Linear and Sinuous

What makes the Sea look so beautiful?

Is it that azure blue colour?

Or is it that grey and green shade?

Or is it that reflection of the sun rays during the day and reflection of the moon in the night?

Is it that sunrise or is it that sunset?

Is it that boat/catamaran/ship floating at a distance?

Yes, all these are beautiful and no doubt embellish the sea but in my opinion, there are two more things which combine to make the sea an eternal beauty.

One is the Horizon and the other is the Wave.

The former is considered to be an imaginary line but whenever I see the sea, I am flummoxed and astounded by the straightness of this line. Whoever has drawn it is the best artistic engineer ever. How can somebody be so perfect?

Talking about the waves, these are formed as a result of the wind blowing over the surface. This is what science says and I would like to be less of a scientist (anyway I know very little of science) and more of an artist(this too, I know I am not but who can stop me from imagining?). When I look at the waves, I look at the zig zag pattern and the way these approach the land, fade away and then come again. What an amount of energy these have! Don’t these tire at all?

When I look at the sea, I don’t look at the horizon first and the waves next(or the other way around) but look at both together. And whenever I do this-looking at the sea from a distance and then looking at the horizon and the waves at the same time- I can’t help marveling at the beauty of this sight. This is a perfect example of contrast. At a far distance, there is that perfect straight line and closer to us is this zig zag curve. Isn’t this poetic and musical?

People familiar with my posts know how much I love the contrasts in poetry and in life. If poetry and life combine together, don’t we get that ‘M’ word without which I cannot breathe?

Contrast in music is a very wide topic and it would serve little purpose if I were to take up that topic- which is full of technical details- here. However, this C word is also so simple that all it need are the ears, a little observation and focus.

What adds beauty to Raaja sir’s music is this C (oh, doesn’t it rhyme with ‘sea’?). People who attended Geetanjali-2014 , I am sure remember my presentation on ‘Contrasts in his music’.

Today, I am taking up a song which typifies the word ‘Contrast’. In my opinion, ‘Kaalaipaniyil aadum malargaL’ from Gayathri(1977) should rank as one of the best compositions in the world.

Let me first mention what all I find to be unique in this composition and then move on to describe some of these. I say ‘some of these’ because certain things don’t need descriptions and this applies as much to music as to life.

First is the tune. Generally, an Indian film song follows a particular raga(not talking about exceptions-which are in fact too many now- which have only ‘rogaa’) or a scale. This topic too is huge and beyond the scope of this post. However, let me say that a composer composes the song in a particular scale which has a repetition of some particular notes while ascending and descending. This particular pattern can be said to follow a raga, but most of the composers take liberty with this and add alien notes.

Raaja sir is known for using some beautiful known, rare and unknown ragas in his compositions with or without alien notes. At the same time, he has also composed tunes which cannot be termed as falling under the classification of any raga. ‘Sendhoorappoove’ and ‘ILamai enum poongaatRu’ are just some examples of this. ‘Kaalaipaniyil’ too falls in this category.

The Pallavi has notes of Kharaharapriya while the CharaNams have the other ‘ga’(ga3) and also the other dha(dha1). What is amazing is the fact that in some phrases, both the ‘ga’ s and both the ‘dha’ s appear one after the other giving that chromatic effect. For example, in ‘kalaigaL aayiram’(first charaNam), the ‘dha’ s appear one after the other and in the third and in the sixth phrases of the humming at the end of the CharaNam, we see both the ‘ga’ s.

There is also change in the shruti in the first segment of the second interlude.

But what is wondrous is the ‘usi’ in the humming at the end of each CharaNam. The concept of ‘usi’ in a taaLa has been explained by me in some of the posts here and also during Geetanjali-2015. Wait for more detailed explanation in this year’s Geetanjali.

‘Usi’ is a speciality of Carnatic Music and we see the pattern is in usi when the stress is on the even count(2,4,6..). ‘Kaalaipaniyil’ is set in the 3-beat cycle tisram or one can even say in the 6-beat rupakam depending on the way we look at it. I know I am getting too technical but certain things surely need explanation so that the brilliance of the composition (and therefore of the composer) can be appreciated more. The pattern changes to the 4-beat cycle chatushram during the humming part towards the end of each CharaNam. Not only does 3 change to 4, but also the stress (percussion) is on the even beats.

Usi at its uchcham (best).

Now, count the contrasting elements-

1. two variants of two swaras occurring one after the other

2.tisram to chatushram

3.usi

4.change of shruti in the beginning of the second interlude.

There is one more (the fifth one) about which I shall explain soon.

So, does it mean that the composition has only the contrasts?

No..

It has a beautiful straight line called as ‘melody’.

One feels the evanescence of the morning mist while listening to the song.

The initial bell sound reminds one of the dew drops falling off the petals of the flowers while the humming of Sujatha(her second Tamizh song after ‘Kaadal oviyam’ from ‘Kavikkuyil’) is like the morning breeze. The santoor depicts the swaying of the branches.

The Pallavi is a blend of intuition and expression with the sangati after ‘maayam’ shining with a special radiance.

I mentioned about a ‘fifth contrast’ while listing out the C, didn’t I?

This occurs at the beginning of the first interlude. The sitar follows tisram while the rhythm guitar which backs it follows the chatushram.

 Cross-rhythm!

Crossing others’ path is not good manners generally but if the rhythm crosses like this, isn’t it lovable?

The violins and santoor-to the backing of the tabla in tisram - guide us to the first CharaNam.

This Laya Raaja can never rest. Or at least he will not let us rest. He loves to play with the TaaLa and he does it in the CharaNams too. The tisram  which goes as ‘1 2 3’ on the tabla in the first part of the first line(paarvaiyodu paarvai seRum ) changes as ‘1 2 3 4/1 2 3 4/ 1 2 3 4’ in the next half(bhavam mudhalil and siRu naaNam manadhil).

And ah yes..that wonderful humming where the notes go in pairs with the percussion in usi.

The second interlude is more powerful than the first with the santoor sounding like a bird in the beginning and the violins moving ardently. But the piece I love is the one by the violins after the sitar- which sounds with sobriety. There is a very brief classical touch in that piece of violins which always touches a chord in my heart. 

The brief rendezvous between the  sitar and the keys in the end, is musically romantic.

In fact, everything in this world is romantic- sky, sea, horizon, waves, music.. and.. ..contrasts.

Check this out on Chirbit

Regal

Can romance ever be Majestic?

It is a question difficult to answer and not so difficult to answer. But rather than trying to find an answer, let us first listen to this song from ‘Aayiram Vaasal Idayam’(1980), a song which I have listened to ‘pallaayiram’ (several thousand) times and would like to continue listening to for ‘pallaayiram’ years( I am sure I will have that many births J).

What amazes me the most in ‘MaharaNi Unai Thedi..’ is the beginning. It is not uncommon for his songs to start with an akaaram. But this opening akaaram is very different. A mix of swaras is followed by a single sustained swara. Now, there is a pause between the two sections. And it is this silence which is very intriguing (silence is always intriguing anyway!).

Remember that this was recorded in 1980(or probably end of 1979) when the ‘punching’ system was unheard of in India.. The way Janaki adjusts her voice to the two different sections speaks volumes of her versatility. It speaks volumes of the brilliance of the composer too. Though the sustained akaaram almost sounds the same, the ones which precede it, sound different each time. After 4 sets, the higher octave notes are touched, sustained and then podi sangatis sung. . At least I have not come across any song opening like this and in case you have, please feel free to enlighten me.

The strings start gradually now to the backing of bass guitar, and reach a crescendo. 

The special keys sound takes over and the percussion joins now in tisram. Earlier the strings too play to the count of 3 but without percussion.

