ILaiyaraaja - The Rasika

What makes poets and artistes unique?

Is it just the creativity?

Let us first look at this poem, a description of a scene in the Kingdom of Kosalam by Kamban:

சேலுண்ட ஒண்கணாரில் திரிகின்ற செங்காலன்னம்

மாலுண்ட நளினப் பள்ளி வளர்த்திய மழலைப் பிள்ளை

காலுண்ட சேற்று மேதி கன்று உள்ளிக் கனைப்பச் சோர்ந்த‌

பாலுண்டு துஇலப் பச்சைத் தேரை தாலாட்டும் பண்ணை.

‘Amidst the huge paddy fields, the swans lay their cygnets (the little ones) on the lotus flowers. Seeing this, the Buffaloes get reminded of their calves and grunt. Instantly, milk starts oozing out of their udders and the little swans drink this. Finally, the tadpoles sing lullabies to put the little swans to sleep’.

What do we see here? Great imagination? Wonderful description? Beautiful Tamizh?

Beyond all these, it is the poet’s appreciation of finer things in life which makes this unique.

An artiste/poet sees; feels; experiences; perceives.

They observe, comprehend and assimilate..

But finally, it has to reflect in their works.

In the aforementioned poem, Kamaban’s mindscape must have visualised a beautiful scene from what he would have seen in a paddy field. I am sure buffaloes feeding swans and frogs singing lullabies are next to impossible. However, the field with swans, buffaloes and frogs must have captured his imagination and inspired him to make his own beautiful poetic story.

Kamban- The Rasika of Nature.

A great Artiste/Poet is always a great Rasika.

Many of us know that ILaiyaraaja is a great photographer. His love for Nature and appreciation of finer elements get reflected in his compositions and make him a composer par excellence.

Now, imagine this. He is given the task of composing a song which will run as the Titles roll on the screen. Though I am not sure what the Director would have briefed him, I am sure the Director would not have suggested the raga, tala . At the most, he would have told him about a typical scene in a village and that the dhobis wash their clothes in a river.

The Nature Lover’s imagination runs riot after this. He first chooses a Hindustani Raag Jog which has the ability to give abstract images and give one a mélange of emotions.. He plays with the TaaL in the prelude. He starts the first CharaNam with a long akaara(long by film songs’ standard) and the second CharaNam with a short akaara. In the first interlude, he uses the  ‘Naaththu nadal’-planting  of seedling  - song without deviating from the raag and in the second interlude he keeps the sound of the washing of clothes as the rhythm!

The effect?

A terrific and immortal composition!

‘Koththamalli Poove’ from ‘KallukkuL Eeram’(1980) starts with a very subtle Jalatarangam and sonorous Tabla Tarang sounding 24 beats in the ‘mel kaalam’.

The Jalatarangam and the Tabla Tarang together sound 6 beats- ta ka dhi mi ta ka- and the Pakhawaj responds with 6 beats. This happens twice. By this time the sketch of Raag is clearly drawn.

The Jalatarangam then plays 22 beats (5+5+7+5) and also not only clearly sketching the Raag but also showing us the different colours of the Raag.

The percussion now responds, first with the Pakhawaj playing 7 beats followed by the Dolak which plays 5 beats. This happens twice. So, it is (7+5) x2 twice which is 24.Now, there is an extra 1 2 after this. The previous Jalatarangam section played 22 beats only while it had to be 24 to complete the cycle. The Mathematician adds that 2 here to make it 24 ( remember Tisram is a 3-beat cycle and therefore the maatras must be in multiples of 3).

It is the turn of Tabla Tarang and Jalatarangam but this time separately with the former in combination with the ankle bells sounding 1 2 3 4 three times and the latter combining with the Dolak to sound 1 2 3 four times. That is 3 Chatushrams and 4 Tisrams. This too happens twice making it 24x2.

Finally, all the three -Tabla Tarang, Jalatarangam and the ankle bells- join together to play the Chatushram in ‘mel kaalam’ 12 times to make it 48.

Jog, Tisram and different ‘Tarangams’-Glowing edifice of creative expression!

The brief Pallavi (with just 4 short lines) is soft and spirited in the voice of Janaki. The ‘yekaaram’ that follows ‘Poove..’ which lasts for 4 Tisram cycles is like the soft breeze blowing from the North- called as ‘vaadai’(வாடை) in Tamizh. ‘vaadai’ is used as a symbol for Viraha.

The first interlude straightaway transports us to the paddy fields (not of Kosalam but of PaNNaippuram) with the நாற்று நடுதல் (transplantation of seedling) song purely in Jog and following the Tisram though it is only the water which acts as the percussion. After 24 cycles of Tisram, the Flute gives a feather touch and goes on a circular motion. It then takes a glittering flight playing the ‘aaroh’ in the process. The magical bass guitar backs it. It should be noted that this is the only piece played by the bass guitar in the entire composition.

