Take a fistful of ancient folk melodies of Carnatic music and have the KCP4 make a beginning. Now have the musicians of Renga/ London Philharmonic Orchestra play Jazz. What you hear is a delightful blend of Carnatic Jazz which sounds really magical. KCP4 stands for Karnataka College of Percussion that was started by TAS Mani in ‘64. The 4 stands for the quartet comprising Ramamani (vocals), Ramesh Shotham (percussion) and TAS Mani on mridangam and Mike Herting on the piano. You can see all of them (except Mike Herting) in the front row of this photo.

The concert began with the piece called “Arun”. Ramamani’s powerful vocals make you imagine the look of the sky at the break of dawn. The piano follows her notes almost like a sarangi does in Hindustani Classical. The mridangam and percussion pick up the notes and soon catch up to create a foot stomping piece. The Philharmonic joins in to create a unique sound that is at once immensely melodious and foot-tapping.

Hear this introductory video and you can get a flavor of how the concert started.

Ramamani had composed most of the pieces that were performed that evening. Most of them follow two different rhythmic cycles allowing for effortless blending of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Well, actually this ensemble from LPO is called Renga.
It is a group of performers and composers from outside the classical music stream. Their sound has African Jazz, traditional Jazz and folk sounds all of which are played on the violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, bassoon, trumpet and horn. The evening belonged to Ramamani who delighted us with her complete control over the notes as well as the skilled Konnakkol renditions. Konnakkol is the vocalisation of the Indian percussion’s rhythmic language.

I believe they have an album called Many Ways. The title track was the third song they performed that evening. Note to myself: Locate that album quick.

If there was one musician in KCP4 who really plays oblivious of the crowd, it was the pianist Mike Herting. He listens to the opening vocals and then peers close to the keys of the piano as if just the way the diamond merchant would look to see that no precious stone from his collection would be missed. He mumbles to himself, he hums the note that he is playing and then with each improvisation, experiences the bliss that comes from playing good music. By the time the song is over, his hair is dishevelled, his specs are foggy and he looks more like a scientist emerging from his lab. But oh what talent… he was just incredible.

Can’t wait to hear them again.

In Hindustani Classical music, there is an elite group of Ragas which get picked routinely for the more austere and certainly more complex forms of singing like Dhrupad, Dhamaar or Khayaal. Clearly dhrupad or khayaal is not for everyone. It is for the discerning listeners and accomplished artistes. Then there are several ragas relegated to the Kshudra Prakriti (trans: Lighter Nature) which is usually far more intertwined in the folk traditions of singing. These ragas are used more frequently while singing  Thumri or its lighter form Daadra - both of which are romantic compositions. The seasonal song forms of Chaiti, Hori, Sawani are from UP, Kajri (songs of longing sung during monsoon). The form called Tappa is usually from Punjab, while Tarana is usually sung at the end of a concert, Geet and Bhajans are purely devotional.

Mahatma Gandhi made the devotional song Vaishnava Janato based on Raga Khamaj, almost synonymous with his own name. This bhajan gets a modern interpretation from Pandit Jasraj, Shankar Mahadevan and Jaspinder Narula in this video.

Raga Khamaj is a late evening raga and is brought out rather elegantly in the light classical form of thumri. It has been a popular choice for film music as well. The romantic nature of the raga is brought out by this delightful composition of Salil Chowdhury O Sajna Barkha Bahar Aayi. This song is supposed to have been set to the swishing of the wipers of an Ambassador car when the composer was caught in a torrential downpour. The original version done in Bengali called Na Jeona was also sung by Lata Mangeshkar. She is said to have chosen this song when asked what is the ONE song she will take with her to a desert island. I suppose that question was asked before the age of the iPod.

Shubha Mudgal sings a soul stirring version of Raga Khamaj in her song Babul Jiya Mora Ghabraaye. In the song the little girl tells her father not to marry her off to riches but instead to a blacksmith. He is the one who can melt my chains, she implores.

The composer RD Burman had used Raga Khamaj in the film Buddha Mil Gaya for the song Aayo Kahan Se Ghanshyam. He used Khamaj twice in the same film to compose two brilliant songs for the film Amar Prem. One of which was Bada Natkhat Hai Re and the other was the song immortalised by Kishore Kumar – Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge. While all the songs of the film are timeless classics, I am sharing with you Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge in Raga Khamaj.

