Darbari Kanada

Eminent scholar musician Dr. Ashok Da Ranade describes the origin and history of Raga Darbari Kanada as following –

The name Darbari Kanada distinctly suggests courtly associations and, through the word Kanada (< Karnataka), a Southern origin; prevalence of the Raga. It is also to be noted that ‘Darbar’ meaning ‘court’ is a Persian word. The Raga is indeed linked to the legendary musician Miya Tansen, who adorned the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar. And yet, it is intriguing that musicological works from this period fail to mention this Raga! Pandit Bhavbhatta, in his Anoop Sangit Ratnakara (1780), has mentioned a Raga called ‘Shuddha Karnaata’ which corresponds to Darbari Kanada. So it is probable that the word ‘Kanada’ is derived from ‘Karnaat’. Another name ‘Karnaati’ also occurs and this has no parallel in Hindustani Raga corpus. Pandit Lochana in his Sankrit treatise ‘Raga Tarangini’ (1675), appears to hold that both these are names of the same Raga. However, it is known that Lochana’s Karnaat Raga is to be placed in Hindustani Khamaj Thata as Hindustani Komal notes are often replaced in his descriptions with their Shuddha versions! Ahobala in Sangit Parijata (1650) refers to two Ragas - Kaanadi and Karnaata Gaula, and the latter is often held to correspond to Darbari Kanada. As the Raga Kaanadi included Tivra Gandhar, it is the Karnata Gaula which may be equated with the contemporary Darbari. Vyankatamakhi in his Chaturdandiprakashika (1620) mentions Karnata Gaula which agrees with this version in which note Gandhar was not Shuddha. Interestingly, Ragalakshana, a southern musicological text also mentions a Raga called Darbar with the note Komal Gandhar in it! All in all, derivations of the present name highlight the complex origin of the Raga. We have dhrupad, dhamar, khayal, chaturanga, tarana in this Raga. Obviously, the Raga has a long history, musically accommodative framework and attractive tonal contour to inspire performers and composers.