ILaiyaraaja – The Phenomenon

Greatness is one of the great things in this world which cannot be measured not just quantitatively but also qualitatively.

Though this may sound odd, the fact remains that greatness too is subjective. At the same time, there are certain factors which make a thing or a person great:

Creativity

Being different

Lateral Thinking

Innovative

Aesthetic Value

Being Radical

Offbeat

Multi Dimensional

These are just some of the factors which occur to me now.

Let us take the case of Bharati. He was born at a time when our Nation was suffocating under the oppressive rule and when caste discrimination was at its peak. The language of Tamizh too was seriously looking for a saviour. He breathed new life into the world. And this he did not by following the footsteps of his predecessors – though he never had any disrespect- but by questioning everything. He simplified the poetic tamizh, rebelled against orthodoxy (remember, he was born in a community considered to be the most superior those days) earning the wrath of many in the process, viewed things differently and presented these differently.

But what matters the most is his poetic sense and sensibility. I am saying this because it is not enough to be a rebel, for there is a danger of presenting everything in a crude way which would defeat the purpose. The young poet was able to put down his thoughts in a presentable and pleasing way thus making his works shine with aesthetic value.

Take just one sample:

திக்குகள் எட்டும் சிதறி-தக்கத்

தீம்தரிகிட தீம்தரிகிட தீம்தரிகிட-தீம்தரிகிட

பக்க மலைகள் உடைந்து-வெள்ளம்

பாயுது பாயுது பாயுது- தாம்தரிகிட

தக்கத் ததிங்கிட தித்தோம்-அண்டம்

சாயுது சாயுது சாயுது-பேய் கொண்டு

தக்கையடிக்குது காற்று- தக்கத்

தாம்தரிகிட தாம்தரிகிட தாம்தரிகிட தாம்தரிகிட..

Now, this is just a description of the rain. We all enjoy the rain, at least most of us do. Poets enjoy it more. But tell me, how many can describe it so differently. He saw and felt the rhythm in the rain and just went on his own trip without in anyway spoiling the syntax of poetry. A new form and yet beautiful.. Breaking the rules and yet staying within the confines of the rules..

Aesthetics at its best!

But such people and such works occur only once in a while. It is a different matter that such rarity has to be celebrated, because in my opinion, it is the rarity which makes this world beautiful.

Without any doubt, ILaiyaraaja and his works will fall under the category of ‘Rare Occurrences’.  If the is a printed sheet paper and if all the factors I mentioned in the beginning are listed in that, all boxes will see a tick mark when it comes to ILaiyaraaja.

In all my posts here, I have quoted reasons as to why he is called as one of the greatest ever music composers, with live examples. So, I do not want to repeat anything today. I would rather discuss about a composition and I am sure that is more than enough. After all, is it not true that action speaks more than words?

What is great about ‘Vaare Waa Maanava’ from the telugu film ‘Aa Okkati Adakku’(1992)?

First and foremost, it is based on a raga which has never been used by any other musician-classical or otherwise. This is not something new as far as people who know him are concerned (check my previous post in this blog). But this is not all..

Let me go step by step.

The composition seems to follow a scale something like this- sa ri2 ga2 pa dha3 ni3 Sa.

That ‘dha3’ is a vivadi swara and I am sure people who follow my posts, know what a vivadi swara is, by now. This raga is called as ‘Kamalaasanapriya’ and is a janya of(that is derived from) the 24^th meLa VaruNapriya.

The Master does something unthinkable- that is unthinkable for mortals. He does Graha Bhedam just before the CharaNam and makes it a different raga, which again is a raga not used by any other musician.

Are you breathless now?

Well, there is more beautiful technique too related to Laya in this composition and since I care for your breath, let me reveal it as I take you through the composition.

With an intensity which at best can be described as musical, the strings gush in and make an organic progression from mid-octave to higher octaves. Just before the end, the multi-layered flutes skate with passion. An aural treat not to be missed!

The electric guitar plays with sobriety with the flute acknowledging and playing with an insouciant grace. The strings enter again and this time we have two sets with one set moving like quick waves and the other set spreading serenity albeit in higher octave.

In fact, a closer look suggests that the entire Pallavi has been played by the electric-guitar-flute-strings!

There is a sudden clap and silence. How often has he spoken about the value of silence and how often we have enjoyed this!

After a brief melody from the sympathetic strings, Janaki starts the Pallavi with the pizzicato backing the vocals for every second tisram in the first half. The second half is made to sound different and this is essentially because of the bass flute which plays different sets of notes along with the vocals. Can you define the feeling when you hear those lines?

