ILaiyaraaja- The Erudite Scholar

When knowledge is shared, happiness doubles. True scholars not only share their knowledge but also keep learning more so that it benefits the society as a whole. 

That is why, ThiruvaLLuvar sang,

தாமின்  புறுவது  உலகின்  புறக்கண்டு

காமுறுவர்  கற்றறிந்தார்.

SubramaNiyan started writing amazing poetry at the age of 7. When he was 11, he mesmerised  a galaxy of scholars and poets in the court of the King of Ettayapuram  and earned the sobriquet Bharati (meaning Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning as per Hindu mythology). This child prodigy did not stop there. He went to VaraNasi, joined the Banaras Hindu University and learned more languages and other subjects and broadened his horizon. The rest is history.

In the next 2 decades, he wrote poems and essays like no one else has done. Not a single topic did he leave uncovered. Most importantly he wrote these in a language understandable even by a common man. The style was simple but not the substance.

If only he had stopped learning after the world declared him as an avatar of Saraswati, would we have got such great works like Paanchali Sabatam, Kuyil Paattu, KaNNan Paattu and poems on a host of subjects ranging from the Freedom movement to Philosophy. One can write reams and reams of pages about this Mahakavi but even then it will not do full justification to his scholarliness and genius.

As a sample, look at this extract from one his poems:

எங்கிருந்து வருகுவதோ? ஒலி யாவர் செய்குவதோ அடி தோழி!

காட்டினின்றும் வருகுவதோ-நிலாக் காற்றைக் கொண்டு தருகுவதோ?வெளி

நாட்டினின்றும் இத்தென்றல் கொணர்வதோ?நாதமிஃது என் உயிரை உருக்குதே!

கண்ணன் ஊதிடும் வேய்ங்குழல் தான் அடி!காதிலே அமுது உள்ளத்தில் நஞ்சு,

பண்ணன்றாமடி பாவையர் வாடப் பாடி எய்திடும் அம்படி தோழி!

Singing about the divine sound which emanates from the flute of Krishna, he says,

 ‘ Where is this coming from? Who is producing this sound? Is it from the forest?Or directly from the moon? Is the breeze bringing it from an alien land? This sound melts my soul.

Oh.It is the Flute of Krishna! My ears are filled with nectar and my heart is full of poison. The tune is an arrow to make women like us long and cry!’

Forget all the philosophy that is hidden deep inside the poem. Just look at the contrast- Nectar and Poison- and how beautiful it is..

Scholar by name SubramaNiya Bharati!!

We have another scholar/genius living amidst us now, who is naturally talented. Like Bharati, what is great about this scholar whose name is ILaiyaraaja, is his proclivity and propensity to learn more and more. Even after attaining the status of a star, he did not stop with that. He continued learning under his guru and practiced for hours together to hone his skills. His learning continues after 38 years and 1000+ albums.

Because of this positive attitude, we the connoisseurs of music have been treated with some immortal melodies which not only sound great but also make us learn.

Before taking up the song of the day, let me say a few words about the Raga. Saranga TharangiNi is a raga popularized by the great Carnatic legend Shri.G.N.Balasubramaniam. I would refrain from saying ‘invented’ because it is a very plain Shadava raga with 6 swaras in the ascending and descending.  Two very popular ragas are closely related to this raga. One is Hamsanaadam and the other, Kalyani. If one adds the swara ‘dha2’ to Hamsanaadam, or eschew ‘ga’ from Kalyani, we get Saranga TharangiNi.  But strangely enough, not many carnatic musicians found this raga interesting despite its sounding so beautiful.

ILaiyaraaja has used this raga wonderfully in some of his compositions- ‘ThendRal Vandhu Ennai Thodum’ from ThendRale Ennai Thodu (1985) being a classic example.  The way the essence of the raga is brought out shows how the composer has understood and enjoyed the raga.

The composition starts with the Keys sounding like the Bells infusing subtlety and softness. After 2 aavartanaas in Chatushra ekam, the Guitar plays like a Veena with delicate fluency. We now have two sets of different melodies with the keys repeating the same beginning notes and the Guitar drawing a curve. Like the soft waves of a beautiful sea, the Strings move with concise loveliness and draw us to the Pallavi.

