A Viral Approach to Classical Music

 

Here is Shankar Tucker speaking onTedx platform www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckKvIVYnSr8 about his journey into the world of Indian Classical music. Many of you are aware of him, for those of you who are not aware you can read about him on Wikipedia or visit his Website.

 

In the video, Shankar compares India gurukul system with western way of teaching. While comparing and contrasting, he says how Western Music requires you to constantly look at piece of paper, while Indian music is not that way. While west is moving towards east, but east seems to have already moved West. Carnatic music has gone the mobile app way and our musicians from stealthily staring at their notebooks are now constantly stare at their notebooks.

 

Look at the Manodharmam (imagination) he showcases in the first 4 mins of the video, he has no paper in front of him and efortlessly plays with every note. This shows his understanding of the contours and hues of the raga and his deep involvement. I am sure this young man will soon perform at the Music Academy.

 

Mylapore,Srirangam, etc. these days is filled with "White" son-in-laws and daughter-in-laws and that seems like the next craze for the Mami's. I am sure the mamis’ will call this collaboration or (conjugal)bandhi or (con)(jugaad)bandhi. Hopefully, Shankar Tucker will find ways to escape from these Mamis', who’ve always entrapped fellow listeners.  :-)

Thyagaraja Ramayanam - Part 2/7

When the curtains went up on day two, one could easily count the heads in the auditoriu. And it was heart rendering to see this year’s Sangita Kalanidhi Sri. Trichur Ramachandran along with his wife Smt. Charumathi Ramchandran was among the audience. Understanding the meaning of the krithi and bringing out the bhava in their rendition is basic tenet for all musicians, while for listeners the reward of understanding the meaning and absorbing the bhava elevates their mind and soul. Shouldn’t every musician and student and connoisseur of music attend such performances?

Erode Sri. Balaji Bagavathar started the concert by sharing the fundamental difference between bajanai and kutchery. The former is sung in complete bakthi and seeks the feedback of almighty, while the latter seeks the feedback from rasikas. He also taught the real artha for Sangita Kalanidhi. I am using a Q&A format to break the monotony.

Where is eternal sowkhyam?

According to Thyagaraja eternal sowkhyam is in Rama bakthi. In the Kapi raga krithi, Intha Sowkhya, Thyagaraja shares his inability to express the sowkhyam and anandam from singing the qualities of Rama and asks who can explain sowkhyam and how can one explain swara raga sudha rasa? He says this sowkhyam and taste is only known to Shiva who mixes Rama namam and swarams (Chakkera mishramu jesi bhujinche).

How to worship Rama?

In the Sri raga krithi, Naama Kusuma, Thyagaraja teaches how to worship Rama. He urges the mind to worship Rama in the altar of one’s mind. He says to use Siva’s nama as flowers in the worship or Rama and turn your mind and heart into an altar and decorate it with precious jewels of nadha and swara to host Rama. He says atma puja is the highest form of worship.

Who is a true Sangita Kalanidhi?

Thyagaraja lived in abject poverty but never went around singing praise of any nara janma for his jeevanam. In the Ranjani raga krithi, Durmarga chara dhamulanu he teaches how not to make a living and admonishes those who sing in praise of humans for the sake of wealth. Thyagaraja says he cannot sing in praise of dur atma treading on the path of vice for money, fame or grains and call them his boss (dora). He equates such behavior to bartering Sarswathi.

In the Purnashadjam raga kirthi, Lavanyarama, Thyagaraja sings “Nee manasu, Nee sogasu, Nee dinusu vere”, and says the lavanyam, elegance, style is very different and that cannot sing another god leave alone humans. 

Why is Rama Brahmam more sreshtam than Lord Rama?

