In Hindustani Classical music, there is an elite group of Ragas which get picked routinely for the more austere and certainly more complex forms of singing like Dhrupad, Dhamaar or Khayaal. Clearly dhrupad or khayaal is not for everyone. It is for the discerning listeners and accomplished artistes. Then there are several ragas relegated to the Kshudra Prakriti (trans: Lighter Nature) which is usually far more intertwined in the folk traditions of singing. These ragas are used more frequently while singing Thumri or its lighter form Daadra – both of which are romantic compositions. The seasonal song forms of Chaiti, Hori, Sawani are from UP, Kajri (songs of longing sung during monsoon). The form called Tappa is usually from Punjab, while Tarana is usually sung at the end of a concert, Geet and Bhajans are purely devotional.
Mahatma Gandhi made the devotional song Vaishnava Janato based on Raga Khamaj, almost synonymous with his own name. This bhajan gets a modern interpretation from Pandit Jasraj, Shankar Mahadevan and Jaspinder Narula in this video.https://youtu.be/ByRIJVoCT5URaga Khamaj is a late evening raga and is brought out rather elegantly in the light classical form of thumri. It has been a popular choice for film music as well. The romantic nature of the raga is brought out by this delightful composition of Salil Chowdhury O Sajna Barkha Bahar Aayi. This song is supposed to have been set to the swishing of the wipers of an Ambassador car when the composer was caught in a torrential downpour. The original version done in Bengali called Na Jeona was also sung by Lata Mangeshkar.https://youtu.be/i2pTEayExSQ She is said to have chosen this song when asked what is the ONE song she will take with her to a desert island. I suppose that question was asked before the age of the iPod. Shubha Mudgal sings a soul stirring version of Raga Khamaj in her song Babul Jiya Mora Ghabraaye. In the song the little girl tells her father not to marry her off to riches but instead to a blacksmith. He is the one who can melt my chains, she implores.https://youtu.be/2JhLzyuSsK4The composer RD Burman had used Raga Khamaj in the film Buddha Mil Gaya for the song Aayo Kahan Se Ghanshyam. He used Khamaj twice in the same film to compose two brilliant songs for the film Amar Prem. One of which was Bada Natkhat Hai Re and the other was the song immortalised by Kishore Kumar – Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge. While all the songs of the film are timeless classics, I am sharing with you Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge in Raga Khamaj.https://youtu.be/AlubAvt_CawOne last flavor of Raga Khamaj lies in this piece from the film Kaala Paani made in 1958 starring Dev Anand and Madhubala. The film was based on AJ Cronin’s Beyond This Place. Sung by Asha Bhosle to the tune of SD Burman, this is a song that brings in an element of flirtation and mischief all within the light treatment afford by a Kshudra Prakriti raga :)!! Couldn’t help that jibe. The song is Nazar Laagi Raja Torey Bangley Par.https://youtu.be/6DxCg8bCvA8Now to give you a flavor of the classical form, Pandit Ravi Shankar & his daughter Anoushka Shankar performed Raga Khamaj as part of India & Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. The live performance was for the BBC at The Symphony Hall, Birmingham.https://youtu.be/9xB_X9BOAOUFinally, here is Ustad Faiyaz singing a thumri in Raga Khamajhttps://youtu.be/YnCLi92FqEsOther Songs Based On Raga KhamajAa dilse dil mila le – Navrang (1959) Music by C Ramchandra, singer Asha BhosleAb kya misal doon– Aarti (1962) Music by Roshan, singer Mohd RafiAyo kahanse ghanashyam – Buddha Mil Gaya (1971) Music RD Burman, Singer Manna DeyBada natkhat hai…ka kare yashoda maiya – Lata – Amar Prem (1971) RD BurmanBata do sakhi kaun gali gayo shyam – Music by Naushad AliBidhir bandhon kaatbe tum – Film Ghare Baire (Satyajit Ray), Lyrics and Music by Tagore, singer Kishore KumarChunariya katati jaye – Mother India(1957) Music: Naushad, Singer Manna DeyDhal chuki shaam e gam – Kohinoor (1960), Music Naushad Singer Mohd RafiHum Apna Unhe Bana Na Sake – Bhanwara (1944) Music by Khemchand Prakash singer KL SaigalKhat likha de savariyake nam babu– Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966), Music Laxmikant Pyarelal, Singer Asha BhosleMere to giridharagopala– Meera, Music Pt Ravi Shankar, Singer Vani JayaramSakhi Re Suun Bole Papiha – Miss Mary (1957) Music: Hemant Kumar, Singer Lata Mangeshkar and Asha BhosleSham Dhale Jamna Kinare – Pushpanjali (197o) Music by Laxmikan Pyarelal, Singer Lata Mangeshkar, Manna DeyTere bina sajnya lage na jiya hamar – Aarti (1962), Music by RoshanWoh na aayenge palatkar – Devdaas (1957), Music SD Burman, Singer Mubarak Begum
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