This bandish was my attempt at evoking a question and answer within composition. Gauri is a contemplative raag and kalyan evokes the feeling of oneness with God. The first line of each antara is in Gauri and the second line is in Kalyan. For example asking the question, 'how does one remove grief from one's life' is in Gauri, and the answer 'sing the praises of God' is in Kalyan. This recording was done in 1997. The Sthayee bandish comes from my Guru, Pandit Raghunath Prasanna and is likely an old Banaras Gharana bandish.

My favorite Asa renditions
Kya jana kya hoyega ri mai - Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shaant (Soolfak)

Har ka naam ridhae nit - Bhai Mohinder Partap, Devinder Partap Singh (Dipchandi)

Kaam Krodh Lobh Tyag - Principal Baldev Singh, Start at 2:57"
Oha Prem Piri - Bhai Baljeet Singh, Bhai Gurmeet Singh
Chal re baikunth tujhai lai taroon - Bhai Surjit Singh (Ek taal)
Milon Santan Kai Sang - Bhai Rajbrinder Singh (Teen taal)
Kabir Laagi Preet Sujan Syon - Bhai Dharam Singh Zakhmi (Teen taal)

Asa Compilation*
Aiso koun bali re - Gyani Dyal Singh (Chotti Teen taal)
Baapaar Govind Naye - Bibi Nivedita Kaur (Partaal)
Bhinni Rainariye - Bhai Baljeet Singh (Dadra)
Bhinni Rainariye - Lata Mangeshkar (Roopak)
Dekhan ku mushtaq - Bhai Dharam Singh Zakhmi
Chal re baikunth - Bhai Dharam Singh Zakhmi
Chal re baikunth tujhai lai taroon - Bhai Surjit Singh (Ek taal)
Chalange uth naam jap - Bhai Surjit Singh (Chotti Teen taal)
Chandan ka birva bhalaa - Gyani Dyal Singh (Teen taal)
Chuka nihohra sakhi saheri - Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shaant (Matt taal)
Ek achambav dekho bhai - Gyani Dyal Singh (Soolfak)
Hamari pyari amritdhari - Bhai Dharam Singh Zakhmi
Har aradh na janya - Gyani Dyal Singh (Keharva)

Har ka naam ridhae nit - Bhai Mohinder Partap, Devinder Partap Singh (Dipchandi)
Gur mere sang sadaa hai naale - Bhai Surjit Singh (Matt taal)
Ik Ghari Dinas Moko - Bhai Iqbal Singh (Jhap taal)
Kabir Laagi Preet Sujan Syon - Bhai Dharam Singh Zakhmi (Teen taal)
Kaam Krodh Lobh Tyag - Bhai Iqbal Singh (Ek taal), Start at 4:40"
Kaam Krodh Lobh Tyag - Principal Baldev Singh, Start at 2:57"
Kau Bikham Gaar Torai - Bhai Narinder Singh (partaal - jhap, chanchal, teen), 18:05"
Kau Bikham Gaar Torai - Bhai Avtar Singh
Kya jana kya hoyega ri mai - Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shaant (Soolfak)
Nam Japo Mere Sajan Saina
Mere Jeareya Pardesia - Bhai Balbir Singh (Keharva)
Madho Sat Sangat Saran Tumhari - Bhai Satnam Singh (Teen taal)
Milon Santan Kai Sang - Bhai Rajbrinder Singh (Teen taal)
Oha Prem Piri - Bhai Baljeet Singh, Bhai Gurmeet Singh (Namdhari)
Oha Prem Piri - Gyani Dyal Singh
Oha Prem Piri - Bibi Nivedita Kaur
Oha Prem Piri - Bhai Avtar Singh
Oha Prem Piri - Bhai Rai Singh
Ram naam saar kal me - Gyani Dyal Singh (Ek taal)
Ramiya Hao Barak Tera - Bhai Avtar Singh
Ratte Ishq Khudaye - Bibi Nivedita Kaur (Dadra), Start at 13:45"
So Kyon Visrai Meree - Dr. Gurnam Singh (Chanchal)
Tau Karan Sahiba Rang Ratte - Bhai Balbir Singh (Ek taal)
Uth Farida Ujoo Saaj - Bhai Rai Singh

* Please send me links to shabads that should be included in this list.

Raag Asa Kafi
Maan Nimane Too Dhani - Dr. Gurnam Singh

Other Asa compositions/renditions
Raag Asa on Esraj:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs0nvR3AxQ0

Meera Bhajan from 1950 movie, 'Jogan':
Prem Diwani - Geeta Dutt

Notes on Asa renditions:



Oha Prem Piri. Several shabads in Raag Asa are about love. The shabad that is sung everyday at the beginning of Asa di waar, is Har Amrit Bhinne Loyena. Oha Prem Piri is another shabad about love. Several renditions in Raag Asa are available. My favorite is Bhai Baljeet Singh and Bhai Gurmeet Singh's rendition.

Chal Re Baikunth/Chalenge Uth. Both shabads sung by Bhai Surjit Singh, a disciple of Giani Dyal Singh, have similar compositions. I find Chal Re Baikunth's rendition very beautiful especially due to its asyncopatic phrasing for Ek taal. Similar Tilak Kamod elements (Sa Re Ga Re Ga Sa), and similar uthav in the antara (Pa Dha Pa Dha Sa*, Sa* Re* Sa* - Ga* Re* Sa* Ni Dha Pa). Also note the use of Komal Ni in the Avroh. Several compositions include Komal Ni, which is missed in several descriptions of this Raag.

Bhinni Rainariye. Lata Mangeshkar's rendition, composed by Singh Bandhu, uses Raag Asa as a base, but includes several non-Asa elements, especially from Kedar (Pa Ma+ Dha Pa Ma) and Kalyan (Ni Re* Ga* Re* Sa*). The rendition by Bhai Baljeet Singh is more closely tied to the original raag.

Uth Farida. This Baba Farid's shabad starts with the hope of waking up and praying in the morning. Action, waking, and morning prayers are often included in Asa. Musically, notice a couple of non-traditional Asa elements: (1) Borrowing from bihag, Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Sa, instead of Sa Re Ma Pa Dha Sa* . (2) Borrowing from Bilawal, Pa (Ni) Dha Ni Sa* is used in the Antara, instead of Pa Dha Sa*.

Mere Jeareya Pardesia. The beautiful composition sung by Bhai Balbir Singh shows how a complicated melody or taal is not required for staying true to raags.





Prem Diwani. This Meera bhajan, from the movie 'Jogan,' has the characteristic Asa chadaav, "Re Ma Pa Dha Sa" on dard na jaane koye, the Asa-peculiar harkat on Dha: "Dha Ni Pa Dha," an emphasis of "Sa Re Ga" in the taar saptak, and the frequent penultimate taan, "Ni Re* Sa* Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa." All these elements are present in renditions of Asa sung by kirtaniyas. This is the way Asa is sung in Darbar Sahib. Bollywood composers used to frequent Darbar Sahib in search for compositions in an earlier era. I have a feeling that the composer visited Amritsar, listened to the original Asa in the dawn, and copied key elements of this raag for his bhajan. (I heard the other songs from this movie, but didn't find anything else interesting, even though I was amazed at the number of songs in one movie!!!)