Eighth Wonder

 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?