One last flavor of Raga Khamaj lies in this piece from the film Kaala Paani made in 1958 starring Dev Anand and Madhubala. The film was based on AJ Cronin’s Beyond This Place. Sung by Asha Bhosle to the tune of SD Burman, this is a song that brings in an element of flirtation and mischief all within the light treatment afford by a Kshudra Prakriti raga !! Couldn’t help that jibe. The song is Nazar Laagi Raja Torey Bangley Par.

Now to give you a flavor of the classical form, Kaushiki Chakraborty, daughter of the classical singer Ajoy Chakraborty sings Raga Khamaj in drut teentaal (16 beats, allegro)

Finally, here is a Ustad Abdul Karim Khan singing Khamaj in a recording that is supposed to have been done in 1906 – more than a 100 years old ! Click to hear

Other Songs Based On Raga Khamaj

Aa dilse dil mila le – Navrang (1959) Music by C Ramchandra, singer Asha Bhosle

Ab kya misal doon - Aarti (1962) Music by Roshan, singer Mohd Rafi

Ayo kahanse ghanashyam - Buddha Mil Gaya (1971) Music RD Burman, Singer Manna Dey

Bada natkhat hai…ka kare yashoda maiya – Lata – Amar Prem (1971) RD Burman

Bata do sakhi kaun gali gayo shyam – Music by Naushad Ali

Bidhir bandhon kaatbe tum – Film Ghare Baire (Satyajit Ray), Lyrics and Music by Tagore, singer Kishore Kumar 

Chunariya katati jaye – Mother India (1957) Music: Naushad, Singer Manna Dey

Dhal chuki shaam e gam - Kohinoor (1960), Music Naushad Singer Mohd Rafi

Hum Apna Unhe Bana Na Sake – Bhanwara (1944) Music by Khemchand Prakash singer  KL Saigal

Khat likha de savariyake nam babu - Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966), Music Laxmikant Pyarelal, Singer Asha Bhosle

Mere to giridharagopala - Meera, Music Pt Ravi Shankar, Singer Vani Jayaram

Sakhi Re Suun Bole Papiha – Miss Mary (1957) Music: Hemant Kumar, Singer Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle

Sham Dhale Jamna Kinare –  Pushpanjali (197o) Music by Laxmikan Pyarelal, Singer Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey

Tere bina sajna lage na jiya hamar – Aarti (1962), Music by Roshan 

Woh na aayenge palatkar – Devdaas (1957), Music SD Burman, Singer Mubarak Begum

In 1978, Rekha and Vinod Mehra shared the screen in Ghar (trans: Home). The story won the Filmfare award for the best story. Written by Dinesh Thakur, this film explored the trauma of a rape victim portrayed brilliantly by Rekha. This film marked the transition of Rekha from being a B grade bimbette to an actress. She got nominated for the award for Best Actress along with Zeenat Aman for Satyam Shivam Sundaram (talk about raj Kapur’s clout!). A really maudlin performance by Nutan got her the best sctress award.
Rekha did her first film in 1966 with the Teulgu film Rangula Ratnam. Her debut in Bollywood was in 1970 with the film Sawan Bhadon opposite Navin Nishchol. You have to see that film to appreciate how it is possible to re-invent oneself as an actress. Eight years later in Ghar Rekha the actress was born.

The film has some amazing songs. The combination of lyricist Gulzar and composer RD Burman produced many gems. But I will always rate this as a film where the chemistry was unbelievable.

My favorite song from Ghar has to be the classic Aapki AankhoN MeiN Kuchh Mehke Huey Se Raaz HaiN आपकी आँखों में कुछ महके हुए से ख्वाब हैं (trans: Your eyes are lined with the aroma of mysteries.). The voice of Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. What is also interesting about this song is that it is based on Raga Kedar which normally so typical of devotional music (remember the Kedar based classic Hamko Man Ki Shakti Dena हमको मन की शक्ति देना from Jaya Bhaduri’s debut Hindi film Guddi). There is of course anothe great example of using Raga Kedar to creat a romantic mood in the film  Ek Musafir Ek Hasina. The song was Aap Yunhi Agar Hamse Milte Rahe

The second song I have always loved is Tere Bina Jiya Jaaye Na तेरे बिना जिया जाये ना (trans: It is so hard to live without you). Watch Rekha who plays the pining housewife, arrange her husband’s photos like a deck of cards that gets blown away with a gust of wind.

Phir Wohi Raat Hai, Raat Hai Khwabon Ki फिर वही रात है रात है ख्वाबों की (trans: It is the night that dreams are made of, once again… ). Set to the Latino beat that was so dear to RD Burman.

