• Raag Kesari Kalyan •

S-R-G-P-D-N-S


Kesari Kalyan is formed by removing Kalyan’s most characteristic swara – tivra Ma – leaving a curious shadav scale (prakriti with Shankara). Legendary Gwalior vocalist and educator Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’ appears to have created the raga: hear his own rendition, and also listen to him discuss it in the context of “two key ideas attending the evolution of raga: chalan bheda and uccharana bheda” [changes in movement path, and changes in swara punctuation]. Abhirang, building on Ramrang’s bandish, interprets it as “a blend of Hansadhwani and Bhupali”, offering wide-jumping descent lines including SNPGR; RGPDPR. Also see Ramrang’s handwritten transcription of his own original composition – as well his other ragas (Bhankari & Anjani Kalyan), and brief bio article (“To think of Ramrang is to think of his fanatical love of learning, the unusual depth and width of his knowledge, his high standards of excellence, his remarkable ingenuity, and above all, the passion and joie de vivre with which he disburses the fruits of his endeavours…For 60 years he has culled melodic objects of lasting value…[making] our world more beautiful and more meaningful…”).


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Aroha: SRGPDNS
Avroh: SNDPGRS

Chalan: e.g. SRG; PNS; SNPGR; RGPDPRG; RS (Abhirang)

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—Abhijith Shenoy ‘Abhirang’ (2020)—


[bandish, e.g. 2:55] S S(GRGRSR)G, (GRG)RS S(RG), G(RSR)S N(DP), N(DND)S, PN SR(GRSRGRS) S(RGR), G(PGPG)PP, PN S(GRGRSNS)S, N(P)P/S(NS)P PG, G(PGP)R, SS(RGPDP)D, P(DPDPGRSR) G(PG), S(GRGRSR)G, RS S(RG), G(RSR)S N(DP), N(DS)…

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• Classifiers •

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 | 32Enclosed | 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.

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• Prakriti: Shankara

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–Swara Geometries–

Core form: SRGPDNS
Reverse: SrgmdnS
Negative: 3-2-2-1-2-2 (=itself)
Imperfect: 1 (Ni)
Detached: none
Symmetries: mirror (mM—NS)
Murchanas: Shankara set

Quirks: ‘self-shadowing‘ (negative form=core form) • atritonal‘ (no available tritones)

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–Global Translations–

Carnatic: ~Shankaramohana
S-R2-G3-P-D2-N3-S
Jazz: Major/Ionian (no 5th)
1-2-3-5-6-7-8
Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-2-4-7-9-11-0
(2–2–3–2–2–1)

o • o • o • • o • o • o o


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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa
• Names: Kesari Kalyan, Kesara Kalyana (not the Carnatic ‘Kalyanakesari‘)

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—Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’ (2000s)—

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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!

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