Resources from ranipal

Guru Mantra in Sanskrit.
Raga Darbari
World instruments
Vocalist Malyaban
Music arrangement and production by RagaRani
Asian Arts music

Expressing the confusion we feel when losing family and friends and so many people tragically lost in the world with famine, floods, war and the pandemic infection

Using soothing Melody of Raga Yaman with combined english and hindi lyrics to express the depth of bewilderment, confusion and pain...

If the heat scorches, let it not scald you
If the snow freezes, let it not numb you
For a warmth remains always, despite the distant coolness......

by Embers on Ice

We have created raga melody with western lyrics and music to express what everyone is feeling in the current coronavirus pandemic and
across the continents

§ Frozen World - for expressing every person's suffering loss and separation in coronavirus

§ This Devotion - to express our thanks to all the health workers, doctors, nurses and community and family members who are helping each other and serving our needs

§ Tread Carefully - to remember all the special individuals who sadly and tragically lost their life too young

by Embers on Ice

Celebrating the 23rd April 500 years - with 5000 years
Sonnets & Ragas
500 years meets 5000 years

Vocals Malyaban and RagaRani
Conception, composition of lyrical melody and music arrangement and sound editing by RagaRani
Dedicated to the greatness of Shakespeare (23rd April 1564 -April 23rd 1616), aged 52 years as we move toward his 500 years death anniversary on 23rd April 2016

In honour of this, we have been creating music to his words of Sonnets. If you would like to contribute your music MP3 please contact us.

We present a pioneering series of New music which blends the melody of Raga Gorakh Kalyan with the eternal words of Shakespeare's Sonnet 20 (part 1)

SONNET 20 PARAPHRASE
A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted
(A woman's face, colored by Nature's own hand)

Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;
(Have you, the master-mistress of my desire);

A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted
(You have a woman's gentle heart, but you are not prone)

With shifting change, as is false women's fashion;
(To fickle change, as is the way with women);

An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
(You have eyes brighter than their eyes, and more sincere),
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
(Lighting up the very object that they look upon);

A man in hue, all 'hues' in his controlling,
(You are a man in shape and form, and all men are in your control),
Much steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
(You catch the attention of men and amaze women's souls [hearts].

And for a woman wert thou first created;
(You were originally intended to be a woman);

Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
(Until Nature, as she made you, showed excessive fondness)

And by addition me of thee defeated,
(And, by adding one extra thing, [Nature] defeated me),

By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
(By adding one thing she has prevented me from fully having you,)

But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,
(But since Nature equipped you for women's pleasure),

Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.
(Let your body be their treasure, and let me have your love).

Sonnets & Ragas
the perfect distillation of timelessness with the timeless
with the ephemeral with the eternal
the unique with one

Music which blends the melody of Ragas of North Indian Classical Music with the words of Shakespeare's sonnets.

We are interested in creating music to Shakespearian sonnets as we move toward his 500 years death anniversary in April 2016.

Lyrics - Shakespearian sonnet 15
This is a demo track and first stanza only (full track will be uploaded shortly)

Vocals and
Music composition/ arrangement /production
by Malyaban and RagaRani

Sonnet 15
When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and check'd even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay,
To change your day of youth to sullied night;
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

This is a short clip of forthcoming music being created by Embers on Ice - call it World Music, Fusion Music, Universal music, Ragas of our Times - whatever name it means to you!

We aim for it to appeal to everyone

Using the Raga form in expressing lyrical melody - the ancient formula of inherent therapeutic quality ensures it soothes the Mind, Body and Soul. Combining this with western music instrumentation, it bursts a flavour of the new generation.

Intellectually, the western chords and notation were written first, and then combining this with Raga scale.

'Eye to Eye' is based on Raga Khammaj in a setting so that west and east music meet in an exciting manner.....

....It uses the combination of fast beat pattern of akaar, sargams and Tarana with a range of instruments including piano, flute, guitar and percussion.

Embers on Ice
Concept and Music composition by Reuben

Tarana composed by Malyaban Chatterjee
Vocals by Malyaban Chatterjee & Raga Rani

This is a short clip of forthcoming music being created by Embers on Ice - call it World Music, Fusion Music, Universal music, Ragas of our Times - whatever name it means to you!

