These are my notes from a lecture at Vani Mahal, Thyagaraya Nagar in December 2017.
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Marvelous lighting at the mini hall in Vani Mahal, such that the speaker Sriram Venkatakrishnan was well lit, without shining on the large the screen displaying his PowerPoint and pictures. There were some projector hiccups halfway but overcome.
From an early move out of Vellore because of a power struggle in the fort, to the expertise of Ramaswami Deekshitar, in Jayadeva's Ashtapathi, to the travels, career and musical virtuosity of his son, Muthuswamy, born by the blessing of the eponymous God in Vaideesvaran temple, it was a comprehensive lecture, as profuse in scholarship as it was delightful in diction and delivery, in not one but three languages.
One could write a twenty page book just from the lecture. I'll list some highlights.
A background of Tanjavur Mahratta politics including Amarasimha, Tulaji, saraboji, Father Schwartz.
Early life in Govindapuram.
Sonti Venkataramana, guru of Thyagayya, was impressed by Deekshitars teaching skills.
Venkatamakhin and his Chatur Dandika Prakasika, containing the melakartas, whose rare copy Muthuswamy had the good fortune of receiving.
Patronage by Manali Muthukrishna Mudali, the Dubash of Madras, and by his son. Songs lauding them, which contrast with other accounts of their lives.
The band in Fort st George, which inspired the nottu swarams, and the adoption of the violin in carnatic music.
Two wives.
A deep knowledge of Tevaram songs, which reflected in several compositions in Sanskrit.
Later settlement in Kanchipuram and encounter with Upanishad Brahmendra, whose mutt survives. Songs on the Somaskanda of Ekamreshvara, with poetic description of the sthala purana, and word play on ma skanda and moola skanda.
A tour of several nearby temples including Kalahasti, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupati. Perhaps a reference to laddu!
A reference to Gnanasambanda as Uttamavipra in his song on Arunachala and his legend of sighting the hill from a distance, and how this episode repeated later in the life of Ramana.
A voyage to Kashi with all its perils, almost surely, entirely by foot. The episode of Ganga gifting a veenai to Baluswamy Deekshitar his brother. Let's just say he came back with a veena, quipped Sriram. A very small veena, perhaps three feet long, which the family preserved and showcased at the Music academy in 1975, the 200th anniversary of Deekshitar.
Life in Tiruvarur, famous also for the life of Nayanmar Sundaramoorthy. The mysteries of the Thyagesa idol, eternally covered from the neck down,which inspired a superb song by another composer. A mysterious closed shrine perhaps of Vishnu behind it, and the oft ignored Valmikinatha, the real moolavar. More on Kamalambal, Katyayani both more celebrated than Neelotpalambal, the primary consort. Katyayani is the Lord's concubine or main Rudra ganika, and the model for all devadasis. In fact it is believe that the devadasi tradition began at this temple. And the erotic sculpture of Uchishta Ganapathi, and it's tantric worship, which Muthuswamy must have practiced as a Sri Vidya upasaka.
The variety and range of his disciples from different communities, including devadasis and the Tanjavur quartet.
Muthuswamy composed music for Rama Ashtapathi, composed by someone else, but unfortunately these haven't survived. Or else we would have known how he set others composition to music, as musician Sriram Parasuram (present at the lecture) observed elsewhere, the speaker adds. (Another singer Ramakrishna Murthy was also in the audience).
Songs on several temples around the Kaveri built including Tayumanavar whom he calls Matrubutha, and various navagraha shrines. Waxing eloquent at Tirukannamangai, where bhkatas believe the devas reside as bees, and the Thayar shrine still has a beehive perhaps two centuries old, that the archaka shows to visitors. Tirumangai Alwar has a mischevous passuram here, where he advises not just Vaishnavas but also Vishnu himself that singing his ten songs will benefit the singer.
Ratnagiri temple, populated by monkeys, where the devotees fill a large copper vessel from the Kaveri, eight km away, and then take it up the thousand steps for abishekam. They did it during his times, as recorded in his song, and they do it today.
Songs on navagraha shrines in the hinterland. Travel to Madurai and Ettayapuram , famous for its betrayal of Kattabommu, but whose king Deekshitar praised. The court appreciated the novelty of the violin as a carnatic instrument. Songs on Meenakshi and Azhagar.
We should recognize that Deekshitar was human, needed patrons, was practical, and not just cover him in saintliness, said Sriram. Final samadhi there. Now, there is a memorial mandapam, which a collector recently wanted to demolish as an illegal structure. Fortunately, it survives.
Originally posted to Facebook on 29 December 2017. Dedicated to Rajagopalan Venkatraman who could not be there, who otherwise would have provided marvelous slide by slide coverage.
Typhoon in a tube, thunder in a drum. The Nagaswaram and Tavil cannot be confined to walls of a sabha. They yearn to roar at the clouds and soar to the sky. An amplifier is a decorative afterthought. Why confine ourselves to a chamber, they query, when we can share our exuberance with every living thing; to wash over the sands and streets with our melody, to ripple across rivers and ponds, to make leaves quiver with our nuance and mountains tremble with our majesty. As the tavilar's fingers scribble rhythmetic, the nayinaar's shoulders swing his trumpet, tracing a dance of pure delight. This LMS was written a few years back during a concert by Vyasarpadi Kothandaraman and Palanivel at Sivagami pethachi auditorium in Alwarpet. But it applies to any nagasvaram tavil concert in a sabha. Other LMS 1. Kerala 2. Kumbakonam 3. Traffic 4. In a library 5. Greenery of Chola country
This is
an introduction to both Carnatic music and how to listen to a few concerts in
Madras every December. And how not to avoid developing a distaste for this
marvelous art.
