ILaiyaraaja- The Pacific Musician

Words are important for any language.

Can there be a language without words?

I shall leave this question unanswered for a while and move on to a tamizh verse.

‘சொல்லினால் தொடர்ச்சி நீ, சொலப்படும் பொருளும் நீ,

சொல்லினால் சொலப்படாது தோன்றுகின்ற சோதி நீ,

சொல்லினால் படைக்க நீ படைக்க வந்து தோன்றினார்,

சொல்லினால் சுருங்க நின் குணங்கள் சொல்ல வல்லரே?’

Written by the great poet Thirumazhisaiyaazwar- who is considered to be a revolutionary because of his radical views and because of his very different Thiruchchandaviruththam- this verse talks about the Divine in terms of words.

‘You create relations with words. You are the meaning of the words. You are the radiant flame of the unsaid words. Is it possible for mortals to describe Your glory in few words?’

Let me clarify that there are many interpretations to this verse and that this is my own interpretation. Isn’t it a fact that a poem becomes more beautiful with a multitude of interpretations?

In this verse, the Azhwar from Thrirmazhisai has used ‘word’ as the fulcrum to define the Divine. What is of utmost interest to me is the second line which talks about the ‘unsaid’. Can we call this as ‘silence’? Is silence just the absence of words? Or is it something more than that?

Let me now quote yet another tamizh verse from a poet belonging to a different era.

‘வேத ஆகம சித்ர வேலாயுதன் வெட்சி பூத்த தண்டைப்

பாத அரவிந்தம் அரண் ஆக அல்லும் பகலும் இல்லாச்

சூதானது அற்ற வெளிக்கே ஒளித்துச் சும்மா இருக்கப்

போதாய் இனி மனமே தெரியாத ஒரு பூதருக்குமே’

This was written by AruNagirinaathar, the Tamizh poet from ThiruvaNNamalai. Without getting into the detailed explanation of this verse, let me focus on just few phrases from the second, third and the fourth lines. ‘Forgetting all mundane things, let me move to a blank space and remain there doing nothing, in a state of quietude’.

In one of his other verses, the same poet wrote ‘சும்மா இரு, சொல் அற’  which means ‘Be quiet.Forget words’.

What are common to all these three verses are ‘ words, absence of words and action’.

Put in a simple term, these talk about ‘silence’.

Let me now go back to one of the two questions asked in the beginning- Is silence just the absence of words?

Now, take the spelling of the word ‘SILENT’. If the letters are rearranged, we get ‘LISTEN’. We need to listen to silence to understand its value. Silence is not just the absence of words or sound. There is silence in spoken words. There is silence in  sound. When we recognise this, we get to know the real value of silence.

And now to the first question- Can there be a language without words?

Yes, there is sign language, there is the language of nature, the language of rain, the language of crying, the language of laughing. This list is  huge but my focus on this special day is the language which is very close to my heart..

Music!

There is not one thing in this world cannot be achieved by this langauge. Most importantly, Silence and Music go hand-in-hand. And in the hands of a composer who understands this fact, the beauty is enhanced.That is, the beauty of music and the beauty of silence. ILaiyaraaja’s compositions shine with  radiance plainly and mainly because he respects silence and knows that silence is musical and music is silence.

The special song of this year’s Geetanjali stands testimony to this.

The song does not have any silent phrases. The song does not even have any interlude. The song does not talk about silence. In fact, it starts with the word ‘Sabtham’.

Then why am I linking it with silence?

The beauty of ‘Sabthamayee’ from the Malayalam film ‘Sooryan’(2007) lies in the way a vivadi raga is used. Literally translated, ‘vivadi’ means disonance. Vivadi ragas supposedly evoke an eerie feeling not easy to describe. There are some who do not enjoy listening to vivadi ragas. There are some who do not like to sing vivadi ragas.

Not only are vivadi ragas not easy on the ear, also these are not easy to handle. And yet, ILaiyaraaja remains the only film music composer to have composed the maximimum number of compositions in vivadi ragas. By now, it would have been clear that ‘Sabthamayee’ is based on a vivadi raga. This raga, Ragavardhini is the 32nd mela raga. It is said that Shri.Lalgudi Jayaraman, himself a legend, decided to compose a thillana in this raga after listening to ILaiyaraaja’s classical composition played by Mandolin Shrinivas.

Let us now look at ‘Sabthamayee’. With the drone of tanpoora enveloping us, we start listening to the silence. Kaavalam Srikumar starts the aalapana. Generally, alapanaas are rendered in a carnatic concert for a variety of reasons and the duration ranges from 2 minutes to 30 minutes. There were even times when a raga alapana was sung for hours together. All these achieve one singular objective- To give the essence of the raga.

Here, the alapana lasts just a few seconds. Yet, it gives us the total essence of the raga. Goes to show that quality and not quantity is the hallmark of a genius..

The length and breadth of Ragavardhini is traversed in this brief alapana. The Pallavi which starts after the 3/4^th point, is contemplative, evocative and vivid. The mridangam starts only after ½ avartana and goes on a full - fledged trip in the next avartana. The singing of ‘ikaaram’ and its extension for 4 beats followed by the mridangam sound for 4 beats drench us with silence. So does the sangati after ‘sabdham’ when the line is repeated the next time.

The subtle violin follows the vocals silently. A new voice too joins silently. The following line gives a caressing touch with the vivadi swara peeping in now and then. The new voice-which is that of Shankaran Namboothiri- repeats the line and one finds different dimensions in the same line when rendered by two different voices.

The composition seamlessly goes to the first Charanam with only the percussion -which plays the chatushram beats for a count of 4- acting as the interlude. The first line moves with an inherent sensitivity with the last phrase having the vivadi swara. The next line touches the higher octave swaras, brimming with feelings. But what makes this more beautiful is the intensive creativity of the composer.

Only two percussion instruments are used-mridangam and ghatam. The mridangam plays a pattern which is then repeated by the ghatam and in the next phrase, the mridangam plays the pattern played previously by the ghatam. If this interplay between the two percussion patterns show us glimpses of Laya Raaja, the following lines make us see the Laya Chakravarti.

It is a known fact that a classical composition is set to a taaLa, which is nothing but a repetitive cycle of fixed beats. This taaLa is maintained throughout the composition. Very few composers change the gait in the midst of a composition. OOthukkaadu Venkata Kavi was one such composer. This change of gait is called as gati bhedam. Here, while the taaLa cycle remains the same, the gait changes. For example, a composition following chatushram beats will suddenly change to tisram, at the same time following the same taaLa cycle. Just for information, chatushram is 4 and Tisram is 3.

ILaiyaraaja has done gati bhedam in many songs. In ‘Shabdhamayee’, the gait is changed to tisram in the third line and this goes on for one and half cycles. Isn’t this a breath taking twist?

The second CharaNam is different from the first CharaNam in terms of the structure of the swaras. The first line moves with meticulous purity. The second line has the subtleties and niceties of not just the normal swaras but of the vivadi swara as well.

What follows is a sudden torrent of swaras. Mathematics and Music combine together in this brilliantly conceived segment. The winding labyrinthine swaras are also oscillated gracefully. We reach empyrean heights when gati bhedam is done again.

Everything exists. Everything ceases to exist.

There are words. There are no words.

There is action. There is inaction.

There is Music.

There is Silence.

PS: This post was written specially for 'Geetanjali', an Event held every year as a dedication to the Maestro since the year 2008, and read out to an invited audience at Chennai on the 9th of September 2018.

Natana Raaja- Part III

It is said that ‘Thiruvaachakam’ , the immortal work of the great Tamizh poet MaaNikka Vaachakar can melt even a stone.It is an outpouring of a honest devotee whose only objective was to reach the ultimate.

And he knew what that ‘ultimate’ was.

In one of his verses in the immortal work Thiruvaachakam, he says to the Lord,

‘ You are as sweet and pure as the Honey. You are the nectar. I am dishonest, deceitful, and full of lies and my love is not true . But I know if I cry, I can get you!’

யானே பொய் என்நெஞ்சும் பொய் என் அன்பும் பொய்
ஆனால் வினையேன் அழுதால் உன்னைப் பெறலாமே
தேனே அமுதே கரும்பின் தெளிவே தித்திக்கும்
மானே அருளாய் அடியேன் உனை வந்து உறுமாறே.

A totally different dimension to crying..

This is a verse that has a lot of inner meanings.

As humans, we are bound to make mistakes. Not one. .not two.. but many..

