ILaiyaraaja – The Free-spirited Musican

 

Independent thinking!

How relevant is this in the age of even intelligence being artificial and people going gaga for such intelligence?

More than being very relevant, I would say it is very essential now as people are quickly losing their ability to think on their own, with creativity itself is becoming just a word in the dictionary and is in the danger of being wiped out even from the dictionary! People being ‘influenced’ by some self-declared experts and by the machines, is not a trend which can be called healthy.

This is where one is forced to go back to our literature and arts where we find different works shimmering with unique beauty and different poets and artistes laying new paths and treading unchartered territories. AruNagirinaathar was one such poet.

With a questionable background and a very questionable personal life, this gentleman transformed into a poet who set the tone for a new format which throbbed with rhythms which were new and until then were unthinkable. Author of many works that include Kandar Anubhuti/Andaadi/Alankaraam, Vel/Mayil Viruththam and so on, he is mainly known for ‘Thiruppugazh’. The last mentioned has 8 cantos (which itself was not new in Indian literature with somebody by name Jayadeva already having composed Ashtapadi at least 3 centuries before AruNagiri) with each composition following a particular rhythm, most of which not being part of the classical music taaLas.

The beauty does not stop just here. Thiruppugazh also has layers of meanings, esoteric as well as mundane.

This one is an example: 

ஆறும் ஆறும் அஞ்சும் அஞ்சும் ஆறும் ஆறும் அஞ்சும் அஞ்சும்

ஆறும் ஆறும் அஞ்சும் அஞ்சும் அறுநாலும்

ஆறும் ஆய சஞ்சலங்கள் வேறதா விளங்குகின்ற

ஆரணாகமம் கடந்த கலையான

ஈறு கூறரும் பெரும் சுவாமியாய் இருந்த நன்றி

ஏது வேறு இயம்பலின்றி  ஒருதானாய்

யாவுமாய் மனம் கடந்த மோன வீடு அடைந்து ஒருங்கி

யான் அவா அடங்க என்று பெறுவேனோ

மாறு கூறி வந்து எதிர்ந்த சூரர் சேனை மங்க வங்க

வாரி வேல் வெகுண்ட சண்ட விததாரை

வாகை வேல கொன்றை தும்பை மாலை கூவிளம் கொழுந்து

வால சோமன் நஞ்சு பொங்கு பகுவாய

சீறு மாசணம் கரந்த ஆறு வேணி கொண்ட நம்பர்

தேசிகா கடம்பு அலங்கல் புனைவோனே

தேவர் யாவரும் திரண்டு பாரின் மீது வந்து இறைஞ்சு

தேவனூர்  விளங்க வந்த பெருமாளே!

This rather long poem mentions the numbers in the first 3 lines and these numbers when totalled give 96, which are the 36 paratatvaas, 35 other tatvaas, 5 elements, 10 naadis, 10 karmaas, 5 ahankaaraas, 3 guNas, and 3 kinds of Vaak. Since these are too deep, explaining these will take reams and most importantly, is out of scope of our present discussion.

However, what he says in this entire song can be summarised as – ‘He (Muruga) is the One who is beyond all these and beyond description and when will I be able to reach that state of silence and emptiness reining in my desires?’

He also goes on to mention His annihilation of Surapadma and his armies and after describing Shiva as the One adorned with different garlands, moon, the poisonous snake and the ashes, he says ‘You are His Master’.

The choice of words and most importantly the contrasts, make this a poetic beauty. But beyond all this, it is the rhythmic metre – 2,2,2,2,3,3,2,2,3,3,4 - which sits like a diamond on the gleaming crown, mesmerising us readers with an alluring glow!

Since readers who follow my writings, by now would have guessed as to who I am going to bring in now, I am not even going to mention the name now. You all also know as to the kind of experiments he has done in film music, which in a way is beyond comprehension for many.

This composition I am taking up today is rather old. I say ‘old’ because it is a very popular hit and is known to many unlike many compositions I normally write about. In fact, there have been efforts to explain the technique in this composition on the internet, but I am not sure as to how many have really succeeded in bringing out the intricacies. In any case, let me try and explain the concept in my own way.

Any composition follows a rhythmic pattern. Most film songs follow the 4-beat structure – called ‘chatushram’ in Carnatic Music and 4/8 in film music. Some follow the 3-beat structure (Tisram), a few, the 7-beat structure (Mishram) and a few, the 5-beat structure ( Khandam). There is also the 6-beat structure (Rupakam) but since the number of beats is double that of Tisram, most of the songs that follow this structure can also be classified under Tisram.

But ‘Aagaaya VeNNilaave’ (ArangetRa VeLai – 1990), is an exception.

Let us start from the beginning. Yesudas renders the entire line with Uma Ramanan rendering the following line. Note that the vocals do not have any percussion support. However, if one were to count, both lines have 8 counts exactly. So, is it going to follow the 8-beat cycle or simply the 4-beat cycle?

The guitar follows but now with the backing of the percussion. It is obvious that this entire segment follows the 4-beat cycle. Simple, isn’t it?

