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THE MUSIC

RAGA PARAMESHWARI

I was going to Chengail, a village near Calcutta, in a morning of March, 1968, where were were shooting a film which has a tentative title “That, Which Colors The Mind Is a Raga” and will soon be released in the United States. While riding in the car, I conceived the nucleus of a melodic form which I later developed and called it Raga Kameshwari. 

There is a Carnatic Raga known as Saraswati which uses the same notes but the Komal NI (flattened seventh) is not used in Arohana in Saraswati. Apart from this difference, Kameshwari has many of its own distinguished features. By using the old Muchhana (scale-wise progression) and Swarabheda (getting different Ragas by changing Sa or the tonic in a Raga) system. I discovered three more Raga forms Gangeshwari (Morning), Rangeshwari (Evening) and Parameshwari (Morning).

Artists:

Ravi Shankar (Sitar), Alla Rakha (Tabla)

Tracks:

SIDE ONE: Alap and Vilambit (slow) Jod

SIDE TWO: Madh and Drut (medium and fast) Jod and slow Gat in Tala Dhamar (5,5,4 = 14). The whole Alap, Jod and the Gat are played with the dignity and grace of the Beenkar gharana that is seldom heard nowadays. The Hori Dhamar is associated with the age-old color festival that is celebrated in the Spring and merrymaking and dancing of Lord Krishna, along with the Gopinis (milk maids). Instead of the drum Pakhwaj which usually accompanies the Dhrupad-Dhamar, Alla Rakha plays the Tabla tuned to a low pitch (ma) in the manner of a Pakhwaj.