Prescribed for the evening, this raag is a many-splendoured thing

Yaman, a raag prescribed for the evening, is often chosen as one of the first raags to be taught to students of Hindustani music. This has not only been the case across most gharanas, both vocal and instrumental, but also in private music classes and established music schools. The reasons for this choice could be many and worth a separate study.

There are several interpretations to the history of this raag, and perhaps there is some truth in each of these. Some believe that the older name of the raag was Kalyan and call it so even today. Others feel that it was the result of a Persian influence on Indian music.

Yaman Kalyan is believed to be a variant of this raag, as it uses both varieties of madhyam, the fourth swar or note, instead of the exclusive use of teevra madhyam or sharp fourth that is normally used in Yaman. However, some musicians believe that there is no real difference between Yaman and Yaman Kalyan, and that the use of one or two madhyams depends upon the existence of one or both in the composition.

But above all, it is important to note that Yaman has been used in several forms of art music, in religious music, in films, and in many other areas of music making. Evidently, the raag lends itself to widespread use, because of its many-splendoured characteristics.

Over the next few weeks, this column will include interpretations of this raag recorded by vocalists and instrumentalists across gharanas.

Gwalior tradition

This week, we feature two vocalists from the Gwalior gharana, considered to be the fountainhead of the khayal styles. Here is a track featuring Krishnarao Pandit, the doyen of the Gwalior gharana, at the age of 77. He sings two compositions in the raag Yaman Kalyan. The first composition is set to Ektaal, a cycle of 12 matras or time units. The vilambit laya or slow speed would seem relatively faster than that chosen by most vocalists today, but this was in fact the tempo at which vilambit compositions were sung several decades ago. This was particularly so in the Gwalior tradition. The second composition is a tarana, a form that uses syllables like tana, tadeem, dir dir, among others, in place of conventional song-text. This tarana is set to drut or fast Teentaal, a cycle of 16 matras.

Listeners are acquainted with the grand expanse of Yaman Kalyan within a few minutes of the recording, as true to the Gwalior tradition, Krishnarao Shankar Pandit does not elaborate in a gradual note-by-note progression. Instead, he employs gamak (rapid oscillation around a swar), long meends (glides that connect swars), among other ornamentations, and uses the words of the song-text, to explore the raag through the mandra and madhya (lower and middle) octaves before reaching up to the upper shadja or tonic. The shuddha madhyam or natural fourth shows itself only occasionally.

Krishnarao Shankar Pandit is accompanied by Rajendra Prasad on tabla and by Keshavrao Surange on violin. Vocal support is provided by his sons Narayanrao and Chandrakant Pandit.

DV Paluskar, an important representative of another branch of the Gwalior gharana, sings Yaman Kalyan on this track with a prominent shuddha madhyam as suggested by the melodic contours of the vilambit khayal in Ektaal. The vistaar or elaboration takes place at an unhurried pace using a broad "aakaar" (with the vowel "aa") that alternates at times with the words of the song-text. Paluskar’s sweet and malleable voice arrests the attention of the listener through the recording. Later, he alternates various taan patterns or swift melodic passages with bol baant or rhythmic interplay between song-text and the taal cycle.

The second composition is set to drut Teentaal. Paluskar sings a series of taans that traverse the entire gamut and reach out to upper octave.

Unfortunately, the names of the accompanying artists are not mentioned, but listeners will enjoy the manner in which they constantly reciprocate Paluskar’s musical ideas.