Kalavati or Kalawati is a modern

pentatonic A pentatonic scale is a Scale (music), musical scale with five Musical note, notes per octave, in contrast to heptatonic scales, which have seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale). Pentatonic scales were developed inde ...

Svara Swara () or svara is an Indian classical music term that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, a note, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave, or ''saptanka''. More comprehensively ...

s Re (the second tone) and Ma (the fourth tone) are strictly omitted (Varjya/Varjit). Kalavati belongs to the

Khamaj Thaat Khamaj () is one of the ten thaats (parent scales) of Hindustani music from the Indian subcontinent. It is also the name of a raga within this thaat. The Khamaj thaat can be obtained by replacing the Shuddha Nishad of Bilaval by Komal Nishad. T ...

Aroha and avaroha

Ārohana S G P D n S' In the Western scale, assuming S

C, this would roughly translate to: C E G A B♭ c

Avarohana An Avarohana, Avarohanam or Avaroha, in the context of Indian classical music, is the descending scale of any raga.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ''Glossary'' pages, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications The notes descend in pitch ...

S' n D P G S Kalavati uses (komal) ni as
Vakra Svara
in Aroha. P D n D S'

Vadi and samavadi

The Vadi is Pa, while the

Samvadi The samavadi or samvadi is the second-most prominent (though not necessarily second-most played) note of a raga in Indian classical music. The primary note of the raga is the ''Vadi (Hindustani classical music), vadi''; the vadi and samavadi are i ...

is Sa

Pakad or chalan

Komal Ni is weak in Aroha and often dropped: G P D n D S' or S G P D S', but in Tanas G P D n S' is also taken. Komal Ni is als
Andolita
G P D n~ D P It's also used as G P D n – S' D G P D S n – D P

Organization and relationships

Kalavati is derived from a Carnatic raga (see also

Yagapriya Yagapriya (pronounced yāgapriya) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 31st ''melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Kalāvati in Muthuswami Dik ...

). According to J.D. Patki the raga was popularized in Maharashtra by Pandit Rao Nagarkar,

Roshan Ara Begum Roshan Ara Begum () (1917 – 6 December 1982) was a vocalist belonging to the Kirana gharana (singing style) of Hindustani classical music. She is also known by her honorific title ''Malika-e-Mauseeqi'' (The Queen of Music) and ''The Que ...

and

Gangubai Hangal Gangubai Hangal (05 March 1913 – 21 July 2009) was an Indian singer of the '' khayal'' genre of Hindustani classical music from Karnataka, who was known for her deep and powerful voice. Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana. She was a ...

. B.Subba Rao explains the Carnatic Kalavati as omitting Ga and Ni in aroha and Ni in Avaroha, using komal Re. That would make it closer to

raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...

Jansamohini.

Carnatic music

Carnatic music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...

, Kalavati is approximated as Valachi or Valaji, and is considered to be S G P D n S/S n D P G S, and a janya of the 28th

Melakartha Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales (ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be derived. A ''melakart ...

Harikambhoji Harikambhoji (pronounced harikāmbhōji) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 28th ''Melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. One of the first scales employed ...

Bandishes(Compositions) composed in Raag Kalavati

Film songs

Tamil

Behavior

G is often a starting note of a combination: G G P D n D P G. While returning to Sa a descending

meend In Hindustani music, ''meend'' (Hindi: , ) refers to a glide from one note to another. It is an essential performance practice, and is used often in vocal and instrumental music. On the veena, sitar, sarangi and other plucked stringed instrument ...

is taken from Ga to Sa Other movements: S, G P, G\S ṇ Ḍ S, S ^PG P, ^DP ^GS, G P D - - D - - n D P, G G P D n~ , n D P, G P, G P D n D, ⁿD S', S' ^G' S' S' G' P' G' S' n D, G P D, n n D P, G D P, G n D, G'\S' n D, n D P G P ^DP G\S, ṇ Ḍ S - , G P D n S n D P G\S - , ,

Samay (time)

Evening

Historical information

Important recordings

Imrat Khan Imrat Khan (17 November 1935 – 22 November 2018) was an Indian sitar and surbahar player and composer. He was the younger brother of sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan.Farrell, Gerry (2001)"Khan, Imrat" ''Grove Music Online''. (subscriptio ...

, L.P.record No. EASD-1358 *

Nishat Khan Nishat Khan (born 25 October 1960) is an Indian sitar player from an illustrious musical family and the foremost sitar virtuoso of his generation. As a composer and music producer he has collaborated with some of the world's leading musicians s ...

, "Sentimental Sitar", Super Cassettes Ind (1994). Ltd, as CD: SICCD 042 *

Prabha Atre Prabha Atre (13 September 1932 – 13 January 2024) was an Indian classical vocalist from the Kirana gharana. She was awarded all three of the Padma Awards by the Government of India. She died after experiencing breathing difficulty in the e ...

, "Classical Vocal: Maru Bihag, Kalavati, Thumri Mishra Khamaj", HMV * S Balachander, Veena, "Carnatic Instrumental: Muthuswamy Dikshithar Krithi – Kalavati Kamalasana Yuvati"; http://gaana.com/share/titemI41181 * Acharya Dr. Pandit Gokulotsavji Maharaj, Hindustani Classical Vocal, Bharat Jahan Se Pyara भारत जहां से प्यारा. Recorded to DoorDarshan

References

External links

Film Songs in Rag Kalavati

Example of Raag Kalavati on Youtube by Ch-02: SANSKRITI [Arts, History, Philosophy

Literature

* * * * {{Rāgas as per Performance Time Hindustani ragas Janya ragas