One of the topics which I have discussed
quite a number of times in various forums (here, in Orkut Community, and during
Geetanjali)- and the one I wouldn’t mind discussing repeatedly- is Ragas and Moods. Indian Classical Music
is unique and distinct because of the raga
system. There are of course many other features too like the gamaka, sangati, briga, akaaram etc.,
but all these revolve around ragas.
Talking about the ragas, it is said that each raga
evokes a certain kind of emotion. In
fact, there is a song from the old film ‘SampoorNa
RamayaNam’ in which RaavaNa is
asked by his sons, brothers and his wife about the moods of various ragas
and he answers the questions musically-singing and playing the veeNa(exquisite rendering by Shri.C.S.Jaraman!).
The Hindustani
system of music goes a step further and even classifies each raga as suitable for singing only
during a certain time (day or
night).
My intention is not to question this or even say that it is
all a myth- though I can’t agree with the belief that Mukhari is melancholic or that if one sings Aahiri in the morning, they will starve throughout that day. At the
same time, I feel that by restricting
the ragas to just some emotions, we are imprisoning
not only the ragas but our free thinking.
Our
mind always believes what we
want to believe and refuses to
believe what we do not want to believe.
It always helps to question
beliefs. In fact, that is how rationalists
came into existence in the world- though this is a different issue and a
different topic. In any case, I am not advocating
anything here and not for a moment am I saying that all traditional practices must be changed. However, it is better to be convinced about anything after questioning rather than accepting
things as they are just because those are part of tradition. This also helps
our thinking and also activates our brain.
Apart from this, there is one more angle
too. There is a special beauty if one goes off
the beaten track and this can only be experienced and can hardly be
explained. ‘Being different’ is
different and beautiful though one need not be different just for the sake of
being different.
As mentioned in many of my posts and
also during the Geetanjali Events, ILaiyaraaja , who has a great respect
for tradition has time and again challenged some widely held beliefs about the
moods of ragas. Not as a rebel but as a true musician. For, there is no trace of
arrogance in the deed. On the other hand, it leaves connoisseurs awe stuck and
one is left wondering if a particular raga
can be used this way too.
He has composed humorous and romantic
songs in ‘pathos-evoking’ ragas and
melancholic songs in ragas considered
to be ‘happy’. In ‘Kotha pittaro koko’ from Detective
Narada (1993), he has done the former.
Chakravakam
is considered to be a raga for
poignant mood even by film music composers. In fact, it sounds more sorrowful
in film music than when sung in classical style. However, ‘Kotha
pittaro..’ sounds romantic and even erotic. How and why he chooses a
particular raga is a question even
he will not be able to answer because to him these are spontaneous occurrences. And
anything which has that spontaneity has an unmatched beauty- the ‘aalapanas’ and ’kalpana swaras’ sung in a classical
music concert being live examples. So how will ‘Kotha Pittaro’
not sound nice?
It has an unusual start with the sound of cockfight. What follows is a piece on the Sax which sketches a beautiful melody
with the flute pitching in now and
then and the group of percussion
backing with chatushram beats.
It is not the prelude which is different. The structure of Pallavi is different too. The female
(Janaki yet again!) sings a line and
the male (yes, of course the
inimitable SPB) responds in a very
different way. Janaki sings for a
period of two and half beats (in keezh
kaalam) and SPB’s repartee is
for one and half beats. And what a repartee it is! 3 ta ka dhi mi s in mel kaalam
speaking technically but each line(there are 7 in total) and the reply are different and have their own charm.
The 8th line is only in akaaram (and that too in avarohaNam). If
we assume that the Pallavi ends
there, it means we do not know ILaiyaraaja
enough. It is now the turn of SPB to
sing and the turn of Janaki to
respond. Finally, it ends with the akaaram
of Janaki which gives the essence of
Chakravakam.
Can any Pallavi be more beautiful than this? Yes, if it is composed by the Master (read this line in mel kaala chatushram ).
The banter continues in the first interlude too with the wind instruments like the sax and trumpets intercepted by the keys/flute
in the first segment and the guitar being ‘replied to’ by the flute in the second segment. Note that this is almost similar to the Pallavi-not in terms of the tune or notes but in terms of the repartee. Playfully playful! In the third segment, the two guitars move with sobriety and play
different sets of notes taking us to the first
charaNam.
The lines in the CharaNam ooze with melody though there is no ‘repartee’ here. One
also sees the different shades of Chakravaham
.
The second
interlude is another marvel. The sax
group plays a melody and it is a
different kind of repartee from the group
of flutes with the latter playing the same notes as reply. Beyond a point,
the Sax& co. starts playing
those repetitive notes as if to teach a lesson to the flutes. It can even be taken in a positive sense- the sax decided to join hands with the flute! What happens after this is what
makes ILaiyaraaja a composer par
excellence. He stops the percussion
and as he has done quite a number of times, decides to use the voice of Janaki as a lead instrument. She hums
in Chakravakam-though in a different
style- and the keys and a host of bass instruments back her gently. This
goes on for 6 cycles and indeed
takes us to empyrean heights!
How to describe this mood now?
Surely words cannot explain that.
Because, after all moods ‘happen’ and are not created..
