Pit Pat

The drops which sleep on the green leaves suddenly fall on our cheeks even as the cool breeze blows. At times it is gentle. At times it is vigorous. At times it is a sprinkle. At times it is sharp. But it is always soothing.

Rains are poetic.

That is why, all great poets have sung about the rain. If ThiruvaLLuvar dedicated a whole chapter for it and also did some beautiful word plays, Bharati almost danced singing ‘Dheem ta ri ki ta’ and ‘chattu chada’ in Tisram. Sangam poets used the Rain as a symbol in Love poetry. In fact, a poet earned the name ‘sembula peyal neeraar’(செம்புலப்பெயல்நீரார்) because of the poem he wrote, taking the rain and the red earth as symbols. Then, we have our ANdaaL whose Aazhi Mazhai KaNNa decribes the Rain so beautifully.

Rains are musical too.

If the sound of the rain is a raga by itself, the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground is the taaLa. Apart from this, we have ragas dedicated to rains. In Hindustani Music, the entire Malhaar group of ragas pertains to the rains. In Carnatic Music , we have the likes of  Amritavarshini and Megaranjani.  But whether one knows the ragas or not, listening to music on a rainy day gives a special feeling which cannot be matched though the kind of music one would like to listen to depends purely on the individual.

Listen to the song of the day and tell me if it does or doesn’t give the feel of the rain.

The beauty of ‘Chinna Chinna Muththu Neerile’ from ‘Ninaikka Therindha Maname’(1987) lies in the tune, in the way the Pallavi and CharaNams are constructed, in the rhythm, in the orchestration, in the voices..(is there anything left out?)

If there is something called a ‘pop jazz’, it is this song surely. It has all the ingredients of Jazz and yet is fast-paced.

Let us see one by one (not in the same order though).

Vocals

Yesudass’ special ‘rolling effect’ is seen in the Pallavi and in the CharaNams while Janaki’s range is apparent throughout. And don’t they sound like young lovers? Mind you, both were in their 50s when they sang this!

Tune

 Basically Suddha Dhanyasi but mixes the other ‘ni’ in the penultimate line of the CharaNam(s).Other alien notes peep in too in the interludes, making it more romantic.

Pallavi and CharaNam

 Time and again I have written about the way Raaja sir constructs a tune.  One can find logic even in an abstract tune.  Pallavi has just four lines but each line is different. The first line has only two notes (sa ga) while the second line adds two more notes (lower octave pa. and ni.).Notes go in pairs (why wouldn’t they in a romantic song?) in the third line while the alien note (Ri2), enters for a second in the fourth line which otherwise has the typical Suddha Dhanyasi  prayogas albeit differently.

The CharaNams have five segments. The first segment is sober, the second one is long, the third, fourth and the fifth are shorter. The use of ‘ni3’ in the fourth segment and the finishing touch in the last line (which ends with the lower ni.) make it brilliantly beautiful.

Rhythm and Orchestration

 I have clubbed the two for obvious reasons. The song follows the Tisram pattern and the pattern of the percussion and the melodic instruments varies beautifully with role reversals at times.

What instrument to use is as important as when to use and how to use. No composer can beat Raaja sir in this aspect. Listen to the prelude. It starts with the bass guitar sounding ‘ta ki ta’ and then pausing. The rhythm guitar is sounded along with the keys. It is repeated in the next cycle. Amazingly enough, one hears a very subtle voice saying the syllables during the following cycle to the backing of both bass guitar and the guitar. Trumpets and Saxophone join now even as the guitars play their own patterns with the drums backing them. The wind instruments reach a crescendo and then there is a pause for half a cycle before the Pallavi.

Silence is musical as ever!

We find this silence between the lines too (it does help to read between the lines at times).

The first interlude starts only with the percussion which plays ta ka ta ka dhi mi as ta - - -  dhi mi thrice and keeping quiet the fourth time with the keys sounding when it keeps quiet. After two cycles, the silky flute intervenes and plays melodically along with the percussion. In the following cycle, it changes the combination of the notes with the strings following it first in the mid -octave and finally in the higher - octave. The guitar and the strings take over and play with lustre with the drums now playing ‘ta ki ta’ in faster-mode (mel kaalam). The special percussion rhythm which one saw in the beginning of the interlude repeats again for two cycles.

Like a beautiful poem, we see the contrast as the second interlude starts without percussion. The saxophone calls. The guitar responds briefly.  What happens after this can be called as magical. The saxophone charts a melodic path giving shades of Jog. Parallely, we see the vamping of the guitar. The bass guitar and the drums literally dance to the tune of the sax and the guitar. It is then a mélange of sorts with the strings, guitar and a host of instruments giving some rich overtones.

Rain of rhythmic melody!

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