Shamalangi or Shyamalangi (pronounced ) is a
raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
m in
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, 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, an ...
(classical music of southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
). It is the 55th in the 72 ''
melakarta
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 generated. A ''melak ...
'' rāgam system of Carnatic music, and is called ' in the
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 that genre.
[''Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal'' by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai][''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications][''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras]
Structure and Lakshana
Shamalang is the 1st rāgam in the 10th ''chakra Disi''. Its mnemonic name is ''Disi-Pa;'' the mnemonic phrase associated with it is ''sa ri gi mi pa dha na''.
Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see
''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
''Shamalangi's swaras'' are ''chathusruthi rishabham, sadharana gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham'' and ''shuddha nishadham''. As it is a ''melakarta'' rāgam, by definition it is a
''sampoorna'' rāgam (containing all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the ''prati madhyamam'' equivalent of ''
Jhankaradhwani
Jhankaradhvani or Jhankaradhwani (pronounced jhankāradhvani) is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 19th '' Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music.
It is ca ...
'', which is the 19th ''melakarta'' scale.
''Janya'' rāgams
Shamalangi has a couple of 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 it (see
List of ''janya'' rāgams).
Compositions
A few compositions set to ''Shamalangi'' rāgam are:
*''Veera raghava'' by
Koteeswara Iyer
*''Shyamalangi'' by Dr.
M. Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in ...
*''Namo namaste geervani'' by
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 ...
*''Shyamalangi Matangi'' by
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 ...
Related rāgams
When shifted using ''
Graha Bhedam
''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic note (''śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani classical music is called a ''mur ...
'', Shamalangi's notes yield two minor ''melakarta'' rāgams: ''
Ganamoorti
Ganamurti (pronounced gānamūrti, meaning ''the idol of music'') is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 3rd ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music.
It is cal ...
'' and ''
Vishwambari''. ''Graha Bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies the same while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. For more details and an example, see ''
Graha Bhedam on Ganamoorti''.
Notes
References
{{Janya, state=collapsed
Melakarta ragas