Raga
A raga is a fundamental element of Indian classical music, representing a structured framework of melodic notes designed to evoke specific emotions in listeners. Comprising a combination of seven primary notes (swaras) similar to Western music, ragas are essential for creating melodies. Each raga has its own emotional character, or rasa, often associated with particular feelings like love, humor, or tranquility. Ragas are not static; they have evolved over centuries, and their interpretations can vary across different musical traditions, particularly between Hindustani (northern India) and Carnatic (southern India) classical music.
Musicians often perform ragas at specific times of day or during particular seasons, as this timing is believed to enhance their emotional impact. The historical and cultural significance of ragas is reflected in ragamala paintings, which visually interpret the emotions and narratives associated with various ragas. Although modern influences have led to new interpretations and a broader appreciation of ragas, especially among younger audiences, traditional practices and theories regarding their performance continue to hold significance. Additionally, contemporary studies suggest that ragas may have beneficial effects on mental health and emotional well-being, further underscoring their importance in both cultural and therapeutic contexts.
Raga
A raga is a fundamental element of Indian classical music. A raga consists of a combination of notes that, when sung or played in a particular pattern, results in a certain melody. The goal of a singer or musician who performs a raga is to evoke an emotional response in listeners. Ragas have existed since ancient times but are constantly evolving. In the past, artists created visual representations of ragas, which showed the story or emotion most closely associated with a melody. Indians believe that certain ragas are most powerful when performed at a particular time of day or during a specific season.
Overview of Raga
Much like cells are the basic building blocks of life, ragas are the basic building blocks of Indian classical music. Indian classical music revolves around ragas. Like Western music, which has seven notes—Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti—Indian music has seven swaras, or notes—Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. Each note characterizes the sound of a creature from nature. For example, Sa represents the sound of a peacock, while Ni represents the sound of an elephant. Variations of some of these notes have led to the addition of five more swaras, for a total of twelve. A traditional raga must include at least five swaras played in a particular pattern. In most cases, a Sa and either a Ma or a Pa must be present in the pattern.
Carnatic classical music, or the music of southern India, has remained fairly constant since its early beginnings. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Common Era (CE), experts in Indian classical music identified seventy-two full, or parent, ragas upon which other ragas may be based. These ragas became known as melakartas, or mela ragas, and they form the basis of the Carnatic system.
Hindustani classical music, or the music of northern India, has been influenced more heavily by Persian music and consequently has undergone more change. However, in the early twentieth century, music scholar Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande researched the seventy-two melakartas in the Carnatic system and identified ten, which he called thaats. They include Asavari, Bhairav, Bhairavi, Bilawal, Kafi, Kalyan, Khamaj, Marwa, Poorvi, and Todi. These ten thaats serve as the foundation of modern Hindustani classical music. The total number of Hindustani classical ragas is estimated to have been as high as three hundred in the past, but in the contemporary period, musicians perform only about a third of that.
Raga and Rasa
The purpose of a raga is to generate a particular feeling or emotion in listeners. A rasa is the overarching feeling or emotion that a raga creates. Variations of particular notes have the ability to shift the rasa of a particular musical work. Natya Shastra, an ancient Indian text about the performing arts, identified several types of rasas, such as love/sensuality, humor, courage, and tranquility.
While a raga typically focuses on one predominant rasa, it is possible for a single musical work to generate multiple rasas.
Ragamala Paintings
In the thirteenth century CE, an Indian musicologist named Sarangadeva wrote Sangita Ratnakara. This text provides detailed verbal descriptions of ragas and identifies the emotion or deity most closely associated with each one. Later, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, artists began to use the descriptions from Sangita Ratnakara to create ragamala paintings. Ragamala paintings are illustrative representations of Indian melodies.
The word ragamala means "garland of melodies." Ragamala paintings provide context about the origins of the ragas. For example, a painting may reveal the region from which the raga originated or the season with which the raga is associated. The mood or tone of a particular raga also served as inspiration for ragamala paintings. Later, musicians turned to ragamala paintings for inspiration and guidance to elicit precise emotions in their raga performances.
In contemporary times, many consider ragamala paintings outdated. The ragas themselves have changed over time. Modern musicians have been influenced by other musical styles from within India and from the West. These influences have led to different interpretations of ragas that bear little resemblance to the paintings with which they once shared a close association. A younger, more global audience began to appreciate ragas in the twenty-first century, with their popularity growing on musical platforms such as Spotify. Ragas have also been studied for their ability to positively affect mental health and reduce stress. Their ability to elicit strong emotional reactions has also led to scientific studies on the effect of ragas on brain chemistry and human physiology.
Raga and Time
Members of both the Hindustani and Carnatic classical music systems believe that certain ragas are more powerful when played at specific times of day, or during particular seasons of the year. Of the two, however, the Hindustani system is rooted more firmly in the raga-time relationship. Musicians from the Hindustani tradition believe that playing a raga outside its proper timeframe reduces the quality of the performance. Bhatkhande, the music scholar who identified the ten thaats that form the foundation of Hindustani classical music, also identified eight praharas, or watches, and assigned certain ragas to each one. The prevailing idea behind the theory is that the significance of each note in a raga depends on its connection to the other notes, and these connections experience nuanced changes at various points of the day.
Some ragas, such as Dhani, can be performed at any time of day. Others, such as Hansadhwani and Pahadi, should be performed in the evening. Nighttime ragas include Durga and Rageshri. Both Gaud Sarang and Madhuvanti are afternoon ragas. Jaunpuri and Bhankar are morning ragas. While many of the ragas should be performed at a certain time of day, others should be performed during a particular season. For example, Gaud Malhar and Miyan Malhar are two ragas typically performed during the monsoon season.
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