Classical Illayaraja.
Krishna Kunchithapadam
:
: [ almost all of the original article deleted ]
:
: There are two other songs in which he has deleted both Ni and Ma in
: chakravaagam. I don't think that such a raaga exists in carnatic music
: with any known name. Those two songs are "amudhae thamizhae" (kovil
: pura), and "nila kuyilae" (? movie). They are simply excellent.
:
s r1 g3 p d1 s+
s+ d1 p g3 r1 s
The above describes the arohana and avarohana of the raga
rasika-ranjani. If anyone checks the archives of RMIC dating
back to early 1992, they would find an article by me on this very
song and raga (along with some alternative names for the scale).
You can find a reference to rasika-ranjani and other "mohanam-
like" `rgpd' scales at:
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~krisna/rmic/rmic.1993.05.28.html
I also recommend the database of Tamil film songs based on
Carnatic ragas---it has a lot of useful information and is a good
reference to start from. The database describes 3 film songs
based on rasika-ranjani.
On a related note, Illayaraja is a bold musician both in terms of
the hardware he uses in his music and in terms of the ragas that
he chooses to base his scores on.
I can recall a "theme" program on AIR Madras many years ago that
featured film songs with music by Illayaraja, on the theme of
music ("sangeetham"). There were songs in "well-known" ragas
like mohanam and kalyani, and in less common vivadi ragas like
chitrambari and rasikapriya.
You know that mainstream "classical" music has ossified when a
composer of film music is more at ease with rasikapriya and
chitrambari than are the formal practitioners of the art (who are
more concerned about "vivadi-dosha" instead). The fact that
these rare ragas are well-liked by the public also puts to rest
any stupid notion of the term "vivadi" being synonymous with
"unmusical".
--Krishna
Krishna Kunchithapadam
:rlak...@menudo.uh.edu ( Lakshminarayana) writes:
::
:: [ almost all of the original article deleted ]
::
:: There are two other songs in which he has deleted both Ni and Ma in
:: chakravaagam. I don't think that such a raaga exists in carnatic music
:: with any known name. Those two songs are "amudhae thamizhae" (kovil
:: pura), and "nila kuyilae" (? movie). They are simply excellent.
::
:
: s r1 g3 p d1 s+
: s+ d1 p g3 r1 s
Yes, I am following up to my own article. Proof that you must
proofread once, twice, thrice, and then some before you post to
the net.
The scale of rasika-ranjani is of course:
s r1 g3 p d2 s+
s+ d2 p g3 r1 s
The "d1" specified in my initial posting is nonsense, it should
be "d2".
Time to hang my head in shame and crawl back into my hole.
Working through the night is poor excuse for such an error.
--Krishna
V. Chandramouli
from the movie Rajaparvai. Is it based on Vasanta ? I think he has used Vasanta
also in many of his tunes. At least in some, the vasanta scale was very
patent. I think this is a very interesting thread as it removes the silly
notion that Carnatic music is for only the "rasikas". I have noticed that most
of the film songs based on Carnatic music tend to be popular (or is it my
own bias speaking out here ? :-)
A recent song that attracted a lot of attention was "Ennavale adi ennavale..."
composed by Rahman, sung by Unni in the movie Kaadlan. It is biased on the
beautiful Gambhira Nattai scale (s g3 m p n3 s) for the most part. At one place
though he uses the Shatshruti rishabham which though giving a very beautiful
effect perhaps violates the classical usage. Again being a janya of Nattai,
I guess it was more appropriate than say using the Chatusruti rishabham. :-)
--Chandramouli
ps: hopefully there will be more interesting articles on this thread.
pps: Though kaadlan has some very good music, I am told the movie is
"super kuppai" (super trash) :-)
Lakshminarayana
Classical Illayaraja.
--------------------
Recently, I watched the movie 'Chembaruthi' on video. One of those unethical,
"kuppai" screen printed video cassette, you know, that gives you a vision
like that of a "soda-butti" watching TV without his spectacles!
Illayaraja has done a fantastic job in that movie. Though I had heared all
those songs many times while I was in India, watching that movie created a
reminiscent train of thoughts in my mind, about Illayaraja, his music, the
dramatic change he brought about in Thamizh cinema. I thought that it would
be worthwhile to discuss his music, particularly the CLASSICAL aspect! I am
aware that it is not possible to write about all his carnatic oriented songs,
about how he has handled those raagas, how he has deviated from the classical
style etc. But it would definitely be interesting to pour out our ideas once
in a while in a random order of the raagas covered by him.
In "Chembaruthi" there are six songs, out of which 4 are carnatic based. All
the songs were "sooper hits". To a guy who knows carnatic music, the raagas
are explicit, and to non-classical rasika, those songs are just great tunes!
This was one of his specialities, to give the raaga in almost good shape and
also make a good cinema tune out of it. And ofcourse, the rhythm should give
scope for good dance movements so that the hero and heroine could share their
love by dancing! Maybe, many of his tunes have to be branded as semi-classical
or light music (even though the raaga form might be pure) only because of this
rhythm factor.
"Chalakku Chalakku Selai" is one good number in chakravaagam. There is no
impurity in the tune (like any anniya swaram). He has confined to classical
16, Sa Ri1 Ga3 Ma1 Pa Da2 Ni2 Sa. Ofcourse, not to mention, that the lyrics
is very bad, fighting to degrade the song from semi-classical to light music.
In the charanam the heroine says "kalyaanam aagama paay poda venam, ennala
aagaathu aamaam". You know, some good heroines with morality do say such
deterrant, anti pre-marital sex things to the always advancing heroes!
Illayaraja has only few chakravaagams in his account. In the janya raagas
of chakravaagam, he has excellent numbers. Like, Malayamaarutham....
Sa Ri1 Ga3 Pa Da2 Ni2 Sa, Sa Ni2 Da2 Pa Ga3 Ri1 Sa. His first malayamarutham
came as a pleasant surprise in Sridhar's movie (for whom he always had a soft
corner) "Thenralae ennai thodu". I distinctly remember how the 'Ananda
Vikatan' magazine wrote in glowing terms about "kannmani nee vara kathirun-
then" song in malayamaarutham. Yesudoss and Uma Ramanan had done a wonderful
job in that song. Ga Pa Da Sa Ni Da Pa Da Pa Ga, Ga Pa Ga Sa Sa Ri. What a
wonderful start! The sharp rishabam gave a beautiful colour to this song.
Maybe Illayaraja's first malayamaarutham was "poojakaana neram" in "kaadal
ovium. That was a good song too. Dheepan chakravarthi had struggled to keep
in pace with that tune (like some violinists get into trouble with Sesha-
gopalan's pace!). Then came "Thendral vanthu muthamittathu" in malayamaarutham
in "Oru odai nadiyagirathu"(another sridhar's movie). Gosh! That was a fast
song too. Krishnachandar and S.P.Shailaja tried their best, but probably
spoiled it. Particularly, S.P.Shailaja has sung like the shrill sound you
hear when you apply the breaks on a car that you bought for 500 $! There are
two other songs in which he has deleted both Ni and Ma in chakravaagam. I
don't think that such a raaga exists in carnatic music with any known name.
Those two songs are "amudhae thamizhae" (kovil pura), and "nila kuyilae"
(? movie). They are simply excellent. One should be an artist and play those
songs to know their quality. Amudhae thamizhae starts like Sa Ri Ga,Sa Ri Ga,
Sa Ri Ga Pa Ga Ri Sa, Sa Ri Sa Da Sa...Pulamai Pithan's lyrics glorified that
song. In the charanam he says, if you listen to and speak Thamizh, " Oon
mezhugai urugum, athil ulagam karainthu pogum", such is the beauty of this
language! One cannot write any better,about the greatness of Thamizh language.
(Those people like Thamizh vendan & co, who have no other job other than
inundating the S.C.T with meaningless news about Thamizh Ezham, now, have a
point!).
I faintly remember one song "naan irrukka bayam etharku" (kuva kuva vathukkal?)
At that time, when I had primitive carnatic music knowledge, I had diagnosed
that song as "Valaji" (Rishabam deleted in Malayamarutham, Sa Ga Pa Da Ni Sa,
Sa Ni Da Pa Ga Sa, you can say that it is a janyam of chakravaagam too,
eventhough theorists might say 'janyam of Harikambodi'). Maybe, that song
is indeed Valaji. Illayaraja has few songs in Revathi, another 16 janyam.
Perhaps the best onces are "sangitha jaathi mullai" (kaadal ovium) and
"kanavu onru thonruthe" (oru odai nadiyaagirathu). But I personally feel
that MSV's melodious use of Revathi is unparalleled in the song "manthira
punnagai" ( Dowry kalyanam ).
So much about chakravaagam and its janyams and Illayaraja. In chembaruthi,
two of the 4 carnatic songs, are in Sindu Bhairavi raagam. They are
"kadalile ezhumbura alaikalai" and "kaadhalile tholvi". Illayaraja
himself has sung the former ( thso, thso rendition ) and Nagoor Hanifa
the latter. Both these songs are excellent Sindu Bhairavi's. One in three
of all cinema songs are in Sindu Bhairavi scale (The second commonest
cinema melody, next to NataBhairavi). Illayaraja has innumerable numbers in
Sindhu Bhairavi, a variegated population of songs from valai osai kalakala
to shenbagame, shenbagame etc. One cannot list all of them. But, probably
MSV's Unnakenna Mele Ninrai ( Simla Special ) is the best of Sindhu Bhairavi.
In "kadalile ezhumbura" the lyrics is unusually good. Probably, muthulingam
or whoever was the lyrisict, had a strong tea before writing that song!
That song goes to tell the pathetic life of fishermen. The lyrisict says
in pallavi "kadal thaneer karikudu kaaranam irukkudu, meenavar vidugira
viyarvaikal kadalile kalakudu..." (Sea water is saline because of fishermen's
sweat). Good idea, ain't it?
Lastly,there is one song in Kaapi raaam in Chembaruthi: "chembaruthi poalae"
(after decades, Banumathi Ramakrishna sang a tail piece of this song). His
other Kaapi are 'ada maapila' (maapilai), 'hei paadal onru' (priya). As far
as I know Illayaraja is the only one who used kaapi in cinema. All of them are
good. He starts 'ada maapila' like, Ma Ga3 Ga3 Ma Pa, Pa Ma Ga3 Ma Ni2 Pa
Ga2 Ri Sa Ni3 Sa Sa. Wonderful start! To start kaapi in madhyamam and use
its key phrase 'Ga3 Ma Ni2 Pa Ga2 Ri Sa Ni3' at the very beginning is an
excellent approach to the tune. This is one of the instance in which his
classical 'vidwat' was manifest. Even 'chembaruthi poale' he uses the
bashangam of kaapi, in the very beginning, like, 'Pa NI2 Ma Pa Ni3 Sa'.
Why did he choose to put tune in kaapi for both these above situations in
which the bride and the groom are humoured by the 'thozhan' and 'thozhiyar'
on the occasion of their betrothal. Is their any definite pattern that he
follows in scoring tunes for situation? Maybe.
-Lakshminarayanan Srirangam Ramakrishnan.
Ramasubramanian Ramakrishnan
|> Another of my favorites is "andhi mazahai pozhigirudu.." (pardon my tamizh)
|> from the movie Rajaparvai. Is it based on Vasanta ? I think he has used Vasanta
|> also in many of his tunes. At least in some, the vasanta scale was very
|> patent. I think this is a very interesting thread as it removes the silly
Yes, it is based on vasantha. Talking of fusion music, I think one musician
who has exhibited some "good" fusion skills is Ilayaraja as exemplified by
this song.
|> A recent song that attracted a lot of attention was "Ennavale adi ennavale..."
|> composed by Rahman, sung by Unni in the movie Kaadlan. It is biased on the
|> beautiful Gambhira Nattai scale (s g3 m p n3 s) for the most part. At one place
|> though he uses the Shatshruti rishabham which though giving a very beautiful
|> effect perhaps violates the classical usage. Again being a janya of Nattai,
|> I guess it was more appropriate than say using the Chatusruti rishabham. :-)
This song has elements of several ragas: KEdAram, shankarAbharanam and gambhIra
nAtai. I heard that Subbudu made a comment about RahmAn thinking that this was
his attempt at kEdAram. I think the "film classical music" allows a lot of
freak out and people like Subbudu should stay away rather than making fun
of themselves.
|> pps: Though kaadlan has some very good music, I am told the movie is
|> "super kuppai" (super trash) :-)
How did you like the "oorvasi.." and "pAettai rap"?
Subu
Arun Balakrishnan
...stuff deleted...
>ps: hopefully there will be more interesting articles on this thread.
>pps: Though kaadlan has some very good music, I am told the movie is
>"super kuppai" (super trash) :-)
When Unnikrishnan was here last may the folks who hosted him rented
Kaadhalan. Unni himself protested against seeing the movie. BTW he
is a cool dude - he went waterskiing in Kansas I believe much to
the chagrin of his sponsors. Clever man he is he told them after
he did that.
Another remarkable thing I heard is that he started learning
music at a late stage (after joining college ? is that right ?)
arun