Atrium

What interests me always is this question, a question which I must say has been raised many times in different forums ad nauseam - ‘To appreciate music, do we need to know the nuances or do we just have to listen and get immersed in the beauty of music without bothering about anything’?

I shall come to this a little later. Before that I must share interesting information about the brain.

Recently, I read that scientists have identified a chemical in the brain that can be blocked to boost the learning of music and language in adults. ‘Adults’ because it is said that the capacity to learn decreases with age. This chemical is known by the name ‘adenosine’ and is a neuromodulator present in the auditory thalamus. This auditory thalamus is a kind of ‘relay station’ where sound is collected and sent to the auditory cortex for processing. By disrupting the signals in mice (always these are the guinea pigs, you see!), the window for auditory learning was extended well beyond adulthood.

 This can be applied to humans too and by restoring plasticity in critical regions of the brain, the capacity to learn music in adults increases manifold.

We have read about chemicals aiding us in a positive way. But here is a chemical which stops us from learning something as important as music.

Now that we have seen about the brain, let us turn our attention to yet another organ in our body, which is as important as the brain-if not more important. An organ which beats 72 times in a minute (there is music in this too!)

 The Heart!

In fact, I keep saying this quite often:                         

To appreciate music, what we need are two ears and a heart.

 I did mention this during Geetanjali- 2017 too and one of the members commented , ‘No , we need the brain too. How will the ears function without the brain?’

This was a clear case of missing the wood for the trees, because by ‘brain’, I meant ‘thinking and analysing’ and not the basic function. Though the heart needs the brain to function, the heart is independent of the brain when it comes to thinking. That is why, we are asked to go by ‘what the heart says’. When we leave things to the heart, we will be wiser, calmer and relaxed.

So, which is more important to appreciate music-the brain or the heart?

I shall leave this unanswered now and move on to a rare gem. Unlike many rare gems discussed here, this is not an ‘old’ gem. 

The rationale behind choosing a rare gem or rather calling it as a 'rare gem' was given by me long back in the Orkut Community. It must be a song which is not familiar to many despite being a great composition. And this need not necessarily be from his ‘70s and his early ‘80s. Members who attended Geetanjali-2017 will vouch for this as a couple of his ‘new songs’ from the present century were played and a majority was listening to those songs for the ‘first time’.

The speciality about ‘Idho Idho ILaignan ILaignan’ from ‘Ajantha’(2007-unreleased, though it won the state award for music!) is the variety. Yes, almost all his songs have that ‘variety element’ but this one is special because it also has some familiar tunes (of his old songs) which appear in the CharaNams.

The brilliance of any composer lies in the way he improvises an inspiration. As Raaja sir himself has said, his body is soaked with compositions from past masters. But how he takes that inspiration to new levels distinguishes him from many other music directors who copy others’ works shamelessly.

In ‘Idho Idho’, Raaja sir gets inspiration from his own compositions and brilliantly uses the tunes, albeit briefly.

The song starts with the humming of the chorus and the lead singer (Manjari) backed by a host of synth instruments. This and the sound of the trumpet prove that we are not way off the mark. When Manjari sings the Pallavi with gusto and keeps repeating the lines, we keep moving the feet, tapping the feet and even sway from one side to another.

The interlude starts and aren’t we in for a surprise?  The tempo slows down and the bamboo flute(or a synth instrument with the same sound) plays a tune very familiar to us. The beats are familiar too. In fact, ‘Aasaiya Kaaththula’ has taken many avatars (as far as I know 5 avatars) and each time it has sounded different. Here too, the synth instruments take us to a different world!

The first segment of the CharaNam almost follows the same beats. I am saying ‘almost’ because there is a subtle difference in the ‘kaarvai’ and the way the percussion is played. The second segment –in vocals- gives the beautiful shades of the original.

And now comes the next surprise. After a beautiful humming by Manjari, the composition takes a new turn with the change in the tempo and also the change in percussion. It also becomes ‘light classical’(what is this?- a raga sung like a scale!) in Suddha Dhanyasi. And don’t we hear a tune of yet another old song-‘Maanjolai kiLithano’- now?

Yet another surprise.. It now turns to pure classical with the swaras of Suddha Dhanyasi being rendered in a pattern with the mridangam supporting the vocals.

The melodic mathematics continues in different patterns, in between giving a shade of his ‘Vizhiyil Vizhundhu’ in a flash and moving on to the syllables of classical dance and the TaaLa, culminating in a ‘teermaanam’. No I am not going to explain this, nor am I going to give the break-up of the micro beats.

Does this not touch our heart even without knowing about Suddha Dhanyasi, Nata Bhairavi, Chatushram,  Kaarvai, Muththaippu or Teermaanam?

