Latangi
Also known as: Lathangi, Geetapriya, Gitapriya, Githapriya
Melakarta raga — 63
Practise Latangi →Latangi is the 63rd melakarta, a sampurna prati-madhyama raga generally regarded as bright, lyrical and romantic, well suited to both classical concert pieces and light/film music. Its distinctive colour comes from pairing the prati madhyama (M2) with the shuddha dhaivata (D1), which sets it apart from its close relative Kalyani. It carries a rich concert repertoire including Thyagaraja's "Diname Sudhinamu," Patnam Subramania Iyer's "Marivere," and Papanasam Sivan's "Pirava Varam Tharum," and appears widely in Tamil cinema.
Gamaka
| Swara | Style | Hold allowed | Oscillation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | steady | yes | — | Sung plain as the tonic anchor and a resting point; held flat with no oscillation. |
| R | kampita | yes | — | Chatushruti rishabham; can be held but is commonly given a gentle kampita, especially as an approach note in ascent. |
| G | kampita | yes | — | Antara gandharam, a life/jeeva note; usually approached from M2 and lightly oscillated rather than struck flat. |
| M | jaru | yes | — | Prati madhyamam; a prominent note often reached with a slide (jaru) from G3 and given a slight shake, characteristic of this prati-madhyama mela. |
| P | steady | yes | — | Held plain as a strong resting/nyasa note dividing the two tetrachords. |
| d | kampita | yes | — | Shuddha dhaivatham, the note that distinguishes Latangi from Kalyani; typically inflected with a kampita and must be pitched low (shuddha) rather than as chatushruti dhaivata. |
| N | nokku | yes | — | Kakali nishadham acting as a leading tone; often given a nokku/kampita before resolving up to the upper S. |
Common pitfalls
- Singing chatushruti dhaivata (D2) instead of the correct shuddha dhaivata (D1), which collapses Latangi into Kalyani.
- Using shuddha madhyama (M1) in place of prati madhyama (M2), which turns the raga into Sarasangi (melakarta 27).
- Rendering the raga with Kalyani-style heavy oscillations and phrasing instead of Latangi's own contour, blurring its identity.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latangi — Confirms melakarta #63, arohana S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N3 S / avarohana S N3 D1 P M2 G3 R2 S, swaras (chatushruti rishabham, antara gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham, kakali nishadham), alias Geetapriya/Gitapriya in the Dikshitar school, equivalence to Sarasangi with shuddha madhyama, and notable compositions.
- https://karnatik.com/ragasl.shtml — Corroborates arohana/avarohana and the Gitapriya (asampurna mela / Dikshitar system) alias, and lists compositions and film songs in the raga.
- https://www.ragasurabhi.com/carnatic-music/raga/raga--lathangi.html — Independently confirms the 63rd mela scale and the 'Lathangi' spelling, notes comparison with Kalyani and Vachaspati, and cites compositions including Papanasam Sivan's 'Pirava Varam Tharum'.
Related ragas
Ragas that share Latangi's family, scale, or swaras: Chitrambari · Dhatuvardhani · Kamavardhini · Kantamani · Mechakalyani · Rishabhapriya.