Monday, 3 October 2022
ILaiyaraaja - The Harmonious Musician
Monday, 29 August 2022
ILaiyaraaja – The Natural Spring
Certain things happen by
itself. One doesn’t plan nor does one even think. Yet such things come out
perfectly and are even more perfect and precise than things which are executed
as per plan.
How do these happen?
Before answering this or even
trying to answer this, let us see a verse:
தீரப் பயோததி திக்கும் ஆகாயமும்
செகதலமும் நின்று சுழலத்
திகழ்கின்ற முடி மவுலி சிதறி விழ வெம் சிகைத்
தீக்கொப்புளிக்க வெருளும்
பாரப் பணாமுடி அநந்தன் முதல் அரவெலாம்
பதைபதைத்தே நடுங்கப்
படர் சக்ரவாளகிரி துகள் பட வையாளி வரு
பச்சை ப்ரவாள மயிலாம்.
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This poem describes the dance
of the peacock. Generally, the dance of the peacock is associated with grace,
elegance and subtleness. But here it is the contrast.
Great Seas and Oceans, Eight
directions (Dishas), the sky, and the earth (bhooloka) rotate with force; Thousand
locks fall from the heavy, fire-spewing hot hoods of the fear stuck Adisesha
and the other serpents as they tremble with fear; The huge ChakravaaLa mountain
breaks into pieces; All these happen when the peacock-with the green and coral
hued feathers- takes its beautiful flight and dances.
Peacock and aggression?
Peacock and anger? Peacock and temper?
Well, why not? - says
AruNagirinathar, the 15th Century poet who lived in that divine
place called ThiruvaNNamalai and whose works are as vast as the Indian Ocean.
Why does this peacock dance?
Is it to tell the world that
at times aggression is needed? Is it to show the world that even gracefulness
can turn into aggression when the need arises? Or is to just say that things
happen by itself and one just needs to admire it rather than questioning it?
I would say-all the three-
though I would go with the last mentioned because of my propensity to take and
view things as they are.
Certain things just happen.
Poetry happened to AruNagirinathar.
Music happened to ILaiyaraaja.
When we see a magnificent
waterfalls, do we ask ‘Oh, why is this falling?’
When we see a bird fly, do we
ask, ‘Oh, why is it flying?’
When we feel the breeze, do we
wonder, ‘Oh, why is it blowing?’
Likewise, poetry happens; Art
happens; Music happens.
Take this song – Maanami idi idikka from Unnai Nenaicchen Paattu Padicchen (1992). Based purely on Mayamalavagowla, a raga known for its classicism and divinity, the composition flows like a river from the mountain.
The beginning itself suggests
this. The violins gush in higher octave and move with vigour. Even the keys which
interject the violins, seem to have been awe-struck by the force. It just gives
a mystic smile and disappears. The percussion too moves with the same momentum
in Tisram. After a while, the chorus hums in its own inimitable way with the
flute entering like a lightning in between and disappearing before we bat our
eyelids. The percussion plays Tisram in mel kalam and guides us to the Pallavi.
If we saw the lightning in the
prelude, we see the thunder in the Pallavi. Only difference is that this
thunder is melodious in the voice of SPB and Janaki. The bass guitar is as
subtle as ever and at the same time is resonant. Can subtle and resonance go
together? If thunder and lightning can go together, why not these two as well-
says the flute towards the end of the Pallavi.
The flute continues its
journey calling out like a cuckoo in the beginning of the first interlude.
After a pause, it responds to its own call and then starts going around showing
us some myriad hues of the great raga. The strings back the flute now and then,
but this backing is a little different. It is done imperceptibly and with
precision, sounding as if ‘Ok, I am here too, but I give major space to you’.
The sound from the keys too seems to suggest appreciation for the camaraderie
between the two.
The chorus continues in
Mayamalavagowla and the strings decorate it, showing flashes of brilliance
towards the end.