My
primary qualification for this essay is that after fifteen years of listening
to Carnatic music, primarily in December, I still remain a dummy. But often, I
thoroughly enjoy it, with the same passion that I enjoy the Tamil film music
ofMS Viswanathan, KV Mahadevan and
Ilayaraja; the jazz of Louis Armstrong; or the European classical music of Bach
Mozart Beethoven and others.
I urge
you to glance through these two earlier blogs I wrote, to get a feel for my
level of appreciation. The first one is in Tamil only, the second is bilingual
If you enjoyed the songs in films like Sankarabharanam,
Thillana Mohanambal, or Sindhu Bhairavi, then this introduction may be sort of
useful; or at least, mildly interesting. If you can identify ragas, and wax
eloquent about GNB brighas, Ariyakudi’s todi, Dakshinamurthi Pillai’s
theermanam, or Chembai’s kathiri swaras, please escape now, and advice your
equally knowledgeable rasika mitras to avoid this blog like a malarial swamp.
Somewhere
in your family, friend circle, office, college, school, club or literary
circle, there is a passionate friend, a connoisseur (rasika) who wishes to take
you to the Sanjay Subramaniam or Ranjani Gayathri concert at some posh, high
priced sabha. Avoid this person like the plague. He or she is like a management
consultant describing the virtuosity of Tolstoy when you are trying to learn nursery
rhymes, or Lala Amarnath genuflecting on Prasanna’s off-spin or Vinoo Mankad’s
stance, to a street cricketer.
I, on
the other hand, am like someone who tells you this beach stall makes a good
bhel puri, this tea-shop concocts an excellent lemon tea, and this pushcart
serves a terrific onion oothappam. Or even a banana stem (வாழைத்தண்டு தோசை) dosai or suraikkai dosai (சுரக்காய் தோசை)
Types of songs Carnatic music has several types
of songs – kriti, varnam, vrittam, padam, jaavali, thillana, keertana, tukkada,
mangaLam, pallavi. Like sales tax, service tax, value added tax, surtax, luxury
tax, cess, etc. The difference is primarily in the quantity, not in the basic
nature. Some songs are merely two or minutes long; a kriti can take 20 minutes
to 90 minutes.
Two
categories of songs, a kriti (often the centre-piece of the concert), and RagamTanamPallavi
(RTP) have very different structures from the other songs. They are the heart
of Carnatic music, contrasting severely with western music and Indian film or
pop music, in providing scope for performer’s creativity.
Most
people who grow up to be Carnatic music rasikas, grew up in an atmosphere where
it was background noise in their childhood. Over time they developed a taste
for it. They are fundamentally incapable of understanding the utter torture
that this hour long exposition is, to a beginner.
While
the refined rasika can delight in the variety and imagination and creativity
and dexterity of the musicians, the beginner cannot handle it. If you know the
language of the lyric, it enhances the listening experience. But if you don’t
know the language, after a few minutes, boredom can set it, unless you have a
good understanding of the nuances of the music. My personal experience has
been, that the last fifteen minutes of a concert, especially when at least one
familiar song was performed, was the most delightful part of a concert.
Listening Tip 1 The best part of most Carnatic
concerts, for a beginner, is the last fifteen minutes.
Corollary 1 If you don’t enjoy these songs,
the odds are that Carnatic music is not for you.
Structure of a Concert
A two
and half hour concert is structured by the primary singer (or violinist, vainka,
flautist, or nagasvaram vidwan if it is an instrumental concert), as a set of
songs, of different ragas, and varying duration. Most songs have a basic
lyric, which the singer renders, usually accompanied by a violin and a
mridangam. Sometimes a second or third percussion instrument, - ghatam,
kanjira, morsing, konnakol, tavil, or even Hindustani tabla, may be used.
Extremely rarely, a flute, veena, chitraveena accompanies the singer instead of
the violin.
A
typical concert begins with a short song, maybe five minutes long, usually a
salutation to Vinayaka.Then a slightly
longer song, maybe ten minutes. The comes a short kriti, maybe twenty minutes
long, followed sometimes by another brief song, then the main kriti, usually an
hour long, ending with the thani aavarththanam (தனி ஆவர்த்தனம்). The singer has between fifteen and
thirty minutes left to wrap up. She or he sings a few short songs, called
tukkadaa-s (துக்கடா), maybe a vrittam (விருத்தம்), maybe a thillaana (தில்லானா), maybe even a Hindustani song, and
concludes with a mangaLam (மங்களம்).
The
tukkadaa-s are usually songs that the general public is far more familiar with,
often in Tamil – songs by Arunagirinathar, Gopalakrishna Bharathi, Oothukkadu
Venkatasubba Iyer, Subramania Bharathi, Papanasam Sivan etc; or rarely
Periyasami Thooran, Kalki, Bharathidasan. Popular examples are Theeradha Vilayattu Pillai (தீராத விளையாட்டு பிள்ளை),Paarukkulle nalla naadu (பாருக்குள்ளே நல்ல நாடு) , Eppo Varuvaaro (எப்போ வருவாரோ),
Thunbam Nergayil (துன்பம் நேர்கையில்), Kurai onrum illai (குறை ஒன்றும் இல்லை). The adventurous singer will toss in a
movie song, usually one popularised by MS Subbulakshmi or DK Pattammal, or
sometimes MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. The performers are very relaxed by this
point, they usually choose a fast paced song, they sometimes take requests from
the audience. Also, by this time, any VIP or member of the organizing committee
is usually at the canteen, sipping coffee.