SPB joins now and sings only the first half-with the pizzicato backing- though the wordings are different.

The guitar sounds in the beginning of the first interlude. It is soft. Another guitar responds. It is pleasant. The strings play briefly. It is lively. Yet another guitar plays now and the strings back it, of course with a different set of notes. It is lilting.

Well, don’t all these prepare us for something exciting?

Yes, if we know Raaja well; if we know that he is O’Henry Raaja.

That ‘exciting thing’ happens now. The taaLa suddenly shifts from tisram(1 2 3) to chatushram(1 2 3 4) and the stress is on the second and the fourth beats. People who follow my posts closely here know that this is called as ‘usi’ and the Great Master is the only one composer in film music to have applied this technique prolifically and with consummate ease.

One instrument(keys?) is punched, the other one-bass guitar- is plucked and the strings wander around but not pointlessly. It is a melodic and rhythmic swirl, even a kind of maze and yet we do not feel like getting out of it. Do we?

And now the Master does the Graha Bhedam and shifts the raga to yet another little known raga.

This raga follows a scale something like this- sa ri3 ga3 ma dha1 ni3 Sa- and as per the Raga text it is called as Hema BhushaNi, derived from the 33^rd MeLa Gangeya BhushaNi. In fact, Raaja sir had already used this raga in ‘Karaiyadha Manamum UNdo’ where again there is Graha Bhedam (more details in this post : https://rajamanjari.blogspot.in/2010/12/ilaiyaraaja-alluring-musician.html ).

The CharaNams have some charming phrases and what is striking is the plaintiveness which pierces your heart especially in the first segment and in the third segment. The contoured delineation and the characteristic retinue of unique phrases mark the second segment.

With this composer who has a firm grip on all major forms of music and who believes in variety, is it wrong on our part to expect more?

Well, we don’t have to expect anything as he always gives the unexpected. And to him ‘enough is never enough’.

Otherwise how can one explain his sudden shift to the western classical style in the first half of the second interlude, after having used 1.an unknown raga, 2. usi and 3.graha bhedam to shift to yet another little known raga?

The strings play in higher octave with another set playing a totally different set of notes. If the former is lilting, the latter is delectable.

It is then time for a contrastive tone and which other instrument other than the flute can give that feel?

It is haunting..

In fact, the entire composition haunts us even hours after listening to it.

That is where the greatness lies..

..Greatness of a composer who redefined music in general and film music in particular!

Check this out on Chirbit

ILaiyaraaja-The Alluring Musician

“Oh.. The one who is in a supine posture....My entire body is filled with love for you.. You melt me.. Oh! My sweet nectar..”

ஆரா அமுதே அடியேன் உடலம் நின்பால் அன்பாயே,
நீராய் அலைந்து கரைய வுருக்குகின்ற நெடுமாலே,
சீரார் செந்நெல் கவரி வீசும் செழுநீர்க் திருகுடந்தை,
ஏரார் கோலம் திகழக் கிடந்தாய் கண்டேன் எம்மானே.

sang the inimitable Nammazhwar, about whom I have already written elaborately in my post on ‘Enegengo Sellum’(ILaiyaraaja-The Wonder’ 4th March 2009).

I am not getting into the philosophical contours of this verse now. What is important here is the feel of the poem.

Don’t we feel the love, passion, and the devotion of the poet when we read the verse?

To put it simply and succinctly, Nammazhwar was allured by the beauty of the Lord. To him nothing in this world mattered except the Lord. Most importantly, he was able to communicate his feelings through beautiful words. Maybe, that is why we are allured by the poetry of people like Nammazhwar even after 1000 years.

If poets like Nammazhwar used poetry as a medium to express themselves, great musicians like Saint Thyagaraja used both poetry and music as a medium to describe the beauty of the divine.

In one of his kritis in the ragam Vagadeeswari, he says, ‘The Divine shines with grandeur everywhere.. It is present as Vishnu, Shiva, human beings, animals, birds, trees, the three basic qualities, the five elements..’.

‘Paramaathmudu velige mucchata baaga telusukore..’

Likewise, ILaiyaraaja, sees and makes us see the Divine everywhere through his Music.

The song of the day is yet another special composition of his and is based on a very rare ragam. One can even say that a ragam which has not been used by any other musician.

The composition is ‘Kariyaadha Manamum uNdo’ from ‘Varusham 16’(1989) and the ragam is Hema Bhushani(which literally means ‘adorned with gold’).

Hema Bhusnani is a janya of ‘Gangeya bhushani’, the 33rd melakarata and its structure is:

Sa ri3 ga3 ma1 dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 ma1 ga3 ri3 sa.

