.b. some speculate that the name ‘Kambhoji’ indicates origins in ancient Cambodian music, although most scholars point towards the Northwestern Kamboja civilisation instead: Iron-Age immigrants from Persia). While the raga’s Southern form remains popular, its Hindustani incarnation is near-exclusively a Dagarvani preserve – refer to renditions by the Senior Brothers, Zia Mohiuddin, Aminuddin, Sayeeduddin (“one of my favourite ragas…a 12-beat composition based on Shiva”), and Zahiruddin & Wasifuddin (“If I’m to be a human being, O Raskhan, I’d like to live in Brij, with the herdsmen of Nand; If I’m to be an animal, I have no hope…”). Also see Khambavati, another Jhinjhoti neighbour which places greater emphasis on ma.

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राग कंभोजी

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—Wasifuddin Dagar (2009)—

[refrain, e.g. 0:56] GG, G(mGm)R, SS SGR(GR)G, G(m)R, SSS, SRS\n(Dn), P/S, S(n) S(nSDnD), P(DnD), (S)DD D, (n)D DnDP, DP SD/S…

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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: Khamaj thaat, Khamaj, Jhinjhoti, Khambavati, Sameshwari, Sakh, Gaoti

–Proximate Forms–

Kafi = ‘Kambhoji komal ga‘

Bilawal = ‘Kambhoji shuddha Ni‘

Ahir Bhairav = ‘Kambhoji komal re‘

Desh = ‘Kambhoji double Ni‘

Vachaspati = ‘Kambhoji tivra Ma‘

Jansammohini = ‘Kambhoji no ma‘

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

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–R–G–m–P–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgmPdnS (=Darbari)

• Negative: 2-2-3-2-3 (e.g. Bhupali)

• Imperfect: 1 (Ga)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (r—P)

• Murchanas: Bilawal set

• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: ~Harikambhoji (mela #28)

S-R₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Mixolydian

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

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

(2–2–1–2–2–1–2)

o • o • o o • o • o o • o

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Kambhoji, Khamboji, Kamboji, (‘Kamodi’ in some Odissa traditions)

• Transliterations: Hindi (कंभोजी)

—Zahiruddin & Wasifuddin Dagar (1992)—

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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!