This
should explain Listening Tip 1.
Viruttams
are often songs from classical Tamil poetry of the sixth to twelfth centuries –
poems of the Alwars, from Tevaram, Kamba Ramayanam etc. They are usually rendered
without percussion accompanying, so slow, and very fluid and emotional.
A
thillaana is a musical number composed for a dance, and just has notes for
musical notations, no actual lyric.
Well Kept Secret 1 While a song is structured
around a lyric, most rasikas don’t come for the poetic beauty of the song, but
its musical rendering by the artist. This is one major reason, why Carnatic
rasikas can enjoy so many songs, regardless oflanguage.
Most
ardent rasikas will deny this, vehemently. The deep philosophy of Thyaggaya’s
lyrics, the brilliant vocabulary of Deekshitar, the undeniable bhakti of
Purandaradasa, the simplicty of Papanasam Sivan’s tamil, or the delightful
metaphors and alankara phrases of Andal and Arunachala Kavi…. What rich poetry,
they will say.
As one
very knowledgeable person put it, the lyric is like a coat hanger. But the
musicians don’t hang their song on it, they weave it into existence.
Rettaivaal Rangudu Tip 1 Ask a rasika if he will enjoy
his favorite song, minus the gamakaa-s, sangatis, niraval etc, just a rendering
of the kriti without its embellishments….for the “lyrical beauty”
The Raga Boondoggle
Whenever
a musician starts a song, especially an aalaapanaa, you will see some avid
rasikas lean forward for a few seconds, then lean back into their seats, with
abeatific smile on their faces. This
means they have recognized the raga. Others will wait to comprehend the actual
first or second line of the lyric, so they can look it up in their raga book,
or search on google. I’ll leave out the tricky games performers play, the
various levels of snobbery and mischief among the knowledgeable rasikas, and
the sandbagged inferiority complex of the newbies. My utter ignorance of any
raga after fifteen years of listening, and my continued enjoyment of carnatic
music in spite of it, is my primary qualification (and also disqualification)
for writing this essay.
The
unspoken consensus is that knowing the raga is the essence of being a better
class of rasika. It is only unspoken while the concert is going on. Tala rarely
gets the same privilege as the raga.
Listening Tip 2 Not knowing a raga (ராகம்) wont hurt
you. Don’t let it affect your enjoyment. The same goes for taalam (தாளம்).
Rettaival Rangudu Tip 2 Most film songs, are not set to
a particular raga. They only have a tune, called a mettu in Tamil. Has that
ever affected your enjoyment?
Listening Tip 3 The vast majority of concerts
are free. Attend them, encourage these upcoming musicians.
During
the December Margazhi Carnatic season, from December 15 to January 1, about
eight major sabhas, some with their own halls, some with rented premises,
feature the stalwarts of Carnatic music, in prime evening slots. These
performances are ticketed. The same ticket, varying in price from Rs.50 to
Rs.2000 or more, is usually valid for the 4.30 and 7pm concerts, so you get two
for one, if you have the stamina.
Well Known Secret 2
But
these same sabhas also feature concerts by up and coming singers, in the
morning slots. From 9am to 4pm, almost every sabha offers free concerts. And
several other sabhas pop up only for the December season, and usually offer
fully free concerts. Several of them are quite good; some are excellent. These
are attended not just by friends and family, but also by ardent and discerning
rasikas.
It takes
abouta decade of very good
performances, for a singer to get a prime time slot. As you can judge, this is
not conducive for a career. Most musicians therefore, are professionals in
other fields, who give up those careers only when they become consistently
popular enough to get ticketed performances, sell recorded concerts and earn
with their music.
Structure of a Kriti
A kriti,
usually chosen by the singer for showcasing her or his repertoire, is the prime
attraction for the experienced, discerning rasika. There is a 90% chance that
the singer will sing something composed by one of the musical trinity, Thyaagyaa,
Muthuswamy Deekshitar, or Shyama Shastri. There is a 5% chance that he will
choose one composed by Papanasam Sivan.
Before
singing the actual kriti, a singer will render the aalaapanaa of the raga.
Taking the famous TiruviLaiyaadal film song “paaTTum naane”, this is the
aaaaaaaaa part, before he gets into the lyrics.
A kriti
has a pallavi, an anupallavi, and one or more charanams. This is the structure
now followed by most film songs, also, but they rarely have an anupallavi. The
pallavi is repeated after every stanza, but a beginning listener can be
befuddled, because EVERYTHING seems to be repeated several times.
We will get to
that. To continue with our paattum naane example, here is how it breaks down.
After the anupallavi and the charaNam, the singer will sing the pallavi again.
Pallavi
paaTTum
naanE bhaavamum naanE
paaDum
unai naan paaDa vaiththEnE
AnuPallavi
kooTTum
isaiyum kooththin muRaiyum
kaaTTum
enniDam kadhai solla vandhaayo
CharaNam
asaiyum
poruLil isaiyum naanE…
paaDum
vaayai mooDa vandhadhoru
Notice
that this song has only one charaNam. After the charaNam, followed by the
pallavi, the singer gets into swaraa-s
ri ga
ri tha
ri ga
ri tha ni sa pa ni
and so
on. These are swara in Sanskrit and swaram in Tamil. For some songs, these
swaram sequences are set by the composer himself (called chiTTa swarams).
