A melody for the night….

I was contemplating for a few minutes after dinner and it struck me we were a few minutes away from 9 pm. In the Hindustani Classical Music thought, 9 pm to 12 midnight is the time for Bageshree. A beautiful raag,  it is meant to depict the emotion of a woman waiting for reunion with her lover. It is said to have been first rendered by Tansen, that myths claim sang for Akbar. Amongst Bollywood composers, it was the most liked and widely used by none other than C Ramchandra, who really found it easy to make unforgettable melodies out of. The maestros use it in Shadav-Sampoorna as well as Audav-Sampoorna forms.

I will start with a common version of a very popular ghazal by Ghulam Ali, based on the raag: https://youtu.be/9Xb3ULyBKwQ

The ghazal by Rifat Sultan are fabulous.

बहारों को चमन याद आ गया है…… रिफ’अत सुलतान

बहारों को चमन याद आ गया है
मुझे वो गुल-बदन याद आ गया है

लचकती शाख़ ने जब सर उठाया
किसी का बाँकपन याद आ गया है

मिरी ख़ामोशियों पर हँसने वालो
मुझे वो कम-सुख़न याद आ गया है

तुम्हें मिल कर तो ऐ यज़्दाँ-परस्तो
ग़ुरूर-ए-अहरमन याद आ गया है

तिरी सूरत को जब देखा है मैं ने
उरूज-ए-फ़िक्र-ओ-फ़न याद आ गया है

किसी का ख़ूबसूरत शे’र सुन कर
तिरा लुत्फ़-ए-सुख़न याद आ गया है

मिले वो अजनबी बन कर तो ‘रिफ़अत’
ज़माने का चलन याद आ गया है

As is usual with these legendary giants of the genre, there are multiple, equally good renditions of varying lengths from live concerts, each one as enjoyable and exquisite as the other. Listen to this one, apparently the first time he sang it (in a concert, or could be, going by his narration, the first time ever!): https://youtu.be/wU53JNsMHqY

Listen to this sublime rendition by the maestro, my most favourite instrumentalist with this magical piece, by the man who made me believe in the divinity of music of Shrikrishna when he created mass hypnosis with the same. Maybe the Lord’s favourite son was sent to hypnotize our generations: https://youtu.be/L5D_m71yTF8

This one has Fazal Qureshi, Ustad Alla Rakha’s son on the tabla. All three of them are just fabulous and worthy claimants to the father’s throne, or shall I say, tabla?

Enjoy the three clips, folks. They will undoubtedly give me much joy and peace tonight. Stay healthy and happy