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Month: December 2011
Mayamalavagaula’s Arabic connections! Dr. M. Lalitha
KNOW YOUR RAGA
Mayamalavagaula’s Arabic connections! Dr. M. Lalitha
The third raga in the third chakra, Agni, is Malavagaula but known as Mayamalavagaula to fit the katapayadi sankya formula. A raga having symmetrical tetra chords having the notes s, r1, g2, m1, p, d1, n2, it is used for beginning lessons because of the equal distance of the swaras which makes it easier for students. An ancient raga in Carnatic music, it is known as Bhairav in Hindustani music and a raga to be sung at early hours of the morning. This raga was popular during the time of Guru Nanak and is seen in the Guru Granth Sahib as well. The Pann Indhalam of the ancient Tamils is said to be equivalent to Mayamalavagaula, though certain versions mention it as Nadanamakriya. This scale is seen in the Middle Eastern music particularly Arabic, Egyptian, Persian, Turkish, Iran, Iraq and North African. It is known as Shadd Araban and Shahnaz Maqamats of the Arabic world.
In Carnatic music, it is a Raganga ragam, evoking mainly the shanta rasa, while in Arabic music, it is said to evoke pathos. It is a murchanakaraka mela where from the note rishaba raga Rasikapriya and the note madyama raga Simendramadyamam is derived by graha bhedam.
Some of the popular carnatic compositions in Mayamalavagaula are Tulasidala… and Merusamana… by Thyagaraja, Sri Nathadi… by Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Deva Deva… by Swati Tirunal, Adikondar… by Muthuthandavar and Bhuvaneswari Pugazh… by Papanasam Sivan.
In the Kriti Tulasidala, Saint Tyagaraja says that he will worship the holy feet of his beloved Rama with tulasi and other fragrant flowers. Legend has it that an old man asked Muthuswam Dikshitar to open his mouth while in meditation in Tiruttani and dropped a sugar candy into his mouth and disappeared. Upon opening his eye, he had a vision of Lord Muruga and burst forth into Sri Nadadi… which is in Mayamalavagaula.
Some film melodies include Raama Naamam… from Raghavendra, Poova Eduthu… from Amman Kovil Kizhakkale, Madura Marikkozhundu Vaasam…. from Enga Ooru Pattukaaran and Poonkadhave Thaal Thiravaai… from Nizhalgal.
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Musicians get into the act
Musicians get into the act
It is not just sabhas, but also musicians, who are organizing concert series this season
M Suganth
Finally, the music season has kicked off in all its effervescent style and, as is the norm, this year is witnessing a few new trends. One trend that is in vogue this year is that of musicians themselves organizing concert series. The reason that most musicians cite is to take the music to the outskirts of the city.
Says K N Shashikiran, who is involved in organizing various concert series this season, “With the city expanding, it has become important to take the music fest all over the city. Most people, who are not living in the central parts of the city, find it difficult to attend concerts during a working day. Also, when we organize concerts, we try to cater to a different segment with different concepts.”
Violinists Lalitha and Nandhini are involved in two sabhas — Nandi Fine Arts and Sadhguru Santhananda Kalaa Kendra (which is debuting this year) — that aim to take the Margazhi music fest to places like Tambaram “where there are a significant number of audiences who find it unable to visit the city to be a part of the concert experience.” “Also, this is our way of giving back something to Carnatic music, which has made us what we are today,” they add.
“Our Global Heritage Music Festival, which is being held at the Hare Krishna Centre, a beachfacing venue in Thiruvanmiyur, has been getting tremendous response with the ambience adding to the charm,” says Shashikiran, who is also involved with the Bharat Sangeet Utsav, which happens in November and serves as a curtain raiser of sorts to the Margazhi season. This season, he is also part of the Samarpanam (which features legends) and Sangeetha Sandhippu, in which audiences can have informal coffee chats with artists. “All our events are not ticketed and have no membership,” he adds.
Another reason that has made musicians organizers is to promote music among the next generation and provide a platform for young talents. Says pianist Anil Srinivasan, who has been conducting the threeday Universe Of Sound series for the past three seasons, “The reason behind my starting this series is because I’m involved in a venture that aims to take music education to schools. We created this series as a showcase for children. We invite leading names from the music field who perform and lecture on their music. This year, we have 150 children among the audience in addition to the people who are regulars on the sabha circuit.”
However, organizing concerts isn’t without challenges. For one, sponsors are hesitant to fund concerts that aren’t being organized by prominent sabhas. “While artists are very co-operative, support from sponsors and the government for independent organizations can take the ecosystem of the festival to a higher level,” says Shashikiran.
suganth.m@timesgroup.com
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A musical aura Dr M Lalitha
KNOW YOUR RAGA A musical aura Dr M Lalitha
Ramaswamy Dikshitar, father of Muthuswamy Dikshitar, is credited to have invented the Raga Hamsadhvani, a pentatonic scale or the audava ragam having the notes sr2g2pn2. The notes ma and dha are varja or absent. An upanga raga, it is regarded as a janya of the 29th mela Dheerashankarabharana. Hamsadhvani is a raga that went from the south to the North and is said that it was perhaps introduced into Hindustani by U Aman Ali Khan belonging to the Bhendibazaar gharana.
A raga that shines beautifully well when sung in madhyamakala, it gives ample scope for alapana and colourful svara prastharas. The rasa portrayed in this raga is mostly bhakti and Vira.
It is a raga that is used to begin a concert with and normally compositions on Ganesh which is performed at the starting of a concert is based on this raga, which is known for its majesty. The reason for singing this raga at the commencement of a concert is that it creates the perfect musical aura.
Some of the vary famous compositions in carnatic music are Tyagaraja’s Raghunayaka, Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s Vatapiganapatim, Papanasam Sivan’s Muladhara murthy, Koteswara Iyer’s Varanamukava, and Muthiah Bhagavathar’s Gam Ganapathe.
The Kriti Vatapi Ganapatim is one of the Shodasa Ganapathi Kritis of Muthuswamy Dikshitar composed on different forms of Lord Ganesha in and around Tiruvarur. The credit for popularizing this kriti goes to Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan, who used to sing it with many embellishments and sangatis/variations frequently in his concerts.
This scale is employed in contemporary jazz and fusion music. Many tunes from the film world use this raga, including the Suppose Unnai song from Sukran and Vellai Pookkal number from Kannathil Muthamittal.
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Melody is in! Dr M Lalitha
KNOW YOUR RAGA Melody is in! Dr M Lalitha
The 65th Mela Kalyani, known as Mecha Kalyani to fit in the Katapayadhi sankya, is called Shanta Kalyani in the Asampurna mela tradition. Equivalent of the Lydian modes of the Gregorian chants and the Greek scale of the Aristoxenian tradition used in Western traditions, it is a major raga in carnatic music having the swaras s, r2, g2, m2, p, d2, n2 (with an augmented fourths).
Kalyani is a Murcanakaraka mela ragam wherein by Graha bhedam or modal shift of tonic from the notes r, g, p, d, n the ragas Harikambhoji, Natabhairavi, Shankarabharanam, Kharaharapriya and Todi are derived.
Known as Arumpalai the Tamil pann equivalent for this raga, it is known as Yamen in Hindustani. It is seen in global music traditions of Africa and Hungar. Apart from jazz, fusion and folk traditions, they are extensively used in jugalbandis as well. Venkatamakhin and Pundarika have mentioned the existence of this raga in the Arabic and Persian music.
All the composers of Carnatic music have touched this raga which is used in almost more than 800 compositions in a variety of music forms from Gitam to Tillana. The list is endless, from Ata tala varnam Vanajakshi by Pallavi Gopala Iyer, Sivepahimam of Tyagaraja, Kamalambham by Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Biranalichi by Syama Sastri, Unnai Allal by Sivan and Nijadasa by Patnam Subramani Iyer to name a few.
A very popular story that goes with the composition Nidhichala Sukama by Tyagaraja, where it is said that the King of Tanjavur, hearing his prowess, invited him along with many riches to sing in his court. However, the saint, who was the seeker of only Lord Rama’s feet and not the riches declined the offer and sang Nidhi chala sukama, meaning — does the wealth give satisfaction and contentment.
Dikshitar’s version of Kamalambam is a typical Carnatic-flavoured Kalyani while his Abhyambha jagadamba have some extraordinary and unusual touches of this raga. The charana sections begin with pa and have svaraksharams in the phrase bhakta naga…pari palini — giving importance to the svara pa in some phrases coinciding with the word pa.
Different types of rasas are portrayed in the compositions of this raga like Bibatsa or disgust, Vira and Sringara.
Some of the popular film melodies include Mannavan Vandanadi from Tiruvarutchelvar, Ammavendraizhaikada from Mannan and Sakthi Kodu from Baba.
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NOTES OF COMPASSION – Dr M Lalitha
KNOW YOUR RAGA
NOTES OF COMPASSION
Dr M Lalitha
Mohanam is a very popular raga seen in different world music traditions including those of China, India, Japan, Korea, America, Africa, Mongolia, Ireland and folk music. Known as an Audava Raga because of its five note scale (s r2 g2 p d2), it is called as Bhoop/ Bhupali in Hindustani music. Widely used in jazz music and Andean music traditions, it is an old raga known as Regupti of the Tamil music. Ilango Adigal, the author of Silapadikaram, coined the name Mullai Pann to this raga. Tiruvachagam of Manikavachagar is built mainly on this raga. Mohanam is considered as the offspring or janya of the Raga Harikambhoji, 28th Mela, and while in the asampurna mela padhati, it is placed as a janya of Shantakalyani by Venkatamaki. Compositions belonging to different musical forms are featured including the popular gitam Varavina…, varnam Ninnukori…, kriti Yaen Palli Kondeer… to name a few. The story of how the kriti Nannupalimpa… was composed is that at the time of Saint Thyagaraja’s daughter’s wedding, his disciple Walajapet Venkatramana Bhagavathar brings the picture of Lord Rama with his consort Sita to be presented to the couple as a gift. Thyagaraja bursts out in ecstasy on seeing this picture and sings this kriti. Though it evokes a variety of rasas or emotions, the best suited is the Karuna (compassion) rasa. Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer was considered a specialist of this raga but when he heard the rendering of this raga from Madurai Mani Iyer, he affectionately called him Mohana Mani for the cascade of ideas that poured out from him. Film music too has had its share of this raga from Giridhara Gopala… (Meera), Vandadhe… (Kizhakku Vasal) and Ninnukori… (Agni Natchatiram).
Bhakthi to the forefront – Dr M Lalitha
Bhakthi to the forefront
Dr M Lalitha
Do you know that Thiruvachagam and Thiruppavai are sung during the annual coronation ceremony for the King in Thailand who is regarded as Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu? The Thai brahmins recite Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai written in Thai script and hold a 15-day celebration for the two Hindu Gods known as Trivambave Tribave which is Thiruppavai and Thiruvembavai during every December.
Legend has it that Manikkavachagar one of the four nayanmars of the Shaivite cult, composed Thiruvembavai at Tiruvannamalai while on pilgrimage. It is said to have been composed when Manikkavachagar was doing pradakshina. His works were written in the 16th century.
The only female poet of the 12 alwars of the Vaishnavite cult — Andal is the author of the Thiruppavai hymns coming under the Nalayira Divyaprabhandams compilation. The Thirupavai has 30 verses beginning from Margazhi month.
The Thiruvembavai along with Thiruppalliezhuchi on the Lord of Thirupperunturai are sung all over Shaivite temples while the Thiruppavai is recited at all Vishnu Temples during the sacred month of Margazhi since it is regarded as a highly spiritual and divine.
During this period the devas worship Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu hence this month should be spent with the thought of the Lord either by chanting his names or listening to music throughout.
TINSELTOWN TUNES – M Lalitha
TINSELTOWN TUNES
There have been many instrumentalists from the Carnatic music world who’ve made a foray into films
There have been many instrumentalists from the Carnatic music world who’ve made a foray into films
There is always hype about the Carnatic music vocalist’s entry into film music. But a little known fact is that there have been several instrumentalists from the Carnatic music world who have been successfully performing for film compositions. In performing the instrument for the films, the role of an instrumentalist demands a greater job in re-recordings, interludes and to bring feelings in different situations.
Many would have heard the lilting Singaravelane…, the popular number of yesteryears from the Tamil film Konjum Salangai, with the beautiful strains of the nagasvaram. The great Karaikuruchi Arunachalam was the one rendered this tune.
The film Deivam had the song Marudamalai Mamaniye… that created waves for which Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan performed the violin as an accompanist to the singer Madurai Somu. In fact, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan scored music for several films too.
Present-day musicians are no exception for this. The film Duet made Kadri Gopalnath popular as a saxophonist. Violinist Embar Kannan, who is a favourite accompanist of many vocalists, entered the film world with the movie Puli Pettra Pillai and has worked with several music directors. His violin can be heard in the films Ivan, Dum Dum Dum, Kanda Naal Mudal and Sivaji to name a few.
Violinist Nandini Muthuswamy has scored the music for Suhasini Maniratnam’s short film Kaicha Maram. The melodious strains coming from those of Veena Gayathri and Chitti Babu can be heard in many films, including Kalai Kovil.
Ghatam Karthick is a much sought after percussionist in the film industry having worked with top music directors. The brothers’ duo Ganesh and Kumaresh, apart from acting in the popular Oru Veedu Iru Vasal, lent their violin music in several films. Guitar Prasanna has done orchestra arrangement for many films including Aamir Khan’s Lagaan.
Though Carnatic music is mostly a vocalists’ world, these instrumentalists have carved a niche for themselves in the film world by their sheer talent and versatility.
M L
Breaking gender barriers – Dr M Lalitha
Breaking gender barriers
Chennai Times takes a look at some pioneering women who have made a name for themselves in the field of Carnatic music
Dr M Lalitha
Gone are those days when women musicians were not allowed to perform in the male dominated cultural scene. In fact, there have been many women musicians of the past like Bangalore Tayi, Madras Lalithangi, Salem Meenakshi, Vainikas Dhanammal, Madurai Shanmugavadivu, violinist Madurai Akkammal, flautist Valadi Rukmini Papa, gottuvadyam Mannargudi Savithri Ammal, mridangist Tanjore Kamakshi Bai, magasvaram M S Ponnuthai and composers Tallapakka Thimmakka who have contributed greatly to the field of Carnatic music.
Here’s a look at the women musicians who broke the male bastion and created history. It is said that Krishnarajapuram Dhanam was the perhaps the first woman jalatharangam player, who had Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar accompanying her on the violin. The women trinity, M S Subbulakshmi, D K Pattamal and M L Vasanthakumari, became pioneers in breaking the male dominated world of Carnatic music.
In fact, it was D K Pattammal who became the first Brahmin woman to give public kutcheris and perform the Ragam Tanam Pallavi which was again considered a possession of the male members. Bangalore Nagarathamma, a versatile artiste and a staunch devotee of Saint Tyagaraja who was instrumental in building the temple for Saint Thyagaraja on his samadhi, took charge of performing the Thyagaraja Aradana with the traditional unjavarti (when the bhagavathas sing and seek food from households). This paved the way for women musicians to start a separate group opposite the male dominated unjavarti that became a roaring success.
After many years it was M S Subbulakshmi, Brinda and Muktha who broke the barriers by joining the unjavarti processions during Thyagaraja Aradana celebrations, which was till then led by the male members. Even now, where Carnatic music boasts of equal preference for both men and women, gender discrimination still persists, when male accompanists refuse to perform for female singers or male singers refusing women accompanists for reasons of their own.
Yet, gender egalitarianism is an achievement thanks to the contribution and efforts of these several women musicians.
Chennai Times takes a look at some pioneering women who have made a name for themselves in the field of Carnatic music
Dr M Lalitha
Gone are those days when women musicians were not allowed to perform in the male dominated cultural scene. In fact, there have been many women musicians of the past like Bangalore Tayi, Madras Lalithangi, Salem Meenakshi, Vainikas Dhanammal, Madurai Shanmugavadivu, violinist Madurai Akkammal, flautist Valadi Rukmini Papa, gottuvadyam Mannargudi Savithri Ammal, mridangist Tanjore Kamakshi Bai, magasvaram M S Ponnuthai and composers Tallapakka Thimmakka who have contributed greatly to the field of Carnatic music.
Here’s a look at the women musicians who broke the male bastion and created history. It is said that Krishnarajapuram Dhanam was the perhaps the first woman jalatharangam player, who had Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar accompanying her on the violin. The women trinity, M S Subbulakshmi, D K Pattamal and M L Vasanthakumari, became pioneers in breaking the male dominated world of Carnatic music.
In fact, it was D K Pattammal who became the first Brahmin woman to give public kutcheris and perform the Ragam Tanam Pallavi which was again considered a possession of the male members. Bangalore Nagarathamma, a versatile artiste and a staunch devotee of Saint Tyagaraja who was instrumental in building the temple for Saint Thyagaraja on his samadhi, took charge of performing the Thyagaraja Aradana with the traditional unjavarti (when the bhagavathas sing and seek food from households). This paved the way for women musicians to start a separate group opposite the male dominated unjavarti that became a roaring success.
After many years it was M S Subbulakshmi, Brinda and Muktha who broke the barriers by joining the unjavarti processions during Thyagaraja Aradana celebrations, which was till then led by the male members. Even now, where Carnatic music boasts of equal preference for both men and women, gender discrimination still persists, when male accompanists refuse to perform for female singers or male singers refusing women accompanists for reasons of their own.
Yet, gender egalitarianism is an achievement thanks to the contribution and efforts of these several women musicians.
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