When we cry to the Lord, we pour out.

The tears come straight from the heart. The heart melts.. We feel light..

That is the moment when we feel the Divine.

Let it not be misconstrued that one can commit any number of sins and get away with it by finally crying to the Lord saying ‘I am a sinner. Save me!’

The ‘crying’ the poet is referring to is a very different one and not the usual crying of us mortals.

He realized that all things in this materialistic world do not have any value and only thing which is permanent is the Divine force.

He found poetry as a form of expression to express his inner feelings. One may agree or disagree with what he said. But the way it has been said melts us whether we are believers or atheists.

Just like poetry, dance is also a form of expression.

In my previous post, I tried to get into the reason for turning a blind eye towards classical arts.

There is one more reason too.. All the Indian Classical arts revolve around Bhakti or devotion and therefore, an atheist or an agnostic finds it difficult to identify himself/herself with a form associated with a thing which they feel is not in existence.

But I feel what is important is the way it is said than what is being said.
One’s personal belief should not obscure their appreciation for finer things in life.

But again this does not mean that anything can be said as long as it is said in an aesthetic way.

The long and short of it is-Let us appreciate arts without any prejudice.

In the previous posts, we saw some of the basic aspects of Bharatanatyam briefly.
Today, let us take up a dance form which is closely related to Bharatanatyam.

It is Kuchipudi.

Kuchipudi derives its name from Kuchelapuram, a village in Andhra Pradesh. Like Bharatanatyam,this dance form also involves hand gestures, subtle facial expressions and foot work. But where the two differ are in the foot movements and in the poses. Bharatanatyam has graceful, elegant movements while Kuchipudi is dazzling and has fast foot movements. There are sculptured poses in Bharatnatyam. There are more of rounded poses in Kuchipudi.

A normal Bharatanatyam performance comprises of a ‘Pushpanjali’-a prayer to the Divine/Nature, a ‘Allarippu’, that involves neck and hand movements-warming up the body essentially, a VarNam, that has all the three elements-the Nritta, Nritya and the Natya thus revealing not only the artiste’s skills but also the stamina, a Padam/Javali, that has the Abhinaya and finally the Tillana that has graceful movements as well as fast-paced hand and feet-movements.

A typical Kuchipudi performance too begins with an invocation and this is followed by a Jatiswaram. This will be followed by a Abhinaya piece, the theme of which is mostly be derived from the scriptures/mythology. In some special performances, the dance is executed on brass plate-at times with a pot on the head- and moving the plate with the feet to the tune of the accompanying music. Of course, the Tillana is the final piece and this will be marked by very quick movements of the feet.

Let us now have a look at today’s Natana song from Raaja which more or less follows the Kuchipudi.

It is again a very special composition based on a vivadi raga.

The composition ‘Om Jaya Mahadeva’ from the telugu movie ‘Kunti Putrudu’(1993).

It is based on Ragavardhini, the 32nd melakarta whose structure is sa ri3 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri3 sa.

Ragavardhini resembles Charukesi, the only difference being the vivadi note ‘ri3’.In a similar vein, VakulabharaNam too has a close connection with Ragavardhini.

Charukesi has the ‘ri2’ while VakulabharaNam has the ‘ri1’..

The VakulabharaNam connection is very well ‘exploited’ by the Raga Raaja in this composition. There are certain phrases with just ‘sa ga ma dha ni’ giving the gentle flavour of Sallappam(a.k.a. Surya) which in turn is a janya of VakulabharaNam.

The song has a rather unusual start in the upper octave. The ‘gagaNa yagaNa ragaNa thagaNa’ are syllables that were in vogue centuries ago and even the famous ‘Kooththa nool’(discussed in detail in my ‘sculpture’ series earlier in this thread) makes a mention about this. In fact, Raaja had earlier used it in ‘Sangeeta jaati mullai’(Kaadhal oviyam) very powerfully and beautifully.


This unusual start itself gives this composition the requisite impetus. The puissant voice of Chitra that also has the apt modulation is an added attraction.

The composition is set in the 5-beat cycle khandam.

A simple beat of the mridangam follows leading us to the Pallavi..

The effervescent veena to depict the ‘Naada swaroopa’(embodiment of melody) is what is called as brilliance!

