Charukesi (pronounced chārukēśi) is a
rāga in
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is ...
(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 26th ''
Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Tarangini in
Muthuswami Dikshitar
Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...
school of Carnatic music.
''Charukesi'' is known to incite feelings of pathos and devotion in the listener.
Structure and Lakshana
It is the 2nd rāgam in the 5th ''chakra Bana''. The mnemonic name is ''Bana-Sri''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ri gu ma pa dha ni''.
[''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications] Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see ''
swaras in Carnatic music'' for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
(''chathusruthi rishabham, anthara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham, kaisiki nishadham'')
It is a
''sampoorna'' rāgam - a rāgam that has all seven ''
swara
Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or '' ...
s'' (notes). It is the ''shuddha madhyamam'' equivalent of ''
Rishabhapriya
Rishabhapriya is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 62nd '' melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is the ''prati madhyamam'' equivalent o ...
'', which is the 62nd ''melakarta''.
''Janya'' rāgams
There are only a few minor ''
janya
''Janya'' is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic (South Indian) music a ''janya raga'' is one derived from one of the 72 ''melakarta'' ragas (fundamental melodic structures). ''Janya'' ragas are classified into various types based on a varie ...
'' rāgams (derived scales) associated with ''Charukesi''. See full
list of ''janya'' rāgams associated with it.
Popular compositions
*''Adamodi Galade'' by
Thyagaraja
Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...
*''Karunai Varuumo'' by
Papanasam Sivan
Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema ...
*''Kripaya pālaya saure'' by
Swati Tirunal
( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള് രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over ...
*''Innum En manam'' By
Lalgudi Jayaraman
Lalgudi Gopala Iyer Jayaraman (17 September 1930 – 22 April 2013) was an Indian Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer. He is commonly grouped with M.S. Gopalakrishnan and T.N.Krishnan as part of the violin-trinity of Carnatic Mus ...
*''Palayamam Parameswari'', ''Maye tvam yahi'' By
Muthuswami Dikshadar
*''Samanyavalla Srihariya Seve'' By
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-pr ...
*''Neere Torele'' by
Vadiraja Tirtha
Sri Vadiraja Teertharu (1480 – 1600) was a Dvaita philosopher, poet, traveller and mystic. A polymath of his time, he authored many works, often polemical, on Madhva theology and metaphysics. Additionally, he composed numerous poems and as ...
*''Karunanidhan'' By
Swati Tirunal
( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള് രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over ...
Many compositions exist amongst modern adaptations of ''Charukesi'', especially in Indian movies, in ''
film songs
A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not ap ...
''. Examples are the songs
''Ammamma kelladi thozhi'' from
Karuppu panam
''Karuppu Panam'' () is a 1964 Indian Tamil-language crime film directed and photographed by G. R. Nathan. The screenplay was written by Valampuri Somanathan from a story by Kannadasan. Music was by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy. It stars T. S. Bal ...
by
M.S.Viswanathan ''Dhaandiya Aattam'' from the movie
Kadhalar Dhinam
''Kadhalar Dhinam'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romance film written and directed by Kathir. It is based on a love relationship which begins through an internet chatroom and takes a turn after the protagonist has second thoughts about th ...
, ''Vasanta mullai poalae'' from the movie ''Sarangadara'', ''Edho Edho Ondru'' from the movie ''Enakku Iruvathu, Unakku Padhinettu'', 'Aadal Kalaye' from
Sri Raghavendra
''Sri Raghavendrar'' is a 1985 Tamil-language Hindu mythological film directed by S. P. Muthuraman and was produced by Kavithalayaa Productions. The film stars Rajinikanth, portraying the title character, in his 100th film. Lakshmi, Vishnuvardh ...
and ''Udaya Udaya'' from another ''
Udhaya
''Udhaya'' is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language action drama film which was directed by Azhagam Perumal which released on 26 March 2004. The film stars Vijay and Simran, while Vivek, Nassar and Rajesh play supporting roles. The soundtrack for the ...
''. In Hindi movies ''Ahista Ahista'' from the movie
Swades
''Swades: We, the People'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language drama film co-written, directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi and Kishori Ballal while Daya Shankar Pandey, Rajesh Vivek, Lekh Tan ...
