ILaiyaraaja – The Mathematician

AruNagirinathar, who lived in the 15^th century, was a musician par excellence.

Did I say musician? But was he not known for his verses in beautiful Tamizh-verses like Thiruppugazh, Kandar Alankaram, Kandar Anubhuti, Vel Viruththam, Mayil Viruththam etc.,?

Is there any historical record of his performance? Did he tune his verses in ragas or PaNNs? And if so, is there a record or reference to these like say Tyagaraja kritis or Muththuswami Dikshitar kritis?

It is really not known if he tuned his Thiruppugazh or his other works. It is not even known if he learnt classical music. Unfortunately, he had no disciples. Like a vagabond, he travelled across the Tamizh country and composed the verses. In fact, in all likelihood he travelled to Sri Lanka too as there is a Thiruppugazh on KaNdi Kadirgaamar.

Then why do I call him a musician? The reasons go much beyond the fact that his Thiruppugazhs are sung in carnatic concerts(albeit towards the end) in classical ragas. The taaLas he has used in Thiruppugazh make one wonder as to how he could conceive such rhythmic patterns. Though some say he composed in all 108 taaLas, what amazes one are the compositions in taaLas which are not listed in any classical theory books. These have now assumed the name ‘Chandha TaaLas’.

Let us look at a Thiruppugazh(he is said to have composed about 16,000 Thiruppugazhs out of which just around 1,800 are available now).

பாதிமதி நதி போது மணிசடை நாதர் அருளிய குமரேசா

பாகு கனிமொழி மாது குறமகள் பாதம் வருடிய மணவாளா

காதும் ஒரு விழி காகமுற அருள் மாயன் அரி திரு மருகோனே

காலன் எனை அணுகாமல் உனதிரு காலில் வழிபட அருள்வாயே

ஆதி அயனனொடு தேவர் சுரர் உலகாளும் வகையுறு சிறைமீளா

ஆடும் மயிலினில் ஏறி அமரர்கள் சூழ வர வரும் இளையோனே

சூத மிக வளர் சோலை மருவு சுவாமி மலைதனில் உறைவோனே

சூரன் உடல் அற வாரி சுவறிட வேலை விடவல பெருமாளே.

Though the focus now is not as much on the meaning as it is on the rhythmic structure, I feel I must briefly touch upon some aspects of the verse before explaining the taaLa structure.

He starts the verse saying ‘Muruga is the son of the one who has the half crescent moon, the river and the kondRai flower on his head.’ He then moves on to the romance of Muruga(whether many like it or not, the romance of the Gods is part of our literature and one cannot escape from this or be like an Ostrich). In the third line, he tells a mini story from RamayaNa in which Rama first attacks a crow(a raakshasa in the form of crow, in fact it is Indra’s son Jayanthan who assumes that form) and then forgives him after ‘poking’ just one eye. He then requests Muruga to protect him (AruNagiri) from the God of Death and then talks about how he saved the Devas. He ends the verse with a lovely description of ‘Swamimalai’-one of the six abodes of Muruga.

This is just the gist.

What is of particular interest in the way each line is constructed.

In Carnatic Music parlance, the taaLa pattern is :

ta ka/ta ka dh mi/ ta ka/ ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka/ ta ka dhi mi

(1 2 / 1 2 3 4 / 1 2 / 1 2 3 4 / 1 2/ 1 2 3 4 ).

This peculiar pattern, which has 18 aksharaas, is a taaLa by itself.

This is just an example and there are hundreds of examples like this which show the mastery of AruNagirinathar. Though I have not seen AruNagirinathar, I am sure it would have taken just a few minutes for him to compose this(otherwise how would he have composed 16,000 songs plus a host of viruththams in one life time of which at least the first 20 odd years were lost in just ‘wandering around’(an euphemism for ‘womanising’)?

The Genius called ILaiyaraaja’s strength lies not just in melody but in rhythm too, a fact which is being highlighted by ‘yours truly’ in infinite posts.. He has used different patterns, has used cross rhythms, has used ‘usi’, has done ‘gati bhedam’..and has done many more(the list is huge). The composition I am going to focus on today is special in many ways.