We aim for it to appeal to everyone

Using the Raga form in expressing lyrical melody - the ancient formula of inherent therapeutic quality ensures it soothes the Mind, Body and Soul. Combining this with western music instrumentation, it bursts a flavour of the new generation.

Intellectually, the western chords and notation has posed some difficulties when combining this with Raga scale

This Devotion is based on Raga Rageshree in a setting so that west and east music meet in a soothing manner.....

....This Devotion has no cure, no beginning or an end, Having but never having, Living but never living, This eternal fire, A burning desire......

Embers on Ice
Concept, Lyrics (English & Hindi) and Vocals by Malyaban Chatterjee & Raga Rani
Music by Reuben

Song Lyrics (English and Hindi)

Sthai or First part
This devotion has no cure, no beginning or an end
Having but never having
Living but never living
This eternal fire
A burning desire…..this devotion has no cure…..

ILAAJ NAHI ISA LAGANA KE
SHURUAD AUR ANTH NAHI HAI
RAHA KAR BHI , KAHI NAHI HAI
YE AAG BUJHTA NAHI HAI
YE JIYARA MORI JALTA RAHI HAI

Anthra or verse 1
At the first sight, moonlight seized my eyes
At the next (glance), sunlight, filled my mind
Now awakened, now unfolding, the sweetness of the music
A true heart’s adoration…..This devotion has no cure…

Anthra or verse 2
Now its sweetness brings delight,
Now its faithfulness ignites….
All its kindness, all its laughter
Fills the Soul
Breathes a life new and bold… this devotion has no cure…

Anthra or verse 3
Lost am I in a forest of Love
its Monsoon rains and scorching desires
Sudden changes in devotion
From dawn till dusk
A true heart’s adoration……this devotion have no cure…

This is a short clip of forthcoming music being created by Embers on Ice - call it World Music, Fusion Music, Universal music, Ragas of our Times - whatever name it means to you!

We aim for it to appeal to everyone

Using the Raga form in expressing lyrical melody - the ancient formula of inherent therapeutic quality ensures it soothes the Mind, Body and Soul. Combining this with western music instrumentation, it bursts a flavour of the new generation.

Intellectually, the western chords and notation has posed some difficulties when combining this with Raga scale.

Distant Coolness is based on Raga Yaman (Kalyan taat) in a setting so that west and east music meet in a soothing manner.....

....If the heat scorches, let it not scald you
If the snow freezes, let it not numb you
For a warmth remains always, despite the distant coolness.....

Embers on Ice
Concept, Lyrics (English & Hindi) and Vocals by Malyaban Chatterjee & Raga Rani
Music by Reuben

We have many cycles in our life. We have natural cycles like the changing of night-time and day-time and unnatural cycles like dividing the day into 24 hours or dividing the week into seven days.

The tala (means: clap) is a rythmic-cycle, which starts at the beginning of a gat (composition) and shows the proper music-tempo (vilambit-slow, madhya-medium, drut-fast) whithout any break until the end of the gat, or even until the end of the raga.

The most important moment of the tala is the sam (joint, union), which is usually the first matra (beat) of the cycle. The second most important beat is the khali (empty), which is the unstressed part of the tala.
All the tala-cycles of a raga, if played well, follow one another like pearls on a string.

The same length of beats could be divided into different talas, using different dividing-systems. The 16 beats can be played as tintala, sitarkhanitala, or even aditala. Of course, there are some rules which tell the appropriate tala for a composition.

The sound samples which you can listen to with the listed talas are in madhya (medium) tempo and all are 4 cycles long. In vilambit (slow) tempo or even in ati-vilambit (very slow) tempo, which you can hear mainly in vocal performances, the tala has a different bol-set. The stresses are constant, so the beats, stressed or unstressed, are left unchanged.

frequently heard talas of Hindustani classical music

dadratala - 6
rupaktala - 7
keherwatala - 8
mattatala - 9
jhaptala - 10
ektala - 12
chautala - 12
dhamartala - 14
adachautala - 14
jhumratala - 14
tintala - 16