The Pallavi in the mellifluous voices of Yesudass and Janaki, is a shiny mosaic. Starting with the madhyama swara(ma), the lines gives a marvellous sketch of the raga touching the mandra(lower octave) ni  and also the taara(higher octave) Ri. In between, there are some small sangatis too in ‘Pagale’, ‘Paai’ and ‘Nilave’ drenching us with melody.

The Strings take some liquid glides with the soft Guitar replying very quietly in the first segment of the first interlude. The comely Veena exudes the gracious and bewitching fragrance of the raga in the following segment. The Flute shines with an incredible radiance even as the Bass Guitar backs it in its unique way.

The first line in the CharaNam starts on the 2nd beat of the TaaLa cycle while the last line ends in samam. The  lines in the CharaNam touch the mandra swaras ‘dha’ and ‘ni’ in the first two lines while the following lines have beautiful sangatis after ‘piRagu’ (ni dha ni dha pa) making it an enchanting experience. The last line touches even the taara madhayamam showing us the musicality of the composer yet again.

The backing of the instruments in all the lines has an excellent aural effect!

The first half of the second interlude is very different as we see the western contours of Saranga TarangiNi . First it is the Flute which moves with a sprightly pace imparting emotional richness in the process. Then we have a perfect harmony with the female voice singing ‘ta ra ra ta ra ra ta ra raa’ in higher octave and the male voice singing the same in lower octave simultaneously. The Guitar and another melodic instrument back this and act as the percussion. After this mesmerising piece, the Strings play in the original tempo but in higher octave with aesthetic solicitude. Parallely, the Guitar plays a supple melody giving an exotic touch.

Doesn’t the composition melt our soul?

                                                 

ILaiyaraaja's Music - Pleasant, Beautiful and Brilliant

Sometime back, I had written in one of the posts that certain words in Indian languages cannot be translated into English. Even if one manages to translate, the charm and the real meaning of that word will be absent.

Take the word ‘manoharam’ for example. Can we translate it as ‘being pleasant’? If so, will it do justice to the original word? ‘Manoharam’ is something pleasant and beautiful. Is there an equivalent word in English?

Works of geniuses always have this manoharam.

In my previous post on ‘Koththamalli Poove’, I quoted a verse from Kamban. Here is a verse on somewhat similar lines but with a more spiritual and mystic content and meaning:

தேமாங்கனி கடுவன் கொள விடு கொம்பொடு தீண்டித்

தூ மாமழை துறுகல் மிசை சிறு நுண் துளி சிதற

ஆ மாம் பிணை அணையும் பொழில் அண்ணாமலை அண்ணல்

பூமாங்கழல் புனைசேவடி நினைவார் வினை இலரே.

‘The male monkey plucks the mango from the branch and the droplets of rain water scatter and fall on the rock. Assuming it to be the real rain, the cows run towards the garden to take shelter. People who think of the feet of ANNamalaiyaan-which is decorated with the flower-like anklet, will be free from all karmas. ‘

As I said in the beginning, the English translation may not exactly convey the beauty of the poem which is ‘manoharam’ personified. It has very deep inner meanings too with the male monkey symbolizing our mind full of impurities, the droplets being all our misdeeds, the cows symbolizing good and noble thoughts.

‘A noble soul can recognise bad karmas and misdeeds and attain divinity by moving away from these’.

I feel this is the crux of the poem. One cannot help feeling very pleasant after reading the poem because of the way the poet has described the scene.

This verse is part of Thevaram written by the child prodigy Thirugnanasambhandar, whose verses I have already quoted in many of my posts in this blog.

The music of ILaiyaraaja has that manoharam because it is beautiful and divine. His compositions also carry the stamp of brilliance because of the way he conceives the ideas-albeit spontaneously- and embellishes the compositions with his innovativeness. This is also because of his deep knowledge of classical music. It is therefore not surprising that each and every composition of his has a uniqueness which is unmatched.

The speciality of the song of the day is that it is based on a raga which incidentally has the word Manoharam. Did I say ‘speciality’? No, it should be ‘specialities’ because the song is special for more than one reason.

The raga is Gowrimanohari, which is the 23rd mela ragam.True to its name, the raga has that pleasantness which is as soft as an evening breeze.