But with O. Henry Raaja, you must always expect the unexpected. Just towards the end, the melodic instrument sounds ‘1 2 3 4’ thrice. Is it a prelude to something else?

We get an answer almost instantly. Yesudas (and then Uma Ramanan) start singing and the vocals do not seem to follow the ‘4-beat’ pattern. It clearly follows the 6-beat pattern. But then, what does the percussion do? Rather than sounding the 6 beats, these sound the 4 beats.

How?

Take the first two phrases – Aagaaya VeNNilaave. As I said, it is – 1 2 3 4 5 6. However, the percussion sound 1 2 3 4 thrice during the same time.

Can 6 equal 12?

This is where the genius comes into play. While the 6 beats are sounded in the slow tempo- called ‘Keezh kaalam’- the three 4s are sounded in a tempo which is two times faster than that of the vocals. And that is how 6 equals 12.

Here too, the Tabla plays ‘1 – 3  4/ - - 3  4/ 1 – 3  4’ leaving those gaps called ‘kaarvai’ to make the puzzle more interesting.

The interludes follow the 1 2 3 4 pattern like a disciplined army of soldiers. In the first interlude, the solo-violin plays with a touch of poignancy with the group of violins joining in playing a counter melody. A close observation suggests two things. One, there is no percussion for a while. Two, the counter melody of the group says, or rather sings – 1 2 3 4.

The strings move like the breeze in the next segment with yet another set joining in and playing a counter melody. The end of the interlude is interesting yet again with the melodic instruments sounding 1 2 3 4 four times, with an ostentatious smile!

Why have I not spoken about the raga yet?

It is because a composition goes beyond just the name of the raga- as I have said ad nauseam- and also because the focus in this composition is on the rhythm.

But that does not mean that melody has little role to play here. It is loosely based on Darbaari Kaanada scale with a dash of alien notes in the CharaNams.

The sudden surge of the higher-octave notes – Sa Ri Ga Sa- in the second half of the Pallavi (Malar soodum/ URavaadum) gives it an impetus. The beauty is that the same melody is repeated in the last two lines of the CharaNams.

The sudden entry of the alien swara (chatushruti dhaivatam) in the fifth and the sixth line, gives it a new complexion. So does the ‘niRiSaRi’ prayoga towards the end of these lines.

The melodic instrument in the beginning of the second interlude sounds ‘1 2 3/ 1 2 3/ 1 2’ twice before the guitar and the tabla join. But as if it is under a spell, it continues subtly in the background during the guitar segment. The two sets of strings take over, each playing an independent melody albeit in different octaves.

The strings sound ‘ 1 – 3  4/ 1 – 3  4 with the brass flute responding with ‘1 2 3 4/ 1 – 3  4’.

Do these say we are unique and different?

Or do these say ‘We lay our own path?’

It is for you to interpret or decode!

 

 

 

Raja4376 · Thiruppugazh recitation

Laya Raaja- 1

The great poet AruNagirinathar describes the dance of the peacock:

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.

‘Seas and Oceans, Eight directions (Dishas), the sky, and the earth (bhoo loka) 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.’

This verse is part of the Mayil Viruththam composed by the poet where he rhythmically sings the beauty of the peacock dance.

If one recites this-which I feel is the best way to do- one can notice that it follows a pattern of 5-beat cycle.

Even as I write this, I hear a reverse horn of a car which again follows the 5-beat cycle. Now, what are this 3 –beat,4-beat, 5-beat, 7-beat etc.,? You would have noticed these time and again in my posts and also terms like avartanam, khandam, misram, tisram and some letters like ta , ka ki ta, dhi, mi.. And of course the two words ‘Laya Raaja’ repeated ad nauseum..

Though I do explain about these in my posts, I felt the need for a simpler explanation along with examples to unravel the mystery. As far as I know no other film musician has explored the taLaas and the various patterns and one of the basic reasons for his compositions standing out even after so many years is this aspect.

On the World Music Day, it gives me a great pleasure to start this new series where I plan to take up some very special compositions where the taaLa plays a very big role. Though there are hundreds of songs with intricate patterns, I have chosen 8 songs

As usual, it will be one song per post where I shall try and explain the Laya aspect in a simple manner. These posts will be slightly different from my usual posts since the emphasis will be more on the laya aspect and less on the melody aspect with the description of the latter will be brief.

What is Taalam?

Simply put, it is a repetitive  rhythmic phrase with a time interval. In a typical classical scenario, the rhythm is maintained by ‘hitting’ the thigh, counting with fingers and turning the palm. Let us look at a very popular taaLam, the Adi taaLam.

We first hit the thigh with our palm, count 3 with the three fingers, hit the thigh, turn the palm and perform the latter part of hitting the thigh and turning the palm yet again. At the end of this small process, we would have counted 8 beats. These 8 beats are called as aksharaas. Therefore, the ‘Adi taaLam’ has 8 aksharaas.

While the major groups and how each taaLa is derived will be explained gradually in future posts, I shall try and define the 5 different jaatis.

