Raag Bhankar

[Sajjad Chowdhry]

Greetings all,

Does anyone know of any good recordings of Bhankar? I've read that there are different forms of the
raag so any recs will do very well?

Also, if anyone has heard the triple CD set of Mehdi Hassan Sahib from Navras, the second disc has a
ghazal in Raag Sahera which Mehdi Sahib also says that Sultan Khanshb has recorded. DOES ANYONE
HAVE THIS REC? Please Help....

Thanks,
Sajjad

[Icarus]

Ustad Faiyaz Khan has a recording of Rag Bhankar which was published by HMV
in the form of a cassette. - Mishra

PS: I don't have a good understanding of this Rag, could somebody who knows
it elaborate on this
Rag.

Sajjad Chowdhry wrote in message <6oam2a$g...@sjx-ixn6.ix.netcom.com>...

[Rajan P. Parrikar]

In article <6oarn6$hl4$1...@birch.prod.itd.earthlink.net>, "Icarus" wrote:
>
>Ustad Faiyaz Khan has a recording of Rag Bhankar which was published by HMV
>in the form of a cassette. - Mishra
>
>PS: I don't have a good understanding of this Rag, could somebody who knows
>it elaborate on this Rag.

I have discussed this rAga on this forum a couple of times in the
distant past. Here is a brief rerun:

Raga Bhankar is part of the triad of rAgas, the other two being rAgas
Bhatiyar and Pancham, built around a common core. Bhankar comes in at
least three distinct varieties, but we will focus on only the two main
ones representing the Agra and Jaipur schools.

(a) The Jaipur Bhankar is markedly different from the others and is
distinguished by an explicit articulation of the Lalit-anga. It employs
both the madhyams and both the dhaivats. An aroha/avaroha statement is
meaningless for such a rAga, with its highly convoluted, vakra build
and meend-laden contours. Nevertheless an outline is adumbrated:

(M=shuddha, m=tivra madhyam)

Aroha: S, N' r G M, M d m M, G P, m D S"
Avaroha: S", N r" N d m M, P G r S

A sample chalan may help amplify on the above:
S, r N' r G, G M, M d m M, M G P, P g r, S
uuuuu--->meenD

The antarA is launched via: m D S", N r" S" and is then resolved
with a huuuuuge meenD beginning from the tAra komal rishab to
the shuddha madhyam. The Lalit-anga is expressed via the chromatic
use of the two madhyams and the descent from the komal dhaivat.
ChhAyAs of Bhatiyar are found in clusters such as P G r S, M G P
and m D S", N r" S" but are quickly cobbled together into a composite
swarupa. This very difficult rAga has been mastered and executed with
breathtaking perfection by Mallikarjun Mansur. There is a longish radio
recording which affords him ample time for elaborate treatment and he
delivers a tour de force rendition of the vilambit roopak composition
"E karatAra..." Isn't Faiyyaz Khan's bandish textually similar? It has
been very long since I last heard FK's recording.

(b) In the Agra version of the rAga, a conscious attempt is made to
de-emphasize the Lalit-anga, possibly to guard against infringement
on other allied territory such as Lalit-Bhatiyar, Lalita-Gauri and so on.
Consequently, the Agra folks use only the shuddha dhaivat. The rAga is
then seen to be a compound of the Bhairav, Poorvi and Bhatiyar molecules.

Sample chalan:

S G, GMP, P G r S, GM P, (D)m D m GMG, N D m (G)MG, m G r S, r G r, m G r S

Since Faiyyaz Khan's recording is not in my active memory I cannot
swear to his precise usage. Ratanjankar has a beautiful bandish
"karim karatAra parvar digHAr" that implements these ideas. VR Athavale
had once discussed these rAgas in a seminar on "Bhatiyar ke Aprachalit
Prakar" at the Kala Academy in Panjim. My take above is not substantially
different from his.