Is it just a coincidence that Solaippoovil maalai thendRal from VeLLai Roja (1983) is based on this raga?

Let us get into that ‘specialities’ I mentioned.

Firstly, it is purely in this raga without any deviation whatsoever.

Secondly, the rhythmic pattern of the percussion.

It is a fact that he lays a lot of stress on Laya and is a Master in this. In this composition, the laya pattern itself is the leitmotif.

Let us see that first.

The composition is based on Chatushra Ekam- 1 2 3 4. As already explained in all my Laya Raaja posts, the beats are subdivided as ‘maatras’ and obviously will have to be the multiples of the base taaLam. Here, the Master first subdivides it into 16. He then gives the syllables as :

Ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka dhi mi/ta ka ta ki ta ta ki ta.

Then he assigns the instruments to play these and how to play these.

The percussion instrument to play the first four syllables, another percussion to play just the third syllable in the second part, a sharp sounding melodic instrument to play only the third and the sixth syllables in the second part. The Bass guitar will of course back it from time and time and the other melodic instruments will be simultaneously played. And of course, there shall also be phrases where I will stop the percussion.

This is how his mind must have worked while composing.

So, how do the syllables look now?

Ta ka dhi mi/- - dhi-/- - ta - - ta - - - - -

As already mentioned, this runs as the leitmotif almost throughout the song giving it a very special colour.

Let us now look at the composition as a whole.

Clothed in mellifluous warmth, the keys -backed by the sympathetic strings, subtle drums and the Bass Guitar- move at a steady pace. After 3 aavartanaas, the strings join and move with a splendour. This goes on for the next 4 aavartanaas after which the magic starts. Here too, the brilliant composer gives variations. The flute and the stringed instrument(santoor?) alternately play during each aavratana of the leit motif. Finally, the stringed instrument plays the aarohaNa of Gowrimanohari leading us to the Pallavi.

We hear only the upper Sa during the first four phrases in the first two lines. In the last line, we see pa and ma, ma and ga, ga and ri pairing together to draw a beautiful sketch of the raga.

The Flute in the beginning of the first interlude plays with an aesthetic solicitude. That the echo and fading effect is not given using any sound technology but is still ‘sound’ shows the genius of the composer yet again. The Bass Guitar in the background and the drums at the end of this Flute- section add to the glory. The leitmotif starts now and the guitar plays with a sense of poignancy. The strings reply rather soberly too. After 6 aavartanaas, the strings take over with exuberance with the Flute giving the ‘jawabs’ to the ‘savaals’ posed by them. It is lilting and graceful. The keys produce the bells sound and the strings nod their heads in appreciation.

The first 2 lines of the CharaNams have the avarohaNa swaras only. The following 4 lines too almost have the avarohaNa pattern except for the two phrases in the end of each line. The higher octave notes -Sa Ri Ga - appear in the next two lines even as these lines go on the ascent. The last ‘la la la la’ is a masterstroke with Janaki singing the higher octave notes Ri Ma Ga Ri Sa Ga Ri Sa and SPB completing it with ri ga ma pa dha ni Sa Ri-the beautiful arohaNa of the raga.

The Flute and the strings interspersed between the lines in the CharNams are subtle as well as sumptuous.

The second interlude has varied sequences. First we have the strings playing what in WCM is called as March Music. After three aavartanaas, the prominent solo violin plays with suave even as the set of strings continue their journey. The keys then go with a bewitching fragrance backed by the leitmotif with the special music of the prelude(in the very beginning of the song) appearing at the end of each melodic line. The conspicuously thrilling strings join with other instruments and touch the higher octave.

The ‘pa pa’ in the end when the Pallavi is rendered and the postlude with strings and the bells are mysteriously charming.

Manoharam..

ILaiyaraaja - The Rasika

What makes poets and artistes unique?

Is it just the creativity?

Let us first look at this poem, a description of a scene in the Kingdom of Kosalam by Kamban:

சேலுண்ட ஒண்கணாரில் திரிகின்ற செங்காலன்னம்

மாலுண்ட நளினப் பள்ளி வளர்த்திய மழலைப் பிள்ளை

காலுண்ட சேற்று மேதி கன்று உள்ளிக் கனைப்பச் சோர்ந்த‌

பாலுண்டு துஇலப் பச்சைத் தேரை தாலாட்டும் பண்ணை.

