Is it right or is it wrong?
Is it sacrilegious or is it sacramental?
Well, it is next to impossible to pass any judgement on this as many things in this world are subjective. Even things which have to be dealt with objectively have now become subjective with the social media playing no small role in this. With the space for free thinking and taking a neutral view shrinking by the second, the line between good and bad, between right and wrong and sacrilege and sacred is blurred now. A blur which even a very powerful lens cannot set right. The incapacitation of free thinking individuals would surely make George Orwell turn in his grave.
I write this not just because I am dismayed by the happenings around me of late, but also because of something specific which happened around one and half months ago in the Tamizh land. It all started with a Group questioning a set of devotionals hymns in praise of one particular God. Though I haven’t watched the video(nor do I intend to watch it anytime in the future), I have an idea of the gist of what the Group said. Unsurprisingly, the right wing reacted and this triggered a slanging match. Now, a third Group emerged and it said the God under reference was always a tamizh and that it was the ‘Aryans’ who imposed their beliefs and thoughts on the Tamizh people.
Sadly enough, all the three groups are wrong.
First and foremost it baffles me to find a language colour being given to God. Isn’t the Divine Force above everything? Secondly, what an individual or a set of people believe should be considered as faith as long as it does not affect or hurt others’ sentiments. Thirdly, and most importantly, in the absence of historical documentation, it is literature which acts as the barometer of culture and beliefs prevailing during those days and what is mentioned in literature should be respected by one and all. As a person who has studied Tamizh literature – Sangam literature in particular- let me tell you that Muruga was part of people’s life in the Tamizh land even 3000 years ago. He was the Lord of the Kurinji land, one of the five lands. He was worshipped no doubt, but tamizh people also considered him not just as a God but as somebody in flesh and blood like us.
One of the earliest works in Sangam Literature , ‘Pari paadal’, written somewhere around 500 BC, describes as to how his two consorts –VaLLi and Devasena- quarrelled with him out of sheer possessiveness and here is a sample:
இகலின் இகந்தாளை அவ்வேள் தலைக் கண்ணி
திருந்து அடித்தோயத் திறை கொடுப்பானை
வருந்தால் என, அவற்கு மார்பு அளிப்பாளை
குறுகல் என்று ஒள்ளிழை கோதை கோலாக
இறுகிறுக யாத்துப் புடைப்ப
ஒருவர் மயில் ஒருவர் ஒண் மயிலோடு ஏல
இருவர் வான் கிளி ஏற்பில் மழலை
செறி கொண்டைமேல் வண்டு சென்று பாய்ந்தன்றே
வெறி கொண்டான் குன்றத்து வண்டு.
Devasena first chides him for ignoring her. Muruga goes after her and falls at her feet. Pacified by this act, Devasena offers her breasts to him. Suddenly VaLLi emerges and unable to bear this sight, ties Muruga’s hands, and hits him with her garland. Now, the peacocks take sides with one set attacking the other with rage. The bees perched on the flowers adorning VaLLi’s hair aggressively attack the ones sitting on Devasena’s hair. This is how a poet by name KuRumbhootanaar describes the scene.
An objective (underline this word) interpretation of this verse suggests the following:
1.Muruga ‘existed’ in the Tamizh land more than 2500 years ago.
2.He was considered as a man with flaws and not the one who was infallible. But he was also God and this means that people did not have any qualms in taking liberties with him and that it was not blasphemous to consider Gods as humans.
3.Devasena was not somebody who was a ‘creation’ of a particular clan and she existed as Muruga’s consort in Tamizh literature.
4.Eroticism was part of poetry and therefore culture in the Tamizh land and people were comfortable with this without attaching any taboo to this.
Let me clarify that I have placed things as they are and my bias or faith play no role in this. Finally, the verse I quoted says it all, in terms of aggression and instigation and let it be understood that this verse was chosen intentionally. And the verse has relevance to the song of the day as well. But before that, I must also explain the relevance of this episode in this forum.
While questioning the status quo has to be encouraged, what should be put down is the objective and also doing it just for the sake of doing. As a musician, ILaiyaraaja has time and again questioned the status quo for all the right reasons, albeit through his works. People who follow the posts here regularly know that he has used ragas considered to be sad in happy situations and vice versa. He has done many more but what is amazing is that though he has redefined the boundaries, he never crossed the border. The output is there to see and it fully justifies the act. What one gets to see are not just some unknown dimensions in music but also some beauteous shades of music.
