How do we define beauty?
Anything that is pleasing??
But again, is it also not true that ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’ and therefore is ‘beauty’ not subjective?
What looks or sounds beautiful to me, need not look/sound beautiful to you.
At the same time, there are some unwritten codes and norms that make us jump with joy and say ’this is beautiful!’.
Though it is very difficult to say what these codes or norms are, one can say that these are directly linked to their upbringing, knowledge, familiarity and open mindedness.
I am not a sociologist or a social scientist and am not qualified enough to understand the traits of people. Nor am I a psychologist to do any psycho analysis. I am making these observations solely out of my experience of meeting interacting with different kinds of people.
First of all, environment plays a very big role in appreciating beauty. By environment, I mean the place we grow up. It could be the home, place of study, work place, and peer group. When any or all the people in these sets say something is beautiful, we too start appreciating it.
Then comes knowledge. Things that we did not like earlier, start sounding or looking beautiful the moment we start understanding them.
Familiarity with a subject also makes us appreciate beauty.
I shall come to the aforementioned factors a little later.
For appreciating anything, what we need is the ability to keep the mind open -shorn of any prejudice. This makes us more objective and also gives us the power to appreciate genuine beauty.
Therefore, what do I conclude?
Is beauty subjective as it is claimed to be?
Before I answer this, let me go to the two aspects-knowledge and familiarity.
Generally, fine arts like classical music, classical dance, and poetry are said to be appreciated only by some sets of people. Others either say ‘it is boring’ or (when probed further) say they ‘don’t understand it ‘.
Does this then not mean that if only they had the knowledge about these arts, they would start understanding? And if they are familiar with these forms (having listened/seen/read frequently), would they not say ‘yes.. these are really beautiful’? And once they become more familiar, would they not have the ability to separate the chaff from the grain?
Am I then saying that beauty has to do more with the head than with the heart?
Well…Not really!
Beauty is a thing that has to be savoured, enjoyed and cherished.
Confucius said ‘Everything in this world has its beauty, but not everyone sees it’ while Helen Keller said ‘The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart’.
But how do we see the unseen? How do we feel what cannot be seen or touched?
Aren’t those four factors-Environment, Knowledge, Familiarity, and Open mindedness- responsible at least subconsciously?
When we see/hear/read something beautiful, there comes a moment when we totally immerse ourselves and begin to forget ourselves.
A moment when everything seems to stand still.
A moment when we feel nothing else exists in the world.
That is the defining moment when the Head and the Heart meet in an act of perfect coordination.
And there lies the beauty!
Now, have a look at this poem:
யாமாமாநீ யாமாமா யாழீகாமா காணாகா
காணாகாமா காழீயா மாமாயாநீ மாமாயா
‘yaamaamaa nee yaamaamaa yaazhee kaamaa kaaNaagaa
kaaNaakaamaa kaazeeyaa maamaayaa nee maamaayaa’.
The poem from either side-beginning or the end- reads the same letter to letter. Though it is best appreciated by people who can read Tamizh, I am sure others too can appreciate this by understanding the concept.
It is a palindrome.
This was composed by the great saint poet Thirugnaanasambandar-who is considered to be a child prodigy- and this is part of Thevaram, the collection of Holy Hymns on Lord Shiva.
The words are not just empty words without any meaning.
It means, ‘We are Pasus(animals) and you are the Pasupati (one who herds us).Oh Lord-The one who plays the beautiful Yaazh (a musical instrument), the one who wears the snake, the one who is liked by all, the one who made Kaama (God of Love) invisible, you who does the act of concealment! Please dispel and shatter the Maaya surrounding us!’
It does sound beautiful when we recite it but does it not sound more beautiful when we understand the meaning as well? And once we have the meanings in place, don’t we appreciate the beauty more?
Precisely for this reason, have I been trying in this thread to analyse the intricacies of the Maestro’s compositions-of course with my little knowledge- so that others can appreciate it more.
And precisely for this reason, have I started this new series on Dance where I touch upon some basic aspects of the beautiful art.
In my previous post, I gave an introduction to the various classical dance forms of India. I also covered some basic aspects of Bharatanatyam.
Let me now briefly take up some of the other aspects.
Bharatanatyam was earlier known as ‘Sadir’ and was generally performed by people from a particular community called ‘Devadasis’ in the Temples and in the courts of Zamindars and Kings. Learning or performing this art by people belonging to the other communities was considered an anathema and even sacrilegious.
Smt.Rukmini Devi Arundale dispelled all the myth surrounding this great classical art form and strived hard to make the art more respectable. The so called Devadasis-who were until then confined to the courts and the temples- were encouraged to give stage performances and this emboldened people from other communities to learn this art form. Accordingly, the nomenclature of ‘Bharatanatyam’ was given and officially accepted by The Music Academy in the mid ‘30s.
In the previous post, we saw that the basic aspects of Bharatanatyam are Nritta,, Nritya and the Natya.
In Bharatanatyam, even standing, sitting (half and full), walking and moving the hands follow certain unique patterns and this is what makes it more beautiful.
The combination of all these is called as an ‘adavu’.There are basically 10 different adavus and each adavu has a rhythmic pattern with a syllable.
For example, the syllables for ‘Tattadavu’ is ‘tai ya tai hi’ and this adavu is always done in the half-sitting posture.
Similarly, for ‘Tattimetti’ adavu, the syllables are ‘takadhimi takajhanu’ (depending on the jaati)…
Adavus form the foundation of ‘Nritta’.
Bharatanatyam(for that matter all dance forms) uses the body as a means of communication in a beautiful way.
People who have watched any performance must have noticed hand movements and gestures by the dancers. These hand movements are called as Hastas and each Hasta depicts an object or objects.
For example, a Simhamukha symbolizes a ‘Animal face’ and is used to denote not only the face of the lion, but all animals and even a ‘Homam’.And a ‘Mukula hasta’ is used to depict a bud or a flower and cupid with arrows.
As per the Abhinayadarpana, there are in all 28 single- hand hastas and 23 double-hand hastas.
What does a typical performance comprise of?
We shall see this in the forthcoming posts along with some more basics.
ILaiyaraaja being the Laya Raja that he is, has done wonders in his Dance compositions.
Today’s song is also one such composition.
It is ‘Aadum Padam thozha’ from ‘Ponmekalai’(2003).
The speciality of this song sung by Sudha Raghunathan is the dominant presence of the percussion instruments. Except for the subtle violin, there is no other melodic instrument(similar to ‘Aa Vedana’ discussed in the previous post).
The composition is based on Latangi.
Latangi is a very unique Raga and as per the Melakarta system, it is just two melas before Kalayani and only the variant of ‘dha’ separates the two.However, Latangi has its own identity. In fact, it also sounds very different from its Sudhdha Madhyama counterpart Sarasangi!
In Classical music, Saint Thyagaraja and Patnam Subramaniya Iyer have composed songs in this Raga. Muththuswami Dikshithar called this raga Geetapriya.
ILaiyaraaja has given us some beautiful Latangis and ‘Aadum padam..’ is one of the gems.
The composition starts with a melodic majesty and gives us a glimpse of wonderful vistas that are to follow.
When the pallavi is rendered the second time, the sangatis at ‘kooththaadum’ and the one at the end of ‘arum poruLe..’are vivacious and are pregnant with classicism.
The anupallavi is intricately detailed with the sangatis(called as ‘palukkal’) after ‘layangaLil..’ being rendered for one complete avarthanam (rhythmic cycle).The composer’s brilliance is shown when the same line is rendered the second time absolutely without any sangati. In ‘vasanthangaL koNdaada..’ we see the gleaming phrases integrated with the laya.
The CharaNam is built on a panoramic edifice. We see the raga, , bhava ,rasa ,tala and the Natya clasping their hands together and giving us an extraordinary and exceptional feeling.
The first line is softly textured and we hear the syllables ‘ta tit ta ri ki ta tham’.
The next line is sensitive and perceptive and it is followed by a wonderful array of ‘jatis’.
The sparkling phrases have Tisram, Chatusram and the Khandam.
The following line gives gentle and powerful touches of Latangi. The syllables that follow are unexceptionable and are a treat even for people who do not follow classical dance.
The next line moves with vim and vigour and as the swaras are rendered, we feel the melodic beauty of Latangi. The first set is woven around the ‘sa’ while the next set shimmers with the ‘pa’. In the end, when the ‘pa’ is skipped(ni ri ga ma dha ni ri sa), it gives a spectacular feeling. This brilliant interplay of the swaras in just a matter of minutes shows us as to why he is called the ‘Isaignani’.
The mirudangam now repeats the two sets of syllables rendered earlier.
The next two lines-followed by the swaras- have the beautiful arithmetic of rhythmic permutations giving us a pleasant breezy feel.
The varied jati patterns now follow and we see a vibrant cluster of powerful motifs.
So immersed we are in the beauty that when we hear ‘you are missing the beat’ (as per the situation in the movie) we feel people who do not listen to such compositions ‘miss something’!
The myriad cascading ‘sollukattus’ that follow are delightfully layered with Laya being the diadem.
Beautiful, Pleasing!
We feel the meeting of the Head and the Heart!!
உயிர் தொடும் ஸ்வரங்களில், மனம் தொடும் லயங்களில், ஆடும் பதம் தொழ ஆனந்த கூத்தாடும் அரும் பொருளே..
Friday, 16 July 2010
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Natana Raaja-Part I
‘’Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?’’ said the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Dance is considered to be the hidden language of the soul. There is no life without dance.
Our beloved Raaja has composed many dance songs and these shine like rubies on his crown.
On this special day, I am starting this series on dance music of ILaiyaraaja. I would also be writing briefly about the various forms of dance and the features(a la the ‘Sculptor series’ where I discussed about the dance in Tamizh literature while describing the different songs from ‘ULiyin Osai’ about two years back).
The Hindu philosophy talks about the cosmic dance of Nataraja. I shall touch upon this in my forthcoming posts.But for a moment, let us imagine as to what would happen if everything in this world starts dancing?
The great tamizh poet AruNagirinadar-about whom I had written in this Blog while describing ‘tham tan a namthana’ )- imagines all the Gods and Goddesses dancing in front of him.
Legend has it that he was challenged by Sambanthaandaan in the Court of King Prapuda Devarajan at ThiruvaNaamalai. AruNagirinadar sang this Thiruppugazh that depicts the dance of Gods, Goddesses and the entire Universe.
It is also said that as he sang the fourth line(mayilum aadi nee aadi vara venum-you and your peacock should dance and come here), Lord Muruga appeared in the Court, in a dancing form with his peacock.
‘As Adisesha danced in the PaataLa loga. The Mount Meru danced on the Earth,
KaaLi danced and along with her danced Siva making her shiver,
BhoothagaNaas, the ghosts danced too,
Brahma perched on the Lotus flower danced with the melodious Saraswati,
The celestials and the Moon now joined the dancing party,
Muruga’s in-laws Lakshmi and Vishnu danced,
He who helped the PaaNdavaas defeat their enemies,
He who mesmerized the cows with his flute,
He who is lying on the milky ocean on a serpent,
He who measured the entire world with one his one foot,
He whose vehicle is the Garuda,
You are his favourite nephew(or son-in-law),
Please come and dance with your peacock here,
And make the King Praputa Devarajan’s heart dance with joy!’
அதல சேட னாராட அகில மேரு மீதாட
அபின காளி தானாட ...... அவளோடன்று
அதிர வீசி வாதாடும் விடையி லேறு வாராட
அருகு பூத வேதாளம் ...... அவையாட
மதுர வாணி தானாட மலரில் வேத னாராட
மருவு வானு ளோராட ...... மதியாட
வனச மாமி யாராட நெடிய மாம னாராட
மயிலு மாடி நீயாடி ...... வரவேணும்
கதைவி டாத தோள்வீமன் எதிர்கொள் வாளி யால்நீடு
கருத லார்கள் மாசேனை ...... பொடியாகக்
கதறு காலி போய்மீள விஜய னேறு தேர்மீது
கனக வேத கோடூதி ...... அலைமோதும்
உததி மீதி லேசாயும் உலக மூடு சீர்பாத
உவண மூர்தி மாமாயன் ...... மருகோனே
உதய தாம மார்பான ப்ரபுட தேவ மாராஜன்
உளமு மாட வாழ்தேவர் ...... பெருமாளே.
Look at the poetic beauty..And look how in the guise of praising Lord Muruga, he eulogises Lord Vishnu giving the gist of the Mahabharata and the Vaamana avatara in less than 4 lines.
That is AruNagirinaadar!
Now, let us briefly look at the different dance forms of India.
The treatise on classical dances of India is believed to be written by Bharta muni between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. More about this later in my forthcoming posts.
There are essentially seven major classical forms:
1.Bharatanatyam-a very classical form known for its aesthetic elements
2.Kuchipudi-originating from the village Kuchelapuram in AP
3.Kathakali-meaning ‘Story play’
4.Mohinyaattam-Dnce of the enchantress believed to be named after the Mohini avatar of Lord Vishnu
5.Manipuri-a graceful form that lays emphasis on devotion
6.Odissi- known for its soft touches
7.Kathak-Focusses on the footwork and movements
Each one has its own beauty and of course different sets of rules.
Bharatanatyam, a very popular dance form across the globe involves hand gestures, facial expressions, movement of feet and the body. In fact, almost all the organs are involved while dancing. Minute eye-movements, neck movements and the hand movements make it one of the most aesthetic experiences if performed well by the artiste concerned.
Bharatanatyam essentially has Nrittam-movements that add to the beauty, Nrityam-specific movements to convey a message and Natya- depicting a story using what is called as the Abhinaya.
We also have Aangika abhinaya- physical expressions, Vaachika abhinaya-verbal, Saatvika abhinaya- expressing inner feelings/emotions, Aaharya abhinaya- costumes/make-up.
We shall see about Bharatanatyam and the other forms in detail in the posts to follow.
Let us now focus on today’s special composition
The composition is very special for various reasons.
First of all, it talks (musically) about the major classical dance forms.
Secondly, it has only the percussion instruments and no melodic instruments.
Thirdly, it is a Ragamaalika –with 5 ragas including 3 Hindustani ragas. Within a few phrases, the flavour of each raga is brought out beautifully!
Fourthly, the ‘dance jatis’ are rendered by Raaja sir himself.
The composition is ‘Aavedanaa’ from the Telugu film Aalapana(1986).
It has a very unusual start with a shriek. This shriek alone means a lot as it gives the emotive touch to the entire composition. Can there be pleasure without pain?
Janaki starts the Pallavi in Madhukauns.This beautiful Raag is the pratimadhyama counterpart of Sudhdha Dhanyasi and its structure is
sa ga2 ma2 pa ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 pa ma2 ga2 sa.
As the Pallavi ends, we are in for another surprise.
A beautiful jati korvai in the voice of SPB welcomes us.
We see the Aangika, Saatvika, Vaachika abhinaya in full flow in unison with the Bhava Raga and Tala in classical Kamboji-sa ri2 ga3 ma1 pa dha2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha2 pa ma1 ga3 ri2 Sa ni3 pa dha2 sa.
It is Bharatanatyam.
The luminous jatis in the voice of Raaja shows us the vignettes of Kuchelapuram from where Kuchipudi was born.
It is an aural treat as one hears the jatis that are rendered with fluid ease.
Waves of sound..
SPB follows it up with a beautiful rendering of the line about Kuchipudi in Pantuvarali whose structure is sa ri1 ga3 ma2 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma2 ga3 ri1 sa.
‘Dhinta Dhinta Dhinta’…
Pulsating pleasantness wedded to Laya substance..
We hear Raag Bahaar whose structure is ni3 Sa ma1 ma1 Pa ga2 ma1 ni2 Dha2 Ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 Pa ma1 Pa ga2 ma1 Ri2 sa.
Raag Bahaar is considered to be the Raag of Spring season.
Maestro used it here to depict the dignity and grace of Manipuri.