The first segment of the
CharaNam sees a mix of higher-octave swaras and the mid-octave swaras while the
second segment sees the ascending and the descending notes. The third segment
moves with fluidity touching the corners of the raga with finesse.
With satin like smoothness,
the bells sound the swaras of the raga in ‘ta ka dhi mi/ta ka, in the beginning
of the second interlude. Even as it plays, the chorus sings the akaaram and it
sounds like a lullaby. The akaaram continues with richness as the percussion
joins now. It seems like an undulating terrain with the bells entering now and
then. We reach the summit along with the strings and are enveloped by the quiet
stillness.
Stillness after ebullience?
How did it happen?
Certain things just happen..
like the dance of the peacock!
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Thursday, 2 June 2022
ILaiyaraaja- The Dazzling Musician
What makes a poem beautiful?
Is it the words used? Is it
the way these are used? Is it the description? Or is there anything beyond all
these?
Here is a poem from
Kalitthogai, which is part of the Cangam literature:
ஒரு குழை ஒருவன் போல், இணர் சேர்ந்த மராஅமும்
பருதி அம் செல்வன் போல், நனை ஊழ்த்த செருந்தியும்
மீன் ஏற்றுக் கொடியோன் போல், மிஞிறு ஆர்க்கும் காஞ்சியும்
ஏனோன்
போல், நிறம் கிளர்பு கஞலிய ஞாழலும்
தீது
தீர் சிறப்பின் ஐவர்கள் நிலை போல
போது
அவிழ் மரத்தொடு பொருகரை கவின் பெற
நோ
தக வந்தறால், இளவேனில்
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The Kadamba(Oak) tree with clusters of flowers resembles Balarama with a
single ear ring, the Cherunthi (Golden blossom) tree with its red buds resembles
the Sun, with the bees humming, the Kanchi(Portia) tree resembles the one with
the fish flag(Manmatha), the gnaazhal tress resembles Saama, the brother of
Manmatha, the ilavam (Silk cotton) resembles the one whose flag has the
bull(Shiva). With these 5 trees resembling the faultless 5 Gods, the shore
looks beautiful. But alas! The shore is attacked by the waves. Early summer has
set in.
The heroine who is filled with love and therefore filled with thoughts
about her man, describes the different trees and compares each tree with a
God(note that Balarama and even Saama, who is little known and who is
supposedly the brother of Kaama, are considered as Gods here!). But unable to
bear the separation, she says that the summer has set in just to trouble her.
While the beauty of the trees reminds her of the days when she was with
him, the waves and the summer show the reality, that is the separation.
Moreover, Manmatha and his brother are soft while the other three are
aggressive. Can contrasts get any better than this?
What makes the poem beautiful- words, their usage, the description, the
similes or the contrasts?
The answer is - all of the above plus that ‘something’ which cannot be
described but which can be felt by the reader.
It is this ‘something’ which makes a work exceptional and matchless.
On this special day, let us look at one such work which though is not a
poem, has that remarkable beauty. After all, isn’t great music, poetic and
great poem, musical?
Without a trace of doubt,
‘Meenkodi theril Manmatha raajan’ from ‘Karumbu Vil’(1980) is musically poetic.
It is a romantic song of course, but the very mention of Kaama’s name gives it
a special complexion and must have made the composer tune it in Mohanam, a raga
which is happy, romantic and classical. It also has an hidden poignancy which
can be felt only by people who are ultra-sensitive.
Mohanam has always attained a
very special status in the hands of the Maestro and this song is no exception.
The very beginning of the song
is different. It starts with a thunder like sound as if to welcome the Kaamadeva. The bass percussion sounds ‘ta ka dhi’ leaving the last syllable ‘mi’
out. The chorus starts with flourish with an humming which sounds like tribal
folk. In fact, this humming itself is the leitmotif of the song. Even as the
humming reaches a crescendo with the percussion sounding the pattern seen in
the beginning, the shehnai takes over and imperceptibly gives a perceptible
auspicious feeling. The percussion now sounds ‘ta – dhi mi’ giving kaarvai
between the first and the third syllable. The santoor follows and gives the
sketch of Mohanam in a trice.
