Rendezvous with The Ragas : The Allure of Aiman

"One must play with a Raga with a lover's passion. One must learn to love it to pay court to it, like a cavalier, and then alone can a musician tell the story of joy and grief; of laughter and tears.."- Ustad Faiyaz Khan

The magical world of Indian Classical music, where you experience everything with a sense of wonderment when you first enter it, for everything is ethereal, so beautiful… As you spend some more time with the bliss you begin to recognize some patterns, a systematic framework of sorts which gets adorned with the nuances of  the musical genius of a performing artist.

These templates  slowly make themselves visible to even people who are not trained formally in this field … the specific arrangement of musical notes that sets boundaries for performers and which also convert the art of music into a mathematical science that can be analyzed and studied in a systematic manner.

The word Raga is derived from Sanskrit and means color… Colors can be seen and described in words, colors can be given names but, colors are also experienced- they  evoke feelings and affect moods … Similarly the organization of music into Ragas has been done by applying the principles of Math and Physics but their emotional aspect adds a new dimension to the organizational structure of Indian Classical music- the dimension of rasas or moods, which has resulted in Ragas being categorized according to the time of the day and the season of the year and so on

I speak of the Ragas as a novice – an average music listener and lover who has just dipped a toe into waters of the vast ocean that Indian Classical music is... As I go along I hope to begin understanding a little more about these fascinating frameworks that  musicians use to weave their magnificent art..I write and speak from the heart as I begin my Rendezvous with The Ragas

Aiman/ Yaman

Miniature Paiting, Raga Yaman

"...that Raga of languorous waits, the Raga of the philospophers .It is endless, yes endless. If I look outside at the scene created by the setting Sun and the birds that move along slowly from nowhere to nowhere, I can only imagine that God felt too moved to create anything but Yaman.." - Vasudev Murty- 'What the Ragas Told Me'

“ When Aiman plays on the Sarangi, you can’t even move….if you love music even a little bit, that is” – Shafqat  Amanat Ali , on Coke Studio Pakistan

When Shafqat Amanat Ali romanced Aiman, the result was an “Ankhon ke Saagar”- the song that brought him in his own words “into the limelight” A great example of a Raga getting adapted for a popular, contemporary song.

This Raga, also referred to as Yaman, is supposed to be performed in the first quarter of the night, and is often associated with the feeling of peace , tranquility and an inner, spiritual joy. The mood definitely comes across beautifully in this song, which is amongst his most heard and performed songs

The origin and the technical nuances

There are various schools of thoughts about the origin of Aiman.  One of the most popular ones credits Amir Khusro with its creation. It says that Amir Khusro created this Raga along with others like Zilaaf and Sazgari- the latter two are now extinct and no longer performed. However, Khusro himself in his 'Ejaz –e Khusravi 'mentions that he didn’t create the Raga, and it already existed in the Iranian and Indian music. This sounds plausible  because Yaman or Aiman is also considered by many as an innovative blend of the Raga Hindol of Hindustani with the Persian Nairez or Nairiz. 

There are others, however, who believe that the Raga always existed in the Indian classical music as Yamuni, which later became Yaman.

The classification of Hindustani Music that we follow today is the result of extensive work and research of a man called Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkande- he gave us a system that consists of Thaats- families, under which different Ragas are classified. The Thaat represents the parent scale of which the Ragas in that family are a subset.

Yaman or Aiman is a complete or Sampoorna Raga as it utilizes all the seven swars. It falls under the Kalyan Thaat- and is characterized by the use of a teevr (sharp) madhyam. Another very similar raga from the family is the Yaman Kalyan which uses both the teevr and shudh madhyam

This video explains the difference of the teevr and shudh Ma very nicely!

Here’s Ustad Fateh Ali Khan rendering a delightful bandish in Aiman composed  by his grandfather and one of the founders of the Patiala Gharana- Ustad Ali Baksh , also fondly called Jernail . Accompanying him, his nephew- Shafqat’s eldest brother, Amjad Amanat Ali

Aiman in Light Music

Fuzon’s and Shafqat’s engagement with Aiman didn’t end with Aankhon ke Saagar. They did a Neend Na Aaye which too was based on this Raga. But this was before the band broke up and the song was released by Fuzon in their album in the voice of another vocalist. Shafqat’s unreleased version is however available on YouTube

Light music , including ghazals , geet etc.  are often based on or inspired by the Ragas. But unlike the strict mathematical precision of the classical format , this genre often takes liberties in composition and even mixing of Ragas in one song are quite common

And, since the Yaman Kalyan is so similar to and hard to differentiate from Yaman for a listener like me, and also because one modern school of music thinks that the distinction between them  is too little and that they should be considered the same Raga; and mostly because they are so close to my heart, I will be mentioning songs here which may be both  Yaman and Yaman Kalyan based...

So many of my favorite ghazals are in Raga Yaman- Most popular of course is Aaj jaane ki Zid na karo, sung by many including Shafqat.

Then there is Ranjish hi sahi, by Mehdi Hassan .

