ILaiyaraaja – The Concordant Musician

 

There is rhythm in life. There is rhythm is nature. There is rhythm is every living being. There is rhythm in every art form. There is rhythm is poetry.

Yes, I have stated the obvious and surely not something which is not known to a connoisseur. But what is rhythm? Is it a pattern? Is it what is called ‘beats’? Is it the TaaLa?

Rhythm is all these and also much more than all these.

Look at this verse:

 

கண்ணொடு கண்ணிணை நோக்கொக்கின் வாய்ச்சொற்கள்

என்ன பயனும் இல.

 

It simply means – When two pairs of eyes meet in unison, is there any need for words?

What is rhythmic about this?

Let me try deciphering the syllables in music parlance:

Ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka ta ki ta/ ta ki ta/ta ka/ta ka/ta ka.

Raja4376 · ThirukkuraL - recited by Raj(me)

Am I talking about this rhythm alone? Not really.

As mentioned in the beginning, rhythm is not just the beats or the count, though these too are part of it. It is the inner meaning, the subtler one.

One pair of eyes meets the other pair; Silence.

Visualise the above-mentioned line. You will feel the rhythm, the rhythm of love.

And this is what immortal works do for us- make us see the unknown through the known. And that is why, ThurkkuRaL is still popular even after 2000 years.

What I am going to discuss now is on yet another work, which though is not that old-compared to ThirukkuraL- will surely fall under the category of ‘immortal works’, a fact which will be known 2000 years from now. Needless to say, whose works are being referred to here and so let us move on and look at one of the compositions under this category.

Without a doubt, ‘Kalise prati sandhyalo’ from ‘Aalapana’(1985) is rhythmic in the literal sense because of the role played by the rhythm. But beyond the obvious rhythm, there is something subtle as well.

Based purely on Mayamalavagowla, the composition starts directly without a prelude. SPB sings the first phrase just at samam(the first beat of the taaLa cycle) and leaves a gap for 3 beats. What happens during the 3 beats?

The mridangam sounds the four syllables-ta ka dhi mi- during the second and the third beats subtly and sounds the first and the third micro-beats during the fourth beats. Alongside, the flute plays the ascending swaras of Mayamalavagowla with finesse. When the next phrase is rendered, one sees the same pattern, except that now the flute plays the descending swaras(Sa ni dha pa). The same pattern gets repeated during the next two cycles, but here one also gets to hear the subtle sound of the bell.

The next two phrases witness subtle overtones, first from the violin which plays along with the vocals ever so subtly and from the keys which give some special sound, making us also see some different shades of the raga.

The same pattern is seen when Janaki joins, but this time it is just half as she sings only the first four phrases.

The first interlude starts with a catena of rhythmic phrases in Chatushram with the tabla and the mridangam involved in a healthy competition. With flourish and buoyancy, the twin-veeNa gives some beautiful shades of Mayamalavagowla. The flute swirls with unobtrusive energy unmindful of the interjections of the sympathetic strings followed by the veeNa. The rhythm in the melody of the twin-veeNa and the flute, cannot be missed if one observes with perceptive ears and the heart.

What happens then is a cascading progression.

In Classical music, there is something called yati. Rather than delving into it, this being a deep subject and would require a lot of explanation, let me just say that it is an arrangement in a particular pattern. There are 5 different yatis. What we hear in this composition now is what is called a Srothovaka yati with the syllables moving in ascending numbers:

1 2

1 2 3

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Once this is completed, there are three beats and this is followed by ta ka ta ki ta( 1 2 3 4 5) 6 times, to make the total count 60.

Note that the yati stops at 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.

The CharaNams have four segments. In the first segment, SPB sings for one and half avartanams(cycles) with the akaaram of Janaki occupying the next two beats. In the next segment, the flute sparkles for the two beats with the first six beats(one and half cycles) being sung by SPB. The third segment goes plain. Or does it? Don’t we hear the subtle strings and the bell along with the vocals?

The fourth segment is a rhapsody of sorts. Janaki sings the akaaram reminiscent of the janta varisai and SPB who joins in the next cycle sings along but in a different octave.