The Pallavi in the voice of
Yesudas sounds alluringly beautiful with only two swaras -ri and ga- appearing
in the major part of the first line and the individual swaras repeating
themselves- gagagagaga/papapapapa/dhadhadhadha/ giving it a special sheen. The
last line shows the brilliance of the composer with three swaras joining
together and going in a descent-Sadhapa/dhapaga/pagari/garisa.
The eclectic electric guitar
gives some ornate images of Mohanam in the beginning of the first interlude.
The chorus follows and sings the tribal humming which covers Mohanam
exhaustively with the tapering at the end, making it more enticing.
It is the translucent melody
from the flute which gives a kind of tantalising effect, in keeping with the
quality of Manmatha. How this has mesmerised even the other instruments is
obvious from the way the guitar sounds towards the end.
The lines in the CharaNams are
beguilingly beautiful and what gives this quality is the way the swaras are
aligned with the higher-octave Ri and Ga making their appearance. Added to this
is the bewitching melody from the santoor after the first line. The fact that
the first two phrases in the beginning(and this includes the Pallavi as well)
go without percussion cannot be missed.
The shehnai is the beginning
of the second interlude takes us to empyrean heights and this is not just
because it plays in higher-octave but also because of the softness and
suppleness in the sound. The long flute which appears for the first time, is
coruscating and spreads a divine light. There is that subtle sense of poignancy
too which shows the contrast of life.
The chorus continues the
journey in higher-octave with the santoor sounding with a sense of aesthetics.
What makes a piece of music
beautiful?
Swaras? The way these are
used? The instruments? The way these are used? The raga? The way it is used?
Or is there anything beyond
all these?
Perhaps the five different
trees might give an answer. Perhaps, they may not.
Beauty has to be felt.
When words fail, there is feeling.
When words fail, there is Music!
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Wednesday, 16 March 2022
ILaiyaraaja – Musician with a light-hearted spirit
Sense of humour is a virtue.
People with a sense of humour
are generally more creative though the reverse may not be true. Any speech or
writing peppered with humour, has more chances of being etched in the minds of
audience/readers. Examples galore, but I am not getting into that now. Suffice
to say that any work which has implicit or explicit humour has more longevity.
There was somebody called
Marimutta PiLLai( 18th century), who along with Muttu Thandavar and
Arunachala Kavi, is considered as part of the trinity of Tamizh Music. Just for
information, the second mentioned (16th Century) is known for
composing padams, many of which are still performed by Bharatanatyam artistes
now and the last mentioned is known for ‘Rama Nataka kritis’- entire RamayaNa
in the form of different kritis- which are performed by Carnatic musicians in
the concerts now.
What distinguishes Marimutta
PiLLai from the other two, is that aspect which has been mentioned in the
beginning. He sang mainly on Nataraja, the presiding deity at Chidambaram, but
his songs bordered on sarcasm albeit in a positive way.
In Sanskrit, there is a
concept called ‘Ninda stuti’ where the person(mainly God) on whom the song is
sung is eulogised though it would seem as if He is being made fun of. Many
songs of this composer border on this, but with a difference. While one cannot
see the God ‘being pulled down’, one can see ‘the leg pulling’.
Let us look at a song where
one sees this ‘leg pulling’ of the Lord who dances lifting one leg:
எந்நேரமும் ஒரு காலைத் தூக்கிக் கொண்டிருக்க
வகை ஏதய்யா!
பொன்னாடர் போற்றும் தோலை, நன்னாடர் ஏற்றும்
தில்லை பொன்னம்பல வாணரே!!
எக்கிய நெருப்பவிக்க தக்கன் வீட்டில் நடந்ததோ
யமனை உதைத்தபோது எதிர்ச்சுளுக்கேறி நொந்தோ
சிக்கெனவே பிடித்து சந்திரனை நிலத்தினில்
தேய்த்த போதினில் உரைந்தோ
உக்ர சாமுண்டியுடன் வாதுக்காடி அசந்தோ
உண்ட நஞ்சு உடம்பெங்கும் உரிக் கால் வழி வந்தோ
தக்க புலி பாம்பு இருவருக்கும் கூத்தாடி ஆடி
சலித்துத்தானோ பொற்பாதம் வலித்துத்தானோ தேவரீர்!
Amused by the single-leg
posture, the composer says – Why do you always keep one of your feet lifted?
He then comes up with his own
reasons and starts bombarding the Lord with questions.
Is it because you walked on
the fire to destroy the yaga of Daksha?
Or is it because when you
kicked Yama(to save Markandeya), you sprained your ankle?
Or is it because you took the
moon and crushed him under your feet and unable to bear the cold your foot was
frozen?
Or is it because of the
exhaustion after dancing with KaaLi?
Or is it the effect of the
poison (you consumed during the churning of the ocean), with the poison being
spread all over Your body affecting your feet in the process?
Or is it your continuous
dancing as requested by Vyaghrapada(in the form of a tiger) and Patanjali(in
the form of a snake) made you too tired that Your feet started hurting (and you
had no other option but to keep one lifted to ease the pain)?
Why?
The song is best listened to
in the original form to get the import, but I feel people who know mythology
can still appreciate the humour even while reading the translation.
Unlike what is popularly
believed, ILaiyaraaja is a person with a great sense of humour. One can see and
feel his humour while listening to the background score in comedy scenes or
even comedy movies. There are also many songs which can be quoted. People who
follow my posts will remember the song and the post of ‘Bangalore Geetanjali’.
The song of the day is just
one of the examples of his comical sense. As per the sequence, the son wants to
teach a lesson to his father who is a Casanova. There is a ‘in-house classical
dance performance’ in front of a guest.
So, the factors here are
‘classical dance’ and ‘sarcasm’, the former being staged to entertain a guest
and the latter to teach the Casanova a lesson. The Genius that he is, the
Master comes up with a composition in a pure traditional classical raga, with sarcasm
running as the undercurrent. The lyrics of KaNNadasan do take care of the
second mentioned , but the Maestro decides to tune it and orchestrate in such a
way that even people who do not watch the movie(that is, the fortunate ones)
are also left in splits.
Thus was born ‘MaappiLLaikku
Maaman Manasu’(NetrikkaN- 1981). Based purely on Kharaharapriya- which in fact
has been in existence right from the Tamizh Sangam period, being one of the
‘Paalais’ from which ‘PaNs’ were born. In Hindustani music, this raga is called
‘Kaafi’. Not surprisingly, this scale is Dorian mode in ancient Greek music and
is part of the minor scale in Western Classical Music.
The composition starts with a
free flowing akaaram of Suseela. The brief delineation itself is enough to firmly
establish the raga. In fact, it gives the sketch of the raga in no time. The
percussion which joins after 5 seconds sounds not in Indian classical style and
not without any reason.
The Indian percussion starts
now and it is a fusillade of sorts. The mandolin plays in Kharaharapriya, ably
followed by the VeeNa and VeNu which repeat the same melody but in their own
style. The percussion backs the melody with glee.
The Pallavi in the voice of
Suseela is finely etched. But what brings a smile on our faces is the
accompaniment of the western percussion throughout. The guitar repeats the
second line making us simper. Technically speaking, the song starts with the
descending notes- Sa ni da pa- not a regular occurrence. But it is the last
line where one cannot but appreciate the brilliance of the composer. It goes
like -pa ni dha/ma dha pa/ ga pa ma/ri ma ga- just a transposition of notes
from their normal position and more than anything else, doesn’t this give us a different
feeling?