Usually these are short songs, five to ten minutes long. The singer must learnt
these by heart and render them – they don’t have the freedom to change the
swarams in such songs (the paaTTum naane
song is one example; EntharO Mahaanubhaavulu
is another). This requires a prodigious memory, best learnt orally. It can be
hard enough for one song; imagine learning the chitta swarams for several
hundred songs, a thousand songs!
For the
kriti, though, the singer must create these sequences based on his experience
and imagination. Kalpana (Tamil – karpanai கற்பனை) is the Sanskrit word for
imagination. So these are called kalpana swaraa-s. And this is where Carnatic
music differs from Western classical or pop and from Indian film musics. It is
not enough to be able to memorize and sing a song. The singer must come up with
these phrases of music, within the structure of the raga and tala, and weave
these phrases out of his imagination. The accompanist (usually a violinst) then
plays his version, usually a replay of the phrase – a test of memory and
ability. The singer sings a series of short phrases, and often then strings the
whole set of phrases together. Also they vary the kaala (காலம் kaalam in Tamil), that
is the speed or time of the phrases. (This is very different from the Taalam).
Some phrases are rendered in three speeds, in succession. The percussionists
know this format, and play their
phrases on the mridangam, ghatam, kanjira or other instrument. Often the
mridangist accompanies the singer, while the ghatam or kanjira accompanies the
violin when the latter repeats or renders the singer’s swara phrase. The phrase
sequences can get more and more elaborate and complicated, and after the most
elaborate version, the singer finishes by coming back to the pallavi.
Listening Tip 4The
swarams are perhaps the most interesting part of listening to a long kriti,
especially for a beginner.
The
aalaapanaa is far and away the most tortuous. We have no idea why the singer is
wailing away, as though a beloved leader of the Soviet Union or a sitting
President or Prime Minister of India had passed away. Or why the whole audience
sits through this long lament, and some even seem to nod vigorously in appreciation.
Could they actually be enjoying this?
Don’t the Geneva conventions prohibit such treatement, as worse than what one
may see in a German stalag, or in Guantanamo Bay? No, no, no, poor innocent
beginner, fellow dummy, restless rasika, impatient ignoramus, nonresident
Mylaporean, Homo Margazhi HaplessSapiens…. incredible as it may seem, the
fervent fevered fans actually PAY to listen to this! It is what they have been
waiting for. The aalaapana is the nectar of the Gods, the gem in the lotus, the
vadai in the sambar, the centerpiece of their attention, the H1 visa in the
passport of the bride or groom they are arranging, the integer root in a polynomial
equation, the akkara vadisal on the banana leaf, the Paramapadam of their
journey towards aesthetic exuberance.
This
phase of the kriti, is the other segment where the singer has to bring in all
his imagination, conceptualization, and performance. His manodharma must mould
his musical performance and bring sowkhyam to the listener and sowbhagyam to
the sabha’s coffers. This is what the sampoorna rasika means, when he waxes
eloquent about the Ariyakkudi todi of 1967 or the Semmangudi’s Kharaharapriya
the year Rajeshvari mami’s daughter Savitri got married or Seshagopalan’s
Kamboji just a day after Kittu got a job in the Railways. After all, manodharma
cannot be confined to the performers.
Here is
the kicker. After the singer’s aalaapana, the violinist performs a solo, an
exploration of the same raga, using his or her imagination.
The
aalaapana isnot accompanied by percussion. A singer may sing two or more kritis, in a concert, each preceded by a raga aalaapana. Usually the first one is short, an aalaapana of about five minutes, a violin solo of three to four minutes, the song itself, some kalpana swaraa-s for about five to seven minutes. The longer kriti, the main piece of the concert, has a similar structure, except, the thani follows the kalpana swaraa-s.
The other songs are almost never preceded by an aalaapana.
The
percussionists get their solos, or duets, towards the end of the concert, when
the singer has finished the kalpana swaras of the main kriti. This is called thani aavaraththanam. These are also
divided into segments – the mridangist starts with a few introductory phrases,
then demonstrates a few of his sollu
kaTTu (wordphrases), usually
learnt from his guru or his own innovation, then completes it with a theermanam (conclusion), which leads back
into the pallavi, where the singer and violinst join in, and conclude the
kriti. If there are two or more percussionists in a concert, they have round
robin of swara phrases (these are their kalpana swaras).
I have
left out the neraval. This is
nowadays my favorite segment in any concert. This too involves a lot of
imagination and creativity from the performers.
Even
less guidance is available for the casual listener on the thani aavaraththanam, or talam itself, than on the ragas. Practiced
listening is what is expected – this is the hardest entry barrier (not the
listener’s class, caste, time, job, location, musical training, salary etc,
which are the popular accusations of the harshest and most ineffective critics
of Carnatic music).
Well Kept Secret 3
All
kritis are composed for voice. “There is nothing in Indian classical music
composed for an instrument,” declared Ilayaraja at the inauguration of the
Music Academy season in Dec 2017. He meant both Carnatic and Hindustani. I
believe he is right. This is in severe contrast to Western classical music, and
perhaps the music of other nations. Of the latter, I know nothing, of the former
very little. Any concert featuring a violinist, flautist, vainika, nagasvara
vidwan or any other instrumental musician, features the instrumental renderings
of lyrical compositions.
Well Kept Secret 4
Carnatic
music, like all music, is independent
of language. A Beethoven symphony can be set to Tamil or Telugu or Korean, just
like Muthuswamy Deekshitar set English note swarams to Carnatic. But language IS
a major barrier for most casual listeners.