The flute responds to the keys in its style. The strings now play the first line of the Pallavi with a very subtle set of strings backing these. Another sound from the keyboard signals to the other instruments and finally the Pallavi arrives.

Grand prelude!

The Pallavi in the voice of Jayachandran sounds as melodious as ever. The violins peep in after each line. The lover of variety uses two different sets of percussion with each one sounding ‘ta ka dhi mi/ta ka’ one after the other.

I am reminded of a taanam of  a carnatic vidwan’s when I listen to the strings in the beginning of the first interlude. A taanam is built step-by-step and it follows logic. The strings too build the melody step-by-step here though it is brief. In between, there is that sound from the special keys and also the subtly powerful bass guitar. The flute takes over and levitates. The brief interception of the strings is more to appreciate that flute magic and less to show their prowess.

The guitar enters now and combines with the special keys and of course the bass guitar, to produce a rocking melodic piece. The strings in higher octave complete the experience with the ‘bang’ sound in the beginning giving the impetus.

The CharaNams are in three segments with the first segment going higher, the second one flowing like a calm stream and the third one oozing with romance. Note that unlike the Pallavi, it is the tabla which provides the rhythm, playing ‘ta ka dhi i/ta ka’ in 3 different ways in the 3 segments. The backing of the strings and the bass guitar-which sounds sharper in the third segment- add a special colour to the lines.

How he conceives his orchestration has always baffled me. The second interlude starts with a set of strings. After 1 ¾ tisrams, the second set of strings join. After another 1 ¾  tisrams, the third set joins. A different relay race indeed!

The romance between two different key sounds follows, but it is the flute which steals the heart again. With the strings responding after 4 tisrams initially and after 2 tisrams later on, it traverses a path which is curvilinear and then linear.

Can romance be Majestic?

Why not, if the person who kindles it is Majestic?

Check this out on Chirbit

Vision

What is beauty?

No, I am not here to find a definition for beauty nor am I willing to sit as a judge in a Beauty contest (that I will never be invited to be a judge, is a different story!).

The reason for my asking that question-and the reason for that question popping up in my mind- had to do with an incident which happened 2 days ago.

It was around 6.45 pm and I was driving on the Adyar Bridge. People from South East Chennai(and people who pass by S.E.Chennai frequently) know how that Bridge would be around that time on a working day. It was chock-a-block with vehicles romancing with each other. This romance did not sound or look exciting for people sitting behind the wheels. Yours truly was struggling hard to see to it that the bumper of his car did not touch the bumper of the one in front so that the expression ‘bumper-to bumper traffic’could be avoided and was trying to stay calm with ‘Thaen Poove Poove Vaa’ pouring out like honey from the car music system. That is when something happened.

By the side of the car was a bike driven by a gentleman. What was very clear and perceptible (apart from his shining head) was the movement of his lips. At first glance, it appeared as though the man was uttering something. This sparked a kind of irritation inside me as I thought he was saying something to me, probably to give him way. But a closer observation suggested that he was singing. The vehicle in front of me moved now and therefore I had to move mine albeit, just a few metres. Because of this, I missed the ‘bike-man’ for some time. I then turned around and spotted him. He came closer again and this time I could hear his voice too and could also catch some words though it was not clear. However, it was apparent that he was singing a classical song.

I became very curious and even switched off my music system sacrificing my pleasure of listening to my evergreen favourite song. ‘That song anyway can be listened to again-for the millionth time- but can one afford to miss this?,’ I thought and tried to figure out what exactly he was singing. But to my dismay, I could not get the tune or the wordings though I found his voice to be soft and melodious.

The traffic cleared and the bike overtook me and I lost him. So, my desire remains unfulfilled.

But what I found the most amazing in this episode was the way the person was singing unmindful of the vehicles around him and totally oblivious to the chaos on Thiru-Vi-Ka Bridge on a Wednesday evening.

And I found this to be beautiful!

What this shows is the fact that if music is with you, you can conquer any situation. Music gives calmness. Music gives energy. Music gives solutions to problems. What this also shows is that beauty is omnipresent. It is up to us to recognise this.