The first two lines are dynamic while the following two lines are zestful. The last line of the Pallavi is evocative and has the esoteric appeal. The Pallavi ends with a sangati that lasts for 7 cycles of khandam.

The first interlude starts with the energetic violins and the ebullient mridangam.We hear the harmony as another set of violins enter with abhinaya.

How can there be a Natana Raaja without the Laya Raaja? As we immerse ourselves in the beauty, we see the Laya Raaja dance with glee. He divides the beats as 5, 8, 7 and this is done twice making the total to 40 which is equal to 8 cycles of Khandam (8x5=40).

The Sitar plays ta ka ta ki ta /ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta /ta ki ta ta ka dhi mi.

In the first CharaNam, the line ‘Chandrasikha mauktaya sarveswaraaya..’ is rendered with finesse with a sangati that shows us the varieties of nuggets of the raga.

The next line and the violins that follow have succulent phrases.

The fifth line and the sixth traverse to the upper octave and are hauntingly beautiful while the last line resonates with depth. The sangati is again rendered with a flourish.

The violins play with great intensity in the second interlude with the percussion dancing in Khandam. The mellifluent Sitar thrums with excitement followed by the pulsating violins.

The second charaNam is exuberant and is full of energy.

The first line, the violins and the percussion move with imperious gait while the following lines are shaded by plaintiveness.

The line ‘Gajje kattina kaalu..’ moves with splendour. A silvery cascade of phrases follows. The last line in the higher octave is the acme of expressional delicacy.

The composition is capped by a sizzling finale in khandam with a fusillade of variations of ‘ta ka ta ki ta’. The sweeping flashes of violin laced with elegant cadences give the melodic and the rhythmic essence.

‘Nee Sangeeta Charana Saanidhyame Dikku Manaku..’

ILaiyaraaja-The Sculptor-Part II

‘‘Put Mind over Matter.’’

This is what the Self-Improvement Gurus tell us.

What guides our lives-the Mind or the Intellect?
Are we all led by our emotions or are we moulded by our thinking?

Well, it is a very vast and deep subject and my intention is not to get into this and find answers.

Let me confine my discussion to fine arts.

Take any art form.

The Artiste feels.
The Artiste emotes.
The Artiste thinks.
The Artiste expresses.

Feelings, Emotions, Thoughts, Expressions.
There is an inextricable link between all these.

And this is what an art form is all about.
Of course, finally the quality depends on how capable, and spontaneous the artiste is..

In my previous post, I had discussed about how fine arts was an intrinsic part of ancient Tamizh culture.

Saaththanaar, author of ‘Kooththa Nool’-which is the first authentic book on classical dance in Tamizh-says

‘Tastes emerge from the feelings within and these are expressed as dance.Feeling is the soul, Taste is the Mind, and expression is the body’.

அகம்உயிர் ஆகச் சுவைஉளம் ஆக
இழைஉடல் ஆக இயல்வது கூத்து.

It is a cryptic verse with very deep meanings but what was written nearly 2500 years ago holds good even now.

And this is applicable to any art form.

‘Kooththa Nool’ has two sections, 'Suvai' and 'Thogai' with 153 and 162 verses respectively and says that the sound, the letters and the music emanated from the Dance of the Lord.

It also says that ‘Om’ is the beginning and the end for everything.

The author seems like a good psychiatrist, philosopher and most importantly an intellectual.

The link between human life and the Nava Rasaas have been described in detail by the author.

The 108 Karanaas and the 12 essential Karanaas, and the synergy between ‘Tandavaa’ and ‘Laasya’ have also been elaborated by the author.

Therefore as mentioned in my previous post, ‘Tolkaappiyam’, the text on Tamizh grammar talks about the classical dance, ‘Pancha Marabu’and ‘Kooththa Nool’ are texts on the Grammar of Classical Dance.

There is also another text called ‘Bharatha Senapathiyam’.

Apart from these texts that are exclusive books on Grammar, classical dance finds a mention in Sangam Literature, works that preach Wisdom and Values like ThirukkuraL, Naaladiyaar etc.,

However, it is the description about Classical Dance in ‘Silappadhigaaram’ that calls for special mention and appreciation.

In fact, the ankle-bell(silambu) plays a major role in the story –though it happens towards the end.

Ilango AdigaL, the author elaborates on the qualifications of a Dance Teacher, Percussionists,Vocalist,Flautist, and the person(s) playing the ancient instrument ‘Yaazh’.