‘Paarththa Vizhi Paarththapadi’ from ‘GuNa’(1991) is a composition which will make a genuine classical composer proud. First, it is based on a raga which in real sense is a rare one. As far as I know, there are only 2 compositions in this raga in carnatic music.

There is an interesting story too. It is said that the hero of the movie requested the composer to give him a song like ‘Kaa Vaa Vaa’ and the composer came up with this song. The song quoted by the actor is based on a beautiful raga called ‘VaraLi’. Any other composer would have instantly obliged and would have composed in VaraLi. But not the gentleman whose brain is wired differently.. He composed it in Paavani.

How is the latter different from the former?

The latter is a melakarta raga while the former is a derived raga and follows a devious structure. However, both are ‘vivadi’ ragas. I have written about the concept of vivadi in some of my posts earlier. Moreover, since this post will focus more on the rhythmic pattern and less on the raga pattern, it will be prudent on my part to revisit ‘vivadi concept’ sometime later.

All I can say now (and this does not pertain to ‘vivadi’) is that on paper it is the variant of ‘dha’ which separates the two ragas, but this too is on paper as VaraLi is a very special raga having some unique oscillations of swaras.

Paavani is the 41^st meLakarta and the swara ‘ga’ is the vivadi swara. A raga with a vivadi swara evokes a very different feel and I am sure this kind of a raga was used here keeping the protagonist of the story in mind.

Generally, my posts in this thread would go systematically and the description would follow a pattern, and I would take up the prelude first, go to the Pallavi, then move on to the first interlude, go to the CharaNam and finally describe the second(and third if it exists) interlude. Today, I am straightaway jumping to the interlude and not without a reason. But before that, I must tell you that the composition is different from a normal composition in terms of the structure. There is a prelude, a short Pallavi, an interlude which can also be called as the CharaNam, the Pallavi again but in higher octave and then a postlude.

Let us first see that interlude/charaNam part.

This part has the vocals (chorus) and no melodic instruments. It is in fact a ‘recitation’ of ‘Abhirami Andaadi no.42.

The composition is set to the 5-beat khandam. Now, any other composer would have set the verse too in the same beats and would have moved on. Yes, I am talking about an ‘ordinary composer’. But why talk about something ‘ordinary’ when we have somebody who is ‘extraordinary’?

The group of percussion instruments follows this pattern when the verse is sung. Here too, one set (Jaalra) plays in kizh kaalam while the other set(cheNda) plays in mel kaalam simultaneously. It would not have been difficult at all for the composer to set the verse (which is in Paavani ragam anyway) in khandam. But here, the verse goes ‘freely’. How free it is, let us see.

The entire verse lasts 18 khandams. So, it a total of 90 aksharaas(18x5). The rhythmic pattern of the verse (mind you, decoding this was an herculean task!) roughly follows

                  15  / 10  /33  /32

How he conceived this and executed this (it is not an easy task to make the chorus sing in this pattern when the percussion goes in khandam considering the fact that a majority of chorus singers may not have been well trained in carnatic music) is difficult to fathom!

Let us now look at the composition from the beginning.

It starts with the resonant ‘gong’ like instrument reverberating during the first, third , fifth, seventh and the eighth beats. This piece which lasts for one aavartana of Aadi taaLam(kizh kaalam) sounds like veda mantram and sets the tone-literally and figuratively. The chorus starts rendering ‘Abhirami Andaadi no.50’and this too is set in Aadi taaLam with the ‘gong’ sounding rather subtly now. The resemblance to the veda mantram is too close to be missed.

This ethereally hormonised singing lasts for 4 aavartanaas. The sympathetic strings then play the arohanam of Paavani and right from this point it is khandam. One sees the glowing images as the conch plays extended notes to the backing of the cheNda.

Laced with softness, the Pallavi starts in the voice of Yesudass and it entrancingly portrays the hidden beauties of the raga. Note that the vivadi gandhara(Shuddha gandhara) dominates the first two lines while the last two lines(can be called as ‘anu pallavi’) are dominated by the ‘uttaranga swaras’. The akaaram towards the end shows the subtle and the dynamic shades of Paavani.