‘Yaari Gaagi’ from the Kannada film ‘Bharjaari Bete’(1981) is a disco club song. As per the sequence that is. But what the Maestro did here would make Edward de Bono proud. First, he used a pure classical raga called PantuvaraLi for this sequence. Secondly, he used classical percussion instruments like the mrudangam in one of the interludes. Thirdly, he did the unthinkable. What that ‘unthinkable’ is, will be explained soon.
Before that, let us see the composition from the beginning.
With rumbling blustery, the drums move in chatushram as ta ka dhi mi ( 1 2 3 4). After six 4’s, the bass guitar enters and plays with equal ferocity. After a while, the magic is unravelled. The bass guitar plays to a cycle of three 4’s making it rupakam in the slow speed, while the drums continue in 4’s. The electric guitar prickles while the distortion guitar glides. The saxophone moves with sprightly variations. Isn’t this a labyrinth?
The labyrinthine pattern slowly organizes itself with the chorus showing some simple images in Pantuvarali which gradually becomes ornate with the keys backing the chorus in a unique style. The fact that the chorus too hums in ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi cannot be missed. So is the fact that the lead guitar doing the same, adding that mystical charm. The seamless transition to the Pallavi , what with Janaki joining even as the guitar completes the last ta ka dhi mi, is amazing. The vocals move with musical awareness maintaining the cardinal aspects of PantuvaraLi, at the same time being flamboyant. The guitar backing is the icing on the cake.
The call and response between the electric guitar and the bass guitar in the first segment of the first interlude is a delightful treat. If the electric guitar is laced with clarity, the bass guitar replies with buoyancy. The saxophone plays with a sense of angst and realising this, the bass guitar too goes with this flow. The latter sounding only the ‘ta ka dhi mi’ leaving the next two syllables blank, makes it all the more exciting. The lead guitar enters again and in its inimitable style plays the three 4’s- the leitmotif – twice. The CharaNams are intriguing to say the least.
If you recall my introductory lines about this song, there was a third point which I said would be elaborated later. This of course calls for some technical explanation. In many of my previous posts and also in my presentations (in person during Geetanjali and through virtual medium during Raaja Deepam), I have explained the concept of Gruha Bhedam. Put simply, it is the shifting of tone, keeping one of the swaras in a raga as the base sa. This tonal shift gives another raga. There are also some conditions and rules. The raga after this shift should be a valid raga. But one has the liberty to play around too. One can drop a swara and make it a valid raga. One can add a swara or two and make it a valid raga. It all depends on the innovativeness and the brilliance of the musician/composer. Needless to say, ILaiyaraaja has done wonders in this aspect carving a niche in for himself.
As per theory, only one valid raga can emerge if Gruha Bhedam is done on PantuvaraLi. If the ‘ni’ is taken as the base, one gets Kanakangi. However, in the Hindustani system, if the Moorchana(Gruha Bhedam is known by this term in this system) is done on the swara ‘pa’ on Puriyadhanashiri-the equivalent of PantuvaraLi, it gives – sa ri1 ga3 ma1 ma2 pa dha2 ni3 Sa- which is raag Lalit. The carnatic system generally does not allow two ‘ma’s. Raaja sir has even done this shift from Lalit to Puriyadhanashri and vice versa in two different songs. What these two songs are, have been described in my sessions and therefore need no explanation or even a mention now. But in ‘Yaari Gaagi’, Raaja sir does the unthinkable. He does Gruha Bhedam on ‘pa’ and drops the second ‘ma’(ma2) and ‘pa’. But he also drops the ‘ri’ in the arohaNam. Thus, we get Vasanta, a well known raga. This happens in the second segment of the CharaNams.
It goes back to PantuvaraLi in the last line.
Innovative improvisation conceived and executed with a touch of brilliance and with a dash of aesthetics!
It is the tani aavartanam between the drums and the mrudangam which steals the show in the second interlude. The thunderous sound from the western instrument is complemented by the resonating sound of the percussion instrument from the southern part of India. The long flute and the bass guitar which follow the rhythmic fireworks, make it intriguing with their effervescent melody.
Being a rebel is not bad.
Being a revolutionary is fully justified.
Questioning the status quo is not sacrilegious.
But do it wherever needed and whenever needed with sensibility and sensitivity. Hope the three Groups are listening!
Check this out on Chirbit
No comments:
Post a Comment