One also gets to see the delicate nuances of this special raga in the sangatis.
The Pakhawaj and the gentle sound of the ankle bells give it a unique charm.
The softly textured charaNam phrase follows in keeping with the softness of Odissi.
We hear the melodic strains of a Raag called Miyan ki Malhaar.
Its structure is Sa Ri2 Pa ma1 Pa ni2 Dha2 Ni2 Sa/ Ri2 Ni2 Sa Dha2 ni2 ma Pa ga2 ma1 Ri2 sa.
It is a Monsoon raga and the combination of ‘ni dha ni Sa’ denotes the gathering of clouds.
The usage of this Raag for Odissi shows the sensitivity of the composer.
The breathtaking swirls and swings give us a breezy feel.
It is exuberance now as the majestic KathakaLi is depicted. The dynamism of this dance form comes out in full glory through the Carnatic raga AtaaNa- Sa ri2 ma1 pa ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma1 pa ga3 ri2 sa.
The use of pancha vadhyam here adds to the beauty and the majesty.
It is then the vivacious Tabla replete with graceful overtones. It weaves warp and weft into zigzag motifs making one feel Kathak.
The composition showcases a wide variety in expression and technique..
A panoramic view of major classical dances..
Variegated hues of Music and dance..
‘Idhi raga manohara ramya vikaasam lalita layatmaka laasya visesham..’
Dance is considered to be the hidden language of the soul. There is no life without dance.
Our beloved Raaja has composed many dance songs and these shine like rubies on his crown.
On this special day, I am starting this series on dance music of ILaiyaraaja. I would also be writing briefly about the various forms of dance and the features(a la the ‘Sculptor series’ where I discussed about the dance in Tamizh literature while describing the different songs from ‘ULiyin Osai’ about two years back).
The Hindu philosophy talks about the cosmic dance of Nataraja. I shall touch upon this in my forthcoming posts.But for a moment, let us imagine as to what would happen if everything in this world starts dancing?
The great tamizh poet AruNagirinadar-about whom I had written in this Blog while describing ‘tham tan a namthana’ )- imagines all the Gods and Goddesses dancing in front of him.
Legend has it that he was challenged by Sambanthaandaan in the Court of King Prapuda Devarajan at ThiruvaNaamalai. AruNagirinadar sang this Thiruppugazh that depicts the dance of Gods, Goddesses and the entire Universe.
It is also said that as he sang the fourth line(mayilum aadi nee aadi vara venum-you and your peacock should dance and come here), Lord Muruga appeared in the Court, in a dancing form with his peacock.
‘As Adisesha danced in the PaataLa loga. The Mount Meru danced on the Earth,
KaaLi danced and along with her danced Siva making her shiver,
BhoothagaNaas, the ghosts danced too,
Brahma perched on the Lotus flower danced with the melodious Saraswati,
The celestials and the Moon now joined the dancing party,
Muruga’s in-laws Lakshmi and Vishnu danced,
He who helped the PaaNdavaas defeat their enemies,
He who mesmerized the cows with his flute,
He who is lying on the milky ocean on a serpent,
He who measured the entire world with one his one foot,
He whose vehicle is the Garuda,
You are his favourite nephew(or son-in-law),
Please come and dance with your peacock here,
And make the King Praputa Devarajan’s heart dance with joy!’
அதல சேட னாராட அகில மேரு மீதாட
அபின காளி தானாட ...... அவளோடன்று
அதிர வீசி வாதாடும் விடையி லேறு வாராட
அருகு பூத வேதாளம் ...... அவையாட
மதுர வாணி தானாட மலரில் வேத னாராட
மருவு வானு ளோராட ...... மதியாட
வனச மாமி யாராட நெடிய மாம னாராட
மயிலு மாடி நீயாடி ...... வரவேணும்
கதைவி டாத தோள்வீமன் எதிர்கொள் வாளி யால்நீடு
கருத லார்கள் மாசேனை ...... பொடியாகக்
கதறு காலி போய்மீள விஜய னேறு தேர்மீது
கனக வேத கோடூதி ...... அலைமோதும்
உததி மீதி லேசாயும் உலக மூடு சீர்பாத
உவண மூர்தி மாமாயன் ...... மருகோனே
உதய தாம மார்பான ப்ரபுட தேவ மாராஜன்
உளமு மாட வாழ்தேவர் ...... பெருமாளே.
Look at the poetic beauty..And look how in the guise of praising Lord Muruga, he eulogises Lord Vishnu giving the gist of the Mahabharata and the Vaamana avatara in less than 4 lines.
That is AruNagirinaadar!
Now, let us briefly look at the different dance forms of India.
The treatise on classical dances of India is believed to be written by Bharta muni between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. More about this later in my forthcoming posts.
There are essentially seven major classical forms:
1.Bharatanatyam-a very classical form known for its aesthetic elements
2.Kuchipudi-originating from the village Kuchelapuram in AP
3.Kathakali-meaning ‘Story play’
4.Mohinyaattam-Dnce of the enchantress believed to be named after the Mohini avatar of Lord Vishnu
5.Manipuri-a graceful form that lays emphasis on devotion
6.Odissi- known for its soft touches
7.Kathak-Focusses on the footwork and movements
Each one has its own beauty and of course different sets of rules.
Bharatanatyam, a very popular dance form across the globe involves hand gestures, facial expressions, movement of feet and the body. In fact, almost all the organs are involved while dancing. Minute eye-movements, neck movements and the hand movements make it one of the most aesthetic experiences if performed well by the artiste concerned.
Bharatanatyam essentially has Nrittam-movements that add to the beauty, Nrityam-specific movements to convey a message and Natya- depicting a story using what is called as the Abhinaya.
We also have Aangika abhinaya- physical expressions, Vaachika abhinaya-verbal, Saatvika abhinaya- expressing inner feelings/emotions, Aaharya abhinaya- costumes/make-up.
We shall see about Bharatanatyam and the other forms in detail in the posts to follow.
Let us now focus on today’s special composition
The composition is very special for various reasons.
First of all, it talks (musically) about the major classical dance forms.
Secondly, it has only the percussion instruments and no melodic instruments.
Thirdly, it is a Ragamaalika –with 5 ragas including 3 Hindustani ragas. Within a few phrases, the flavour of each raga is brought out beautifully!
Fourthly, the ‘dance jatis’ are rendered by Raaja sir himself.
The composition is ‘Aavedanaa’ from the Telugu film Aalapana(1986).
It has a very unusual start with a shriek. This shriek alone means a lot as it gives the emotive touch to the entire composition. Can there be pleasure without pain?
Janaki starts the Pallavi in Madhukauns.This beautiful Raag is the pratimadhyama counterpart of Sudhdha Dhanyasi and its structure is
sa ga2 ma2 pa ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 pa ma2 ga2 sa.
As the Pallavi ends, we are in for another surprise.
A beautiful jati korvai in the voice of SPB welcomes us.
We see the Aangika, Saatvika, Vaachika abhinaya in full flow in unison with the Bhava Raga and Tala in classical Kamboji-sa ri2 ga3 ma1 pa dha2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha2 pa ma1 ga3 ri2 Sa ni3 pa dha2 sa.
It is Bharatanatyam.
The luminous jatis in the voice of Raaja shows us the vignettes of Kuchelapuram from where Kuchipudi was born.
It is an aural treat as one hears the jatis that are rendered with fluid ease.
Waves of sound..
SPB follows it up with a beautiful rendering of the line about Kuchipudi in Pantuvarali whose structure is sa ri1 ga3 ma2 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma2 ga3 ri1 sa.
‘Dhinta Dhinta Dhinta’…
Pulsating pleasantness wedded to Laya substance..
We hear Raag Bahaar whose structure is ni3 Sa ma1 ma1 Pa ga2 ma1 ni2 Dha2 Ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 Pa ma1 Pa ga2 ma1 Ri2 sa.
Raag Bahaar is considered to be the Raag of Spring season.
Maestro used it here to depict the dignity and grace of Manipuri.
One also gets to see the delicate nuances of this special raga in the sangatis.
The Pakhawaj and the gentle sound of the ankle bells give it a unique charm.
The softly textured charaNam phrase follows in keeping with the softness of Odissi.
We hear the melodic strains of a Raag called Miyan ki Malhaar.
Its structure is Sa Ri2 Pa ma1 Pa ni2 Dha2 Ni2 Sa/ Ri2 Ni2 Sa Dha2 ni2 ma Pa ga2 ma1 Ri2 sa.
It is a Monsoon raga and the combination of ‘ni dha ni Sa’ denotes the gathering of clouds.
The usage of this Raag for Odissi shows the sensitivity of the composer.
The breathtaking swirls and swings give us a breezy feel.
It is exuberance now as the majestic KathakaLi is depicted. The dynamism of this dance form comes out in full glory through the Carnatic raga AtaaNa- Sa ri2 ma1 pa ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma1 pa ga3 ri2 sa.
The use of pancha vadhyam here adds to the beauty and the majesty.
It is then the vivacious Tabla replete with graceful overtones. It weaves warp and weft into zigzag motifs making one feel Kathak.
The composition showcases a wide variety in expression and technique..
A panoramic view of major classical dances..
Variegated hues of Music and dance..
‘Idhi raga manohara ramya vikaasam lalita layatmaka laasya visesham..’
Saturday, 8 May 2010
ILaiyaraaja-Musician with Vaatsalyam..
Words, like music have emotions.
When we read or write, what is it that that makes us involved in the subject?
Situations.. Yes..Of course!
Characters.. well..maybe!
But how do we even understand or even feel all these unless they are expressed with appropriate words?
Can we even imagine comprehending anything without that great thing called ‘words’?
Can we imagine communicating anything without that powerful thing called ‘words’?
Of course, there are times in our life when the unspoken or the unwritten are felt. I shall come to this a little later.
Let us go back to my statement about words having emotions.
Apart from emotions and feelings, words have culture too..
..Most importantly they are culture-specific and language-specific.
Therefore, some words when translated from one language to another may not covey the emotions attached to it though it may convey the meaning to a certain extent.
‘Vaatsalyam’ is one such word.
I really cannot think of any appropriate translation in English. At the most, one can say tender loving care.
When a mother fondles and nurses her child, it is Vaatsalyam. In tamizh, we call this as ‘parivu’(பரிவு).
Rather than trying to translate the word-which is seemingly impossible- let me quote a paasuram from Naalaiyira Divya Prabhandam.
Vishnu Chittar- better known as Periyaazhwar-who lived in the 9th century, composed 473 hymns out of which some 250 hymns are considered very very special. They are special because he considered himself as Krishna’s mother and described the child through the eyes of a mother.
It starts with the birth of the child and goes up to the point where Krishna goes on his own to herd the cows.
The lullabies are so powerful that it would bring tears even in an atheist’s eyes!
In this hymn, he asks the Moon to play with his sweet child.
‘Oh Moon!The shimmering rays from your beautiful face may cover the entire world..But ..it is no match to the beauty of my little one.. Can you not see his little fingers waving at you, and inviting you? Come fast and play with him before he feels the pain in his cute little fingers’.
சுற்றும் ஒளிவட்டம் சூழ்ந்து சோதிபரந்தெங்கும்
எத்தனை செய்யினும் என்மகன் முகம் நேரொவ்வாய்
வித்தகன் வேங்கடவாணன் உன்னை விளிக்கின்ற
கைத்தலம் நோவாமே அம்புலீ! கடிதோடிவா.
This hymn is part of the 10 hymns in 'Ambuli paruva paththu'.
Most of us know how tiny tots get fascinated looking at the moon and how they wave at the moon with a smiling face.In fact, even now, children are fed in moonlight because of this reason.But how many of us have even bothered about the little fingers and the tiny hand that waves at the moon?
Periyaazhwar did..And that is Vaatsalyam!!
I mentioned in the beginning about words having emotions.
I also said that there are times when we feel the unspoken or the unwritten.
Yes.. this happens to us when we listen to music.
Coming to think of it, swaras play the role of the words. But aren’t there only 7 basic swaras while the number of words are much more(in millions in some languages)?
True! But it is the combination of these swaras that matter.One can have umpteen permutations and combinations and each one is different and unique.
So, while one combination of swaras can give us pleasure, some other combination can evoke a totally different kind of emotion- say sadness. That is the beauty of music!
The Raga system in Indian Classical Music is special not just because it is unique but also because each raga is known to evoke certain moods and emotions.
We have had composers who have understood this fact and have given us some immortal compositions. But still..I feel no composer in film music has understood, applied and executed this well than ILaiyaraaja.
He treats each swara and raga as his own child and fondles them.
But I feel, he also considers us as his children and treats us with Vaatsalyam.
Listen to his immortal compositions.
Don’t feel the tender loving care?
Don’t we feel the affection?
Don’t we feel the love?
Today’s composition is doubly special and you will soon know the reason.
This song is based on Shankarabharanam.
Shankarabharanam is one of the oldest ragas and is widely used in all major form of music.
It forms the major diatonic scale or the C Major in Western music.
It is called as Bilawal in Hindustani system and all the swaras used in this ragas are known by the word ‘shudhdh’(meaning pure).
It is called as ‘Pazhampanjuram’ in Tamizh PaN.
It is a very divine raga. It appeals to the senses and evokes a mood of sublimity. That is why it is considered to be the most superior amongst all ragas.
In Carnatic system, it is the 29th melakarta and has the following structure:
Sa ri2 ga3 ma1 pa dha2 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma1 ga3 ri2 sa.
The pratimadhayama counterpart of Shankarabharanam is Kalyani but there is a world of difference between the two ragas in the way they are sung. There are some special prayogas in both the ragas that make them distinct.
For example, ‘ga’ is a flat swara in Shankarabharanam and this itself gives a very soothing effect.There is minimum oscillation of ‘ni’ as well.
This is balanced by the strong oscillation of ‘ri’ and ‘dha’.
Therefore it is a raga that is calm and sedate but at the same time majestic too..
It is because of this reason that Neelambari, a raga derived from Shankarabharanam is widely used in lullabies.
As a matter of fact, Shankarabharanam itself has contours of lullabies.
And Raaja has exploited this fact well in many compositions- a classic example being ‘Poove iLaiya poove’.
Today’s composition also has shades of a classic lullaby.
The composition is ‘Sandhanamittu sadhiraadum mottu’ from ‘Rusi kaNda poonai’(1980).
The prelude itself brings a sense of calmness and sedateness.
The (electric) violin is lucid as the flute blossoms. The violin then glides adding more sangatis and the flute responds with equal flair. In fact, the Flute just repeats what the violin says and there lies the whole beauty. The surprise element is the piano base that make our hearts flutter. The stringed instrument then takes over and we can easily visualize a child prancing in front of us. The tune of the Pallavi now takes shape.
He teaches a lesson or two(as always) to all aspiring music composers on how a prelude should lead us to the Pallavi.
The percussion (tabla) makes an appearance now just towards the end of the Pallavi and that takes me to the Laya Raja aspect in this composition.
The composition follows the simple 8-beat cycle but let us see how he has beautifully used the tabla in line with the theme of the song and the tune.
As I mentioned, the Tabla appears towards the end of the prelude and it repeats the pattern played by the stringed instrument:
Ta – dhi-.
A simple pattern ‘ta ka dhi mi’ where only the first and the third syllables are played.
As the Pallavi starts the Tabla remains silent until the 5th beat. Thereafter, it plays only the first syllable ‘Ta’until the 8th beat where it plays the first and the third syllable(ta dhi).When the Pallavi is rendered the second time, the Tabla starts right from the first beat , again playing only the first syllable until the eighth syllable where it plays the first and the third syllable.
If we assume that this will be the pattern throughout, we are not genuine Raaja followers. For, all genuine followers know his propensity to spring a surprise and his fascination for trying out things differently.
The interludes that follow the ‘ta ka dhi mi’ pattern do not have any percussion instrument.