If yes, then your heart plays a more effective role than the brain.

If ‘no’, then your brain plays a more dominant role-in a negative or a positive way.

Is it possible to appreciate the nuances and the melodic beauty simultaneously?

More on this in a forthcoming post..

Until then, open your heart and get immersed in that beautiful ocean called music-with or without adenosine!

Check this out on Chirbit

Yoga

The year 1498 is very significant as far as India is concerned. Vasco de Gama, the explorer from Portugal set his foot in India that year and that was the beginning of imperialism- which lasted another 4 and half centuries.

Well, this post is not about the freedom fight, nor is it about ‘patriotism’ (what a beautiful word which is much abused and maligned now!). It is more about the place where the sailor from Portugal, landed along with a group of criminals and convicts.

As many of you know, he landed in Kozhikode in Kerala. What should be of great significance is that as early as AD 70(that is 1400 years before the sea route to India was discovered), Jews migrated from Jerusalem to escape persecution after the destruction of the second temple. And 18 years before this, St.Thomas, the Apostle(considered to be one of the disciples of Jesus Christ) landed in Cranganore near Kozhikode. Christianity was established in Kerala long before it spread to the European countries. In fact, St.Thomas had excellent rapport with the local Hindus and later even the Jews (surprising but true!).In the 7^th Century, during the time of Prophet Mohammed, Arab traders arrived in India and Islam was born here.

All this goes to show that a fascinating syncretism of culture developed in Kerala long back and it continues till date. This is evident in the music of Kerala. I say ‘music of kerala’ because music is part of its culture. I am sure Biblical Music and Arabic Music came to India from here. Ah, yes..Carnatic Music is very popular here and is not confined to just one religion .Isn’t it true that Music evolved from different religions but we mortals tend to focus more on the religious aspects than on the music itself! Anyway, this is a different topic best dealt with in some other post.

As for now, let me focus on a song which has the Arabic contours -which obviously means that the forthcoming posts  are likely to feature Biblical Music and Carnatic Music. Here I must say one more thing.

Though it is difficult to digest, Carnatic Music also has been influenced by Persian and Arabic music. Recently, a senior and well reputed musician/musicologist revealed that ragas like Kaanada, Sahana, Surutti and even VaraLi have been adapted from the Hindustani System of music. Of course, these have been brilliantly and beautifully modified with suitable ‘gamakams’ by our ancestors and this speaks volumes of their scholarliness. Though he left out VakulabharaNam, I have a strong feeling that the raga traces its origins to Arabia (not just this raga but all the 6 ragas in the agni chakra-including Mayamalavagowla- have that Arabic tinge).

‘Kadappuraththoru..’ from ‘SMS’(2008) has the strains of VakulabharaNam and I am sure ILaiyaraaja tuned it as a tribute to Maapila music of Kerala.

With the luxuriance of softness and sweetness, the two shehnais play a melody in the beginning with the synth percussion-which almost sounds like traditional Kerala percussion- backing them with the 8-beat pattern 1 2 3/ 1 2 3/ 1 2, playing only the first beat in each segment(or the first, the fourth and the seventh). The synth bass guitar too sounds with resonance now and then. In fact, there are two different sounds (bass) and these give impetus to the main melody. What follows (in keys) is an unmistakable Arabic melody. Towards the end, a sober but powerful stringed instrument (sounding a lot like guitar) and the shrill flute, are engaged in a brief romance before guiding us to the Pallavi.

The Pallavi in the voice of Manjari- to the brilliant backing of different synth instruments and chorus) takes us to the ‘maaplas’ by the seaside in North Kerala. Madhu Balakrishnan joins in the end and continues the flavour.

The first interlude is dominated by the synth instruments, but by no stretch of imagination does this affect the melody. The first segment gives a western shade while the second segment with the shrill flute and bass guitar is luminous and does not fail to give the raga touch. In a way, it even sounds like a sea bird. In the third segment, the flute joins with the synth to produce an amalgam of melodic sound.

The beginning of the CharaNam sees a sharp sound from the percussion which prepares us for a special treat. And we are not disappointed. The dulcet flute appears after the first two lines and beautifully repeats the second part of the second line and even expands it. This goes on for two cycles. In fact, the instruments keep backing the vocals now and then heightening the experience.

The shehnai sound in the second interlude is sublime and the fact that it is blended with the sounds which give the western tinge, makes it doubly special. The shrill flute is as amazing as ever but the master class in my opinion is the sound from the keys towards the end. The way it is ‘bent’ and is made to literally give the Arabic flavour and aura, speaks volumes of the genius composer.

 Syncretic and Symbiotic- Culturally and Musically!

Check this out on Chirbit