Daily Times

In the domain of music, one important means of identifying it is in Raag tradition in the subcontinent’s music.

Parvez Paras, author of the book titled ‘Tori Ki Riwayat’ took Ayesha Ali, associate writer of the book, to Hafeez Khan of Talwandi Gharana. It is from where she started discovering the new layers of Sur (tunefulness) and Taal (rhythmic patterns). Many musicologists, theoreticians and practitioners used to visit that place; one amongst them was Ustad Parvez Paras. After Hafeez Khan’s demise there was a gap in Ayesha’s education despite that she had approached Ustad Shahid Hameed in Karachi as well. While in Lahore she reached Ustad Parvez Paras’s academy. Once while practicing a bandish in Tori, questions arose as to why the name Tori (or Todi) was given and where laid the difference between Gujri Tori, Desi Tori etc.? Another question arose as which were the other Toris that existed. In this discourse the word Tori or Todi have the same connotations.

According to Wikipedia, Mian Ki Todi, often simply referred to as Todi, is a Raag which gave its name to the Todi Thaat, one of the 10 types of classical music according to the musicologist Bhatkhande. We shall; see below how other musicologists have talked about 32 Thaaths but Ustad Parvez Paras in his research has confined it to 10.

Raags from the Todi Thaath include Todi itself, Bilaskhani Todi, Gujari Todi, Desi Todi, Hussaini Todi, Asavari Todi and Bahaduri Todi.

This reviewer learnt Gujari Tori, Komal Rikhab Asawari and Mian Ki Tori from his teacher Ustad Ghulam Shabir Khan. For a layman one should suffice to say that the classic song ‘Jis Din Sei Piya Dil Lei Gaye’ composed by Khawaja Khursheed Anwar and sung beautifully by Nurjehan for the film ‘Intizar’ takes its birth from raag Mian Ki Tori.

The equivalent raag in Carnatic music is Shubhapantuvarali. But in Todi, the pancham sur (Pa) is omitted in the Arohi, but Shubhapanthuvarali uses the pancham in both the arohi and descent.Todi is nearly always shown as a gentle, beautiful woman, holding the instrument Veena and standing in a lovely green forest, surrounded by deer. Her body is anointed with saffron and camphor”.

Rasa in Indian classical music is understood as mood of the raga. Mian Ki Todi is mostly pervaded by a pensive, mournful mood which is then relieved in the durrat (faster tempo) part, by a festive piece, possibly to alleviate the heavy pathos in the earlier stages of rendering, though not always. The composition is such as to afford an artist of high calibre to mould it in either the inherent pensive mood or to entirely present a festive mood.

Raags from the Todi Thaath include Todi itself, Bilaskhani Todi, Gujari Todi, Desi Todi, Hussaini Todi, Asavari Todi and Bahaduri Todi

Todi should be performed in the late morning.

Before proceeding ahead with the research of Ustad Parvez Paras, this reviewer must mention a research by Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan who was a classical vocalist of repute who died only recently who projected the idea of thirty two Thaath system of subcontinent music in his book “32 Thaath Ka Nizam-e-Mausiqi”. All his life he has remained in a lookout for new innovations in the domain of classical music and written six books as per this reviewer’s knowledge; Naghmat-e-Khusrau (1977), Kehet Sada Rang, 100 Achob Raag, Tazkia-e-Mausiqi (2005), Qasur Gharana Kei Namwer Fankaar, Music of Radio Pakistan etc. One of the reasons for this research was that Indian musicologists named Aimen Thaath as Kalyan Thaath and because of similar other anomalies. According to the writer, the name Aimen Thaath was first given by Lochin in 1000. After 600 years Ahopal named it Kalyan Thaath. Venkat Mukhi and Bharat Khande followed suit. Actually the word Aimen belongs to the Arabs which means all is well as per Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan. In Hindi language the word Kalyan had similar connotations. Hunood followers were envious of Muslims since the beginning. They changed the name of Aimen Thaath to Kalyan Thaath. Similarly Sultan Hussain Sharqi’s innovation Jonpuri’s name was changed as Asaawari Thaath. Ustad Ghulam Haider further states that even Hindu critics have admitted that the inventors of the scales of Marwa and Todi Thaaths have been Muslim innovators. Moreover the centuries old music of India’s book ‘Saam Ved”s Ashlok were based on five notes as the concept of seven and twelve notes did not exist then.