In the CharaNams, the Tabla appears only from the fourth beat-playing the first and the third syllable.The tabla continues from the second line playing only the ‘ta’ and playing the ‘ta ‘dhi’ every fourth beat.
We see this pattern in the first 6 lines(first 3 lines are repeated once).
The second part-from the 7th line ‘punnagai vizhiyil aada’ in the first charaNam and ‘kaigaLil thuzhuvum mullai’ in the second charaNam- is what makes him a Laya Raja.
The first time we hear, we expect the fourth beat to have ‘ta dhi’(despite being genuine Raaja followers!).But only the ‘ta’ is heard until the eighth beat when we hear the ‘ta dhi’ and this continues till the end of the charaNams.
When the Pallavi is rendered after the charaNams, the Tabla again joins at the 5th beat and the ‘ta dhi’ is heard at the 8th beat.
This is the pattern:
Pallavi from the time Tabla joins in the first line : ta – dhi –
Second line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –
CharaNams:
First line from the time tabla joins: ta – dhi –
Second line:ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Third line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi – ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Fourth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Fifth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Sixth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi – ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Seventh line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –
Eighth line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –
Look how a very simple ‘ta ka dhi mi’ pattern does wonders in the hands of Laya Raja.
Let us now go back to the Pallavi for the melodic and the orchestration aspects.
Only two lines but they are repeated and this itself gives a mesmerizing lullaby effect.
Both the lines have classical dignity with the voice of Suseela lending the right kind of impetus and sweetness.
The first interlude is suffused with deep colours of the raga.
It starts with the luminous bells. The single violin is intensely elegant and tantalizingly beautiful. We begin to immerse ourselves in this beauty not realizing that this is just a sample. The gait changes and three violins enter the party. The first one dazzles, the second one gives dart-like flashes and the third one captures the special fragrance of Western Classical Music.
A string of quicksilver passages arranged meticulously!
The CharNams are replete with classicism.
The first two lines are succinct and the third line in the higher octave gives radiant shades of the raga.
The lines are repeated again and the subtle sangati in the fifth line-which is a repetition of the second line- is Raaja Special.
The following lines weave well-knit patterns nourishing the already healthy child!
There is a plethora of phrases in the second interlude.
To start with we hear a synthetic blend of violins in western classical style. The Flute played with imperceptible finesse takes spiraling spins even as the violins continue in their immaculate style. Suddenly, the guitar dances with ecstasy and we see wonderful vistas. The violins wind up with a gentle flavour.
The composition is full of intricate detailing woven around gentle human emotions.
Vaatsalyam..
Is that not this composition all about?
உன்னிசை காதில் பட்டுத் தழுவும்பொழுது மலரும் மனது..
When your music enters our ears and embraces us, our minds blossom..
When we read or write, what is it that that makes us involved in the subject?
Situations.. Yes..Of course!
Characters.. well..maybe!
But how do we even understand or even feel all these unless they are expressed with appropriate words?
Can we even imagine comprehending anything without that great thing called ‘words’?
Can we imagine communicating anything without that powerful thing called ‘words’?
Of course, there are times in our life when the unspoken or the unwritten are felt. I shall come to this a little later.
Let us go back to my statement about words having emotions.
Apart from emotions and feelings, words have culture too..
..Most importantly they are culture-specific and language-specific.
Therefore, some words when translated from one language to another may not covey the emotions attached to it though it may convey the meaning to a certain extent.
‘Vaatsalyam’ is one such word.
I really cannot think of any appropriate translation in English. At the most, one can say tender loving care.
When a mother fondles and nurses her child, it is Vaatsalyam. In tamizh, we call this as ‘parivu’(பரிவு).
Rather than trying to translate the word-which is seemingly impossible- let me quote a paasuram from Naalaiyira Divya Prabhandam.
Vishnu Chittar- better known as Periyaazhwar-who lived in the 9th century, composed 473 hymns out of which some 250 hymns are considered very very special. They are special because he considered himself as Krishna’s mother and described the child through the eyes of a mother.
It starts with the birth of the child and goes up to the point where Krishna goes on his own to herd the cows.
The lullabies are so powerful that it would bring tears even in an atheist’s eyes!
In this hymn, he asks the Moon to play with his sweet child.
‘Oh Moon!The shimmering rays from your beautiful face may cover the entire world..But ..it is no match to the beauty of my little one.. Can you not see his little fingers waving at you, and inviting you? Come fast and play with him before he feels the pain in his cute little fingers’.
சுற்றும் ஒளிவட்டம் சூழ்ந்து சோதிபரந்தெங்கும்
எத்தனை செய்யினும் என்மகன் முகம் நேரொவ்வாய்
வித்தகன் வேங்கடவாணன் உன்னை விளிக்கின்ற
கைத்தலம் நோவாமே அம்புலீ! கடிதோடிவா.
This hymn is part of the 10 hymns in 'Ambuli paruva paththu'.
Most of us know how tiny tots get fascinated looking at the moon and how they wave at the moon with a smiling face.In fact, even now, children are fed in moonlight because of this reason.But how many of us have even bothered about the little fingers and the tiny hand that waves at the moon?
Periyaazhwar did..And that is Vaatsalyam!!
I mentioned in the beginning about words having emotions.
I also said that there are times when we feel the unspoken or the unwritten.
Yes.. this happens to us when we listen to music.
Coming to think of it, swaras play the role of the words. But aren’t there only 7 basic swaras while the number of words are much more(in millions in some languages)?
True! But it is the combination of these swaras that matter.One can have umpteen permutations and combinations and each one is different and unique.
So, while one combination of swaras can give us pleasure, some other combination can evoke a totally different kind of emotion- say sadness. That is the beauty of music!
The Raga system in Indian Classical Music is special not just because it is unique but also because each raga is known to evoke certain moods and emotions.
We have had composers who have understood this fact and have given us some immortal compositions. But still..I feel no composer in film music has understood, applied and executed this well than ILaiyaraaja.
He treats each swara and raga as his own child and fondles them.
But I feel, he also considers us as his children and treats us with Vaatsalyam.
Listen to his immortal compositions.
Don’t feel the tender loving care?
Don’t we feel the affection?
Don’t we feel the love?
Today’s composition is doubly special and you will soon know the reason.
This song is based on Shankarabharanam.
Shankarabharanam is one of the oldest ragas and is widely used in all major form of music.
It forms the major diatonic scale or the C Major in Western music.
It is called as Bilawal in Hindustani system and all the swaras used in this ragas are known by the word ‘shudhdh’(meaning pure).
It is called as ‘Pazhampanjuram’ in Tamizh PaN.
It is a very divine raga. It appeals to the senses and evokes a mood of sublimity. That is why it is considered to be the most superior amongst all ragas.
In Carnatic system, it is the 29th melakarta and has the following structure:
Sa ri2 ga3 ma1 pa dha2 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma1 ga3 ri2 sa.
The pratimadhayama counterpart of Shankarabharanam is Kalyani but there is a world of difference between the two ragas in the way they are sung. There are some special prayogas in both the ragas that make them distinct.
For example, ‘ga’ is a flat swara in Shankarabharanam and this itself gives a very soothing effect.There is minimum oscillation of ‘ni’ as well.
This is balanced by the strong oscillation of ‘ri’ and ‘dha’.
Therefore it is a raga that is calm and sedate but at the same time majestic too..
It is because of this reason that Neelambari, a raga derived from Shankarabharanam is widely used in lullabies.
As a matter of fact, Shankarabharanam itself has contours of lullabies.
And Raaja has exploited this fact well in many compositions- a classic example being ‘Poove iLaiya poove’.
Today’s composition also has shades of a classic lullaby.
The composition is ‘Sandhanamittu sadhiraadum mottu’ from ‘Rusi kaNda poonai’(1980).
The prelude itself brings a sense of calmness and sedateness.
The (electric) violin is lucid as the flute blossoms. The violin then glides adding more sangatis and the flute responds with equal flair. In fact, the Flute just repeats what the violin says and there lies the whole beauty. The surprise element is the piano base that make our hearts flutter. The stringed instrument then takes over and we can easily visualize a child prancing in front of us. The tune of the Pallavi now takes shape.
He teaches a lesson or two(as always) to all aspiring music composers on how a prelude should lead us to the Pallavi.
The percussion (tabla) makes an appearance now just towards the end of the Pallavi and that takes me to the Laya Raja aspect in this composition.
The composition follows the simple 8-beat cycle but let us see how he has beautifully used the tabla in line with the theme of the song and the tune.
As I mentioned, the Tabla appears towards the end of the prelude and it repeats the pattern played by the stringed instrument:
Ta – dhi-.
A simple pattern ‘ta ka dhi mi’ where only the first and the third syllables are played.
As the Pallavi starts the Tabla remains silent until the 5th beat. Thereafter, it plays only the first syllable ‘Ta’until the 8th beat where it plays the first and the third syllable(ta dhi).When the Pallavi is rendered the second time, the Tabla starts right from the first beat , again playing only the first syllable until the eighth syllable where it plays the first and the third syllable.
If we assume that this will be the pattern throughout, we are not genuine Raaja followers. For, all genuine followers know his propensity to spring a surprise and his fascination for trying out things differently.
The interludes that follow the ‘ta ka dhi mi’ pattern do not have any percussion instrument.
In the CharaNams, the Tabla appears only from the fourth beat-playing the first and the third syllable.The tabla continues from the second line playing only the ‘ta’ and playing the ‘ta ‘dhi’ every fourth beat.
We see this pattern in the first 6 lines(first 3 lines are repeated once).
The second part-from the 7th line ‘punnagai vizhiyil aada’ in the first charaNam and ‘kaigaLil thuzhuvum mullai’ in the second charaNam- is what makes him a Laya Raja.
The first time we hear, we expect the fourth beat to have ‘ta dhi’(despite being genuine Raaja followers!).But only the ‘ta’ is heard until the eighth beat when we hear the ‘ta dhi’ and this continues till the end of the charaNams.
When the Pallavi is rendered after the charaNams, the Tabla again joins at the 5th beat and the ‘ta dhi’ is heard at the 8th beat.
This is the pattern:
Pallavi from the time Tabla joins in the first line : ta – dhi –
Second line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –
CharaNams:
First line from the time tabla joins: ta – dhi –
Second line:ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Third line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi – ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Fourth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Fifth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Sixth line: ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi – ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta – dhi –
Seventh line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –
Eighth line: ta- - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta - - - ta- - - ta – dhi –
Look how a very simple ‘ta ka dhi mi’ pattern does wonders in the hands of Laya Raja.
Let us now go back to the Pallavi for the melodic and the orchestration aspects.
Only two lines but they are repeated and this itself gives a mesmerizing lullaby effect.
Both the lines have classical dignity with the voice of Suseela lending the right kind of impetus and sweetness.
The first interlude is suffused with deep colours of the raga.
It starts with the luminous bells. The single violin is intensely elegant and tantalizingly beautiful. We begin to immerse ourselves in this beauty not realizing that this is just a sample. The gait changes and three violins enter the party. The first one dazzles, the second one gives dart-like flashes and the third one captures the special fragrance of Western Classical Music.
A string of quicksilver passages arranged meticulously!
The CharNams are replete with classicism.
The first two lines are succinct and the third line in the higher octave gives radiant shades of the raga.
The lines are repeated again and the subtle sangati in the fifth line-which is a repetition of the second line- is Raaja Special.
The following lines weave well-knit patterns nourishing the already healthy child!
There is a plethora of phrases in the second interlude.
To start with we hear a synthetic blend of violins in western classical style. The Flute played with imperceptible finesse takes spiraling spins even as the violins continue in their immaculate style. Suddenly, the guitar dances with ecstasy and we see wonderful vistas. The violins wind up with a gentle flavour.
The composition is full of intricate detailing woven around gentle human emotions.
Vaatsalyam..
Is that not this composition all about?
உன்னிசை காதில் பட்டுத் தழுவும்பொழுது மலரும் மனது..
When your music enters our ears and embraces us, our minds blossom..
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
ILaiyaraaja-The Distinct Musician..
It is the City of Mythila.
Seeta is unable to take her mind off Rama. Their eyes had met just the previous day and they had fallen for each other instantaneously. Rama is about to break the bow in the main palace. But Seeta -quite unaware of the happenings in the palace – is restless. Her mind is clouded by only one thing-rather only one person.
She waits..hoping against hope that the ‘handsome man’ would certainly win her hands.
Waiting is painful.
We feel it more we expect certain things to happen..
We feel it more when we know we are in no position to control what we expect..
We feel it more when we doubt what we know..
And this happens to all of us irrespective of who we are, what we are and where we are.
But beyond this pain, there is beauty.
Kamban captures this beautiful pain.
He says,
“With her ‘life’ swinging here and there, she leaves the melting flower bed, goes towards a Lotus pond and sits on the flower bed made of ‘Chandrakantha’ stone”.
ஊசலாடு உயிரினோடும், உருகுபூம்பள்ளி நீங்கிப்
பாசிழை மகளிர் சூழப்போய், ஒரு பளிங்குமாடக்
காசில்தாமரையின் பொய்கைச் சந்திர காந்தம் ஈன்ற
சீதநீர் தெளித்த மென்பூஞ் சேக்கையை அரிதிற்ச் சேர்ந்தாள்.
She then looks at the Lotus flowers and says,’Oh..Lotus Flowers..I know you like this girl.I see the colour of his body (green) through your leaves and his eyes in you (lotus-eyes).I am happy and my worry has disappeared..but only temporarily.You have not shown me his ‘inner colour’(mind).Therefore, you are all misers..’
'பெண்ணின் உற்ற' தென்னும் பெருமையால்,அருமையான
வண்ணமும் இலைகளாலே காட்டலால் வாட்டம் தீர்ந்தேன்!
தண்ணறுங் கமலங்காள்!என் தளிர்நிறம் உண்ட கண்ணன்
உண்ணிறங் காட்டி,நீர் என் உயிர்தர உலோவினீரே!
Look how beautifully Kamban describes a girl with a restless mind. It is not just the description of the girl but rather he goes deep into her mind and brings out the feelings wonderfully.
What do we do when we are restless? Change places? And don’t we not feel the heat? And don’t the things we see that time remind us of the person we are thinking about?And don’t we also praise and then curse the things we see that time?
Here, Seeta shifts places-from a Hot Bed to a Cool Bed. She looks at Lotus and is reminded instantly of Rama. But she still doubts if he too is in love with her. Therefore, she starts cursing the flowers..
Psychoanalysis?
But History says Sigmund Freud was born in the 19th century while Kamban was born in the 9th century.
And look how beautifully everything is described..
Maybe one could call this as ‘Poetic psychoanalysis’.
At the same time, one is also awestruck by the poetic beauty!
This is what makes Kamban a distinct poet..
Getting into the skin of the character (or is it the mind?) and describe things aesthetically.
If Kamban did this poetically, ILaiyaraaja does this musically.
He understands the situation as narrated by the Director grasps it in few seconds and composes in few minutes.
One is able to understand the character (in the movie) just by listening to his music.
Like Kamban’s poetry, we are also mesmerized by the beauty of the composition.
If Kamban is a distinct poet, ILaiyaraaja is a distinct musician!
Today, let us see yet another composition of his.
The composition is ‘PalliyaRaikkuL..’ from Bala Nagamma(1981).
The entire song is visualized by the villain.That is it is his imagination.
The Villain-a magician- takes the heroine as his captive and wants her to be his ‘wife’ while she is unrelenting.She is also protected by the Goddess of Snakes.The Villain in a kind of drunken state goes to sleep and the heroine comes in his dreams and sings.
The Maestro’s brilliance is shown (yet again) here.
The composition is erotic but at the same time we do not feel the Heroine’s passion (unlike say a song like ‘En degam’ or ‘Nila Kayudhu’).
The rather unusual and different prelude itself speaks volumes. Let us see this a little later.
The composition is based on Vakulabharanam.
