History & Origins
Adana belongs to the Kanada family but has a distinctly different character from the more famous Darbari Kanada. Where Darbari demands slowness, Adana is typically performed in madhya and drut (medium and fast) laya. It is associated with the latter part of a concert, when the energy builds toward a climax. Some musicologists trace it to an ancient tradition of night music that preceded the development of the slower Darbari style.
The Notes of Raga Adana
Raga Adana is a Audava-Sampurna raga, meaning it uses audava-sampurna notes. The ascending and descending movements of the raga are defined below. In Indian classical notation, lowercase letters indicate flattened (komal) notes, and t superscript indicates a sharpened (tivra) note.
The Characteristic Phrase (Pakad)
The pakad is the signature melodic gesture of a raga: the phrase that immediately identifies it to an experienced listener. For Raga Adana, the pakad is:
Performance
Adana is the most energetic of the Kanada family ragas. Its ascent (omitting Ga and Dha) has a clean, driving quality, while the descent uses all the komal notes characteristic of the Kanada tradition. It is often used as a vehicle for fast taans and dramatic climaxes, making it a favourite for the latter part of late-night concerts. The contrast with the slow, meditative Darbari that might open the same concert is deliberately dramatic.
Spiritual Significance
Adana's veera rasa is the most prominent in the Kanada family: where Darbari evokes bhayanaka through stillness and depth, Adana evokes it through energy and dramatic power. It represents the active, dynamic face of the night rather than its meditative depth.
Notable Performers
- Ustad Amir Khan
- Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
- Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
- Ustad Rashid Khan
Famous Compositions
- Fast Khayal compositions in the Kanada tradition
- Tappa compositions
- Drut bandishes of multiple gharanas