It is a stated gramatical rule to introduce oneself before the opera keerthanams like Prahalad Charithiram. In the opening lines, Thyagaraja introduces himself through his father Rama Brahmam. Thyagaraja says Rama brahmam gave away the house offered by the King to a stranger, while Rama only offered his rajyam to his brother Baratha not to a stranger. He shared this to showcase his lineage and pedigree. And as a kid, Thyagaraja composed the Desiya Todi raga krithi, Namo namo raghavaya anisam with 8 charanams and offers his salutations Sri Rama.

What does Rama bakthi bring upon you?

Having born in Kali yuga, singing keerthanas and namams in praise of Lord Rama will bring you both bukthi and mukthi. In the Todi raga krithi, Dasarathe, Thyagaraja explains this in detail. Hearing Thyagaraja krithis in Cleveland today is a testimony to the lines Aasatheera dhoora deshambulanu, prakasimpa jesina rasika sironmani. Yet Thyagaraja attributes this to Rama bakthi and kripa and not his proficiency.

What does hearing Rama Katha bestow upon you?

In the Madhyamavathi raga krithi, Rama Katha Sudha, Thyagaraja describes the benefits of singing and listening to the story of Sri Rama and equates it to ruling a Kingdom. In the pallavi of the krithi, he refers to Rama katha as amrutha paanam. He says Rama shines with his parivar – Bhama mani janaki sowmithree barathathula in the anu pallavi. Hearing Rama katha bestows the fruits of purshartha: courage, comfort, bliss, helps you to cross the ocean of worldly existence and destroys the effects of kali yuga.

Where does Rama parivar and Saint Thyagaraja derive their bliss from?

Apart from bakthi there is something more in Rama that attracts everyone to him including his parivara. In the Asaveri raga krithi, Lekhana Ninnu, Thyagaraja shares the details of their bliss. He says Sri Rama soundaryam attracts and comforts Seetha, Lakshmana derives comfort from your eye movement, Barathan derives comfort from watching the sundara mukham of Sri Rama, Shatrugunan derives comfort from barathan kainkaryam with the thought of Rama, while Anjaneya derives comfort from Sri Rama padhasevanam. The entire parivaram enjoys bliss by merely watching Sri Rama and Thyagaraja derives his bliss watching Sri Rama and his parivar.

What are the qualities of his Parivar?

In the Karaharapriya raga krithi, Ramanee Samanamu, Thyagaraja describes the qualities of his parivar. He starts the krithis by extolling the character of Sri Rama as the king of Ayodhya and swears none can match up to him. He says his wife Seetha is tender like the shoot of sweet marjoram and she is the parrot singing in the cage of devotion. And his brothers words drips of honey. Rama, the soft and sweet spoken (mrdu subasha) who elevated the Raghu dynasty, can anyone match up to you?

In which krithi does Thyagaraja praise the maya of Sri Krishna?

In the Chandrajyothi raga krithi, Baagayenayya, Thyagaraja says that the teachings of Sri Krishna are both magic and confusing to even Brahma. In the charanam, he says looking at Arjuna who said war is a sin and you convinced him by saying the results of sins will not touch both them. This convincing quality of Sri Krishna is a grand magic and even Brahma cannot comprehend.

Sri Balaji Bagavathar explains the context of Dasharatha wanting to have a child and how he takes the helps of Vashishta to conduct Ashvamedha yagna and Puthrakameshti yagna. And completes the evening with Sri Rama Jananam.

Happiness from birth of Rama

While the world celebrates birth of Sri Rama Thyagaraja in his Bilahari raga krithi, Inthakal Anandamemi, celebrates the birth of Rama nama and Rama keerthana and the anandam in it. Thyagaraja says Rama nama turns dwaitha bhava into advaitha bhava and unites you with paramatha. It makes one think if this was the same state of exalted anandha (bliss) Dasharatha must have experienced.

 

Please email me at kdbulls@gmail.com if you need a copy of the recording.

