Abhogi


Abhogi is a raga in Carnatic music and has been adapted to Hindustani music. It is a pentatonic scale, an audava raga. It is a derived scale, as it does not have all the seven swaras. Ābhōgi has been borrowed from Carnatic music into Hindustani music and is also quite popular in the latter. In Hindustani music the raga has been classified under the Kafi thaat.

Theory

The Carnatic raga Abhogi is a symmetric pentatonic scale that does not contain panchamam and nishadam. It is called an audava-audava raga, as it has 5 notes in both ascending and descending scales. Its structure is as follows:
  • [Arohana|]:
  • [Avarohana|]:
The notes used are shadjam, chathusruti rishabham, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam and chathusruthi dhaivatham. Ābhōgi is considered a janya raga of Kharaharapriya, the 22nd Melakarta raga, though it can be derived from Gourimanohari too, by dropping both panchamam and nishadam.

''Graha bhedam''

Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to another note in the rāgam. Abhogi's notes, when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields another pentatonic rāgam, Valaji. For more details and illustration of this concept refer Graha bhedam on Ābhōgi.
According to P.Moutal, the raga Kalavati is a transposition of Abhogi.

Scale similarities

Sriranjani is a rāgam which has kaishiki nishadam in both ascending and descending scales in addition to the notes in Ābhōgi. Its structure is :

Notable compositions

Abhogi is a raga used for compositions in a medium to fast tempo. It has been used by many composers in classical music and film music. Notable traditional compositions in Abhogi include:Nannu Brova Nee Kinta Tāmasamā and Manasu Nilpa in Adi tala and Neelakantha Niranjana in Rupaka tala by ThyagarajaAnugalavu Chinte, Maneyolagaado By Purandara DasaŚri Lakṣhmi varāham by Muthuswami DikshitarSabhāpatikku veru daivam, in Rupaka tala by Gopalakrishna BharatiNeekepudu in Khanḍa Tripuṭa tala by Mysore Sadashiva RaoEvvari bodhana, a popular varnam and Manasa Vrutha by Patnam Subramania IyerNekkurugi unnai, Manakkurangu and Thanjam Enrale by Papanasam SivanSri Mahaganapathe by N S RamachandranManujudai Putti by Annamacharya

In Hindustani music

The Carnatic raga was incorporated relatively recently into Hindustani classical music where it is known as Abhogi Kanada or simply, Abhogi. The Kanada indicates its origin as a member of the Kanada group. Abhogi Kanada is assigned to the Kafi thaat.
The Carnatic and Hindustani Abhogis have almost identical arohanas and avarohanas. However, one major differences is that the Carnatic raga uses the Kanada vakra phrase in a straight manner.

Theory

Pa and Ni are omitted. Also Re is often omitted in ascent. Flat Ga is often approached from Ma in ascent and has a slight oscillation to show the typical Kanada. In descent often the typical Kanada phrase is used.
  • Arohana :
  • Avarohana : or
  • Vadi:
  • Samavadi:
  • Jeeva Swaras: and
  • Pakad or Chalan: GMDS SDRSDMD_ D_SRGRS D_RSDM GMMDDSDRSD_M GMD_MGGRR_ GRSd Rd_S
  • Samay : Night, approximately 9PM-12AM.
  • Thaat: Kafi
Related ragas: Bageshree. However, Bageshree also includes flat Ni and a limited use of Pa, which gives a different flavour.

Compositions

Hindustani compositions of note in Abhogi Kanada include:Par gaya chahai sab koi in Ektal by RaidasJayati siri radhike in Jhaptal by Gadadhar BhattEk barajori kare saiyya in Jhumratal

Important recordings