Expressing oneself is an art.
This said, it is not as easy it seems to be. First
of all, why should anybody express themselves? Is it to make others understand
what is it that which is in their mind? Or is it to counter others’ arguments
and show their dominance? Or is it even a part of self-awareness, so that only
after they talk do they even understand what is in their own mind?
One can go on exploring this and I am sure one will
get hundreds of answers and possibilities, but rather than getting into mundane
levels, let us look at a slightly higher or an exalted level.
When it comes to expressing oneself, the first thing
which comes to my mind is ‘fine arts’.
The very reason for my using the word ‘art’
in the first line is because of this. I feel poetry too is a form of fine arts
and therefore would include this. Don’t we feel the expression of the
poet-despite not knowing his/her face- in a poem?
It is an expression which one would find difficult to express.
Let us look at a poem
in which the poet describes a lover’s
state and condition after seeing his lady love. Rather, he makes the lover
describe it in his own words to his friend who seems baffled at his behaviour.
‘The pure-
white water flows down the sky-high mountains,
roars
even as it passes through the caves meeting many beautiful flowers on the way,
The beauty of the girl with the broad
shoulders, who hails from a village near the flowering slopes, is as gentle as
that pure white water
And
alas, it has weakened my strength -which was as powerful as fire.’
மால் வரை இழிதரும்
தூ வெள் அருவி,
கல் முகைத்
ததும்பும் பல் மலற் சாரல்
சிறுகுடிக் குறவன்
பெருந்தோள் குறமகள்
நீர் ஓரன்ன சாயல்,
தீ ஓரன்ன என் உரன்
அவித்தன்றே.
This poem is from KuRunthogai which is part of the 2,500 year old Sangam literature and was composed by a poet called Kapilar.
What is amazing is the fact that the poet has used similes and contrasts
brilliantly and beautifully and in effect made us all feel the state of mind of
the lover and his expressions.
Now, see this- Pure
white water is compared with her
beauty, while fire is his strength. Roaring sound of the water falls is the roaring sound in the mind of the love struck hero while the flowers depict her beauty. Broad shoulders
of the girl match with that of his and in my opinion also depict the valour of the girl.
Can love be expressed in a better way?
That is the beauty of our poetry- sangam poetry in particular.
That is the beauty of our music too.
Oh, yes, I am probably jumping the gun but there is
beauty and poetry in jumping the gun, at times.
How ILaiyaraaja’s
music depicts love making us fall in love again and again, is a fact known
to all of us. But what is extraordinary is the way he expresses love, or rather
makes the hero or the heroine of the movie express love.
‘Oru Kunguma Chengamalam’ from ‘Aaradhanai’(1981) is an example.
Generally, a love
duet in an Indian film will have
the male and female exchange a truck load of adjectives with the music
complementing the exchange. Not many composers have thought out of the box to make this expression
of love sound differently. Needles to say, ILaiyaraaja
is one of the few who think differently. Since this is not the time to list
out, I leave it at that and move on to the composition,
or rather the speciality in the
composition.
First and foremost, only the male voice renders the lyrics
and the role of the female voice is
limited to humming. But it is this
limited role which gives unlimited joy. Secondly, the humming is neither repetitive nor is it formal. On the other hand,
it is variegated and even poly chromatic. Thirdly, there is interplay between
the humming and the rhythm. The third point alone is enough to show the out of box thinking, but let us see the
whole picture and then the details as we move on.
For the record, the composition is based on Gowrimanohari, but as I keep saying ad nauseam, it is not the raga which is important as much as the
way it is used.
The composition
has a rather eerie beginning. One hears the bird calls –one responding to the
other- albeit musically in the swaras
of Gowrimanohari. The flute wafts us along through quietude even
as the bird calls sound in the background and the percussion sounding the first
and the third syllables. The keys follow to the subtle backing of
the strings.
The Pallavi
has some chiselled phrases in Gowrimanohari
and sounds scintillating in the voice of SPB. The last line takes
an unexpected and at the same time unobtrusive turn, showing us a different
dimension of the raga itself.
The humming
of Janaki starts in the beginning of
the first interlude. This short humming lasts for just two chatushram cycles with only the bass guitar sounding now and then in
the background. The brevity is striking. The luminescent flute follows and it is then a play of light and shade with the
eerie bird calls following too. The bass
guitar follows too with that insouciant grace it is known for.
The strings which
take over now, glissade. The pizzicato (plucking
of the violin strings with the fingers and without using the bow) is the icing
on the cake. The flute joins in
between. Can a slide and a glide be more beautiful and enjoyable than this?
The first two
lines of the CharaNams have a
cherubic charm. The following two lines
are vivacious not least because of the humming of Janaki which appears towards the end, sounding different each time.
The humming appears
again in the next segment of the CharaNams, but this time it is
different as it is in mid octave the
first time and in the higher octave
the second time. The imaginatively conceived last line makes us visualise some
beautiful images.
Probably, the last line of the first CharaNam is a kind of precursor to what is to follow in the next interlude. Janaki starts humming the tune
of the first half of the Pallavi and the percussion falls silent. This goes on for 3 aavartanams and the tabla
suddenly appears and plays for 1 aavartanam.
Janaki continues the humming in the next aavartanam(after the first beat) and the tabla continues. It looks as if the humming is free - flowing and yet it follows the chatushram beats. The humming gushes forth as a deluge roaring
like a lion but sounding as melodious as a cuckoo.
Mesmerised by this, the flute chips in with the melody it is
known for.
After this spectacle, the flute draws some ornate images to the accompaniment of the keys and the bass guitar with the tabla taking
a break. The strings which respond
with sobriety takes over and repeats the melody of the flute in higher octave
with yet another set of strings echoing
it in mid-octave.
Expression of Love!
Expression of Music!
Waterfalls and Mountain!
Water and Fire!
Isn’t poetry beautiful?
Isn’t music beautiful?
Isn’t life more beautiful with such expressions?