Most of the
songs performed are in Telugu because its most popular and revered composers set
their songs in Telugu. Tamil Isai Sangam, which conducts its concerts in Raja
Annamalai Manram in Parry’s, features a season entirely of Tamil compositions. There
are even lyrics in English (like O my
lovely Lalanaa), but none I know of in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarathi
etc. South Indians who have settled in the north have learnt and played
Hindustani music, ghazals, abhangs, Rabindra sangeet etc on the Carnatic stage,
but the north Indian counterparts for the most part, have thoroughly ignored
the southern music, just as they have the languages and their literature –
though, with the massive migration of north Indians into Bangalore, Madras,
Hyderabad, etc may change this. Europeans and Americans, even the rare Chinese
or Japanese have been more curious and adventurous. Ironically, the film industry
is at the cutting edge of diversity of ideas and talent, and south to north
migration, with AR Rahman so popular in music, or the Anirudh composition, Why this kolaveri, becoming a national
hit. But these may be isolated phenomena, not a trend.
A longer
article would strain readability. Even this one is twice as long as I planned,
and very late for this December. Perhaps it will be somewhat useful to some curious
potential Carnatic rasikas, in days to come.
Listening Tip 5
Most
lecture demonstrations are far above the vocabulary and grasping power of the
casual listener.
But I recommend that if at all you listen to musician talk
about music, attend a lecture demonstration by Neyveli Santhanagopalan. He has
a delightful sense of humor, a soft and cultured style of presentation, a deep
and developed appreciation of both poetry and Carnatic composition, and caters
to scholar and beginner alike in the audience.
For
history of the music, or musicians, attend a lecture by Sriram V.
I have
been extremely fortunate that these two people have been my gateways into the
delightful world of Carnatic music.
These are notes from a lecture by Sriram Venkatakrishnan on
December 17, 2016, for the South Indian Cultural Heirtage Series, at Tag
Center, on Kanchi. Sriram lectures twice every year in December at Tag Center
on Carnatic musician. He has authored the book Carnatic Summers, a brilliant
collection of essays on musicians and The Devadasi and the Saint, on Bangalore
Nagarathnammal and her adoration of Thyagaraja, the doyen of Carnatic
composers, and the most prolific of the Tiruvaiyaru Trinity. Sriram writes a
column for The Hindu and in the Madras Musings besides several other
periodicals.
I have attended at least fifty lectures by Sriram over the last 13
years, since I first heard him speak the Madras Day festivities in 2004, and
every one has been a gem. I have also attended perhaps thirty Heritage Walks
conducted by him, all of which have been thoroughly entertaining and incredibly
informative. He writes more prolifically than I could dream of. I had never
heard of Naina Pillai, clearly a vital person in the history of Carnatic music.
And the Kanchi Kailasanatha connection was too good to pass up.
----------
Sriram V on Kanchi Naina Pillai
Subramaniam Pillai, popularly known as Kanchi Naina Pillai had no
interest in music until the age of 17, even though he belonged to a musical
family. The son of singer Mettu Kamatchi, whose sister Dhanakoti, was also a
singer - the sisters often performed together. His pet name 'Naina' stuck to
him during his career as a musician too.
He was transformed by a visit to the Kanchi Kailasanatha temple,
when an unknown person turned him away from his passion for wrestling, weight
lifting, cock fighting, pigeon fighting. He practiced in the temple all day
long. Pillai's Arangerram took place in Anekatangavadam temple very close to the
Kailasanatha temple.
Pillai married two women, Kuppammal and Kuttiammal.
When Pillai visited Chennai, mathematician and musician, he heard
Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer sing at the Tondai Mandala Vellala Sabha in
Mint, Chennai. This concert entranced Naina. Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha
Iyer became the idol and role model for Naina Pillai.
Naina Pillai, in turn, later became a manaseeka guru for DK
Pattammaal.
Mannargudi Konnakol Pakkiriya Pillai, a tavil artist who played
for nadasvaram artist Mannargudi Pakkiri, his wife Pakkiri ammal and othu was
also played by a Pakkiri, gave up tavil and was adviced by Naina Pillai to take
up Konnakol. Konnakol is a technique wherein the artist mimics a percussion
instrument with the human voice (pardon the simplification). Naina Pillai
admired the voice culture and rhythm sense of Pakkiriya Pillai.
Naina Pillai often had full bench concerts, with upto eleven
artists performing. Including Kanjira by stalwarts like Pudukottai
Dakshinamarthy Pillai, double Violin, Tampura, Mridangam, Gottuvadyam,
Konnakol. The tani aavartanam must have been quite a musical feast for the
aficionado.
After Chembai 's success, Naina, who sang only in Tamil, became a
huge hit in Gokhale hall, which could seat 1500 people in era before microphones.
And whole audience could hear listen to his deep voice. Pillaw was 5'9",
which was very tall for a South Indian in 1920s.
There are no recordings of Naina Pillai. He took practice
seriously and it was rarely a solo act. Practice meant playing four or five
hours with full accompaniment!
He learnt Tirupugazh from two people, whom he would teach Thevaram
in turn. He took a train to learn one song from a person, because he
liked it so much. Veena Dhanammal was a close friend of Kanchi Dhanakoti ammal,
his aunt. And Naina Pillai learnt Thyagaraja kritis from Veena Dhanammal's
patron Ramanaiya Chetty. Over time Naina learnt several Thyagaraja kritis and
performed them.
