Monsoon Melodies

IN NORTH INDIA, RAAGA MALHAR IS SAID TO BE THE MUSIC OF THE RAINS – AND IS TRADITIONALLY PERFORMED DURING THE MONSOON OR THE PRE-MONSOON. THERE ARE ALSO FABLES AND REAL-LIFE ANECDOTES OF RAINS BROUGHT DOWN, THANKS TO A SOULFUL RENDITION OF THE ENCHANTING RAAGA.

- Shailaja Khanna

The searing heat of the plains of India is dispelled by the welcome dark clouds of the monsoons – joyously awaited by everyone. As Pandit Ravi Shankar once said, while everywhere else in the world rains are viewed as a nuisance, in the subcontinent they are welcomed and bring the much needed respite from the scorching heat.

In North India, Raaga Malhar is the music of this ecstatic season, a raaga* that is said to bring on the rains, and is traditionally performed during the monsoon or pre-monsoon. Rains is always considered romantic, and the various Malhars too are regarded as lyrical romantic raagas, personifying the appealing aspect of the rains. The music of this season reflects this joy – all versions of Raaga Malhar are lyrical, tender and easy on the ear. The emotive effect is soothing. The lyrics tend to emphasise the visual imagery of dark clouds, thunder, rain drops, jhoolas (swings)…

Originally, while it was actually Raaga Megh that was said to bring the rain, Malhar became more popularly associated with rain from medieval times onwards. The raaga was modified by Tansen (1506 – 1589), a prominent musician who was a part of Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. Tansen was regarded as the Father of modern North Indian music, and the modified version of Raaga Malhar is called ‘Mian Ki Malhar’ (meaning ‘Mian’s Malhar’, as Tansen was referred to as ‘Mian ji’).