Songs based on classical ragas

Film songs based on classical ragas (5): The Majestic Malkauns

Raga Malkaus December 11, 2012

Guest article by Subodh Agrawal (SoY readers are familiar with Subodh’s elegant writing on songs based on classical ragas.  He surpasses himself with this outstanding article on one of the most popular and accessible ragas – Malkauns – which he describes as the greatest of pentatonic ragas.  Subodh carries his scholarship lightly with an easy […]

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A novice’s romance with Raga Durga

Memories of Raga Durga October 21, 2012

Remembering Durga, Sangeet Mahakumbh at Patna and Pandit Kumar Gandharva There are great romantic lovers like Dev Anand renowned for their ways with women.  And there are illiterate, bumbling ones no less endearing like Raj Kapoor with Padmini in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Bahti Hai – so has been my romance with Raga Durga for […]

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Film songs based on classical ragas (4): The romantic quartet

Chhayanat, Gaud Sarang, Gaud Malhar, Kamod August 13, 2012

Guest article by Subodh Agrawal (Rains bring in romance in the air with their musical sound of raindrops, greenery and chirping of a variety of species which were, as if, only waiting for the monsoon.  Pankaj Mullick sang in his famous ‘Ye raatein ye mausam’ thus – Ki do garm saanson ka ek saath ana/ […]

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Film songs based on classical ragas (3) – Music from the mountains

Thumbnail image for Film songs based on classical ragas (3) – Music from the mountains June 17, 2012

Guest article by Subodh Agrawal (When I wrote my last post acknowledging the second anniversary of Songs of Yore, I mentioned Subodh Agrawal’s guest series on classical ragas and hoped he wrote more often. Soon after in a very sweet gesture, he sent me his article on Raga Pahadi as his gift to mark the […]

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Film songs based on classical ragas (2) – A date with Yaman

Thumbnail image for Film songs based on classical ragas (2) – A date with Yaman April 26, 2012

Guest article by Subodh Agrawal (Subodh Agrawal’s second article in this series has been a long time in coming.  I am responsible for part of the delay as it came when I had scheduled my post on the Best songs of 1955.  But when you read it you would agree it has been well worth […]

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Best film songs based on classical ragas

Classical ragas November 7, 2011

A round-up of Hindi film songs based on classical ragas.

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