Andaadhi no.42 follows(as already described in the beginning) with the shining contrasting texture. It is a kind of cohesive matrix with some variegated patterns.

It segues into the Pallavi which is rendered this time in the higher octave.

The percussion takes over and it is a mélange of sorts with the group going in mel kaalam and if I were to say that it is a divine spiritual experience, it would not be an exaggeration.

The composition has a postlude too with the sitar playing a sensitively crafted classical melody in Paavani and the flute joining towards the end with an emotive heft.

Free flow of music which runs into patterns..

That is how a river flows..And that is how the moon shines..And that is how a flower blossoms..

And that is how AruNagirinathar sings..

And that is how ILaiyaraaja composes..

Check this out on Chirbit

ILaiyaraaja- The Passionate Musician

The word ‘Romance’ is very interesting. It is said that it is a feeling of mystery combined with excitement. If this is the case with the noun, what does one say of the adjective- Romantic? One of the definitions is ‘one who has an idealised view of reality.

In fact, in the West, there was something called Romantic Movement, which was an artistic, literary and musical movement during which Nature was glorified with clear emphasis on emotions. This happened in the 19^th century and is celebrated as ‘one of the golden eras’ in the west. What baffles me is the fact that despite such a movement existing in the Land of Tamizh more than 2000 years ago, no westerner (with some exceptions) is aware of either the Movement or the works related to the Movement.

The Sangam era in the Tamizh Land has given us many great works which is to be cherished not just by the Tamizh people but by all folks across the globe. What make the work great are the description of Nature and the way this is connected to different human emotions.

Let me give a very small sample:

விரிதிரைப் பெருங்கடல் வளைஇய உலகமும்

அரிது பெறு சிறப்பின் புத்தேள் நாடும்,

இரண்டும் தூக்கின், சீர் சாலாவே

பூப்போல் உண்கண், பொன் போல் மேனி,

மாண் வரி அல்குல், குறுமகள்

தோள் மாறுபடூஉம் வைகலொடு எமக்கே.

Enraptured in the embrace of his Lady Love, the man says ‘There is nothing to equal this; not even the beauty of the world which is surrounded by the vast oceans; nor the heavenly celestial world.The joy and pleasure I get from the embrace of this girl whose soft eyes are lined with kohl and whose loin has some beautiful lines are unmatched.’

This is just a loose translation and it cannot bring out the true emotion of this poem. For the benefit of non-tamizh people, I have recited the poem here:

Check this out on Chirbit

See how the poet ‘drags’ Nature in this and how beautifully he describes it. The moment we read the first line, the azure blue ocean appears in our mind’s eye. This poem was written by a poet called ‘Paroovu Movai Padumanaar’ and is part of ‘KuRunthogai’.

True Romanticism almost 2000 years before that Movement started in the West!

When it comes to Romanticism, it is impossible not to mention about ILaiyaraaja and a majority of his works. A romantic is one who gives an idealized view of reality and whose works have a strong effect on others’ emotions. Most importantly, he/she is a connoisseur.  Taken in this context, Raaja sir is a true romantic.

Now, see this song-Adhikaalai Nilave from Urudhi Mozhi( 1990)- and see how romance runs as the undercurrent. What makes this composition great is not just the raga Gowrimanohari but also the taaLa. It is set in Khandam which is unusual and rare in a filmy composition. Having said that, it is this 5-beat cycle which gives a new dimension to the composition..

The beginning of the composition can be said to be both ‘unusual’ and ‘usual’-the former because not many film songs start just with the sound of the bells playing the taaLa, and the latter because Raaja sir is known for such innovations.

The bell which sounds ta -/ta – ta , gives an aura of serenity. The humming of Janaki which follows the Bell, is haunting with an unmistakable touch of poignancy. Who said poignancy is alien to romance? The fact is, both go hand-in-hand!

The strings go up like waves, back the vocals and then keep quiet even as the Tabla takes over. The keys give a beautiful sketch of Gowrimanohari playing the ascending and descending notes in the blink of an eye. The shrill flute plays a lilting melody, gives a pause, and the keys move downwards to signal the beginning of the Pallavi.

