ILaiyaraaja – The Alchemist

What determines the process of transformation?

When something or somebody undergoes a transformation, does that thing or that person realise that ‘yes, the transformation is in progress’?

Like many questions, this one is not that easy to answer. For that to happen, we need to transform ourselves.

Let us look at this very interesting episode. Thirumangaiyaazhwar, one of the 12 Vaishnavaite saints, goes to a temple in ThiruindaLur, a place near Nagappattanam and looks at the Lord. Words start oozing out from his mouth. Words which are not ordinary;  words which are poetic.

‘’Once upon a time you were white in colour- as white as the milk. Then you assumed the dark colour(of the clouds).  You were golden in colour and you also had the hues of blue. So, tell me now- What is your real colour? I want to see it here.’’

முன்னை வண்ணம் பாலின் வண்ணம் முழுதும் நிலை நின்ற
பின்னை வண்ணம் கொண்டல் வண்ணம் வண்ணம் எண்ணும் கால்
பொன்னின் வண்ணம் மணியின் வண்ணம் புரையும் திருமேனி
இன்ன வண்ணம் என்று காட்டீர் இந்தளூரீரே.

Generally (or traditionally), Lord VishNu is identified with Blue or Black(AaNdaaL calls him ‘Aazhi mazhai kaNNa’ and ‘KaNNan enum karuntheivam’). Occasionally, poets have associated Him with gold and this had to do more with the heart and less with his ‘complexion’.

But, here is one poet who calls him ‘white’. Is it just to sound different or is there any other meaning?

White is supposed to be pure (no, I am not talking about complexion or the colour of the skin of mortals). White colour is also associated with innocence and goodness. Golden colour is associated with compassion, courage and wisdom while Blue symbolises confidence, intelligence and truth. What is Black then? It symbolises fear and ignorance.

Now, read the poem again. White, Black, Gold and Blue. Note that he asks finally as to what colour is His true colour.

Does the Divine transform Himself? Or do we –mortals- transform ourselves? How does this ‘so called’ Transformation happen?

Yes, I have gone back to the question I asked in the beginning and yet I don’t have an answer. But I do feel that certain things happen within me when I read such poems. It could be because of the beautiful rhyming words of Tamizh. It could be the vibrations which these words give. It could be because of the emotional upheaval. It could be because of the thirst to know the inner meanings. It could be because of the questions raised by the poet. Or it could just be because of the poetic beauty.

Whatever it is, I get transformed.

If great poets like Thirumangaiiyaazhwar had the power to create magic with simple words, some great music composers had (and have) the power to transform us with some simple music.

Needless to say ILaiyaraaja is a living example.

Now, let me clarify on that ‘simple’ part. By ‘simple’, I don’t mean ‘easy’. Nor do I undermine the intricate complexities inherent in his music.

Composing music for film songs is not as easy as it is perceived to be. But what distinguishes a genius from others is the ability to create compositions which sound simple and yet have hidden complexities.

The song I have taken up on this special day is an example.

‘Suvvi Suvvi’ from ‘Swati Mutyam’(1986) is a song which is very pleasing to listen to. If you take out the beginning, it sounds simple. There are certain other features of the interludes too and I shall touch upon these soon.

But is it simple?

The composition is based on Madhyamavati, a classical raga. This raga is supposed to be a very auspicious raga which is capable of driving away all evils. I am not going to get into the details of the sequence in the movie and how aptly the Maestro chose this raga for this situation. My objective here is different.

The tune which sounds very classical in the beginning, changes colours and sounds folksy in the interludes and then it is a mix of classical and folk in the charaNams.

How does this transformation happen?

Let us first look at the beginning.

It starts with SPB humming something. That ‘something’ finally turns out to be Madhyamavati. He first goes to the taara Shadja (upper ‘Sa’), has difficulty in touching the mandra shadja (lower ‘.sa’) and finally is able to touch that with the help of the person who is a music teacher.

What a musical transformation!

What happens during this process is that we are exposed to different facets of Madhyamavati. But it does not stop just with this. He attempts to climb up again. This successful attempt covers the entire gamut of the raga. It is an exponential curve which finally culminates in a pure classical rendition of the raga by the teacher (Janaki touches new heights here!). The jiva swaras of the raga- ‘ri’ and ‘ni’- form the undercurrent of this exposition in which brigas flow like a cascade and where the melody pulls us like the gravitational force.

