Musicians Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, Rakesh Chaurasia discuss raga Malhar
Famous Indian classical musicians talk to us about their love for the raga of the monsoon - Raga Malhar and how it continues to stay relevant.
Rakesh Chaurasia
I think every classical and semi-classical musician loves raga Malhar because it’s only played during the rainy season. I find it quite romantic and the notes of the raga have been set for ages. Legend has it that if it’s played with emotion, you can bring the rain to the city. Ragas are typically played during different times of the day, but raga Malhar can be played anytime during the rainy season. I particularly enjoy Megh Malhar and Miyan Ki Malhar. There’s also one called Madhu Malhar, composed by my guru, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (flautist), which I play often. Some songs on raga Malhar that I really like are Rimjhim Gire Sawan (Manzil; 1979) and Ghanan Ghanan (Lagaan; 2001).
Ayaan Ali Bangash
It’s so wonderful to have such a wide range of the Malhar ragas celebrating the monsoon. I play Malhar-based ragas at my concerts throughout the year. Bollywood has used a lot of songs based on Gaud Malhar or Miyan Ki Malhar. As far as the relevance of Malhar-based ragas today is concerned, with the changing times and with the kind of content that is available today, there’s so much to hear, absorb and listen. So despite changing trends, the traditional will always remain.
Shujaat Husain Khan
Raga Malhar has a wide range of thought, as there are different kinds of Malhars -- Sur Malhar, Gaud Malhar and Neha Malhar, each with its unique characteristics. I enjoy all of them, but find Gaud Malhar the most attractive. When I’m playing one raga, I focus on that and don't really play a lot of attention to what I am supposed to play. I enjoy them all.
Amaan Ali Bangash
Every raga is classified into a male and female version, and Malhar is a calm and soothing one, often associated with the moon and the feminine. It evokes feelings of calm, peace and rainfall. So, it’s a very important raga. I have a special fondness for my father, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s compositions in raga Malhar, so I perform them at many shows. Raga Malhar continues to be relevant despite the changing trends in music. Today, it’s not just about attracting an audience, but also about respecting them and your music. There are many youngsters who are doing a great job of learning the real ragas and then performing them.
Purbayan Chatterjee
Malhar is a melting pot of ragas and rasas (artistic emotion) -- it combines shringar, viraha and veer rasa in one intense potpourri of flavours and colours. The raga Miyan Ki Malhar is more about veer rasa, which is about the pain of separation and awe at thunder, with Nature acting as a cleansing force. It is also playful and there is an interplay of different emotions. I love it when I get the opportunity of bringing all these elements together. I really enjoy bandishes such as Barsan Laagi Re Badariyaa sung by late Ustad Amir Khan sahab and Shobha Gurtu ji’s Sawan Ki Ritu Aayi Re Sajaniya, which looks at the shringar ras of raga Malhar.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
There are several Malhars created by great legendary musicians, including Nayak Charju and Nayak Ramdas. However, the creation of Miya Tansen, raga Miya Ki Malhar, has an absolute magical imagination, with a magical effect on musicians. Generally, we don’t perform Malhar ragas until audiences request for them. I really enjoy the song Garjat Barsat Sawan Aayo Re (Barsaat Ki Raat; 1960), which is based on Gaud Malhar. Whenever I get a chance to play Malhar, I perform Miyan Ki Malhar.
Kaushiki Chakraborty
The entire raga Malhar space beautifully expresses the emotions of all shades of the monsoon, including the rains, the dark and dense clouds, the process of cloud formation, the rumbling, the thunder, the storm, the stillness of the sky, etc. A profound silence is also expressed in raga Malhar. Ragas Ramdasi Malhar and Surdasi Malhar express different shades of monsoon. We don’t get to sing raga Malhar as much, because live concerts during the rains are far and few, hence I was quite excited about performing it at the Malhar & The Sea festival in Goa over the weekend. There are many beautiful songs and bandishes in Malhar that I enjoy, including Megh Miyan Malhar and Meerabai Ki Malhar.