Blog Shifted

This Blog has now shifted to

everythingshafqat.wordpress.com

Please keep reading :) 

The Khamaj Kaleidoscope

“It is unbearable! It is beauty beyond description! With shuddha notes throughout and then playing games with me by using Komal Nishad in the descent!”

- Vasudev Murthy ,TheTanpura

A song titled after this Raag was the beginning of my tryst with the singing and music of Shafqat Amanat Ali. Adapted from a beautiful traditional Patiala Gharana bandish the song inspired a whole blog post as it is very special to me. Since I have already done an entire post on the song, I will not include any of Shafqat’s versions in this post. Here is his elder brother, Asad, singing the bandish, instead.

But this rendition by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, is close to my heart and  you very likely will be mind- blown after hearing it , as I am, each time, I do

Khamaj is a very sweet, light raga, used extensively in lighter forms of Hindustani classical music like thumris ,dadras and the seasonal chaitis and horis. It has also captured the imagination of music composers in movies. Dhrupad and long khayals are rare in this raag.

Here is Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty of the Patiala Gharana performing a khayal in the raag

 “He sang Shuddha Nishad, Shadaj, Shuddha Gandhar, Shuddha Madhyam, Pancham, Shuddha Dhaivat, Shuddha Nishad and Shadaj. He stopped dramatically. Then he continued in a whisper, Shadaj, extending it long and soft. Then with a jerk, he crept down, singing Komal Nishad, like the bending branch of a Mango tree! He approached the note and seemed to study it from all angles – literally! He bent this way and that, stood up and looked downwards, fingers still on the harmonium. He looked sideways and then forward. He looked backwards and lowered his voice! He was possessed by the magic of the Nishads, traversing all the millions of ways in which they could be reached”
[1]

An evening time raga, it is the representative Raag of the Thaat by the same name under the Bhatkande system of classification of Hindustani Music

The beauty of the Raag indeed lies in the Komal Nishaad in the descent, which adds a pensive beauty to the Raag. Khamaj is Shadav sampoorna, Re is omitted in the ascent which utilizes a Shuddh Nishaad. A weak Dha in also ascent adds to its beauty. It is also recommended that Pa in its ascent be used less and that brings together the Ma and Dha in a joyous combination.

Vaadi - Ga

Samvaadi - Ni

Aaroh- S G M P D N S

Avroh  -S n D P M G R S

The nuances of the Raag are explained here :

Khamaj is commonly used for lighter forms like ghazals and bhajans as well.

M.S. Subbalakshmi with daughter Radha Vishwananth brings out the beauty of Khamaj in this bhajan

Muraliya ab kahe guman bhari  :

The Ghazal King Mehdi Hassan takes ghazal into the Khamaj zone with his very popular- “mohabbat karne waale kam na honge” in this vintage video

Khamaj Thumris

Thumris are a light semi classical form of Hindustani music, the shorter musical presentations  based on ragas, as compared to the Khayal which is a more elaborate presentation that slowly unfolds. The words usually talk of love and a reference to the Lord Krishna is a common feature. Thumris are commonly sung in Pilu, Bhairavi, Pahadi and of course Khamaj.

This blog talks in detail about one interesting aspect of thumris- how its singing flitted from gender to gender due to changing social norms and audience tastes. 

There’s a treasure trove of Thumris in Khamaj out there and one of the major reasons for the delay in posting this one has been. Choosing which ones to post and which ones to leave out has been the most difficult tasks. I classify them here as sung by male& female singers and you can decide which gender scores.

The ladies, first…

• Balam chedo mat jao, sings MissIndubala in this short clip. Indubala was a renowed artist who also was the official court musician of the King of Mysore

• Siddheshwari Devi- one of the greatest names in light Hindustani singing says Jao balam nahi bolun  

• And Roshnara Begum continues the sentiment with a  Jaotose na bolun

• Begum Akhtar  sings a Dadra

• Iqbal Bano,well known for ghazals, also sang some beautiful thumris like this one– kahe sataye mohe saawariya

• Prabha Atre , the  swarayogini with the very popular Khamaj piece, Kaun gali gayo shyam

• And this one is special because it is not just one but two great performers teaming up for this one Shobha Gurtu and Girija Devi ask- Najuk baiyan kyun marori Shaya

