Laya Raaja - 5

தாளம் தாளம் தாளம்

தாளம் போனால் தாளம் போனால் தாளம் போனால்

கூளம் கூளம் கூளம்!

TaaLam TaaLam TaaLam

TaaLam ponaal TaaLam ponaal

KooLam KooLam KooLam!

Thus sang the Mahakavi. ‘KooLam’ literally means garbage. As always, he hits the nail on its head by saying if the rhythm goes, it is nothing but garbage. This applies to the rhythm in music and in life too.

About a couple of days back, I was watching the webcast of a TaaLa ensemble. The two young vidwans announced that they were going to play a taaLam which by all means will be unique. Unique because it had the 5 nadais/gatis (refer Laya Raaja-1 for more information on nadais) in the same taaLam and went like this:

Ta ki ta/ ta ka dhi mi/ta ka ta ki ta/ ta ka dhi mi ta ki ta /ta ka dhi mi ta ka ta ki ta/ ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi.

After reading the 4 earlier posts, I am sure you must now be familiar with the aforementioned syllables. In any case, let me define those again.

First part: Tisram(3)/Chatushram(4)/Khandam(5)/Misram(7)/SankeerNam(9)

Second Part: Chatushram(4)/Chatushram(4)/Chatushram(4)/Chatushram(4)

Therefore a total of 44 aksharaas which is again sub divided as 88 maatras.

The two youngsters played a korvai and teermanam based on this TaaLam for about 15 minutes with the TaaLam being kept by another vidwan whose responsibility was twice than that of the vidwans who were performing. Now, if only the vidwan keeping the TaaLam had slipped even once somewhere, the entire exercise would have fallen flat. And the ‘TaaLa Gopuram’ would have become  ‘KooLa Gopuram’. Thankfully, this did not happen.

If you-especially people not that familiar with carnatic music or the TaaLas- ask me an obvious question- ‘As vidwans, are they not expected to keep TaaLam perfectly, what is the big deal about this’, here is my answer. ‘Yes, they are vidwans but the difference between a set taaLam(as per text book) and this innovative novel taaLam is that thing called familiarity. Putting one after the other (3,4,5,7,9) is like walking on a well oiled rope holding a balance with both the hands’.

In the previous 4 posts, we saw as to how ILaiyaraaja has played with the TaaLas with each composition being different with varied patterns and concepts. Today’s composition is unique too. The previous two compositions (Laya Raaja - 3 and 4)  followed  a particular TaaLa though the way the maatraas were divided to construct the Pallavi and CharaNams was different while the first one(Laya Raaja- 1) had cross-rhythm and the second one(Laya Raaja- 2) followed two different gatis in the CharaNams.

The song of the day does not fall under any of the aforementioned categories. It does follow a taaLa pattern but is free flowing mainly in the vocals section and in the end (of the Pallavi and the CharaNams), the TaaLa cycle gets completed. No, this is not a TaaLa like what was conceived by the vidwans but is just a simple Chatushra Ekam with 4-beats/cycle. But the difference is that the vocals are not restricted by the aavartana since it flows freely. Added to this is the percussion which draws a different pattern in chatushram and does not follow the pattern of the vocals.

There are more features too in this song Kottunga Kottunga from Raajavin Paarvaiyile(1995) and let us see these one by one. It requires a brilliant mind to conceive the idea alone. And a very firm grip over taaLa and of course mathematics to implement it. Let me tell you that he has walked wearing a pair of skating shoes on the oiled rope which is tied between two buildings and is hung in mid air.

The beginning (if one can call this as prelude) is in ateeta eduppu. Generally in his compositions, the Pallavi will be in ateeta/anaagata eduppu and not the prelude itself. The clapping of hands (kummi) indicates the samam. For 15 aavartanas, only this-the clapping of hands- acts as the percussion. The percussion starts in the third beat of the 16^th aavartana-kottunga kottunga kottunga kummi kummi- and the vocals follow 3, 3, 4, 3, 3 (the third kottunga is 4 because of the extension of ‘ga’ in kottunga). This goes on for 5 aavartanaas and then the real Pallavi starts.

The Pallavi starts in the third beat of the aavartanam and the entire Pallavi is like this:

Kummi(2) Kottunga(3) Kottunga(3) Kottungadi(6) Kaadalukku(6) Vaazhthu Cholli(6) Paadungadi(12)

KaigaL(2) thattunga(3) thattunga(3) thattungadi(6)kaN kuLirum(6)

 poo paRiththu(6) podungadi(12)

irusiRu(4) idhayangaL(4) siRagai(3) virikkave(5)

kottunga(3) kottunga(3) kummigaL(3) kottunga(3) diii(4)

kanavilum(4)ninaivilum(4) kavithai(3) padikkave(5)

kottunga(3) kottunga(3) kummigaL(3) kottunga(3) diii(4)

kathaikathaiyaam(6) karaNamaam(6) kaaraNaththil(6) kaadhalaraam(6)

vaazhga…..(12)

A total of 176 maatras.

The total no. of aavartanaas  of Chatushra ekam is 22. So, when we multiply this by 4, we get 88(aksharaas) which is exactly half of 176. Please also note that Vaazhga ends exactly on the second beat of the 22^nd cycle.

The difference between a normal composition  and this is that while the lines in the former will follow the aavartana, the latter does not follow that with lines starting in samam/after 2 beats/after 1 beat. And yet, it is set to a TaaLa.

Disobediently obedient!

Next feature is the pattern of the percussion.

Throughout the Pallavi, the percussion follows

 ta ki ta/ta ki ta/ta ka/ta ka dhi mi/ ta ka dhi mi 

This of course is in Chatushram but gives a totally different feel because of the variance in pattern between the vocals and this.

These two features- free flowing vocals and percussion drawing a different pattern- are seen in the entire composition

The first interlude follows ta ka dhi mi ta ka dhi mi/ta ki  ta ta ki  ta ta ka while the Tabla shows the different tekkaas in ta ka dhi mi sounding different in each and every ta ka dhi mi.

Let us now focus on the melody part where again there are some unique features.

The composition is based on Kalyani. .

The prelude sans instruments is very different. The third time ‘Kottunga kottunga..’ is repeated, another set of chorus sings a typical folksy humming simultaneously. Melody and Harmony go together as we hear the ‘ta na naa naa’ and ‘Kummi Kummi’ together. The pleasant flute now and then make the folksy experience complete. The strings going up and down energetically in the next part when the percussion joins is entrancing.

The first interlude shines with manifold beauties not the least because of the sustenance of notes. In the first part, we have only the percussion. In the next part, first we have the affable keys. This is followed by the subtle bass. Then it is the turn of the resplendent flute. The note from the keys is sustained throughout the flute bit too. In the third part, we have different keys with the subtle bass.

The Harmony continues in the CharNams too with the voice superimposed even as the line is extended with a ‘yekaaram’. Upper octave notes are touched in the lines that follow and finally the CharaNam is wound up with the ‘okaaram’

Classical KalyaNi comes to the fore in the second interlude as the flute plays with a rich tone. It moves, coils and winds up with a smile.

 The entire composition is a combination of melodic/harmonic delicacies and rhythmic intricacies..

Doesn’t it deserve a million kummies!!

Laya Raaja - 4

This question crops up to me time and again.

‘What makes somebody a genius?

Is it their ability to do something very complex- so complex that you and I scratch the heads to simplify that and unravel the mystery?’

Why should somebody do something so complex? To show off their intellectual prowess? To announce to the world that ‘See, I have done this. I am capable of more too. Can you even try doing this?’

If this is true, then is there not a shade of arrogance in their act itself?

Like many questions in this world, these are tough to answer. Looking at it in a positive way, it could just be that they want to show the finer elements and beauties in life.

Look at the following poem in tamizh:

தத்தித்தா தூதுதி தாதூதித் தத்துதி
துத்தித் துதைதி துதைதத்தா தாதுதி
தித்தித்த தித்தித்த தாதெது தித்தித்த
தெத்தாதோ தித்தித்த தாது?

‘Thathithaa thoothuthi thaathoothi thaththuthi

Thuththi thuthaithi thuthaithaththaa thaathuthi

Thiththiththa thithiththa thaathethu thithiththa

Theththaatho thiththiththa thaathu?’

Does it make any sense?

Now, let us try splitting the words. 

தத்தித் தாது ஊதுதி தாது ஊதித் தத்துதி

துத்தித் துதைதி துதைது அத்தா ஊதி

தித்தித்த தித்தித்த தாது எது

எத்தாதோ தித்தித்த தாது? 

Does it look better now?

‘Oh  Bee! You blow off the pollens and drink the honey hidden inside the pollen. You jump and fly again and go to yet another flower humming making a beautiful sound in the process. You drink the honey from that flower too. Which flower was sweeter? Honey from which flower was sweeter? Which petal was more beautiful? Will you please tell me?’

This poem was written by Kavi KaaLamegam who lived in the 15^th Century and was known for composing poems with more than one meaning. In this poem too, the word  ‘thaadhu’ (தாது) has been used to denote the honey, the flower and the petals.

The poet does magic using just the single letter  ‘tha’(தா) and its variants. It sounds musical while reciting, it kindles our curiosity, and it is very meaningful too raising some interesting questions.

Does this poem reflect the arrogance of the poet?

Far from it.

I feel it is a tribute to the language called Tamizh and shows us how beautiful the language can be if it is in the proper hands and if it is used the way it has to be used.

The song of the day falls in the same category. When one listens to it superficially, it sounds melodically beautiful, which of course is true even when one gets into an analytical mode. The mode is because a trained ear senses something hidden in terms of the taaLa structure and the raga usage. But if one dwells deeper, it leads to untying so many knots making one discover more and more hidden beauties. This leaves one wondering ‘what is his brain made of and how is it wired’.

‘Sollaadha raagangaL ennenna pollaadha taaLangaL ennanna’ from Mahanadi(1994), must be rated as one of the most complex compositions in film music. I am dividing the post into two parts now- Laya, and Raaga for easier understanding and appreciation.

1.Laya/TaaLa

As mentioned in my previous post on ‘Maanjolai kiLaithaano’, the foundation for a structure of the song is the TaaLa and more minutely the syllables.

‘Sollaadha’ has a rather unusual start with words first being rendered in a free flowing way albeit with different variations by SPB and Janaki.

The Pallavi starts and it is clear that it follows the 4-beat chatushra eka taaLam.

The first line- Sollaadha raagangaL ennenna is in one aavartanam and the 4 beats are subdivided into 16 maatraas- 4 (Sollaadha), 4(RaagangaL), 8(Ennenna).

The following lines follow the same pattern-

4(Pollaadha) 4(TaaLangaL) 8(Ennenna)

4(ThuNindhu) 4(Sonnaal) 8 (Enna….)

The percussion plays the next aavartanam which is again 16- with stress on 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, the last 4 being left as blank.

The three lines are repeated by Janaki.

SPB’s lines ‘Nillaadha eNNangaL munsella’ ‘ThaLLaadha en nenjam pinsella’, ‘Thodarndhu vandhaal enna’ follow the same pattern..

 ‘Ezhunda sandham ondru’( 4, 4, 8) and ‘Kalandha sondham indRu(4, 4, 8) have one aavartanam each.

But what follows is the ‘crowning glory’.

‘INaindha Santharppam’  is 10,  and ‘iZhandha pon sorgam is 10.

‘Thirumbumo pudhuyugam arumbumo…..’  is divided as 6, 6, 6, 2, 4, 4 - the last ‘4’ being the drums.

From ‘Ezhunda’, we have 5 aavartanams-a total of 20 counts which is subdivided as 80 maatraas!

In the first interlude, the drums alternate between the chorus in the first part playing    1 2 3 4 / 1 - 3 - / 1 - 3  - / 1 - 3 - /

The lines in the CharaNam follow the 4, 4, 8 pattern until the last line (INaindha santharppam) which follows 10, 10, 6, 6, 2, 4, 4.

The drums draw different patterns of Chatushram in the second interlude leaving gaps now and then.

Raga

The free-flowing part in the beginning has the Harikambhoji swaras.

The Pallavi has almost the same swaras except that those are used differently to give us Pahaadi.

The chorus continues in Harikambhoji until the strings take over. The ‘ma’ of Harikambhoji is taken as the base (graha bedam) and the raga changes to ShankarabharaNam. It goes back to Harikambhoji in the chorus part.

In the CharaNam, the ‘ma1’ is substituted with the ‘ma2’ and the raga becomes Vaachaspati. At the end of the second line, the ‘ri2’ of Vaachaspati becomes the base ‘sa’ and we get Charukesi- from the line ‘KooNdil’. The violins in the background too continue in Charukesi.

It is back to Vaachaspati in ‘Jeevan’ while the last phrase ‘INanidha’ is in Pahaadi.

Here is yet another twist. The CharaNam ends with ‘ma1’ and the next interlude starts with the joyful flute taking this as the base. Graha bedam again and it is Kalyani now. Does it end here?

No.. The strings and then the flute play Hamir Kalyani, a janya raga of Kalyani!!

Seamless change of ragas-with and without Graha bedam.

Very differently structured Pallavi/CharaNams with divisions and sub divisions of TaaLa.

Untold mysteries…

‘What makes somebody a genius’?

It is for you all to say now…

Laya Raaja - 3

‘ Who is that great soul, who with well set and tuned mridangam, who with words as pure as the Upanishads and the Vedas,  who with pure Swaras sings  and enthrals you Oh Rama!’

Sogasuga mridanga taaLamu jata korchi ninnu sokka jeyu dheerudevvaro,

Nigama sirorthamu kalgina nija vakkulato Swara suddhamuto…

Thus sang the incomparable and inimitable Tyagaraja.   Despite its richness,  English language cannot convey the emotions carried by some (at times many) of the words of our Indian languages. Take the word ‘sogasuga’. What is this ‘sogasu’?

Comfort? Ease? Luxury?

Isn’t it much more than all these?

Let us forget the language aspect and focus on the musicality and what Tyagaraja has conveyed.

Whenever I listen to these lines, I feel divine and serene. I visualise  Tyagaraja himself playing the mridangam and singing with his pure words and music. What attracts me the most in this kriti is the first line. Without any doubt Tyagaraja considers the TaaLa as the most important aspect in music. Otherwise, would he not have started the kriti with ‘Swara Sudhdham to’. Of course, this is not to say that swara sudhdham is not important, but the fact is that it is the Laya that stands out first in the Saint’s mind. And not without any reason.

The basic structure of a poem or a song is determined by the rhythm first. One can have a song without any melody or a raga. But is it possible to have a song without the ‘sandham’? Yes, we have the viruththams but even these follow a particular pattern and that pattern is governed by TaaLa only.

In my previous two posts, I wrote about the syllables and their different patterns.

 ‘ta ka’ ‘ta ki  ta’ ‘ta ka dhi mi’ are the commonly used syllables.

I had also said that a song follows a particular taLa cycle –which could be 8 beats, 7 beats,6 beats, 5 beats etc.,

We saw that a song can also have two different patterns parallely( Aagaya veNNilaave) or can have alternating patterns( Vanakkuyile).

The syllables form the backbone of any song. So, though a song maybe composed following a particular taaLa, the syllables are split say as 2,4,2 or 2,4 or 5,3….and in multiples of these numbers. Say a song is set in the 4-beat Chatushra ekam. Then the sub-divisions(called as ‘Maatras’) must be in multiples of 4 like 8,16,20,24…….Same is the case with all taaLas.

One sees the splitting of syllables in different groups mainly during the swara singing segment in a classical concert. But it follows the same TaLa cycle as the song.

One of the compositions of the Maestro demonstrates this aspect- of splitting though following the same taaLa- wonderfully.

Maanjolai kiLi dhaano from Kizhakke Pogum Rail (1978) follows the Chatushra eka taaLam throughout but the Chatushram patterns are split brilliantly. As far as I know, this composition is unique in the history of Indian Film Music.

The prelude is a precursor to the magic in store for us.

The ankle bell dances and the Tabla starts. After 2 aavartanams, the pakhawaj joins and it is a kind of ‘sawal jawaab’ between the two. After 4 aavartanams, the patterns-of course in chatushram change- and exactly after 5 aavartanams, the Tabla sounds typical Kathak  syllables(ta tai tai ta) that lasts for 2 aavartanams. Finally, we have two aavartanams in Tabla and Dolak followed by the subtle bells again for two aavartanams.

If one wants to study Chatushram patterns, he/she can as well listen to this prelude and write a thesis.

The Pallavi starts like a viruththam first.

The Pallavi with the percussion follows in Chatushra ekam. There are totally 8 aavartanams-a count of 32. This 32 is subdivided into 64 maatras and this is how it is split:

Maanjolai/kiLithaano/maanthaano  /

3           /     3                   /        3                  /

veppam/ thoppokuyilum / neethaano /    

2        /              5                 /           6            /

ivaL/aavaram/poothaano/nadai/thaerthaano /

   2  /       3        /         3       /    2      /          8               /    

salangaigaL/tharum/isai/thaenthano/Oooooooo/   

        4          /      2    /  2 /       8         /     8                   /

 

 As I said, I cannot think of any Pallavi as complex as this in Film music!

He plays with the percussion instrument(s) in the interlude. The mridangam sounds ’ta’ for every 3 beats.

In the first aavartanam, the ‘ta’ is sounded in samam; it is in the third beat then;in the second beat of the second aavartanam; first beat in the third  aavartanam. It sounds in all the beats now. After 2 aavartanams, the same pattern is repeated.

This is surely an apt exercise for people who want to practise keeping taaLam. Keep counting 4 and put the TaaLam.  It will be a learning-cum-enchanting experience.

The first CharaNam goes in plain chatushram until the 10^th aavartanam.

Idaiyil puraLum sadaiyil mayakkum malarkodi  goes like:

Idaiyil /      puraLum / sadaiyil    /mayakkum /

  3      /            3                /    3                 /     3                  /

malarkodi  /    

     4                /

Two aavartanams-8 beats divided into 16 and follows the above pattern.

The second interlude now goes in the ‘mael  kaalam’(faster speed) and goes in group of 4.

Just towards the end-in the violins/flute piece-, Laya Raaja divides it again as 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2,4- a total of 24.

The second charaNam continues in the maelkaalam and it is the 4,4 pattern till ‘azhago devathaiyo’.

The following lines are divided into 128 maatras thus:

Angam oru   /thanga kudam/azhaginil/mangai oru/

       6          /       6                   /     4                   /     6                  /

gangai nadhi  /ulaginil/

       6                /      4             /

thuLLum idhazh thaenthan/

             12                                       /   


aLLum karam naanthaan  /

             12                                     /   

manjam adhil/ Vanjikodi/

              6       /            6            /

 varuvaaL/sukhame    /

  6             /      6                /

varuvaaL  /sukhame  /tharuvaaL/

  4               /       4        /         4                /

Magizhven/KaNN kaaviyam/

        4      /              6                      /  

pan paadidum/ peNNoviyam/

             6          /              6             /   

senthamarai/yeeeeeee/

          6         /     8      /

It goes back to the ‘keezh kaalam’ from melaadi maangani.

At the end, ‘ILamai enum thanimai neruppai aNaikkum paruva mazhai mugil’ goes as 3,3,3,3,4 (16 maatras) like the end in the first charaNam.

Let us now look at the melody part.

The Pallavi, first interlude, first charaNam and the second part of the second charaNam(from melaadi maangani) are based on Suddha Dhanyasi, the pentatonic raga which has sa ga2 ma1 pa ni2 Sa.

The second interlude and the first part of the second charaNam are based on Kharaharapriya.

In the beginning, we hear the call of the bird before veppamthoppu kuyilum.

The supple Veena smiles even as the mridangam(remember the ‘ta’ every third beat) jumps aesthetically. In between we see the flute, violins and jalatharangam sing with verve and vigour. This continues until the solo flute plays with a stylized elegance.The Veena joins and hands the melody over to the violins-flute-jalatharangam group which in turn leads us to the first charaNam.

We see the pleasant Kharaharapriya in the second interlude. The soft Veena and the colourful violins-flute-jalatharangam play with exactitude exploring the avenues of beauty.

TaaLam with ‘sogasu’,

Suddha Swarams,

Words and Music as pure as our scriptures.

Aren’t these enough to enthrall us?