The beginning of the Pallavi is again interesting. As many of you know, ‘pa’ is the middle-note and ‘Sa’ is the highest note in a particular octave. The Master composer combines the two giving an amazing effect. ‘pa pa Sa Sa’ –adhikaalai- brings us the vision of the dawn in a matter of seconds. Having done this, he goes to the lower octave note ‘ni.’ in the next line and bringing a higher octave note ‘Ri’ just before the end. Still not satisfied with this, he adds a sangati after the last phrase of the Pallavi.

Beautifully Musical and Musically Beautiful!

‘And that was just a beginning’, this is what we are forced to say when we listen to the first interlude. To start with, the guitar plays with palpable buoyancy and exuberance and moves with a regal splendour. The flute permeates an exclusive fragrance and what is stunning here is the transition from ‘no percussion’ to ‘percussion’. So seamless is it that one can be excused for not noticing this. The guitar melody continues in the background as the strings repeat the melody of the flute with fervour. The flute appears again, this time with a flourish, and then romances with the strings. The two play in perfect unison indicating a sense of balance and going into a state of blissful harmony. The keys yet again end with a smile.

Tender! This is how one can define the CharaNams. Smeared with a plenitude of podi sangatis, the lines move with a distinct flavour. Here too, the lower octave ‘ni.’ appears. So does the higher octave ‘Ri’. But the jewel in the crown is the last line in which the first two phrases-namai vaazhththa- and the last phrase-thalai kuniyum- have the same set of swaras but in two different octaves, -Ga Ri/ Sa Ri Sa ni- and ga ri/sa ri sa ni..

Can any of the description of his compositions be complete without my bringing that term ‘Laya Raaja’? Here too, he enters with full energy in the second interlude. First, he makes the tabla sound sharp. Then he makes the tabla play all the syllables of khandam-ta ka/ta ki ta. Does he stop there?

He breaks the khandam syllables into micro-beats – in the second half of the even cycle. To elaborate this further, the tabla plays ta ka/ta ki ta during every odd cycle and ta ka/ta ka dhi mi ta ka for every even cycle. So, it alternates between the two for 18 full cycles. The icing on the cake (or should it be icing on the tabla) is the very different sound-probably from bamboo- made in between two cycles!

Meanwhile, the flute hovers around with inspirational flashes and the strings play with vivacity in higher octave after the 18^th cycle, giving a sense of tranquility. After 8 cycles, the sharp-tabla and the flute reappear, playing that leitmotif for 4 cycles.

Can the Azure-blue ocean or the Heaven give so much joy?

One has to ask the sangam poet again.

Check this out on Chirbit

ILaiyaraaja- The Tender-Hearted Musician

Quite often we come across terms like- ‘it touched my heart’ ‘oh, it was a moving rendition’, ‘melting..’, ‘heartwarming’, ‘soul stirring’..

What makes one say all these? Is it because of their emotional quotient? Is it because of their sensibility? Is it because of their aesthetic sense? Or is it simply because of their predisposition to certain things?

Before I go further, let me tell you that the fact that we human beings are guided by our emotions cannot be refuted or denied. What makes us more emotional and what makes us less emotional or even what makes us emotionless (!) depend on various factors. At times, it is ingrained in our DNA. At times, our environment and our upbringing influence this. At times, what we read, what we see and what we listen to and what we have experienced so far have an impact on this. Many a times, it is a combination of all these.

That is why, what appeals to one may not appeal to somebody else. After all, didn’t the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius say ‘what is food for one man may be bitter poison to others’ as early as 1^st Century BC? Is it then true that everything in this world is relative and subjective? If yes, is there nothing like ‘refined tastes’ and ‘sophistication’ in this world?

Any great work of art has the capacity to ‘move’ us. But again, if we do not find anything great in a work considered to be great by many, is it the problem with us or is it with the work? Or worse still, is it the problem with the majority?

Point to ponder..

In my view (and this itself sounds subjective!), if a work touches our heart, makes us emotional in a genuine way and also makes us explain as to why we are moved by it, then it is a great work.