Harmony and rhythm flow like a bright stream in the second interlude. The veena plays a melody with the ankle bells backing it. Just after one cycle, the sitar interjects giving a quiet glow. With rounded mellowness, the flute plays the same melody as that of the veena even as this is on. The santoor takes a meandering stroll and plays the melody played by the sitar. This concatenation and the blending of delicate and sonorous sounds, seem like paradise on earth.

The group of veena and the flute glide through with deftly interwoven swaras in Mayamalavagowla. The veena plays the ascending swaras and as if to show that beautiful things never end, the veena and the flute weave a small ‘korvai’ a la Carnatic music concert.

There is rhythm in life. There is rhythm is nature. There is rhythm is every living being. There is rhythm in every art form. There is rhythm is poetry.

What is that rhythm?

 

ILaiyaraaja- The Persipicacious Musician

Everything in this world is meaningful. If we cannot find the meaning, there is surely something wrong somewhere. No, I am not talking about difficult words and dictionaries. It is about each and every happening in the world and concomitantly in our life. The link between a happening and why it is happening is hidden most of the times resulting in our cursing everything and everybody-mainly things and people we don’t like.

But Nature’s Law is such that any effect is because of a cause. I don’t want to list out things here and just quote one example from Nature and move on.

In fact, in my post on ‘Aa KaNulalo’  (ILaiyaraaja-The Perspicacious Musician posted on the 3^rd of March ), I had said about the formation of clouds and subsequently quoted a Thiruppaavai.

Now, let me go to the next step in the process and ask ‘why does it rain?’

Even a school boy or girl will be able to say the answer: ‘Warm air turns the water from rivers, lakes, and oceans into water vapour that rises into the air forming clouds. As these clouds rise higher, the air gets colder, the water vapour in the clouds becomes very heavy  and therefore falls back to the earth as rain.’

This is of course basic science but can one miss the philosophy in this?

Water from the Earth comes back to the Earth after undergoing a process.

Now, for a moment let us see what happens if the law/rule is flouted (isn’t this common in our country anyway?) and the clouds decide to hold back the water?

The great poet ThiruvaLLuvar thought about this 2000 years back and said ‘ If only this happened, even the mighty ocean would lose its value’

நெடுங்கடலும் தன்நீர்மை குன்றும் தடிந்து எழிலி

தான் நல்காது ஆகி விடின்.

Though it appears to be a verse on the rain in general, there is more to it than meets the eye. Consider the Ocean as the Universe, the water vapour as great virtues and the clouds as people who have these virtues. 

If people who ‘have’, fail to share it with the ones who need it, the Universe begins to lose its riches and value. Then why blame the Nature for the calamities when the fault lies with us.

Here too, doesn’t one see the Cause and Effect?

People like ThiruvaLLuvar were however like the natural cloud which never fails to give back. ThiruvaLLuvar had talent in abundance. He channelised his talent and energy and composed 1330 verses solely in the interest of mankind. Since it was done with a determination and with a disciplined focus, the verses are still alive and are being quoted by people across the globe.

Though he did keep the verses short, he never compromised on the poetic beauty. He was flamboyant too and occasionally indulged in word play. But here too, he did it meaningfully with the result that not only was the verse meaningful but also it was beautiful.  The verse ‘துப்பார்க்கு துப்பாய துப்பாக்கித் துப்பார்க்குத் துப்பாய தூஉமழை’ is an example. Since I had already explained this verse in one of my old My Journey posts in the previous community, I am not getting into this now. All I can say is that whatever he did, he did it with a basis and for a cause.

Same is the case with ILaiyaraaja. With his abundant knowledge and natural talent, he has been consistently giving us some extra ordinary compositions and taking us to greater heights. At the same time, he has experimented with some new ragas- ragas not used by any musician- and has mesmerised us too. What is great about this is that he has done this with sound reasoning and with an objective.

