Emotion vs. melody

The grammar of the Hindustani raga, explored by a passionate musicologist.

The Raga-ness of Ragas: Ragas Beyond the Grammar; Deepak S. Raja, DK Printworld, Rs. 1,250.

A sitar and surbahar player of the Etawah gharana , Deepak S. Raja is also a musicologist known for his in-depth research of the Hindustani style. His first book, Hindustani Music: A Tradition in Transition , was published in 2005. Ever since, he has authored titles on khayal vocalism and the current state of north Indian music. Raja’s latest book The Raga-ness of Ragas: Ragas Beyond the Grammar deeply explores a subject that every musician and committed music student would be interested in: the phenomenon of the Hindustani raga .

The book is divided into two parts. The first explores the subject through concept-based essays and analyses. In the latter half, he studies 49 ragas using case studies supported with references to authoritative texts and reviews of recordings by various maestros. Appropriately, the foreword has been written by well-known Jaipur-Atrauli gharana vocalist Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande, who has herself conducted some unique research on the subject. She says: “Combining his training with rare intelligence and analytical power, Deepak bhai is eminently competent to handle a subtle and yet complex topic like this.”

Raja deals with various topics here. He deals with

raga grammar, where he has discussed the selection of notes in each

raga . He talks of the aesthetics of a

raga , the dos and don’ts and how much artistic liberty is permissible. He talks of psycho-acoustics, where he draws a link between the aesthetics and emotional appeal of

ragas .

It might appear that

The Raga-ness of Ragas is only meant for those who already have a deep understanding of the principles of the raga system, have themselves been adequately trained, or have vast knowledge as musicologists and experienced critics. sThat it doesn’t seem like a basic guide for lay listeners.

To a large extent, this is true. But it is definitely useful for someone with a fair, if not an extensive knowledge, of the subject. Even those deeply into the art form may have their own observations. But as Lyle Wachowsky of India Archive Music says in his introduction: “Raja has been scrupulous in acknowledging the limitations, problems or objections such a work gives or gives rise to.”

Naturally, Raja begins with a chapter explaining his concept of raga-ness and

ragas . While stating that most listeners, even a casual one, can infer that a

raga is broadly a melodic structure, he points out that the word ‘raga’ does not have a musical or melodic meaning at all. “It only has an emotional meaning,” he says. Thus, used in the musical context, it is a melodic representation of an emotional statement.

Having explained the concept of raga-ness, Raja explores what is right or wrong in a raga . He bases his study on the fact that musicians of stature are often found criticising other musicians for incorrect rendition of ragas , and even critics and scholars pull up musicians. Here, he talks about gharana -based interpretations of ragas and the amount of creative licence allowed.

The third chapter ‘Raga Chemistry and Beyond’ makes an interesting classification based on terms used in chemistry. Here, Raja divides ragas into ‘pure’, ‘allotropes’, ‘compounds’ and ‘emulsions’. It’s a very well-approached subject, but a bit long and technical to be explained here.

The chapter ‘Kedar at Sunrise?’ may attract controversy, as here Raja proposes that the time theory, of playing ragas during specific prahars (three-hour cycles), is on its way out. The author justifies his reasons, but as most musicians follow this principle thoroughly, this may create some debate. Even in her introduction, Bhide-Deshpande says: “I tend to be more conservative than the author and would prefer to present a raga at its stipulated time.”

After developing an association between ragas and the nine rasas , Raja goes deep into the subject of raga-ness with relation to compositions, how it can be used for technical nuances like alaaps and taans , and how it is linked to an individual musician’s style.

The book’s second part, in which he has analysed 49 ragas , is very detailed as it talks of their notes, scale and unfolding, and also analyses their rendition by different artistes. However, by arranging ragas in alphabetical order, the list is topped by the less-presented Adana Kanada and Adi Basant , whereas Bhairavi , Darbari Kanada , Puriya Kalyan , Lalit and Rageshri appear later.

Yes, there are hundreds of ragas, and restricting them to 49 would obviously be difficult. Though there are references here and there, one would have loved specific chapters on Yaman , Bhairav , Bageshri , Puriya Dhanashri , Jaijaiwanti, so many others.

Despite this lacuna, one must commend Raja not only for his research, but the way he has structured and analysed his thoughts. It’s a must for every serious Hindustani music lover; for the writer, it’s definitely been a labour of love.

Narendra Kusnur is a Mumbai-based music journalist.

The Raga-ness of Ragas: Ragas Beyond the Grammar; Deepak S. Raja, DK Printworld, Rs. 1,250.