Remember how Raag Desh brought the entire nation together on 15 August 1989. When the great Pandit Bhimsen Joshi sang ‘Lab Pe Jage Geet Aisa, Gunje Bankar Desh Raag’ amidst the lush green landscape, his deep voice resonated (Echo) is etched in our hearts. The song ‘Baaje Sargam Har Taraf Se’, created during the Doordarshan days to spread the message of national unity, also featured other eminent musicians like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, M. Balamuralikrishna, Ustad Allah Rakha and Zakir Hussain.
During an Interview the hindu In 2011, renowned Carnatic musician Balamuralikrishna spoke about how much he enjoyed being a part of both ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ and ‘Baaje Sargam’. “Being born in the pre-independence era, I got emotional while singing those lines filled with patriotic spirit. Being a musician myself, I can imagine the joy of creating this song with various artistes, art forms and instruments. I was excited to both play the violin and sing.”
A group of artists performed in ‘Baaje Sargam’. Photo courtesy: Special Arrangement
An extremely melodious late night raga, Raga Desh is associated with the monsoon and is often sung to express the romance of rain. Though it is called Desh, it was not composed to evoke patriotic feelings. It acquired this characteristic after it was used to compose the national song Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Since then it has been used by composers and musicians to create tunes of national unity.
To celebrate India’s 78th Independence Day this August 15, ITC presents a heart-wrenching composition titled ‘Desh Ek Raag’. It features singers and instrumentalists from the Kolkata-based ITC Sangeet Research Academy (ITC-SRA). The tricolour-coloured violins, sitar, piano, guitar, sarangi, sarod, dhol, mridangam and flute come together to present the beauty of the country through strings, keys and percussion, while the singers dressed in green, saffron and white perform the traditional bandish ‘Beet Jaat Barkha Rut’ in the raga.
ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri says, “This musical masterpiece is inspired by Raag Desh, which evokes a deep sense of pride and admiration for our great nation.”
The Sangeet Research Academy, started more than four decades ago, imparts training in Hindustani music to young enthusiasts. Renowned singer and exponent of the Patiala-Kasur Gharana, Pandit Ajoy Chakravarty is its chief guru and guide.
Inside the Sangeet Research Academy, where the song was composed. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The veteran says, “We all know about CSR (corporate social responsibility), but the Academy is a unique example of, as I would like to call it – corporate cultural responsibility. And through ‘Desh Ek Raag’ we wanted to express our gratitude to the country, whose cultural heritage is a strong binding force.”
Pt. Ajay Chakraborty with disciples | Photo courtesy: Special arrangement
This melodious song has been composed by sarod artiste Abir Hussain. Hussain, who belongs to the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana, trained for many years under sarod player Pandit Budhdev Das Gupta. For the last five years, he has been working under the guidance of Pandit Ajay Chakravarty at ITC-SRA. According to Abir, “This song was composed for many purposes, of course, the most important was the message of unity.”
Sarod artist Abir Hussain | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
‘Desh Ek Raag’ is also an attempt to showcase India’s cultural values, especially the Guru-Shishya tradition. “That’s why the song features both the Guru and the disciple. It also showcases young talent, after all, the future belongs to them. Many of the artistes in the video are in their teens.”
The recording was done at SRA’s in-house studio. “Singing or playing an instrument in the studio is completely different from performing live. ‘Desh Ek Raag’ exposed our young musicians to this challenge, and look how they have taken it up to.”
In India, where we have songs for every occasion, it is not surprising that a melody has become a symbol of freedom.
