Rag desh
- 1. Rag Desh – Version 2 – ‘Mhara janam maran’ performed by Chiranji Lal Tanwar (voice) Context The song is a Hindu devotional song from Rajasthan and is known as a bhajan. The song tells of tender waiting in longing anticipation of the arrival of Lord Krishna in the morning. The words in translation from the Hindu are: ‘You are my companion through life and death and I cannot forget you night and day. My heart pines for you and I feel totally restless when I am not able to see you.’ Indian music can be divided into two great musical traditions; the music of Northern India (the Hindustani tradition) and the music of the South (the Carnatic tradition). This piece is taken from the Indian classical tradition of Northern India. One of the context’s of Indian music is oral tradition. This means that the music is taught through listening and by word of mouth. Additionally, Indian families have a system of master-pupil teaching which is know as a gharana. This means that a father might teach his son how to play through an intensive course involving listening and memorising and this will then be taught through generations of the family. Instruments One of the instruments used is the Sarod. The Sarod is a plucked string instrument with no frets. Another instrument used is the Sarangi, which is a bowed string instrument, has a gentle tone and is ideally used to accompany singers. Another instrument used is the Pakhawaj which is a large double- headed drum. The tabla is used which is a small set of two drums of different sizes- the smaller one is made of wood and the larger one is made of metal which is known as the baya. The cymbals are also used in this piece. Structure There are two movement in this piece - the Alap and the Bhajan(song). During the Alap, a short introduction on the sarangi is played, then the singer vocalises a melody in free time based on notes of the rag. This is a version of the chorus from the song. At the end of the piece, the Bhajan movement is played. This is the ‘fixed composition’, which in this case means that a song is in verse form. The table first joins in, followed by a short sarod solo and then the sarangi. The dynamics and tempo soon increase as the music develops to fast and exciting. Rhythm The rhythm of this piece is know and the Kecherwa Tal which consists of 8 beats in the rhythm of (2+2+2+2). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Clap Clap Wave Clap