The charming Shehnai takes over with brief interjections by the Jalatarangam. The percussion in the first interlude starts only now (after 35 Tisram cycles). It is folksy flavour again with Malaysia Vasudevan singing ‘thandhaanane thandhanaane thannenaa’.

The first CharaNam rather unusually starts with the long ‘akaaram’ that lasts for 16 Tisram cycles. Janaki sings it with a unique elegance. The ‘akaaram’ gives the sublimated essence of the raag. Immersing itself in this beauty, the Tabla moves in keezh kaalam making us all sway. The other lines show variegated patterns with the sound of Santoor interspersed. The CharaNam ends with a charming sangati that goes in the ‘avaroh’.

We are now transported to a ‘dhobi ghat’. One never knew that even ‘dhobi ghats’ could be so musical. The clothes hit the stone for a count of 4 Tisrams. They then back the vocals (Malaysia Vasudevan) for the next 4 Tisrams, play alone for 2 cycles. This 4 and 2 is repeated again after which the vocals sing for 8 cycles. The clothes-stone finally sound for 4 Tisrams.

Rhythmic washing!

What follows is a cogent melodic progression. First the Santoor and the Jalatarangam play a short melodic piece. The chorus repeats it and adds one more bit. The Shehnai and Flute repeat the added bit. The chorus expands the melody adding one more bit which is again repeated by Shehnai-Flute. The chorus completes the melody adding a new ‘thandhaanaa..’

Exotic and conspicuously thrilling!

…like the white swans on lotus flowers drinking milk.

ILaiyaraaja-The Effervescent Musician..

AruNagirinaathar, about whom I had written in my earlier posts-‘ILaiyaraaja-The Beautiful Musician’ and ‘Natana Raaja- Part I’- is a very special poet.

Special, not just because of his transformation from a vagabond to a great bhakti poet or because of the enormity of his works (close to 16,000 songs and a host of ‘Viruththams’).Nor is it just because of the command of the language in his songs or because of the fact that he travelled by foot to hundreds of places.

Yes, surely the aforementioned factors make us all say he is great but what makes him unique and special is his knowledge on Laya(rhythm) and his propensity to compose in almost all known TaaLas.

The difference between him and other poets is that while all great poets composed in metre- that had rhyming words- in specific paN(raga) and specific taLas, Arunagirinaathar was the only poet to compose songs(that invariably had 8 stanzas) keeping only the TaaLa aspect in mind. Such was his command over the Laya.

Now, look at this song:

nachcharavam endru nachcharavam endru
nachchumizh kaLanga ...... madhiyAlum

naththodu muzhanga naththodu muzhangu
naththirai vazhangu ...... kadalAlum

ichchaiyuNar vindri ichchaiyena vandha
ichchiRumi nondhu ...... meliyAdhE

eththanaiyi nenjil eththanamu yangi
iththanaiyil anjal ...... enavENum

pachchaimayil koNdu pachchaimaRa mangai
pachchaimalai yengum ...... uRaivonE

bakthiyuda nindru bakthiseyum anbar
paththiram aNindha ...... kazhalOnE

kachchivar kurumbai kachchavar virumbu
kachchiyil amarndha ...... kadhirvElA

kaRpaga vanangkoL kaRpaga visumbar
kaiththaLai kaLaindha ...... perumALE.


நச்சரவ மென்று நச்சரவ மென்று
நச்சுமிழ்க ளங்க ...... மதியாலும்

நத்தொடுமு ழங்க னத்தொடுமு ழங்கு
நத்திரைவ ழங்கு ...... கடலாலும்

இச்சையுணர் வின்றி யிச்சையென வந்த
இச்சிறுமி நொந்து ...... மெலியாதே

எத்தனையி நெஞ்சில் எத்தனமு யங்கி
இத்தனையி லஞ்ச ...... லெனவேணும்

பச்சைமயில் கொண்டு பச்சைமற மங்கை
பச்சைமலை யெங்கு ...... முறைவோனே

பத்தியுட னின்று பத்திசெயு மன்பர்
பத்திரம ணிந்த ...... கழலோனே

கச்சிவர் குரும்பை கச்சவர்வி ரும்பு
கச்சியில மர்ந்த ...... கதிர்வேலா

கற்பக வனங்கொள் கற்பகவி சும்பர்
கைத்தளைக ளைந்த ...... பெருமாளே.


This song follows ‘ta ki ta ta ka/ ta ki ta ta ka/ta ki ta ta ka/ta ka dhi mi’ pattern-that is a tala with 19 aksharaas.

Even people who cannot follow Tamizh or who do not have knowledge in music can appreciate the rhyming rhythmic words.

This is also one of the few songs of ArNagirinaathar with the Naayaki bhava with the poet assuming himself to be a girl in love with the Lord who is the Naayaka.

In this song the girl says ‘The Moon spews venom on me like the poisonous snake(ketu) that consumes it (during the eclipse),

Accompanied by the sound from the conches and sea shells and the boisterous thunder, the special waves from the sea tease me,

I do not have any clarity of thought, nor do I have any devotion; all I have is the desire to be one with You,

You-the one who is on the green hued peacock, the one who is married to the green hued Valli,

You- the one who lives on green verdant mountains, the one who is worshipped by people who are soaked in devotion,

You-the one who is in ‘Kanchi’

You- who broke the clutches of the Devas,

Please grant me refuge and bless me now!’.

Note how he has played with the word ‘Pachchai’(green) and the other rhyming words. But most importantly, look at the rhythm of the song.

This is what makes AruNagirinaathar and his compositions most special!

Like AruNagirinaathar, ILaiyaraaja is also an emperor of Laya and I have highlighted and discussed this aspect in many of my posts in this blog.

Some of his laya patterns(including the cross-rhythms) are mind boggling and make one wonder as to how a human brain could conceive of such intricate patterns so spontaneously.

Let us take up yet another composition of his where the percussion and the rhythm play a major role.

It is ‘Adi Naagu’ from ‘Karumbu Vil’(1979).

The song is based on Raag Jog, a beautiful Hindustani Raag.

Its structure is: sa ga3 ma1 pa ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 pa ma1 ga3 ma1 ga2 sa.

Some ‘gharanas’(simply put ‘style’) include the ni3 as well but a more traditional view of Jog suggests the absence of ‘ni3’. The speciality of this Raag however is the use of both the ‘ga’ s in the avroh and the glide from ‘ga’ to ‘sa’. ‘ga ma pa ni pa ni Sa’ is another special prayoga or phrase in this Raag.

Let us now look at the song of the day.

The song has a rather unusual beginning with a kind of announcement for a swayamvara. What follows is a rhythmic treat. The percussion in the tribal beats is fused with energy. The tribal instrument, that sounds somewhat like Jalatarangam adds fillip while the Shehnai that plays short notes is tantalizingly beautiful.

The Pallavi in the voice of Jayachandran is a delectable harmony of expression. The vibrant swirls with the percussion underpinnings are stunning.

The first interlude has some very interesting combinations. First, we have the tribal instrument that shows the magical glimmer. The synthesiser then plays with pin point precision. As the two play with each other musically, the long bass flute shows the hidden hues and shades of the Raag with the percussion playing with a different pattern.

We see the tranquil luminescence.

The stringed instrument that appears in the end moves with sensitivity.

Another speciality of this composition is that each CharNam is rendered by three different male singers-with the first one by Krishnamoorthy, the second one by T.L.Maharajan and the third one by Jayachandran.The rhythmic patterns and the percussion instruments also change subtly in each of the CharaNams.

The first four lines have fluid phrases and the lines that follow are crisp. The second and third charaNam also have beautiful sangatis as aalap wedged between the first part and the second part. The aalap done with an astute perception of the raag is musically delightful.

The second interlude is imaginatively conceived. The group of Shehnais plays silken smooth glides with an amazing richness of patterns. It is also woven with pertinent rhythmic designs.

The third interlude is a short apotheosis of rhythm.

We see the shifting rhythms with aesthetically fulfilling variations.

We see the plume of jatis that race into twists and coils.

We see a mini ‘Tani Avartanam’as the melody glides over rhythm grids with the rhythm in turn dancing with glee.

Effervescent music!!

We become the ants drawn towards the jagerry ..

நாம் கட்டெறும்பு..கட்டி வெல்லம் அவர் இசை!

(This post and the song are dedicated to all music lovers and followers/fans/fanatics of the greatest living film music composer who makes us all realise how beautiful music is...

Happy World Music Day!! )

ILaiyaraaja-The Poetic Musician!

Sita and Rama see each other and it is ‘Love at First Sight’.Rama leaves the place and Sita is tormented by his thoughts.

Tamizh Poet Kamban describes this wonderfully:
Sita says,

‘His Dark Hair, His Moonlike Face,
Long Hands, Mountain like Shoulders,
Even Before seeing these, I lost myself to His Captivating Smile !’

இந்திர நீலம் ஒத்து இருண்ட குஞ்சியும்
சந்திர வதனமும் தாழ்ந்த கைகளும்
சுந்தர மணிவரைத் தோளுமே அல
முந்தி என் உயிரை அம்முறுவல் உண்டதே

In my post on Gambheera Nattai, I had mentioned about the phrase ‘Ittathu Kettanar Eduththathu KaNdar’.