Performers of the Thyagaraja aradhana in Tiruvaiyaaru split into
two factions, the Periya Katchi and Chinna Katchi, the former becoming a non
Brahmin group in Kumbakonam, the latter a Brahmin group in Tiruvaiyaru. Kanchi
Naina was popular with Periya Katchi but broke up with them and later organized
his own aradhana in Kanchipuram. A wholesale merchant from Erode, EV Ramaswami
Naicker, sent funds for the concerts he organized.
His student Kittur Venkata Naidu was named Kittur Subramania
Pillai, which was Naina 's original name, by Naina himself!
One of his best friends was Tiger Varadachariar, whom he called
Tigervaal, both deeply interested in music, more than accolades.
In the early years of the Music Academy, they said they would pay
Naina Pillai a reduced amount because they were an Academy not a Sabha. Naina
refused to perform for the Academy after that. Once hid his taalam hand under
angavastram and Palghat Mani Iyer stopped playing Mridangam.
In 1930 Pillai was afflicted with diabetes and tuberculosis. There
was no cure for either in those days. Pillai performed less and less and money
dwindled. He refused to record his music, offended that it would be
played in barbershops and tea shops and that was lowering dignity of Carnatic
music.
He also refused all titles offered to him, saying his guru was a
pandaram and paradesi who had no titles, and he didn't need a title either.
Lost Potential
Naina Pillai's career was contemporary with Ariyakudi Ramanuja
Iyengar, who started a new trend in Carnatic music. Naina was the last of a
different era, a different style. One can only imagine how the Carnatic field
would have been, if he had lived a couple of decades longer.
All there is today to honor him is a Sangeeta Vidvan Naina Pillai
street, in Kanchipuram.
சென்ற வருடத்தின்
கடைசி செவ்வாயன்று ராஜா அண்ணாமலை மன்றத்தில் தமிழிசை சங்கத்துக்காக திரு. சஞ்சய் சுப்ரமணியன்
அவர்கள் நிகழ்த்திய கச்சேரியை கேட்க பேராவலுடன் சென்றிருந்தேன் (சஞ்சய் என்பதால் ஆவல்;
தமிழ் என்பதால் பேராவல்). தமிழையும் இசையையும் கேட்டு என் மனம் உன்மத்தமாகி அந்த அனுபவத்தைப்
பற்றி ஏதாவது எழுதியே ஆக வேண்டும் என்று ஆசை கொண்டு துடித்தது.
நான், ராஜகோபாலன், வல்லபா, ஜெயராம்ன், பாலாஜி
ஒரு கலையை
விமர்சிக்க எவ்வளவுதான் ரசனை இருந்தாலும், சிறிதளவேனும் ஞானம் வேண்டுமே என்றெண்ணி
ஆசையை அடக்கியபடி வாளாவிருந்து விட்டேன். புது வருடம்
பிறந்தவுடன் கூடவே ஒரு புது சிந்தனையும் பிறந்தது. ‘அந்த ஞானமாகியதுதான் சஞ்சய் சுப்ரமணியத்திடம்
வேண்டிய அளவு இருக்கிறதே, எழுதுபவனுக்கு சிறிதளவு ரசனை இருந்தால் போதாதோ’ எனும்
அந்த சிந்தனை சௌகரியமாக என் மனதுக்குள் வேரூன்ற, துணிந்து விட்டேன். அவலையும் உமியையும்
கலந்துவிட்டு அதை ஊதி தின்னுவது நமக்கு புதிதான விஷயமா என்ன?
அண்ணாமலை மன்றத்திற்கு
செல்வதென்றாலே இனம் தெரிந்ததோர் ஆனந்தம் அடையும் என் மனம். எந்தையவர் ஹைக்கோர்ட்
வழக்கறிஞர். சில இல்ல சூழல்களால், பல நேரங்களில் 31 Law Chamber எனும் அவரது அலுவலகம்தான்
எனது Baby sitterஆக இருந்திருக்கிறது. அந்த பகுதியில் இருக்கும் பல விஷயங்கள் மீது
எனக்கு ஒரு தனி வசீகரம் இருந்ததுண்டு. Advocates Association Canteen கற்கண்டு பொங்கல்,
ராமகிருஷ்ணா லஞ்ச் ஹோம் கோதுமை அல்வா, ஜெயின் மித்தாய்வாலா(கிட்டத்தட்ட Full menuவுமே),
சுவை தேர்ந்தே கனிகள் கொண்டு தரும் பழக்கடை நண்பர் சந்தானம் மற்றும் எட்வர்ட்(my
very own சபரி’s), சூடான இம்மூர்த்தி என்று பல இருக்க, குறையொன்று இருக்குமேயானால்
அது குஜராத்தி மண்டலில் சாப்பிடாதது மட்டும்தான்.
அதைப்பற்றி
குறிப்பிடும்போது ‘மூர்த்தி சிறிது; ஆனால் கீர்த்தி மிகப்பெரிது’ என்று நம் சேரநாட்டு
நண்பர் வி.எஸ்.எஸ். ஐயர் கூட அடிக்கடி வாய் ஊற சொல்வார். ஆதலால் ஒவ்வொரு முறை அண்ணாமலை
மன்றத்திற்கு செல்லும் போதும் அந்த குஜராத்தி மண்டலில் ஒரு பிடி பிடிக்க வேண்டும் எண்று
எண்ணி செல்வேன். ஏங்கி தவிப்பேன்; ஏமாந்துத் திரும்புவேன். ஏனெனில், வழக்கமாக
நிகழ்வு முடிவதற்குள் கடை மூடிவிடுமே எண்றெண்ணி மேடையை பார்ப்பதில் பாதி நேரமும் கைக்கடிகாரத்தை
பார்ப்பதில் பேர்பாதி நேரமும் செலவாகிவிடும். ஆனால் கடந்த செவ்வாய் அந்த தோஷம்
நீங்கிவிட்டது போலும். மூடிய கண் திறவாமல், ‘அப்பாடா! நம் நீண்ட நாள் சந்தேகத்திற்கு
பதில் கிடைத்துவிட்டது.