‘Amidst the huge paddy fields, the swans lay their cygnets (the little ones) on the lotus flowers. Seeing this, the Buffaloes get reminded of their calves and grunt. Instantly, milk starts oozing out of their udders and the little swans drink this. Finally, the tadpoles sing lullabies to put the little swans to sleep’.

What do we see here? Great imagination? Wonderful description? Beautiful Tamizh?

Beyond all these, it is the poet’s appreciation of finer things in life which makes this unique.

An artiste/poet sees; feels; experiences; perceives.

They observe, comprehend and assimilate..

But finally, it has to reflect in their works.

In the aforementioned poem, Kamaban’s mindscape must have visualised a beautiful scene from what he would have seen in a paddy field. I am sure buffaloes feeding swans and frogs singing lullabies are next to impossible. However, the field with swans, buffaloes and frogs must have captured his imagination and inspired him to make his own beautiful poetic story.

Kamban- The Rasika of Nature.

A great Artiste/Poet is always a great Rasika.

Many of us know that ILaiyaraaja is a great photographer. His love for Nature and appreciation of finer elements get reflected in his compositions and make him a composer par excellence.

Now, imagine this. He is given the task of composing a song which will run as the Titles roll on the screen. Though I am not sure what the Director would have briefed him, I am sure the Director would not have suggested the raga, tala . At the most, he would have told him about a typical scene in a village and that the dhobis wash their clothes in a river.

The Nature Lover’s imagination runs riot after this. He first chooses a Hindustani Raag Jog which has the ability to give abstract images and give one a mélange of emotions.. He plays with the TaaL in the prelude. He starts the first CharaNam with a long akaara(long by film songs’ standard) and the second CharaNam with a short akaara. In the first interlude, he uses the  ‘Naaththu nadal’-planting  of seedling  - song without deviating from the raag and in the second interlude he keeps the sound of the washing of clothes as the rhythm!

The effect?

A terrific and immortal composition!

‘Koththamalli Poove’ from ‘KallukkuL Eeram’(1980) starts with a very subtle Jalatarangam and sonorous Tabla Tarang sounding 24 beats in the ‘mel kaalam’.

The Jalatarangam and the Tabla Tarang together sound 6 beats- ta ka dhi mi ta ka- and the Pakhawaj responds with 6 beats. This happens twice. By this time the sketch of Raag is clearly drawn.

The Jalatarangam then plays 22 beats (5+5+7+5) and also not only clearly sketching the Raag but also showing us the different colours of the Raag.

The percussion now responds, first with the Pakhawaj playing 7 beats followed by the Dolak which plays 5 beats. This happens twice. So, it is (7+5) x2 twice which is 24.Now, there is an extra 1 2 after this. The previous Jalatarangam section played 22 beats only while it had to be 24 to complete the cycle. The Mathematician adds that 2 here to make it 24 ( remember Tisram is a 3-beat cycle and therefore the maatras must be in multiples of 3).

It is the turn of Tabla Tarang and Jalatarangam but this time separately with the former in combination with the ankle bells sounding 1 2 3 4 three times and the latter combining with the Dolak to sound 1 2 3 four times. That is 3 Chatushrams and 4 Tisrams. This too happens twice making it 24x2.

Finally, all the three -Tabla Tarang, Jalatarangam and the ankle bells- join together to play the Chatushram in ‘mel kaalam’ 12 times to make it 48.

Jog, Tisram and different ‘Tarangams’-Glowing edifice of creative expression!

The brief Pallavi (with just 4 short lines) is soft and spirited in the voice of Janaki. The ‘yekaaram’ that follows ‘Poove..’ which lasts for 4 Tisram cycles is like the soft breeze blowing from the North- called as ‘vaadai’(வாடை) in Tamizh. ‘vaadai’ is used as a symbol for Viraha.

The first interlude straightaway transports us to the paddy fields (not of Kosalam but of PaNNaippuram) with the நாற்று நடுதல் (transplantation of seedling) song purely in Jog and following the Tisram though it is only the water which acts as the percussion. After 24 cycles of Tisram, the Flute gives a feather touch and goes on a circular motion. It then takes a glittering flight playing the ‘aaroh’ in the process. The magical bass guitar backs it. It should be noted that this is the only piece played by the bass guitar in the entire composition.

