Keeravani Explained

Keeravani
Equivalent:Harmonic minor scale

Keeravani (pronounced) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 21st Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. The 21st melakarta rāgam as per Muthuswami Dikshitar school of music is .

This rāgam is a popular scale in western music as well. The Western equivalent is the Harmonic minor scale.[1] [2] It is said to be borrowed into Hindustani music from Carnatic music.

Structure and Lakshana

It is the 3rd rāgam in the 4th chakra Veda. The mnemonic name is Veda-Go. The mnemonic phrase is sa ri gi ma pa dha nu. Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

The notes used in this scale are chathusruthi rishabha, sadharana gandhara, suddha madhyama, panchama, suddha dhaivatha, kakali nishadha.

As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Simhendramadhyamam, which is the 57th melakarta.

Janya Rāgams

Keeravani has many janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it. Kalyāna vasantam is a popular janya of Keeravani. See List of janya rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with Keeravani. Other popular janya ragams include Chandrakouns, Sāmapriya and Vasantamanohari.

Compositions

Many composers have composed songs in Keeravani. A few of them are listed here.

Tamil Film Songs

SongMovieYearComposerSinger
Paattu PadavaThen Nilavu1961A. M. RajahA. M. Rajah
Oho Endhan BabyA. M. Rajah, S. Janaki
Samarasam Ulaavum IdameRambaiyin Kaadhal1956T. R. PappaSeerkazhi Govindarajan
Kunguma Poove Konjum PuraaveMaragatham1959S. M. Subbaiah NaiduJ. P. Chandrababu, K. Jamuna Rani
Oh Rasikkum SeemaneParasakthi1952R. SudarsanamM. S. Rajeswari
Buddhiyulla ManitharellamAnnai1962J. P. Chandrababu
Aasaiyae AlaipolaeThai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum1958K. V. MahadevanThiruchi Loganathan
Seettu Kattu RajaVettaikkaran1964L. R. Eswari, A. L. Raghavan
Avala SonnalSelvam1966T. M. Soundararajan
Kannale Pesi Pesi KolladheAdutha Veettu Penn1960Adi Narayana RaoP. B. Sreenivas
NinaipadhellamNenjil Or Aalayam1962Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy
Yaar Sirithal EnnaIdhayathil Nee1963
Manavane AzhalaamaKarpagam1963P. Susheela
Kangal Irandum UnnaiMannadhi Mannan1960
Avala IvalaL. R. Eswari, L. R. Anjali
Anubhavam PudhumaiKadhalikka Neramillai1964P. B. Sreenivas, P. Susheela
Kannirendum Minna MinnaAandavan Kattalai1964P. B. Sreenivas, L. R. Eswari
Velli KinnamthanUyarndha Manithan1968M. S. ViswanathanT. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
Thaayir ChirandhaAgathiyar1972Kunnakudi VaidyanathanT. K. Kala
Thanga SangiliThooral Ninnu Pochchu1982IllayarajaMalaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki
Ada MachamullaChinna Veedu1985S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki, S. P. Sailaja, T. V. Gopalakrishnan
Oorai TherinchikittenPadikkadavan1985K. J. Yesudas
Raja Raja ChozhanRettai Vaal Kuruvi1987
Kaatril Endhan GeedhamJohnny1980S. Janaki
Kodiyile MalliyapooKadalora Kavithaigal1986P. Jayachandran, S. Janaki
Raasathi ManasuleRaasave Unnai Nambi1988Mano, P. Susheela
Oh Papa LaliIdhayathai Thirudathe1989Mano
Poovoma OorgolamChinna Thambi1991S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Swarnalatha
Ennai ThalaataKadhalukku Mariyadhai1997Hariharan
Khajiraho KanavilorOru Naal Oru Kanavu2005Hariharan, Shreya Ghoshal
Keeravani IravileyPadum Paravaigal1988S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Nenjukulle InnaarunnuPonnumani1993
Intha MaamanodaUthama Raasa
Thendral KaatreKumbakarai Thangaiah1991Mano, S. Janaki
Ilavenil Ithu Vaikasi MathamKadhal Rojavae2000S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chitra
Chinna Mani KuyilaeAmman Kovil Kizhakale1986S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Mannil IndhaKeladi Kanmani1990
Poongodithan PoothathammaIdhayam1991
Malaiyoram Veesum KaatthuPaadu Nilave1987
Vanaththai ParthenManithanChandrabose
