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Kafi
Thaat	Kafi
Type	Sampurna
Time of day	2nd Prahar of the Night (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
Arohana	S R g m P D n S'
Avarohana	S' n D P m g R S
Pakad	S R g m P D n S' S' n D P m g R S
Chalan	S R g m P D n S' S' n D P m g R S
Vadi	Pa
Samavadi	Re
Synonym	Bhimpalasi, Bageshri
Similar	Kharaharapriya in Carnatic music and Dorian mode in Western music

Kafi (IAST: Kāfi) is a raga in Hindustani classical music. It corresponds to Kharaharapriya in Carnatic music and Dorian mode in Western music

Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande classified most ragas into ten Thaats. Kafi Thaat is one of them. The raga Kafi is the principal raga of its Thaat. According to Bhatkhande, its name first appears in the Raga Tarangini of Lochana Pandit, who lived in the Mithila district around the 15th century CE.

Kafi has a direct lineage with the folk music of India. Folk music in Tappa, Hori, Dadra, Kirtan and Bhajans from different parts of India have been composed in this raga.

Many variations of Kafi exist. Contamination with vivadi swaras is common. This mixing has given rise to Mishra Kafi. Hence, a pure form of Kafi is seldom heard.

Description

Varna

Kafi is a sampoorna-sampoorna or heptatonic raga, with komal (half a note down) Gandhar (ga) and Nishad (ni). This is also referred to as the Bhairavi of night. Both Shuddha Nishad & Gandhar are occasionally used. The atmosphere created is most suitable for both types of Shringar (Separation & Union) and hence many Thumri & Hori compositions are sung in this Raag.

Aroha

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Ṡa

(Ga and Ni are komal swaras). Dot above signifies the high octave, dot below signifies the low octave.

Avarohana

Ṡa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa

(Ga and Ni are komal swaras).

Vadi and Samavadi

Pancham (Pa) is the vadi swara and Risabh (Re) is the samavadi swara.

Pakad

A typical improvisation of Kafi starts as M P D P M g R, g R S, n. D. S

The phrases below and termination in R are characteristic.

S R g M P D n

S, R g M P, M P D (M) g

Chalan

The typical chalan can be illustrated as:

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

Variants

Shuddha Kafi
Sindhura Kafi
Zilaf Kafi
Kafi Kanada

Organization and relationships

Various ragas, such as Bhimpalasi, Bageshree, Kafi Kanada, Bahar, and Brindabani Sarang are associated with this raga. Important tributaries of this raga include Sindhura, Barwa, Deshi, Neelambari and Pilu.

In Western Classical Music, Kafi corresponds to the modern Dorian Mode.

Behavior

Samay (Time)

Raat ka dvitiya prahar or evening 9-12

Seasonality

The raga is performed during any season.

Rasa

The principal rasa for this raga is sringara.

Important recordings

Ulhas Kashalkar, Raga Kafi (Concert), 2001;
Shobha Gurtu, Thumri, Raga Kafi, 1987;
Siddheshwari Devi, Thumri, Raga Kafi, 1983;
Debashish Bhattacharya, Raga Mishra Kafi, 1996;
Ustad Bahadur Khan, Raga Kafi, 1987;

Film Songs

Language:Hindi

Song	Movie	Year	Composer	Singer
Chupke Chupke Raat Din (Traditional Ghazal)	Nikaah	1982	Ravi	Ustad Ghulam Ali
Ye Pyaar Kya Hai	Gupt	1997	Viju Shah	Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy
Sab Kuchh Bhula Diya	Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam	2002	Nadeem-Shravan	Sonu Nigam, Sapna Awasthi
Saathiya (reused from Pachchai Nirame)	Saathiya	2002	A R Rahman	Sonu Nigam, Clinton Cerejo
Titli (Starts with Carnatic Song in Raga Desh)	Chennai Express	2013	Vishal-Shekhar	Chinmayi Sripada, Gopi Sunder
Jiya (Mix of Kafi and Bhimpalas)	Gunday	2014	Sohail Sen	Arijit Singh

Language:Tamil

Note that the following songs are composed in Kharaharapriya, the equivalent of raga Kafi in Carnatic music.