The charming Shehnai takes over with brief interjections by the Jalatarangam. The percussion in the first interlude starts only now (after 35 Tisram cycles). It is folksy flavour again with Malaysia Vasudevan singing ‘thandhaanane thandhanaane thannenaa’.

The first CharaNam rather unusually starts with the long ‘akaaram’ that lasts for 16 Tisram cycles. Janaki sings it with a unique elegance. The ‘akaaram’ gives the sublimated essence of the raag. Immersing itself in this beauty, the Tabla moves in keezh kaalam making us all sway. The other lines show variegated patterns with the sound of Santoor interspersed. The CharaNam ends with a charming sangati that goes in the ‘avaroh’.

We are now transported to a ‘dhobi ghat’. One never knew that even ‘dhobi ghats’ could be so musical. The clothes hit the stone for a count of 4 Tisrams. They then back the vocals (Malaysia Vasudevan) for the next 4 Tisrams, play alone for 2 cycles. This 4 and 2 is repeated again after which the vocals sing for 8 cycles. The clothes-stone finally sound for 4 Tisrams.

Rhythmic washing!

What follows is a cogent melodic progression. First the Santoor and the Jalatarangam play a short melodic piece. The chorus repeats it and adds one more bit. The Shehnai and Flute repeat the added bit. The chorus expands the melody adding one more bit which is again repeated by Shehnai-Flute. The chorus completes the melody adding a new ‘thandhaanaa..’

Exotic and conspicuously thrilling!

…like the white swans on lotus flowers drinking milk.

ILaiyaraaja - The Revolutionary Musician

 If I say Subramaniya Bharati was a poet par excellence, it is like saying ‘Rose is beautiful’ or ‘Jasmine gives fragrance’. 

At the same time, certain things even when repeated infinite times do not lose their value. On the other hand, the more we repeat, the more the value goes up.

Why was  Bharati considered a revolutionary poet?

He simplified Tamizh poetry by using simple words so that it reached the common man.

At a time when the Tamizh society was soaked in casteism and oppression of women, he had the audacity to not only question these in his poems but also did his best for these evils to be eradicated from the society.

His poems on India and the freedom movement spread like forest fire igniting the minds of the people.

Though all his works were special, I consider ‘Paanchaali Sabatam’ as very special. The reason is simple. He wanted to write something very powerful against the British rule and wanted it to be symbolic. Taking just one very important episode from the Mahabharat, he expanded it. Bharat Maata was symbolised as Paanchaali (Draupadi). Needless to say that the Britishers were Kauravas and the people were PaaNdavas. At least to my knowledge, no poet in the world has taken one episode from any epic and used it as a symbol. It gives me Goosebumps even as I write this.

In ‘Paanchali Sabatam’, the angry Bharati dominates the aesthetic Bharati. So much so that in a work which has 559 stanzas, only 5 stanzas describe  nature’s beauty. And the placement is perfect. PaaNdavas travel to Hastinapuram to play the game of dice and on the way, Arjuna- who for all practical reasons is considered to be a connoisseur- describes the beauty of the sky during dusk to Draupadi:

பாரடியோ! வானத்திற் புதுமை எல்லாம்,

பண்மொழி!கணந்தோறும் மாறி மாறி

ஓரடி மற்றோரடியோடு ஒத்தலன்றி

உவகையுற நவநவமாத் தோன்றும் காட்சி,

யாரடி இங்கு இவை போலப் புவியின் மீதே

எண்ணரிய பொருள் கொடுத்தும் இயற்ற வல்லார்!

சீரடியால் பழவேத முனிவர் போற்றும்

செழும் சோதி வனப்பையெலாம் சேரக்காண்பாய்.

‘Oh the one whose speech is as melodious as music! Look at the sky and see how the colours change-each one so different from the other. How much one may have to spend if such a spectacle is organised on the Earth. The beauty of the sun-who is praised by all Vedas- is in full glory!’

(I have tried my best to translate this wonderful verse. But it is always better to read the original in Tamizh!).

Like Bharati, we have another revolutionary living in the current era. If the former revolutionised Tamizh Poetry, the latter revolutionised film music. Since a lot has been said about this, I would prefer to move on to the main topic.