An absolute, absolute favorite by Noorjehan…'Mujhse pehli si mohabaat mere mehboob na maang' also brings out the beauty of this Raga so well. Faiz is said to have permanently dedicated this ghazal to her after he heard her rendition…

And not too long ago I discovered this one - Yaar ko maine , mujhe yaar ne- beautiful words by Khwaja Haider Ali Aatish composed as well as sung by Ustad Amanat Ali

And this is a clip of Shafqat singing it an interview

Yaman seems to be the mother of all Ragas when it comes to Raga based compositions in Hindi films-There are so many film songs based on this beautiful raga that you can keep counting.

Music director Roshan’s Yaman based  ‘Mann re tu kahe na dheer dhare” by Rafi remains one of my most favorite songs, ever. “Abhi na Jao chor kar” is another one by Rafi where he teams up with Asha – a brilliant romantic number with music by Jaidev. Another Yaman beauty by him is- “Ehsan tera hoga mujh par’ composed by Shankar Jaikishen.

Shafqat recreates the magic of Rafi’s Din Dhal jaaye on the Sony Mix Solos in this video…This time it was S.D. Burman who had brought  Yaman and Rafi together

My father is a die-hard Saigal fan and would play him all the time when I was a kid despite my siblings and I protesting. It was only many years later that I actually begun to enjoy the  singing of this great music legend. His very famous Do naina matware tihare and Diya jala are Yaman based, I believe.

And here Shafqat renders  K.L. Saigal’s Main kya jaanu kya jaadu hai… when asked to sing a song that he heard in his childhood that had had an impact on him, thus affirming his special connection with Aiman…

The list is of film songs based on Yaman simply endless and goes on...

The Devotional Side

The  mood of  Yaman has been beautifully utilized  for devotional or Bhakti compositions as well. Lata’s Sri Ramchandra Kripalu bhaj is a popular one.

I, especially want mention three songs in this genre here ( All, I believe, in Yaman Kalyan)

If you visited my home many years ago chances of these you hearing  these  first two songs in the background would be very high. They were a big favorite with my father and gradually we, the rest of the family, also began to enjoy these.

In the first, Pandit Jasraj sings an ode to the young child Krishna-

Rani tero, Pt Jasraj

The second one  by Kishori Amonkar, is also a prayer dedicated to Lord Krishna, who is called Banke Bihari…

Mharo Pranam, Kishori Amonkar

The third is the result of my engagement with  Sufi music, which began with a love for Sufi poetry and this one has the sublime words of Amir Khusro and the inimitable voice and style of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Munn Kunto Maula, Nusrat FatehAli Khan

So that’s the Raga for you- ancient, versatile, soothing, stirring…it certainly is hard to resist the Allure of Aiman

Some trivia

- Often  the first Raga to be taught to students as it is complete and contains all notes, thus making it ideal for training the voice

- The soothing feeling attributed to the raga is due to use of  Tivra madhyam  interspersed with 6 shudh swaras

-  It is a documented fact that listening to Aiman lowers stress and blood pressure, and also benefits patients of rheumatoid arthritis 

The First...& the Most Special

"The night came…and it brought the star(s) with it..."

Being a Shafqat fan is a joy for me…but the joy had always felt a little incomplete- reason being that I had not seen him perform live. A wish that had grown stronger with two very close missed chances of attending his concerts in the past.

My fascination for live concerts began as a child, years ago. It was when my dad bought our first tape recorder- the latest rage in the market at that point in time. And the first ever tape that he bought was titled “Lata in England” – the recording of the great singing legend in a live concert. It was absolutely amazing to hear the melodious voice speak directly to her audiences, the grand sounds of a live orchestra and the applause of the enchanted listeners- an absolutely different experience from hearing the recorded song on radio.

And over the years I watched many memorable ones- Have been a part of a massive crowd listening to Jagjit Singh on the Ridge at the famous Shimla Summer festival... Have listened and learnt a lot from the college and school concerts with many a bigwigs of Indian classical music as an active member of the SPICMACAY (names like Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Shiv Kumar Sharma and many more)... Have been a part of a small intimate gathering that kept requesting n number of songs and getting happily obliged each time by the great Ghulam Ali  (sat there till the wee hours of morning with no thought of food, water or any other insignificant thing even crossing the mind…)

But this one was really special…as it gave me a sense of totality as far as my admiration for his work is concerned.  Had booked my tickets well in advance and the fact that it was an MTV unplugged concert made me look forward to it even more as I love the concept of the show.

It was surreal to watch him walk up on stage and then after some small talk to break the ice, he started straight away in top gear with Khamaj… and with that I knew this was an evening that I wouldn't forget very easily.

The music flowed through the night…and so did the love …and the humor-Was pleasantly surprised to see the funny bone in him as he made his way around the table- nibbling at a snack from someone’s plate at one, playfully pretending to steal a whiskey bottle from another. He happily obliged people with big hugs and photo ops and even remained smilingly patient with the over enthusiastic ones. He also sang along with a few and gave them memories to cherish forever.

