Maestro’s Choice: Pandit Jasraj (Vocal) (Audio CD)

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Accompanists
Tabla: Kedar Pandit,
Harmonium: Aravind Thatte
Violin: Kala Ramnath
Tanpura: Rattan Sharma

I love my music and everything that I do centers around it. I firmly believe that an artiste should sing with the purity of the raga the mood of the raga. Its slow and gradual development in the alap and the vilambit enables the listener to tune into the musical intention so as to achieve a level of participation and appreciation. I have always placed importance on the words of the composition because while the surs convey the feeling the words convey the meaning. I do not think that the two can be or should be separated. The wealth that our ancestors have left for us in the form of codification of ragas in immense and enormous, and one lifetime is not enough to do it full justice. I am grateful to God for having made me a singer for I am glad that my love and my profession are the same.

Bihag belongs to Bilawat thaat is performed in the second part of the night. In its structure Bihag omits rishabh and dhaviat in ascent while tivra madhyam is used as a vivadi swara in the descent. The special utterance of nishad (B) in combination with pancham (G) and gandhar (E) with Shadaj (C) gliding over Gandhar (A) and rishabh (D) respectively gives the raga a particular character. Gandhar (E) and nishad (B) are vadi and samvadi. The purvang or lower half of the scale is important in building up the raga. Pandit Jasraj begins Bihag with a vilambit khayal in slow pace set to ektala of twelve beats through his customary devotional invocation. The sthayi is presented in slow tempo Jasraj reveals the beauty of Bihag through bol-alaps in the bass range highlighting the vadi and samvadi swaras. Gradually he presents akar and sargam tanas embellished with gamaka grace notes woven into the aesthetic design of the raga. In conclusion the maestro presents a drut bandish set in who describes the restless sports of the Lord with devotion and tender beauty. After the detailed portrait of the raga finely shaded and nuanced Jasraj concludes with the tihai the thrice uttered phrase Bol Dekhi Nai”

Raga Bihag 58:56
Khayal Vilambit in ektaal drut in teentaal