• Young and very talented Kaushiki Chakraborty , keeps the tradition alive for us even in the modern times with this personal favorite- kaahe karat mose

 Here's the YouTube playlist:

The gentlemen are up next :

• Starting with none other than  Bade Ghulam Ali Khan – Paniya bharan kaise jaaon 

• Ustad Faiyaz Khan - balam pardes na jaio, delightful to put it mildly

• Ab jao kadar nahi bolo , sings Ali Baksh Zahoor 

• And the same thumri sung by Bade Amanat Ali Kasuri, which I like even better

• Mehdi Hassan is singing a thumri and not a ghazal- Chanda re jaa re

• Ustad Amir Khan creates magic with Piya Ke Aavan ki na sunat khabariya

• Ajoy Chakraborty ‘s Koyaliya kook sunawe

• Barkat Ali Khan – Dekhe bina bechain

• Salmat Ali Khan of Sham Churasi gharana with son Sharafat Ali Khan sings -Nadiya kinare mora gaon…

And the YouTube playlist of the male singers :

The instrumental version of a Khamaj thumri with Pannalal Ghosh’s bansuri

There’s a long list of Khamaj songs in films. RD Burman for example used it for two songs in Amar prem.

But here is a gem, Bidhir Badhon written and composed by none other than Rabindranath Tagore and sung without any accompanying instruments by Kishore Kumar for Satayajit Ray’s Ghare Bare

And Salil da’s  O Sajna barkha bhaar aayi has been a favorite for as long as I can remember- this Bengali version makes it sound even sweeter…

And finally who would expect to find a beautiful Thumri in a film which is best remembered for its hero singlehandedly uprooting a hand pump with his bare hands

“Look”, he shouted, suddenly turning to us. “Have you seen a more exasperating and cunning Raag? I have spent fifty years trying to master it and still it eludes me! Today I was sure I would finally learn. But it smiles and goes away! It is a whore, whom all can love and enjoy and none possess! It is a gift of the Gods!"[1]

Khamaj, indeed is slippery- whenever I thought I was done writing about it, it would reveal one more beautiful form, another beautiful facet of it. So this post stretched on for a couple of months. And though I am ending this here, I think I will be starting to work on Khamaj-II right away!

___________

[1] Vasudev Murthy, The Tanpura

Jab We Met

Unassuming, unpretentious, down to earth, modest- adjectives that are you are most unlikely to use to describe a celebrity, a singing star. So I was in for a pleasant surprise when I met my most favorite singer backstage at the MTV unplugged concert in Dubai- all thanks to special friends Gopika and Dev

What do you call meeting your most favorite artist and then getting to tell him all that you have ever wanted to? Very good fortune, I guess. For unlike any other fan meeting celebrity here getting an autograph and the mandatory photograph, even though they happened, wasn’t really the highlight of the meeting. It was in fact the opportunity to see the person behind the star, up and close.

A normal person who, like all of us, laments about the lack of time, due to a packed schedule, to do things that he would otherwise do…

A foodie whose eyes light up at the mention of food recommendations and who can have an animated discussion on all kinds of cuisines…

A musician who is passionate about his work and who is excited about presenting his next creation to the world…

An artist who is seeking inspiration and finds it various things … some verse he heard while watching a play, for example

The heir of a musical family who guards and carries forward his legacy with so much pride...

And last but not the least, a man with a great sense of humor who makes you laugh as he recounts funny incidents from his travels.

And then when post the meeting you watch him on stage- he has transformed into this rock star. One who works the audiences and has them swaying from the moment he starts singing. He mingles with the crowds, makes them sings with him, talks to them, makes them laugh. His voice captivates them, charms them… and they fall in love with it.

Are the two the same- the star on the stage and the gentle, soft spoken man behind it? You begin to wonder. And they indeed are! He has got to be one of those special people who are exceptionally blessed. For remaining so grounded and humble despite the super stardom that he has attained wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

Pahadi… the Mountains’ Call

 “Peace, power, pathos, poignancy: these words together constitute an apposite expression of the aesthetics of the raga Pahadi. The raga is like a lover, unruffled in union, serene in separation, powerful enough to achieve eternal union, but resigned to the painful parting ordained by destiny”.

~Haresh Bakshi, 101 Ragas for the 21^st century and beyond

The mountains are a synonym of home for me for I grew up in their midst. The scent of the pines to breathe in, the silhouettes of the peaks on the horizon, just after the sunset, to watch...the fresh, crisp morning air to feel, and the lovely folk music to listen.... I miss all these when I am away from home. No wonder then that almost every time I hear a song that takes me back to the hills, it turns out that it is set in the raga Pahadi- A raga that is said to have been evolved from the folk melody of this region that spans from Nepal, to Kashmir, to Himachal and more..

This unplugged version of Kaaga Ja, a composition based on Pahadi, sung by Shafqat takes my breath away each time I hear it. It was a part of the album called Kyun Dooriyan.

A “light” Raga?

The raga is often found appropriate for and used in semi classical and light music forms like thumri, dadra, ghazals and bhajans. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan in this interview talks of Pahadi and almost writes it off as a raga. He says that he hardly considers it a raga- it is more like a halka phulka raga at the most since unlike the other big ragas like Darbari and Malkauns artists don’t really sing Dhrupad and Khayal in Pahadi.  He also adds that Pahadi and Bhairavi are the very common templates into which most of the world music would fit in

But ironically, it is he, who has sung some of the most beautiful pieces of Pahadi

He demonstrates the universality of Pahadi by singing it in various styles here

And here is are two very famous Pahadi thumris by him and his brother Nazakat Ali

Laagi re manwa pe chot..

Saiyan bina ghar soona..,

Pahadi and the Patiala Gharana

Talking of Pahadi, one of the contemporaries of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and the Patiala Gharana legend, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan has also rendered some very beautiful pahadi pieces.

First and foremost his bhajan- Hari Om Tatsat. Words, which when  translated, mean -God is the supreme, absolute truth

Ab to aao sajana… Pahadi dadra

And this endearing Kashmiri/ pahadi folk song- Mhare Raje de jamadar jee…

Another beautiful rendition of the same song by Bashir Ali Mahee of the Patiala Gharana can be heard here 

The raga belongs to the Bilawal that under the Bhatkande system of classification and is Audav-Sampoorna Raga, with swaras Ma and Ni not being used in the Aaroh, while all seven swaras being used in the Avroh or the descent.

Aroha: S R G P D S'

Avaroha: S' D P G R S.

Here’s a demonstration-

Meant to be sung in the evening and early night hours, Pahadi is usually rendered in the mandra and madhya saptak- the lower and middle octaves. However the restrictions on timing of rendition are no longer strictly followed and it is one of the ragas that can be performed at any time of day/ night

Coming back to Pahadi by the Patiala Gharana, here is the living legend from the gharana, Ustad  Fateh Ali Khan rendering a beauty- More Angna suhag barasan laaga

And then this beautiful Punjabi song in Pahadi- Kidda Sona lagna hai mere dholna, rajj rajj tere naal bolna                                                                                                                               

Pahadi Instrumental & the Folk Connection

Talking of Pahadi in instrumental music the two instruments that transport you instantly to the hills are the Flute and Santoor.

The sounds of flute meander through the ranges, echoing the free spirit that they represent and then raise your spirit to peaks of ecstasy…just like the mountains soar up to the skies.

And what embellishes and further adorns the breathtaking beauty of the hills is the water- free-falling waterfalls along the rocky facades of mountains, or the bubbly, playful, streams bounding along the uneven bouldered paths, or a large placid lake guarded protectively by hills with a gently rippling reflection of the moon on a cold silent night…the sound of the water is the sound of santoor for me.

And when you talk of these two instruments then you can’t but talk about their greatest exponents- Pandits Hariprasad Chaurasia and Shiv Kumar Sharma. Their collaboration on the album -Call of the Valley produced this beautiful and commonly heard Pahadi tune

And the flavor of this tune also can be experienced in a well -known Himachali folk song called Kunjo- Chanchalo. Here’s an instrumental version of the same.

And here’s Ustad Shujat Hussain Khan combining the magic of his sitar with another folk beauty- Lajo, Lajo

Traces of the same can be experienced in this Himachali folk song from Kangra..

Pahadi in Hindi Films

Pahadi based film songs would make a whole new series of blog post because of the sheer number of the songs based on /inspired by this by this beautiful raga

But here I mention a few of my favorites-

This much loved, Naushad composition from the 1945 Anmol ghadi sung superbly by Noorjehan

Lata Manageshkar in this gem from the Film Bazaar ( 1949) with music by ShyamSundar

Music of Pakezaah is a music lover’s delight and the background score by Nasuhad included some divine thumris by artists of great stature Like Shobha Gurtu and Parveen Sultana. A delightful thumri in pahari by Vani Jayram- Mora Saajan Soutan is also a part of these “ Lost thumris of Pakeezah” and you can read about it the listen to it here

Music director Jaidev and lyricist Jaan Nisar Akhtar together captured the essence of Pahadi truly with this absolutely amazing number

Dhadakte hain dil kitni aazadiyon sey, bahut milte julte hain in waadiyon sey

Pahadi goes South

I was surprised to see the pahadi presence in Carnatic music as well…  this  is a Pahadi thillana composed and performed by Lalgudi for his album South meets North with Amjad Ali Khan

And this is a version of the same by the Hyderabad Brothers for their album called Annapoorne

Ghazals in Pahadi

And finally some beautiful use of Pahadi for ghazals- there’s Ghulam Ali’s - dil mein ik lehersi uthi hai,  but this one by Mehdi Hassan with the  mesmerizing words by Bahadur Shah Zafar  has always been an absolute favorite.

Ending where we started- with the album version of Shafqat’s Kaaga Ja as this one song demonstrates  how  Raga Pahadi,very surprisingly, can evoke the feelings of peace and pining together- feelings which you would normally place at two extremes of a mood spectrum.

                                                                           

And some special mentions

1) Ali Bux Zahoor- Laakh jatan kar haari, Pahadi Dadra

2) Bade Amanat Ali Khan Kasuri- Lagay tore nainwa ke baan- Pahadi Thumri

3) Ustad Sadiq Ali Hassan Mando- Pahadi on clarinet

4) Chamba Bhajan - Shiv Kailahon ke waasi- on Pahadi Shehnai

Darbari: The Royal Raaga

“A monumental raga, unmatched in Hindustani raga space for its gravitas, difficult in its swara-lagav, and profound for its emotional impact on the innocent and the illuminati alike.” 

– Rajan Parrikar

Kuch Ajab Khel Kartar ke- sings Shafqat Amanat Ali in this track from his album, Tabeer.  It is, according to him, his own interpretation of the age old Darbari bandish that has been passed on from generation to generation of the Patiala Gharana.

The original bandish is in fact said to have been one of the over 5000 bandishes that were passed on to the Patiala Gharana founders, Ali Baksh and Fateh Ali Khan by the great Ustad Tanras Khan of the Dilli Gharana- the very well known musician in the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal King. He is the one who is said to have polished the Khayal singing of the two cousins to such an extent that they became the most formidable names in the whole of Northern India at that point in time

( Read in more detail about Ali Baksh, Fateh Ali Khan and how the Patiala Gharana came into being in this article

Another very famous bandish in Darbari which is attributed to Ustad Tanras Khan is based on the very famous tarana by Amir Khusro called “Yaar-e Mann beya” - Sung here by Ustads Salamat and Nazakat Ali of the Sham Chaurasi Gharana. 

A popular version by the Mekaal Hassan band of Pakistan

The most stately and distinguished of the Raagas, Darbari is said to have been created by none other than Mian Tansen, the legendary musician at King Akbar’s court. A Raaga performed at late hours of night, belonging to the Asavari thaat of the Bhatkande system of classification, Darbari is considered a difficult Raga to master. It is considered a gambhir Raga.  

The majesty and somber nature of this raga mandates its singing in the mandr saptak or lower octaves and in a slow tempo or the vilambit laya. The swaras Ga, Dha and Ni are komal or flat. In fact it is believed that the Dha and Ga swaras are not just komal but ati komal in Darbari. Another striking feature of the Raga is the use of andolan - the oscillation or swinging of the komal Ga and Dha which adds to its beauty and this is demonstrated in this short clip that demonstrates the aaroh and avroh of the Raga

Raaga Darbari- Aaroh, Avroh

But coming back to the Patiala Gharana and Kuch Ajab Khel , here is the bandish in its classical form being rendered by Ustad Amanat Ali and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan

Some More Darbari by the Patiala Gharana

First a short clip by Ustad Ashiq Ali- the son of Fateh Ali Khan one of the founders of the Patiala Gharana., who was “widely regarded as the ultimate statement of ‘tayyari’and ‘layakari’ by most of the vocalists of the Punjab region.” (read more about him here) http://www.sadarang.com/Ustad%20Ashiq%20Ali%20Khan%20-%20Saqib%20Razaq.htm