In fact, that is what the song of the day conveys too. The beauty in ‘Azhagu Aayiram’ from ‘Ullasa ParavaigaL’(1980) is that not only does it talk about beauty, but it also shimmers with beauty.

If I was asked to name just one differentiator which makes his orchestration stand apart, I would say ‘variety’ without batting an eyelid. ‘Azhagu Aayiram’ is just another example of his craftsmanship in orchestration.

Take the prelude first. It starts with a kind of whirring sound (reminding one of a bee) which gathers intensity. As if to provide a contrast, the soft keys of the piano susurrate. After a while, the resonating sound of the percussion adds majesty. The electric guitar enters even as the resonant percussion continues in chatushram(1 2 3 4). In fact, the electric guitar plays the tune of the first line-which we would get to know later- while the strings reply with the descending notes of ShankarabharaNam(this occurs in the Pallavi  too with the vocals singing ‘maa maa miya maa maa miya..’). The strings pick up momentum and casually reach the higher octave with the single key of the piano and the whirring sound backing them.

We are welcomed by an yet another funny sound in the beginning of the first interlude. The strings show their faces briefly for a single cycle of chatushram  sounding during every beat of the cycle. Another set of strings enters now playing in the higher octave with the bass guitar responding now and then. The funny sound appears again and this time the flute decides intervene just towards the end of the piece. Suddenly the vocals appear.

Is it uncommon for Raaja sir to introduce humming in an interlude? People who follow his music know that the answer is ‘No’. He has experimented this umpteen times. What happens after this is what makes him a genius. As Janaki renders ‘paa..pa pa pa pa pa..’, there is no backing of any instrument-including percussion- for a full cycle. The synth enters and plays along with the humming. What follow then are the sound of the synth and the strumming of the guitar in ‘usi’! As explained many times, ‘usi’ is a technique in which the stress is on the even beats. Here, it lasts for 6 cycles and doesn’t it give a very special effect and doesn’t it leave us with a very special feeling?

In between-even as the beats are in usi- Janaki continues to hum with the funny sound entering again and the vocals imitating the funny sound as ‘uvaang uvaang’(whatever that means!).

It is the majestic piano which dominates the next segment with its unique melody with the strings appearing rather ebulliently in the beginning.

The piano has more role to play in the second interlude where it first romances with the strings after shifting to the minor scale and then goes on a melodic spree as if there is no tomorrow!

But before this, there is an interesting spectacle of distortion guitar, acoustic guitar and the bass guitar dancing and prancing with unbounded joy. The strings take over and move with insouciant grace before its romance with the piano starts. It is Laya Raaja again towards the end when the drums play ‘ta ka dhi mi’ 16 times per cycle in ‘ati mel kaalam’ when the piano keys sound as soft as ever.

This kind of beautiful variety does not take the credit away from the Pallavi and the CharaNams which have the variegated patterns too.

The first line gives an illusion of Mohanam with ‘ri ri ri pa ri ga ri’. The ‘maa maa miya’ pulls us back with the descending notes of ShankarabharaNam. The last line(maa maa miya) is a marvel with just a single note(ri) appearing almost till the end with the ‘pa’ appearing just once in the end.

The CharaNams start with the humming of Janaki which extends for one full cycle. Here too, we see the Master mind use only ‘Sa’, ‘ni’, ‘pa’ and ‘ga’ in the first two lines, giving a feel of Hamsadhwani. The innovator then makes the other dha appear along with the dha of ShankarabharaNam in the middle segment (4^th and 5^th line) giving a chromatic effect.

Beauty and Music, are in fact the play of light, dark and many other shades and appear in the way we perceive it to be.

Ask the man in the bike who found beauty in music, in the midst of mad traffic.

Or, ask the man who considered this spectacle as beautiful and musical.

Or, simply listen to this song..

Check this out on Chirbit

Attribute

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 8^th 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..

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

Cerebrum

Recently, I read a very interesting article on Synethesia. 

This is a condition in which one of the five senses simultaneously stimulates another sense. People with such a condition in brain may smell rose while seeing a water falls; or taste chocolates while listening to some sounds; or see a colour while touching something. This condition occurs when different parts of the brain responsible for sensory perceptions somehow get interlinked and in effect trigger two senses at the same time. Syn in Greek means ‘joining’ and aesthesis means ‘perception’. In a way, it is the opposite of anesthesia (which means the absence of sensation). At the same time, this should not be confused with ‘hallucinations’ which is different.

It is said that some people have this condition which is considered to be a disorder. Is this a disorder or a gift?

When I read this article I was reminded of two different experiences narrated by a couple of artistes. The first one (which I read in a Tamizh magazine long ago) has to do with music. A very famous duo who plays the flute, Sikkil Neela/KunjumaNi once said they see colours while playing some ragas. They did mention some ragas and colours. It was a sort of eye opener for me and it made me appreciate music more and also sharpened by perception. The second one was said years ago by a very popular Bharata Nrityam artiste during a Lecture/Demonstration at The Music Academy. She said, ‘I see music and listen to dance’. Yes, she is known for some flowery expressions- exaggerated ones included- but this too left me thinking.

The fact that these two left an indelible mark in my subconscious mind is known to me because not only do I keep thinking about this quite often but also unconsciously apply this concept while doing certain things. This has surely helped me in sharpening my sensory perceptions and in observing and appreciating finer elements in life in general and in arts in particular. At the same time, I must confess that until very recently I was not aware of the term called synesthesia.

Going back to the question on whether it is a disorder or a gift, I feel that it is more of the latter simply because it questions and changes our conditioning. As J.Krishnamurti said, we are all ‘conditioned’ to perceive things in this world and this has seriously impacted our free thinking. In my personal opinion, all of us need to develop this condition and use it when required, because I feel this aids in ‘out of the box’ or lateral thinking. Most importantly, we are not chained by our thinking.

I am sure geniuses like Raaja sir get into this condition very often while composing. When he closes his eyes and conceives the tune or when he writes the notes for orchestration, I am sure more than two senses are working simultaneously. Otherwise, how is it possible for him to conceive novel ideas breaking the shackles in the process?

The Rare gem of the day is an example.

Going by the title of the movie and the orchestration, it is obvious that ‘KaNdadhai Solladhe’ from ‘Kanni theevu’(1981) is sung in a tribal setting.

It starts with a very brief humming by Janaki followed by the Viruttham to the backing of the chorus and the guitar. The percussion plays ‘ta – dhi –‘ 8 times. The chorus follows, first with ‘ha haa’ for 4 ‘ta – dhi –‘ and then with ‘luu luu’ for 4 fours again. The humming pattern changes again after one 4 and finally the rhythm guitar takes us to the Pallavi.

We are in for a surprise here as the ‘four’ becomes ‘three’. Yes, it is now in Tisram with the percussion-which starts only ‘sonnadhai’- plays ‘ta ki ta/ta ki ta’. The ‘viruththam’ rendered in the beginning is sung towards the end in higher octave!

The strings play with impeccable precision as melody flows like a stream in the first interlude. The differently sounding guitar is enlivening while the accordion bends and rises with a beautiful smile. It is the turn of the strings again but this time it is rousing and enticing to be intercepted by the wind instruments which appear as boulders.

The lines in the CharaNams are powerful and mellow.

The second interlude sees shades of western classical music in the beginning with the trumpets and trombone playing with full vigour. The tribal humming of the chorus first goes in keezh kaalam (slow tempo) in Tisram and then goes in mel kaalam(faster tempo). In fact, there are three different hummings.  The strings glide and the accordion revels. It is the Flute which finally steals the show playing with a unique elegance.

I am tasting the moon and smelling the rainbow. How about you?

                  

                  

                   Check this out on Chirbit