Kapi (raga)
Kāpi is a popular rāga in Carnatic music, the classical music of South India.[1] Kāpi is a janya rāgam of Kharaharapriya with a meandering vakra scale. Typically performed at slow and medium speeds, it is capable of inducing moods of devotion, pathos and sadness in the listeners. Kāpi is different from the Hindustani raag and thaat Kafi. The equivalent raag in Hindustani is Pilu.
| Arohanam | S R₂ M₁ P N₃ Ṡ |
|---|---|
| Avarohanam | Ṡ N₂ D₂ N₂ P M₁ G₂ R₂ S |
| Carnatic music |
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| Concepts |
| Compositions |
| Instruments |
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Structure and Lakshana
Kāpi is an audava-vakra sampoorna rāgam with an ascending pentatonic scale and a descending scale with seven notes, but not in a descending order. Use of Kakali Nishadam and Anthara Gandharam make it a Bhashanga Raagam.
- ārohaṇa : S R₂ M₁ P N₃ Ṡ[lower-alpha 1]
- avarohaṇa : Ṡ N₂ D₂ N₂ P M₁ G₂ R₂ S[lower-alpha 2]
The presence of different nishāda swarās (N2 and N3) lends a distinctive quality to Kāpi, along with the fact that it uses a set of vakra swarās (N2 D2 N2).
There is also a mild presence of shuddha daivatham (D1) that renders an invaluable feeling of devotion to the raagam. This, and the presence of Anthara Gandharam (G3) makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact nature of the avarohana of the raagam.
In the song Jagadhodharana composed by Sangeeta Pitamaha Sri Purandara Dasa, the note Suddha Dhaivatham (Dha1) also occurs as a foreign note(anya swara)
Kapi ragam gives the feeling Devotion, Sentiment and happiness
Compositions
Some of the popular compositions in Kāpi are:
- Jagadoddhārana Adisidaleshode, Bannisi gopi[2] - Purandaradasa
- Mee Valla Gunadosha Memi, Intha Sowkhya - Thyagaraja
- Venkatachalapate Ninu Nammiti - Muthuswami Dikshitar **
- Viharamanasa Rame, Smarasi Pura, Sree Madhavamanu - Swathi Thirunal
- Enna thavam seydanai Yashoda - Papanasam Sivan
- Bhaja maadhavam anisham - Mysore Vasudevacharya
- Maya Gopabala - K C Kesava Pillai
- Jaanaki ramana dasaratha nandana - Vanamaamalai Jeeyar Swami
- Javo Mat Thum (Upaakhyanam) - Swathi Thirunal
- Chinnanchiru Kiliye (First two stanzas) - Subramanya Bharathi
- Kurai Ondrum Illai (Two charanam verses) - Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
- Karthikeyanai - Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri
- Aravinda Padamalar - Ambujam Krishna
- Charanamule Nammiti - Bhadrachala Ramadasu
- Kanaka Simham - Kalyani Varadarajan
- Kanna Vaa Manivanna Vaa (First two verses) - Ambujam Krishna
- Nee mattume en nenjil nirkirai - Perumal Murugan and K Arun Prakash
** Kāpi of Muthuswami Dikshitar is quite different from the traditional Kāpi and often cited as karNATaka Kāpi
The Moorchana of Kāpi as per Venkatamakhin is S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S/ N2 D2 P M1 G2 G2 R2 S
Film Songs
Songs listed below are composed in Raga Pilu (raga) which is Hindustani equivalent to Raga Kapi (raga)
Language : Hindi
Language:Tamil
Language : Telugu
| Song | Movie | Composer | Singers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evarura, Neevevarura | Aggi Ramudu | S. M. Subbaiah Naidu | P. Bhanumathi |
| Nadumekkade neeku navalamani | Kodallostunnaru Jagratta(1980 film) | Satyam (composer) | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam |
Songs listed below are composed in Raga Pilu (raga) which is Hindustani equivalent to Raga Kapi (raga)
Language : Telugu
| Song | Movie | Composer | Singers |
|---|---|---|---|
| O Sukumara | Sita Rama Kalyanam (1961 film) | Gali Penchala Narasimha Rao | Ghantasala (musician) & P. Susheela |
| Vaddura Kannayya | Ardhangi | Master Venu | jikki |
| Konte choopulenduku lera | Srimanthudu (1971 film) | T. Chalapathi Rao | P. Susheela |
| Naluguru Navverura | Vichitra Kutumbam | T. V. Raju | P. Susheela |
| Pilichina Biguvatara | Malliswari (1951 film) | S. Rajeswara Rao | P. Bhanumathi |
| Andaala Bommatho | Amarasilpi Jakkanna | S. Rajeswara Rao | P. Susheela |
| Yemivvagalanu Danara | Vasantha Sena (1967 film) | S. Rajeswara Rao | P. Susheela |
| Rasakreeda Ika | Sangeeta Lakshmi | S. Rajeswara Rao | P. Susheela & S. Janaki |
| Navarasa Suma Maalika | Meghasandesam | Ramesh Naidu | K. J. Yesudas |
Private Album
Language : Telugu
| Song | Movie | Composer | Singers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramate Yamuna Pulinavane | Private Album | Jayadeva | Ghantasala | Ghantasala |
Notes
- Alternate notations:
- Hindustani: S R M P N Ṡ
- Western: C D F G B C
- Alternate notations:
- Hindustani: Ṡ Ṉ D Ṉ P M G̱ R S
- Western: C B♭ A B♭ G F E♭ D C
References
- Viswanathan, T.; Matthew Harp Allen (2004). Music in South India. Oxford University Press US. pp. 44–51. ISBN 978-0-19-514591-5.
- ""Jagadodharana"". YouTube.