The Shiv-Hari Duo of Pandits Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia

Shiv-Hari is the duo of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, two of the most distinguished contemporary Hindustani Indian classical musicians. Shivkumar Sharma is the virtuoso of the Santoor ( Indian hammered dulcimer) and Hariprasad Chaurasia of the Bansuri (Indian transverse flute.)

Sharma and Chaurasia first collaborated in 1967 as part of a trio with guitarist Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra to produce the album “Call of the Valley”.

The duo later formed Shiv-Hari and teamed up to score music for many popular Bollywood motion pictures, viz., Silsila (1981), Faasle (1981), Vijay (1988), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Parampara (1993), Sahibaan (1993), and Darr (1993.) Chandni, Darr, Silsila, and Lamhe were made by film director, script writer and film producer Yash Chopra.

Pictures of the Shiv-Hari Duo

  • Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia with Ravi Shankar
    Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia with Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar.
  • Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Brij Bhushan Kabra
    Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia first collaborated in 1967 as part of a trio with guitarist Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra to produce the album “Call of the Valley”.
  • The Shiv-Hari Duo with Amitabh Bachchan and Yash Chopra
    The Shiv-Hari duo conferring with actor Amitabh Bachchan and film director, script writer and film producer Yash Chopra during the making of Silsila (1981.)
  • The Shiv-Hari Duo of Pandits Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia
    Over the decades, Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia have also collaborated on many concert tours and played Indian classical music together.
  • Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia with Annapurna Devi
    Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia with surbahar exponent Annapurna Devi, daughter and disciple of Baba Allauddin Khan, and first wife of sitar exponent Ravi Shankar.

Song on Saraswathi in Raga Yaagapriya: Kalaavati Kamalaasana Yuvati

Goddess Saraswathi, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, and science

Muthuswami Dikshitar Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1834 A.D.), the youngest of the trinity of South Indian Carnatic Classical composers, composed the following in veneration to Goddess Saraswathi, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts and science. Kalaavati Kamalaasana Yuvati is in raga Yaagapriya and Aditala.

Lyrics

Pallavī

Kalāvatī kamalāsanayuvatī
Kalyānam kalayatu Sarasvatī

Anupallavī

Balābalāmantrārṇarūpiṇī
Bhāratī mātṛkāśarīriṇī
Malālividārīṇī vāgvāṇī
Madhukaraveṇī viṇāpāṇī

Charaṇam

Sarad-jyotsnāśubhrākārā
Śaśivadanā kāśmīravihārā
Varā śāradā parā’ṇkuśadharā
Varadābhayapāśapustakakarā

Surārchitapadāmbujā śobhanā
Śvetapaṇkajāsanā suradanā
Purāri-guruguharañjanī
Murārisnuṣā nirañjanī

Meaning

Pallavī

May Saraswathi, Goddess of Arts, the Sakti of the Creator Brahma, bring about all good things.

Anupallavī

May She the embodiment of the mystic syllables of the twin mantras, balā and abalā (which remove all hunger, thirst and fatigue and bestow all learning), Goddess of Language in the form of the Alphabet, the destroyer of the accumulated obscuring dirt of Ignorance, Goddess of Eloquence (Vāgvāni), of tresses dark like the bees, having on her hands the Veena, bestow all good things.

Charaṇam

May She, whose form is resplendent like the autumnal moon-light, whose face is like the moon, who is the Great Goddess Sarada sporting in Kashmira Country, who is the most subtle form of Sound, who holds in her hands boons and security from fear (for her devotees) and also the goad, the noose and the book, whose lotus feet are adored by the Gods, who (as Lakshmi) is the shining Goddess of beauty with fine rows of teeth, who (as Parvati) delights Siva (Her Lord) and teacher Guha (Her son), may Saraswathi wedded to Creator Brahma born of Vishnu, the Goddess who is Pure, untainted transcendental Being, bring about all good things.

Raga Brindabani Sarang (Kafi Thaat)

Raga Brindabani Sarang 'Tum Rab Tum Sahib' from the Kafi Thaat

The raga Brindabani Sarang is a Hindustani North Indian classical melodic form from the Kafi thaat. The notes Ga and dha are not used in this raga.

Brindabani Sarang is generally played in the Madhyanah (around noon) and is believed to evoke the Shringara rasa, or an ambiance of romance and mysticism.

The Arohana is ni (mandra saptak) sa re ma pa ni sa and the Avarohana is sa ni(komal) pa ma re sa. The ni swara is shuddha in the arohana and komal in the avarohana. The vadi and the samavadi are re and pa respectively. The pakad or chalan of this raga is ni sa re ma re pa ma re ni sa.

Brindabani Sarang Composition / Lyric

Perhaps the most famous composition in Brindabani Sarang is by Tansen, the most prominent of Hindustani classical music composers and a musician from the court of Mughal emperor Akbar.

Tum rab tum saheb
Tum hi kartaar
Ghata-ghata pooran
Jal-thal bhar bhaar

Tum hi rahim
Tum hi karim
Gaavat guni-gandharva
Sur-nar sur-naar

Tum hi pooran brahma
Tum hi achala
Tum hi jagat guru
Tum hi sarkaar

Kahe miya tansen
Tum hi aap
Tum hi karat sakal
Jag ko bhav paar