Mystique

Why I do what I do is a question which is both difficult and easy to answer.

Let me take writing here as an example. As mentioned many times ad nuaseam, what drives me is the passion for music in general and his music in particular and my yearning to share with others what I observe, feel and enjoy. The logical question which would follow is, how I decide what to write. This ‘what’ encompasses many things and these include the song, the introduction, the topic, the flow and the caption.

Though it is a process, it would not be that easy to describe this as many factors are involved. I would have listened to a particular song that day and would wonder as to why I had not written about that song. If I had already written, I would then have the incline to write about it again taking totally a different perspective. At times, I would note down in my note book and take up that song months (or even years!) after that. At times, I would read about something- not necessarily on music- and immediately would think of a song which according to me matched with that item. There have also been cases where I have related my personal stories and real life incidents with the song.

There are many more things as well which go into this, but let me stop here as of now. As regards the flow, I do not plan anything and just ‘go with the flow’, that is, I write what strikes me at that particular moment. The caption is one area which I pay a lot of attention to. I see to it that the caption gives the essence of the post/song. Most importantly I avoid using the word(s) used in the caption in the posts. For example, if the caption of a post is ‘Rose and Thorns’, you will not find those two words anywhere in the post. I do this to challenge my creativity.

Now, what made me write about the song of the day?

During the December music season, a musician sang a Ragam Taanam Pallavi in two different ragas. What is this RTP is a question which is beyond the scope of this post. Suffice to say that it is a composition where a musician takes up just one line in a particular raga, expands the raga before singing that line by singing an aalapana followed by taanam and then sings swaras in that ragam.

The particular musician took up two ragas instead of one(this too is done sometimes) and within seconds of her first aalapana, yours truly could make out that it was a rare vivadi raga not commonly sung in the concert circuits, but used by the Maestro long ago in a film. I had also written a detailed post more than 11 years ago in the Orkut community which was reproduced in my blog (https://rajamanjari.blogspot.com/2008/11/ilaiyaraaja-musician-par-excellence.html) soon. This raga called as ‘Chitrambari’ hold a special place in my heart, a fact known to regular attendees of Geetanjali, and since I have mentioned about this several times, I would refrain from giving the reason yet again.

I keep humming this song whenever I feel like it. And somehow, since this morning I have been having a strong desire to write about this song again. And this post was born...

‘Sangeetam En Degam AndRo’ from Bala Nagamma(1981) is a gem not known to even many die-hard fans of his. What makes this song unique is of course the raga. But as I have been saying, the beauty in any composition is enhanced not just by the raga but by the way it is used. And this is what makes Sangeetam great (pun intended!).

Though this may not be a blog for technical details, it is incumbent on me to say a word or two about the raga as this would help in appreciating this song more. Even a person not too familiar with Carnatic Music, knows that there is a raga called KalyaNi (Can any Raaja fan or even people who are neutral, forget that song which goes something like ‘Janani Janani’?). What separates KalyaNi and Chitrambari is just a variant of one note and this note is a vivadi note. Now, let me stop here lest this goes into a classification called ‘out of syllabus’. The concept of vivadi has been covered in some of my posts in  my other blog and it has also been discussed in detail during ‘Geetanjali-2019’. Simply put, vivadi note is one which is very close to another note (getting too close to anyone is dangerous?).

In ‘Sangeetam..’, there are phrases with that distinct vivadi note and there are also phrases without that vivadi note. If the latter dances in KalyaNi, the former prances and smiles in Chitrambari, albeit mischievously. Take the beginning for example. Till the flute melody, it is in pure KalyaNi. It is the VeeNa- which follows the flute - which first gives the shade of Chitrambari by playing the vivadi note. And as if to make everything clear and candid, the violins, flute and tabla tarang  combine together playing the ascending notes with that vivadi note appearing without fail towards the end.

The first half of the Pallavi has that vivadi note, while the second half(from ‘aalilai meloru’) is in KalyaNi.

Chitrambari dances with elan in the first and the second segments of the first interlude what with the veena, flute, and the violins moving with ebullience combined with enthusiasm.

As if to challenge Chitrambari, the tabla tarang(backed by morsing) and the flute show some mudras of/in KalyaNi. Not used to being passive, the vivadi Chitrambari jumps into the fray yet again with the veena, tabla tarang and jalatarangam coming to its rescue.

