Whenever I hear anything closely related to the Desh Raaga, I close my eyes and I transport myself to India in the month of July... After a hot sweltering day, I am standing in front of a grove - suddenly the sky becomes dark, there is a rustle of leaves in the mild wind, there is the fragrance of droplets of water blessing the soil, and in a short while the dark grey clouds burst forth into huge droplets of rain [Audio]. Ahhh - the ever welcome monsoons are here at last!
Unlike most other peoples of the world, as a true Indian, I love the rains - I love the dark clouds in the sky. The entire planet comes alive - the grass, the leaves of trees - one doesn't need to be able to talk to them to feel the joy they are going through. The crickets [Audio] start purring, the frogs call their mates - happiness blossoms everywhere.
Yes, the monsoons are deeply associated with love. When happiness is in the air, every single one wants to be with his or her own beloved. For those who are away from their beloved one, the desire to be with that one is compared to the desire of Radha to be with Krishna. (The tale of Radha and Krishna is a tale of true love, told and retold over and over again in Hindu devotional circles.) The flash of lightning [Audio] in the sky, fearful though it might seem to be, instills in one a sense of deep respect and humbleness.
Desh is a raaga of the monsoons [Audio]. The notes are blended in such a magical fashion that one is always reminded of the rains when one hears Desh. The notes have the depth and sombreness that remind one of the rumbling clouds - and at the same time the movement of the raaga is as nimble as the pitter patter of waterdrops on leaves.
Tagore, the great Indian poet of modern times, in his music has painted the beauty of the monsoons... "Asharh (the month of the rains), your necklace is made of beads of lightning..."
Talking about the Poet in English is indeed difficult. I haven't been able to put forward the rhapsody and the melody of Tagore's poems. Forgive me. I promise I will try to put up links to pages that have translated works of Tagore - the ones that I want you to read. :) As of now, you'll have to be satisfied with the Bangla versions:
Maybe you would want to listen to a sample of Desh Raaga yourself - since you have read so far... This is my own voice - I was so lazy that sitting in front of my computer I did not want to search the internet for pieces composed in Desh, I sung it myself instead. Sorry... :) If you still want to listen to it, here it is! [Audio] I must say it could have been better.
So did it remind you of the rain? I doubt my voice can create an effect like that on its own. If you are still interested, listen to: Esho Shyamalo Sundara [Audio].