Kamban the magician, wields his magic wand and it is beauty all around. In a single stroke, he paints the picture of Rama and the longing and pain of Sita.

ILaiyaraaja’s Music is also similar to Kamban’s poetry.

He weaves his composition so beautifully and like Sita who lost herself in the captivating smile of Rama, we too lose ourselves while listening to his music.

Not only does he tune his compositions tastefully but also embellishes them with meaningful Orchestration.

In his Palette, we see new colours.

In his Smorgasbord of Music, we find vareity..

Today, we are going to see a very interesting Raga used extensively by Raja.

It is the Raga Jog.

Jog is a very exquisite Raga and it depicts longing and pain.

It has a Pentatonic Structure and is identifiable by its characteristic use of both the variants of ‘Ga’(ga2 and ga3) .

The Arohana has a simple pentatonic structure -sa ga3 ma1 pa ni3 Sa- while the avarohana has a devious(vakra) form and uses both the variants of ‘ga’.

Jog is a Hindustani Raga. Though there is no carnatic equivalent, Nattai and Gambheera Nattai are somewhat closer to this Raga.

Let us now see how the Maestro has used this Raga.

The Swaras of Jog are literally spread in a gradual way with extensive improvisation in ‘Metti Oli Kaatrodu En Nenjai Thaalaatta’ from ‘Metti’.

It starts with the entrancing Aalap of Janaki and as one begins to drown in the nectar, Raja’s Aalap appears and it is Harmony with wonderful counterpoints.

The strings follow and they pull the string of our Hearts. The short and sweet Flute piece is like a scimitar piercing our hearts.

The Tabla throbs with the Bass Guitar and it is mesmerizing indeed!

We are swallowed by the sheer Intensity and Vibrancy of the single violin that plays in Indian Classical style seamlessly moving to the Western Style.The Flute and the Strings march in now and it is a Cathartic Experience.

The Second Interlude is a sheer joy as Janaki traverses different Sthayis(octaves) going from the ‘Thara Sthayi’(higher octave) to the ‘Mandra Sthayi(lower octave) with consummate ease.

And as she sings ’ Thuruthoo Thuththoo..’in a sinuous pattern , the Swaras come together and it looks as if Time itself has frozen...

We feel the Time and Space have no meanings when we listen to ‘Oru Pattampoochi..’ from ‘Kaadhalukku Mariyathai’.

As Yesudoss hums Jog, we see the beautiful Butterfly..

It flaps its wings gracefully to the beats of the Synthesiser …

Lo and behold..

The Butterfly takes its flight and what a lovely flight it is. It crosses swathes of land and groups of colourful flowers as the Dilruba plays followed by the small and long flutes.

As Yesudoss sings ‘Poovana Ilanenju..’ in the second interlude in a Qawali style, the butterfly lands on a Flower to the accompaniment of Dilruba .It then rains Honey as Jog is sprayed all over.

The Chatusram beats that keep changing intelligently and the special sound effect of ‘Knock Knock’ when the word ‘Thattugindrathe.. ‘ are all the indelible and inimitable mark of the Master!

The Raga moves like a Round Ball in ‘Vatta Pandu Thottu ViLaiyada’ from the Film ‘Chinna Vadhyar’.

The pattern of the beats and the instruments make us feel the ‘Moving Ball’.

The gleaming ball moves traversing the craggy surface.

We see the off break, the leg break and the googly in the first interlude.

It becomes a slower delivery in the Second Interlude and one feels the ‘Reverse Swing’ as the Strings play!

New Vistas of Jog are seen in ‘Vanjikkodi..’from ‘Kanna Unai Thedugiren’.

The Trumpet-with the support of Bass Guitar- spouts and splashes the notes giving a ‘Jazzy’ feeling.The Flute lets out a plaintive cry.

In the Second Interlude, the Raga shines luminously even as the inexorable Flute carries us to a Divine World!

‘Be Fearless!’ says the responsible father to his children.

In ‘Peygalai Nambathe’ from ‘Mahanadhi’ , one is stumped by the vivacity of the composer and the composition.

The sound produced by a ‘contraption’ is very amazing in deed!

The vibrant sound of Ghatam adds to the beauty while the very different voice of the ‘Grandma’ is exuberant.

All the percussion instruments are in perfect synchrony in their ensemble.

One need not fear….

When Raja’s Music fills the air and sings a Lullaby, do we need to fear at all?

மெட்டி ஒலி போல் காற்றோடு அவர் இசை நம்மத் தாலாட்டும்பொழுது பயம் எதற்கு?