The raga Kafi is an important raga

Raga

A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...

 of the Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...

.

Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande’s classification of the Ragas has ten different logical groups, consisting of various closely related ragas; Kafi is one of them. The raga, Kafi, is the principal one, which essentially describes the nature of the Kafi. Kafi is not quite an ancient raga. According to Pandit Bhatkhande, the name of the raga first appears in the Raga Tarangini of Lochana Pandit who lived in the Mithila district around the fifteenth century (common era).

Raga Kafi has direct lineage with the folk music of India. Various folk musics (Tappa

Tappa

Tappa is a city and a municipal council in Sangrur district in the Indian state of Punjab.-Demographics: India census, Tappa had a population of 18,887. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Tappa has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male...

, Hori

Hori

Hori may refer to:HoriThe son of Khaemweset. Hori became a scribe and High Priest in Ancient Egyptian Times. He is the grandson of Ramsees II.-General:*Hori , a Japanese manufacturer of video game peripherals...

, Dadra

Dadra

Dadra refers to two separate but originally linked concepts in Hindustani classical music.-Dadra tala:This is a Hindustani classical tala , consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka or basic pattern for this tala is dha dhi na, dha tu na...

, Kirtan

Kirtan

Kirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...

, devotional song

Devotional song

A devotional song is a hymn which accompanies religious observances and rituals.Each major religion has its own tradition with devotional hymns. In the West, the devotional has been a part of the liturgy in Roman Catholicism, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and others, since...

s) from different parts of India are continuously being composed in this raga form for ages.

Nowadays, quite a few variations of Kafi exists. Contamination with 'vivadi' swaras are judiciously being used to increase the listening pleasure. This sort of 'forced' contamination has given rise to Mishra Kafi. Hence, a 'pure' form of Kafi is seldom heard in recent performances.

Jati

Jati

Jāti is the term used to denote clans, tribes, communities and sub-communities in India. It is a term used across religions. In Indian society each jāti typically has an association with a traditional job function or tribe, although religious beliefs Jāti (in Devanagari: जाति Tamil:சாதி) (the...

 

Kafi is a sampoorna-sampoorna or heptatonic raga, with 'komal'(soft) Gandhar(g) and Nishad(n).

Vadi & Samavadi

Pancham(P) is the vadi

Vadi (Hindustani classical music)

Vadi, in both Hindustani classical music and Carnatic music, is the dominant swara of a given raga . "Vadi is the most sonant or most important note of a Raga." It does not refer to the most played note but it rather refers to a note of special significance.It is usually the swara which is...

 swara and Rishab(R) is the samavadi

Samavadi

In Indian classical music, the second-most prominent note of a raga is referred as samvadi. This could be misleading, as it may not necessarily refer to the second-most played note....

 swara.

Pakad

Pakad

In Hindustani music, a pakad is a generally-accepted musical phrase thought to encapsulate the essence of a particular raga. The pakad contains the melodic theme of the raga, on listening to the pakad a person who knows the raga is usually able to identify it...

 

A typical improvisation of Kafi starts as
nD,PmgR *, SS RR gg mm P, P m g R, g m P g - R.

The phrases below and termination in R are characteristic of the raga.
S R g M P D n.
S, RgMP, M P D (M)g R

Chalan

Chalan

Chalan or chalán may refer to:* The development of a raga in Hindustani classical music, closely related to the Pakad concept* The rider of a Peruvian Paso horse.* A ferry in México, usually for narrow crossings where there is not a bridge...

 

The typical chalan of the raga can be illustrated as follows

S S R R g g M M
P - - D M P g R
R n D n P D M P
S n D P M G R S.

M P D D n S - S
R g R S N D S -
S R S n D n D P
M P D P g - R -
R n D n P D M P
S n D P M g R S

Organization & Relationships

Various distinguished ragas like Bhimpalasi

Bhimpalasi

Bhimpalasi is a Hindustani classical raga.-Theory:Writing about the musical theory of Indian classical music is fraught with complications. First of all, there have been no set, formal methods of written notation...

, Bageshree

Bageshree

Bageshri is a Hindustani classical raga.It is a popular raga of the late night, which is meant to depict the emotion of a woman waiting for reunion with her lover...

, Vrindavani Sarang are associated with this raga. Few important tributaries of this raga are Sindhura, Barwa

Barwa

Barwa is a Hindustani classical raga. It is similar to raga Desi .-External links:****...

, Neelambari

Neelambari

Neelambari is a 2010 Malayalam film directed by Harinarayanan, starring Vineeth, Anoop Menon. and Bhama.The story revolves around the lives of two bosom friends Parvathy and Lekshmi. Their friendship, a triangular love and subsequent traumas form the crux of the movie.- Plot :Parvathy is a girl...

 and Piloo.

Important recordings

Ulhas Kashalkar

Ulhas Kashalkar

Pandit Ulhas N Kashalkar is a noted Hindustani classical vocalist. He has received training in the Gwalior, Jaipur and Agra gharanas, and is considered a legitimate representative of all three schools.-Early life:...

, Raga Kafi, 2001;

Ulhas Kashalkar

Ulhas Kashalkar

Pandit Ulhas N Kashalkar is a noted Hindustani classical vocalist. He has received training in the Gwalior, Jaipur and Agra gharanas, and is considered a legitimate representative of all three schools.-Early life:...

, Raga Kafi, 2000;

Ulhas Kashalkar

Ulhas Kashalkar

Pandit Ulhas N Kashalkar is a noted Hindustani classical vocalist. He has received training in the Gwalior, Jaipur and Agra gharanas, and is considered a legitimate representative of all three schools.-Early life:...

, Raga Kafi (Concert), 2001;

Shobha Gurtu

Shobha Gurtu

Shobha Gurtu was an Indian singer in the light Hindustani classical style. Though she had equal command over pure classical style, it was with light classical music that she received her fame, and in time came to be known as the Thumri Queen, and for the ‘Abhinaya’ ang in her full-throated voice...

, Thumri, Raga Kafi, 1987;

Siddheshwari Devi

Siddheshwari Devi

Siddheswari Devi was a Hindustani singer from Varanasi, India, known as Maa . Born in 1907, she lost her parents early and was brought up by her aunt, the noted singer Rajeshwari Devi.-Initiation into Music:...

, Thumri, Raga Kafi, 1983;

Debashish Bhattacharya

Debashish Bhattacharya

Debashish Bhattacharya is an Indian classical musician who plays the lap slide guitar.Bhattacharya was born into a musical family in Kolkata, it became apparent that Bhattacharya was skilled at a young age...

, Raga Mishra Kafi, 1996;

probably the oldest recording is of Abdul Karim Khan (1905)