Bilawal is one of the most delightful morning ragas. It is sung right after sunrise. The Persian meaning of the word refers to the general of an army, another pointer to the Indo Persian character of Hindustani music. One may also trace the roots of the word Bilawal to the Bilva Patra’ or the leaf of the ‘bel’ tree, which is considered useful at the time of prayers and pooja.
There are different prakars or types of a Bilawal raga. The most popular one is the Alhaiyya Bilawal. It has all the seven natural notes and a flat n is used in the descent, which lends it an added colour. This morning concert by Kedar Bodas will also cover other Bilawal types such as Yamani, Devgiri, Hindol and Gaud.
Kedar Bodas is an exceptional musician. He looks like a monk and sings in a voice that is akin to that of a temple priest or a Kirtankar. He first trained under his grandfather Laxmanrao Bodas and his father Narayanrao Bodas, later learning from Ashok Ranade, which gave his music a serious orientation. Bodas also trained under Tribakrao Janorikar of the Bhendi Bazar gharana and mastered several uncommon ragas. They will stand him in good stead as he gives this concert. He will be accompanied on the tabla by Dattatray Bhave and on the sarangi by Sangeet Mishra.
E-Paper
