The iconic Raag Darbari Kanada

Said to be perfected by Tansen, this 'massive' raag is a musician's delight appealing to both novice listeners and experienced patrons alike.

Quoting Josh Mahilabadi, Ustad Amir Khan Saab says -

“The flower bud said lucky is the one who smiles at least once in this world. At least I have the privilege to smile in this world, which is more than what most of my listeners can afford”.

I feel the same privilege for being able to comprehend, hear, and perform Darbari Kanada in my lifetime. The raag has been stuck in my head for the last 30 years, and I was fortunate to learn it from my first guru. Surprisingly, he first taught me a Vilambit bandish set to Tulsidas’ words - “Aur Nahi Kachu kaam” (और नहीं कछु कामके). I’ve seen it performed for as little as 10 minutes and 80 minutes.

Miya Tansen is credited with giving the raag its current form and is said to have practiced this in the ‘Darbar’ of Akbar, hence the moniker. Etymologically, Kaanada could be an evolution of “Karnat”; in Sanskrit KarNa means “listen to” so it tracks that the name of the raag literally translates to “listened to in the darbaar”.

Portrait of Tansen from 1585-90. On display at the National Museum, Delhi.

One of the first songs I remember listening to in Darbari was the iconic film song featuring a visibly drunk Raajkumar ambling about and crooning “Jhanak Jhanak tori baaje”.

Another melody from my childhood days was the aalap from the movie Baiju Bawra. My parents owned an audio cassette of the soundtrack. In the movie, Baiju, hell-bent on revenge against Tansen, enters the royal palace, sword in hand, and is within striking distance of his mark before the music compels him to stop. Such is the gravitas of this raag and potentially Tansen’s rendition of it. The song was sung by the Ustad Amir Khan Saab whose unique gayaki prompted the creation of the Indore Gharana.

I’ll end this post with Pt Bhimsen Joshi’s rendition of the bandish I mentioned earlier. It’s a spirited performance from his younger days, and the pacing is itself a masterclass in Darbari. The slow composition meanders through the different pathways Darbari opens up for exploration, starting slowly and then speeding up, demonstrating its malleability at higher speeds.

I hope you enjoyed reading about and listening to this Raag. Wish you a very happy holiday season.