Vakulabharanam is the 14th melakartha and its structure is
sa ri1 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri1 sa.
The meaning of Vakulabharanam is- ‘decorated with the Vakula flower’.
Vakulam is the name of a flower also called as ‘magizhampoo’ in tamizh. This flower is known for its special fragrance.
This Raga is also unique and is very fragrant.
It has an intrinsic Arabic quality and flavour.
Let us look at the composition.
As I said, the prelude is very different.
The guitar strums.The Trumpet tweets. Suddenly ,we are reeled in by the violin. Unexpected Vistas..Musical glissades!
Pure Spanish music in full flow.
The sounds coalesce and we see the grandeur of the raga.
The Pallavi starts with the succulent tone of Uma Ramanan.
The first line is luminous with the dense bass guitar following it very closely. The second and the third lines-‘Ennai Vida innoruththi yen’ and ‘Ennidaththil aththanaiyum thaen’- give delightful sketches while the ending-‘En Rassa’ and ‘Poovo Ponno Yaaro Naano’ is gripping.
The first interlude has a delectable layout.
The Bass Guitar twinges and there is a beautiful pause. The percussion continues with gusto. The Bass Guitar now cruises easily and is joined by a host of Arabic instruments. The pattern of the beats change now -with stress on the first and the third beat. It is lucid and cohesive with the Bass Flute galvanizing us.
The CharaNam brims with beauteous phrases.
The gait becomes slow as if they are under a spell (remember..the villain is a magician).
The first line is mesmerizing and is encrusted with the Arabic instrument.
The second line is fluid.
The gait changes again in the following lines as they wend and bend.
The second interlude is like an intertwined garland.
The Guitar starts with a flourish.
It is elastic.
It is profound.
We see the glowing threads.It depicts the vast spectrum of moods.
The mellifluous Arabian instruments then take over carefully guiding the guitar.
The third interlude is meticulously arranged with beguiling layers of rhythmic patterns.
The beats of the Melody-Rhythm ensemble are:
1. Ta - - Ta - - Ta - - - Ta – Ta - -
that is only the 1st, 4th, 7th,11th and the 13th beats are played.
This pattern continues 5 times with the strings in the background..
We hear only the tuned percussion in the following patterns:
2.Only the even beats are played now: - ka – ka – ka - ka
3.The next pattern is : Ta – Ta - (12 times-played twice)followed by ta ka ta ka dhi mi ta ka twice in ‘mel kaalam’ (faster mode).
The first part (ta ka) is played in ‘Usi’ that is only the odd beats (ka) are played.
This pattern is played twice.
Note that the previous pattern (2.) has only the even beats while the next one has only the odd beats.
4. The next pattern is ta ka dhi mi four times with only the ‘ta’ and ‘dhi’ played in the fourth time(twice).
5.Fourth pattern –ta ka dhi mi ta – dhi mi (4 times)
6.The last pattern-ta ka dhi mi (4 times) followed by ta - - -.
It unravels the wonders of the raga and the tala beautifully..
It captures the entire gamut of human emotions..
It takes us to an ethereal world..
Now, who is the real magician?
உன் இசை அத்தனையும் தேன்..
Your music is full of honey..
Seeta is unable to take her mind off Rama. Their eyes had met just the previous day and they had fallen for each other instantaneously. Rama is about to break the bow in the main palace. But Seeta -quite unaware of the happenings in the palace – is restless. Her mind is clouded by only one thing-rather only one person.
She waits..hoping against hope that the ‘handsome man’ would certainly win her hands.
Waiting is painful.
We feel it more we expect certain things to happen..
We feel it more when we know we are in no position to control what we expect..
We feel it more when we doubt what we know..
And this happens to all of us irrespective of who we are, what we are and where we are.
But beyond this pain, there is beauty.
Kamban captures this beautiful pain.
He says,
“With her ‘life’ swinging here and there, she leaves the melting flower bed, goes towards a Lotus pond and sits on the flower bed made of ‘Chandrakantha’ stone”.
ஊசலாடு உயிரினோடும், உருகுபூம்பள்ளி நீங்கிப்
பாசிழை மகளிர் சூழப்போய், ஒரு பளிங்குமாடக்
காசில்தாமரையின் பொய்கைச் சந்திர காந்தம் ஈன்ற
சீதநீர் தெளித்த மென்பூஞ் சேக்கையை அரிதிற்ச் சேர்ந்தாள்.
She then looks at the Lotus flowers and says,’Oh..Lotus Flowers..I know you like this girl.I see the colour of his body (green) through your leaves and his eyes in you (lotus-eyes).I am happy and my worry has disappeared..but only temporarily.You have not shown me his ‘inner colour’(mind).Therefore, you are all misers..’
'பெண்ணின் உற்ற' தென்னும் பெருமையால்,அருமையான
வண்ணமும் இலைகளாலே காட்டலால் வாட்டம் தீர்ந்தேன்!
தண்ணறுங் கமலங்காள்!என் தளிர்நிறம் உண்ட கண்ணன்
உண்ணிறங் காட்டி,நீர் என் உயிர்தர உலோவினீரே!
Look how beautifully Kamban describes a girl with a restless mind. It is not just the description of the girl but rather he goes deep into her mind and brings out the feelings wonderfully.
What do we do when we are restless? Change places? And don’t we not feel the heat? And don’t the things we see that time remind us of the person we are thinking about?And don’t we also praise and then curse the things we see that time?
Here, Seeta shifts places-from a Hot Bed to a Cool Bed. She looks at Lotus and is reminded instantly of Rama. But she still doubts if he too is in love with her. Therefore, she starts cursing the flowers..
Psychoanalysis?
But History says Sigmund Freud was born in the 19th century while Kamban was born in the 9th century.
And look how beautifully everything is described..
Maybe one could call this as ‘Poetic psychoanalysis’.
At the same time, one is also awestruck by the poetic beauty!
This is what makes Kamban a distinct poet..
Getting into the skin of the character (or is it the mind?) and describe things aesthetically.
If Kamban did this poetically, ILaiyaraaja does this musically.
He understands the situation as narrated by the Director grasps it in few seconds and composes in few minutes.
One is able to understand the character (in the movie) just by listening to his music.
Like Kamban’s poetry, we are also mesmerized by the beauty of the composition.
If Kamban is a distinct poet, ILaiyaraaja is a distinct musician!
Today, let us see yet another composition of his.
The composition is ‘PalliyaRaikkuL..’ from Bala Nagamma(1981).
The entire song is visualized by the villain.That is it is his imagination.
The Villain-a magician- takes the heroine as his captive and wants her to be his ‘wife’ while she is unrelenting.She is also protected by the Goddess of Snakes.The Villain in a kind of drunken state goes to sleep and the heroine comes in his dreams and sings.
The Maestro’s brilliance is shown (yet again) here.
The composition is erotic but at the same time we do not feel the Heroine’s passion (unlike say a song like ‘En degam’ or ‘Nila Kayudhu’).
The rather unusual and different prelude itself speaks volumes. Let us see this a little later.
The composition is based on Vakulabharanam.
Vakulabharanam is the 14th melakartha and its structure is
sa ri1 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri1 sa.
The meaning of Vakulabharanam is- ‘decorated with the Vakula flower’.
Vakulam is the name of a flower also called as ‘magizhampoo’ in tamizh. This flower is known for its special fragrance.
This Raga is also unique and is very fragrant.
It has an intrinsic Arabic quality and flavour.
Let us look at the composition.
As I said, the prelude is very different.
The guitar strums.The Trumpet tweets. Suddenly ,we are reeled in by the violin. Unexpected Vistas..Musical glissades!
Pure Spanish music in full flow.
The sounds coalesce and we see the grandeur of the raga.
The Pallavi starts with the succulent tone of Uma Ramanan.
The first line is luminous with the dense bass guitar following it very closely. The second and the third lines-‘Ennai Vida innoruththi yen’ and ‘Ennidaththil aththanaiyum thaen’- give delightful sketches while the ending-‘En Rassa’ and ‘Poovo Ponno Yaaro Naano’ is gripping.
The first interlude has a delectable layout.
The Bass Guitar twinges and there is a beautiful pause. The percussion continues with gusto. The Bass Guitar now cruises easily and is joined by a host of Arabic instruments. The pattern of the beats change now -with stress on the first and the third beat. It is lucid and cohesive with the Bass Flute galvanizing us.
The CharaNam brims with beauteous phrases.
The gait becomes slow as if they are under a spell (remember..the villain is a magician).
The first line is mesmerizing and is encrusted with the Arabic instrument.
The second line is fluid.
The gait changes again in the following lines as they wend and bend.
The second interlude is like an intertwined garland.
The Guitar starts with a flourish.
It is elastic.
It is profound.
We see the glowing threads.It depicts the vast spectrum of moods.
The mellifluous Arabian instruments then take over carefully guiding the guitar.
The third interlude is meticulously arranged with beguiling layers of rhythmic patterns.
The beats of the Melody-Rhythm ensemble are:
1. Ta - - Ta - - Ta - - - Ta – Ta - -
that is only the 1st, 4th, 7th,11th and the 13th beats are played.
This pattern continues 5 times with the strings in the background..
We hear only the tuned percussion in the following patterns:
2.Only the even beats are played now: - ka – ka – ka - ka
3.The next pattern is : Ta – Ta - (12 times-played twice)followed by ta ka ta ka dhi mi ta ka twice in ‘mel kaalam’ (faster mode).
The first part (ta ka) is played in ‘Usi’ that is only the odd beats (ka) are played.
This pattern is played twice.
Note that the previous pattern (2.) has only the even beats while the next one has only the odd beats.
4. The next pattern is ta ka dhi mi four times with only the ‘ta’ and ‘dhi’ played in the fourth time(twice).
5.Fourth pattern –ta ka dhi mi ta – dhi mi (4 times)
6.The last pattern-ta ka dhi mi (4 times) followed by ta - - -.
It unravels the wonders of the raga and the tala beautifully..
It captures the entire gamut of human emotions..
It takes us to an ethereal world..
Now, who is the real magician?
உன் இசை அத்தனையும் தேன்..
Your music is full of honey..
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
ILaiyaraaja-The Spiritual Musician..
One of the most misused (and to a great extent abused) words is spirituality. Many people believe that if they are ‘believers’, they are spiritual; or that if they visit any place of worship religiously, they are spiritual; or if they perform any act to ‘please’ their favourite God’, they are spiritual.
Such people can at best be called as Businessmen with strong negotiating skills.
Talking about Business, there is a growing number of self-styled God men and Swamijis who promise the sky to all their devotees (‘sky’ here does not mean the Moksha).
Quid pro quo!
Is this what spirituality all about?
Put in simple terms, Spirituality is directly related to the human spirit. One who is spiritual does not crave for physical comforts nor will he /she be materialistic.
Take the case of Saint Thyagaraja.
In one of the Krithis he says, ‘I see Erudite people proficient in Vedas/Epics waste their time in arguing about useless things. They are caught in a web and live in a Utopian world. They perform Yaagas and sacrifices so that they can enjoy the worldly pleasures. These people can never find the Truth nor the true meaning of God. I place my faith only on you since I realized that all the so called materialistic happiness is only a mirage.I therefore engaged myself in praying to you (to give me salvation)’ right from my childhood..’
‘Ninne nera namminaanuraa O Ramaa Raamayya.
Anni kallalanucu adi paadi vedi pannagashayana ne chinna tanamu naade.
Veda Shaastra Puraana Vidyalache bheda vaadamula deeraka bhramayu vaarala juchi.
Bhogamula koraku bhuvilo Rajasammuna Yagadulonarinchi yalayu varula juchi.
Ee Janmamula ninnu rajee chesuko ieka rajillarani Thyagaraja Raghava’.
This is what is spirituality!
Tamizh poetess AaNdaaL, whose name is synonymous with the month of the tamizh month Margazhi is another example.
Right from her childhood, she wanted to merge with the God and considered Him as her husband. This would sound somewhat odd to the uninitiated. But the fact of the matter is that her love for the Lord had nothing to do with the conjugal bliss. It was on a much higher plane and level (skeptics might quote some of her verses terming them as ‘erotic’ but the inner meanings are entirely different and to a certain extent is beyond the grasp of mortals!).
Look at this poem:
‘My bones melt and the eyelids of my long eyes have not closed for many days
Choked in torments of separation and love laden heart
I flounder in a sea of sorrow, without the canoe of Vaikuntan’s grace
You know it well Oh! Cuckoo,
Please Coo and call the sanctimonious Lord’
Whose body shines like the Gold!
‘என்புருகி இனவேல் நெடுங்கண்கள் இமைபொருந்தா பல நாளும்
துன்பக்கடல் புக்கு வைகுந்தன் என்பது ஓர் தோணி பெறாது உழல்கின்றேன்
அன்புடையாரைப் பிரிவுறு நோய் அது நீயும் அறிதி குயிலே!
பொன்புரை மேனிக்கருளக் கொடியுடைப் புண்ணியனை வரக் கூவாய்!’
Unable to bear the torment of separation from the Almighty, she requests the cuckoo bird to ‘coo’ and herald his arrival.
What one sees here is the spirit that longs to be with the God forever. There is no other expectation and therefore absolutely no sense of materialism.
People who are genuinely spiritual, work with a single-minded devotion and dedication. Little do they care for other luxuries since they know what real happiness is all about. Such people are also highly disciplined and focused. In other words, they are austere.
Though it might sound far fetched, I feel people like Einstein and Ramanujam were also spiritual because they never hankered for any name or fame or money.
Likewise, I would put ILaiyaraaja too in the same bracket. Here, I am not just referring to his spiritual pursuits. I am viewing him through the prism of a music composer. Seeing him from this perspective throws up a lot of interesting facts. It is said that he composes tunes in a jiffy and that the score-sheet is given to the musicians (orchestra) within no time. Such a task is impossible unless people are highly focused, dedicated, disciplined and austere.
Now, people may argue that after all it is Cinema and that he is a ‘Music Director’ who delivers based on the demands of the Film-makers. Let us not miss the wood for the trees.
His works even in below-average films are stupendous and can be considered as great musical compositions (I can quote many examples.. In fact a cursory glance at this Bolg itself is proof enough!).
Many of his songs also take us to a higher plane and we do not care for the name of the movie/story/hero. What matters to us when we listen to such compositions is the divine state we reach.
A real spiritualist is one who not only practises spirituality but also guides others or at least make others experience divine feelings.
Therefore, ILaiyaraaja is the spiritual guru for all of us..
Today, we are going to see one more great composition from an obscure film.
The song is ‘Vazhimel Vizhiyai Edhir Parthirunthaen’ from ‘Archanai PokkaL’(1980).
The composition is based on Pantuvarali, a very interesting ragam.
It is the 51st melakartha and is known by the name Kamvardhini.Muththuswami Dikshithar called it as ‘Kashiramakriya’.
It is the pratimadhyama raga of Mayamalavagowla-that is only the variant of ‘ma’ is different. But it has an entirely different flavour and is unique in its own way.
There are a lot of classical compositions in this ragam. This ragam is frequently sung by musicians in carnatic concerts since it has an ‘aura of popularity’.Beacause of this aspect, it is called as a ‘janaranjaka ragam’.
The structure of Pantuvarali is :
sa ri1 ga3 ma2 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma2 ga3 ri1 sa.
The raga is more beautiful in panchama varjya phrases-ni ri ga ma dha ni, ni dha ma ga, ga ma dha ni…
Let us now look at the composition.
The beginning is somewhat different with the resonance of the sitar strings. It plays with verve as the pretty flute enters with flourish. It is delicate and soft. At the same time it reaches alluring depths to give a yearning melody. It is enriched by the lucent Jalatarangam.
The Pallavi in the dulcet tone of Janaki exudes sensitivity. One sees the aesthetic subtleties when the flute and the sarod alternate after the lines ‘Varuvai Maamukhile’ and ‘Nee Varuvai Maamukhile’ when they are rendered the second time. The line ‘Sukham Ekanthamai Malara’ touches the beautiful spots of the ragam.
