Presented in this BLOG are some movie songs composed in the same RAGA, which will help getting an idea of how a raga sounds. It is aimed at providing an introduction to CARNATIC MUSIC.
‘Kabaalida’ – the hype and hoopla for ‘Kabali’ film have subsided with the release of the film… but some thing was gnawing me for quite a while. Whenever I got a glimpse of the lead actress of the film or read her interviews or just heard the name Radhika Apte I began to ruminate on another Apte , a totally forgotten versatile yesteryear actress, Shantha Apte. What interest I will have in ‘Kabali’ or Radhika Apte or its music! But sure I will have interest in Shantha Apte for this quaint melody,’ ஆடுவோம் வாருங்கள் பாங்கியரே ‘ that she sang for the film ‘Savitri’ (Royal Talkie Distributors/1941).
‘Savitri, a mythological, though remembered mainly for M S Subbulakshmi, Shantha Apte , who played the eponymous role, a Hindi-Marathi legendary singing star those days, is no less a celebrity. She was classically trained in music and dance and an acclaimed actress in Marathi and Hindi cinema.
M S Subbulakshmi was cast in a male role, playing the character of sage Narada! This unique casting was the idea of the filmmaker Y.V. Rao. This project is also said to have raised funds for ‘Kalki’ , the Tamil weekly launched by M S Subbulakshmi’s husband, Sadasivam. This was the first time in South Indian cinema that Narada was played by a female.
It was very difficult making Apte act in a Tamil film for Y V Rao for she did not know the language but insisted on speaking and singing in Tamil! The dialogue-writer T.C. Vadivelu Naicker with a Tamil woman, settled in Poona, taught her the lingo. To hoodwink the curious onlookers, Apte, disguised as a maid would visit the tutor's house through the rear door! The project was put on the backburner for nearly a year until Shantha Apte learnt to speak and sing on her own! She sang 7 to 8 songs in the film. Apte was apt for the role.
The film’s music was credited to Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sarma, and noted Bengali film music composer Kamaldas Gupta who was in charge of orchestration and arrangements. Papanasam Sivan wrote the lyrics. It is pertinent to mention here that Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sarma scored music for MS’ ‘Sakunthalai’ also.
Set in captivating Ketharam, probably the first full song in a tamil film in that raga, the tune suits the situation- where Apte merrily spends her time with her friends in the garden and where the hero Y V Rao tries to woo her.
Though not so good-looking Shantha Apte looks bubbly and vivacious. Just look at her singing…such a flawless rendition in her dulcet voice. She simply proves her mettle through this song. I find U R Jeevarathnam style of singing in her. Her enunciation of words is also fine.
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Ketharam- either Sivan’s or Thuraiyur’s idea, it is just brilliant!
If subconsciously I have had an affinity for Ketharam it is because during my school days we had this prayer song- ‘சகலகலா வாணியே சரணம் தாயே!’. We used to sing this song very mechanically those days with utter disregard for its lyrical or musical values. By the time I understood it was a Suddhanandha Bharathi’s kriti, the beauty of the lyrics and its raagam, Ilaiyaraja came out with a stunning melody in ‘Ponmaalai pozhudhu’ for the film ‘Nizhalgal’ which gave Ketharam a new dimension altogether with its off-beat prelude and interludes.
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In this MS’ birth centenary year it should go to the credit of Radhika Apte in a way that we remember Shantha Apte today whose 100th birth anniversary also falls in this year. She was also born in 1916. I wish some mention about this forgotten actress be made in the Doordarshan series ‘Kurai ondrum illai’, a weekly programme currenly being aired as part of MS centenary celebrations.
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How I wish MSV had composed the line ,”Nee enak’kethaaram’ endrirukka unnai en vasa(m)thaa vena naan kaetka” in the song ‘Nee oru raagamaalikai’ (Penn ondru kanndaen/1974) in raga Ketharam itself (instead of his usual ‘Karaharapriya’)!
Discussion at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1280181962013527/
Doraswami Kavirayar, referred to here after as Kavi, was born on 15th August 1867, at Muthu Vinayagar Street, George Town Madras. His father was Samiappa Kavirayar, a poet of merit in the retinue of Pathai Sriramulu Chetty, a dubash of the East India Company. It is said that Samiappa Kavirayar did not have children for long and so he prayed often at the Karukkatha Amman Temple at Spurtank.
One night the goddess appeared in his dream and promised him a son the next day. And so it proved. At the time of his birth, the patron Sriramulu Chetty declared that the prosperity of the times owed itself to the Dorai (the Englishman) and Swami (God). He was therefore named Doraswami. There is no record of Doraiswami having a mother or of Samiappa kavirayar having married. Indeed, we must attribute Kavi’s birth to a miracle.
Kavi was found to be completely disinclined towards learning and this was a sorrow to his father, who in true Carnatic tradition was fated to pass away when Kavi was merely five. Thereafter, Kavi was brought up by his father’s patron, who lavished his best attention on the boy but to no avail. One day, Sriramulu Chetty expressed his frustration by remarking “solla solla varamaattengude” (despite repeated telling, he wont learn).
That was the turning point. Doraswami Kavi ran away to the Tiruporur Murugan temple where he spent the night. Lord Muruga appeared in his dream and wrote on his tongue. When he woke up, he found he had become a poet. Thereafter he had to only open his mouth and poetry poured forth. His first creation is said to be Solla Solla (now sung in Behag).
Eschewing material wealth, for he realised that to be remembered by posterity he had to be poor, Kavi spurned all offers of patronage. He became an itinerant poet, visiting temples. One day he arrived at Kozhipidichanpalayam to see a crowd. A man had fallen into a well and was declared dead. Immediately he sang innum parAmukham (now sung in bEgaDa) and the man bounced back to health.
Kavi’s talents came to the notice of the Zamindar of Eppodumtolvi who demanded that Kavi sing in his (Zamindar’s praise). This was sternly refused, whereupon the Zamindar ordered the Kavi’s arrest. In prison Kavi sang Harahara Sankara (now sung in Mukhari). That very night the Zamindar had severe stomach ache and realised his folly. He ordered the release of Kavi and honoured him with todas and shawls.
Kavi was particularly attached to Dandayudhapani, the deity of Palani and sang several songs in His praise. Kavi was also referred to as Kaliyuga Dandayudhapani as he wore only a loincloth and carried a staff. Kavi was tall, with a bright forehead that always sported the sacred ash. He had a broad chest and there was effulgence about him. It is not known if he had six pack abs.
Now that all the important details of his life have been covered, we need to document his end, which like that of most Carnatic composers, is inordinately well-recorded. In his last years Kavi came under the patronage of the Governor of Madras, ME Grant Duff. This was by way of a ball of butter to be left at his doorstep every morning. One day he was given a vision and sang kathirvaDivEla (now sung in Jayantashree).
It is likely that he had a premonition of his passing thereafter and really looked forward to it. But then God delayed His arrival and exasperated with this, Kavi embarked on innum enna Ezhai mEl. It is said that during the singing of this song, God appeared on a peacock and danced before him and vanished at the end of every verse and reappeared only if he composed yet another. That is why this song has a slow pallavi and four fast-paced caraNams. At the end of it, there was a burst of light and Kavi shuffled off his mortal coil. From the heavens came the singing of a mangaLam (saravaNa), which was quickly noted down by the Governor of Madras, ME Grant Duff. On his return to England, the Governor named his estate Doraiswamipuram, which is now known as Dorsey.
There has of late been a persistent rumour that the place where Doraiswami Kavirayar shuffled off suffered a severe subsidence thereafter and necessitated the construction of a subway known as the Doraiswami Subway. But we vehemently state that there is no truth in this.
A week after his passing, Kavi appeared in a dream to Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar. This was interpreted as a command that his songs be set to music. The task was entrusted to VS Gomathisankara Iyer who notated them. A contemporary historian however states that he has seen notated songs of Doraswami Kavi in the notebooks of Durguniammal, the hereditary Devadasi of Adigaprasangiamman temple. He is of the view that the first attempt at notation was by one Kosapettai Iramasami Nattuvanar.
A good Professor from the past, who got a lot of anecdotes converted into fact has opined that Doraiswami Kavirayar, along with Pallavi Doraiswami Iyer and Puliyur Doraiswami Iyer can be collectively termed the Doraitrayam or the Doraiswami Trinity of Carnatic Music.
NB: This is an unofficial biography and its factual accuracy is suspect at best. You could call it a stub. Caveat Emptor. But it is entirely suitable to make it to University textbooks.
ADHI SAID:
No account of Kavi’s life is complete without a graphical description of the famous contest between Doraiswami Kavi and visiting vidvan Upamaka Urubhanga Kavi in the presence of Eppodumtolvi where he composed on the spot his famous “Sodikka vandayo” (now sung in Athana) and defeated the visiting vidwan. I am somewhat disappointed that the biographer left out this important detail.
In cinema music, starting from the period of Illayaraja, the lyricists got into a pact of servitude with the music directors. They were dictated by the mighty music directors. Since the selling of audio cassette and the success of the movie were only depended upon 'how catchy' the tunes were, and not on the quality of the lyrics, it became the unquestioned 'rajyam' of the music directors like Illayaraja. He would come early in the morning to the Prasath recording theatre. Probably by that time the lyricist would be waiting there already.
Maybe they even routinely prostrated before him as he entered into the theatre like the God incarnate himself! Then he would fill the theatre with his tunes in the 'thanthana thaana thathana thaana thaana nanana' form. The lyricist had to get this into his intellect and rack his brain to get words that would replace the 'thaana thathana' junk! What a pity! If Subramania Bharathiar had been alive he would've shed blood tears at the sordid state of Thamizh in cinema! Illayaraja was definitely one important reasons for this abyssmal degenerancy in the state of 'kanni' Thamizh! (Maybe the LTTE/DMK/DK combo have Illayaraja in their murder hit list for causing this change to their beloved Thamizh!).
There is one guy who repeatedly proved that he could stand upto the pressure of Illayaraja. He gave new form to cinema songs. After the period of Kannada- san (even though Vaali and the lot were giving some good meaningful songs), on an average, Vairamuthu gave much much better cinema songs. Some of his cinema songs even had splashes of supreme 'kavithuvam'. The song in which he made his debut was a feast both in music and lyrics.
That song came in the movie nizhalgal. The situation is that, hero Rajasekhar (a ganja case in that movie) returns back to his home in an elated mood. It was not shown whether he has a puff of ganja before that song! If you were the music director, what tune (to our discussion, what raga) would you want to score in this situation? The points that director Bharatiraja gives you regarding this situation is: 'evening time/hero/ganja case/very happy/sings.' Thats all. Isn't your mind fully blank about what ragam to choose? Okay, if you were the lyricist (that too, making your entry into the cine-world in this song), what would you write? Illayaraja chose to use the all time pleasantry of Kedaram in this situation! Vairamuthu decided to write 'pon malai pozhudhu'.
Kedaram is a fantastic ragam. It is one of the innumerable janyams of the 29th melagartha Sankarabharanam. It has got a small U turn in its arohanam (vakram!). Sa Ma Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa. Avarohanam is Sa Ni Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa. Though this looks simple, there is a specific phrase in its avarohanam to make the raga identity clear. That is, Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa is not just the same when you sing, you have to sing/play like Pa Ma Ga.... Ri Sa Ga Ri Sa. The temporal duration (kaarvai) of gandaram is more. This is what gives beauty to this ragam. Before Illayaraja used, I know of only one song which is in Kedaram. That is, 'ramaswami thoodan naanada' in ?Sampoorna Ramayanam. Lord Anjeneya sings this song to Ravanan!
Illayaraja's use of Kedaram is splendid. He uses the key phrase of Kedaram in the opening of that song itself like 'Sa Ni Pa, Pa Ma Ga, Ga Ri Sa, Sa Ni Pa' travelling from madhyama sthayi upper shadjam to manthra sthayi panchamam in a single stretch. At the time when the movie was released, I was amused by the chirping of birds in the prelude. How could they catch many birds and bring it to the recording theatre and make them chirp according to their will and wish and record it? Now that I'm a little older, and know that you can make birds chirp, lions roar, kuyils 'koovufy', just by pressing a single button even in your $ 30 casio, I'm more amused by the use of Kedaram in the song. The use of accordion in the first interlude 'Sa Ni Pa Ni Pa Sa Ni Sa Ni Pa, Ga Ma Pa' is excellant. In the second interlude he suddenly introduces a meloncholy with a solo violin piece well within the scope of kedaram. I don't know why he did it. Why that sudden sadness in the tune?
The intellectual, poem writing part of Vairamuthu's neuro-circuitry reached the boundaries of imagination in that song. He writes:
Oh God! What a 'karpanai'! He personifies the evening sky as a girl and says: she is changing clothes from evening to night, and blushes out of shyness because everybody is seeing her! Can anybody refer to redness in sky during dusk any better than this? There might be light scattering and such kind of hi-tech physical events that might cause this phenomenon! But, look, what the poet has to say about this from his point of view! In the charanam, he goes a step further and starts characterising the normal events occuring during dusk in a poetic way. He says:
Proper translation would be: Birds would sing and clap welcoming the night; evening sky would establish the bridge for the coming of the night; all the trees would sway hither and thither and produce gentle breeze welcoming the night; the appearance of thousands of colourful lights all over the world would be magical; it would be like a 'kolam' in the gates of night!