Song	Movie	Composer	Singer
Enna Seidhaalum	Irumbu Thirai	S. V. Venkatraman	Radha Jayalakshmi
Ariyaa Paruvamadaa	Missiamma	S. Rajeshwara Rao	P. Susheela
Maayavalaiyil	Gulebakavali	Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy	T. M. Soundararajan
Annan Kaatiya Vazhiyamma	Padithal Mattum Podhuma		T. M. Soundararajan
Maharajan	Karnan		T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
Aagaya Pandhalile	Ponnunjal	M. S. Viswanathan	T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
Madhavi Pon Mayilaal	Iru Malargal		T. M. Soundararajan
Ponmagal Vandhaal	Sorgam
Attamenna Solladi (I will sing for you)	Manidharil Manikkam
Malligai En Mannan	Dheerga Sumangali		Vani Jayaram
Aayiram Nilave Vaa	Adimai Penn	K. V. Mahadevan	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela
Isaiyai Thamizhai	Agathiyar	Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan	Sirkazhi Govindarajan, T. R. Mahalingam
Poo Malarinthida	Tik Tik Tik	Ilaiyaraaja	K. J. Yesudas, Jency Anthony
Thaana Vantha Santhaname	Ooru Vittu Ooru Vanthu		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Vaazhavaikum Kaathalukku Jey	Apoorva Sagodharargal
Adukku Malli Yeduthu	Aavarampoo
Pattu Onna	Kumbakarai Thangaiah
Mappillaikku	Netrikkan		Malaysia Vasudevan, P. Susheela
Kannukkulle Yaaro	Kai Kodukkum Kai		S. P. Sailaja, P. Susheela
Maalai Karukkalil	Neethiyin Marupakkam		K. J. Yesudas, S. Janaki
Roja Poo Adivanthathu	Agni Natchathiram		S. Janaki
Karutha Machan	Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu
Iravu Nilavu	Anjali
Kaala kaalamaaga Vaazhum	Punnagai Mannan		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K.S. Chitra
Aethamayya Aetham	Ninaive Oru Sangeetham		Malaysia Vasudevan, K.S. Chitra
Ilam Vayasu Ponna	Paandi Nattu Thangam		Malaysia Vasudevan, K.S. Chitra
Nethu Oruthara Oruthara	Puthu Paatu		Ilaiyaraaja, K.S. Chitra
Poongatru Thirumbuma	Muthal Mariyathai		Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki
Katti Vechukko Enthan Anbu Manasu	En Jeevan Paduthu		Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki
Anandham Pongida Pongida	Sirai Paravai		K. J. Yesudas,Sunanda
Thooliyile Ada Vantha	Chinna Thambi		Mano, K.S. Chitra
Unnai Vaazhtha Vanthen	Unnai Vaazhthi Paadugiren		K. J. Yesudas
Elangaathu Veesudhey	Pithamagan		Sriram Parthasarathy, Shreya Ghoshal
Kai Veesi	Nandalala		Vijay Yesudas, Swetha Mohan, Madhu Balakrishnan,Raagul,Chandrasekar
Ilavenirkala Panjami	Manam Virumbuthe Unnai		Hariharan
Aanenna Pennena	Dharma Durai		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Neela Vana Odayil	Vazhvey Maayam	Gangai Amaran
Indralogathu Sundari	Uyirullavarai Usha	T. Rajendar
Atho Vanile Nila Oorvalam	Thandanai	Chandrabose	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Pachchai Nirame (Sakiye)	Alaipayuthey	A. R. Rahman	Hariharan, Clinton Cerejo
Urvasi Urvasi	Kadhalan		A. R. Rahman, Suresh Peters, Shahul Hameed
Taxi Taxi	Sakkarakatti		A R Rahman, Javed Ali, Benny Dayal, Blaaze and Viviane Chaix
Kilimanjaro	Enthiran		Javed Ali, Chinmayi
Mayiliragae Mayiliragae	Anbe Aaruyire		Naresh Iyer, Madhushree
Gulmohar Malare	Majunu	Harris Jayaraj	Hariharan
Mudhal Mazhai	Bheemaa		Hariharan, Mahathi, R. Prasanna
Hasili Fisiliye	Aadhavan		Karthik, Harini
Suttum Vizhi	Ghajini		Sriram Parthasarathy, Bombay Jayashree
Yaaridamum	Thotti Jaya		Ramesh Vinayagam, Harini
Uyirile	Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu		Mahalakshmi Iyer, Srinivas
Meela Mudiyamal(Unreleased track)	Vaaranam Aayiram		Benny Dayal, Srimathumitha,Rathika
Sangeetha Swarangal	Azhagan	Maragathamani	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam,Sandhya
Kamban Engu	Jaathi Malli	Maragathamani	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K.S. Chitra
Janaki Devi	Samsaram Adhu Minsaram	Shankar–Ganesh	K.S. Chitra
Rendu Kannam Santhana Kinnam	Sivappu Malli		K. J. Yesudas, P. Susheela
Panivilum Paruvanila	Paneer Nadhigal		K. J. Yesudas
Rosappu Chinna Rosappu	Suryavamsam	S. A. Rajkumar	Hariharan(vers 1), Sujatha Mohan(vers 2)
Edho Oru Paattu	Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen	S. A. Rajkumar	Hariharan(vers 1), Sujatha Mohan(vers 2)
Kanava Ninaiva	Aasal	Bharadwaj	V. V. Prasanna, Manjari
Santhikkadha Kangalil Inbangal	180	Sharreth	Unni Menon, K.S. Chitra, S. Sowmya
En Raasi	Enakkoru Magan Pirappan	Karthik Raja	Sujatha Mohan, P. Unni Krishnan
Inni Naanum Naanilai	Yai! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke!	Srinivas	Srinivas, Sujatha Mohan, Sunitha Sarathy
Yamini Yamini	Yai! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke!	Arvind-Shankar	Harish Raghavendra
Aathadi Manasudhan	Kazhugu	Yuvan Shankar Raja	Priya Himesh, Karthik Raja
Ayyayyo	Paruthiveeran		Shreya Ghoshal,Krishnaraj, Manikka Vinayagam, Yuvan Shankar Raja(Humming)
Dheivangal Ellam	Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga		Vijay Yesudas
Kadhal Vaithu	Deepavali		Vijay Yesudas
Un Mela Oru Kannu	Rajinimurugan	D. Imman	Jithin Raj, Mahalakshmi Iyer
Muzhumadhi Muzhumadhi	Kanimozhi	Satish Chakravarthy	Vijay Yesudas, Bela Shende
Ithanai Dhooram	Koottam	James Vasanthan	Haricharan, Shweta Mohan
Vinmeen Vithaiyil	Thegidi	Nivas K. Prasanna	Abhay Jodhpurkar, Saindhavi

References

Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati and his concise commentary, A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16, 17th, & 18th Centuries by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande.
https://tanarang.com/raag-kafi/