Incidentally, the ragam of Thyagaraja kriti quoted above-‘Paramathumudu’- Vagadeeswari is the 34th melakarta and is in the same chakra as that of
Gangeyabhushani .

‘Kariyadha Manamum..’ is special because of many reasons.

One, it is based on a very rare and unknown ragam.

Two, the song does not appear in the movie.

The third reason is the second charaNam and we shall see how and why it is special.

The Pallavi -which starts without a prelude- radiates positive energy and is resplendent not just because of the structure but also because of the soothing warmth in the voices of Yesudass and Chitra.

If the first line is effulgent, the second line has an alluring distinction, the reason being the vivadi note ‘ri3’.

The Sitar and violins slice through and infuse exotic shades of the raga in the beginning of the first interlude. The Flute shows the emotive facets of the Ragam and our hearts begin to melt.

The sitar and the Veena yearn evocatively.

The first CharaNam has a tranquil luminescence.

The first line dwells on niceties, while the second line gives a caressing touch. We are pierced by moments of poignancy in the following line.

The second interlude is marked by some wonderful aalaps by Yesudass.

It takes silky glides.

It sketches graceful silhouettes.

It flows smoothly through various terrains.

It bubbles with creative excitement.

Can any instrument substitute a memerising human voice?

The second charaNam looks at hidden ecstatic possibilities.

Remember my third point in the beginning of the description where I had said ‘The third reason is the second charaNam and we shall see how and why it is special’?

The ‘ga’ of the ragam is now taken as the base ‘sa’. I had discussed this concept called ‘Gruha Bedam’ in some of my earlier posts. Please refer ‘ILaiyaraaja-The Genius’, and ‘ILaiyaraaja-The Eloquent Musician’.

But the difference between those compositions and ‘Karaiyadha..’ is that while the former are based on known ragas, the latter is based on an unknown raga.
Most importantly, the raga that emerges after the Gruha Bedam is another unknown raga.

As per the theory of Gruha Bedam, the new raga-that is the raga one gets after applying the technique- has the same number of swaras as that of the original raga.

For example, let us take a very popular ragam ShankarabharaNam. If the ‘ri’ is kept as the base, it becomes Karaharapriya, if ‘ga’ is taken as the base, it becomes Todi, if ‘ma’ is the base, it is Kalyani, if ‘pa’ is the base, it is Harikamboji and it is Natabhairavi if ‘dha’ is the base.

Three points are worth noting here.

1.All the aforementioned ragas are well known and popular.

2.All these have seven swaras (like the ‘original’ ragam ShankarabharaNam).

3.Most importantly, since people have already tried and tested applying Gruha Bedam on such ragas, they clearly know the raga(s) that would emerge.

But ILaiyaraaja believes in chartering unknown territories and discovering gems that are not hitherto known to the world.

He also breaks the rule while staying within the boundaries of virtuosity. If this statement sounds somewhat ambiguous, please look at the following examples:


In ‘Vaidegi Raman’, he applied Gruha Bedam in Kalyani and instead of giving us the sampoorna (or complete ragams) like ‘Todi’ and ‘Harikamboji’, he ‘hid’ a couple of swaras to make them pentatonic ragas (Hindolam/Mohanam).

In ‘KaNgaLukkuL unnai ezhuthu’, he did the reverse. The 4 note ragam(Lavangi) became a 6 note ragam(Mandaari).

But by doing this, he never compromised on the beauty and the virtuosity.

Now, let us go back to ‘Kariyadha Manamum’.

I am sure this was the first time Gruha Bedam was done on an unknown raga. Added to this is the fact that the raga that emerges is also little known and has never been used before.

The new raga that begins the charaNam is called as ‘Makarandhapriya’(as per the Raga text ‘Swaraprastara Sagaram’ authored by Nathamuni PaNditar) whose structure is:

sa ri1 ga3 dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 ga3 ri1 sa.

It is ‘Lalita’ without the ‘ma’.

Here too, the Maestro has made a ‘Shadava raga’(6 note raga) ‘Audava’(5 notes) by skipping one note after the Gruha Bedam.

Artistically Innovative!!
Innovatively Artistic!!

Let us continue with the description of the CharaNam.
The first two lines in the second charaNam are subtly integrated and is a striking combination of sensitivity and beauty.

The beats of Tabla –that gives various permutations and combinations in a matter of half a cycle- in between the lines- steal our hearts.

The finale is meditative.

‘Kariyatha manamum uNdo’

‘அவர் இசைக்குக் கரையாத மனமும் உண்டோ..’