The first line of the Pallavi is reminiscent of a telugu folk song.But the same line when rendered the second time, glistens with classical hues with some added sangatis. The mesmeric flute and the translucent bells appear in between and make it more attractive. Towards the end, we literally hear the ripples.. ripples of music.

The ripples continue in the first interlude as well.

That the Maestro is adept in using natural sounds is a well known fact. And yet what he does here is unusual and unthinkable. He starts the interlude with the  strings which play with a passionate charm. Then he sounds Madhyamavati with water and the kudam(vessel used for carrying water). Is a raga possible with water and a vessel? Yes, if it a jalatarangam. But here, he does tarangam with jal without the help of any proper musical instrument.

Raaga Raaja joins hands with Laya Raaja with the ‘water’ and the ‘kudam’ sounding in tisram. He gives the ‘kaarvai’ too.

The water first sounds  ta – dhi – ta (3 broken down to 6 with the 2^nd,4^th and the  6^th being silent) and the vessel responds in the same pattern.

The pattern then changes to ‘ta ka dhi - - -‘.

It is ‘ta ka dhi mi ta –‘ then and finally ‘ta ka dhi - - -‘.

That is the Maayajaal of Raaja Jala Tarangam!

The interlude is then inundated with a flood of melodious phrases. The humming of SPB to the backing of the strings is sublime and sumptuous while the sitar/keys/flute melody is sensitive. The three instruments sound different combination of swaras in their unique way. The sound from the keys is dainty, the one from the sitar is imperious while the raga from the flute is classical, showing the beauteous niches of Madhyamavati.

The lines in the CharaNams have an intense emotional base. But these also abound with rich musical sentiment illuminating the raga in the process. The mid octave notes dominate the lines with the jiva swaras playing no small role yet again. The taara shadja (upper ‘Sa’) appears in the second and third line with the taara rishabham(upper ‘Ri) appearing only twice in the fourth line. This indicates the poise and also is in keeping with the sequence.

Another point to be noted here is the absence of any melodic instrument backing the vocals-which is again not usual in his CharaNams. The bass guitar alone backs the vocals in a very subtle tone. The flute appears towards the latter half of the CharaNams, between the 5^th and the 6^th lines.

Percussion plays the Tisram in madhyama kaalam in the first 6 lines while it plays in the mel kaalam(faster mode) in the 7^th line. However, here again there is a contrast with the tempo of the vocals slowing down when the line is rendered the second time . This time the percussion instrument is totally absent and the rhythm guitar alone backs the vocals.

The Nature Lover does it again in the second interlude. It starts with the subtle fading away of the flute sound. Almost simultaneously, the sound of the bells(the ones tied around the neck of the cow) follows in Madhyamavati. A special soft and malleable sound from a stringed instrument follows. We are enveloped by the melody from the flute which makes swirling sancharas in Madhyamavati. In fact, all these three sound together-sans percussion- taking us to empyrean heights.

The sitar takes over and sounds with expressional elegance. No, it is not the sitar alone. There is the sound from the strings too which play in higher octave with musical sensitivity. The sitar falls silent after two tisrams and the strings and a single stringed instrument caress us like feathers. This happens twice. The strings then aquiver with pleasure, bringing out the dignity and grace of Madhyamavati and Tisram in the process. After two  ‘ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka’ s played literally by the group of strings, the sharp percussion plays ‘ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka’ twice.

Transformation at its best!

What determines the Transformation?

I am sure this cannot be answered even by Thirumangaiyaazwaar and ILaiyaraaja..

..because the answer lies in their works!

Check this out on Chirbit

ILaiyaraaja-The Ocean!

‘The smoke from sugar cane bagasse goes up with fragrance and surround the place like dark clouds making the peacocks dance. Like a Sapphire on a Blue Mountain, You were reclining on the serpent on the great Ocean called ‘ThiruppaRkadal’ once upon a time. Now, you are inside my heart, Oh, the Lord of ‘Thiruvaali’!’

நீலத் தடவரை மாமணி நிகழக் கிடந்ததுபோல், அரவு அணை

வேலைத் தலைக்கிடந்தாய் அடியேன் மனத்திருந்தாய்,

சோலைத் தலைக் கண மாமயில் நடமாட மழைமுகில் போன்று எழுந்து, எங்கும்

ஆலைப் புகைகமழும் அணி ஆலி அம்மானே.

Thirumangai Aazhwar-about whom I had written in my post titled ‘ILaiyaraaja’s Music is Eternal’ while describing the song ‘Oru kaNam’- was a genius par excellence. He composed more than of 1200 paasurams out of the 4000 paasurams composed by the 12 Aazhwars. His works are considered to be the 6 angaas of the 4 vedas(note that Nammazhwaar’s works Thiruviruththam, Thiruvaasiriyam, Periya Thiruvantaadi and Thiruvaaymozhi, are considered to be the essence of the 4 vedas.

This gentleman was born as ‘Kaliyan’ in a tribal family in a small village called ‘Thirukkuraiyalur’ but went on to become one of the most learned during his period(8^th Century). He is also called as ‘Parakkalan’ (one who is beyond time) and ‘NaRkavi’ (a great poet). His verses sound simple but are very deep and enjoyable.

The verse quoted in the beginning stands testimony to his genius.  The concept of Maaya is explained in just one line by saying that the peacocks dance assuming the ‘fragrant smoke’ to be the real clouds. The rebel that he is, he also takes liberty with the Lord saying ‘Once you were in the PaaRkadal’, but now You are in my heart’.  Very deep meanings and open to interpretations.

If one ignores the spiritual angle, the poem still sounds great what with the description of the dance of the peacocks, the fragrant smoke from sugar canes and the Blue gem on the Blue mountain.

Of course, this is just a small drop from the Ocean called as ‘Thirumangai aazhwar’.

As you all know ILaiyaraaja’s music too is like an Ocean. The more one immerses into it, the more gems one discovers. Most importantly, one discovers new dimensions and gets new meanings from the gems already seen (heard)..

‘Saagara Sangamame’ from ‘Seethakoka Chiluka’ (1981) is one such gem .On this very special day, I am proud to present this beautiful gem of his. Based on Hindolam, the composition looks and sounds like a grand sea. The first interlude melts my heart while the second interlude where the raga undergoes a change by replacing one variant of a swara with another and where the instruments move with short pauses gives me goose bumps.

Hindolam- a janya of Nata Bhairavi and which has the swaras sa ga2 ma1 dha1 ni2- by nature is very romantic and as already mentioned in my post on ‘Sridevi en vaazhvil’, the pictorial representation of Maalkauns-as it is called in the Hindustani system- is Lord Krishna playing with the gopikas. But to bring the essence of this raga in film music without in anyway compromising on the classism or the melody calls for ingenuity and the Maestro comes up trumps as always.

The composition has a unique start.

The percussion sounds’ ta – dhi –‘. It is followed by ta ka dhi mi.It is then ‘ta ka - mi‘ twice and finally ‘ta ka dhi mi’ fully twice.

It follows the Chatushra eka taLam, which is a 4-beat cycle. The first cycle goes as 1 2 3 4 but only the first and the third syllable are played. In the one following this, all the 4 are played. How do we have two 1 2 3 4s in the next two cycles? It is because it is played in the ‘mel kaalam’(faster beats-double the speed of the two previous beats). Here too, in the first instance, the third beat is left as a gap.

Four variations in a matter of seconds!

The first line of the Pallavi now flows freely like a river ready to merge with the sea. The zestful strings move like the small waves even as the dazzling single violin and the cuckoo-like flute jump like big waves. The strings raise again followed by the dexterous veena. With the ‘ma ga sa’ and ‘dha ma’, we see waves of music. Or is it musical waves?

The Pallavi is in the anaagata eduppu starting after ½ beat. In the mesmerising voice of SPB, the entire Pallavi, that starts with the first 3 swaras of the aarohaNam(sa ga ma) has a succulent charm. In fact, the pause after the prelude and the ones after the poetic phrases-‘kalalo’,’ ilalo’- have an exhilarating impact. These and the ‘ga ma dha ni Sa’ of veena in just a matter of 1 and ½ beats and the subtle variations of Chatushram in the percussion give a moving projection of the musical value of the composition.

