Sohni Raag Description
Sohni is a raga in Hindustani classical music in the Marwa thaat. Alternate transliterations include Sohani and Sohini. Like Bahar, it is a small raga, with not much space for elaboration. It emotes the feel of longing, of passive sensuousness.
The raga is of audav-shadav nature, i.e., it has five swaras (notes) in the arohana (ascent) and six in the avarohana. Rishabh (Re)is komal and Madhyam (Ma) is Tivra (denoted below by Re# and Ma#), while all other swaras are shuddha. Pancham (Pa) is not used.
It is somewhat similar to Marwa and Puriya ragas in the same thaat, and also to Basant in the Poorvi thaat.
Hamsanandi is a ragam in Carnatic music that resembles Sohni.
Sohini attempts to utilize whatever remains of the melodic potential of this swara material, after Puriya and Marwa have exploited it. In reality, what remains is very little. The skeletal phraseology of the raga is also virtually its exhaustive melodic potential. Sohini is, thus, not very much more than a song.
The melodic span of the raga is also limited to its notional scale. Its presentation is discouraged from going either below the middle-octave Ga, or above the higher-octave Ga.
This is why Sohini is performed most commonly in the semi-classical or light genres of vocal music, whose esthetics are governed by the varied and subtle ornamentation of each poetic idea enshrined in a melodic phrase. This is also the reason why classical performers either present this raga with dazzling artistry, or feel encouraged to take liberties with its melodic frame.
The dominant swaras in Sohini are the higher-octave Sa and the middle-octave Ga. In the ascent, the (komal) re swara is generally omitted, and in the descent, it is treated subliminally. Unless deftly handled, the descent into the lower tetrachord can, therefore, provide a fleeting glimpse of Puriya.
| Thaat | Marwa |
|---|---|
| Vaadi/Samvaadi | D/G |
| Prahar | 8 (3 am - 6 am) |
| Important Anuvaadi | |
| Aaroha | S'-N-D-N-D, G-M-D-M-G-M-G-r-S |
| Bhaav | Shadj-Madhyam |
| Avaroha | S'-N-P-M-P-R-m-R-S-'N-S |
| Saptak-pradhaanata | Tar |
| Pakad | S'-N-D-N-D-G-M-D-N-S' |
| Tanpura Tuning | N |
| Jaati | Audav-Shadav |
| Other Characteristics | |
| Similar Raagas | Basant Marwa |
| Popular Film Songs | 1. Jhumati gayi hawa, yaad aa gaya koi Film: Sangeet Samrat Tansen Singers: Mukesh Taala: Music Director: S. N. Tripathy Poet: Shailendra 2. Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya Film: Swarn Sundari Singers: Taala: Music Director: Poet: 3. Prem jogan ban ke Film: Mughal-e-Azam Singers: Bare Ghulam Ali Khan Taala: Music Director: Naushad Poet: |
| Non-Film Songs |