Daily Times

Since the last few years, whenever we, fans of melody music, come cross each other, we ask each other if anyone had listened to some new melodious composition of a ghazal and the answer is usually in repudiation.

Same applies to any new book on music except with some exceptions. In this scenario, a book titled ‘Surmandal‘ by Ustad Badar uz Zaman is a very welcome portent. Surmandal is a musical instrument of the subcontinent which is played mostly by classical music vocalists while performing a Raag etc. ‘Sur’ means notes and ‘Mandal’ means a group. So it means a group of notes that are tuned for a particular Raag that is being rendered. The only exception I have seen of its use was by Ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan who tuned and used it while singing his ghazals. But then his tunes were mostly Raag based. Wikipedia says “Swarmandals measure from twenty-four to thirty inches in length and twelve to fifteen inches in width. The singer may choose to employ any number of strings from 21 to 36. The strings are hooked in a nail lodged in the right edge of the swarmandal and on the left are wound around rectangular pegs which can be tightened with a special key. Wooden pegs were used instead of metal ones in the medieval period. A sharp 1?2-inch (13 mm) ridge on both sides of the swarmandal stands a little apart from the nails on which the strings are tightened. This ridge functions as a bridge on both sides. The swarmandal is similar to the autoharp or zither in many respects”.

Badaruz Zaman claims that since long, controversies exist on the names and orientation of various raags that confuse the students of music. So, he has attempted to remove these ambiguities. For example, it is a myth that if one sings Raag Deepak, it ignites fire. Hunud dynasty claims that Deepak is one of its six raags

Ustad Badar must have chosen this name as the title of his book because he desired to touch upon most of the basic issues faced by music industry today, both theoretical and practical. As a starter he quotes the colours given to the twelve notes by scientists like Sir Isaac Newton (who gave colours to only seven notes), Louis Bertrand Castel, a mathematician who gave colours to twelve notes, George Field, Chemist, D. D. Jameson who gave different colours to the notes in 1844, Theodor Seaman, a German historian who denoted Sa and Pa notes with same Kentucky Green colour, Bainbridge Bishop, an American, Alex Wallace Remington, a Painter He introduced color organ in 1893. Some other names have also been mentioned in this regard.

Badar uz Zaman claims that since long controversies exist on the names and orientation of various Raags that confuse the students of music. So, he has attempted to remove these ambiguities. For example it is myth that if one sings Raag Deepak, it ignites fire. Hunud dynasty claims that Deepak is one of its six Raags. Surprisingly Hindus are unaware of their own six Raags. Ustad Badar carried out research and found that this Raag takes its origin from Kalyan, Bilawal, and Bhairon Thaaths. He has therefore included their Bandish in his book. So Badar questions to whom to believe? Similarly one finds many types of Raag Zeelaf, Rangola, Jangla and Jangola. Question arises as to which ones were created by Hazrat Amir Khusro! If all were not his creations then who made the others! Badar is intrigued.

Some critics of Bharat (India) claim that Mian Tansen was just a court singer and had not written any books on music. That is nonsense as Mian Tansen was a poet also. He wrote two books titled ‘Sangeet Bahar’ and ‘Raag Mala’ on music with lot of philosophy and technicalities of Raag Vidiya. One finds lot of information on Taan, Sur, Garaam and Moorchana. He praises a Shudh Taan as ‘Shaado, Oudu Bhaid Jab, Shud Moorchana Hoye/Upjat Sharaj Ki Moorchana Shudh Taan Kahi Soye’ (when knowledge of Shado and Oudo meet, the resultant is a complete Taan). Similarly he said Dohas in defining Dohas, Shudh Taan, Oudu Lachan, Koot Taan, Shado Sabkhia (tans of six notes), Oudu Bhaid (the mystery of five notes), Sawraanter and Garnathik. Similarly he said poetry on Sur (notes) in Raag Mala. Ustad Badar then gives 49 Taans made of seven notes (Page 59) called Koot or Sampuran Taans, 36 Koot Taans emanating from six notes and 25 from five notes.

Ustad Badar then reserves a complete chapter on discussing Palta, Alankaar and Taan. These are various shades of the same portent. He regrets that presently the trend is to use Palta and Sargam in any form of rendering but in a very distasteful manner (Page 67). Mostly these singers are out of tune as they have not obtained proper training in getting lessons of Palta (which means that the notes you use in ascent must be used in descent). Ustad Badar has written fifty Paltas. He also proposes some Taans for practice of throat with special reference to Raag Bhopali. He then discusses the difference between Microtone (sharooti) and notes (sur). If you only touch a note it is microtone but if the stay is longer, then it is note. Badar then discusses the term Graam which is basically a collection of notes (Page 87). The term ‘Moorchana’ means to say Arohi and Amrohi from one Sur in sequence with seven notes. So each Garaam has seven moorshanas, Badar exemplify with 21.

The rest of the book gives details of some not many famous Raags like Oudu Bihaag, Aabhavati, Aasa, Bahadar Kauns, Bairagan, Parmeshwari, Pushpakali, Pushpanagni, Junsum Mohini, Jog, Jogeshwari, Jaiwanti Tori, Charokeshi, Chanderkauns, Chandermala, Chayatalak, Chaya Malhar, Rajeshri, Ramkali Tori, Sin Haro, Sawani, Shudh Basant, Shudh Sawent, Shudhwanti, Shri Kalyan, and dozens of other Raags. Their Bandish is also given.

This book is of prime importance for the students of classical music who can learn all these Raags by understanding their terminologies; an exhaustive work by Ustad Badar uz Zaman.

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