They are-

 Tisram- 3 beats with the beats generally depicted as ‘ta ki ta’

Chatushram-4 beats-ta ka dhi mi

Khandam- 5 beats-ta ka ta ki ta

Misram- 7 beats- ta ki ta ta ka dhi mi

SankeerNam-9 beats- ta ka dhi mi ta ka ta ki  ta.

Now, let us understand that the aforementioned terms are not ‘taaLams’ in the literal sense and are only different ‘jaatis’. These jaatis combine with 7 major taaLams to give different taaLams.

For example, the Adi taaLam is Chatushra jaati triputa taaLam since it combines with ‘Triputa’ and follows the ‘Chatushra jaati’.

More about the classifications in the forthcoming posts.

However, before moving on to the description of the song of the day, let me define three other aspects-kaalam, maatras and aavartanam.

Kaalam is the speed(loosely translated) and if it is in slow speed, it is ‘keezh kaalam’, in moderate speed, ‘madhyama kaalam and in fast speed, ‘mel kaalam’. The number of beats in the ‘mel kaalam’ will be double that of ‘keezh kaalam’.

A maatra is a sub division of the aksharaas. For example, the 8-beat Adi taaLam can be subdivided into 16, 24, 32 and so on..

An avartanam is one taaLa cycle.

The first song in this series is a very popular song and there is a reason behind choosing this song.

‘Aaagaaya VeNNilave’ from ArangetRa veLai (1990) has a very intricate pattern. Two different taaLas are used simultaneously. The vocals follow a particular TaaLa while the orchestra and the percussion follow a different TaaLa with the two meeting at specific points. This is called as ‘cross rhythms’ and ILaiyaraaja is a master in this concept. I have already discussed this concept in my posts on ‘EndRendRum Aanandame’ ( http://rajamanjari.blogspot.in/2008/04/laya-raja.html), ILa manadhil ( http://rajamanjari.blogspot.in/2009/12/laya-raja-ii.html ), Innum ennai enna seiyya pogiRai ( http://rajamanjari.blogspot.in/2008/09/ilaiyaraaja-majestic-musician.html ). But now with some understanding about the taalams and the beats, I am sure you will be able to appreciate this better.

Though the post is on taaLam, I must make a mention about the raga too..

The composition is based on Darbari Kaanada, a raag adapted from the Hindustani system. While it is difficult to confine the raag to a structure, let me give the text book definition-

ni2 sa ri2 ga2 ri2 sa ma1 pa dha1 ni2 Sa/ Sa dha1 ni2 pa ma1 pa ga2 ma1 ri2 sa.

It is very closely related to the Carnatic Music Kaanada and the basic difference is the use of the variant of the swara ‘dha’. Kaanada has only the ‘dha2’ while Darbari uses both the ‘dha’ s with the ‘dha2’ used sparingly.

Let me first explain the TaaLa part in the composition.

Yesudass renders ‘Aagaaya veNNilaave’ and it follows the Rupaka taaLam- one of the 7 major TaaLams- in chatushra jaati. The total no.of beats is 6/cycle. After 2 cycles, the sympathetic strings sound for one aavartanam. It is the turn of Uma RamaNan to complete the first line which again lasts for 2 aavartanas. The strings from the keyboard play for one avartanaas. So, it is 6 cycles of rupakam in keezh kaalam.Note that there is no percussion until now.

The guitar takes over with the backing of the percussion which plays ta ka - -, that is Chatushram with the dhi and mi left as blank. This goes on for 12 cycles after which we hear the bells. This latter part of bells follows Rupakam.

12x4=48 and during this phase if we put the Rupakam, it lasts for 4 cycles- 6x4=24.

Now, is there a mismatch?

Not really. The Rupakam part is in keezh kaalam while the chatushram beats in percussion is in the mel kaalam. Remember that beats in mel kaalam is equal to twice that of the ones in keezh kaalam.

So, what we have is 3+3+1 cycles of Rupakam in keezh kaalam and 12 cycles of chatushram in mel kaalam which is 6 cycles in keezh kaalam.

Total no. of beats if we assume everything to be in slow speed is 42(7x6)+24 which is equal to 64. In other words 8 cycles of Adi taalam!

The interlude follows chatushram pattern only and the magic starts in the CharaNams.

The vocals follow Rupakam(in keezh kaalam again) while the percussion follows chatushram in mel kaalam.For every cycle of Rupakam, we have 3 cycles of chatushram, the only difference being that the latter is in mel kaalam.

Therefore 3x4=12 divided by 2 and there the equation is balanced J.

The guitar in the prelude is salubriously soft and moves with gaiety.

The ravishing single violin goes on beautiful trip in the first interlude even as the group of strings plays different sets of notes. The group of strings now charts its own territory in lower octave while another group of energetically felicitous strings play in the higher octave. The sharp flute like sound gives a copious musical imagery in staccato while the subtle bass guitar nods its head.

In the second interlude, the tenderly melodic guitar gives a delicate profile and even as it is one, the second guitar takes over making imaginative forays. It is then the two sets of strings again with one set playing in the higher octave and the other one in lower octave lighting up beauteous niches with the final piece unfurling a vista which is alluring and enchanting.

…and we see the shimmering full moon in its glory!