The first interlude is marked by the gracefully grafting sitar. It moves like a clear gurgling stream with the Tabla and the rippling flow of the Jalatarangam. The musical ripples continue with the Jalatarangam and the melodic rhythms.
The CharaNam is finely etched. The first two lines are majestic while the third line is dynamic. The last two lines are magical. The contrasting motifs and the pirouetting at the end are stupendous.
The second interlude is sculpted with beautiful musical phrases.
The shehnai played with finesse strikes a deep chord. The subtle strings juxtaposed add to the beauty. The sitar gives an array of short phrases. We are then in for some scintillating moments as the nifty flute, the soft and supple piano and the subtle bass vie with one another. It looks like swathing layers and strokes of colours. Strung together brilliantly, it looks like an intricate tapestry.
The entire composition is replete with melodic progressions of phrasing that take us to a higher plane.
..and a spiritual experience!
வழிமேல் செவியாய் எதிர்பார்த்திருப்போம் உனது பாடல்களை..
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Such people can at best be called as Businessmen with strong negotiating skills.
Talking about Business, there is a growing number of self-styled God men and Swamijis who promise the sky to all their devotees (‘sky’ here does not mean the Moksha).
Quid pro quo!
Is this what spirituality all about?
Put in simple terms, Spirituality is directly related to the human spirit. One who is spiritual does not crave for physical comforts nor will he /she be materialistic.
Take the case of Saint Thyagaraja.
In one of the Krithis he says, ‘I see Erudite people proficient in Vedas/Epics waste their time in arguing about useless things. They are caught in a web and live in a Utopian world. They perform Yaagas and sacrifices so that they can enjoy the worldly pleasures. These people can never find the Truth nor the true meaning of God. I place my faith only on you since I realized that all the so called materialistic happiness is only a mirage.I therefore engaged myself in praying to you (to give me salvation)’ right from my childhood..’
‘Ninne nera namminaanuraa O Ramaa Raamayya.
Anni kallalanucu adi paadi vedi pannagashayana ne chinna tanamu naade.
Veda Shaastra Puraana Vidyalache bheda vaadamula deeraka bhramayu vaarala juchi.
Bhogamula koraku bhuvilo Rajasammuna Yagadulonarinchi yalayu varula juchi.
Ee Janmamula ninnu rajee chesuko ieka rajillarani Thyagaraja Raghava’.
This is what is spirituality!
Tamizh poetess AaNdaaL, whose name is synonymous with the month of the tamizh month Margazhi is another example.
Right from her childhood, she wanted to merge with the God and considered Him as her husband. This would sound somewhat odd to the uninitiated. But the fact of the matter is that her love for the Lord had nothing to do with the conjugal bliss. It was on a much higher plane and level (skeptics might quote some of her verses terming them as ‘erotic’ but the inner meanings are entirely different and to a certain extent is beyond the grasp of mortals!).
Look at this poem:
‘My bones melt and the eyelids of my long eyes have not closed for many days
Choked in torments of separation and love laden heart
I flounder in a sea of sorrow, without the canoe of Vaikuntan’s grace
You know it well Oh! Cuckoo,
Please Coo and call the sanctimonious Lord’
Whose body shines like the Gold!
‘என்புருகி இனவேல் நெடுங்கண்கள் இமைபொருந்தா பல நாளும்
துன்பக்கடல் புக்கு வைகுந்தன் என்பது ஓர் தோணி பெறாது உழல்கின்றேன்
அன்புடையாரைப் பிரிவுறு நோய் அது நீயும் அறிதி குயிலே!
பொன்புரை மேனிக்கருளக் கொடியுடைப் புண்ணியனை வரக் கூவாய்!’
Unable to bear the torment of separation from the Almighty, she requests the cuckoo bird to ‘coo’ and herald his arrival.
What one sees here is the spirit that longs to be with the God forever. There is no other expectation and therefore absolutely no sense of materialism.
People who are genuinely spiritual, work with a single-minded devotion and dedication. Little do they care for other luxuries since they know what real happiness is all about. Such people are also highly disciplined and focused. In other words, they are austere.
Though it might sound far fetched, I feel people like Einstein and Ramanujam were also spiritual because they never hankered for any name or fame or money.
Likewise, I would put ILaiyaraaja too in the same bracket. Here, I am not just referring to his spiritual pursuits. I am viewing him through the prism of a music composer. Seeing him from this perspective throws up a lot of interesting facts. It is said that he composes tunes in a jiffy and that the score-sheet is given to the musicians (orchestra) within no time. Such a task is impossible unless people are highly focused, dedicated, disciplined and austere.
Now, people may argue that after all it is Cinema and that he is a ‘Music Director’ who delivers based on the demands of the Film-makers. Let us not miss the wood for the trees.
His works even in below-average films are stupendous and can be considered as great musical compositions (I can quote many examples.. In fact a cursory glance at this Bolg itself is proof enough!).
Many of his songs also take us to a higher plane and we do not care for the name of the movie/story/hero. What matters to us when we listen to such compositions is the divine state we reach.
A real spiritualist is one who not only practises spirituality but also guides others or at least make others experience divine feelings.
Therefore, ILaiyaraaja is the spiritual guru for all of us..
Today, we are going to see one more great composition from an obscure film.
The song is ‘Vazhimel Vizhiyai Edhir Parthirunthaen’ from ‘Archanai PokkaL’(1980).
The composition is based on Pantuvarali, a very interesting ragam.
It is the 51st melakartha and is known by the name Kamvardhini.Muththuswami Dikshithar called it as ‘Kashiramakriya’.
It is the pratimadhyama raga of Mayamalavagowla-that is only the variant of ‘ma’ is different. But it has an entirely different flavour and is unique in its own way.
There are a lot of classical compositions in this ragam. This ragam is frequently sung by musicians in carnatic concerts since it has an ‘aura of popularity’.Beacause of this aspect, it is called as a ‘janaranjaka ragam’.
The structure of Pantuvarali is :
sa ri1 ga3 ma2 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma2 ga3 ri1 sa.
The raga is more beautiful in panchama varjya phrases-ni ri ga ma dha ni, ni dha ma ga, ga ma dha ni…
Let us now look at the composition.
The beginning is somewhat different with the resonance of the sitar strings. It plays with verve as the pretty flute enters with flourish. It is delicate and soft. At the same time it reaches alluring depths to give a yearning melody. It is enriched by the lucent Jalatarangam.
The Pallavi in the dulcet tone of Janaki exudes sensitivity. One sees the aesthetic subtleties when the flute and the sarod alternate after the lines ‘Varuvai Maamukhile’ and ‘Nee Varuvai Maamukhile’ when they are rendered the second time. The line ‘Sukham Ekanthamai Malara’ touches the beautiful spots of the ragam.
The first interlude is marked by the gracefully grafting sitar. It moves like a clear gurgling stream with the Tabla and the rippling flow of the Jalatarangam. The musical ripples continue with the Jalatarangam and the melodic rhythms.
The CharaNam is finely etched. The first two lines are majestic while the third line is dynamic. The last two lines are magical. The contrasting motifs and the pirouetting at the end are stupendous.
The second interlude is sculpted with beautiful musical phrases.
The shehnai played with finesse strikes a deep chord. The subtle strings juxtaposed add to the beauty. The sitar gives an array of short phrases. We are then in for some scintillating moments as the nifty flute, the soft and supple piano and the subtle bass vie with one another. It looks like swathing layers and strokes of colours. Strung together brilliantly, it looks like an intricate tapestry.
The entire composition is replete with melodic progressions of phrasing that take us to a higher plane.
..and a spiritual experience!
வழிமேல் செவியாய் எதிர்பார்த்திருப்போம் உனது பாடல்களை..
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Saturday, 5 December 2009
Laya Raja-II
பாழ் என, கால் என, பாகு என, ஒன்று என
இரண்டு என, மூன்று என, நான்கு என, ஐந்து என
ஆறு என, ஏழு என, எட்டு என, தொண்டு என
நால்வகை ஊழி எண் நவிற்றும் சிறப்பினை
‘Zero, quarter, half, one,
Two, three, four, five,
Six, Seven, Eight, Nine,
Thus the four eons speak about the numbers’.
Does this sound like a Kindergarten class?
Well.. almost! But is it not a fact that what we read (or for that matter experience) during our childhood stays with us forever?
Foundation.. If this is strong, the building is strong. Otherwise, it collapses.
Going back to the poem quoted- it is from a work called ‘Paripaadal’. Paripaadal was composed by different poets during the 1st Century AD and is part of eight anthologies called as ‘Ettuththogai’. These eight along with the 10 long poems- called as ‘Paththuppaattu’- form the core of Tamizh Sangam Literature.
Sangam means an Academy or Fraternity. It is said that there were 3 Sangams – the first one lasting 4,440 years, the second one lasting 3,700 years and the third one lasting 1,850 years. It is also said that a Great Flood destroyed many kingdoms and a large body of literature.
All the works of the First Sangam have been lost forever. The grammar work ‘Tolkappiyam’(I had quoted from this work in my posts on the music of ‘ULiyin Osai’ where I explained as to how classical dance and music were part of the Tamizh culture) belongs to the Second Sangam while the ‘Eight Anthologies’ and the ‘Ten Long Poems’ are part of the Third Sangam period.
The length of the Sangam poems varies between 3 lines and 800 lines. There are 2381 Sangam poems of course not taking the first and the second Sangams into account.
'Paripaadal’ is the one of the oldest texts that has notes on music. In Tamizh music, a Raga is called as ‘PaN’. Under each group of poems in ‘Paripaadal’, there is a mention about the ‘PaN’ on which it is based on. Similar to our Films, the songs(poems) would be written by one person and would be set to music by another person.
The poem quoted in the beginning was written by ‘Kaduvan iLaveyinanaar’ and was set to music by ‘Pettanaaganaar’. It is sung eulogizing Lord Vishnu and is set to ‘Paalaiyaazh’ which is the equivalent of Shankarabharanam.
This also shows that God has always been part of tamizh culture despite the claim made by the so-called rationalists in Tamizh Nadu.
In a way, ‘Paripaadal’ was a precursor to ‘Naalayira Divya Prabandham’,the sacred book of Srivaishnavas.I find a lot of parallels between the works of ‘Kaduvan iLaveyinaar’ and Aazhwars-Thirumazhisai azhwar in particular.I have quoted some verses of ‘Thirumazhisai Aazhwar’in this thread.Please refer the post ‘Laya Raja’ and ‘ILaiyaraaja’s music is unique’ where I quoted from his ‘Thiruchchandaviruththam’ that talks about the numbers.
Talking about numbers, let us remember that numbers revolve around us always whether we like it or not.
Take the poem quoted for example. It sounds so simple but yet throws up a lot of philosophical pointers. I am not getting too deep into it since it is beyond the scope of this thread. It is enough if I say that the Universe revolves around numbers.Have a look at the paragraphs that follow the poems in my post.
‘1st Century, ‘8 anthologies’, ’10 Long Poems’, ‘3 Sangams’, ‘4440, 3700,1850 years’, 3 and 800 lines’, ‘2381 poems’… well can there be a world without numbers? Can there be a Life without numbers?
Eons, Years, Months, Weeks, Days, Hours, Minutes, Seconds..
We find the numbers in music as well. Though all forms of music have rhythm(and therefore numbers), Carnatic Music gives a lot of importance to numbers.In the Raga system, it is the 72 melakartas and the different permutations and combinations of swaras while in the Tala system, it is the beats/cycle.
There are 108 Talas in Carnatic music.Let us now look at the major Five-patterns(called as Pancha Nadai).
The 3-beat cycle is called as Tisram, the 4-beat is Chatusram, the 5-beat is Khandam, the 7-beat-Misram and the 9-beat-Sankeernam.It is indeed a very vast subject and let us understand these basics as of now (Foundation!).
In a carnatic music concert, during the percussion ensemble-called as Tani avarthanam- the percussion artistes generally play in different nadais.
Almost all film songs follow the 8-beat cycle called as Adi Talam.There are also songs that follow the Tisra gati in this cycle. We will come to that a little later.
However, not many composers have composed songs in Misram and Khandam.
The Maestro is an exception.
In this Blog, we have been seeing his usage of not just the ragas but also the talas.
He has also used cross-rhythms (two patterns running simultaneously-example ‘Endrendrum Aanandame’ and change in gatis-example ‘Innum Ennai Enna Siyya PogiRai’
There have also been a lot of intricate mathematical patterns involved in his compositions.
He often talks about the ‘KaalapramaaNam’ in music.People who have seen him work vouch for his perfect sense of timing especially during the background scores. He would watch a scene, take a piece of paper, write the notes, give it to the various artistes and start recording. The piece of music would exactly fit the scene in terms of the duration.
This is because ‘Kaalapramanam’ is inherent in him.
That is why he is ‘Laya Raja’.
Today, we are going to see a composition of his that reveals his penchant for Laya.
The song is ‘ILamanadinil’ from the film ‘ManjaL Nila’(1982).
The song is based on Mayamalavagowla, the 15th Melakarta.
All basic (foundation) classes in carnatic music are taught in this raga because of its symmetric structure.
Its structure is: sa ri1 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri1 sa.
The swara ‘ri1’ is very close to ‘sa’, with the ‘ga’ ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ ‘dha’ being next to each other.The last swara ‘ni’ is very close to the upper ‘Sa’. Such a structure is very easy to understand for beginners.
I mentioned about the Adi-Tala and Tisra nadai.
This composition follows this pattern. But something does happen in the CharaNams and let us see that soon.
I was talking about 8(adi tala cycle) and 3(tisram).The LCM of this is 24.Now, 24 is a multiple of 2, 4, and 6 as well. Using this theory of mathematics, the maestro has divided two lines in the charanams as 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6.So Tisram sounds Chatusram in 4 phrases.But the magician does not stop here. He has made the percussion play in ‘Usi’.
Let us understand the concept of Talas a little more.
The place where the Tala begins is called as ‘Eduppu’. A composition follows any of the following three different patterns of Eduppu .
1.Samam-when the tala begins along with the song.
2.Atheeta Eduppu-If the song begins first and Tala cycle starts after this,it is Atheetham.
3.Anaagata Eduppu-If the Tala beats start before the song begins, it is Anaagatam.
Apart from these is the concept of ‘Usi’-that is the stress on the even syllables/beats.
ILaiyaraaja has used all these four concepts rather prolifically.
‘ILamandinil’ starts in samam.However, In CharaNams when he divides the beats, he has applied ‘Usi’ to make it sound more beautiful.
We shall see this again as we go along.
The composition starts with the strings playing ‘ sa pa Sa’ and the chorus following suit. No percussion but still Tisram is clearly perceptible.
The notes are now strung together like a beautiful garland by the flute.We see the gentle curves of the Raga as the violins, viola and the cello peregrinate.
The percussion starts now and it follows
‘Ta ka ta ka dhi mi’ with the stress on the first ‘Ta’ and the second one (ka) not played. It weaves a splendid veil making us more curious.
The Pallavi starts now with the refined articulation and the melodic expression of Yesudass.
The first interlude slowly unveils the beauty.The chorus say syllables-‘ta ri ki ta thaam’ ‘ta ri ki ta dheem’ ‘ta ri ki ta jam’ ‘ta ri ki ta nam’-6 each.
The female voice of Sasirekha hums the raga and the chorus continues in Tisram-‘ta ki ta ta ka dhi mi ta ka’-with ‘ta ki ta’ in slow speed and ‘ta ka dhi mi ta ka’ in fast speed that is the speed matching the first ‘ta ki ta’.
The flute now voyages through the rhythmic patterns while the violins move with a sense of relish.
The chorus sings 6(3x2) 8 times completing one cycle(called as one avarthanam) of adi talam.The male voice sings the words in the same pattern followed by the female voice.