The guitar in the beginning of
the first interlude is powerful and yet soft. There is even a trace of
nonchalance in the way it goes around. The Indian and Western percussion back
the following melody from the bass guitar which even sounds as if it is
tittering. The VeeNa enters with a sense of calm and plays a classic
Kharaharapriya with panache.
Contrasts make a poem or a
musical composition more beautiful. Here we see how contrasts make us giggle.
This is because of the melody from the keys which responds to the VeeNa.
Undeterred, the VeeNa plays yet again but a different melody this time with the
keys following again.
It is a classical laugh riot!
The first part of the CharaNam
moves smoothly and sedately in the voice of Suseela with the higher-octave
notes peeping in now and then. The entry of Malaysia Vasudevan changes the
complexion with the akaaram which touches the nooks and crannies of
Kharaharapriya in a flash. The last line, yet again shows the Classical Raaja
at his best with the swaras climbing up- rigama/
gamapa/mapadha/padhani/padhaniRi. The subtle synth in the background towards
the end, does make one chuckle.
The synth in fact, plays a
major role in the second interlude where the jatis are rendered. Though the
fact that the way the jatis are constructed and rendered itself, makes one
smile, the synth that follows the jatis, make one chortle, guffaw and cackle.
After all, sense of humour is
a virtue. Sense of humour is musical. Sense of humour is rhythmic.
If you have any doubt, ask the
one who dances with one foot lifted..
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Saturday, 29 January 2022
ILaiyaraaja- The Adorable Musican
What makes certain people or certain things likable?
And what role does
subjectivity play in this?
Let me park these
questions for a while and take you all through something.
A young girl
decorates the streets with fine white sand. She then lights a fire- literally
and figuratively from a bundle of sticks shorn of thorns and invokes the God of
Love- Kaamadeva a.k.a Manmatha and makes a request:
‘’Oh Manmatha. Brace
your bow with honey-filled flowers, mentally writing the name ‘the ocean hued
one’, and aim at me so that I unite with the One who killed the Demon in the
form a bird, by tearing its beak’’.
வெள்ளை நுண்மணற்கொண்டு தெருவணிந்து
வெள்வரைப் பதன்முன்னம் துறை படிந்து
முள்ளுமில்லாச் சுள்ளி எரிமடுத்து
முயன்றுன்னை நோற்கின்றேன் காமதேவா
கள்ளவிழ் பூங்கணை தொடுத்துக் கொண்டு
கடல் வண்ணன் என்பதோர் பேர் எழுதி
புள்ளினை வாய் பிளந்தான் என்பதோர்
இலக்கினில் புக என்னை எய்கிற்றியே.
Here is a young girl
just around 13, who after having decided that the Lord is her lover and that He
will be her husband, invokes the God of Love to help her in her mission.
Forgetting the mystical part, look at the way the poem sounds. White stands for
purity. So does a thorn less faggot. So does fire. So do flowers. So does the
ocean. Using all these in a single verse is called poetic beauty. But there is
more too. Even if one has all the positives in a poem, it is the contrast which
gives it that sheen. And this appears in the last line- ‘The One who tore the
beaks of the Demon who was in the form of a bird’. See the line before that-
Honeyed flowers- and you will know what kind of beauty this contrast offers!
This is precisely the
reason for AaNdaaL, who incidentally composed 143 verses, is liked by many even
after 1300 years!
Is this subjective or
objective?
Before one breaks
his/her head yet again in finding an answer, let us look at a gentleman who
after composing 6000+ songs, is liked by many even after 46 years, which might
sound too less compared to 1300 years but will sound huge when one takes into
account many other factors, period being the major one.
Why don’t we look at
yet another composition of his today and see how it sounds as likable as the poems
of ‘Choodi Koduththa ChudaRkodi’?
‘Meenkodi Theril
Manmatha Raajan’ from ‘Karumbu Vil’(1980) shimmers with exquisite beauty not
least because of the raga it is based on.