சங்கீதத்தின் பால் நமக்கிருப்பது ஆர்வம்தான், ஆர்வக்கோளாறு
இல்லை’ என்று ஊர்ஜிதமான அதே நேரம் திடுக்கிட்டு மணியை பார்தேன். இந்த திடுக்கிடல்,
குஜராத்தியர் கடை மூடிவிடுமோ என்ற கவலையினால் அல்ல; சஞ்சயவர் நடை சாத்திவிடுவாரே எனும்
புதுக்கவலை பிறந்ததினால்.
சஞ்சயின் அடுத்த
தமிழ்க் கச்சேரி எங்கே என்று கேட்கலாம் என பார்த்தால் என்னிருபுரம் அமர்ந்திருந்த சகாக்களும்
சகட்டுமேனிக்கு கண்ணாமூச்சி விளளயாடுபவர் போல் கண்மூடியிருந்தனர். புன்னகைத்தபடி
நாற்புறமும் கண்ணோட்டம் விட்டால், காட்சிபிழையோ எனும் சந்தேகம் உண்டாகும்படி அண்ணாமலை
மன்றமே கண்மூடி காட்சியளித்தது. உதாரணத்திற்கும்
ஒப்பீட்டிற்கும் எவ்வாறு அமெரிக்காவை எடுத்துக் கொள்கின்றோமோ, அதை போல உவமைக்கும் உபகதைகளுக்கும்
மகாபாரதத்தை எடுத்துகொள்ளலாம் என்று என் நெடுநாள் நண்பர் ராமஜெயம் அவர்கள் என்னிடம்
சொல்வார். அதே போல, நாம் தேடும் விஷயம் மஹாபாரத்தில் இல்லை என்றால் அது பெரும்பாலும்
நமக்கு தேவையற்றதாகவே இருக்கும் என்று பெருமதிப்பிற்குரிய திரு KM கங்கூலி அவர்கள்
சொன்னதாகவும் கேள்வி. அப்பேர்ப்பட்ட
மகாபாரதத்தில் ஒரு பாத்திரத்தின் மேல் எனக்கோர் அலாதி வாஞ்சை உண்டு. அவரது அருமைபெருமைகளை
ஒன்றன் மேல் ஒன்றாக அடுக்கிக்கொண்டே போகலாம். அவர் மன்னரின் தேரோட்டி மட்டுமல்லாமல்
அவரது ஆலோசகர்; விதுரரை போன்ற ஆன்றோர் அலங்கரித்த சபையிலிருந்து கௌரவர்கள் சார்பில்
தூது செல்ல தேர்ந்தெடுக்கபட்ட Diplomat; வேத வியாஸரால் ஆசீர்வதிக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு
விசேஷ சீடர். இதெல்லாம் போதாதென்று, பகவத்கீதையை முதல்முதலாக சொன்ன ‘மனிதர்’!
யுத்த களத்தில் கிருஷ்ண பரமாத்மா அர்ஜுனனுக்கு கீதோபதேசம் செய்த அதே தருணத்தில்,
கண்களிழிந்த திருதராஷ்டிரருக்கு reporting live என்பது போல சொன்ன சஞ்சயனைத்தான் சொல்கிறேன்
என்று நான் ஆரம்பிக்கும் போதே உங்களுக்கு தெரிந்திருக்கும்!
சஞ்ஜை சுப்ரமணியம் குழுவினர் (படம் - விகே ஸ்ரீநிவாசன்)
திருதராஷ்டிரருக்கு
மட்டுமல்ல, சஞ்சய் எனும் பெயர் கொண்டவர் எங்கிருந்தாலும் - அது அஸ்தினாபுரமோ, அண்ணாமலை
மன்றமோ - அங்கிருக்கும் எவருக்கும் கண்களுக்கு வேலையே இராது போலும். எல்லோரும் கண்களை
மூடிக்கொண்டு செவிகள் மூலமாக மட்டுமே அந்த இசையால் பெருக்கெடுத்த ஆனந்த வெள்ளத்தில்
மீள விரும்பாது திளைத்திருந்தார்கள். இந்த இரண்டு சஞ்சய்களில் ஒருவரை அறிந்திருந்தாலும்
திருவாளர் ஷேக்ஸ்பியர் What’s in a name என்று அவ்வளவு சாதாரணமாக கேட்டிருக்கமாட்டார்
என்று தோன்றியது.
