The Charm of Raga Jaunpuri
Jaunpur was an independent Sultanat in the 15th century which had a reputation of being a city dedicated to learning (ilm ka shahar). It was considered second only to Varanasi as a hub of music and musicians. Jaunpur’s sultans used to be ‘wazirs’ to the Tughlaq dynasty, but then they broke away and created their own. Sher Shah Suri, came to Jaunpur to learn Arabic, history and philosophy. He went on to build not only the Purana Qila in Delhi, but the Grand Trunk road -- which spans from Kabul to Kolkata – as well as the postal system, that has survived 500 years of wear and tear.
Raga Jaunpuri is associated with Jaunpur where the raga is said to have evolved - at least that is what folklore says. Raga Malva, Raga Sindhu, are all named after places. However, it is difficult to ascertain whether these ragas have developed from regional melodies or simply evolved in these places.
There are some ragas like Raga Miyan ki Todi that is named after the composer - the legendary Tansen or Miyan Tansen who sang in the court of emperor Akbar. Raga Bilaskhani Todi is another version of Raga Todi - this one is named after Tansen's son Vilas Khan.
There are ragas named after Hindu goddesses like Raga Bhairavi, or Raga Saraswati or Raga Shri.Raga Jaunpuri is a late morning raga. It is based on Asavari thaat. As is the mystery of Hindustani Classical music, the same notes can be shared by two ragas but they may sound very different.
Darbari Kanada, Adana and Jaunpuri share the same notes but are entirely different in the way they are sung. A quick look at the Raga Samay will tell you that while Raga Darbari Kanada and Adana are ragas that are sung past midnight, while the notes of Jaunpuri sound the sweetest before noon.
Jaunpuri is soft and pleasing and has simple nuances and avoids elaborate ornamentations (meends) while being performed. It is a morning melody. Darbari Kanada is a majestic night melody, of sombre and serious mood and with restrained emotions. Raga Adana is somewhat restless – the artiste does not stay on one note long.
I always try to internalize the notes of a Raga by listening to a piece of film music that captures the note of the raga faithfully. Then it is so much easier to look for the same pattern in the classical renditions. My pick for Raga Jaunpuri is the film song Jayen to Jayen Kahan from Dev Anand's film Taxi Driver made in 1954. There is a version of the same song sung by Lata. I prefer the version by Talat. https://youtu.be/_6ZlWLtN0Gk
If you had to pick that one song that captures Raga Adana in its pristine form, I would vote for Madan Mohan's composition for Anpadh ('62) Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha (Raga Adana).
Raga Darbari Kanada is a majestic raga that is song past midnight. Tonight, just listen to this magnificent example of Raga Darbari Kanada - Jhanak Jhanak Tori Baaje Payaliya sung by Manna Dey. The film was Mere Huzoor ('68) starring Raj Kumar. The music was composed by Shankar Jaikishan who were a steady fixture in so many of the Raj Kapoor films.
https://youtu.be/0qpIQygF-VQ
Now for a pick to illustrate the classical version of Raga Jaunpuri. My choice for Raga Jaunpuri is Sanjeev Abhayankar - the famed disciple of Pandit Jasraj. Pt Sanjeev Abhayankar is from the Mewati gharana. (read about the gharana here) It is named after the Mewar region of Rajasthan. Pandit Jasraj is probably the most celebrated exponent of this gharana.
https://youtu.be/YcNO9lMWGqU
Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana musicians originally came from Atrauli near Aligarh (in Uttar Pradesh) and migrated to the court of the Maharaja of Jaipur, their principal patron. Listen to the same Raga Jaunpuri, but sung in the Jaipur Atrauli gharana style by Manjiri-Asnare-Kelkar.
https://youtu.be/6ImRDOM775E
The Samay Chakra is handy reference that you can use to check when a raga will be at its melodious best
I drew this with the idea of teaching myself about the magic of Ragas