For example, take the case of ‘Thogai ILamayil aadi varugudhu’ from ‘PayaNangaL Mudivathillai’ (1982). Most of you know the sequence in the movie. The lead character, a person with a great voice but without any recognition at last gets an opportunity to showcase his talent. Now, how should the tune be? In a raga considered to be auspicious? That is what ILaiyaraaja does. The prelude and the Pallavi are in Hamsadhwani. But hang on. What is that alien swara ‘dha1’ in the last line of the Pallavi? Is it an accidental note? Doesn’t it appear in the interludes and in the CharaNams as well? Then how can it be a case of the rather usual ‘alien note creeping in in a film song’?

What ILaiyaraaja has done here is something unique. The raga which has ‘sa ri2 ga3 pa dha1 ni3’ is a raga called TharaLam and is a janya of Sarasangi. There are no known classical compositions in this raga. The Master wanted to welcome the singer with the traditional Hamsadhwani first. He found his story to be unique (in a way reminiscent of his own). ‘So, why not use an unknown raga’, he must have thought and must have added the ‘dha1’. This in effect gives a mystic feel to the composition as a whole. He does not stop with this alone. He conceals some swaras in a piece in the first interlude and in a segment in the CharaNams to make it sound like another raga, a morning raga at that. After all, is it not a new dawn for the singer?

Let us look at all these now one by one .

The soft, sedate and the subtle Flute sounds like a cuckoo. The Guitar and the Bass Guitar move with pulsating weight giving a short pause for two beats in between before leading to the Pallavi.

The Pallavi is finely etched with the mandra sthayi(lower octave) ni3. and ‘pa.’ mingling beautifully with madhyama sthayi(mid-octave) swaras of Hamsadhwani. The Guitar piece appearing for just one beat at the end of the first and the second lines, sounds refreshingly beautiful. The change in the Chatushram pattern in the third line with the percussion sounding only the ‘ta ka’ gives it a different shade while the introduction of ‘dha1’ in the last line (kalyaaNam) changes the complexion totally.

The first interlude sees a melodic progression. The specially sounding Guitar sounds with precision. The percussion sounds ‘ta ka dhi mi’ in mel kaalam. Yet another Guitar sounds sustained notes with panache. And this rather funny sound appears four times-first as response to the powerful phrasings of Electric Guitar and later as a reply to the melodic Keys. The Keys then go on a trip with intuitive impulses.

A kind of magic awaits us then. The Flute plays the swaras ‘pa dha1 pa’ and have the contours of Bowli, the morning raga. The intense Bass Guitar welcomes this new dawn and then combines with the Guitar to guide us to the first CharaNam.

The CharaNams are inundated with rich, imaginative and innovative ideas.

The first and the third lines have the swaras of Hamsadhwani only while the second and the fourth lines go to TharaLam after the Hamsadhwani trademark ‘pnSGR’ appearing in the beginning..The first four lines are adorned with the stately Sitar. The fifth line is rather long but what follows then is magical again.

The following line has mainly the ‘pa dha1 pa’ ‘ga pa dha pa’ and ‘ga pa’ giving it the Bowli flavour yet again. The laya pattern is interesting too (as ever) with the Chatushram going in mel kaalam as

‘4 - - 4  6  4  4  4  4’ with the ‘-‘ indicating a gap.

The last line has 4 ‘ta ka dhi mi’ s in keezh kaalam with the swaras going as janta(two) in the first two ‘ta ka dhi mi’ s and as three in the following two ‘ta ka dhi mi’s.

The rhythmic mobility continues in the second interlude as well with the percussion alternating between mel kaalam and keezh kaalam first and then alternating between playing  and keeping quiet even as the rapturous Sitar plays some intricate phrases. The percussion maintains a stoic silence again when the Strings dazzle in Western Classical mode and shows up when the Sitar is back with the Strings playing just for one beat. It is mel kaala chatushram in full flow for 2 cycles. It suddenly changes to Tisram first in keezh kaalam (4 Tisrams-one per each beat) and then in keezh kaalam (8 Tisrams-two per beats). The Flute plays some leisurely oscillations to provide a contrast.

Cause and Effect- Is it melodic or philosophical?

It is for you to decide…

Natana Raaja-Part I

‘’Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?’’ said the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Dance is considered to be the hidden language of the soul. There is no life without dance.
Our beloved Raaja has composed many dance songs and these shine like rubies on his crown.

On this special day, I am starting this series on dance music of ILaiyaraaja. I would also be writing briefly about the various forms of dance and the features(a la the ‘Sculptor series’ where I discussed about the dance in Tamizh literature while describing the different songs from ‘ULiyin Osai’ about two years back).

The Hindu philosophy talks about the cosmic dance of Nataraja. I shall touch upon this in my forthcoming posts.But for a moment, let us imagine as to what would happen if everything in this world starts dancing?

The great tamizh poet AruNagirinadar-about whom I had written in this Blog while describing ‘tham tan a namthana’ )- imagines all the Gods and Goddesses dancing in front of him.

Legend has it that he was challenged by Sambanthaandaan in the Court of King Prapuda Devarajan at ThiruvaNaamalai. AruNagirinadar sang this Thiruppugazh that depicts the dance of Gods, Goddesses and the entire Universe.

It is also said that as he sang the fourth line(mayilum aadi nee aadi vara venum-you and your peacock should dance and come here), Lord Muruga appeared in the Court, in a dancing form with his peacock.

‘As Adisesha danced in the PaataLa loga. The Mount Meru danced on the Earth,
KaaLi danced and along with her danced Siva making her shiver,
BhoothagaNaas, the ghosts danced too,
Brahma perched on the Lotus flower danced with the melodious Saraswati,
The celestials and the Moon now joined the dancing party,
Muruga’s in-laws Lakshmi and Vishnu danced,
He who helped the PaaNdavaas defeat their enemies,
He who mesmerized the cows with his flute,
He who is lying on the milky ocean on a serpent,
He who measured the entire world with one his one foot,
He whose vehicle is the Garuda,
You are his favourite nephew(or son-in-law),
Please come and dance with your peacock here,
And make the King Praputa Devarajan’s heart dance with joy!’


அதல சேட னாராட அகில மேரு மீதாட
அபின காளி தானாட ...... அவளோடன்று

அதிர வீசி வாதாடும் விடையி லேறு வாராட
அருகு பூத வேதாளம் ...... அவையாட

மதுர வாணி தானாட மலரில் வேத னாராட
மருவு வானு ளோராட ...... மதியாட

வனச மாமி யாராட நெடிய மாம னாராட
மயிலு மாடி நீயாடி ...... வரவேணும்

கதைவி டாத தோள்வீமன் எதிர்கொள் வாளி யால்நீடு
கருத லார்கள் மாசேனை ...... பொடியாகக்

கதறு காலி போய்மீள விஜய னேறு தேர்மீது
கனக வேத கோடூதி ...... அலைமோதும்

உததி மீதி லேசாயும் உலக மூடு சீர்பாத
உவண மூர்தி மாமாயன் ...... மருகோனே

உதய தாம மார்பான ப்ரபுட தேவ மாராஜன்
உளமு மாட வாழ்தேவர் ...... பெருமாளே.

Look at the poetic beauty..And look how in the guise of praising Lord Muruga, he eulogises Lord Vishnu giving the gist of the Mahabharata and the Vaamana avatara in less than 4 lines.

That is AruNagirinaadar!

Now, let us briefly look at the different dance forms of India.

The treatise on classical dances of India is believed to be written by Bharta muni between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. More about this later in my forthcoming posts.

There are essentially seven major classical forms:

1.Bharatanatyam-a very classical form known for its aesthetic elements

2.Kuchipudi-originating from the village Kuchelapuram in AP

3.Kathakali-meaning ‘Story play’
4.Mohinyaattam-Dnce of the enchantress believed to be named after the Mohini avatar of Lord Vishnu

5.Manipuri-a graceful form that lays emphasis on devotion

6.Odissi- known for its soft touches

7.Kathak-Focusses on the footwork and movements

Each one has its own beauty and of course different sets of rules.