Aajkal Paaon Zameen Par आजकल पाँव ज़मीन पर नहीं पड़ते मेरे (trans: Have you noticed lately that I don’t walk on the floor anymore) talks about the heady feeling of being in love. See the video here. This look of Rekha reminds me of the other film Khoobsoorat (check out this clip) made in 1981 that had her singing in films for the first time – the song is Kaida Tod Ke Socho Ek Din. Rekha clearly will not be remembered as a great singer but as one who was never afraid to experiment.

Ghar is what the Gulzar-RD Burman-Kishore magic is all about.  I have always wondered whether this is a film one should watch because it shows the transition of Rekha as an actress or just listen to the music. I think I’ll vote for the music.

Sona Mohapatra has a degree in Engineering and an MBA in Marketing. She had a plum job as a Brand Manager in a consumer goods company. She quit that to take up singing. That’s not all. At 5′8″, this MTV Style Icon 2006 trained as a classical singer for 10 years. Her debut video Bolo Na  बोलो ना  (Translation: Tell me naa …) made people sit up and take notice. The song was about drifting relationships. She still bristles when someone describes her music as ‘unusual’. She would rather describe it as a “unique sound” and not unusual.  Her debut album “SONA is a blend of contemporary and ethnic sounds with nuances of Romanian gypsy music, R&B, East Indian baul, Flamenco and North Indian folk rhythms.” At a friend’s I heard the album and liked her sound. The song that lingered on for a long time in its aftertaste was अभी नहीं आना Abhi Nahi Aana (rough translation: Don’t come over to meet me yet … ). I must admit I had initially found the lyrics a bit masochistic. I mean here is the video of a woman pining for her lover and yet she is telling him to not visit her. Ummm … why not? Just so that when they meet, it is just that much nicer. The gal just enjoys pining for the lover boy.

The one video I will play for you will be this funky piece called आजा वे  Aaja Ve. It is a funky piece that I love. It has got attitude.

Recently I had a chance to catch up with Sona in a free flowing interview.
Abhijit: After an Engineering degree and an MBA in Marketing is music just a hobby or passion or career?

Sona: Well you don’t choose music, music chooses you. Music is my life and I have a lifetime of learning to do. I took the long road to it but all the stuff that I learnt on the way has been worth it. I hope to make original personal music and reach out to my audience despite the fact that that our country seems to be obsessed with Bollywood culture with limited breathing space for any alternative. The silver lining is that things seem to be changing now. Bands like Kailasa – Kailash, Naresh & Paresh manage to put out their records regularly by cleverly using Kailash Kher’s celebrity status through Bollywood & Reality TV

Abhijit: What was your biggest moment musically speaking – the day you recorded your first album… or the day you saw the album in the store or was it the music video or was it when you recorded with INXS.

Sona: None of the above , if I may say so ! It was the moment I decided to plunge headlong & fulltime into music . No ‘Escape’ buttons et all !

Abhijit: You have been jamming with other artiste abroad as well. How has that impacted your own sound?

Sona: I loved working with INXS because ‘Afterglow’ is an Indian song at heart! It’s so melodramatic and romantically ambitious that I just fell for it the moment I heard it. It was great meeting them & hearing them praise our version of the song so much! Since it was released in the UK & did really well, we were planning more such collaborations but then the band went into hiatus, so no news as of now . With Bowie, it happened through agents, as they were looking for artists who could re-interpret the song, ‘Let’s Dance’, which is a childhood favourite of mine. They loved what we did and it’s supposed to be part of a compilation of remixes of Bowie’s songs. Now all that remains is to actually meet the Thin White Duke himself! I actually dream of jamming with the great voices that walk this earth. I actually have a long fantasy wish list. Angelique Kidjo, Wadali brothers, Aruna Sairam, Tori Amos, Youssou N’ Dour, Cassandra Wilson, Cheb Mami, Richard Bona. The list goes on & on. It’s going to take a lot of riyaaz (practice) !

Abhijit: Are some of these tracks composed by you? If not is there any piece of music that you have composed?

Sona: Yes , I do compose once in a while & a song in my first album Jai Phulo Re has a bit of that ! Having said that , I do believe that one doesn’t neccessarily have to compose to be an artiste. I consider myself a storyteller and hope to be inspired by the vocal greats like Pandit Kumar Gandharva , Nina Simone , Girija Devi , Geeta Dutt , Richard Bona …the list is endless & ‘get closer to the flame’. My blessings include working in a great team with Ram Sampath who has composed my songs in the album & Munna Dhiman who has given words to our ideas in the same.