Not many ragas evoke
a sense of love and romance just by mentioning the name. In fact, the beauty of
Mohanam lies as much in its name as in its sound. That is why, it is found in
other forms of music, say, the South East Asian and Western Classical, Jazz and
Blues as a scale. The five notes – sa ri2 ga3 pa dha2- give a special colour
even when rendered plainly. One can then imagine the kind of feelings and
emotions it would give if these notes were oscillated. It is not without any
reason that Tyagaraja called Rama ‘Mohana Rama’ and that one of the names of
Krishna happens to be ‘Mohanan’.
If I say that
ILaiyaraaja has played around in this raga like no other film music composer
has done, I will not be exaggerating. So much so that he has never hesitated to
take many liberties with this raga by gently and brilliantly introducing some alien
notes, enhancing the mood of the composition in the process.
However, in ‘Meenkodi
Theril’, he chose not to do it. On the other hand, he used the appropriate
swara combinations giving subtle oscillations of swaras wherever required, at
the same time not making it sound too classical and most importantly used some
beautiful instruments in the orchestration. What one gets to see and hear is
Mohanam in its pristine beautiful form.
The song opens with a
kind of mystical sound. Even as one is shaken up by this sound, the bass sound
from yet another instrument appears like a rapier cut in chatushram and this
alone is enough to give that spark. The spark becomes a huge musical fire, a
kind of fire which is harmless and is a spectacle to watch.
What happen are many
things. One, the chorus voice in pure Mohanam. Two, a kind of ‘kolaattam’ in
the background. Three, the two sets of percussion which alternate with each
other, with the first one playing only the first syllable-ta- and leaving the
other 3 blank and the second one playing ‘ta – dhi mi’ and producing different
kinds of sounds. Four, the humble and subtle bass guitar playing with a touch
of nonchalance. Five, the sound of ankle bells which appears after every second
beat.
As if to show the
auspiciousness of the occasion, the Shehnai unfolds with great zeal and gives a
sketch of Mohanam in its inimitable style. The santoor pitches in towards the
end and guides us to the Pallavi.
The Pallavi starts in
the voice of Yesudass. One cannot afford to miss the subtlety here as well. The
first line has no percussion when it is rendered the first time, though the
time signature remains the same. The percussion appears the moment the first
line is rendered again and follows the same pattern as that of the Pallavi. The
entire Pallavi gives a soothing touch not least because of the structure of the
swaras and the rhythmic pattern. The descending swaras at the end-
Sadhapa/dhapaga/pagari/garisa- shows the kind of grip the composer has on this
raga.
The vivacity of the
guitar in the beginning of the first interlude is striking. It just plays a few
notes of Mohanam and that too without any oscillation and yet it makes us sway.
The chorus appears again and we continue
to sway with the musical elegance. After a guitar melody which is full of
grace, the flute enters with an ebullient swirl and goes around playfully
enveloping us with a spiritual fragrance. It is left to the santoor again to
complete the task and it does it effectively and efficiently, bespattering the
swaras with a grin.
Without a trace of
doubt, it is the rhythmic pattern- about which I have already written earlier-
which is the leitmotif of this composition. In a way, it even defines this
composition.
Now, the CharaNam
starts sans percussion in the first line a la Pallavi, though there is that
subtle bass guitar. The percussion-which of course follows the same rhythmic
pattern- appears after the first few phrases, but it is the santoor which
appears between the lines, that steals the show. The litany of swaras played
with coherency and fluency, lights up the lines.
We are in for some
abundant melodic phrases in the second interlude. The group of Shehnais play an
amazing melody in higher-octave which is hauntingly charming. Suddenly and from
nowhere appears that long Hindustani flute. Playing with alluring depth and
with felicity, it goes deep inside the soul. The chorus takes over and sings in
higher-octave showing us a beauteous bride.
A bride on a white
sand who is as likable as the musician with the trademark Harmonium!