ILaiyaraaja- The Passionate Musician

The word ‘Romance’ is very interesting. It is said that it is a feeling of mystery combined with excitement. If this is the case with the noun, what does one say of the adjective- Romantic? One of the definitions is ‘one who has an idealised view of reality.

In fact, in the West, there was something called Romantic Movement, which was an artistic, literary and musical movement during which Nature was glorified with clear emphasis on emotions. This happened in the 19^th century and is celebrated as ‘one of the golden eras’ in the west. What baffles me is the fact that despite such a movement existing in the Land of Tamizh more than 2000 years ago, no westerner (with some exceptions) is aware of either the Movement or the works related to the Movement.

The Sangam era in the Tamizh Land has given us many great works which is to be cherished not just by the Tamizh people but by all folks across the globe. What make the work great are the description of Nature and the way this is connected to different human emotions.

Let me give a very small sample:

விரிதிரைப் பெருங்கடல் வளைஇய உலகமும்

அரிது பெறு சிறப்பின் புத்தேள் நாடும்,

இரண்டும் தூக்கின், சீர் சாலாவே

பூப்போல் உண்கண், பொன் போல் மேனி,

மாண் வரி அல்குல், குறுமகள்

தோள் மாறுபடூஉம் வைகலொடு எமக்கே.

Enraptured in the embrace of his Lady Love, the man says ‘There is nothing to equal this; not even the beauty of the world which is surrounded by the vast oceans; nor the heavenly celestial world.The joy and pleasure I get from the embrace of this girl whose soft eyes are lined with kohl and whose loin has some beautiful lines are unmatched.’

This is just a loose translation and it cannot bring out the true emotion of this poem. For the benefit of non-tamizh people, I have recited the poem here:

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See how the poet ‘drags’ Nature in this and how beautifully he describes it. The moment we read the first line, the azure blue ocean appears in our mind’s eye. This poem was written by a poet called ‘Paroovu Movai Padumanaar’ and is part of ‘KuRunthogai’.

True Romanticism almost 2000 years before that Movement started in the West!

When it comes to Romanticism, it is impossible not to mention about ILaiyaraaja and a majority of his works. A romantic is one who gives an idealized view of reality and whose works have a strong effect on others’ emotions. Most importantly, he/she is a connoisseur.  Taken in this context, Raaja sir is a true romantic.

Now, see this song-Adhikaalai Nilave from Urudhi Mozhi( 1990)- and see how romance runs as the undercurrent. What makes this composition great is not just the raga Gowrimanohari but also the taaLa. It is set in Khandam which is unusual and rare in a filmy composition. Having said that, it is this 5-beat cycle which gives a new dimension to the composition..

The beginning of the composition can be said to be both ‘unusual’ and ‘usual’-the former because not many film songs start just with the sound of the bells playing the taaLa, and the latter because Raaja sir is known for such innovations.

The bell which sounds ta -/ta – ta , gives an aura of serenity. The humming of Janaki which follows the Bell, is haunting with an unmistakable touch of poignancy. Who said poignancy is alien to romance? The fact is, both go hand-in-hand!

The strings go up like waves, back the vocals and then keep quiet even as the Tabla takes over. The keys give a beautiful sketch of Gowrimanohari playing the ascending and descending notes in the blink of an eye. The shrill flute plays a lilting melody, gives a pause, and the keys move downwards to signal the beginning of the Pallavi.

The beginning of the Pallavi is again interesting. As many of you know, ‘pa’ is the middle-note and ‘Sa’ is the highest note in a particular octave. The Master composer combines the two giving an amazing effect. ‘pa pa Sa Sa’ –adhikaalai- brings us the vision of the dawn in a matter of seconds. Having done this, he goes to the lower octave note ‘ni.’ in the next line and bringing a higher octave note ‘Ri’ just before the end. Still not satisfied with this, he adds a sangati after the last phrase of the Pallavi.

Beautifully Musical and Musically Beautiful!

‘And that was just a beginning’, this is what we are forced to say when we listen to the first interlude. To start with, the guitar plays with palpable buoyancy and exuberance and moves with a regal splendour. The flute permeates an exclusive fragrance and what is stunning here is the transition from ‘no percussion’ to ‘percussion’. So seamless is it that one can be excused for not noticing this. The guitar melody continues in the background as the strings repeat the melody of the flute with fervour. The flute appears again, this time with a flourish, and then romances with the strings. The two play in perfect unison indicating a sense of balance and going into a state of blissful harmony. The keys yet again end with a smile.

Tender! This is how one can define the CharaNams. Smeared with a plenitude of podi sangatis, the lines move with a distinct flavour. Here too, the lower octave ‘ni.’ appears. So does the higher octave ‘Ri’. But the jewel in the crown is the last line in which the first two phrases-namai vaazhththa- and the last phrase-thalai kuniyum- have the same set of swaras but in two different octaves, -Ga Ri/ Sa Ri Sa ni- and ga ri/sa ri sa ni..

Can any of the description of his compositions be complete without my bringing that term ‘Laya Raaja’? Here too, he enters with full energy in the second interlude. First, he makes the tabla sound sharp. Then he makes the tabla play all the syllables of khandam-ta ka/ta ki ta. Does he stop there?

He breaks the khandam syllables into micro-beats – in the second half of the even cycle. To elaborate this further, the tabla plays ta ka/ta ki ta during every odd cycle and ta ka/ta ka dhi mi ta ka for every even cycle. So, it alternates between the two for 18 full cycles. The icing on the cake (or should it be icing on the tabla) is the very different sound-probably from bamboo- made in between two cycles!

Meanwhile, the flute hovers around with inspirational flashes and the strings play with vivacity in higher octave after the 18^th cycle, giving a sense of tranquility. After 8 cycles, the sharp-tabla and the flute reappear, playing that leitmotif for 4 cycles.

Can the Azure-blue ocean or the Heaven give so much joy?

One has to ask the sangam poet again.

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