I keep asking this question often: How it is possible for ILaiyaraaja to bring out so much of emotions in music. Does he undergo such feelings while composing or does it just happen. A question very difficult to answer! But the fact remains that his music sounds great always. Is it because of his ability to evoke the right kind of emotions or is it because of his propensity to use classical techniques?
In my opinion, it is a
combination of both.
Listen to ‘Kaalai paniyil
aadum malargaL’ from ‘Gayathri’(1977). Even if one does not watch the video (in
fact I am used to ‘listening’ to the songs and not ‘watching’ the songs), one
is able to understand that it is sung by a young lady just after her wedding.
She is shy, yet happy.
A very different tune, a very
different voice (14- year old Sujatha) and a simply beautiful orchestration..
But look at the melody and the varying patterns of percussion in the CharaNams.
Doesn’t the humming at the end of each CharaNam sound different and unique? It
is because of a technique.
People who follow my posts in my other blog (https://rajamanjari.blogspot.com/ ), I am sure, remember the term ‘usi’. It is a technique in Carnatic
Music in which the stress is given on even beats of a TaaLam. For example, if
it is 4-beat Chatushra eka taaLam, stress is given on the 2nd and the 4th beat
and if it is a 3-beat tisram, stress is given on the 2nd(the 4th and the 6th if
the 3 beats are broken down as 6 micro-beats) and so on.. This is more common
in a Bharatanatyam performance-especially during the ‘alarippu’ which is
generally the first item. In film music, ILaiyaraaja is the only composer to
have used it so prolifically. One has to be very careful (and of course
knowledgeable) while using ‘usi’ as the taaLa tends to sound off beat. It is
absolutely like walking between two high-rise buildings on a thin but tight
rope (in tamizh, we call it as ‘karaNam thappinaal maraNam’).
In ‘Kaalaipaniyil’(I am sure
he used ‘usi’ for the first time in this song)-which is based on ‘tisram’ in
the chatushra ekam cycle, he first changes the 3 beats to 4 beats in the
percussion (tabla). He then gives stress on the 2nd and the 4th beat even as
Sujatha continues to hum.
And what a feeling it gives!!
I feel even more romantic
every time after listening to this song.
How about you?