Thyagaraja Ramayanam – Sapthaham – Part 1 of 7

The experience of listening to a concert is very different from the experience of listening to a Sangeetha Upanyasam. A Sangeetha Upanyasam not only gives you the context at which the song was sung but also elaborates life, qualities of the composer, and locates the song in the context of vedas, agamas, puranas and sashtras while a concert just presents the song showcasing its musical elements and aspects. So, one is expected to be musically knowledgeable to enjoy and appreciate a Carnatic concert, but any layman with hunger and appetite for “bhagavan and bakthi” will enjoy and appreciate a sangeetha upanyasam. One cannot deny “bhagavan and bakthi” is the nucleus of every Carnatic composition. Nevertheless, both Carnatic Concerts and Sangeetha Upanyasams have its devout audience who fill large halls in minutes and who derive immense pleasure from sharavanam and keerthanam.

After giving this music season a miss, I decided to attend Erode Sri Balaji Bagavathar’s Sangeetha Upanyasam on “Thayagaraja Ramanayam” at Narada Gana Sabha. He had presented the same topic on Sankara Television a year ago.

Srimad Ramayana has inspired so many saints including Thyagaraja, who is considered an incarnation of Valmiki, and the enjoyment and inspiration from reading the mahakaavyam is the reflected in all of Thyagaraja’s krithis. It is believed that Thyagaraja sang 24,000 krithis, one for every sholkam in Ramayana, but there are only a fewer krithis available today. It is believed that what Valmiki couldn’t express while writing Ramayana, found a chance to express through his compositions when he incarnated as Thyagaraja. Thyagaraja krithis brings another dimension of bakthi and bhava to the mahakaavyam, Srimad Ramayanam.

Be it a musician, a composer or a saint, establishing and embellishing bhavam turns the rendition, composition and the person immortal. Thyagaraja has enjoyed Rama in so many bhavas, which is evident from his krithis.

 

 

Paamalai is superior to Poomaalai
 

In the krithi Raga ratnamaalikache in Ritigowali, Thyagaraja conveys his wish to offer a garland of ragas to Rama and testifies this as a way to realization. He says these krithis contain the meaning of Vedas, the six Sastras, the (eighteen) epics and Agamas; singing these krithis leads one in the path of realization and invites people to join him on the musical journey to sanmarga.

Thyagaraja has simplified the job for us. He has selected the apt ragas to convey various bakthi bhavams and devout singing of these krithis will raise ones kundalini from Moooldhara Chakra to Sahasraham Chakra thereby giving him moksha.

 

 

Bakthi: Upeyam and Upayam
 

Avathara Purushas like Sadashiva Brahmendral don't stop expressing their bakthi through keerthanams even after seeing the Lord and realizing self. In the Sama raga krithi, Maansasancharare, Sadashiva Brahmendral gives the address for Parabrahmam (Shreeramani Kucha Durga Vihaare) and asks the mind to go there. He also extols the qualities (alankrutha chikure, sevaka jana mandira mandaare, Parama hamsa mukha chandra chakorey, Paripoorita Muraliravadhare) in the krithi.

Thyagaraja, in his Bakthi Biksha krithi in Sankarabharanam, pleads to the Lord to grant him devotion without desire. He also says desire-less devotion superior to moksha. In the charanam, he asks what is the use of chanting and discoursing on Vedas, Aagamas and Puranas with desire? And he compares this to tying a golden turban to a corpse and decorating it with exquisite diamond jewellery on the chest.

In the Purvi Kalyani Krithi, O Rama nee Naamam, Badhrachalam Ramasadar extols the virtue of Rama nama mahima and describes the delectable taste of Rama nama.

 Krithis of Sadashiva Brahmendral, Thyagaraja and Badhrachalam Ramasadar all shows that bakthi is both upeyam (goal) and upayam (means) and explain desire-less bakthi to be superior to moksha.
 