If Khamaj happened, could Aankhon ke Saagar be far behind? Ye Hausla, Kyun main Jagoon followed…interspersed with an impromptu Khaideyan de Naal on the request of a very vocal and persistent fan in the audience and  then Aaj Jaane ki zid na Karo- the anthem of music lovers in both countries, as he put it, happened...  and it was magical as it always is. Darbari from Tabeer was a surprise and Manmaniyan, the new song that he did for MTV unplugged India, was a treat to hear.

He also teamed up with Shilpa Rao, the other star of the evening for a very beautiful Bin Tere. And they both sang together and ended the show on a high with the perennial favorite- Dama dam Mast Qalander. It was such a delight to hear the two great voices, one earthy and mellow- the other powerful and divine, collaborate, improvise, and add a new dimension to the wonderful song, which, he said, wasn't just a song for him but an Ibadat, a prayer.

And I sat there in the audience (mouth agape all the time, I have to admit, sheepishly) taking down mental notes of little things… like his touching his ear to say sorry for slightly faltering at a note (which no one could  have known beside him), his bowing down to touch the floor of the stage each time he climbed back onto it after a round of audience interaction, his open-hearted introduction to, and generous compliments for the musicians accompanying him, his obeisance to  the spiritual master each time he sang the name of Ali in ‘Dum Ali Ali Dum ’

It was heartwarming indeed, to see that even in this day and age where music in live concerts seems to take a backseat to food, booze and cellphones he still manages to preserve some of the adab , the etiquette, of the great tradition of music in the subcontinent. I just wish we, as audiences, would learn to do a bit of the same, for that’s the least we can do to show our reverence for our artists and the art

So that’s that…my first ever Shafqat concert and hopefully not the last. And firsts are always special aren't they...

The first born of the family, the first step of a toddler, your first salary, the first ray of the sun on a brand new day, the first star you spot in the evening sky, the first time you fell in love…So this too was very, very special indeed!

Saagar- The High Tide That Refuses To Ebb

“For East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet…”- wrote Rudyard Kipling in his Ballad of the East and West-maybe because he never got a chance to listen to Fuzon’s  Saagar- the perfect example of the east and west reaching out, and embracing each other .A perfect blend of two styles, the coming together of two very different musical traditions, to create something so unique and magical that it satiated music lovers in a way like never before

“Still listening to this in 2012”- reads a YouTube comment on the song Aankhon ke Sagar from this album; and it was this comment that inspired this post. In this day and age pop albums in the subcontinent are hardly getting produced, and even if they are, they have a very short shelf life and are easily forgotten, for they have to compete with a monster of a song factory called Bollywood.

What is it then that makes Saagar sound so fresh, so endearing till date, a decade after its release? An intriguing question, indeed, and I had to search the answer.

Beautiful compositions, for starters, which combine the delicate nuances of the Hindustani classical with the energy of western sounds and beats… Easy to remember, catchy lyrics, which talk of the universal themes of friendship, love, romance, separation, yearning, pain …

But above all a voice- the voice so pure that it connects its listeners to the emotions of the songs instantly. A voice so strong that it takes over your being and transports you to another world altogether. It feels more than it sings, and brings the music not just to your ears but straight to the heart.

The voice of Shafqat Amanat Ali!

Here I pick my top 5 favorites from the album that I just cannot get over.

1. Khamaj- The Heart Calls Out..

“Beautiful heart-rending song, it almost touches the soul with its bare hands”

- a YouTube comment

If I had to hear one last song before I died, this would be the one! The melancholy, the longing and a kind of resignation, too… For the world, it might be the lament of a lover, for me it is a call to the divine-the desperation of a soul to meet its maker, an appeal to end the long wait before the two reunite! Titled after the beautiful raga that it is based on, this song in my opinion is synonymous with perfection…

2. Aankhon ke Saagar- The Ultimate romance!

“I could elope with his voice” – A Shafqat fan, on twitter

This song is every woman’s dream come true-The impassioned urge of a lover in a voice that sounds like that- what more could one ask for? And lines like-Palkon ko aise, Palkon se chchoo le…Ke jab dil mile, toh manzil mile” are simply to die for!                                                                                                                                                                      

3. Madhbanti – Yearnings of the night!

Another raga based composition, which brings to life the mood of the night. As night falls, and the shadows lengthen, the pain of separation seems to increase manifold

Purwa Chalay Kuch Aisi/Khushbu Teri Ho Jaisie

Sham Dhallay Kuch Aise/Palkain Jhukaye Tu Jaise

The wind blows such/ like your fragrance floats around

The night falls/ as if you slowly lower your gaze

4. Malhaar- Singing in the Rains!

My favorite season, one of my favorite ragas and my favorite for life singer… when they got together, I became hooked forever. I think I’ll be playing this song every monsoon season that I live to see.

5. Akhiyan- The first flush of love

The feeling of falling in love is incomparable- and the excitement, the attraction, the energy that it creates is beautifully captured in this folksy, fast paced number. The passion, the power and the pace makes you want to tap your feet and dance to it even today!

It’s hard to sum up how I feel about this album- but a line borrowed from a music review of the album does some justice to my reaction to it- the first time that I heard it and every time that I hear it…

“Fuzon's vocalist Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, one of Pakistan's most distinguished classical pop vocalists, is at his very best... a formidable achievement, every glorious second of it.”