Suddenly there is a change of pattern.
It is now split as ta ka/ ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka dhi mi /ta ka dhi mi/ta ka ta ka dhi mi twice making it 24x2.Most importantly the percussion is played in Usi with the stress on the second syllable ‘ka’.
It is like a starburst with thundershowers!
In the second interlude the dainty guitar is sated with delicate swirls with the violins making wide and spectacular sweeps. The languid grace juxtaposed with remarkable arithmetic accuracy is exhilarating.
The pattern of the first charaNam continues in the second and the third charaNams as well.
The Third interlude has the skilful embellishments with the veena , santoor and the bass guitar taking us to the deeper levels of the raga’s beauty. The aesthetically affable chorus adds punch.
The composition is a balance between subtlety and exuberance.
An ingenious work.
An exquisite ornament made of raga and tala.
அவர் மனதினில் எழும் இசையினில் விழி மலர்கிறதே..
இரண்டு என, மூன்று என, நான்கு என, ஐந்து என
ஆறு என, ஏழு என, எட்டு என, தொண்டு என
நால்வகை ஊழி எண் நவிற்றும் சிறப்பினை
‘Zero, quarter, half, one,
Two, three, four, five,
Six, Seven, Eight, Nine,
Thus the four eons speak about the numbers’.
Does this sound like a Kindergarten class?
Well.. almost! But is it not a fact that what we read (or for that matter experience) during our childhood stays with us forever?
Foundation.. If this is strong, the building is strong. Otherwise, it collapses.
Going back to the poem quoted- it is from a work called ‘Paripaadal’. Paripaadal was composed by different poets during the 1st Century AD and is part of eight anthologies called as ‘Ettuththogai’. These eight along with the 10 long poems- called as ‘Paththuppaattu’- form the core of Tamizh Sangam Literature.
Sangam means an Academy or Fraternity. It is said that there were 3 Sangams – the first one lasting 4,440 years, the second one lasting 3,700 years and the third one lasting 1,850 years. It is also said that a Great Flood destroyed many kingdoms and a large body of literature.
All the works of the First Sangam have been lost forever. The grammar work ‘Tolkappiyam’(I had quoted from this work in my posts on the music of ‘ULiyin Osai’ where I explained as to how classical dance and music were part of the Tamizh culture) belongs to the Second Sangam while the ‘Eight Anthologies’ and the ‘Ten Long Poems’ are part of the Third Sangam period.
The length of the Sangam poems varies between 3 lines and 800 lines. There are 2381 Sangam poems of course not taking the first and the second Sangams into account.
'Paripaadal’ is the one of the oldest texts that has notes on music. In Tamizh music, a Raga is called as ‘PaN’. Under each group of poems in ‘Paripaadal’, there is a mention about the ‘PaN’ on which it is based on. Similar to our Films, the songs(poems) would be written by one person and would be set to music by another person.
The poem quoted in the beginning was written by ‘Kaduvan iLaveyinanaar’ and was set to music by ‘Pettanaaganaar’. It is sung eulogizing Lord Vishnu and is set to ‘Paalaiyaazh’ which is the equivalent of Shankarabharanam.
This also shows that God has always been part of tamizh culture despite the claim made by the so-called rationalists in Tamizh Nadu.
In a way, ‘Paripaadal’ was a precursor to ‘Naalayira Divya Prabandham’,the sacred book of Srivaishnavas.I find a lot of parallels between the works of ‘Kaduvan iLaveyinaar’ and Aazhwars-Thirumazhisai azhwar in particular.I have quoted some verses of ‘Thirumazhisai Aazhwar’in this thread.Please refer the post ‘Laya Raja’ and ‘ILaiyaraaja’s music is unique’ where I quoted from his ‘Thiruchchandaviruththam’ that talks about the numbers.
Talking about numbers, let us remember that numbers revolve around us always whether we like it or not.
Take the poem quoted for example. It sounds so simple but yet throws up a lot of philosophical pointers. I am not getting too deep into it since it is beyond the scope of this thread. It is enough if I say that the Universe revolves around numbers.Have a look at the paragraphs that follow the poems in my post.
‘1st Century, ‘8 anthologies’, ’10 Long Poems’, ‘3 Sangams’, ‘4440, 3700,1850 years’, 3 and 800 lines’, ‘2381 poems’… well can there be a world without numbers? Can there be a Life without numbers?
Eons, Years, Months, Weeks, Days, Hours, Minutes, Seconds..
We find the numbers in music as well. Though all forms of music have rhythm(and therefore numbers), Carnatic Music gives a lot of importance to numbers.In the Raga system, it is the 72 melakartas and the different permutations and combinations of swaras while in the Tala system, it is the beats/cycle.
There are 108 Talas in Carnatic music.Let us now look at the major Five-patterns(called as Pancha Nadai).
The 3-beat cycle is called as Tisram, the 4-beat is Chatusram, the 5-beat is Khandam, the 7-beat-Misram and the 9-beat-Sankeernam.It is indeed a very vast subject and let us understand these basics as of now (Foundation!).
In a carnatic music concert, during the percussion ensemble-called as Tani avarthanam- the percussion artistes generally play in different nadais.
Almost all film songs follow the 8-beat cycle called as Adi Talam.There are also songs that follow the Tisra gati in this cycle. We will come to that a little later.
However, not many composers have composed songs in Misram and Khandam.
The Maestro is an exception.
In this Blog, we have been seeing his usage of not just the ragas but also the talas.
He has also used cross-rhythms (two patterns running simultaneously-example ‘Endrendrum Aanandame’ and change in gatis-example ‘Innum Ennai Enna Siyya PogiRai’
There have also been a lot of intricate mathematical patterns involved in his compositions.
He often talks about the ‘KaalapramaaNam’ in music.People who have seen him work vouch for his perfect sense of timing especially during the background scores. He would watch a scene, take a piece of paper, write the notes, give it to the various artistes and start recording. The piece of music would exactly fit the scene in terms of the duration.
This is because ‘Kaalapramanam’ is inherent in him.
That is why he is ‘Laya Raja’.
Today, we are going to see a composition of his that reveals his penchant for Laya.
The song is ‘ILamanadinil’ from the film ‘ManjaL Nila’(1982).
The song is based on Mayamalavagowla, the 15th Melakarta.
All basic (foundation) classes in carnatic music are taught in this raga because of its symmetric structure.
Its structure is: sa ri1 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri1 sa.
The swara ‘ri1’ is very close to ‘sa’, with the ‘ga’ ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ ‘dha’ being next to each other.The last swara ‘ni’ is very close to the upper ‘Sa’. Such a structure is very easy to understand for beginners.
I mentioned about the Adi-Tala and Tisra nadai.
This composition follows this pattern. But something does happen in the CharaNams and let us see that soon.
I was talking about 8(adi tala cycle) and 3(tisram).The LCM of this is 24.Now, 24 is a multiple of 2, 4, and 6 as well. Using this theory of mathematics, the maestro has divided two lines in the charanams as 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6.So Tisram sounds Chatusram in 4 phrases.But the magician does not stop here. He has made the percussion play in ‘Usi’.
Let us understand the concept of Talas a little more.
The place where the Tala begins is called as ‘Eduppu’. A composition follows any of the following three different patterns of Eduppu .
1.Samam-when the tala begins along with the song.
2.Atheeta Eduppu-If the song begins first and Tala cycle starts after this,it is Atheetham.
3.Anaagata Eduppu-If the Tala beats start before the song begins, it is Anaagatam.
Apart from these is the concept of ‘Usi’-that is the stress on the even syllables/beats.
ILaiyaraaja has used all these four concepts rather prolifically.
‘ILamandinil’ starts in samam.However, In CharaNams when he divides the beats, he has applied ‘Usi’ to make it sound more beautiful.
We shall see this again as we go along.
The composition starts with the strings playing ‘ sa pa Sa’ and the chorus following suit. No percussion but still Tisram is clearly perceptible.
The notes are now strung together like a beautiful garland by the flute.We see the gentle curves of the Raga as the violins, viola and the cello peregrinate.
The percussion starts now and it follows
‘Ta ka ta ka dhi mi’ with the stress on the first ‘Ta’ and the second one (ka) not played. It weaves a splendid veil making us more curious.
The Pallavi starts now with the refined articulation and the melodic expression of Yesudass.
The first interlude slowly unveils the beauty.The chorus say syllables-‘ta ri ki ta thaam’ ‘ta ri ki ta dheem’ ‘ta ri ki ta jam’ ‘ta ri ki ta nam’-6 each.
The female voice of Sasirekha hums the raga and the chorus continues in Tisram-‘ta ki ta ta ka dhi mi ta ka’-with ‘ta ki ta’ in slow speed and ‘ta ka dhi mi ta ka’ in fast speed that is the speed matching the first ‘ta ki ta’.
The flute now voyages through the rhythmic patterns while the violins move with a sense of relish.
The chorus sings 6(3x2) 8 times completing one cycle(called as one avarthanam) of adi talam.The male voice sings the words in the same pattern followed by the female voice.
Suddenly there is a change of pattern.
It is now split as ta ka/ ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka dhi mi /ta ka dhi mi/ta ka ta ka dhi mi twice making it 24x2.Most importantly the percussion is played in Usi with the stress on the second syllable ‘ka’.
It is like a starburst with thundershowers!
In the second interlude the dainty guitar is sated with delicate swirls with the violins making wide and spectacular sweeps. The languid grace juxtaposed with remarkable arithmetic accuracy is exhilarating.
The pattern of the first charaNam continues in the second and the third charaNams as well.
The Third interlude has the skilful embellishments with the veena , santoor and the bass guitar taking us to the deeper levels of the raga’s beauty. The aesthetically affable chorus adds punch.
The composition is a balance between subtlety and exuberance.
An ingenious work.
An exquisite ornament made of raga and tala.
அவர் மனதினில் எழும் இசையினில் விழி மலர்கிறதே..
| http://www.divshare.com/download/16330146-973 |
Friday, 27 November 2009
ILaiyaraaja's Music is Poetic..
There is poetry in everything.
If only we are able to understand and appreciate the poetry in what we see, what we feel and what we experience, our life will be more beautiful.
One need not be a poet to do this. In fact, one does not have to be even a writer.All it requires is an objective view with a sense of aesthetics.
This does not mean that if one takes a poetic view, the problem will be solved automatically. Or that one can take an escapist route, live in a Utopian world and let things pass. One will certainly have to deal with a problem, and find a solution.
At the same time, there are things in the world that are beyond our control. Events that happen just like that. Episodes that unfold before us without our being prepared for them. Happenings that make us strongly believe that Life is very unfair to us.
Now, think!
The things, events, episodes, happenings cannot change. But the way we look at them is in our hands and this can definitely change.
What happens if we look at the hidden poetry in an event?
The cause or the effect would remain. But we become more refined. More mature. More affable.
One finds such happenings in Literature.
In my previous post, I mentioned as to how two small girls sang a poem when they were confronted with a personal tragedy.It is not that this emotive outflow directly helped them tide over the crisis.But it did give them solace.
It is also a fact that the poem brought them a lot of laurels.(as per history, they were later married off to King Deiveegan in a place called Thirukovilur and lived happily ever after!).
Now have a look at this poem from KuRunthogai written by MiLaipperum Kandhanar :
சுடர் செல் வானம் சேப்பப் படர்கூர்ந்து
எல்லறு பொழுதின் முல்லை மலரும்
மாலை என்மனார் மயங்கியோரே
குடுமிக் கோழி நெடுநகர் இயம்பும்
பெரும்புலர் விடியலும் மாலை
பகலும் மாலை துணையிலோர்க்கே
‘Only the dim witted say it’s evening when the sun goes down
And the sky reddens when misery deepens
And the mullai begins to bloom in the dusk
But even when the tufted cock calls in the long city and the long night breaks into dawn
It is evening; even noon is evening to one who has no one’.
The girl waits for her lover to return.And she pours out saying ‘to me everything looks like evening in the absence of my lover’.
Look how poetically she describes her misery.
There is poetry in waiting. There is poetry in longing. There is poetry in misery.
There is of course poetry in music.
In this Blog, we have been seeing the hidden beauties in ILaiyaraaja’s music.
All of us know his natural ability to compose melodious tunes.
But what sets him apart is the way the he deals with human emotions in his compositions.
Though each raga has an emotion attached to it, it is not the ragas alone that matter here.It is the way, they are used and applied (especially in film music).
ILaiyaraaja is a Master in this art and this makes his compositions sound more poetic.
The composition we are going to see today is about a complex relationship. It is sung by a woman who is caught between two worlds-one that gives her pleasure and the one that gives her pain. A case of pain being a pleasure and pleasure being painful. She is driven by an overriding sense of guilt, but still she seems to revel in the situation.
The composition is ‘Ennullil Engo’ from ‘Rosappoo Ravikkaikari’(1979).
It is based on Dharmavathy, a raga known to evoke nostalgic feelings and a sense of yearning.
It is the 59th melakarta and its structure is
Sa ri2 ga2 ma2 pa dha2 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma2 ga2 ri2 sa.
If one changes the variant of ‘ga’, it becomes Kalyani, a totally different raga in terms of the emotions it invokes.
That is the beauty of music..
I had mentioned about the way the Maestro’s uses the ragas.
Just to quote an example, the same Dharmavathy was used in ‘MeeNdum MeeNdum Vaa’(Vikram)- a very romantic song.
In ‘Ennullil Engo’, he avoids the use of ‘ri’ and ‘dha’ in many phrases making it sound like Madhuvanti(loosely the Hindustani counterpart of Dharmavathy).
He does apply one more technique to depict the character and we shall see this later.
Let us look at the composition.
The rich tone of Sarod surrounds us and the Violins surge forth with energy.The Santoor now smiles the flute exuding sensitivity.
This prelude prepares us for the feast waiting for us.
The pallavi in the crystal clear voice of Vani Jayaram is redolent with melody.
The first part is simple until the words ‘En KetgiRathu’.It then oscillates gently giving us a very different feeling.
The pause between the Pallavi and the first interlude is brilliantly conceived and executed.
The violins then play with a yearning tone. They become enticingly energetic when the Flute joins and takes glittering flights. It is height of ecstasy as we hear the violins, the swirling flute and the succulent tone of the Santoor.
The CharaNam is delightfully layered.
We see and hear the melodic tint in the first two lines.This is followed by a plethora of sangatis giving the nuances of the raga with wonderful shades of musicality.
The second interlude is a masterpiece.
The Flute gives an array of arresting patterns.As we begin to lose ourselves in the lightning flashes, we are led to a world of sheer magic.
The Shruti changes and the ‘ri’ is taken as a base to give a completely different ragam-Chakaravagam.We have discussed this concept of Gruha Bedam in this thread.
The Maestro has used it extensively in many compositions and I think he used it for the first time in this song.
I also feel he must have used it to depict the emotional upheaval of the character.
Sparks of ingenuity!
Dharmavathy is back with the puissant sound of the sitar followed by the dazzling santoor.
It is a composition captures the entire gamut of human emotions with unfettered musical acumen.
I yearn to hear more and more of your poetic music..
என்னுள்ளம் எப்போதும் ஏங்குவது உனது இசையினைக் கேட்டிடத்தான்..
If only we are able to understand and appreciate the poetry in what we see, what we feel and what we experience, our life will be more beautiful.
One need not be a poet to do this. In fact, one does not have to be even a writer.All it requires is an objective view with a sense of aesthetics.
This does not mean that if one takes a poetic view, the problem will be solved automatically. Or that one can take an escapist route, live in a Utopian world and let things pass. One will certainly have to deal with a problem, and find a solution.
At the same time, there are things in the world that are beyond our control. Events that happen just like that. Episodes that unfold before us without our being prepared for them. Happenings that make us strongly believe that Life is very unfair to us.
Now, think!
The things, events, episodes, happenings cannot change. But the way we look at them is in our hands and this can definitely change.
What happens if we look at the hidden poetry in an event?
The cause or the effect would remain. But we become more refined. More mature. More affable.
One finds such happenings in Literature.
In my previous post, I mentioned as to how two small girls sang a poem when they were confronted with a personal tragedy.It is not that this emotive outflow directly helped them tide over the crisis.But it did give them solace.
It is also a fact that the poem brought them a lot of laurels.(as per history, they were later married off to King Deiveegan in a place called Thirukovilur and lived happily ever after!).
Now have a look at this poem from KuRunthogai written by MiLaipperum Kandhanar :
சுடர் செல் வானம் சேப்பப் படர்கூர்ந்து
எல்லறு பொழுதின் முல்லை மலரும்
மாலை என்மனார் மயங்கியோரே
குடுமிக் கோழி நெடுநகர் இயம்பும்
பெரும்புலர் விடியலும் மாலை
பகலும் மாலை துணையிலோர்க்கே
‘Only the dim witted say it’s evening when the sun goes down
And the sky reddens when misery deepens
And the mullai begins to bloom in the dusk
But even when the tufted cock calls in the long city and the long night breaks into dawn
It is evening; even noon is evening to one who has no one’.
The girl waits for her lover to return.And she pours out saying ‘to me everything looks like evening in the absence of my lover’.
Look how poetically she describes her misery.
There is poetry in waiting. There is poetry in longing. There is poetry in misery.
There is of course poetry in music.
In this Blog, we have been seeing the hidden beauties in ILaiyaraaja’s music.
All of us know his natural ability to compose melodious tunes.
But what sets him apart is the way the he deals with human emotions in his compositions.
Though each raga has an emotion attached to it, it is not the ragas alone that matter here.It is the way, they are used and applied (especially in film music).
ILaiyaraaja is a Master in this art and this makes his compositions sound more poetic.
The composition we are going to see today is about a complex relationship. It is sung by a woman who is caught between two worlds-one that gives her pleasure and the one that gives her pain. A case of pain being a pleasure and pleasure being painful. She is driven by an overriding sense of guilt, but still she seems to revel in the situation.
The composition is ‘Ennullil Engo’ from ‘Rosappoo Ravikkaikari’(1979).
It is based on Dharmavathy, a raga known to evoke nostalgic feelings and a sense of yearning.
It is the 59th melakarta and its structure is
Sa ri2 ga2 ma2 pa dha2 ni3 Sa/Sa ni3 dha2 pa ma2 ga2 ri2 sa.
If one changes the variant of ‘ga’, it becomes Kalyani, a totally different raga in terms of the emotions it invokes.
That is the beauty of music..
I had mentioned about the way the Maestro’s uses the ragas.
Just to quote an example, the same Dharmavathy was used in ‘MeeNdum MeeNdum Vaa’(Vikram)- a very romantic song.
In ‘Ennullil Engo’, he avoids the use of ‘ri’ and ‘dha’ in many phrases making it sound like Madhuvanti(loosely the Hindustani counterpart of Dharmavathy).
He does apply one more technique to depict the character and we shall see this later.
Let us look at the composition.
The rich tone of Sarod surrounds us and the Violins surge forth with energy.The Santoor now smiles the flute exuding sensitivity.
This prelude prepares us for the feast waiting for us.
The pallavi in the crystal clear voice of Vani Jayaram is redolent with melody.
The first part is simple until the words ‘En KetgiRathu’.It then oscillates gently giving us a very different feeling.
The pause between the Pallavi and the first interlude is brilliantly conceived and executed.
The violins then play with a yearning tone. They become enticingly energetic when the Flute joins and takes glittering flights. It is height of ecstasy as we hear the violins, the swirling flute and the succulent tone of the Santoor.
The CharaNam is delightfully layered.
We see and hear the melodic tint in the first two lines.This is followed by a plethora of sangatis giving the nuances of the raga with wonderful shades of musicality.
The second interlude is a masterpiece.
The Flute gives an array of arresting patterns.As we begin to lose ourselves in the lightning flashes, we are led to a world of sheer magic.
The Shruti changes and the ‘ri’ is taken as a base to give a completely different ragam-Chakaravagam.We have discussed this concept of Gruha Bedam in this thread.
The Maestro has used it extensively in many compositions and I think he used it for the first time in this song.
I also feel he must have used it to depict the emotional upheaval of the character.
Sparks of ingenuity!
Dharmavathy is back with the puissant sound of the sitar followed by the dazzling santoor.
It is a composition captures the entire gamut of human emotions with unfettered musical acumen.
I yearn to hear more and more of your poetic music..
என்னுள்ளம் எப்போதும் ஏங்குவது உனது இசையினைக் கேட்டிடத்தான்..
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Saturday, 21 November 2009
ILaiyaraaja's Music- Subtle..and Graceful!
‘That month in that white moonlight,
We had our father and no one could take the hill.
This month in this white moonlight,
Kings with drums drumming victory have taken over the hill,
And we have no father’.
அற்றைத் திங்கள் அவ் வெண் நிலவில்,
எந்தையும் உடையேம்; எம் குன்றும் பிறர் கொளார்;
இற்றைத் திங்கள் இவ் வெண் நிலவில்,
வென்று எறி முரசின் வேந்தர் எம்
குன்றும் கொண்டார்; யாம் எந்தையும் இலமே!
(English Translation Courtesy-A.K.Ramanujan)
A very simple poem indeed! But there is something in this that gives us a very different feeling; a feeling that is difficult to describe..
Let us look at the background and see as to who wrote this.
This was sung by two small girls, Angavai and Sangavai who were the daughters of a King called Paari. They were just around 8 years old when they sang this.
Difficult to believe?
This poem is taken from ‘PuRanaanooru’, -a collection of 400 verses- part of the Ettuthogai of Tamizh Sangam literature(100 B.C.-A.D.250).
‘PuRanaanooru’ talks about kings, valour, war, death etc.,
Out of the 400 poems, 16 poems (105-120) revolve around the King Paari, a privilege not enjoyed by any other king.
Who was this Paari? What was so special about him?
A King who was magnanimous, giving, kind, charitable, benevolent, munificent and noble..
It is said that once when he was going around his kingdom in his chariot, he saw a jasmine creeper lying on the way without any support. So large hearted and compassionate was Paari that he offered his chariot to the creeper(for support) and walked all the way back to his palace!
His kingdom was the ‘PaRampu Hill’, very small compared to the other great kingdoms.
However, the Hill was as wide as the sky and the pools flashed like the stars. In his Hill, fruits were crammed with segments of sweet flesh and the rich tall hill would drip with honey. The Greenland knew no lack of rains and even the bushes would flower.
Hearing the beauty and the richness of the PaRampu Hill, the ‘Bigger Kings’ decide to acquire it. They scheme, plot and capture the Hill.
Paari, whose arms were strong, whose spears were sharp and whose chariots gleamed is killed by the cunning and crafty honchos.
Now, read that poem sung by the little girls.
Does it not have an indefinable tenderness and an irresistable appeal?
This is what great literature is all about.
Subtle and Graceful!
Great Music too has such an appeal. It takes us to a new plane; a territory that is beautiful and magnificent.
Many compositions of one of the greatest musicians in the Film world are so subtle that at times they even sound very simple. At the same time, if one delves deep into it, one understands how beautiful, graceful and intricate they are.
This musician’s journey in pursuit of sublime depth of music has given us compositions that touch a very deep chord in us. This is precisely the reason for many of his songs sounding so fresh and yet every time we listen to them, we discover new hidden meanings.
Today, we are going to see one more composition of his.
It is ‘Konji Karaiyalle’ from the Malayalam film ‘Poomukhappadiyil Ninneyum Kaaththu’(1986).
The composition is based on Sindhu Bhairavi.
This Raga is special because of many reasons.
Let us look at the formal structure.
Derived from the 10th Melakarata Natakapriya,
its Arohana is sa ri2 ga2 ma1 ga2 pa dha1 ni2 Sa
and its avarohana- ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga2 ri1 sa ni2 sa.
However, this is only on paper and it is one of the ragas that is defined more by the prayogas.All the 12 swaras can be used in this raga.
The Raga originates from Hindustani music-where it is known by the name Bhairavi. ’Bhairavi’ is one of the eight forms of the Devi.The meaning of ’Sindhu’is ‘born from the sea or the river.
Look how the name itself is very interesting.
The raga has the capability to attract even the uninitiated or the untutored.
So well has the Carnatic system adopted this Ragam that a Carnatic recital is incomplete without the rendering of Sindhu Bhairavi Raga(either as a Slokam or as part of a Ragamalika).
A subtle and graceful Raga, Sindhu Bhairavi evokes a very different feeling difficult to express.
It is not a surprise that this is one of the most favourite ragas of the Maestro. I say favourite because he has composed more than 100 songs in this raga alone.
Now, you would have understood as to why I called this a very special Raga.
Let us now look at the composition.
It has a rather unusual beginning. A plaintive violin in the higher octave joined by the viola in the lower octave and a very different and distinct whistle. Musical piece that is stirring and inspiring.
It is enlivened by the voices of Yesudass and Janaki.The pause(of 2-beats) is supple as our hearts miss a beat or two.The Pallavi brims with energy and has an evocative appeal.
The yearning continues in the first interlude with the vivacious flute etching vignettes of a beautiful sketch.It is a chiaroscuro as the zestful strings and the whistle give a discursive picture of Sindhu Bhairavi.
We see the delicate sensitivities of expression in the CharaNam.The first two lines are pulsating and at the same time delicate.Mellifluence splashes in the next two lines as the duo Yesudass and Janaki sing together.The following line sparkles in the voice of Janaki.
It is divine sound now as we hear the chiming of the bell.The strings whoosh through with the viola moulding the nuances of the raga.We see the myriad hues and the attractive flounces as the notes in sets of three are played in varying patterns.
The second CharaNam is dynamic and delectable.
The composition shows the artistic integrity.
It is an outpouring of creativity.
It traverses unexpected vistas.
Simple.. yet Attractive..
Subtle.. yet Deep..
Graceful.. yet Meaningful..
‘Moist Eyes..Melting Hearts..’
We had our father and no one could take the hill.
This month in this white moonlight,
Kings with drums drumming victory have taken over the hill,
And we have no father’.
அற்றைத் திங்கள் அவ் வெண் நிலவில்,
எந்தையும் உடையேம்; எம் குன்றும் பிறர் கொளார்;
இற்றைத் திங்கள் இவ் வெண் நிலவில்,
வென்று எறி முரசின் வேந்தர் எம்
குன்றும் கொண்டார்; யாம் எந்தையும் இலமே!
(English Translation Courtesy-A.K.Ramanujan)
A very simple poem indeed! But there is something in this that gives us a very different feeling; a feeling that is difficult to describe..
Let us look at the background and see as to who wrote this.
This was sung by two small girls, Angavai and Sangavai who were the daughters of a King called Paari. They were just around 8 years old when they sang this.
Difficult to believe?
This poem is taken from ‘PuRanaanooru’, -a collection of 400 verses- part of the Ettuthogai of Tamizh Sangam literature(100 B.C.-A.D.250).
‘PuRanaanooru’ talks about kings, valour, war, death etc.,
Out of the 400 poems, 16 poems (105-120) revolve around the King Paari, a privilege not enjoyed by any other king.
Who was this Paari? What was so special about him?
A King who was magnanimous, giving, kind, charitable, benevolent, munificent and noble..
It is said that once when he was going around his kingdom in his chariot, he saw a jasmine creeper lying on the way without any support. So large hearted and compassionate was Paari that he offered his chariot to the creeper(for support) and walked all the way back to his palace!
His kingdom was the ‘PaRampu Hill’, very small compared to the other great kingdoms.
However, the Hill was as wide as the sky and the pools flashed like the stars. In his Hill, fruits were crammed with segments of sweet flesh and the rich tall hill would drip with honey. The Greenland knew no lack of rains and even the bushes would flower.
Hearing the beauty and the richness of the PaRampu Hill, the ‘Bigger Kings’ decide to acquire it. They scheme, plot and capture the Hill.
Paari, whose arms were strong, whose spears were sharp and whose chariots gleamed is killed by the cunning and crafty honchos.
Now, read that poem sung by the little girls.
Does it not have an indefinable tenderness and an irresistable appeal?
This is what great literature is all about.
Subtle and Graceful!
Great Music too has such an appeal. It takes us to a new plane; a territory that is beautiful and magnificent.
Many compositions of one of the greatest musicians in the Film world are so subtle that at times they even sound very simple. At the same time, if one delves deep into it, one understands how beautiful, graceful and intricate they are.
This musician’s journey in pursuit of sublime depth of music has given us compositions that touch a very deep chord in us. This is precisely the reason for many of his songs sounding so fresh and yet every time we listen to them, we discover new hidden meanings.
Today, we are going to see one more composition of his.
It is ‘Konji Karaiyalle’ from the Malayalam film ‘Poomukhappadiyil Ninneyum Kaaththu’(1986).
The composition is based on Sindhu Bhairavi.
This Raga is special because of many reasons.
Let us look at the formal structure.
Derived from the 10th Melakarata Natakapriya,
its Arohana is sa ri2 ga2 ma1 ga2 pa dha1 ni2 Sa
and its avarohana- ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga2 ri1 sa ni2 sa.
However, this is only on paper and it is one of the ragas that is defined more by the prayogas.All the 12 swaras can be used in this raga.
The Raga originates from Hindustani music-where it is known by the name Bhairavi. ’Bhairavi’ is one of the eight forms of the Devi.The meaning of ’Sindhu’is ‘born from the sea or the river.
Look how the name itself is very interesting.
The raga has the capability to attract even the uninitiated or the untutored.
So well has the Carnatic system adopted this Ragam that a Carnatic recital is incomplete without the rendering of Sindhu Bhairavi Raga(either as a Slokam or as part of a Ragamalika).
A subtle and graceful Raga, Sindhu Bhairavi evokes a very different feeling difficult to express.
It is not a surprise that this is one of the most favourite ragas of the Maestro. I say favourite because he has composed more than 100 songs in this raga alone.
Now, you would have understood as to why I called this a very special Raga.
Let us now look at the composition.
It has a rather unusual beginning. A plaintive violin in the higher octave joined by the viola in the lower octave and a very different and distinct whistle. Musical piece that is stirring and inspiring.
It is enlivened by the voices of Yesudass and Janaki.The pause(of 2-beats) is supple as our hearts miss a beat or two.The Pallavi brims with energy and has an evocative appeal.
The yearning continues in the first interlude with the vivacious flute etching vignettes of a beautiful sketch.It is a chiaroscuro as the zestful strings and the whistle give a discursive picture of Sindhu Bhairavi.
We see the delicate sensitivities of expression in the CharaNam.The first two lines are pulsating and at the same time delicate.Mellifluence splashes in the next two lines as the duo Yesudass and Janaki sing together.The following line sparkles in the voice of Janaki.
It is divine sound now as we hear the chiming of the bell.The strings whoosh through with the viola moulding the nuances of the raga.We see the myriad hues and the attractive flounces as the notes in sets of three are played in varying patterns.
The second CharaNam is dynamic and delectable.
The composition shows the artistic integrity.
It is an outpouring of creativity.
It traverses unexpected vistas.
Simple.. yet Attractive..
Subtle.. yet Deep..
Graceful.. yet Meaningful..
‘Moist Eyes..Melting Hearts..’
|
Friday, 13 November 2009
ILaiyaraaja's Music is Divine..
At times we tend to misunderstand or misinterpret certain words. The word ‘sensuality’ is a classic example.
In the Madras Music and Dance Season in Dec 2007, there was a symposium on a very interesting and intriguing topic-‘Sensuality in Dance and Music’. One of the persons ( a senior dancer!) who gave the introduction on the first day went to the extent of defining sensuality with the help of a Dictionary and said the word would also mean ‘debauchery’.
Thankfully, T M Krishna, the young and energetic musician known for his forthright views and comments said the word could be interpreted in so many ways. 'Sensuality' according to him is something that gives him immense pleasure.
Carnatic Music does give him great pleasure.
He went on to play the recordings of stalwarts like Madurai Mani Iyer, GNB, Semmangudi and said these voices are sensual according to him though some ‘purists’ may not agree.
The problem is such topics remain as taboos and even making a mention is considered to be sacrilegious.
Of course there is a thin line dividing between ‘sensuality’ and ‘vulgarity’. In the case of some artistes this line gets blurred and one feels the vulgarity -or even the term defined so well by that dancer who gave the introductory speech- when they perform.
It is the way the artiste expresses the art form.
The fact of the matter is almost all the Varnams, Padams, Javalis in Bharathanatyam are erotic but it is used as a vehicle to get close to the almighty and attain divinity.
We have this in Bhakthi Literature as well. Naalaayira Divya Prabandham, Geeta Govindam are some examples.
Therefore there is nothing wrong if we say classical music is sensuous (provided of course that we fully understand the meaning and say this!).
ILaiyaraaja’s music appeals to our senses and touches the soul. It is Sensual and Divine!
By using very different ragas, he has given new meanings and new dimensions.
One such Raga is Vakulabharanam.
Vakulabharanam is a very interesting Raga.It is the 14th Melakartha and is very close to Mayamalawagowla and Todi.
The variant of ‘ni’ is different in Mayamalawagowla and that of ‘ga’ is different in Todi.
But this is only on paper.
Vakulabharanam has a unique flavour that is unmatched. In fact it would surprise many if I say that this Raga has lot of Arabic flavour.
Yes, this Raga is sensuous in deed.
Raja brought out this flavour wonderfully in ‘Kinnaththil Then Vadiththu..’(ILamai Oonjalaadugirathu).
But what is more amazing is the way he used this Raga in a philosophical song, ‘Aaarum Athu Aaazhamillai’(Muthal Vasantham) bringing out the somber mood of this Raga.
That is why he is called Raga Devan!
Let us see the structure of the Ragam:
Sa ri1 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri1 sa.
The composition?
It is ‘Eee Daha’ from the Kannada film 'Shikari'.
The song opens with Janaki singing a brief subtle aalap mellifluously and the Raga unfolds in absolute astuteness. The strings then play with dash and spirit.
The Pallavi exudes the characteristic charm of the Raga with a built- in interplay of laya.
The first interlude gives the energetic sound patterns imbued with an intensity that makes us dance. The riveting and reposeful chorus is soporific. Suddenly the trumpets leap out at us with vibrancy.
Mark of a Genius!
The Charanam has intricately braided passages as the voice glissades.The Bass Guitar swirls ,twirls and prances.
Exotic..
The second interlude sparkles with the myriad facets of the Raga.The Guitar gives the variegated patterns.
It glides sinuously ..
It whirs past us..
It is plangent ..
It is meditative ..
We see the Musical Intelligence, Integrity and Intent.
It is a state of enlightened mystification.
Sensuous …..Divine….
இசையென்னும் கிண்ணத்தில் இனிமையென்னும் தேனை அள்ளித்தருபவர் அல்லவா அவர்?
Does he not give us cups of honey in the form of Music?
In the Madras Music and Dance Season in Dec 2007, there was a symposium on a very interesting and intriguing topic-‘Sensuality in Dance and Music’. One of the persons ( a senior dancer!) who gave the introduction on the first day went to the extent of defining sensuality with the help of a Dictionary and said the word would also mean ‘debauchery’.
Thankfully, T M Krishna, the young and energetic musician known for his forthright views and comments said the word could be interpreted in so many ways. 'Sensuality' according to him is something that gives him immense pleasure.
Carnatic Music does give him great pleasure.
He went on to play the recordings of stalwarts like Madurai Mani Iyer, GNB, Semmangudi and said these voices are sensual according to him though some ‘purists’ may not agree.
The problem is such topics remain as taboos and even making a mention is considered to be sacrilegious.
Of course there is a thin line dividing between ‘sensuality’ and ‘vulgarity’. In the case of some artistes this line gets blurred and one feels the vulgarity -or even the term defined so well by that dancer who gave the introductory speech- when they perform.
It is the way the artiste expresses the art form.
The fact of the matter is almost all the Varnams, Padams, Javalis in Bharathanatyam are erotic but it is used as a vehicle to get close to the almighty and attain divinity.
We have this in Bhakthi Literature as well. Naalaayira Divya Prabandham, Geeta Govindam are some examples.
Therefore there is nothing wrong if we say classical music is sensuous (provided of course that we fully understand the meaning and say this!).
ILaiyaraaja’s music appeals to our senses and touches the soul. It is Sensual and Divine!
By using very different ragas, he has given new meanings and new dimensions.
One such Raga is Vakulabharanam.
Vakulabharanam is a very interesting Raga.It is the 14th Melakartha and is very close to Mayamalawagowla and Todi.
The variant of ‘ni’ is different in Mayamalawagowla and that of ‘ga’ is different in Todi.
But this is only on paper.
Vakulabharanam has a unique flavour that is unmatched. In fact it would surprise many if I say that this Raga has lot of Arabic flavour.
Yes, this Raga is sensuous in deed.
Raja brought out this flavour wonderfully in ‘Kinnaththil Then Vadiththu..’(ILamai Oonjalaadugirathu).
But what is more amazing is the way he used this Raga in a philosophical song, ‘Aaarum Athu Aaazhamillai’(Muthal Vasantham) bringing out the somber mood of this Raga.
That is why he is called Raga Devan!
Let us see the structure of the Ragam:
Sa ri1 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni2 Sa/Sa ni2 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri1 sa.
The composition?
It is ‘Eee Daha’ from the Kannada film 'Shikari'.
The song opens with Janaki singing a brief subtle aalap mellifluously and the Raga unfolds in absolute astuteness. The strings then play with dash and spirit.
The Pallavi exudes the characteristic charm of the Raga with a built- in interplay of laya.
The first interlude gives the energetic sound patterns imbued with an intensity that makes us dance. The riveting and reposeful chorus is soporific. Suddenly the trumpets leap out at us with vibrancy.
Mark of a Genius!
The Charanam has intricately braided passages as the voice glissades.The Bass Guitar swirls ,twirls and prances.
Exotic..
The second interlude sparkles with the myriad facets of the Raga.The Guitar gives the variegated patterns.
It glides sinuously ..
It whirs past us..
It is plangent ..
It is meditative ..
We see the Musical Intelligence, Integrity and Intent.
It is a state of enlightened mystification.
Sensuous …..Divine….
இசையென்னும் கிண்ணத்தில் இனிமையென்னும் தேனை அள்ளித்தருபவர் அல்லவா அவர்?
Does he not give us cups of honey in the form of Music?
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Monday, 26 October 2009
ILaiyaraaja-The Inimitable Musician
9994 is the Post Box No. of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in all the major cities in Australia.
Can someone guess the significance of the number 9994?
If one adds a decimal point after 99, it could make the guessing game somewhat easier..
99.94?
Does it have something to do with averages?
Maybe a batting average…
But can someone have a career batting average of 99.94?
I am sure Cricket aficionados would have got the answer by now.
Yes, it is the career batting average of Sir Donald George Bradman , the best ever batsman cricketing world has ever produced.
He played 52 tests scoring 29 hundreds..
Out of these, 6 centuries were scored in just single sessions.
He also scored a triple century on a single day in a Test match.
Some of his records have been broken but it will be an insult to the great Don himself if his greatness is measured just by the Records and Statistics.What is of more significance is his batting style, his ability to torment any bowling, his precise footwork, his balance and his timing.
In essence, Bradman is the epitome of Batting and Cricket itself.
Though many batsmen have come and have even succeeded in breaking some of his records, no batsman can even come closer to the Don stands tall among all of them and it is a fact that his name will exist as long as the game of cricket exists!
He is inimitable!
Australian Broadcasting Corporation has honoured itself by keeping his 'Average Figure' as its Address.
In a similar vein I feel that the Sangeet Natak Academy in India or any other Organisation of Music in India must keep its post box no. as 261943 or at least 1976.
I am sure all die-heard fans know the significance of these numbers in this community.The first number is the date of birth of one of the greatest geniuses the music world has seen and the second one is the year he entered the world of Film Music.
I find a lot of similarities between ILaiyaraaja and Bradman.
The records set by him-in terms of time taken to compose and many ‘firsts’-are known to all of us and need no elaboration.These records can never be broken by anybody else.
But again, it will be an insult if he is known just by the records.
His style of composing, his approach, his sense of timing(called as ‘kaalapramaNaa’ in Carnatic Music),his unique blending of many forms of Music make him a composer who cannot be compared with anybody.
During his days, Bradman was criticized by some ‘self-acclaimed denizens’of cricket whose only job was to find fault but the Don stayed clear of all these.
Similarly, Maestro is also being criticized by people who do not even know what Music is.
But little do they know that the Maestro is unassailable and that nothing will affect him.
I am reminded of a ThirukkuraL:
அகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கும் நிலம்போலத் தம்மை
இகழ்வார்ப் பொறுத்தல் தலை.
He is like the Mother Earth who bears with people who dig it.
He is also inimitable because he is a class apart!
Today, we are going to see a composition of his where he has woven his magic.
It is ‘Kattikkidalam’ from Poovarasan.
Though the composition is based on Sindhu Bhiravi, it has traces of Karaharapriya and Nata Bhairavi as well..
But more than the Raga, what is of particular interest is the Rhythmic Pattern..
As I have always been saying, he is not just Raga Raja but ‘Laya Raja’ as well.
The first thing that strikes us in ‘Kattikkidalam’ is the percussion underpinnings.
It is set to the 8 beat Adi talam.
The 8 beat is multiplied by 2 and this is divided as 3 2 3 and 3 2 3-Ta Ki Ta Ta Ka Ta Ki Ta in the first half and Ta Ki Ta Ta - Ta - -.
A Film Song with the pattern of - 3 2 3 -is not unusual.
But in the first half, the Tabla is played with the ‘Gumki’ sound giving a very different feel to the entire song.
And the beauty in the second half is the second ‘Ta a’ and the third-‘Ta a a’-where the ‘a’ s are left blank.
Silence means many things.
For him, even silence is Music!
This pattern is palyed twice for one cycle of Adi Tala.
It is a romantic song and who else can bring sensuality in just one cycle of Tala?
The composition opens with a very peculiar background of a synthesizer sounding just the ‘sa’.
The Violin orchestra appears slowly but with panache. Then it is that wonderful Tabla beats.
The Pallavi thrums with life with the voices of Chitra and SPB with the long flute adding to the romantic mood.
The interlude has the electronic instruments and the traditional instruments playing with flourish and dash creating the right ambience.
The Charanam is sensuous and has an insidious magic. The vocals wallow with glee and zest. One does get to hear the alien Swaras here and there but they are used very subtly.
The second interlude is sequined with gems and jewellery celebrating Love and Romance.
Any composer would have easily got carried away by the situation and would have given a blitzkrieg of sorts but here this composer whose Music is dignity personified gives a very soft effect with the strings and the violins and reels us in.
As mentioned earlier, the sheer beats of the Tabla give the requisite effect.
Delicate, Graceful and with Poise!
அவர் பூவரசந்தானே..இசை என்னும் பூவிற்கு அரசன்தானே!
Is he not the King of that Flower called as Music!
Can someone guess the significance of the number 9994?
If one adds a decimal point after 99, it could make the guessing game somewhat easier..
99.94?
Does it have something to do with averages?
Maybe a batting average…
But can someone have a career batting average of 99.94?
I am sure Cricket aficionados would have got the answer by now.
Yes, it is the career batting average of Sir Donald George Bradman , the best ever batsman cricketing world has ever produced.
He played 52 tests scoring 29 hundreds..
Out of these, 6 centuries were scored in just single sessions.
He also scored a triple century on a single day in a Test match.
Some of his records have been broken but it will be an insult to the great Don himself if his greatness is measured just by the Records and Statistics.What is of more significance is his batting style, his ability to torment any bowling, his precise footwork, his balance and his timing.
In essence, Bradman is the epitome of Batting and Cricket itself.
Though many batsmen have come and have even succeeded in breaking some of his records, no batsman can even come closer to the Don stands tall among all of them and it is a fact that his name will exist as long as the game of cricket exists!
He is inimitable!
Australian Broadcasting Corporation has honoured itself by keeping his 'Average Figure' as its Address.
In a similar vein I feel that the Sangeet Natak Academy in India or any other Organisation of Music in India must keep its post box no. as 261943 or at least 1976.
I am sure all die-heard fans know the significance of these numbers in this community.The first number is the date of birth of one of the greatest geniuses the music world has seen and the second one is the year he entered the world of Film Music.
I find a lot of similarities between ILaiyaraaja and Bradman.
The records set by him-in terms of time taken to compose and many ‘firsts’-are known to all of us and need no elaboration.These records can never be broken by anybody else.
But again, it will be an insult if he is known just by the records.
His style of composing, his approach, his sense of timing(called as ‘kaalapramaNaa’ in Carnatic Music),his unique blending of many forms of Music make him a composer who cannot be compared with anybody.
During his days, Bradman was criticized by some ‘self-acclaimed denizens’of cricket whose only job was to find fault but the Don stayed clear of all these.
Similarly, Maestro is also being criticized by people who do not even know what Music is.
But little do they know that the Maestro is unassailable and that nothing will affect him.
I am reminded of a ThirukkuraL:
அகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கும் நிலம்போலத் தம்மை
இகழ்வார்ப் பொறுத்தல் தலை.
He is like the Mother Earth who bears with people who dig it.
He is also inimitable because he is a class apart!
Today, we are going to see a composition of his where he has woven his magic.
It is ‘Kattikkidalam’ from Poovarasan.
Though the composition is based on Sindhu Bhiravi, it has traces of Karaharapriya and Nata Bhairavi as well..
But more than the Raga, what is of particular interest is the Rhythmic Pattern..
As I have always been saying, he is not just Raga Raja but ‘Laya Raja’ as well.
The first thing that strikes us in ‘Kattikkidalam’ is the percussion underpinnings.
It is set to the 8 beat Adi talam.
The 8 beat is multiplied by 2 and this is divided as 3 2 3 and 3 2 3-Ta Ki Ta Ta Ka Ta Ki Ta in the first half and Ta Ki Ta Ta - Ta - -.
A Film Song with the pattern of - 3 2 3 -is not unusual.
But in the first half, the Tabla is played with the ‘Gumki’ sound giving a very different feel to the entire song.
And the beauty in the second half is the second ‘Ta a’ and the third-‘Ta a a’-where the ‘a’ s are left blank.
Silence means many things.
For him, even silence is Music!
This pattern is palyed twice for one cycle of Adi Tala.
It is a romantic song and who else can bring sensuality in just one cycle of Tala?
The composition opens with a very peculiar background of a synthesizer sounding just the ‘sa’.
The Violin orchestra appears slowly but with panache. Then it is that wonderful Tabla beats.
The Pallavi thrums with life with the voices of Chitra and SPB with the long flute adding to the romantic mood.
The interlude has the electronic instruments and the traditional instruments playing with flourish and dash creating the right ambience.
The Charanam is sensuous and has an insidious magic. The vocals wallow with glee and zest. One does get to hear the alien Swaras here and there but they are used very subtly.
The second interlude is sequined with gems and jewellery celebrating Love and Romance.
Any composer would have easily got carried away by the situation and would have given a blitzkrieg of sorts but here this composer whose Music is dignity personified gives a very soft effect with the strings and the violins and reels us in.
As mentioned earlier, the sheer beats of the Tabla give the requisite effect.
Delicate, Graceful and with Poise!
அவர் பூவரசந்தானே..இசை என்னும் பூவிற்கு அரசன்தானே!
Is he not the King of that Flower called as Music!
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