Next the very famous- Anokha Ladla, khelan ko maange chaand by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who also happened to be Ustad Ashiq Ali’s disciple

A beautiful ghazal by Ustad Amanat Ali Khan

And this  superb rendition by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan 

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan along with Zahida Parveen in this Darbari composition for a film

And the very popular duo of Asad Amanat Ali and Hamid Ali sing a tarana in Darbari

An interesting anecdote related to the raga is about Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan- the great Sarod maestro and father of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Apparently when he was at Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive his Padma award, the then president, Dr.  Rajendra Prasad asked if there was anything he could do for him.  The only request the latter had was that the President do something to save the Raga Darbari as he felt that people were taking too many liberties while performing it and since it was a precious creation of Tansen, he wanted it to be preserved in its purest forms for generations to come. The President was at a loss of words, recalls Amjad Ali Khan, who had accompanied his father for the function, but promised to look into the matter. A triumphant Hafiz Khan returned home to declare to his wife that the President would now be taking steps to save the great Raga!

NoorJehan, who is fondly remembered as Mallika- e – Tarannum; the Queen of Melody, also owes this title to Darbari it seems. Here in this video she recalls how it was singing the song Bulbulo mat ro yahan, based on Darbari for the film Zeenat in 1944 that earned her the title that stayed with her throughout her life and even after.

Talking of Darbari in Hindi films, there are scores of songs composed in the Raga

One top of the mind song is O duniya ke rakhwaale from Baiju Bawara. And here is the beautiful rendition of the sargam of the Raga by Ustad Amir Khan from the movie

And if there is one artist who has brought out the beauty of this Raaga in various moods in  Bollywood music ever so beautifully through his songs it is Manna Dey

He brings out the beauty of the shringar rasa in this Shankar- Jaikishen composition

Bhakti/ Vairagya in this very beautiful one created by SM Tripathi.. Ud ja bhanvar Manna Dey, which is supposed to be classic demonstration of the -'ati komal andolit gandhar'- a hallmark of Darbari

And surprisingly the raaga known for its serious demeanor used so beautifully for comic / humorous mood in these two songs

Pyaar ki aag mein  by SD burman

Lapak Jhapak from Boot Polish, composer: Shankar- Jaikishen

The Darbari has been beautifully used by AR Rahman for a couple of his projects:

Acid Darbari , 127 hours

Raaga’s dance : This one was composed by ARR for Vanessa Mae’s  album Choreography

Passion from The Last temptation of Christ , composed by Peter Gabriel, has Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan rendering some heartfelt Darbari

And lastly Shafqat’s most recent Bollywood song, Ras ke bhare tore main based on Darbari for the movie Satyagraha, though perhaps not  quite as impactful as the other Darbari that he sung.

Kuch Ajab Khel Ke Katar ke, Shafqat says, is a kind of a complaint or a shiqwa to the Almighty for His ways which are seemingly unfair…  and it is the Raag Darbari that makes sure that this plaintive, disconsolate plea reaches right up to Him in the heavens

The Magnificence of Malkauns

"I rule over the emotions. I cause the deepest and gravest feelings to swirl slowly around you just as the Milky Way with millions of stars moves imperceptibly around a central point."

~ Malkauns -What the Ragas Told Me,Vasudev Murty

'Pyaar nahin hai sur se jisko'- Shafqat recorded this while he was part of Fuzon and this remained unreleased after the band broke up. It’s a favorite because of so many reasons : the words that would touch any music lover; the superb singing, but above all Malkauns!

Malkauns is an Audav (pentatonic) raga of the Bhairavi Thaat under the Bhatkande system of classification of Hindustani classical music. Re and Pa notes are omitted from this Raga. Ga, Dha and Ni are Komal. Its vadi (most prominent swara) is Ma and samvadi ( second most prominent) is Sa.

This video demonstrates its basics-

Performed late in night this ancient Raga is said to have been created to placate enraged Lord Shiva as he performed Tandava- the celestial dance. As Vasudev Murthy mentions about the  Raga- “ Komal Dhaivat gives peace, calm and order to the troubled turbulent mind.”