When Muslims entered India in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, they brought books on music in Farsi and Turk languages that were translated and Hindu and Muslims amalgamated and developed a mixed culture of music. Musicologist V. N. Bhaat admits on page 66 of 1957 version of his book ‘Bhaat Khande Sangeet Shaster’ that their musicologists were never confident about their created Raags Bhairon, Hindol, Shri and Malkauns. Today these are different Raags, so why do not they admit that real musicologists were Muslims?

The thaath system was introduced by Safdar Hussain’s ‘Qanoon Saaz’ (1860) and travelled with Muhammad Raza’s ‘Naghmaat-e-Aasifia’. All classical vocalists and instrumentalists rendered Raags under this system. The author wrote a book ‘100 Achob Raag’ and discussed 32 thaaths and introduced some new thaaths, the reason being that many Raags introduced in the twentieth century could not be accommodated in 10 thaaths. The author claims to have introduced 22 more thaaths to make its number 32. According to Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan, Bhaat Khande has made his life easy by ignoring many riddles and suppositions and has tried to provide ease to the followers of music. He rejected the existence of 72 Thaath System, advising not to use Shurtis and also negating Garam System of music. Ghulam Haider has stuck to the additional twenty two Thaaths apart from the ten existing ones as per the system followed in the Southern India. He argues that by doing so, the concept of seventy two Thaaths dies its own death (Page 9).

Ustad Parvez Paras’s research says that Sudh Tori, Darbari Tori and Mian Ki Tori are three names of the same raag. Mian Tan Sen used to sing Raag Shudh Tori in Akbar’s darbar (court) so well that it started being called Darbari Tori and later ‘Mian Ki Tori’ because of surname Mian given to him (Page 16). Bahadari Tori has managed to niche a name for it. It has been discussed in a separate chapter.

As a matter of fact Raags of the same scale have raags identified by changing the status of notes and their ‘Wadi’, ‘Samwadi’ notes like Marva, Puriya and Sohni and Bhopali, Vaiskaar and Jeet Kalyan. One can separate Mian Ki Todi from Shudh Todi but for that purpose one shall have to change wadi and samvadi notes of each and many combinations. The time of barhat (growth/improvisation) of Shudh Todi may have to be shortened. Use of Kharaj Pancham, pieces of Ga Ma Ga Pa, and use of Pa Dha Ni Sa could distinguish between the two. Doing all this is difficult, Khan Saheb concludes (Page 16). Even in improvisation it becomes difficult to distinguish one raag from the other, says Ustad Parvez Paras. For example in both Gujari Tori and Mian Ki Tori the field of improvising Sa Re Ga Ma Dha Ni Sa is the same. To separate the two one adds Pancham in Mian Ki Tori. To present a raag is a difficult exercise. It is a specific collection of notes with its Wadi, Samvadi, Girah Niaas notes, steadied by touch notes. Adding one’s emotions is then superimposed. In the present day it is becoming a difficult proposition each day passing (Page 17).

Ustad then goes through history of evidences available during last thousand years starting from Jain Mat’s work in 1350. Bharat Kant Shashter between the years 200 to 400 surprisingly were saved. Sarang Dev wrote Sangeet Ratna. In1429 Sultan Shahi (present Daulatabad) amalgamated Indian and foreign music to produce books in Sansikrat. Work continued, some available, some not. Fifteenth century was Dhurpad era and eighteenth century Kheyal era, the latter in vogue now. Bhatkhande says that Rikhab note in Raag Bhairvin was added by Muslims. Previously it was teevar (higher note) (Page 19). According to Ustad Parvez Paras Ameer Khusro made many changes and introductions in raags, though controversial. His followers like Ustad Chand Khan linked all forms of music to him. He even linked subcontinent’s music to Arabic one. Lot of service was done by Naimat Khan Sadarang and his nephew Feroze Khan Adarang in Muhammad Shah Rangeela’s era. Linked are Feroze Khan Tori and Adarangi Tori to the latter (Page 20).

In the book under review, an attempt has been made to present all forms of toris to music lovers. A separate chapter explains the technicalities of Raag Mian Ki Tori; alaap, arohi, amrohi challan etc followed by detailed Bandish of this and other forms of Toris; Gujari, Bahadari, Bhopali, Beragi, Bilas Khani, Desi, Hussaini, Salig Virali, Lachari, Lakshami, Anjani, Abheeri, Margi, Gandhari, Darbari, Jonpuri, Sindoori, Khat, Aleeni, Parmeshwari, Aheeri, Surmeeli and Shiri Mani Toris. It is a great technical work done by Ustad Parvez Paras and his student Ayesha Al to present this work in notational form! Credit must be given to LSE to get this book published in an excellent presentable way.

The writer is the recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance award. He can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com