S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S
From my 2018 Darbar interview with Maihar bansuri maestro Rupak Kulkarni: “I created Sonakshi [‘Golden-Eyed‘] so I could experience a raga which was suitable for any time of day. I believe we have different mindsets depending on the hour: in the morning our mood is spiritual and fresh, and in the evening it is has more longing, and perhaps tiredness too. So, to mix these emotions up, I took a few phrases from Lalit and Bhairav [dawn] and blended them with those from Marwa [sunset]”. His new raga – which thus bridges both sandhiprakash – seems to have gone unrecorded (…as far as I can tell: the search is somewhat complicated by the fact that Sonakshi is also the name of Kulkarni’s supremely fun fusion group). Also browse other members of the Lalit and Bhairav ragangas.
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राग सोनाक्षी
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—Rupak Kulkarni (2008)—
(…no recordings found…)
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Multi-step meend in Raag Bageshri: some riyaz improv in one of my all-time favourite ragas
#raga #jazzguitar #indianmusic #icm #londonmusic
Sep 30
E8 Boogie (Squarepusher): @sqpusher did I get them right? Tried to work out guitar voicings for this curious chord sequence in E8 Boogie (…originally at the request of a student!)
Original: Squarepusher/Tom Jenkinson (from 1997’s Hard Normal Daddy)
#jungle #jazzguitar #warprecords #idm #dnb @warprecords
Sep 27
Raag Jaiwanti Todi (SrgmPDnS): An Ahiri-prakriti raga introduced by Maharaja Jaiwant Singh Waghela (1904-1980): the hereditary ruler of Sanand who gained wide renown as a spiritual teacher, vocal educator, and generous patron of the nascent Mewati gharana (also the creator of Gyankali and other ragas). Sung here by his student Pandit Jasraj – a bandish I’ve always loved, especially the ferocious taan and colourful harmonium accompaniment…
—Original: Pandit Jasraj (khayal); Appa Jalgaonkar (harmonium); Nizamuddin Khan? (tabla)
#raga #khayal #indianmusic #worldmusic #icm
Sep 22
Raag Prabhateshwari (SrgmPDnS): A mysterious raga created by Hariprasad Chaurasia, played here by his nephew Rakesh – resembling a blend of the morning Ahir Bhairav and the late night Bageshri. I was inspired to learn the raga when researching Maa Annapurna Devi’s time teaching Hariprasad (many thanks to my crack team of experts including Rupak Kulkarni, Alam Khan, George Ruckert, Suresh Vyas, Anindya Banerjee, and Gopi Shanker, who all gave valuable assistance in illuminating the raga’s origins)
—Original: Rakesh Chaurasia (bansuri), live at Darbar 2008 @chaurasia_rakesh @darbarfestival
#raga #darbarfestival #indianmusic #bansuri #worldmusic
Sep 15
• 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
Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact
Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra
Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row
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: Purba, Bhankar, Sazgiri, Lalita Gauri
Compare to other ragas from the Bhairav and Lalit ragangas (as well as to other forms which fuse elements of both)
–Swara Geometries–
• Core form: S–r–G–mM–P–dD–N–S
• Reverse: SrgGmMPdNS
• Complement: SRgnS
• Imperfect: 2 (Pa, dha)
• Detached: none
• Symmetries: none
• Murchanas: none
–Global Translations–
• Carnatic: ~Kashiramakriya
S-R1-G3-M1-M2-P-D1-D2-N3-S
• Jazz: Double Harmonic (dbl. 4th/6th)
1-b2-3-4-#4-5-b6-6-7-8
• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-1-4-5-6-7-8-9-11-0
(1–3–1–1–1–1–1–2–1)
o o • • o o o o o o • o o
• Tanpura: Sa–Pa
• Names: Sonakshi
• Transliterations: Hindi (सोनाक्षी)
—Rupak Kulkarni/Sonakshi (2008)—
(Sonakshi the fusion band, not the raga…which I still can’t trace on record)
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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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