Considered a serious Raga it’s beauty is more pronounced when performed in vilambit (slow) taal (tempo) and Meend is a technique often used by artists while performing this Raga.

“The movement between notes is slow and gradual, like an elephant bearing me as I survey my Kingdom of lesser Raags. Each note blends into the next without breaking”

Another interesting aspect about the Raga and what makes it a unique one is (mentioned here )  that it is a Raga where all its swaras are nyaasa swaras- nyaasa swaras being the notes on which a phrase or a line of a composition in the Raga can end . And the more the nyaasa swaras in a Raga, the more is the scope for an artist for elaboration. Malkauns thus overcomes the disadvantage of restrictive elaboration space that is usually seen with pentatonic Ragas.

Beyond Boundaries

The talk of Malkauns, in a relatively modern Indian musical context, could never be complete without the mention of this beautiful, landmark song created by Naushad for the movie Baiju Bawra. A prayer to Lord Krishna- Composed by a Muslim, written by a Muslim and sung by a Muslim, a perfect example of music breaking all barriers.

Here Naushad talks about the making of the song and gives all credit to the great raga- Malkauns

Malkauns and the Patiala Gharana

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan sings a beautiful Malkauns composition-  Mandir dekh dare Sudama-

And for those who don’t know the connection between Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Shafqat- it is the same Gharana of course, but also the fact that Shafqat's grandfather, Ustad Akhtar Hussain, who was his first teacher, also happens to be one of the Ustads under whom Bade Ghulam Ali Khan trained. (read about it here)

Malkauns has been extensively sung by the Patiala Gharana members. Here are the doyens, the brother-duo of Ustad Amanat ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan, creating magic with it.

Dhan Dhan wa kaarigar ke jisne ye sab khel racho hai

Another beautiful rendition of the same composition by Asad Amanat Ali and Hamid Ali 

 -  Tu hi , Tero naam .. sab ka palanahaar - Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan

Piya ghar aaye more devo badhayi - AsadAmanat Ali and Hamid Ali

The Malkauns legacy created by Ustad Amanat Ali, yes he was he one composed Pyar nahi hai sur se  jisko, is now being carried on by the younger generations.

• Ustad Fateh Ali Khan's rendition 

• Asad Amanat Ali gives it a delightful twist in the middle and takes it some place else

• A young ,Shafqat performs it in an attire and format that not many have seen him perform in

• Salman and Ali Amjad, Ustad Amanat Ali’s grandsons singing 

The range of genres  for which the raga has been utilized is amazing – from Khayal and Thumri to Ghazals, Bhajans and Fusion

Listen to the beautiful Shehnai of Ustad Bismillah Khan - the tune that we are all so familiar with...

And  here’s another which breaks barriers - Ghulam Ali and Anup Jalota collaborate on a delightful Malkauns composition

A shabad, sounding lovely in Malkauns

Malkauns and Fusion 

So I decide to add this subheading after getting pointed to or reminded of (thank you ) some awesome compositions without which the post would be all but incomplete.

So under this we already had -

This Jazz version  by Shankar Jaikishen from their album "Ragas Jazz Style"

And this one by Charanjit Singh form his album "Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat"

And this, relatively recent, from the very popular CokeStudio Pakistan- the very heady and beautiful Kangna

But you havent heard anything yet if you havent heard this one from an album called Composer's Breath by the one and only Ilayaraja- one that features flute by Hari Prasad Chaurasia

This ethereal, primarily Malkauns/ Hindolam ( Hindolam being Carnatic equivalent of Malkauns) based piece is guaranteed to sweep you off your feet and take you to some place else.

And if you know Shankar Mahadevan only for his Bollywood songs , the ones that he sings or composes, you should know that his real awesomeness lies in his Carnatic renditions. Listen to this one if you want proof.

And last but not the least- this one by who else but Shafqat Amanat Ali. It marks his journey into exploring Fusion as a genre, where he collaborates with  the immensly talented Amir Zaki for a Channel V production. The awesome alaaps are Malkauns based, I am told

Get it in better quality here

"Easy for the beginner and challenging  for the most accomplished artist...," that's how Ramshreya Jha, a distinguished Hindustani Musician and scholar, describes Malkauns; "..as pleasing to the ears of a listener who has just begun to appreciate it, as it is for a music connoisieur" 

And that is why it is the magnificent Malkauns...