A quick intro to Raag Brindavani Saarang
A quick intro to Raag Brindavani Saarang
Believed to be an incarnation of "Krishna", this raag is King of Saarang family of ragas. It's subsequently a popular template for Krishna bhajans, romantic songs and songs of devotion.
Around the popular figure gathers many a legend that obscures history, if any … and what is History but legend agreed upon?
Krishna is a mystical figure in Indian literature. One that has inspired several books, compositions, and movies. He’s depicted as a polyglot who embodies playfulness, and charm, as well as values such as courage and wisdom. The same wisdom he imparts as chief counsel to Arjuna, compiled as the Bhagavad Gita.
“His life shows that polarities can be transcended and brought into harmony under a larger cosmic order. He literally and symbolically represents the potential for divine realization within all individuals.
Now imagine a raag that’s the musical synthesis of seeing Krsna in person, allegedly created by Swami Haridas, Tansen’s teacher and someone who’s shown up on here earlier too, but I’m more inclined to believe it’s origins lie in folks music. Some Rajasthani & Gujarati folks music that I’ve listened to contain a strong double Nishad combination, however they do play fast-and-lose with how it’s used.
It’s meant to be a late-afternoon raag, with the Re (dominant) being the wadi or most prominent resting place for composers. Re also stands rock steady serving as the jumping-off point for an upburst of Re Ma Pa Ni (shuddh) or to go lower to Re ‘Sa ‘Ni(komal) ‘Pa. The raag sounds similar to the Malhar constellation of raags owing to the double Nishads. Saarang envelopes multiple thaats since the different variants include changing Ga, Re’s and Nis.
Coincidentally, the 3rd song I learned from my first teacher was in Brindavani, a composition that I’ve not heard others sing in recent times. I’ll share 3 of my favorite songs in Brindavani Saarang, but there’s more that I’ll write about them in a future post. Let’s first begin with Lata’s absolutely insane rendition of - Aaaja Bhavar Sooni Dagar from Rani Rupamati. She effortlessly hits the upper Sa and sings some bullet speed thaans to add to the mix. The music in this movie is absolute gold.
Next, let’s hear out Pt Basavaraj Rajguru’s rendition of Sagari Umariya Mori, a composition of Ustad Fayyaz Khan (prempriya).
For those who really want a deep dive into Brindavani Saarang, Pt Bhimsen Joshi’s rendition of the Dhurpad composition - Tum Rab Tum Saheba is the starting place. This concert recording is from 1964, so it’s Panditji in his younger days starting in a meditative state and then going on to sing quadruple speed drut thaans, a true masterclass of a performance. It’s a meditation.
We’ll come back to Brindavani soon, but that’s all for now.
Well, we got back to Brindavani Saarang here. Check out this exclusive playlist featuring 24 performances of the raag. Definitely must listen. Click the image below or find the playlist here.
