From: gangolli@zeno.math.washington.edu (Ramesh Gangolli)
Subject: Re: Raga Zilaf
Organization: University of Washington, Mathematics, Seattle
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 03:08:10 GMT

In article <1992Nov23.181547.24640@colorado.edu> parrikar@csn.org (Rajan Parrikar) writes:
>In article <1992Nov23.041723.8638@wam.umd.edu> harsh@wam.umd.edu (R. P. Harshavardhan) writes:
>>Can someone tell me the Aaroha and Avaroha of Raga Zilaf ?
>>I Had heard a composition by Pt jasaraj Long ago and feel that
>>the Aaaroha Avaroha are as follows :
>>
>>  Sa Ga Ma(Sudh) Pa Dha Saa
>>  Sa Dha Pa Ma Ga Sa   (All Sudh)
>>         
>>Is this right ? Rajan , any clue ?
>
>None whatsoever.  Ramesh-ji(Gangolli), John-Sahib(Campana), any clue?
>
>Rajan [wants to know what Raga Zilaf is all about] Parrikar
>===========================================================
>email: parrikar@mimicad.colorado.edu
>
>
>>
>>Harsh
>
>

Raga Zilaf

The Zilaf that I know is of Bhairav Thaat. 

Aroha : S G M P d N S^
Avaroha : S^ N d P, M G M, G S

The swaras are those of Bhairav without the r (komal rishabha). Also, the
nishada is to be treated weakly, almost solely as a grace note to the
dhaivata. The treatment of d (komal dhaivata) is distinctly different from
the treatment in Bhairav. i.e. it is not andolita (vibrato). Madhyama is a
very prominent note, and is used often in the phrase M G M; An interesting
feature : after this phrase is used, the singer might often descend to S
via G.  In that case, one ends up with M G M G S, and often this will end
up sounding as if the ending phrase is G M G S; This last phrase is similar
to the same phrase in Hindoli, or Durga of Khamaj thaat, or in Bhinnashadja.
Zilaf is by commonly held beliefs, of persian origin, but I have not looked
for a parallel dastagah in any compilations of dastagahs of persian music.

The composition that Jasraj often sings in Zilaf is "Hazarat Khwaja sanga
kheliye dhamaar". It is a very pretty composition. The qawwali tradition of
Punjab/Patiala has it their repertoire with a slightly different version of
the text, and they sing it Raga Bahar. I heard it once again recently at a
home recital in which Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gave a very nice ecstatic
rendition of this composition in Raga Bahar. In Bhatkhande's Kramik Pustaka
Malika, the same composition is given in the Raga Adana, but without the
second antara that Jasraj sings, and which is in the Patiala version with a
minor difference. 

Bhatkhande's Kramik Pustaka Malika also has a couple of compositions in
Zilaf of Bhairav thaat, as I recall. I do not have the volumes with me. I
am writing this while sitting in my office, taking a welcome break from an
overdose of administratium (a newly discovered element which has no mass
but lots of weight, according to a recent posting on another network), and
do not have the Kramik Pustaka Malika volumes in front of me to verify my
memory. The same work also has Zilaf of Asavari thaat, which is supposed to
be somewhere between Jaunpuri and Khat. I have never heard any compositions
in it, although there are some documented in one of the later volumes of KPM. 

The Ragakosha published by Hathras, has Zilaf listed as an Auduva raga,
with the Nishaad omitted as well as the rishabha.
Also, as I recall, that work alsohas a Zilaf of Asavari thaat listed, with the
swaras the same as Asavari. This is in agreement with Bhatkhande.

P.S. Added later the same day, at home.

I am happy to report that my recollection was substantially correct. KPM
does have 2 compositions in Zilaf of Bhairav thaat. It is interesting that
the second one, (a Saadraa with sthaayee, antaraa, sanchaari, and aabhog),
uses both r and N liberally. No weakness here! also Bhatkhande ascribes
this Raga to Amir Khusrau. No citation. Now my curiosity is getting the
better of me, and I will look up the Socratic dialogues in the Sangeet
Paddhati volumes to see what is said there about Zilaf. At any rate, you
get the picture : a rare (but sweet) raga. The first composition in
Bhatkhande's KPM seems to be beautiful. I just tried humming it out by
following the notated text, and using what conventions I know of this raga,
and felt that it is promising. I will report later about this.

 



-- 
Ramesh Gangolli (gangolli@math.washington.edu)
Dept. of Mathematics GN-50
University of Washington
Seattle WA 98195.
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical