Rāga Todi

Rāga Yaman

Elisabetta Giuspoli: vocal, tanpura Sarvesh Pandit: tabla, pakhavaj Andrea Ferigo: svaramandala, tanpura, sitar, fretless 32-string guitar Michele Mastrotto: tabla

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Rāga Todi

Ţhāţa: Todi

ārohī SA re ga ma dha NI SA

avarohī SA NI dha PA ma dha ma ga re ga re SA

Vādī ga

Samvādī dha

Pakad dha NI SA re ga re SA, ma ga re ga re SA, ma re ga re SA

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Glossary for Indian music

Ālāpa: The introductory part of the rāga, in which the melodic phrases are presented without percussion. In the dhrupad singing style syllables are used (eg. ri re ne nom tom ect.) and that is why it is called “nom tom ālāpa” Ārohī: Ascending scale Avarohī: Descending scale Svara: A musical sound or note Vādī: Principal svara or sonant note Samvādī: Second important svara or consonant note Pakad: Key phrases that identify a rāga Calana: Summary of the movements of the ‘svaras’ typical of a rāga Rāga: Combination of svara (at least five) arranged in Ārohī and Avarohī according to the rules with the aim of affecting the Citta (the attention) of the listener and to stop the vortex of thoughts Ţhāţa: Modern scale arrangement of seven sounds of the rāga system Tāla: Rhythmic cycle used by the percussion (eg. tabla or pakhavaj) Mandra saptaka: Low register or lower (showed by dots under the notes) Madhya saptaka: Middle register Tāra saptaka: High register or upper octave (showed by dots above the notes) Śuddha: A pure note or not altered Tīvra: Sharp Altered note in ascending order Komal: Flat Altered note in descending order SA: First svara of the scale (normally not altered) RE: Second svara śuddha or not altered re: Second svara komal or flatted GA: Third svara śuddha ga: Third svara komal or flatted MA: Fourth svara śuddha ma: Fourth svara tīvra or sharped PA: Fifth svara of the scale (normally not altered) DHA: Sixth svara śuddha dha: Sixth svara komal or flatted NI: Seventh svara śuddha ni: Seventh svara komal or flatted Dhrupad: The oldest style of Indian classical vocal music, characterised by a slowness that is more solemn and majestic, strict and precise in its intonation of the svaras and the execution of the Ālāpa Khayāl: A more recent and more used style of Indian classical vocal music, characterised by freer use of the svaras and more creative virtuosity

A historical outline of Rāga Todi

The most frequently used name for this Scale (ţhāţa) in written works (śāstra) was NataVaraliMela^?, but thanks to the popularity of the specific melody called "Todi ", the same "Todi " as a rāga ended up by giving its name to the Scale. At the time of the system “rāga-rāgiņi” (classification of the rāgas into masculine rāga and feminine rāgiņi), "Todi " was considered to be the rāgiņi of rāga Malkauns. 7 rāgas belong to the scale that bears its name, of which Todi and Multani are the most popular. There are still two more important forms of rāga Todi still played today. The first is called Miyan Kī Todi, that is the Toḍ̣̉i of Miyan, from the name Miyan Tansen, one of the greatest Indian musicians ever. He lived in the XVIth century and the only thing known for certain about him is the date of his death in 1589. It is very unlikely that the modern form of Todi was that of Tansen’s time, because the old scale of Todi is that which corresponds today to rāga Bhairavī and Tansen’s name only appears for the first time in musical literature in the XIXth century. Instead, the precursor of the modern form of Toḍi seems to have been a rāga called Todi Varali, obviously a combination of contemporary Todis and rāga Varali. This was mentioned for the first time by Ahobala in 1665 and was based on a scale almost identical to that of today’s Todi. The second form of Todi is called Gujari Todi. This is very similar to Miyan Kī Todi, except for the note PA which is omitted in this second form, and for a greater emphasis given to the notes re and dha.

Therapeutic aspects of Rāga Todi

According to the knowledge and techniques of Sahaja Yoga, as explained by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, the subtle centres of the physical body of a human being, called cakra-s, and the pure energy at the base of the spine, called kuņdalinī, are responsible for the physical health of our body, in addition to our psychic and mental balance. According to our personal experience, singing and listening to certain melodies of classical Indian music (rāga) is responsible for activating a beneficial subtle effect on the cakra-s by the kuņdalinī. In particular, in the case of rāga Todi, a positive effect has been confirmed on the second cakra on the left side (Left Svādhişţhāna). According to Sahaja Yoga theory, the pathology of diabetes originates, from the energy point of view, from an imbalance in the subtle system of this left side and especially in the same Left Svādhişţhāna and Nabhi (2nd and 3rd cakra-s). Therefore the active listening to rāga Todi by patients affected by diabetes (together with other Sahaja Yoga techniques, mainly the initial awakening of the energy kuņdalinī) could be a valid adjuvant, if not a substitute, for the drugs used at the time for the cure of this pathology.

Project Todi and the aim of this CD

The idea for this project, developed and co-ordinated by the non-profit association "Sahaja Yoga" of Verona took its cue in 2005 from resolution number 235 of the Regional Council of Veneto entitled “Contributions of innovative projects by non-profit Associations.” The project has already received the official support of the “A.Pedrollo” Conservatory of Vicenza, for the Course of Traditional Indian Music that it hosts, in addition to the offical backing of the city of Verona. It consists of carrying out research with the aim of measuring, in a reliable way, the effect of Sahaja Yoga meditation on improving the health and well-being of a sample of people appropriately selected. The project is divided into two stages: A first stage, with “ordinary” people, chosen without any particular criteria. A second stage with people suffering from diabetes, which will follow the first in all ways. In both stages, Indian classical music will be played during the meditation. In the second stage, with the help of general practioners and the Diabetic Association of Verona, around twenty subjects will be selected, according to the same criteria as the first stage but also suffering from Diabetes mellitus, both first and second types. This group will experience meditation for a period of around six months. During this meditation, different from the first, the participants are to listen to a particular Indian musical composition (rāga), from which this project derives its name: Rāga Todi

This CD is for use in Project Todi, above all for the second stage, but is also aimed at all those who wish to begin to understand the system that governs the rāga, the fundamental form of Indian classical music. It is in addition an invitation to try and sing the svara, the melodic ascending and descending scales and the principal melodic movements of rāga-s, as well as to feel the rhythmic elements of the tāla by listening to the only rhythmic section performed by the percussion. In this way listeners can directly experience the effects of this music on their own subtle system, consisting of cakra-s, nādī-s and the kuņdalinī.

Notes on Hindi and Sanskrit pronounciation

These languages use the devanāgarī characters that consist of around 50 phonemes, while western languages have about half that amount. Therefore certain diacritical signs are required in their translation.

ā, ī, ū: doubles the sound. e.g. kāma = kaama ŗ: is like a rolled r followed by a short i. E.g.. dŗg = drig g: is always hard, as in gate. E.g. gītā = gheeta c: is always soft, as in church. E.g. candra = chandra j: is like j in Jacket E.g.. jīva = jeeva jñā: is pronounced ghniaa o ghiaa. E.g. jñāna = ghniaana y is: a half vowel as in yes . Es. yajña = yaghneea ś: is pronounced like shield. Es. śānti = shaanti ş: as above but with the tongue turned up towards the palate s: is always soft as in sun h: is always pronounced. E.g. bhūta = b-huuta ñ: is pronounced like the group gn as in gnostic or the group ng in angel. ņ: like the sound n with the tongue turned up towards the palate ţ: like the sound t (as in train) with the tongue turned up towards the palate d: like the sound d (as in direct) with the tongue turned up towards the palate

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Rāga Todi composition by Dilīpa Candra Vedi (1902-1992)

Prathama sumara Śrī Gaņeşa Gauri suta priya Maheśa

Sakala bighana bhaya kaleşa Dūra se nivāre

Lambodara bhuja viśāla Kara triśūla candra bhāla

Śobhita gale puşpa māla Rakta vasana dhāre

Tāla: cautāla (12 movements) DHA DHA DHIN TA ŢIŢE DHA DHIN TA ŢIŢE KATA GADI GANA

Translation

First let us recall Śrī Gaņeşa Son of Gauri and loved by Maheśa

He removes and takes far away All the obstacles, fears and afflictions

He has a large stomach and a long trunk He holds a trident in one hand and bears the moon on his forehead

His neck is charming and garlanded with flowers And he wears clothes of the colour red

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01 Rāgamala “Sarasvatī Vandana”

Rāga Todi

02 Ārohī avarohī 03 Calana 04 Cautal, bol and theka 05 Nom Tom Ālāpa 06 Prathama Sumara Śrī Gaņeşa composed in cautal by Pt. D. C. Vedi (1902-1992)

Rāga Yaman

07 Ārohī avarohī 08 Calana 09 Dhamar, bol and theka 10 Airī Dapha Bājana Lāge composed in dhamar by Pt. Vidur Mallik 11 Bhajan, “Sahaja Yogiņi”

Recorded at Funk Lab, Luzzara (MN) in February 2006 Recording, Mixing , Editing: Alberto Benati

Thanks to: Alberto and Nicoletta, Valeria and Demetrio of the DocServizi^?, Ugo and Giovanna Giuspoli, Concetta Santoponte, Nicholas Granby. A particular thanks to Amelia Cuni and Gianni Ricchizzi, our teachers of Indian singing and the sitar at the Conservatorio of Vicenza.

Info: www.sahajayoga.it: regarding Sahaja Yoga world-wide www.consvi.org and www.musicaindiana.net: for the teaching of Indian Music in Italy www.wiki-wiki.it/cgi-bin/view/Todi/ProgettoTodi: about ProjectTodi^? www.ameliacuni.de : website of Amelia Cuni www.musicaindiana.tk website of Gianni Ricchizzi

Contact: Andrea Ferigo andreaferigo@inwindNOSPAM.it tel. 328 7415123 fax 045 8921176

Dedicated to Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga and inspirer of Indian classical arts.

Booklet english translation by Nicholas Granby Cover image: Rāga Todi, Pahadi miniature