Thyagaraja earns to be a Sevaka
 

Imagining a relationship between them and almighty and assuming various roles and impregnating bhava has helped our Saints and Composers traverse the deeper realms of bakthi.  Thygarajara brings out his desire for sevaka bhavam and to be in the sannadhi of Rama in the Hamasnadham krithi Bantureethi Kolu. In the Pallavi, he describes the attributes one must possess to be a Sevaka.

In the charanam, he says, goosebumps from waiting to serve Rama becomes his kavacham (Romancha mane Ghana kanchukamu), the only identity he wants is being called a Rama bakthan (Rama bakthudane mudhra), and the only weapon we wants to carry his Rama namam (Rama namam vara kadga mivi).
 

Swadheena Bakthi of Thyagaraja
 

In the Chakravaha krithi, Sugunamule Cheppu Konti, Thyagaraja says he has forgotten to do pilgrimages, take holy dips and perform austerities because he has been busy chanting Rama nama and extolling the gunas of Rama (Sundara Raghurama) and pleads not to consider him as an unclean soul.

 

 

The three Inseparables: Rama and music, bakthi and music and moksha and music
 

In the Aarabhi raga krithi, Nadha Sudha Rasa, Thyagaraja describes music and its elements being a part of Rama. In the Pallavi, he says Sri Rama is the nectar and embodiment of Nadha and in the anupallavi, he says the nectar from all the Vedas, agamas, sastras and puranas are in the human form called Rama. In the charanam, he says, the sacred raga is bow and the bells in the bow are seven swaras of the raga. He describes the three parts of the bow -Dhuram, naya and deshyam - trigunam and speed of arrows becomes the gathi, and concluded that the words of spoken by Sri Rama turns into sweet thematic variation and it is Thyagraja’s fortune to do repeat the names of lord and perform bhajana. This krithi shows the sangeetha guna of Rama and without bragging the musical proficiency of Thyagaraja.

In the Saramathi Krithi, Mokshamugalada –Thyagaraja doubts if anyone can ever attain moksha with sangita  devoif of bakthi. In the anupallavi, he asks if emancipation is attainable for those who are bereft of knowledge of music combined with true bakthi? In charanam, he says neither people understand omkara nadha manifests as saptaswara nor they understand the blissful state of Lord Siva - the great connoisseur of music played on veena.

 

 

Three concoctions for moksha:  Sadh bakthi, tat bhavam and mridhanga thalamu
 

In the Sriranjani krithi, Sogasuga mridhangam thaalamu, Thyagaraja says any resolute person who enamors you with the words from upanishads with the purity of swara and attuned to the beat of mridhangam reaches you is truth - Nigama shirothama galgina nija vaakkulathi svara suddhamuto. In the charanam he says, krithis with words as sweets as grape juice (draksha rasa) infused with navarasa (navarasa krutha che) along with true devotion and rhythimic patterns of words, swaras and appropriate pauses and questions if they are within the reach of Thyagaraja?

In the Asaveri krithi, E Paniko, Thyagaraja expresses his desire to extol the virtues of Rama through krithis in the same way many sages including Vaalmiki composed. He asks Rama if that desire of his will be fulfilled.

 

 

Everything begins with Guru bakthi
 

In the Gowrimanohari raga krithi, Guru lekha yetuvanti, Thyagaraja confirms that true enlightenment comes as a result of Guru krupa and Guru bakthi and not from talent and proficiency. He also says that only a Guru can assuage pain by penetrating your mind and heart and helps you deforest the wilderness of samsara and through tatvabodha.

In the Vasantha raga krithi, Etla dorkitivo, Thyagaraja questions his merit to attain Rama as his Lord and asks if it was a result of Rama’s grace (padha mahimo), blessings of great and good men (aashirvadaha balamo) or dedicated worship through nadhopasana (nadha phalamo)?

Visit here to download the mp3 recording of the concert: http://www.fileconvoy.com/dfl.php?id=g67fa3036f365e29899919795871b8e7ee5c281687

More to continue…

Why should GNB style of music be restricted to only vocal music?