In my previous post, I had given a sample verse on the qualities of a dancer.
More about what ‘Silappadigaaram’ talks about Classical Dance in my next post.

Let us now focus our attention on the Sculptor who has been ardently and tirelessly sculpting mesmerizing music for the last three decades.

Time now to look at the second composition from ‘ULiyin Osai’.

It is ‘Abhinayam Kaatugindra AaraNge..’

The song rendered by the classical musicians Sudha Raghunathan and Bombay Jayashree is another beautiful sculpture.

ILaiyaraaja the Magician, pulls another rabbit from his hat..

Why do I call this magic?

Let me explain about the composition and then we will know.

The composition starts in Ragavardhini, the 32nd Melakartha.

It is a Vivadi Ragam whose structure is

sa ri3 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri3 sa.

The ‘ri’ is the vivadi note in this raga.

This Raga sounds a lot like Charukesi, the 26th melakartha since six notes are the same except the ‘ri’.

The composition has other ragas as well and I shall touch upon the ragas and their structures as I go along.

The mini ensemble of the percussion instruments in the prelude gives an energetic beginning.

The Pallavi is stupendous with the use of vivadi note right at the beginning sets the tone.

After a mini ensemble yet again, the anupallavi glides smoothly.

The first interlude is stupendous.
It has brilliance as well as beauty.

The violins play only the swaras of Charukesi first. The percussion gives a repartee.
Now, the violins play with the prominent vivadi note giving the shade of Ragavardhini.

After the reply from the percussion, the two pieces are played again now one after the other. The Veena accompanied by a very subtle Flute then plays Charukesi with the violins replying in Ragavardhini. This pattern-but with different notes-is repeated once again.

The Flute then manages to escape from the clutches of Veena and plays a dominant Ragavardhini and then the violins also have the final word and play Ragavardhini with disdain.

Now do you understand why I said it is Brilliant and Beautiful?

The Contrast and the distinction shown by the Master since it is a competition between two dancers..

The first Charanam has pithy passages.

It moves, undulates, swirls, whorls, sways, and takes a curve.
Geometric Motifs!

Just towards the end, there is a short swara singing passage and as we look forward to the next interlude, there is felicitous turn of the passage.

The rhythmic pattern changes to the 5 beat ‘khanda nadai’ and we hear the ‘Ta ka ta ki ta’ with the dominant manjira (cymbals).

This surprise twist takes a further intricate turn as the raga changes to Karaharapriya, the 22nd Melakartha whose structure is

sa ri2 ga2 ma1 pa dha2 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha2 pa ma1 ga1 ri2 sa.

A majestic and a serene raga, the beauty of the raga is shown in just a few willowy sancharaas.

As the line ‘Piththam Thalaikkeri’ ends, we are in for another pleasant surprise.

Using just five swaras-'sa ri ga pa ni'-of Karaharapriya, we get to hear Rathipathipriya, another beautiful Raga.

Now, Abheri-another Raga derived from Karaharapriya omitting ‘ri’ and ‘dha’ in the arohana-darts in as ‘Udanpirappu..’ is rendered.

The sangathis following this are wonderful.

As we lose ourselves in the lovely nooks, the Raga changes again.

Now it is Pantuvarali, the 51st Melakartha whose structure is

sa ri1 ga3 ma2 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma2 ga3 ri1 sa.

So far, we saw Raga Raaja.Time to have a look at Laya Raaja.Though there are lot of intricate patterns throughout, let us look at the pattern that I consider as most beautiful.

The pattern following the line ‘Thadi Edukka thavarum Indri..’is

‘Dhin – Ta – Ka ‘ 3 times and then ‘Ta Ka Dhin – – ‘

And the one following ‘Nilam Nokki..’is

‘– – Ta – Ka Ta – Dhin– – ‘ twice.

The sweeping crescendos reach an acme.

With authentic interpretation of Ragas, the composition appeals to us emotionally.
We feel the vibrations, think and express our appreciation.
The spontaneity of the composer is obvious.

Is this not a genuine artiste’s work all about?

அபிநயம் காட்டுவது பரதத்தில் மட்டுமல்ல.அவரது இசையும்தான்..

Abhinaya is not just in Classical Dance…It is in his Music as well..