ILaiyaraaja- The Master Craftsman!

A very well known incident from one of the greatest epics.

The eyes of Rama meet the eyes of Sita..

What happens next?

Let us see how the great Kamban describes it:

பருகிய நோக்கெனும் பாசத்தால் பிணித்து
ஒருவரை ஒருவர் தம் உள்ளம் ஈர்த்தலால்
வரிசிலை அண்ணலும் வாட்கண் நங்கையும்
இருவரும் மாறிப் புக்கு இதயம் எய்தினர்


‘Their eyes drink each other, and they are attracted to each other- the ‘look’ being the thread that binds them together.’’

This is what he says in the first part.

Well and good! After all, isn’t it natural? So, what is so great about it except the ‘eyes drinking each other’ part which is of course poetically imaginative.

Now, look at the second part..

‘’The one with the bow and the other with the sword enter the other’s hearts.’’.

As we all know, Rama is known for his bow. In fact, the Bhratanatya mudra for Rama itself symbolizes the bow.

Therefore, there is no surprise in describing Rama as ‘varisilai annal’.

He could have then gone ahead and described Sita as ‘doe eyed’ or one whose eyes are like the fish and said ‘maan vizh nangai’ or ‘kayalvizh nangai’.

But ‘Kavi Chakravarti’ is different.

He thinks ‘how can I say that the bow of Rama defeated the eyes of Sita? By saying this, will I not be insulting Sita?’

Most importantly, can there be a victor( or vanquished) in the game of Love?

So, he decides to say ‘VaatkaN nangai’(the one with the eye which is like a sword!).

The Bow and the Sword meet, smile at each other with mutual respect and clear the way for Love.

This is what makes him a Master Craftsman.

ILaiyaraaja, who has been giving soulful music, is another Master Craftsman.

No doubt he has used innumerable number of classical ragas, but what distinguishes him from the rest is his brilliance, creativity, innovation and the sense of aesthetics.

The song of the day too has all these aspects ingrained in it.
It is ‘Jaaji Malli..’ from the Telugu film ‘Chinnabbayi’(1997).

The composition is based on Gowrimanohari ragam.

Gowrimanohari is the 23rd melakarta and invokes nostalgia in a very subtle manner.It is the Shuddha Madhyama counterpart of Dharmavati and is in the same grahabedam group as Vaachaspati, Charukesi and Natakapriya.

Its structure is sa ri2 ga2 ma1 pa dha2 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma1 ga2 ri2 sa.

If the ‘ga’ variant is changed, it becomes ShankarabharaNam. This is a very interesting aspect since both these ragas are part of western scales-with the combination of notes of Gowrimanohari called as melodic minor and those of ShankarabharaNam called as Diatonic Major.

‘Jaaji Malli’ starts with rhythmic phrases in Chatushram(4-beat cycle) with first ‘ta ka dhi mi’ laying stress on the second syllable ‘ka’.

The stringed instruments and the ‘keys’ illuminate the TaLa and the Raga.

The TaLa starts after ‘Jaaji’ and as explained in the previous post, such a start is called as ‘ateeta eduppu’. The ‘samam’ (place where the TaLa starts) is in ‘mal’.

The Pallavi has clear enunciations rendered with aplomb by SPB and Chitra..

Not only is it emollient but it also structures the raga’s image with elegance.

The beginning of first interlude has the spunky percussion playing the ‘ta ka dhi mi’ four times. The mesmerising bass flute takes over soaking us in melody. The scintillating stringed instrument strikes us like an arrow and leads us to a musical swing where we swing along with the lustrous vocals. It is the resonance of the raga at the end of the interlude that makes us spell bound.

The CharaNams are melodically designed.

The first section has subtle romance with some special syllables ‘taga taga dam dam’ used.

The following section has immaculate leisurely phrases.

The last section with its inherent naughtiness is mellifluent.

The surfeit of sangatis as the Pallavi is rendered again at the end of the first CharaNam stands testimony to the crafting skills of the composer and the versatility of the singer.

The second interlude is a magic of sorts.

The guitar in the beginning of the second interlude glows with sheen.. The second guitar joins now and plays with élan showing the Arabian shades of the raga. The Brass flute gives the western classical contours.The Sax now takes over and eloquently shows the jazzy colours. It drips with honey.

The musically colourful combinations prove yet again that music after all is universal.

The ending of the song is another beauty with the absence of percussion as the Pallavi is rendered again with some new words added to it. It is sedate and tranquil.

The original Pallavi appears again this time in a slow tempo with the lilting flute sketching a beautiful silhouette of the raga.


‘Mee tho memu nadachi vastaamu yededu janmalaku..’

‘We shall follow you and your music forever..’

ILaiyaraaja-Musician with a Magnetic Charm!

Have we ever thought as to why birds make trees their abode?

Is it a sense of security?
Is it affinity?
Is it natural attraction?

