Lessons from Maestro Ilayaraja

Date: January 7th 2002

Lesson 9

A Crash Course in Raga Kamavardhini

             Song:
Rojavai Thalatum Thendral....(tamil)

                 Film:
Ninaivaellam Nithya

Based on Raga :

Kamavardhini

Listen to this song.
Audio Courtesy: RaajaNGAHM.com ]

Coated with the flavors of Indian and western classical music, this melody is yet another duet song from the music Maestro.

The song is based on a melakartha raga, Kamavardhini. The pallavi of the song presents a brief introduction to the raga. The first tune marvelously covers all the notes in the scale, except the dhaivatham. Two short tunes that follow this one break on unexpected locations (ri and ga). The composer brings out the emotion in the song with the powerful introduction of the dhaivatham at the end of the last tune in the pallavi. The composer thus shows that the careful usage of the notes of a raga is the key behind tuning a song for a particular mind set. This tune repeats itself at the end of the charanam too.

The charanam begins with wonderful oscillations on the lower nishadham (this is an important characteristic of Kamavardhini). The tunes "mounamae sammagham endru…theendudhae manmadha vandu" that are rendered in the female voice (first charanam) are marvelously interleaved with male humming (ni after the first tune and sa after the second). The male and female voices exchange their roles in the analogous tune in the second charanam.

The composer, once again, waves his flag of creativity with his outstanding orchestration in this song.

The westernized usage of the guitar in the interludes, for a song that is based on a indian raga, is a lesson on blending the two different styles of music.

The song begins with a novel rhythm pattern that includes the tabla besides other percussive instruments. The guitar and tabla backup the vocal portions (pallavi and charanam) of the song. While the first interlude has a controlled usage of percussions, the second interlude does not sound any percussions (except the cymbals). This could probably be attributed to the song situation in the film (demanding more of emotion). The composer maintains the romantic mood of the song with the flute, violins and the guitar (typically found in most of the Maestro's compositions). Thanks to Maestro Ilayaraja, for this wonderful lesson.

Author: R.S.Balaji

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