ILaiyaraaja – The Enchanter

If I say that human life follows a pattern, that the Universe follows a pattern, I will be stating the obvious.

How important are patterns in life? Doesn’t following a pattern make our life mechanical? Should we have patterns or should we break patterns?

Well, whether one likes or not, it is an undeniable fact that patterns are intrinsic part of the Universe and are inextricably linked to our lives. The sun rising in the east and setting in the west is a pattern. The onset of different seasons is a pattern. Sleeping during the night and getting up in the morning is a pattern. Blinking eyes is a pattern. Breathing is a pattern. Heart beating is a pattern.

While all this is true, it is the propensity to break patterns which gives rise to creativity. If people were happy with the patterns, we would not have seen any invention in this world. So, this takes us back to the questions in the second paragraph. My answer would be- While patterns are an ineluctable part of our life, breaking the patterns and in the process setting new patterns are what we should aim for.
And that is how many creative works were born..

Take Kamban for example. As all of you know, RavaNa’s brother KumbakarNa was known for his sleep. At the same time, he was a great warrior and his services were badly required to fight Rama’s army. How to wake him up was one of the many quandaries of RavaNa. He sends an army of people to carry plungers, sticks, drums and many other tools. His rationale? The sound from all these would wake his younger brother up from the deep slumber. That RavaNa himself was in deep slumber is a different issue.

Such a sequence is not difficult to describe for somebody who goes by the sobriquet ‘Kavi Chakravarti’. He could have simply gone by the usual way of composing a verse using rhyme words and similes. But Kamban being Kamban, he breaks the pattern and sets a new pattern:

உறங்குகின்ற கும்பகர்ண உங்கள் மாய வாழ்வெல்லாம்
இறங்குகின்றது இன்று காண் எழுந்திராய் எழுந்திராய்
கறங்குபோல வில் பிடித்த காலதூதர் கையிலே
உறங்குவாய் உறங்குவாய் இனிக் கிடந்து உறங்குவாய்.

Simply translated, it means ‘Get up you KumbakaraNa. Your game is over. Now you go and sleep in the hands of Yama’s messengers’.
As per Hindu mythology, Yama is the god of death and it is believed that he, along with his messengers, throw a rope around the neck of the person who is destined to die and thus the body dies.

Here, sleep is used as the LCM and this is not something you don’t expect from Kavi Chakravarti. But Geniuses are too dangerous. They will catch you off guard suddenly and without any warning.

Ulakkai is an ethnic tool used to crush solid things. This was one of the major tools used by Ravana’s battalion for waking his younger up. Now, the entire verse is composed in such a way so as to remind one of the ulakkai and its movements.

Listen to my recital here:




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New pattern breaking the old pattern..

When ILaiyaraaja was explained about a situation where the hero passes through a forest, gets mesmerized by the beauty of nature and sings with spontaneity, he came up with a tune. But being a nature enthusiast and most importantly being a person who loves different patterns and one who enjoys coming up with new patterns thus challenging his creativity, he decided to use just the percussion in the two interludes.
The result?

A composition with patterns not seen in film music before..

‘ILa Nenje Vaa’ from ‘VaNNa VaNNa PookkaL’ (1991) shimmers with percussive patterns showing us the beauty of rhythm and the brilliance of Laya Raaja.

I am going to slightly deviate from my usual way of describing the song in this thread, by writing first about the melodic aspects in the Pallavi and CharaNams and then list out the patterns in the prelude and the interludes to help you appreciate this unique composition in a better way. By the way, I too love breaking patterns!

The composition, based on Suddha Dhanyasi starts with Yesudas rendering the first few phrases. The flute follows him with panache. First time it plays, there is that majestic touch. Second time, there is that elegance and grace. On the whole, it pierces the heart.
The Pallavi in ateeta eduppu-with the song starting before the taaLa cycle, is subtle, soft and playful too with the swaras sa, ga, ma, pa and ni jumping with joy, the kind of joy one sees on a child’s face while playing. The flute too acknowledges this, and spreads joy.
The lines in the CharaNams are finely etched and are inundated with rich, imaginative ideas. The flute follows the vocals after each line. It is mellow. It is zestful. It is lucid. It is sizzling.

And now for the Laya part. The composition is set in Misram , which is 7 beats/cycle(a k a 7/8 in film music parlance). It goes as ta ki ta/ta ka dhi mi- 1 2 3/1 2 3 4. The Maestro has played around this,weaving intricate patterns and conceiving and executing variegated patterns on different percussion instruments. He also changes the kaalam(speed) at times in the first half, at times in the second half, at times in the second part of the second half and so on.

Let us now look at the prelude. The first half of the prelude, which has the vocals and the flute, goes without percussion as if to prepare us for the treat which is to follow.

1. The drums play ta ki ta ta ka/ta ka dhi mi – It is ta ki ta/ta ka dhi mi. However, the last 2 syllables are in mel kaalam (fast speed).

2. It now plays ta - / ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi- with the first 3 subdivided into 6 maatraas –leaving a gap for the second maatra- and the second 4 being subdivided into 8 (4+4).

1. and 2. are repeated twice.

3.dhi taam ta taam/ta - ta ka ta ka ta ka – again 6 and 8 in mel kaalam.

This pattern goes on 8 times. A new percussion enters during the 5th and 6th giving a special effect and this is replaced by a melodic percussion which plays with a stress during the 7th and the 8th.

The Pallavi then starts in ateetam.

The pattern backing the vocals is the same as pattern 1, except for the addition of rhythm guitar.

Interlude 1

4.ta ka dhi mi - -/ ta ta ta – ta ta ta –

5. ta ka dhi mi ta ka/ta ta ta – ta ta ta –

The drums play the first part which is again 3 subdivided into 6 leaving two kaarvais(gaps). Tuned tabla plays 8 maatraas leaving the 4th and the 8th as kaarvais.

The difference between 4. And 5. is that the first part has no kaarvai in the latter..

Now pattern 5 is played 4 times after this.

6. ta ki ta/ta ki ta/ ta – ta -/ - - - -

7.ta ki ta/ta ki ta/ta – ta -/ ta - - - -

Now the Raga Laya Raaja enters the fray with the Tabla Tarang playing in Suddha Dhanyasi, each time playing different sets of swaras.

8. Pattern 5 is repeated twice.

9.ta ka dhi mi ta ka/ta ka dhi mi ta ka dhi mi- twice by Tabla Tarang in pure Suddha Dhanyasi.- Raga Laya Raaja yet again.

Interlude 2

10.ta ta ri ki ta taam/ ta ka ta ka ta ka ta ka

11.ta ka ta ri ki ta taam/ta ka ta ka ta ka ta ka

Again the same division but played differently.

12.ta - - dhi ta -/taa taa dhi taangu( 4 times)
Now, the Pakhawaj and the Jaalra enter giving that classical touch.

13.ta - dhi mi ta - /ta ka dhi mi ta ka dhi mi (twice)- Drums.

14.ta ka dhi mi ta ka/tarikita ta ka tarikita ta ka

Played 4 times but the instrument in the second half alternate..

So, going back to the questions, should one allow patterns to exist or should these be broken?

Enjoy the patterns..and break the patterns. Life will then be full of patterns..




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