Kafi (raga)
Kafi (IAST: Kāfi) is a raga in Hindustani classical music. It corresponds to Kharaharapriya in Carnatic music.
| Thaat | Kafi |
|---|---|
| Vadi | Pa |
| Samavadi | Sa |
| Hindustani classical music |
|---|
| Concepts |
| Genres |
| Thaats |
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande classified most ragas into ten thaats. Kafi thaat is one of them. The raga Kafi is the principal raga of its thaat. According to Bhatkhande, its name first appears in the Raga Tarangini of Lochana Pandit, who lived in the Mithila district around the 15th Century CE.
Kafi has a direct lineage with the folk music of India. Folk music in Tappa, Hori, Dadra, Kirtan and Bhajans from different parts of India have been composed in this raga.
Many variations of Kafi exist. Contamination with vivadi swaras is common. This mixing has given rise to Mishra Kafi. Hence, a pure form of Kafi is seldom heard.
Description (Parichay)
Varna
Kafi is a sampoorna-sampoorna or heptatonic raga, with komal (half a note down) Gandhar (ga) and Nishad (ni).
Avarohana
Sa ni Dha Pa Ma ga Re Sa. (ga and ni komal)
Vadi and Samavadi
Pancham (Pa) is the vadi swara and Shadaj (Sa) is the samavadi swara.
Pakad
A typical improvisation of Kafi starts as M P D P M g R, g R S, n. D. S
The phrases below and termination in R are characteristic.
S R g M P D n
S, R g M P, M P D (M)g
Chalan
The typical chalan can be illustrated as:
S S R R g g M M P - - D M P g R R n D n P D M P S n D P M G R S.
M P D D n S - S R g R S N D S - S R S n D n D P M P D P g - R - R n D n P D M P S n D P M g R S
Organization and relationships
Various ragas, such as Bhimpalasi, Bageshree, Kafi Kanada, Bahar, and Brindabani Sarang are associated with this raga. Important tributaries of this raga include Sindhura, Barwa, Neelambari and Pilu.
In Western Classical Music, Kafi corresponds to the modern Dorian Mode.
Behavior
Samay (Time)
Raat ka dvitiya prahar or evening 9-12
Seasonality
The raga is performed during any season.
Important recordings
- Ulhas Kashalkar, Raga Kafi (Concert), 2001;
- Shobha Gurtu, Thumri, Raga Kafi, 1987;
- Siddheshwari Devi, Thumri, Raga Kafi, 1983;
- Debashish Bhattacharya, Raga Mishra Kafi, 1996;
- Ustad Bahadur Khan,Raga Kafi,1987;
Film Songs
Language:Tamil
References
- Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati and his concise commentary, A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16, 17th, & 18th Centuries by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande.