Remembering the 88th birthday of Mohammed Rafi (Dec 24, 1924 – July 31, 1980)

Mohammed Rafi (Source: wikipedia.org)

Mohammad Rafi (December 24, 1924 – July 31, 1980) was an Indian recording artist who is considered by many to be one of the greatest Indian playback singers of the Hindi film industry. In his lifetime, he was awarded theNational Film Award, Best National Singer Award and six Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with thePadma Shri award by the Government of India. In 2000, the Stardust magazine named him the “Best Singer of the Millenium.” His singing career spanned about 35 years. Rafi is noted for his ability to sing songs of different moods and varieties: They ranged from classical numbers to patriotic songs, sad lamentations to highly romantic numbers, qawwalis to ghazals and bhajans. He is best known for romantic and duet songs and, as a playback singer, his ability to mould his voice to the persona of the actor lip-synching the song.

Rafi is primarily noted for his songs in Hindi-Urdu, over which he had a strong command. He sang in other Indian languages including Assamese, Konkani, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Sindhi, Kannada, Gujarati,Telugu, Maghi, and Maithili. He also recorded a few songs in English, Persian, Spanish and Dutch. From available figures, Rafi sang 4,516 Hindi film songs, 112 non-Hindi film songs, and 328 private (non-film) songs from 1945 to 1980. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

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Mohammed Ravi life…

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Shahid Rafi, Mohd. Rafi’s youngest son, talks about his father

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CH – Raga CDs des Monats (12/12): Grama – Musikskalen des antiken Indiens.

!! Neue Sendetermine ab 2013 – Neuer Programmkalender als Download  o. iCal  !!

Die Förderinitiative IMC – India meets Classic präsentiert am Heiligen Abend “CDs des Monats: Grama – Musikskalen des antiken Indiens”.

– Ragamala (Miniaturmalerei) – Die Legende besagt, dass Tansen mit dem Raga Deepak Feuer entzündete.	. . . Das antike Raga-Ragini System (16. Jahrhundert) bestand aus 132 Ragaskalen, mit 6 männlichen Ragas: Bhairav, Deepak, Malkauns, Hindol, Shree und Megh. Jedem männl. Raga werden 5 weibliche Ragas (Ragini-s) zugeordnet. Jede Raga-Ragini Gruppe besitzt 8 Kinder (raga Putras (Jungen) and raga Vadhus (Mädchen)).
Indische Rajput Miniaturmalerei (Mewar style) – Wasserzeichnung mit reinem Gold auf Baumwolle (Quelle: © Art of Legend India)

Die sieben Hauptnoten (oder Swars) der uns heute bekannten Ragaskalen in der indischen Klassik Nord- und Südindiens sind Sa (Shadaja), Re (Rishabh), Ga (Gandhara), Ma (Madhyama), Pa (Pancham), Dha (Dhaivat)und Ni (Nishad).

Sendetermine…

24. Dezember 2012 – 22:00 Uhr CET (04:00 pm EST) @ Radio RaSA (CH)
(Premiere: 16ter Februar 2010 – 21:00 Uhr CET @ Tide Radio)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Shadaja, Madhyama und Gandhar Gramas

Ihren Ursprung und die mikrotonale Struktur (22 shruti-s) der Ragas kann man zurückdatieren auf die ersten Schriftwerke des antike Indiens und das vedische Zeitalter (500-600 v. Christi Geburt).

Im Natya Sastra, einer musikalischen Abhandlung zu den darstellenden Künsten (Theater, Tanz und Musik) , das von dem Weisen und indischen Musikwissenschaftler Bharata Muni geschrieben wurde, finden wir erste Hinweise auf zwei Skalentypen (grama-s), auf denen noch heute alle Ragas beruhen: Shadja Grama u. Madhyama Grama.

Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation *

Die Entstehung des Natya Sastra wird datiert auf ca. 200 v. Chr. – 200 n. Chr.  Angesichts seiner Bedeutung für die darstellenden Künste Indiens bis in unsere Zeit wird es als das 5. Vedische Buch angesehen (Veda im Sanskrit bedeutet ‘Wissen’). Bharata Muni nahm in seiner Arbeit bezug auf die Ghandarvaveda, eine Abhandlung über Musik, Tanz und das Theater und Bestandteil der Upaveda, ein technisches Manual der Samaveda. Diese Sammlung von Hymnen ist das 2. Buch der Hindu Skripte und gehört zu den ersten vier vedischen Büchern. 75 der Melodien (samagana) in der Samaveda leiten sich aus der Rigveda ab, gleichfalls eine Kollektion von Hymnen, die von Priestern der vedischen Religion zur Lobpreisung der Gottheiten gesungen wurden.  Die Entstehung der  Rigveda wird zwischen 1700 und 1100 vor Christi Geburt datiert.
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*) Notation in ‘The Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation’ (Wolfang v. Schweinitz – 16.02.2007) /
microtonal accidentals designed by Marc Sabat & Wolfgang von Schweinitz (2004/2005) / Just Intonation (JI) of Indian Scales (@ Wikipedia)

CH – Raga CDs of the Months (12/12): Grama – Music Scales of the Ancient India

!! New Broadcasting Dates in 2013 – See the new Broadcasting Calendar here !!

The promotion initiative IMC – India meets Classic presents on Christmas Eve “Raga CD of the Months: Grama – music scales of the ancient India“.

– Ragamala painting – the legend says sung by Tansen Raga Deepak created fire.	. . . .The ancient Raga-Ragini system (16th century) existed of 132 raga scales, with six male Ragas: Bhairav, Deepak, Malkauns, Hindol, Shree and Megh. Each male raga is linked with 5 female ragas (Ragini-s). Each Raga-Ragini group has eight children (raga Putras (boys) and raga Vadhus (girls)).
Indian Rajput Miniature art painting (Mewar style) – Water color with Pure gold on cotton canvass (picture source: © Art of Legend India)

The seven main notes (or Swars) that are well-known today for the Raga scales in Indian classics of North and South India are: Sa (Shadaja), Re (Rishabh), Ga (Gandhara), Ma (Madhyama), Pa (Pancham), Dha (Dhaivat) and Ni (Nishad).

dates of broadcasting…

24th December 2012 – 04:00 pm EST (10:00 pm CET) @ Radio RaSA (CH)
(premiere: 16th February 2010 – 09:00 p.m. CET @ Tide Radio)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Shadaja, Madhyama and Gandhar Gramas

The origin of the Ragas and it’s microtonal structure (22 shruti-s) can be dated back to the scripts of the ancient India and the Vedas (600-500 BC).

In the Natya Sastra, a musical treatise about the performing arts (theatres, dance and music) written by the Indian musicologist and sage Bharata Muni we find first references with two basic types of scales (grama-s) to which all Ragas of today can be referenced: Shadja Grama and Madhyama Grama.

Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation *

The accomplishment of the Natya Sastra is dated approximately between 200 BC and 200 AC. By its fundamental treatise of performing Indian arts till nowadays it is called the 5th Vedic book (Veda in Sanskrit means ‘knowledge’). Bharata Muni referred herefore to the Ghandarvaveda, a treatise about music, dance and theatre as part of the Upaveda, the technical manual of the Samaveda. This collection of hymnes is the 2nd book of the Hindu scripts and part of the 1st 4 Vedic books. 75 of the melodies (samagana) in the Samaveda derivate from the Rigveda, same a collection of hymnes sung by the priests of Vedic religion for praising different deities. The Rigveda is dated aproximately between 1700-1100 BC.

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*) Notation in ‘The Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation’ (Wolfang v. Schweinitz – 16.02.2007) /
microtonal accidentals designed by Marc Sabat & Wolfgang von Schweinitz (2004/2005) / Just Intonation (JI) of Indian Scales (@ Wikipedia)