Jogkauns is a relatively recent creation in the family of north Indian ragas. Pandit Jagannathbua Purohit, who was popularly known by his nom de plume, Gunidas, had blended Raag Jog and Raag Chandrakauns to create this melody in the 1940’s. In this video, the distinguished vocalist Omkar Dadarkar discovers new depths in Jogkauns with his rendition of a vilambit and drut khayal.

Dadarkar’s singing carries a calming, lyrical luminosity. His melodic expositions consist of a layered imagination that reveals itself in hues of vivid colours and textures throughout a rendition.

Shahbaz Khan’s tabla accompaniment is rife with rotund bols (mnemonics), well-defined kaydas and a grounding framework of the overall rhythmic design. Tanmay Deochake makes intimate connections in the melodic line, filling up the short intervals with mellifluous extensions of the tonal sentences initiated by Dadarkar.

Dadarkar begins his recital with a vilambit Ektal composition. He elaborates with bol-banav, plain melodic expansions in vowels and gamak taans, all placed within a well-anticipated structure of the rhythmic cycle. The drut Teental composition ‘Pir Paraayi Jane Nahi’ is a popular composition by Ustad Vilaayat Hussain Khan (1895-1962), a doyen of the Agra gharana who went by the pen name, ‘Pran Piya.’ Dadarkar’s taans are fluid; He joins sections of the rapid notes with lusty gamaks, extending them at times to heart-wrenching pauses in the upper octave.

The recital ends with a brilliant teamwork between Dadarkar, Deochake and Khan where they build up an exciting and coherent conversation of sorts with each other with Dadarkar leading the ensemble.

Raag Jogkauns is derived from Bhairavi thaat. There are different opinions and information that float about the seed material of this raga. Some believe that Gunidas wanted to blend Raag Jog with Malkauns as Chandrakauns was hardly existent then. Theories aside, one must remember to savour the instantly pleasing countenance of Jogkauns with its grandeur, beckoning reserve and the magnetic masculine charm of Jog in its purvanga (lower tetrachord) and the earnestness of Chandrakauns in its uttaranga (upper tetrachord). After its inception in the 40’s, the first person who has been remembered to present it formally on stage is Pandit Kumar Gandharva.

Jogkauns’s jati is shadav-shadav vakra, which means, it uses six notes in its ascent and descent while the gait becomes meandering in its descent. It omits Re (re) altogether and deploys both komal (flat) and shudh (pure) Ga and Ni (3rd and 7th) along with a flat 6th. The dominant note is Ma (4th) and the sub-dominant note is Sa (1st).

Its arohana and avarohana are as follows:
S G m d N S'
S' N d P m, P d n d P m, G m (S)g S

Musicians
Omkar Dadarkar (khayal)
Tanmay Deochake (harmonium)
Shahbaz Hussain (tabla)
Gunwant Dhadyalla & Priya Parkash (tanpuras)

Raag Jogkauns, Thaat: Bhairavi, Samay: Late night