The first CharaNam is dominated by vivadi and the akaaram in the honey-soaked voice of VaNi Jayaram makes one feel how beautiful and distinct vivadi is despite giving that eerie feeling.

The second interlude is a connoisseur’s delight. The VeeNa sounds a melody. The Jalatarangam repeats it. The flute repeats it. The violins repeat it.

Aren’t parrots musical too?

It is then tharangam all the way with the Jalatarangam and the Tabla tarang combining together to bring out the beauty of Chitrambari. This is followed by the veena-venu and then the violins. Just towards the end, we see glimpses of  laya-natana raaja when the mridangam  is joined by the ankle bells.

Dance of sound!

The second CharaNam is structured differently from that of the first one and don’t we know that one should expect the unexpected while listening to this composer?

In a way, this answers the question I raised in the beginning. Doesn’t it?

Check this out on Chirbit

Effervescent

This could come as a surprise to some.

This might even sound ludicrous to some.

But the fact remains that I have never been a Sridevi fan despite having grown up during the period when she ruled the hearts of millions of men (or should I say boys?). Though comparisons are odious, I consider the likes of Shobha and Phataphat Jayalakshmi more talented and spontaneous (of course, I am talking purely in the South Indian context now and therefore I am leaving out the names of great actors from the North). Even in terms of looks, there was that childlike face (anyway, she was a child as per Indian law until the year 1981) which somehow never appealed to my heart. And there was that touch of naivety in her dialogue delivery which too played a huge role in my forming an opinion..

My view changed slightly after watching ‘Jhonny’(though as a film, it was very disappointing as I went to the theatre with a lot of expectations). In a way, ‘Meendum Kokila’ was a turning point because for the first time I felt that she did have some real talent in terms of acting. ‘MoondRam PiRai’ confirmed it. But even then I did not accept her as a beauty...and then this happened.

Before I continue with ‘what happened’, let me confess that I never had any ‘dream girl’ during my formative years. The only person who was my ‘Dream Man’ entered my life with his music and he continues to be my Dream Man even now(yes, he is the only person to have appeared a record number of times in my dreams). Yet, I did appreciate beauty but still felt that the ‘Dream girl’ tag given to Sridevi those days was not justified.

That was when I watched a song on ‘OLiyum oliyum’ on DD. I felt I was seeing a totally different Sridevi. Somehow, that ‘childlike’ (or even ‘childish’) looks were gone and here was a dazzling beauty. It was a dance sequence and though she was not a great dancer when it comes to classical or semi-classical, this one was an exception.

I am surprised (and at the same time not so surprised) not to find reference to ‘Bala Nagamma’ in any of the tributes I read since yesterday. Yes, people always go with the tide and remember only the ‘popular numbers’ and refer those songs ad nauseam conveniently ignoring the other gems (it is a different issue that they are not aware of the existence of many other gems!). But this film was popular and many Raaja fans remember only ‘Koondalile’ though there are some more magnificent compositions in this movie (I have discussed 4 compositions in my other blog rajamanjari.blogspot.com some years ago).

In fact, the early ‘80s(1981 and 1982) was the period during which the Maestro started experimenting with some very different classical ragas in his films(examples- Kovil Pura, Thai Mookambigai, Kaadal Oviyam). It must be admitted that though he had scored for 100 plus movies, there was not one single album which was full of songs based purely on classical ragas .Though he had used ragas like Kedaram, Malayamarutam and even Khamas, these were just part of albums which had other melodies not based  on pure ragas.

When ‘Bala nagamma’ happened, he grabbed it with both the hands. This was his first mythological movie and he experimented with electronic sounds in the background score. But it was his experimentation with some beautiful ragas in the album which made sceptics accept and acknowledge his classical prowess ( he even used a very rare vivadi ragam which is seldom sung in a concert platform, but that is a different song, which, as mentioned before, has been discussed in my other blog).

What makes ‘PaLLiyaRaikkuL’  from this album most exciting is its sensuousness. That might sound too general and therefore needs more elaboration and I shall try and keep the technical details to the minimum. VakulabharaNam is a raga in Carnatic Music which has an unmistakable Arabic tinge. To a certain extent, this applies to Mayamalavagowla too and it is not a mere coincidence that the two ragas appear one after the other in the melakarta system with the former appearing first. It is not uncommon for film music composers to use this raga to give that Arabic effect(‘Pattathu RaNi’- Sivantha MaN, is a classic example).

Raaja sir must have used it in ‘PaLLiyaRaikkuL’ because the ‘Rakshasa’ who imprisons ‘Bala’ for marrying her, dreams about her in an inebriated state. And what a dream it proved to be musically!

There is so much of talk about world music now and sadly enough, not many in the present generation(and many in the previous generation and even previous to previous generation) do not seem to be aware of the fact that ‘world music’ entered Tamizh Film Music, many years ago. ‘PaLLiyaRaikkuL’ is just one of the classic examples.

It starts with an unusual sound (is it from the keys or is it from a new instrument? ). The trumpet blows in higher octave(though the genius composer hardly blows his own trumpet)setting the tone-literally and figuratively. Even as the sound sparkles with lustre, it goes out in a flash. If the trumpet gives the jazzy shades, the sound which appears again, gives the feel of a EDM(yes, in 1981!). But with a composer like ILaiyaraaja, can one predict anything? Isn’t his music known for that unpredictable element? The violin enters from nowhere and plays in higher octave with the style and the beats(claps) suggesting ‘Rock N Roll’! The bass guitar joins the violin towards the end and leads to the Pallavi.

The bass guitar sounds more resoundingly in the Pallavi which also has the electronic instruments and the resonant percussion which goes in the 4-beat cycle(chatushra ekam) in faster mode(mel kaalam). This is one my most favourite songs rendered by Uma RamaNan, whose voice and the style of rendering enhance the mood and the feel.

Bass guitar continues in the first interlude too, sounding a very brief melody in the beginning. The silence that follows for the next 4-beats yet again shows how much the composer values silence. What follows is a mix of Spanish and Arabic music with the guitar playing the same notes and an Arabic instrument moving with melodic ebullience. Yet another Arabic instrument takes over and smiles cheekily with the bass guitar backing like a karma yogi. The long flute draws a luminous arc with some special sounds from the keys making it mystical.

The vocals, the instruments and the percussion show us the Arabian Nights in the CharaNams. Towards the end, it shows us Madrid as well, essentially with the guitar which backs the vocals.

We see the classical Laya Raaja too who makes one set of percussion sound 1 2 3 4 and making the other set respond with – 2 3 4. The Master of varieties changes this pattern subtly in the second CharaNam where the percussion and the bass guitar sound 1 and 3 while the second set sounds only 3 and 4!

The second interlude sees the ‘Game of the guitars’. To start with, one guitar strums for 2 full rhythmic cycles(or 8 beats). The second guitar responds. The first guitar asks a question again. This time, the second guitar plays the same notes but sounds the bass string too. The second guitar then, goes on a trip touching the realms of ecstasy. Has Spanish Music ever been shown as beautifully in such a short span of time? I doubt.

The composer takes to Arabia again in the last segment with the typical Arabian instrument which is backed by the bass guitar.

It is Laya Raaja yet again in the third interlude but here he dominates the entire proceedings. To start with, it goes in the slower mode(keezh kaalam).Note that until now everything was moving in a faster speed. The 4 beats are divided into 16 micro-beats and the resonant percussion plays only the 1^st,4^th,7^th, 11^th and the 13^th. This lends a kind of preternatural feeling. Meanwhile, the Arabic shades continue to spread simultaneously with the melody from the keys. After 5-cycles, the momentum picks up and the pattern changes.. Two different sets of percussion again, but that is not all.

Tabla is an instrument which can be tuned and can even be made to play different ragas. There is also an instrument called ‘Tabla Tarang’ in which each Tabla is tuned to a particular frequency and the group when played together gives the desired raga. Here, the Master has tuned just one Tabla and by striking on the different parts differently, has made it sound VakulabharaNam. Now, the second percussion –which backs this one-, sounds only the even beats. This technique of ‘playing only the even beats’ is called as ‘usi’ and as far as I know no other composer has used it as prolifically, effectively and effortlessly as much has Raaja sir has done.

This pulsating segment is spell binding and carries us to a higher plane. The ultra-faster speed (ati mel kaalam) patterns in the end, is dazzling!

Vivacious, Bubbly and Mysterious- That is how one can put this composition in a nutshell..

...And that is how one can describe that actor who performed to this classic song!

                  

                  

                   Check this out on Chirbit