BLOG  VI

Difference between RAV and RELA

Many tabla players do not make distinction between a RAV and a RELA.

I wish to discuss characteristics of these two distinctly different categories.

RAV:

RAV takes a simple phrase and embellishes it with intricate bols but maintaining the original structure of a simple phrase. Take for example simple phrases of teentaal. DHA  DHIN  DHIN  DHA. This gets converted to a RAV-- DHATIRKTTAK  DHINTIRKTTAK  DHINTIRKTTAK  DHATIRKTTAK .This phrase however can be converted to RELA also by using DHATIRKTTAK (say A) DHINTIRKTTAK ( say B ).As a RELA this can be played as AB AB AB AB…BA BA BA BA..AB AB AB BA,AAB AAB AB  etc. Many more permutations can be done.

On the FACE BOOK a CHALAN/RAV by Nitin Mitta has been posted.He plays it in RAV form. It will be interesting to see how it is developed from a simple chalan.

The chalan is:

Dha S Dha DhinaKe dha S dhiNake Dhage Tin

The Capital letters   D D D K S N D T- eight matras indicate the beats.

This gets converted to an intermediate chalan:

Dhategin dhategin dhin dhategin dhategin dhin dhategin dhategin tingin

This gets converted into final RAV:

Dhatrkttak dhatrkttak dingnag dhatrkttak dhatrkttak dingnag dhatrkttak dhatirkttak tintirkttak

Here also one can pick up few phrases from the RAV and convert to RELA:

Dhatrkttak tintirkttak

Dhatirkttak dingnag

Thus,a Rav can be developed from a longish chalan or a kayda.In some cases a RELA can be developed from a RAV by using two or three phrases from the RAV..

My friend,Pt. Bapu Patwardhan (Thirakwa shagird) is an excellent performer and a thinker/composer.He has developed a number of interesting RAVs from Kaydas.

I am giving three examples:

Kayda(chatushra)    ghinatita ghin dhage tuna ghina tita ghina dhatrkt dhagenatit ghina dhage tuna kata.

RAV: ghidnagtrkt gadigannagetit tingnag ghidnagtitakatgadigana dhatrktdhaghidnagtrkt gadiginanagetit kidnagttrkt.

Kayda: (teeshra) dha dha dha ghin dha ghin dhatraka dhikit ghintunagin,dhatraka dhikit ghin dha ghin dhatraka dhikit ghin tuna gin.

RAV: dhad dhad dhad ghidnagdhatirkttak dhatrkttrkttak ghidnagtunakittak,dhatrkttrkttak ghidnagdhatrkttak dhatrkttrkttak ghidnag tuna kittak

Kayda:(Chatushra)  dhakddhatit dhage titakddhatit dhage kaddhatit dhagetit dhagetraka tunagina

RAV: dha k-dhidhirkit dhage tirkttakdhidhirkit dhage k-dhirdhirkit dhatirkttak dhatitghidnagtunaki

RELA:

RELA can be compared to a repetitive embroidery on a sari border,or to a design of a border on the doorway of a moghul monument such as Tajmahal.It necessarily requires two or three phrases only.As discussed earlier under RAV, the RELA is developed by simple permutations and combinations.Earlier I have given examples of RELAS which could be developed from a RAV.

However there are RELAS which are independent of any crutches.forexample:

A mishra jati RELA: tirkttak  taatrkttak.

Tishra jati RELA: taa s dhatita ghidnag dingnag dhatitghidnag

Dingin tagdin nanagin

Dingin tak tak dinagin

CONCLUSIONS;

RELA can be developed from a suitable RAV.

RELA can be independent of a RAV

RELA has two or three phrases and is developed with permutations and combinations.

RAV is developed from a CHALAN , THEKA or a KAYDA

Rav can be developed like a kayda .

Not all Kaydas  can be converted to Ravs because the kayda itself is designed incorporating a RAV. For example: dhatirkttak takdhatrkt dhatitghidnag tunakidnag

The last phrase dhatit ghidnag tunakidnag itself is a RAV/RELA developed from a phrase—dhatgina tunagin.

I hope this explanation does not confuse you more.

Suresh Mulgaonkar

Sunnyvale, Cal.