The caressing flute backed by the subtle guitar smiles in Hindolam in the beginning of the first interlude. A ‘Tarang’ of sorts ensues with the Tabla Tarang asking questions and the Jalatarangam replying with ‘ma dha ni’ and ‘ma ga sa’. The musical dialogue continues with strings that join with palpable fervor and the flute. The latter charts a graceful course of Hindolam smoothly and melodically with the veena nodding its head in appreciation and with pinpoint precision. It is now the turn of the Veena to ask questions to the Tabla tarang and the Jalatarangam which jointly answer with great flourish and élan. The tonally pleasing strings take us to the first CharaNam.

The first CharaNam is marked by exquisite expressions with the soothing akaaram with a matrix of dynamic sanchaaraas that last or 5 taLa cycles. The line that follows this touches the higher octave and is joined by the sweet voice of Suseela. The romantic musical meeting is complete now.

Or is it?

We get the answer in the second interlude. ‘How can it be complete without me’, it seems to say.

Starting with the aesthetic flourishes of the veena and the guitar, it is a journey into the realms of emotions. The coming together of Jalatarangam, ankle bells, veena and the guitar is scintillatingly brilliant. With fascinating fecundity, the strings replace the ‘ni2’ with ‘ni3’ and it is Chandrakauns now. SPB follows the strings and it elevates the ambience to stratospheric levels.

The strings get back to Hindolam.It is all sparkle and dazzle with the strings and veena  caressing us and taking us on a fleeting melodic trip which is interspersed with musical ‘slaps’.

The pause at the end says it all..

Waves of emotions give way to stillness..to tranquility..

Saagara sangamam..

 

http://www.divshare.com/download/24171075-579

ILaiyaraaja-The Multi-Hued Musician..

Of all the beautiful and interesting things in this world, colours are very special. Colours give us energy, enthusiasm, peace and tranquility.

Who is not fascinated by colours?

Enthralled by the beauty of the colourful sky, Mahakavi jumps with joy:

Oh..How beautiful the colours are!
How many shapes!How many mixtures!
Lotions of Fire..Streams of molten gold..
Golden Pools!Golden Islands!
Pools of Blue..Oh..How many varieties of Blue..
White and Black..
Golden Boats float on Blue Pools..
Golden light on the black peaks.
Golden whales float all around..
It is a repository of colours!

என்ன இந்த வண்ணத்தியல்புகள்!
எத்தனை வடிவம்!எத்தனை கலவை!
தீயின் குழம்புகள்!செம்பொன் காய்ச்சிவிட்ட ஓடைகள்!
வெம்மை தோன்றாமே எரிந்திடும் தங்கத் தீவுகள்!
நீலப் பொய்கைகள்!அடடா நீல வண்ணமொன்றில் எத்தனை வகை!
எத்தனை செம்மை! பசுமையும் கருமையும் எத்தனை!
நீலப் பொய்கையின் மிதந்திடும் தங்கத்தோணிகள்
சுடரொளிப் பொற்கரையிட்ட கருஞ்சிகரங்கள்
ஆங்கு தங்கத்திமிங்கிலம் தான் பல மிதக்கும்.
எங்கு நோக்கிடினும் ஒளித் திரள் ஒளித் திரள்
வண்ணக்களஞ்சியம்!

He sees the colours as divine.
Another poet sees the Divine with the colours.

The great Vaishnavite saint and poet Thirumangaiyaazhwar says, ‘Ridding the colours of falsities, I saw Him here in Thiruvarangam in colours of radiant black hue, the dark cloud and Emerald and realized His true colours’.

பொய்வண்ணம் மனத்தகற்றிப் புலனைந்தும் செலவைத்து,
மெய்வண்ணம் நினைந்தவர்க்கு மெய்ந்நின்ற வித்தகனை,
மைவண்ணம் கருமுகில்போல் திகழ்வண்ண மரதகத்தின்,
அவ்வண்ண வண்ணனையான் கண்டதுதென் னரங்கத்தே


Here, the poet very intelligently talks about different shades of black and also the shade of Green. As we all know, black is the colour of darkness and green the colour of fertility. ‘Dispel all negative thoughts. Your mind becomes fertile and you see the Divine.’

Here, colours are used symbolically to depict many things.

Coming to think of it, there are a lot of similarities between colours and music.

The basic swaras are 7 while the basic colours are also 7.

There are different variations in each swara. There are different shades in each colour. The different combinations of swaras take the shape of ragas while the different shades of colours become a beautiful painting in the hands of a great artist.

Just like the hidden gems, there are also some hidden colours and ragas and only great artistes/musicians bring these out.

In a period spanning three decades, ILaiyaraaja has used a lot of colours as swaras and ragas in his palette resulting in a painting as beautiful and marvelous as the evening sky. With his music, he has made us shed the falsities and the negativities and move towards the Ultimate Truth and has made us feel the divine.

Not only has he used very familiar colours but has also shown us some very new colours hitherto not shown by many.

We have seen his use of very rare ragas like Hema Bhushani, Makaranda Priya, Doorjati Priya, Mrigakshi, VarNa RoopiNi etc.,

On this special day, we are going to see yet another rare raga in a beautiful composition.

This raga like the other aforementioned ragas were not used by any other musician (classical or cinema) before him.

The raga is Mallika Vasantam and the composition is ‘Saavira JanumagaLu’ from the Kannada film ‘Nyaya Gedditu’.

Mallika Vasantam is derived from Mayamalavagowla and follows a audava sampoorNa structure-that is 5 notes in the ascending and 7 in the descending:

sa ga3 ma1 pa ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri1 sa.

Though the structure sounds rather simple, the raga sounds unique while rendered.

Please note that the swaras in the arohaNam are common to another grand raga ShankarabharaNam which for all practical purposes sounds very different from Mayamalavagowla because of the other ‘ri’ and the other ‘dha’.
This arohaNam pattern is almost similar to Kedaram(a raga derived from ShankarabharaNam).Of course Kedaram’s arohanam is ‘sa ma ga ma pa ni sa’ while the swaras go straight as ‘ sa ga ma pa ni Sa’ in Mallika Vasantam.

However, this raga sounds so unique and different that one can be misled to think that it is a mix of Kedaram and MayamaLavagowla.

Let us now look at the composition.

It starts with the aalaap in the caressing and felicitous voice of SPB. The akaaram has winsome variations touching the higher octave towards the end of the prelude. The haunting charm is further accentuated by the musical elegance of the strings and the subtly integrated laya pattern.

The composition follows the Chatushra Eka talam that follows the 4-beat cycle. The 4 is further subdivided into 8 small beats in pairs of ‘ta ka’ and ‘dhi mi’. The last ‘dhi ‘mi’-that is the 7th and the 8th beats- are made to sound sharper giving a very special colourful effect.

The Pallavi unfolds with great zeal. It has grace as well as sensitivity with the dulcet tone of Janaki giving a soothing touch.

The first Interlude has spectacular passages.

First, the Synth Violin glides in rather quietly without any percussion. The stringed instrument lights up in short colour glints. And the percussion joins.. Unmatched in spirit, the Violin continues its journey with its other friends following it closely.

Mesmerised by this, the Flute plays with unfettered imagination melting our hearts. The Guitar now welcomes its musical friends with a unique rapier cut and thrust. The playful Violins follow it in a zig zag pattern. The mellow flute channelises the energy, shows us the unique melody of the raga and lead us to the CharaNam.

The CharaNam moves with coherency and fluidity.

The first part spreads gentle fragrance.

The second part is a dazzling delineation touching the higher octave with the Flute showing alluring depths of the raga.

The last part sways gently.

The second interlude is dotted with rhythmic patterns of skill with abundant melodic phrases.

The ‘ta ka dhi mi’ in mel kaalam(faster pace) responds to the melody in a friendly banter.
The Veena shows the hidden ecstasy. We see the aura as the Flute plays intensely and powerfully. The pulsating Santoor and the rich Violins coalesce with the Flute.

The glow of the raga seeps into our consciousness.

Colours come alive as Swaras. Swaras-in the form of his music- come alive in multi hues, bond together and bond us all together.

A musical bond that will continue for 1000 janmas.

Saavira JanumagaLu, ee bandha beledirali…

ps:This post and the previous post in Tamizh were read out to an invited audience in Chennai on the 28th of August 2001 as part of an Event totally dedicated to ILaiyaraaja.

ILaiyaraaja's Music is Eternal!

Not all things we see or hear are eternal in this ever changing world. In other words, only few things in this world are everlasting.

Take the sea for example. Waves come, waves go, but it lives forever.

Trees grow, trees fall..but the Mountains continue to exist.

Some more examples can be given but in any case these are part of nature.

What about man-made things?Is it true that only God’s(or nature’s) creations are everlasting?
Not exactly. Human beings are also part of the Creation but are we immortals?

At the same time, some of the works of human beings continue to exist for many years.They may not be everlasting but they give us an everlasting or eternal feeling.

Picasso’s or Ravi Varma’s..

Ellora or Mahabalipuram..

Shakespeare’s or Thiruvalluvar’s..

Talking about Literature, one of the everlasting works in terms of the quantity and the quality is a work called ‘Naalayira Divya Prabhandam’.Quantity, because there are 4000 verses sung by 12 different poets.

Quality?

After all it was sung by 12 devotees of Lord Vishnu.So what is special about it?

It is because of the variety and the range and the way these poets handled the tamizh language.

I have seen and heard many of the so-called rationalists quote from this work without any inhibitions.

Composed independently by the 12 Vaishnavite devotees-called as Azhwars- this work is unique.

The verses were an outpouring from devotees whose sole intention and objective was to attain Moksha(the divine status).

Many verses are erotic as the Azhwars considered the Lord as their lover.
In fact, I have written about some of the Azhwars and have alsoquoted some verses from their work in this thread.

The story of each Azhwar is as unique and interesting as their poems.

Let us take Thirumangai Azhwar.

He was a trusted and an efficient Lieutenant in one of the Chozha’s kingdoms.Because of his dedication, loyalty and efficiency the King offered him a small part of his kingdom. Parakalan-as he was called then fell in love with a lady called Kumudavalli.It was on her insistence that he took to Bhakti and started feeding 1008 Vaishnava devotees everyday.

Having had to spend a lot of money for this ,he took to stealing money and it is said that one day he stole from the Lord himself who was disguised as a man and that he found it impossible to carry the sack that had the bootie.

The transformation happened.

Parakalan became Thirumangai Azhwar.

The 1253 verses sung by him are real gems.

His poems abound with love and eroticism. I feel this has to do with his earlier love for Kumudavalli because of whom he took to Bhakti.His thoughts were channelised and the romantic in him became a devotee.But the romantic streak continued to exist.

Look at this poem:

ஊழியில் பெரிதால் நாழிகை என்னும் , ஒண் சுடர் துயின்றதால் என்னும்
ஆழியும் புலம்பும், அன்றிலும் உறங்கா, தென்றலும் தீயினில் கொடிது ஆம்,
தோழி!ஓ!என்னும்;துணை முலை அரக்கும்;சொல்லுமின், என் செய்கேன்?என்னும்;
ஏழை என் பொன்னுக்கு என் நினைந்திருந்தாய்? இடவெந்தை எந்தை பிரானே!


‘A moment stretches longer than an aeon, she says
The bright sun is dead she says.
Friend, the ocean too is crying; the Anril bird will not sleep;the southern breeze burns worse than fire.
O, how terrible, she says.
She looks as if she would pluck from their roots her two breasts.
What shall I do?Tell me, she says.
What did you mean to do, lord and master of Idaventhai
About my poor girl, my golden girl?’

(Translation-A.K Ramanujan).

The deity addressed is Adivaraha PerumaL at the Temple at Thiruvidavidanthai, about 30 kms from the present day Chennai. The voice is the foster-mother’s who describes her daughter’s frenzied passion for the Lord.

While each and every word in this verse is beautiful, a special mention must be made about the last line ‘Ezhai en ponnukku en ninainthirunthai’.

‘Ezhai’ means poor and ponnukku means gold.PoN also means a girl.
Poor and gold-how is it possible?

What the poet means is that the girl who is poor without you will become rich if only you shower her with your love.
The use of ‘Pon’ conveys a lot of other meanings as well..
Without getting too deep into the philosophical contours, let us enjoy the beauty of the poem.

Verses like these last even after 1300 years because of this beauty element giving us an everlasting eternal feeling.

All Saint Thyagaraja’s compositions have this element and therefore are everlasting.
He too considered Rama as his lover.

In one of the songs, he says, ‘Oh..beautiful and handsome Rama..I Love you’

(‘Mohanarama Mukhajitasoma!!Mohamu neepai Monasiyunnathira).

He brilliantly chose Mohana Ragam for this.Mohana itself means beauty. In fact, Mohanan is one of the names of Lord Krishna.

One can go on and on about Thyagaraja and the beauty element.

In a similar vein, one can go on and on about the beauty element in ILaiyaraaja’s compositions.

In this thread, we have been seeing as to how he weaves swaras, ragas and talas in the fabric called music.

What is of particular interest is his choice of ragas.

It is a fact that the ragas in his compositions truly reflect the situation in the movie. One classic example is ‘Idhazhil Kadhai Ezhuthum’(Unnal Mudiyum Thambi) where he used the Lalita ragam, Lalita being the name of the heroine.

His speciality lies in the way he handles the ragas. While choosing a raga for a particular song, he does not strictly go by the book.For example, he has used a raga like Subha Pantuvarali- that is supposed to give sad feeling- in romantic and humorous situations.
And an auspicious raga like Kalyani in sad situations.

But what amazes me is the way the raga is made to sound..

Maybe that is why his compositions sound so great giving us an everlasting feeling.

Today’s composition is also one of his special compositions.

I made a mention about the Mohana ragam that is supposed to give us a very happy feeling.

Raaja has used this happy ragam in sad situations and also to depict Viraha.

‘Raasave Unnai Naan Enniththaan’(Thanikkattu Raja) and ‘Oru Ragam Paadalodu’(Ananda Ragam) are based on Mohanam but sound so differently.

But my first preference is for a duet that appears in the movie ‘Nadodi Thendral’.

The song is ‘Oru KaNam Oru Yugamaga’.

Before we take up the song, let us look at Mohanam.

It is a pentatonic ragam derived from the 28th Melakartha Harikamboji and the structure is:

sa ri2 ga3 pa dha2 Sa/Sa dha2 pa ga3 ri2 sa.

The raga is considered to be one of the oldest raga.The notes of this raga are found in almost all forms of music.
The Hindustani counterpart is called as Bhoop or Bhoopali.
The Mohanam scale is found in the South Eastern Music and in gypsy music as well.

In Carnatic music, it is a very special ragam because generally pentatonic(ragas with 5 notes) are not Gamaka laden.(Gamakam is the oscillation of notes and is unique to Carnatic music).But Mohanam is an exception and is full of gamakams.

Let us look at today’s composition. The composition depicts Viraha-the pangs of separation wonderfully. It indeed needs a lot of guts to compose this kind of a song in Mohanam.I have hardly come across a better Viraha song.

The song starts with lucid humming of Janaki.It breathes graciousness and is majestic.

The first two lines are sung without any percussion adding to the beauty. The vibrancy is palpable as the strings and tabla take over.The shrill flute at the end of each line is serenely luminous.

The first interlude moves with tenderness. The feather-touch repartee of the bass flute shows us the sensitive nuances.
The violins move languorously as the shrill-flute shines with radiance.

The Charanam shows us the world of ethereal beauty.The first two lines are sketched with flourish as we see the star studded sky.The cogent melodic progression is amazing and even the alien swara(‘ni’) sounds beautiful.

The sangatis in the last line are lively and lend a quiet glow.

The atmosphere gets enlivened by the succinct and clear voice of the Maestro. The pause here makes us feel want more and more.

We see the variegated pattern unfold before us in the second interlude as we hear the lively violins and the soft and gentle flute. The subtle hues of the raga are shown with a delicate touch.

The second Charanam is also beautifully chiselled.The first two lines have depth and resonance while the other lines are embellished by the notes that shine like diamonds.

The entire composition is built on a grand edifice and it encompasses the entire range of the raga.
It is tender, direct and is deep.

The mellow aspects and the musical effervescence send us into a reverie.

A moment or an aeon-his music is everlasting!

ஒரு கணமாயினும் ஒரு யுகமாயினும் நிலைத்து நிற்கும் இசை..

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA