With the arrival of November, my playlist typically turns towards "Multani" and the twilight raags of the evenings. Marwa, Gauri, Shree, Puriya, Puriya Dhanaashree, Purvi and also Paraj and Vibhaas (Marwa ang)
This post of mine could be linked in continuity with my earlier posts of:
Marwa, as a raag is unique. It flaunts all the exceptions to the classical theory of "raagdari" of Hindustani Classical Music. The alpatva (avoidance) of the "shadaj" or the base note is the most important exception from other raags. That haunting of shadaj without completely resting on it, is what imparts Marwa its "Marwallous" personality.
Marwa depicts the masculine longing or yearning (विरह), that is different from the feminine longing, hence the exception of relationship between "Vaadi" (komal rishabh) and "Samvaadi" (Dhaivat) being Shadaja-Gandhaar instead of the rule of either Shadaja-Pancham or Shadaja-Madhyam that is observed in most raags in classical music. This also explains why Marwa sounds apt in male voice than female.
There is longing, yearning and also a passive aggression in Marwa unlike other evening / twilight raags. The melancholy in Marwa is due to that longing for "shadaj" that eventually it touches upon briefly, The chalan of Marwa, makes its passive aggression prominent.
For me, Marwa of Ut Rashid Khan is a gold standard. Pt Vasantrav Deshpande was fondly called "Marwa" among classical singers. His Marwa seems more aggressive with the faster pace.
My go to bandish of Marwa is of the classic Sadarang :
काहूकी रीत कोऊ करे सखी री
मीत पिहरवा वो जो कहियो
सो सो सब अपने मन की
हूं अधीन तन मन धन तुम्हरे
तुम तो मेहेरबान सबके
सदारंग पर रंग बरसायो