, ''Teri Umeed Tera Intezar'' from the movie
Deewana, ''Aye Kash Kavi Aisa Hota'' from the movie ''
Mohra
''Mohra'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film co-written, edited and directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by his father Gulshan Rai. It stars Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Raveena Tandon in the lead roles, along with Naseeruddin ...
'', are in Charukesi. Another composition in this raaga is the song ''Bombe Aatavaiyya'' from the
Rajkumar starrer Kannada movie
Shruthi Seridaaga
''Shruthi Seridaaga'' is a 1987 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Chi Dattaraj. The film was produced by Raghavendra Rajkumar. The film starred Rajkumar, Madhavi and Geetha. The music for the film was scored by T. G. Lingappa and the c ...
. Arguably the best rendition of Charukesi in a Hindi movie is ''Baiyya Na Dharo'' sung by
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her con ...
and composed by
Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan is a form of the Hindu god, Krishna.
Krishna is celebrated as ''Madan Mohan'', who mesmerizes everyone. His consort, Radha is glorified as Madan Mohan's ''Mohini'', who can even mesmerise Madan Mohan (her Kahn). Radha is known as th ...
from the movie
Dastak. ''Charukesi'' is also popular in
Hindustani music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
.
Bhavgeet ''He Surano Chandra Vha'' composed by
Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki and ghazal ''Main Hosh Mein Tha'' performed by
Mehdi Hassan are other well known examples of Charukesi.
In
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
, one of the all-time greatest songs is in Charukesi: 'Akale akale neelaakaasam' (from the movie 'Midumidukki', 1968). This was composed by Baburaj and sung by Yesudas and S. Janaki. There are claims that this raga is actually a very rare janya raga of Charukesi, Ushaabharanam (s g m d p m d n s / s n d p m g r g m r s). There are other great Charukesi compositions in Malayalam Films like Krishna Kripa Saagaram from Sargam sung by Yesudas and Chitra. Yaathrayai from Aayiram Para by Yesudas, Pooja Bimbam Mizhi from Harikrishnans by Yesudas and Chitra and Swapnam Thejichal from Rakshasa Raajavau by Yesudas to mention a few.
In the 2012 release of his devotional album on Lord
Ayyappan
Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil.
Although devotion ...
''Sabarimalai Va Charanam Solli Va'', ace singer
P. Unni Krishnan
Parakkal Unnikrishnan (born 9 July 1966) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist and playback singer.
Early life and background
Unnikrishnan was born to K. Radhakrishnan and Dr. Harini Radhakrishnan in Palakkad, Kerala.
The family home, Kesari Kutee ...
renders a song on Raga Charukesi, Uthirathil Udhithavane Sol, signifying the Lord's birth star UTHIRAM.
Devotional song on Charukesi by P. Unni Krishnan
/ref> This album was composed and released by Manachanallur Giridharan
Manachanallur Giridharan (born 15 April 1964) is a South Indian music director, lyricist, singer, and also an educationist. He is also the founder of '' EdServ Softsystems Limited''. He has founded his own music production house called ''Gaanan ...
, a noted music director from Tamil Nadu.
In western music, charukesi like structures are encountered in Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...
's famous Impromptu C Minor Allegro molto moderato and also in Russian Composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov
Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Ипполи́тов-Ива́нов; 28 January 1935) was a Russian and Soviet composer, conductor and teacher. His music ranged from the late-Romantic era ...
's 'Procession of the Sardar' from his Orchestral Suite, '' Caucasian Sketches''.
Film Songs
Language:
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
Non Film Songs
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Charukesi's notes when shifted using '' Graha bhedam'', yields 3 other major ''melakarta'' rāgams, namely, '' Vachaspati'', ''Natakapriya
Natakapriya, (pronounced nāţakapriya, meaning ''the one dear to theatre'') is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 10th ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. A ...
'' and ''Gourimanohari
Gourimanohari or Gaurimanohari is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 23rd ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. The 23rd ''melakarta'' rāgam as per Muth ...
''. ''Graha bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. For further details and an illustration, see '' Graha bhedam on Vachaspati''.
Notes
References
External links
Film Songs (Hindi) in Charukesi
{{Rāgas as per Performance Time
Melakarta ragas