Bharatanatyam, a very popular dance form across the globe involves hand gestures, facial expressions, movement of feet and the body. In fact, almost all the organs are involved while dancing. Minute eye-movements, neck movements and the hand movements make it one of the most aesthetic experiences if performed well by the artiste concerned.

Bharatanatyam essentially has Nrittam-movements that add to the beauty, Nrityam-specific movements to convey a message and Natya- depicting a story using what is called as the Abhinaya.

We also have Aangika abhinaya- physical expressions, Vaachika abhinaya-verbal, Saatvika abhinaya- expressing inner feelings/emotions, Aaharya abhinaya- costumes/make-up.

We shall see about Bharatanatyam and the other forms in detail in the posts to follow.

Let us now focus on today’s special composition

The composition is very special for various reasons.

First of all, it talks (musically) about the major classical dance forms.
Secondly, it has only the percussion instruments and no melodic instruments.
Thirdly, it is a Ragamaalika –with 5 ragas including 3 Hindustani ragas. Within a few phrases, the flavour of each raga is brought out beautifully!
Fourthly, the ‘dance jatis’ are rendered by Raaja sir himself.

The composition is ‘Aavedanaa’ from the Telugu film Aalapana(1986).

It has a very unusual start with a shriek. This shriek alone means a lot as it gives the emotive touch to the entire composition. Can there be pleasure without pain?

Janaki starts the Pallavi in Madhukauns.This beautiful Raag is the pratimadhyama counterpart of Sudhdha Dhanyasi and its structure is
sa ga2 ma2 pa ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 pa ma2 ga2 sa.

As the Pallavi ends, we are in for another surprise.
A beautiful jati korvai in the voice of SPB welcomes us.

We see the Aangika, Saatvika, Vaachika abhinaya in full flow in unison with the Bhava Raga and Tala in classical Kamboji-sa ri2 ga3 ma1 pa dha2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha2 pa ma1 ga3 ri2 Sa ni3 pa dha2 sa.

It is Bharatanatyam.

The luminous jatis in the voice of Raaja shows us the vignettes of Kuchelapuram from where Kuchipudi was born.

It is an aural treat as one hears the jatis that are rendered with fluid ease.
Waves of sound..

SPB follows it up with a beautiful rendering of the line about Kuchipudi in Pantuvarali whose structure is sa ri1 ga3 ma2 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma2 ga3 ri1 sa.

‘Dhinta Dhinta Dhinta’…
Pulsating pleasantness wedded to Laya substance..

We hear Raag Bahaar whose structure is ni3 Sa ma1 ma1 Pa ga2 ma1 ni2 Dha2 Ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 Pa ma1 Pa ga2 ma1 Ri2 sa.

Raag Bahaar is considered to be the Raag of Spring season.
Maestro used it here to depict the dignity and grace of Manipuri.
One also gets to see the delicate nuances of this special raga in the sangatis.
The Pakhawaj and the gentle sound of the ankle bells give it a unique charm.

The softly textured charaNam phrase follows in keeping with the softness of Odissi.
We hear the melodic strains of a Raag called Miyan ki Malhaar.

Its structure is Sa Ri2 Pa ma1 Pa ni2 Dha2 Ni2 Sa/ Ri2 Ni2 Sa Dha2 ni2 ma Pa ga2 ma1 Ri2 sa.

It is a Monsoon raga and the combination of ‘ni dha ni Sa’ denotes the gathering of clouds.

The usage of this Raag for Odissi shows the sensitivity of the composer.
The breathtaking swirls and swings give us a breezy feel.

It is exuberance now as the majestic KathakaLi is depicted. The dynamism of this dance form comes out in full glory through the Carnatic raga AtaaNa- Sa ri2 ma1 pa ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma1 pa ga3 ri2 sa.

The use of pancha vadhyam here adds to the beauty and the majesty.

It is then the vivacious Tabla replete with graceful overtones. It weaves warp and weft into zigzag motifs making one feel Kathak.

The composition showcases a wide variety in expression and technique..

A panoramic view of major classical dances..

Variegated hues of Music and dance..

‘Idhi raga manohara ramya vikaasam lalita layatmaka laasya visesham..’