For completeness, I must mention that there is yet another variant
of Bhankar within the Jaipur stream that uses only the shuddha dhaivat.
I understand that Jeetendra Abhisheki sings this version although I
haven't heard it myself.

>Sajjad Chowdhry wrote in message <6oam2a$g...@sjx-ixn6.ix.netcom.com>...

>>Also, if anyone has heard the triple CD set of Mehdi Hassan Sahib from

>Navras, the second disc has a
>>ghazal in Raag Sahera which Mehdi Sahib also says that

Sehera is the name Mehdi Hassan has given the rAga employing the
whole-tone scale (known as "Gopriya" in the Carnatic tradition):
S R G m d n. The scale is known in the West after Debussy. I am quite
sure Scriabin has used it extensively in one of his works. It has also
been used by Bappi Lahiri in highly unsuccessful attempts to scare
moviegoers in the Ramsay horror movies (I recall one starring
Komilla Wirk (of the 'Kilimanjaro-sized breasts' fame)).

At least one person I knew used to call it "Lachari Todi" although
the more popular version of L-Todi is not anything like it, or for
that matter, anything like Todi either!).

Warm regards,

r

[Daniel Fuchs]

Sajjad Chowdhry wrote:
>
> Greetings all,
>
> Does anyone know of any good recordings of Bhankar? I've read that there are different forms of the
> raag so any recs will do very well?

There's a newly released version by Vilayat Khan on IAM.... The
recording is from 90 or so...

Daniel

>
> Also, if anyone has heard the triple CD set of Mehdi Hassan Sahib from Navras, the second disc has a

[TANSEN8106]

Hi to all

I would recommend the rec by Aftaab-e-mausiqui Khansahib Fayyaz Khan. Hehas
really sung Raag Bhankaar beautifully. Roshan Ara ji's Bhankaar was good as
well.

Regards
Tansen8106

[deepak raag]

In article <6oam2a$g...@sjx-ixn6.ix.netcom.com>, Sajjad Chowdhry
<simu...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> Greetings all,
>
> Does anyone know of any good recordings of Bhankar? I've read that there
are different forms of the
> raag so any recs will do very well?
>

Hello,

There is a rec. of Bhankar by Faiyaz Khansahib (Chairman's Choice CD Agra
Gharana). See also recent release by India Archive Music of Vilayet Khan's
Bhankar. I don't think there are any more - Mallikarjun perhaps.\
Where have you read about this raag?

warm regards (;-)

-- deepak

[TANSEN8106]

Hi

There is also a recording of raag Bhankar by Khsb Hafiz Ali Khan Sarodnawaz
(father of Khsb Amjad Ali Khan). The cassette was released by HMV.

Regards
Tansen8106

[Tablaguy]

Sajjad,

For you listening pleasure there is an excellent recording of raag Bhankar by
Ustad Vilayat Khan sahib with Akram Khan on Tabla available in the market.
India archive music has published it.

TG

[Rajan P. Parrikar]

I had written:

>For completeness, I must mention that there is yet another variant
>of Bhankar within the Jaipur stream that uses only the shuddha dhaivat.

^^^^^^^

Oops, that should be the komal dhaivat.

r

[vijay...@gmail.com]

There is one more by Laxmi jhadhav. Bhankar with lalith ang and not bhatiyar.
Vijayavaman.

[Prasenjit Duara]

On Sunday, 12 July 1998 at 03:00:00 UTC-4, Sajjad Chowdhry wrote:
> Greetings all,
> Does anyone know of any good recordings of Bhankar? I've read that there are different forms of the
> raag so any recs will do very well?

> Also, if anyone has heard the triple CD set of Mehdi Hassan Sahib from Navras, the second disc has a
> ghazal in Raag Sahera which Mehdi Sahib also says that Sultan Khanshb has recorded. DOES ANYONE
> HAVE THIS REC? Please Help....
> Thanks,
> Sajjad

I think Mukul Shivputra has an interesting Bhankar. Check youtube.