Rather than elaborating this, let me quote a poem from the Sangam literature:

 நின்ற சொல்லர் நீடு தோறு இனியர்
என்றும் என் தோள் பிரிபு அறியலரே;
தாமரைத் தண் தாது ஊதி, மீமிசைச்
சாந்தில் தொடுத்த தீம் தேன் போல,
புரைய மன்ற, புரையோர் கேண்மை;
நீர் இன்று அமையா உலகம் போலத்
தம் இன்று அமையா நம் நயந்தருளி
நறு நுதல் பசத்தல் அஞ்சிச்
சிறுமை உறுபவோ? செய்பு அறியலரே!

Here is a girl who talks about her man to her friend who says he might go away very soon.

Says she,

Sweet in nature, he keeps his words always. Never does he leave my shoulders. His Love is as great as the honey from the cool pollen of the lotus kept on top of the sandal tree. The world cannot exist without water. I cannot exist without him. Can he even think of afflicting my fragrant forehead with green sickness? No, he can’t even imagine doing this!

This of course is a loose translation and I have tried my best to give the essence. The poem is replete with symbolism, allegories and similes. Take the one related to the lotus pollen for example. Lotus flower as such is known for balance, calmness and for its sense of duty. By specifically mentioning lotus and not just saying any flower in general, the poet emphasises the character of the man (of course as seen through the eyes of the girl). The pollen is symbolic of his heart, the sandal wood indicates the girl’s heart and the honey is their love. The symbolism of water and the world is of course too obvious to be explained (in fact, later on, ThiruvaLLuvar adapted the line in one of his kuRaLs).

But what defines the poem and moves me or touches my heart is the last line where the girl says ‘can he think of doing this to me?No, he doesn’t even know how to do it’. One sees the love of the girl, her unshakable trust in him and most importantly her innocence in these four words, making one even wonder as to what happened after that.

Did he go away? Did she cry? Did he come back?  

This is what a great work can do to us. Not only does it make us appreciate the beauty but it also melts our hearts. Of course, it makes us raise some questions which remain unanswered.

That poem was written by Kabilar more than 2500 years ago and is part of ‘NatRiNai’, one of the works during the sangam era.

It is not that only poetic works and that too composed two millenniums ago, move my heart. Many contemporary works -and not necessarily poems- too melt my heart. The musical composition I am taking up today is one such work.

In fact, there are many reasons for me to be moved by ‘Yenaadu vidiponi mudivesene’ from ‘Sri Kanakamahalakshmi Dance Troupe’(1987).  First of all, it is based on Ahir Bhairav. Next, it is set to the 5-beat Khandam. Then, it is the magnificent (should I say soul-stirring?) rendering by Janaki and SPB(see for yourself as to how different the latter sounds). Of course, how can I leave out the brilliant, thoughtful and spontaneous orchestration?

Let me first say a few words about the raag. As the name suggests, Ahir Bhairav is a Hindustani raag. Though some (or even many) call it as the counterpart of the Carnatic raga ChakravAgam, the fact is that the two raagas differ in the way of rendering. There are some prayogas in Ahir Bhairavi which give it a distinction. For example, the ‘ga ma ri sa’ and ‘ga ma pa ma ri ri sa’ are used frequently in this raag. Moreover, the vaadi swar(the strongest note) is ‘ma’ and the samvaadi(strong though not the strongest) is ‘sa’. The rishabh(‘re’ or ‘ri’) is made to oscillate while the ‘dhaivat’ (dha) is plain.

This grammar is followed in most of the places in ‘Yenaadu..’

I mentioned about the taaLa and that the composition is set to khandam. Generally, khandam is used in dance for aggression especially in mel kaalam. But this taaLa when used in the keezh kAlam gives an amazing feel and I cannot think of any film music composer other than ILaiyaraaja for effectively using this taaLa like this.

Can we now look at the other aspects too of the composition?

The composition starts rather very differently with the sound of the breeze and the chirping of the birds.  A brief humming of Janaki to the backing of a subtle violin and the bass guitar leads us to the Pallavi. No, there is something before that. The humming itself follows khandam (4 cycles) though there is no percussion. The humming stops and the percussion sounds now with a unique sharpness.  In fact, there are two sets- bell sound and the tabla, with the former sounding all the 5 syllables ta ka/ ta ki ta and the latter sounding the first, third, fourth and the fifth in the first cycle and only the last three in the next cycle. Coming to think of it, the prelude itself underlines the emotional base of the composition.

The Pallavi is captivating and brims with beauty. The emotional overtones in the second and the third lines cannot be missed. Generally in his compositions, the instruments in the Pallavi or in the CharaNams either play after each line (at times after each phrase or after a couple of phrases) or along with the vocals( bass guitar for example). But these bits will play different sets of notes. In ‘Yenaadu..’, the violin which backs the vocals, plays the same notes as that of the vocals. This is somewhat unique.

The first interlude is different too. The swaras rendered at a leisurely pace give perceptive insights into the raag. The sustenance at the shadjam for two cycles is meditative while the swaras that follow-with the flute and the guitar nodding their heads- heighten the experience. So tranquil is the atmosphere that even the percussion decides to remain silent. The profoundly pleasant sitar follows now with the percussion entering slowly and the flute and the guitar nodding again. Janaki now renders swaras again-this time to the backing of percussion- and the sarod repeats the swaras with passion. But what happens after this is stupendous. The bass flute glows with iridescence and after a while it is silence for one cycle followed by the guitar which plays the descending notes.  Isn’t this mesmerising?

His classical compositions are enchanting not so much in the way he sheds light on its beauty as on how that aesthetic beauty evolves in his hands. This composition is a classic example. If he gives the sketch of the raag in the Pallavi and an insight into the raag in the first interlude, he expands the raag in the CharaNams with emotions being the bedrock.  All the three parts of the CharaNams are evocative and provoke the deep seated emotions hidden somewhere inside the heart. Musically too it is elevating with the sympathetic strings appearing after the first, second, third and the fourth lines. The backing of the tabla and the way it plays khandam gives a ghazal feel.

We see the percussive flashes and the playful Laya Raaja in the second interlude. The mridangam sounds ‘ta ka’ and a very different instrument sounding like a moving bell replies ‘ta ki ta ta ka/ta ki ta. 2 cycles of khandam shown very differently and this happens 4 times. A unique bass sound now emanates (probably from a bamboo flute) and plays a kind of infatuated melody with the jaalra alone backing it. The latter in fact plays only the third syllable(ta) leaving others blank. Now, even as this bass sound continues charting a melodic path, there is a call and response between the sitar and the guitar first and between the flute and the guitar next. Finally, the sitar plays a slithering coruscating melody with the resonant bass guitar backing it. The guitar replies. The sitar plays again and then they join together.

Moving.. Stirring..Heartwarming..

Is it or is it not? Or is it just my perception and feeling?

You tell me..

Check this out on Chirbit

ILaiyaraaja-The Hypnotist!

Many times I have wondered about the science (or is it an art?) of hypnotism. My exposure to hypnotism is mainly confined to what one sees in Indian movies where the patient is made to lie down on a couch and the balding doctor asking him to go to a certain age in his childhood, prodding him with questions like ‘What do you see now’, ‘What do you experience now’ with the patient recounting an incident that unfolds before us in a much dramatized form. I would think, ‘Is this possible at all?’

Once, when I was about 12, I happened to watch a Magic show where the magician made a child ‘sleep’ in the space between the floor and the ceiling defying gravity. I did not understand how this was possible. After reading some books, I gauged that it is nothing but taking control over others’ minds and one acquires this skill with constant practice.

I am not qualified enough to go beyond this on this topic. However, I find hypnotism as a metaphor very interesting. In the following poem from the Tamizh sangam work ‘kuRunthogai’, the man  hypnotised by the looks of his beloved, says, ‘Her thorn like teeth that shine through the nectarine red lips, her silk- like hair with the fragrance of sandalwood, her huge liquid eyes, her mesmerising smile..oh how elegantly she looks!’.