The second Kedaram from the theatre of Illayaraja came in Kamal's 'michael madana kaamarajan'. Sundari neeyum is a fantastic song. It is not as pure as 'pon maalai', but it is a good Kedaram. Though, it was MSV who discovered Kamal's singing capabilities ( gnayiru oli mazhayil thingal kulika vandhan; was it Kamal's first song?), it was Illayaraja who gave him chance to sing repeatedly in his movies. Infact, in one non-Kamal movie he made him sing for some other hero (ponmaalai theduthae, en veenai paaduthae: ?movie). Kamal and Janaki have done a wonderful job in sundari neeyum. Illayaraja has given the required weightage to manthra sthayi Pa Ni Sa sancharas in this song too. In the charanam, during 'kannana kannae en sontham allo' he uses, Sa Ga Pa Ga Pa Ni, Pa Ni Sa Pa Ni Ri which is definitely unbecoming of kedaram. But, I guess we have to forgive this, because this is cinema music and not a katcheri! The second interlude flute pieces are exceptionally good.
A.R.Rahman's 'ennavalae ennavalae' in Kadalan is very frequently alluded by some as Kedaram. Reportedly 'thatha' Suppudu also commented about this song in some interview as 'Kedarathuku sedharam', meaning damage to Kedaram. Personally, I am not able to place this song under any ragam. It starts like Sa Sa Ni Pa Ma Pa Pa Ni Pa Ma Ga, Sa Sa Ga Ma Pa Ga Ma Pa...later it deviates with liberal usage of chatusrathi daivatham, chatusrathi rishabam, with one flash of shatsruthi rishabam too (kaadalinaal varum avasthai enru kandu kondaen). But it is a very good song, establishing A.R.Rahman's typical marks throughout the song. Unnikrishnan has done a good job. But unfortunately, Vairamuthu has made lot of 'paethals' in that song. Time and again, Thamizh 'pudhu kavignars' have written (to emphasise the dramatic impact of love on the lovers) 'after seeing you, and falling in love, I've even forgotten my name'! Vairamuthu has gone a step ahead and tries to characterize why the hero lost his speech (literally) after seeing the heroine:
Poets frequently indulge in abstract thinking trying to define inexplicable ideas. In another song he says, 'pookal pookum osaigal kaadhil ketpadhilai' (engae en jeevanae in Kamal's uyarntha ullam), when he writes about the onset of love. That is, as the sounds of flower blooming cannot be heard, the onset of love is indiscernable! That is a good abstraction. But in the above said song he has grossly failed in his abstraction, trying to explain the effect of love on an individual. In the charanam of this song his 'paethals' continue: Unthan koondalil meen pidipaen, Un viral sodduku edupaen... and so on. Luckily he did not go to say 'Oh, my love, when you shout from the toilet, I will bring the tissue paper'!
Nalinakanthi is another Sankarabaranam janyam. Structurally, it is closely related to Kedaram. It has got a sharper U turn (vakram!) in its arohanam. Sa Ga Ri Ma Pa Ni Sa. The avarohanam is Sa Ni Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa. So kedaram differs from Nalinaganthi in only in the arohanam. Ofcourse, you can sing the avarohanam of Nalinakanthi as it is, while in Kedaram, you have to add some special dealings of the swaras. Illayaraja has one good Nalinakanthi in Kamal's kalaignan. It came as a surprise in that movie because all the other songs were 'kuppai'. Enthan nenjil nee paadum has been sung by Jesudoss and Janaki. Illayaraja captures the essence of the raga in the start of the song: Sa Ga Ri Ma Ga Ri Sa Ni Sa Ga Ri Ma GA...There is no deviation in that song at all. In the second interlude there is a short thara sthayi swara alapana too. He should have avoided that alapana, and that person too, in that song! (I think it is he who has rendered that short piece!). It seems like he has used gottu vadyam in that song.
-Lakshminarayanan Srirangam Ramakrishnan.
Department of Vision Science,
University of Houston College of Optometry,
Houston, Tx 77204.
Post Scriptum: Nalinakanthi is not a janyam of shankarabharanam but Sarasangi. Since dha is missing it sounds very blithe to the ears..
‘Kabaalida’ – the hype and hoopla for ‘Kabali’ film have subsided with the release of the film… but some thing was gnawing me for quite a while. Whenever I got a glimpse of the lead actress of the film or read her interviews or just heard the name Radhika Apte I began to ruminate on another Apte , a totally forgotten versatile yesteryear actress, Shantha Apte. What interest I will have in ‘Kabali’ or Radhika Apte or its music! But sure I will have interest in Shantha Apte for this quaint melody,’ ஆடுவோம் வாருங்கள் பாங்கியரே ‘ that she sang for the film ‘Savitri’ (Royal Talkie Distributors/1941).