Abhijit: Who is your favorite Bollywood composer? Does an artiste have to be a playback artiste to get to the mass market in India? Would you rather be singing for the masses or a niche market?

Sona: There are many , Madan Mohan , RD Burman , Vishal Bharadwaj , AR Rahman , Ram Sampath… Jagjit Singh hasn’t needed to be a playback voice to be crowned as the King of Ghazals and seriously mass market at that ! So while it seems to be the easiest way to reach out, mostly cause the infrastructure is built around the same, I don’t think its the only way . We need more live venues for sure and if the government isn’t helping, corporates like yours should !

Abhijit: Have you sung Oriya songs?
Sona: Yes I do. I’m planning an Oriya album for the international market soon. Infact, I had the pleasure of meeting Mira Nair post my Lincoln centre NYC concert this year and she turned out to be half Oriya (from the state of Orissa, India) . She loved my music and infact suggested that I do this project .

Abhijit: You prefer to be described as “unique” rather than be called “unusual” through your music that bridges the ancient and the contemporary. How do you plan to do it?

Sona: My music and my world are about bridging the timeless and the contemporary. I love history, architecture and am fascinated by how things age. I love the fact that all classical singers reach their artistic peak post their 40’s. I want my music to get better with time, but I also want to enjoy the moment. That contradiction is who I am..

Abhijit: As a trained Marketing professional, how did you go about marketing the brand called Sona?

Sona: Haven’t figured that one yet. It is difficult trying to soak yourself in music and also see yourself as a product /brand at the same time. I do understand the importance of it though and hope to find partners and collaborators to do so! On my part , I believe in being ‘consistent’ in what I do and say and hope that it builds towards a single & strong “brand ‘

Abhijit: Your musical idols – tell me about lesser known music that you recommend for the readers. Specific albums and bands that you want us to listen to.

Sona: I’ve always been inclined towards earthy, rootsy music. Give me the Blues any day! I feel the same way about Indian music. Our folk music has all the ingredients that are vital to pop music – great stories, beautiful melodies & funky grooves.Vocally, my biggest inspirations are Girija Devi, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, Begum Akhtar , Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Nina Simone, Tori Amos & Geeta Dutt . Bands like Ojos De Brujos , Tinariven inspire me .

Abhijit: Besides singing and music, what keeps you busy?

Sona: Lots . I am a partner /producer in a music production house called THE MINT. I love travelling and am a keen student of history , culture & therefore a voracious reader & film buff too. I usually watch world cinema. There’s actually very little free time in a day but since its filled with things I love, there’s little to complain about !

Abhijit: What are you reading currently?

Sona: I read only non-fiction. Currently reading a book by a favourite author of mine , Pankaj Mishra , called Temptations of the West . I’m simultaneously reading a book called “An Intimate History of Humanity” by Theodore Zeldin

Ali Akbar Khan’s sister Annapoorna Devi (born Roshanara Khan in 1926 in Maihar) played the surbahar. She married the sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar for a brief period before their divorce. Ali Akbar and Ravi Shankar together made for great brand ambassadors of Hindustani Classical music to be made accessible to the listeners outside of India. I was fortunate to have heard both of them perform at Delhi’s Modern School grounds when they rung in the dawn of a New Year having started playing post dinner on 31st December. The experience of listening to the two legends on the same stage remains a defining moment in my musical journey. Ali Akbar was 13 when he made his debut as a performer at the Allahabad Music Conference in 1936 and accompanied Ravi Shankar during his debut performance at the same conference three years later. Over the years they toured the world together and performed to mesmerize listeners who did not need to to know the alphabet to understand the new language the duo was teaching. Check out this clip of the duo performing.

He briefly dabbled with composing music for films much against his father’s wishes. Satyajit Ray invited him to compose the music for his film Devi (1960). Ali Akbar did not think Ray had the same sensibilities in Hindustani Classical as he did for Western. The same year he composed music for Tapan Sinha’s classic Khsudita Pashaan (Hungry Stones), based on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore.

In 1989 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor, and in 1991 he became the first Indian musician to receive a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.” He is credited with the creation of many Ragas. He was not flashy or flamboyant but just a musician who obsessed with his craft. Someone who made the complex instrument communicate in a language that we loved even if we did not understand all of it. Hear Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (April 14, 1922 – June 18, 2009) play Raga Marwa – a Raga that is played at the time of sunset. After all it is the end of an era.