திருதராஷ்டிரன்
என்ற பெயருக்கு நல்லரசன் என்று பொருளாம். ஒரு மாலை பொழுதில் என்னை திருதராஷ்டிரனாக
மட்டுமின்றி திருத ‘ரசிகன்’ ஆகவும் வாழச்செய்த ‘ச.க’ சஞ்சய் மஹாராஜாவுக்கு என் மனமார்ந்த
நன்றி! ------ ஜெயராமனின் கட்டுரை முற்றும் --------
சென்னை
வாழ்மக்களுக்கு தலை சிறந்த கலைஞர்களின் கர்நாடக சங்கீதம் கேட் ரசிக்கும் பாக்கியம்
உண்டு. சிலருக்கே இந்த அரிய வாய்ப்பு – குழந்தை பருவத்திலிருந்து பல வருடங்கள் கேட்கும்
சூழ்நிலையில் உள்ளவர்களே கர்நாடக இசையை ரசிக்க முடியும். அவ்விசையின் நுணுக்கங்களை
புரிந்த கொள்ள மேலும் சில காலம் வேண்டும். சென்னையில், குறிப்பாக திருமயிலையில், இவ்விசையின்
ரசிகர்களின் இசை ஞானம் அபூர்வமானது. ஆனால் இப்பாடல் இந்த ராகத்தில் உள்ளது என்றோ, ஸ்வர்மோ
லயமோ தவறினாலும் பிழையரியாமல் ரசிப்பாவர்களும் உண்டு. அவர்களில் நானும் ஒருவன். பாடும்
மொழியோ பாடலின் பொருளோ தெரியாமல், பாட்டின் சுவையை மட்டும் ரசிக்கும் திறமையும் எனக்கு
உண்டு.
பரத
நாட்டியத்து கலைஞர்கள் காட்டும் பாவத்தை போல், கர்நாடக இசை பாடகர்களும், பாடும் போது
தங்கள் முகமும் கைகளும் உடலும் பாவம் பொங்கியே பாடுகிறார்கள். நான் இதை ரசித்து, சில
படங்களை தொகுத்து, பாவங்களுக்கு என் மனோதர்ம வழியில் பெயர் சூட்டியுள்ளேன்.
Listening
to Carnatic music concerts by the best artists is one of the joys of living in
Madras. It is a delight and a privilege for very few people, because it is an
acquired taste, and the acquisition takes years of constant exposure.
Understanding it takes even longer. While the depth of knowledge of the connoisseurs
of Carnatic music in Madras, especially in the Mylapore area is amazing,
several people like me, who cannot tell one raga from another, or when the
singer or accompanist errs in svara or laya, and often knows neither the lyric nor the language of the song being performed, can still enjoy it.
An
allied classical art, Bharata Natyam, is famous for the expression that its
artists are capable of. They pack the emotion of the song, the character, the
situation into their performance. This is called bhaava, a Sanskrit word. The various postures of Bharat Natyam are beautifully depicted in sculpture in the gopurams of the Thillai Natarajar temple in Chidambaram.
But
the dancers are not the only ones : Carnatic singers too cannot restrain from
bhava while singing. The range of their body language is as mesmerizing as that
of their facial expressions. While the bhaavas of Bharata Natyam are named and
defined, here is my own non-Linnaean nomenclature of the singers’ bhaavas.
Each artist exhibits his or her own personality into the performance. Carnatic music allows the artist the freedom to indulge in his manodharma - his personal flavoring of the song. I have merely used my manodharma to select, compile, and label some of the expressions of some of the artists whose performance I have enjoyed.
வாழை
இலை பாய் விரித்து கச்சேரி ஆரம்பம். அமர்ந்து கோரி வர்ணமாக லட்டும், வடை போன்று ஏதோ
வடக்கிந்திய பக்ஷணமும் – வட? வடாம் இல்லை. அனுபல்லவிக்கு, மரவள்ளிக்கிழங்கு வருவல்
மொரு மொரு என்று.
வடக்கு
வந்துவிட்டால் மேற்கும் பின் தொடராதோ? பீன்ஸ் பருப்புசுலி, அதில் சிட்டஸ்வரமாக பட்டாணி.
நாவிலே இந்நேரத்தில் எல்லோருக்கும் ஸ்ருதி சேர்ந்து விட்டது.
அன்ன
ஆலாபனை ஆரம்பம். பக்க ஆலாபனைக்கு பருப்பும் நெய்யும். குரலால் சொல்லும் ஸ்வரமும் ராகமும்
பிசைவது போல் விரலால் இவற்றை பிசைந்து ருசித்தேன். ரசித்தேன். தயிர் பச்சடி சர்வ லகுவாக
பருப்பு சாதம் முதல் ரசஞ்சாதம் வரை லயித்தது.
புளியோதரை
சோலோ.
சாம்பார்
பல்லவி, அப்பளம் அனுபல்லவி. நிரவலாக பருப்புசுலி. பாவைக்காய் பிட்லை ஸ்ருதிபேதம். சமையல்க்காரரின்
கல்பனா ஸ்வரத்திற்கு அங்கங்கே பரிமாரியவர்கள் மாறி மாறி சாதித்து லயம் சேர்த்தனர்.
இந்த
விஸ்தாரத்திர்க்கு அடுத்து, சுருக்கென்று ஒரு வாழைப்பூ காரக்குழம்பு. சாம்பாருக்கு
சமானமாக. காரைக்குடி பாணி.
அமுதுண்டால்
சாற்றும் அமுதின்றி ஆகுமோ? ஆசை முகம் மறந்து போகுமோ?
எப்போ
வருவாரோ என்று கேட்கவைக்காமல், கிண்ணத்தில் கண்ணனமுது.
தனி
ஆவர்த்தன தயிரும் தீர்மான மோர்மிளகாயும். மங்களமாய் மினரல் வாட்டர்.
இந்த
அற்புத கச்சேரி : மியூசிக் அகடமியில் நேற்று, ஞாயிறு டிசம்பர் 22. மார்கழி அனுபவத்தை
உங்களுடன் பகிர்வதில் இன்பம். அந்தரிக்கு வந்தனம்.
மறக்கும்
முன் – யாரோ உள்ளே பாடிக்கொண்டிருந்தார். ஒலிப்பெருக்கியில் கேட்டது.