By the way, why should the birds be attracted to trees?

We all know how musical birds are.
But have we noticed that trees are musical as well?

The sound of the tree rustling in the breeze..
The green leaves..
The smiling flowers..
The shining fruits..

We hear the Shruti..Swaras..Ragas..Talas..

Birds and the Trees!

Attached to each other like a magnet.

Said Saint Thyagaraja,’Oh.Rama!I am like a bird going around the tree again and again..’(Chutti Chutti Pakshulella Settu Veduku Reethi Bhuvini Puttagana Nee Padamula Pattu Konna Nannu Brova)

As a divine person, he was attracted to Rama like how a bird is attracted to a tree.

He went on to sing ‘You are the Treasure of Virtues, and the Abode of Mercy’(SuguNa Jaala KaruNaavaala).’

'I have come seeking shelter at your feet surrendering my Body and possessions as they belong to You’(CharaNu Jocchi Tanuvu Dhanamu Needeyandi Thyagaraja Vinuta Rama).

‘Oh Sitarama!Why this undue delay to protect me?’(KaalaharaNamelaraa Hare Sitarama?).

This beautiful Keertanam is in Sudhdha Saveri Ragam.

Talking of attraction, I am also reminded of the divine attraction between Rama and Sita.

As per Tamizh poet Kamban, the love between the two was spontaneous.

Though there are a lot of verses that beautifully describe their relationship (some have already been quoted in this thread!), I would like to take up one very interesting verse.

It is the night before the wedding.

Looking at the moon, the Love Struck Rama sees Sita’s face in it. For a moment he feels the moon is Sita.
And says, ‘You are the seed of my love;not just the seed but also the manure for the tree called Love.’

Then he realizes that it is the moon and not his beloved Sita.

He now says’ You have the face of Sita. Probably you are related to her. By reminding me of her face, you are troubling me so much.Why don’t you become my relative as well?’

திருவே அனையாள் முகமே! உயிரின்
கருவே!கனியே!விளைகாம விதைக்கு
எருவே!மதியே!இதுஎன் செய்தவா?
ஒருவேனொடு நீ உறவாகலையோ?


What Kamban means here is that unable to bear the torment Rama pleads with the moon not to trouble him!

Poetic Beauty..

Magnetic attraction..

I find this kind of a magnetic charm in ILaiyaraaja’s music.

Many times when I listen to his musical pieces, I ask him (of course to myself!),

‘Why do you trouble me by producing such great music?’

Trouble that is a pleasure.

Today, we are going to see yet another great composition.

It is ‘Raamudu Kalaganaledhu’ from the Telugu film ‘Rajkumar’.

The composition is based on Sudhdha Saveri.

Sudhdha Saveri is a oudava raga(raga with 5 swaras in the Aarohana and Avarohana) and is derived from the 29th melakartha DheeraShankarabharanam.

Its Structure is:
sa ri2 ma1 pa dha2 Sa/Sa dha2 pa ma1 ri2 sa.

Replace the ‘ma’ with ‘ga’ and we get Mohanam.
Replace the dha’ with ‘ni’ and we get Madhyamavati.

Sing this raga in Madhyama Sruti and we get Pahaadi.

However, Sudhdha Saveri is unique and different.

As the name suggests, it is indeed a very pure raga.

Maestro has scored some amazing songs in this ragam.

Let us now look at today’s composition.

It starts with the very auspicious Nagaswaram and Tavil.

The Veena plays with finesse.Then a surprise awaits us.It is not the violin or flute that gives a reply to the Veena.

It is the Baas Guitar that gives the repartee.
Though Maestro is very well known for his bass work (in fact he was the one who pioneered this in films), the resplendent flashes of Bass Guitar in this composition is unique and great!

The Flute now appears with beauty and grace. The violins and electronic instruments follow suit.

The Pallavi is exquisite and gives distinctive shades of Sudhdha Saveri meticulously.
Suseela and SPB give soft radiance to the already beautiful Ragam.

The last line in the Pallavi ‘Aa Ramayanam’ gives a spell of fascination!

The aesthetic flute now sings like a cuckoo while the guitar fluently expresses itself.

It is the turn of the violins to decorate the raga.
The Bass Guitar surrounds us melting us in the process!

The CharaNam is sobriety personified.

The first two lines are pithy and poignant.
The next two lines slither through wonderfully.
The last two lines stir us melodiously.

The Sangati at the end of the CharaNam shows us the finer nuances of the raga.

In the second interlude, the violins move daintily.
The alluring Shehnai is courted by the Flute.

We suddenly see a shift here as we hear the subtly shaded alien swaras. This infuses delicacy.

The modern instruments are deftly interwoven exemplifying refinement.

The composition breathes graciousness.

It is delicately eloquent.

It is piercing.

It is enticing.

It is magnetic..

Rama and Sita..
The Bird and the Tree!

Raaja’s music and us…

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA