Desh - Sorath - Tilak Kamod

Desh - Sorath - Tilak Kamod





 
In a previous post, I mused that Malhar seems to bring out the monsoon
season so swiftly. No wonder that Raaga was named such; no otherwould
have done justice to the rains.

The naming of Raagas must have been done by some very gifted and
blessed individuals. Take a look at Raaga Desh. Does the fact that the
word translates to 'country' or 'land' give the scale a patriotic tinge or
is it the other way around - that such a scale could only have been
named Desh?

Some thought leads me to believe that the extended Shuddha Nishadh
gives this Raaga a distinctive Patriotic flavour.


Here is an introduction to Desh - Shubra Guha.

The term 'pakad' (which Shubra speaks of briefly) refers to a
distinctive signature that every Raaga possesses. The awesome
Paluskar has a fantastic set of small pieces which present the
essence of each Raaga within a few seconds of beginning.

Here are more examples, each showing the power of music to
invoke (sometimes irrational) emotions in us. The Nine Rasas
(or emotions /feelings) are captured exquisitely in our music,
though of course, we would want to avoid music that invokes
fear and loathing in us (though it is possible; please visit me in
Bangalore and I shall play the violin for you. Fear will strike your
heart, he he).

  
Example - the late Pandit V G Jog
Example - Rashid Khan
Example - Girija Devi
Example - the late Roshanara Begum
Example - Munir Khan
Example - Amjad Ali Khan
Example - Hari Prasad Chaurasia
Example - Shamim Ahmad Khan
A Carnatic Example - Devotional.
Saxophone by Kadri Gopinath

Desh is not to be confused with Deshkar, which is a pentatonic
Raaga similar to Bhupali but with a devotional tinge. It should
also not be confused with Desi. Another fantastic example of
Desi is of Nikhil Banerjee.

The span of Desh works well across all octaves, unlike Malhar
or Darbari which sound more effective in the lower octaves.

Desh and Malhar blend beautifully to give us Desh Malhar; the
technicalities can be skipped. I was not able to find a sample.

Moving along, we find Sorath, a more delicate and timeless
version of Desh. Sorath is employed in Sikh Shabads to excellent
effect. Desh is more popular because it gives a  more room to
manoeuver. I am not in complete agreement with the version
sung here, but Shruti Sadolikar obviously knows best.

I am quite taken by this piece by Bundu Khan.

From http://searchgurbani.com/raags/raag_sorathi.php I find
this description

This raga is sung at the third part of the night i.e., from 12 a.m.
to 3 a.m. The season of its recitation is winter (sharad) i.e.,
during October and November. In Guru Granth Sahib it has hymns
from pages 595 - 659 (64 pages).

Here is a Sikh Shabad in Sorath.

Another nice example.

Here is something I wrote about Sorath in my worst-selling book.

"How beautiful the focused, calm mind is. No thought dares disturb
the mind that has found peace through singing me. The eternal
truths are twined within every phrase you make and create within
me and they do not see the need to hide or be elusive. Why be
reborn?  You can commit no evil when you sing me. Your sins melt
and drip away as you go past Nishad and into the next octave,
exploring, exploring, asking the same questions over and over and
waiting to listen to the answers again and again because they are
so clear. Your mind will dive deeper and deeper into the depths of
your soul, finding more and more and yet returning effortlessly to
the present, understanding that the restlessness of the outer world
is an illusion that has to be endured till your soul is ready to move
on from its temporary home. Your body does not seek your attention
anymore. Your mind becomes the incense for the outside world.
After singing me, listen to silence and see that there was no
difference after all."

Tilak Kamod is a great favourite of mine. This lovely Raaga is ideal
for putting babies to sleep and I remember composing a few tunes
in this Raaga when my son was small. He did not sleep too well,
unfortunately, hehe.

Tilak Kamod is quite close to Desh but has interesting variations. The
duo Pa->Sa is a signal. Re-Ma(extended)- Ga is the lullaby touch. And
so is Sa->Ni

Here are some examples


  
Shubra Guha again.
Ashwini Bhide - a nice fast piece in Ek Taal.
Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan in a rare taal, Chachar.
Shobha Gurtu - a wonderful Thumri
Bhimsen Joshi
Rais Khan shines, as always.
The late great Pannalal Ghosh - may I die please, asap?
Vishwa Mohan Bhat - a Lori (lullaby).
A wonderful example by Ustad Bismillah Khan.





Here are some words I wrote on Tilak Kamod a long time ago.

The moon sighs with delight as the rays of its light gently
fall upon the face of your child. The glowing innocence on its
face is a challenge to its own beauty, and the moon smiles. It
seems as if the whispering cadence of the notes of this comforting
Raaga will never end as long as the child sleeps, with dreams
filled with flowers, colours and the ever-present love of its
parent.

Subtle differences make for unfathomable joy. The reader who has
not had the fortune of learning formally should not feel intimidated.
Plenty of listening is just as good. Do not let regrets bog you down.
Let music fill your home, car, thoughts and heart.

Cordially

VM


WARNING:
Do not be misled. I know nothing about music and cannot accept
liability for decisions or conclusions reached because you were
tricked by this article. Listen at your own risk.