All these years I was under the impression that GN Balasubramanian's style of music can only be brought out vocally, but Kum. A. Kanyakumari at the 103^rd birth anniversary celebrations held at Naradha Gana Sabha demonstrated that her Paramaguru's style of music can be played on any instrument (percussion and non-percussion) and age is no bar.

 

The Fort of Music

An assembly of 28 stars (like the nakshatras) occupied the fort of music. An array of 15 violinists occupied the outer periphery, the next inner circle had a mix of three violins, three on the Veena and two Flautists and the inner most circle contained the conductor A. Kanyakumari and her student Nishanth and along with them was Patri Satish Kumar on the Mridangam, Bangalore Amrit on the Kanjira and Vaikom Gopalakrishnan on the Ghatam.

The army

I spotted a few in their late teens on the violin, while two of the women on the Veena were well into their sixties. But age didn’t seem to have bearing on the quality of music and the youth had practiced so well to match up to the veterans.

The beginning

The evening began with GNB’s varnam in Gavathi and Enta Ninnu in Chandrahastam, another composition of his, came as one down. His delectable compositions in Purnachandrika, Kamavardhini and Thodi came in quick succession. GNB’s fast paced style of music with verve and energy transforming every instrument into another 28 mini GNB’s. Absence of vocalist helped the instrumentalist play at a higher octave and for a change even the Mridangam sounded liked a stringed instrument.

The perfect power play

Sitting in the middle, Kanyakumari signaled the next in the line-up to get ready for their individual power play. Like the baton that gets passed around in a relay race, kalapanaswarams after woven by the violinists was handed over to the veena veterans (Smt. RS Jayalakshmi, Smt. Kalyani Ganesan and Sri. Mudikondam Ramesh) and then passed on the flautist and finally came back to the Kanyakumari and Nishanth. And one could hear every instrument in isolation and at the same time were in perfect symphony. Mridhangam, Ghatam and Kanjira also turned into stringed instruments that evening complimenting and not competing with each other.

Kaapi takes the center stage

40 minutes had elapsed into the concert and after all the major ragas were played, Kanyakumari brought out the magnificent flavors of Kaapi (Classical, Folk and Hindustani) which was followed by exposition of thanam by the three artists on the Veena showcasing the elements of thanam in different octaves.

Unveils a garland of 108 ragas - Ashtothara Ragamalika

Kaapi raga and thanam was followed by a garland of swarams in 108 ragas, both colorful and intoxicating. Stringed instruments took turns to weave the colorful garland of swaras with enthralling fragrance. Some common ragas like Ranjani, Valaji, Revathi was easy to identify, Dubar turned the garland royal, Kadanakuthuhalam made people sway and jive, while ragas like Andolika kept people guessing. I have heard a dozen ragas, but never 108 and today it felt like walking in the valley of flowers. Fingers plucking the raga devata and showering the swaram of flowers of swarams in unison was sensory overload.

Display of hard work and practice 

We have seen musicians slyly, bravely and incessantly starring into their notebooks for a few stanzas but this ensemble had time to just look at the paper only to cross over to the next raga. They exchanged smiles as they progressed from one raga to another and as the baton passed on from one assembly of instruments to another assembly. It is not a joke to play 108 ragas in quick succession and moving from one together without stutter, pause or trespassing into an alien note. This concert proves that GNB’s style of music (verve and energy) can be played on any instrument and only needs focus, practice and discipline.

A befitting finale

The percussion and non-percussion ensemble was a befitting finale to the 2012 December music season. Instruments continued to show their spirit, unity and strength in offering an aural and visual treat as they played Jayathi Jayathi in Kamas (Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri), Venkatachala Nilayam in Sindhu Bairavi and Bhagayada Lakshmi in Sree ragam. One must not forget to give a big round of applause to the audio system for managing a show with 28 microphones and making sure everyone is heard well separately and together.

PS: Please email me at kdbulls@gmail.com, if you need a copy of the recording.