Ragmala Painting of Raag Malkauns from the Mewar school (circa 1605) An Overview of Raag Malkauns
Ashish Kumar Ambasta Bangalore, Karnataka India 28-Nov-2003
Let me talk about Raag Malkauns one of the most beautiful ,popular and most ancient of the raagas in Hindustani Classical music. Raag Malkauns belongs to Bhairavi Thaat or scale of Hindustani classical music. It is a pentatonic raag ie its type is Audav Audav and this raag is sung at late night. The notes of this raag corresponds to Bhairavi Thaat ie, komal notes are used.
In raag Malkauns Rishabh and Pancham are prohibitted. When ascending(aaroha) the notes are Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni Sa. While descending(awaroha) the notes are Sa Ni Dha Ma Ga Sa.The vaadi swara of Raag Malkauns is Madhyama. Sanwaadi Swar is Sadaja. These notes in combination portray darkness and secret.
The raag is said to have evolved when Lord Shiva performed The Taandava dance. The raag thus evokes a feeling of vigour or we can say this Raag is a VEER rasa raga. And as traditions in Indian classical music ascribes this vigour and veer rasa is not the veer rasa of the battlefield but a sense of conquering the self and reaching a state of inner satisfaction.
This raga is said to have supernatural powers and can conjure spirits if rendered properly. Though a simple pentanoic raga in structure, it requires great skills to convey and evoke the mood of Malkauns.
A very famous composition based on this raag is the song 'Man Tarpat Hari Darshan ko aaj' from the film Baiju Baawra. Numerous other songs have been composed based on this raga.
No amount of writing can describe the raga in true sense. Listen to it to experience the bliss of malkauns. Frankly the journey on which malkauns takes the listener to would be an experience to cherish.
South Asian Women's Forum has excellent coverage of Malkauns:
http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit09162002/musicarts.asp
MOHAMMED RAFI'S MALKAUNS IN BEJU BAWERA
MANNA DEY PAYS TRIBUTE TO RAFI
V SHANTARAM'S NAVRANG
LATA MANGESHKAR AT TEN YEARS AGE
USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN
Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916 at Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, in Dumraon as the second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. He was named as Qamaruddin to rhyme with Shamsuddin, their first son. His grandfather, Rasool Baksh Khan uttered "Bismillah" (the basmala) after looking at the newborn, thus he was named Bismillah Khan.
His ancestors were court musicians and used to play in Naqqar khana in the princely states of Bhojpur, now in Bihar state. His father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon Estate, now in Bihar.
Despite his fame, Khan's lifestyle retained its old world Benares charm. His chief mode of transport was the cycle rickshaw. A man of tenderness, he believed in remaining private, and that musicians are supposed to be heard and not seen. Ustad was so much in love with Benaras that, once an NRI from USA offered him permanent visa for USA but Ustad refused it. Although he said that if Ganga maiya (mother), Baba Bishwanath (Lord Siva) and Benia (place where he lived in Benaras) are brought to the USA then he will certainly go there.
He was a pious Shi'a Muslim and also, like many Indian musicians regardless of creed, a devotee of Mother Saraswati. He often played at various temples and on the banks of the river Ganga in Varanasi, besides playing outside the famous Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. [3]
He received his training under his uncle, the late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple
Khan was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument. He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. He was credited with having almost monopoly over the instrument as he and the shehnai are almost synomyms.
Khan is one of the finest musicians in post-independent Indian Classical music and one of the best examples of hindu-muslim unity in India.
His concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb. He once said, "Even if the world ends, the music will still survive" and he often said, "Music has no caste".
He has played in almost every capital city across the world. Shehnai was so close to Ustad that after the demise of his wife, he used to call it begum (wife). After his death, his begum (shehnai) was also buried underneath.
Hindustani Instrumental Classical - Shehnai - Bismillah Khan - Raag Malkauns - eSnips
PANDIT OMKARNATH THAKUR
As a great teacher and a very popular concert musician Pt Omkarnath Thakur is unique. Born in 1897 in Maharashtra he had a very tough childhood. He was brought up by a lone toiling mother, since his father had turned a recluse and taken up Sanyas.
He learnt music in Mahavidhyalaya under Pt V D Paluskar and in a short period became his favourite disciple. So much so that he was appointed as the principal of the Lahore Vidyalaya by Pt Paluskar at the age of 20.
Pt Omkarnath was very austere and spent almost 18 hours a day teaching and doing Riyaz (practice). Soon he became a very well sought after and highly successful concert musician, travelling all over the country. He also toured Europe and gave many performances.
He was appointed the dean of music faculty at Benaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1950. He served in that position till his retirement in 1957. Among his many BHU disciples N Rajam, who accompanied him on violin in his last years, is perhaps the most well known.
After long illness Pt Omkarnath died in 1967. He will be remembered for sheer perseverance through which he made it to the very top of Hindustani music.
Raag (Basics) - Raag Malkauns - Pandit Omkarnath Thakur - eSnips
