S-rR-gG-mM-P-D-nN-S

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A complex, challenging compound of two starkly contrasting forms – Sohini and Bahar – collectively spanning all swara positions save for komal dha (SrGMDNS + SRgmPDnNS). While ‘Sohini+Bahar’ experiments have existed since at least the 1960s (e.g. Rao’s 1966 Raga Nidhi Vol.4 lists a bandish entitled Saba Bana Phoolari, describing the raga as “a difficult one”), the raga’s present form is inextricably linked to late vocal legend Rashid Khan, who cut several stellar recordings over the course of his all-too-short career. His 2023 album take switches rapidly between the parent ragas, interweaving their flavours into a pakad of GMDNS, nDNS, DNM – with similar ‘Sohini-Bahar-Sohini’ phrase structures turning up throughout (e.g. as winding, unpredictable taans such as GMDSNDMG, mmnPmPmg, MDNSNDMG). Also performed by Rashid’s Rampur-Sahaswan student Subha Ghosh, as well as by bansuriya Shadaj Godkhindi, who recorded a lucid, quickfire improvisation in 2020 (“this is a very special jod raga…very few people have performed it”). Compare to other Bahar and Sohini compounds such as Basant Bahar, Bhairav Bahar, Lalita Sohini, and Sohini Pancham – as well as to Rashid Khan’s renditions of Bahar and Sohini themselves, plus his self-created Priyaranjani (another strange jod, blending Madhuvanti & Shivranjani).

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राग सोहनी बहार

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—Rashid Khan (2023)—

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[bandish, e.g. 4:54] (M)GMDNS, NS(rS) NDMG, GMDNS (N)S, NDMDNDN(r)S, NDMG, GMDNS (NrSN)S, N(DN)S…

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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: (none found)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–rR–gG–mM–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmMPdDnNS

• Complement: SdS

• Imperfect: 1 (re)

• Detached: 0

• Symmetries: mirror (R—d)

• Murchanas: (all other 11-swara ragas)

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• Quirks: all swaras present except komal dha • ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Basant Bahar)

S-R₁-R₂-G₂-G₃-M₁-M₂-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: (all tones except b6)

1-b2-2-b3-3-4-#4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-10-11-0

(1–1–1–1–1–1–1–2–1–1–1)

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o o o o o o o o • o o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Sohini Bahar, Sohani Bahar, Sohni Bahar

• Transliterations: Hindi (सोहनी बहार); Bengali (সোহিণী বাহার); Kannada (ಸೋಹ್ನಿ ಬಹಾರ್)

—Shadaj Godkhindi (2020)—