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Shuchita Rao 03/20/2016 Book Review on
“The Raga-ness of Ragas†Title: The Raga-ness of Ragas Growing up
in India and learning about “ragas†from master musicians, I learned how to
sing several ragas with ease. I never felt the need to explain the concept of a
raga (a key melodic concept in Indian classical music) to anyone. Every
listener was already familiar with it.
After moving to the United States, I found my listeners asking for an
explanation for the term “raga†even before listening to it. “What is a raga?â€
they asked. For decades (if
not centuries), the exercise of defining the term “raga†has challenged
academicians, teachers and practicing musicians alike. The noted Indian musicologist
and author Deepak Raja started out on a journey several years ago with the
mission to explore the subject of what constitutes the essence of ragas (what
the author terms as “raga-nessâ€) and
to articulate it to the best possible extent through the medium of language. His
reflections on this topic have taken the form of a book titled “The Raga-ness of Ragas†published in early
2016. In this beautifully
bound hardcover book, the author Deepak Raja examines the concept of a raga and
its raga-ness from the points of view
of their melodic and aesthetic grammar. The author’s personal observations on
Hindustani music, quoted excerpts from ancient classic treatises as well as contemporary
books on Indian music and the scholarly perspectives of practicing musicians
make the book an interesting read. By
relating funny stories and anecdotes, the author manages to infuse liveliness in
what could otherwise be a dry and theoretical study. The book is
divided into two parts. The first part contains eleven comprehensive essays on
the foundational concept of the raga, and how the essence of a raga can be
established through the proper and effective use of elements such as bandish
(composition), alaap (slow, meditative movement that unfolds the raga), taans
(faster melodic movements performed during the rendition of the raga) as well
as special techniques used by vocalists and instrumentalists. In his capacity
as a repertoire analyst for India Archive Music Ltd based in New York, the
author analyzed over one hundred ragas performed by 50 prominent musicians. A
survey of 49 of these 100 ragas are presented in the second part of the book. A brilliant
foreword by the eminent Hindustani vocalist and composer, Dr. Ashwini Bhide
Deshpande, a succinct introductory chapter by Lyle Wachovsky of New York based
India Archive Music Ltd, an illuminating guest essay on the concept of “Rasa
and Western System of Keys†by Alessandro Dozio, a detailed glossary of terms
and explanatory notes as well as a comprehensive bibliography are great
additions to the book. The opening
chapter of the first part of the book introduces the concept of a raga as a
specialist vehicle in communicating emotional ideas. In the remaining ten
chapters of Part I of the book, the fact that the raga takes on a new shape
each time it is performed, the examination of the socio-economic context in
which music practice evolved up until the 19th century, the
consideration of ragas in terms of chemical metaphors such as allotropes,
compounds and emulsions, a discussion about suitable performance times for
ragas unique to the Hindustani system of music, the evaluation of the theory of
Rasa in Hindustani music and the exploration of the concept of raga-ness manifested in the melodic
elements of bandish, alaap and taans are discussed at length. The second
part of the book is an analysis of 49 ragas in terms of attributes such as melodic
ascents, descents, parent family, musical notes of importance and the critical skeletal
phraseology that establishes the center of melodic gravity for each of the
ragas. The author looks at the evolution
of these ragas from a historical perspective and quotes the opinions of several
well known scholars such as Bhatkhande, Manikbuwa Thakurdas, Peter Manuel, vocalists
such as Faiyyaz Ahmed Khan and instrumentalists such as sitarist Ustad Vilayat
Khan. “I feel that
raga-tattva or raga-ness of ragas is the most important facet of our musical culture
requiring comprehension and preservation†said Deepak Raja to this book
reviewer. Deepak Raja has authored two other books on Hindustani music titled
“Khayal Vocalism†and “Hindustani Music
Todayâ€. His blog on ragas http://www.swaratala.blogspot.com commands a dedicated
following from Hindustani classical music lovers. Deepak
Raja’s fine analytical and writing skills as well as the application of his
knowledge from a wide variety of disciplines such as art, history, culture,
linguistics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics and psychology to the
study of Hindustani music are praise-worthy. His reputation for serious
research in Hindustani music, critical thinking skills, sound analytical
approach and brilliant articulation shine through this book. “The Raga-ness of Ragas†is one of the most
enjoyable books on raga music that I have read in the recent times. You may also access this article through our web-site http://www.lokvani.com/ |
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