Putham Pudhu MalareAmaravathi1993Bala Bharathi
Unnai Thotta ThendralThalaivasal1992S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chitra
Kaadhal Kaadhal KaadhalPoochudava1997Sirpy
PoomedaiyoAayiram Pookkal Malarattum1986V. S. NarasimhanS. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Kannalanae YenathuBombay1995A. R. RahmanK. S. Chithra
Ennai Kaanavillayae NettroduKadhal Desam1996S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, O. S. Arun, Rafee
Vennilavae VennilavaeMinsara Kanavu1997Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam
Vetri Kodi KattuPadayappa1999Malaysia Vasudevan, Palakkad Sreeram
Evano OruvanAlaipayuthey2000Swarnalatha
Manasukkul Oru PuyalStar2001S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sadhana Sargam
Machhakkari MachhakkariSillunu Oru Kaadhal2006Shankar Mahadevan, Vasundhara Das
Arima ArimaEnthiran2010Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam, Benny Dayal, Naresh Iyer
NeethanaeMersal2017A. R. Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal
Adangaatha AsuranRaayan2024A. R. Rahman, Dhanush
Vaannum MannumKaadhal Mannan1998BharadwajHariharan, K. S. Chithra
Anbae AnbaeUyirodu Uyiraga1998Vidyasagar
Adam EvaalPriyam1996Mano, Devi
Malai Kattru Vandhu(Ragam Darbarikaanada touches)Vedham2001Hariharan, Mahalakshmi Iyer
Kadhal ArimugamaKadhal Kisu Kisu2003Vijay Prakash, Sujatha
Oru KadithamDeva1995DevaS. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
Enakenna PerandhavaKizhakku Karai1991
O RanganathaNesam1997
Muthu NagayeSamundi1992S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Chanda o ChandaKannedhirey Thondrinal1998Harini
Taj Mahal OndruKannodu Kanbathellam1999Hariharan
Anbe En AnbeNenjinile
Pennkiliye PennkiliyeSandhitha Velai2000P. Unnikrishnan, Sujatha Mohan
Innisai PaadivarumThulladha Manamum Thullum1999S. A. RajkumarP. Unni Krishnan, K. S. Chithra
Ennavo EnnavoPriyamaanavale2000Hariharan, Mahalakshmi Iyer
Enna IdhuvoAanandham2001Hariharan
Rangola OlaGhajini2005Harris JayarajShankar Mahadevan, Sujatha, Ranjith
Un SirippinilPachaikili Muthucharam2007Sowmya Rao, Robby
Thodu VaanamAnegan2015Hariharan, Durga, Shakthisree Gopalan
Thirumba ThirumbaPaarvai Ondre Pothume2001BharaniHarini, P. Unnikrishnan
Engengo Kaalgal SellumNandhaYuvan Shankar RajaIlaiyaraaja
Paravaiye Engu IrukkiraaiKattradhu Thamizh2007
Theendi TheendiBala2002P. Unnikrishnan, Sujatha Mohan
En Anbae En AnbaeMounam PesiyadheShankar Mahadevan
Anbe PeranbeNGK2019Sid Sriram, Shreya Ghoshal
Azhagaai PookkutheyNinaithale Inikkum2009Vijay AntonyJanaki Iyer, Prasanna
Kavithaikal SollavaUllam Kollai Poguthae2001Karthik RajaS. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sujatha, Hariharan (Pathos)
Oru Murai PiranthenNenjirukkum Varai2006Srikanth DevaHariharan,Sadhana Sargam
Adiye Enna RaagamRummy2014D. ImmanAbhay Jodhpurkar, Poornima Satish
Yedho NinaikirenThalai Nagaram2006Manjari,Devan
Ammadi AmmadiDesingu Raja2013Shreya Ghoshal
Kannamma KannammaRekka2016Nandini Srikar
Velicha PooveEthir Neechal2013Anirudh RavichanderMohit Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal
Manasula Soora KaatheyCuckoo2014Santhosh NarayananSean Roldan,Divya Ramani
En NadanamTamilzh Padam 22018KannanSharreth, Vijay Prakash
Nenjil MamazhaiNimirB. Ajaneesh LoknathHaricharan,Shweta Mohan
Uyir UruvaathaIravukku Aayiram KangalSam C. S.Sathyaprakash, Chinmayi

Janya Ragam:Rishipriya

Tamil Non Film Songs

SongAlbumYearComposerSingerSource
Anbe Yen MaruththaaiAzhagiya Kaadhal2023RamanaRamana
Gnyaabaga Alaigal (Instrumental)-

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Keeravani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 3 other major melakarta rāgams, namely, Hemavati, Vakulabharanam and Kosalam. For further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Keeravani.

Notes and References

  1. Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
  2. Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras