ILAIYARAGAM
The Learning Curve Series - Part 3
Musings on Brindhavana Saranaga and Madhyamavathi
I
trust the first two chapters on Kapi and sindhubhairavi were of some use to you
all. In this chapter we will see two closely related ragas namely brindhavan
saranga and madhyamavathi.
Recently
there was this friend of mine who wanted to know the raga for the song
“poongaatre theendaadhe” from kunguma chimizh…the song is a lovely
brindhavana saranga based number. Talking
of brindhavana saranga, old timers will say "ponnonru kandaen pennangu
illai", which too is a very good reference...You can easily see the
parallel between "ennendru naan sollalaaguma" with
"kallukulle anbin eeram enna"...the similarity in the
glide is so much perceptible...Or if the slightly faster tempo of the latter
confuses you, you can compare with the slower number 'muthamma muthu
muthu" from thandhuvittaen ennai.
Raja's
brindhavana sarangas are very simple to figure out, and it does not require
musical expertise. That is because raja has this god given ability dilue ragas
without losing their native merit. He only enhances the raga beauty.
Some
select songs in brindhavana saranga...
Indha Jilla Muzhuka Nalla Theriyum - Priyanka
Kannukullae Anbin Eeram Enna - Unakaagave
Konjum
Kuyil Paattu - Kanna
Unai Thedugiren
Kovil
Mani Kaetene- Kanna
Unai Thedugiren
Muthamma
Muthu Muthu - Thanthuvitten
Ennai
Dheivangal
Kan Paarthadhu - Pudhiya Ragam
However,
amongst IR's compositions, the best two i would say, for a beginner, would be
the Priyanka song and the 'Unakaagave vaazhgiraen" song...Both have the
full flavour of the ragam.
The
charanams of "Indha jilla muzhukka " song display the core essence of
the raga the first four lines...Especially the lines "pasikku udhavaama pannuriyae
perum paade" continued with "naalu ennadi naalu,
sattunnu sammadham podu"...
And
the first line of the charanam of the song "kallukulle anbin eeram"
and the first line of the charanam in "jilla muzhukka" show a similar
pattern. You are now begining to get a hang right :-)
You
shouldnt miss "dheivangal kan paarthadhu" in Pudhiya ragam. One
of the nice numbers from Mano. The pallavi by itself gives a good taste of
brindhavana saranga.Other orthodox numbers would be "Konjum Kuyil Paattu"
and
"Kovil Mani Kaetene" -
(I
think both are from Kanna Unai Thedugiren).
You
now have some fair idea of brindhavana saranga, I am sure. See, it is as simple
as this. Who wants to know all those detailed grammar?
;-) …What say you?
Anyways, just lets get some quick basics here. As said earlier,
grammatically, there is a close relative to brindhavana saranga, which is
Madhyamavathi.
Brindhavana
Saranga is |
S R2 M1 P N3 S | S N2 P M1 R2 S
Madhyamavathi
is | S
R2 M1 P N2 S | S N2 P M1 R2 S
Ilaiyaraaja’s
use of Madhyamavathi thus can be summarized as “Thalaatu”…Yes,
madhyamavathi usages by IR are (90%) hypnotic lullabies. So why not start off
with Thaalattu Pillai Ennai from
Achchaani. The entire pallavi is a neat usage of madhyamavathi. See how
raja has stressed on the raga flavour right at the start by the way SPB sings
“thalaattu”…..Just do this mini exercise…after you sing for yourself the
pallavi of the song thalattu, dive to “thunbam endrum aanukkalla” charanam
from “thulli thulli”…You would have no problems shifting to back
“thalaatu” once you finish “thulli thulli charanams”…
another good example would be “Thazham Poovae Vaasam from
Kai Kodukum Kai”
There
are innumerable madhaymavathis in IR’s isai pattarai (music workshop).
The vintage hits include
Aagaya Gangai -
Dharma Yudham , Anandham Then Sindhum -
Mann Vasanai , Kuyile Kuyile -
Aan Paavam (see madhyamavathi bubbling with enthusiasm),
Adi Pennae Ponoonjal Aadum -
Mullum Malarum ,
Ammamma -
Thalaattu Padava, Vanamellam Senbagapoo - Naadodi Pattukaaran, Vennilavu
Kodhipadhenna -
Chinna Mapillai , Eeramana Rojave -
Ilamaikalangal, Ariro Araro - Indiran Chandhiran, Poo Arumbuthu -
Kutti, Sembaruthi Penoruthi -
Raman Abdulla, Ejamaan Kaaladi Manneduthu
- Ejaman,
Kumbam Karai Sertha Thangayya - Kumbakarai Thangaiyya, Damakku
Damakku Damm -
Azagki, Kavithai Paadu Kuyilae - Thendralae Ennai Thodu, Sevanthi
Pookalil Seidha Veedu -
Mella Pesungal
Madhyamavathi,
as said earlier, is S R2 M1 P N2 S and same backwards…. I had mentioned
that you can keep remembering the word “lullaby or “thalaattu” while
trying to decipher a madhyamavathi based song…If you want to also see some
songs that are hardcore madhyamavathis, take
En Kalyana Vaibhogam
- Azhaghe
Unnai Aaradhikiren. One of those rare combination of raja and vani jayaram.
Don’t you get a feeling as if vani jayaram was sitting in a oonjal (swing)
while she sang it…or even better, don’t you feel that you are yourself are
being put in a musical swing (oonjal or thooli).
The same swing effect can be seen in the first few lines of Nee Thane
Enthan - Ninaivellam Nithya .
The
song “thulli thulli nee padamma” starts with a humming
and mini alapanai session between SPB and S.Janaki. That vocal prelude
bit is the best crash course you will ever get on madhyamavathi in the shortest
of all times (roughly 1 and a half minutes). You might do well to listen to that
initial humming alone n number of times, until you start to understand
madhyamavathi…Because, that’s all you need to know to recognize a
madhyamavathi based song.
Solaikuyile
kaalai kadhire from ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu is another vintage composition,
wherein just the pallavi is enough to teach you madhyamavathi. See the how the
pallavi lands down to a sweet musical swing (as if you were in a thooli) in the
lines, “thullum ragame, thullum raagame”…Ange thullum ragam madhayamavathi
thaan….Avvalave dhaan J
If
you asked my personal choice amongst all madhyamavathis, I would say it is
Thanga Nilavukkul Nilavondru from
Rickshaw Maama. It just does not get better than this. Raja in a
thaalaatum mood and his best partner SPB to carry the tune forward. Who wants
the heavens, it is here and now, right in your room. Just plug in to raja’s
music J
Lend
your ears, I will tell you a simple trick that works 90% of the times in
deciphering madhyamavathi in IR’s songs. There would invariably be a
scintillating usage of the instrument Shenai. You wont find many madhayamavathi
based songs from IR which didn’t have the shenai, used in a mesmerizing
fashion.
Madhyamavathi
belongs to the same sruthibedham family as mohanam, sudhadhanyasi,
sudhasaveri. Shall we take up sudhadhanyasi next then?
For
the time being though, are you are now ready for the madhyamavathi lullabies?
JUST
SIT BACK AND ENJOY !!
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Part IV
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