உள்ளிக் காண்பென் போல்வன் முள்ளெயிற்

அமிழ்தம் ஊறும் அஞ் செவ்வாய்க் கமழ் அகில்

ஆர நாறும் அறல்போல் கூந்தல்

பேர் அமர் மழைக் கண் கொடிச்சி

மூரல் முறுவலொடு மதைஇய நோக்கே.

It is obvious from this poem written by ‘EyiRRiyanaar’(எயிற்றியனார்) that the man was hypnotised by the looks of his beloved and just thinking about her was enough for him to go into a trance.

We, the readers too get hypnotised while reading such poems or while listening to great music.

‘Kaadal Mayakkam’(Pudumai peN-1984) is one of the innumerable compositions of ILaiyaraaja which has always held me in a trance. Based on Suddha Saveri, a very classical raga which has five swaras- sa ri2 ma1 pa dha2 Sa- in the ascent and in the descent, the composition has a unique magnetic charm.

Before we get on with the composition, a word or two about the raga.Suddha Saveri is very close to other popular ragas like Mohanam and Madhyamavati in terms of the struture, but sounds very different. While the other two mentioned ragas can be made to sound light in film music, it is almost next to impossible to make Suddha Saveri sound light. Maybe, this is one of the reasons for composers’ reluctance to use this raga in film music. But as we all know, ILaiyaraaja is quite different and has used this raga in  folksy environment(‘Kovil maNi osai’-Kizhakke pogum rail, ‘Manjum kuLirum-Sandhyakku virinja poovu), in a masala duet(‘Sugam Sugame’), as the song of a young girl(MalargaLil aadum-KalyaNaraman) and in many other varied sequences.

‘Kaadal mayakkam’ starts with the short akaaram of the female voice(Sunanda). As this akaaram is on, the chorus starts reciting in harmony. This part alone is set to khandam beats(5 per cycle) in ‘mel kaalam’.  With fervour, the Bell tolls and the Veena starts playing in Chatushram ably supported by the mridangam.. We see the raga’s appeal and grace in this piece that almost reminds us of a ‘taanam’. The strings take melodious strides with the flute singing like a cuckoo.

Chiselled perfection!

The Pallavi rustles with a cherubic charm with the rollicking Mridangam and the subtle guitar throbbing with melody and love. The sangatis in ‘Degam’,’Megam’, the harmony with the chorus joining, the sudden jump to the upper ‘Ri’ from ‘dha’,the short sangati (RiSadhaSa) after ‘silirkinRathe’ and the shrill flute at the end of ‘kaadal’ and ‘kaNgal’, carry the stamp of the genius.

The first interlude starts with the mellifluous strings moving somewhat leisurely. Even as this is on, a new set of violins playing totally different sets of swaras join. The suave flute repeats this with a smile on its face. With palpable vigour, the violins play in higher octave. The chorus appear again singing ‘nom tom tanam ta’. It is then a riot of colours with the flute playing classical Suddha Saveri which is superimposed on the chorus which has the guitar backing. Towards the end, the guitar playfully plays an alien note or two and the awestruck flute sings like a cuckoo, all in a matter of seconds.

The CharNams have passionate passages.

We also see the brilliance of the composer in structure of the CharaNams:

1.The sangati after the first line has the avarohaNam followed by the arohaNam.

2.The fourth line goes upto the upper ‘Ma’.

3.The last line going in a group of 3 swaras, with the first 3 groups going in descent-Ri Sa pa, Sa dha ma, dha pa ma- and ending with ‘ri sa ri’.

Classically marvellous!

The second interlude shows yet another dimension and also takes a lesson or two on how to use guitar in carnatic ragas.The first guitar piece is soothing and almost sounds like a Veena. The percussion is minimum here with the drums appearing only now and then during the gaps. The following guitar piece moves with a sense of reverie ably supported by a sharp percussion that plays ‘ta ka dhi mi’’ta ka dhi mi’.. The male voice and the chorus repeat the guitar bit. The flute takes over and moves with energetic briskness. The Masterstroke appears in the end with the higher octave violins bringing in the alien vivadi note showing shades of Raag Jog!

இது ஒரு இசை மயக்கம்!