Priyagitha: The Nightingale

The musical form at the heart of traditional Indian classical music, the raga or (or "rag," in modern Hindi/Urdu) has its roots in the Sanskrit "ranj," which means "to color." It is sometimes said,"that which colors the mind is the raga." A raga defies simple definition. More than a scale, mode, tune or melody, it is a combination of elements-such as the modal structure, including the ascending and descending movement; the emphasis or avoidance of certain notes; the characteristic movements a...