When Bharati wanted to write about getting India free from the foreign rule, he used symbolism. When ILaiyaraaja wanted to compose a song in a particular raga, he used a technique. He wanted to compose a song in Sarasangi (by mistake, he mentions this as Latangi even as his hands play the swaras of Sarasangi. Just a slip which happens to all human beings and nothing needs to be read into this. I have heard some people say ‘he does not even know the name of the raga’. Absurd!).  

He goes on and explains what he did. He took the gandhara (the swara ga) of Sarasangi as the aadhara(base) sa and composed a song. This concept is called as the Graha Bedam and I have already explained about this concept in many posts in the Orkut community.

This graha bedam on ‘ga’ in Sarasangi is something very special and I am not sure even if any classical musician has ever tried this. Please note that graha bedam is guided by some rules. Though one can try graha bedam on all 6 swaras, it may not yield a valid raga. One can at the most get 2 or 3 ragas (the exceptions being Shankarabharanam, Kalyani, Hanumatodi, Kharaharapriya, Harikambhoji, Natabhairavi. I have already explained about this in my post on ‘Vaidehi Raman’).

Sarasangi is in the Graha bedam group of Dharmavati and Chakravagam. If the ‘ma’ of Sarasangi is taken as the base, it becomes Dharmavati and if ‘pa’ is taken as the base, it is Chakravagam. This being the case, what was the Maestro talking about?

If the ‘ga’ is taken as ‘sa’, we get ‘sa ri1 ga2 g3 pa dha1 ni2 Sa’ which is not a valid raga. This is where the genius comes to the fore.

Sindhu Bhairavi is one raga which strictly does not go by and structure and the bhava of the raga can be shown by experts in just one or two swaras. Almost all the swaras can be used in the raga and the raga sketch is shown not by arohana/avarohana but by the way the swaras are used. The Maestro who is well adept with all these nuances makes the ‘new raga’ sound like Sindhu Bhairavi. I think saying ‘like’ is wrong. It is Sindhu Bhairavi by all means.

So, what kind of thinking is this? Let psychiatrists say that -that is if they know music or at least can appreciate music- and we shall focus on the composition.

A subtle Guitar sound is followed by a zealous humming by Uma RamaNan. With a shapely finesse, the Bass Guitar responds to the humming and the Lead Guitar taps on the shoulder of its cousin-the Bass Guitar- with a monarchic dignity. Impeccable and Instinctive!

The Pallavi starts like a luminous halo and is amazingly ruminative with the Guitar and the Flute taking turns to back the vocals. The special ‘train like sound’ is worth mentioning. It sounds ‘ta ka dhi mi/ ta - - - in the ‘mel kaalam’- the ‘-‘ denoting silence. This happens only when Uma RamaNan sings with the percussion appearing when SPB renders the lines in the Pallavi.

Do not miss the predominant ‘Arabic flavour’ in the prelude and in the Pallavi. In fact, it runs as the undercurrent throughout the song.

The beginning of the first interlude is another master act. The Piano appears from nowhere rather unexpectedly. The sensitive eloquence with which it is sounded is amazing. It sounds for 10 maatras , there is silence for 2 maatras and the  guitar plays the balance 4. The guitar then continues its journey energetically with the Piano intricately following it. After showing us some beautiful shades of the Dusk, the two give way to the delectable strings. There are two different sets of strings as often playing the counter melody with the Piano too peeping in now and then. The melody is full of vigour and is yet sublime.

The lines in the CharaNams have some cosy patterns appearing sequentially. The lines are interspersed with Guitar playing different sets of notes each time. It varies from being resonant to being subtle teaching us lessons in music as well as in life.

The second interlude is a concoction of combinations. Backed by the Guitar, the Flute plays in higher octave. The Guitar plays some fluid phrases on its own. What follows is stupendous with the rhythm Guitar and the Drums playing ‘Ta ka dhi mi’ sketching a unique melody in the process and the Strings showing a kaleidoscope of melody. The Brass Flute plays with great solicitude.

We are frozen in the Transcendental.

He defies logic… and yet is logical.

He innovates…and yet is traditional.

He breaks rules…and yet follows rules.

……Just like the Sindhu Bhairavi ragam!