What an observation !!
The Western arrangement and orchestration-without mixing even a single alien swara- combined with the Indian rhythmic calculations and patterns are possible only by one person!
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What an observation !!
The Western arrangement and orchestration-without mixing even a single alien swara- combined with the Indian rhythmic calculations and patterns are possible only by one person!
Jai,
As you and others rightly point out, what Raja has been doing is to unify everything without making any one of them distinct. Actually Raja makes one form distinct, .i.e., if he is making a folk song, the spirit is bound to be that of a folk song. What he does is that he uses resources from every part of the world to service this folk song. So the folk song would be accompanied by western classical, Indian classical, jazz, rock and what not but in spirit it is not a folk song mixed with other forms but it is just a folk song!! (This is one reason why lot of people don't get it nowadays!!!). Same thing happens to a carnatic song. It can have a bass guitar, a jazzy sax but eventually remains a carnatic song. The unification he achieves is unparalleled. Even in the great Tiruvasagam, I never tire of repeating this argument, what he does is to keep the bhakthi bhavam intact inspite of all the orchestration. So if you keenly listen to 'Tiruvasagam' for a few times, what remains with you is something that touches your soul and not the grand orchestration. I remember the video in which Raja says that he has not given grand music or tried to worry about how note combinations can be done etc, but that he had given simple music which will support the emotional content of Tiruvasagam. I was then thinking, "who is this man kidding?" Wasn't this grand music? It was only after multiple listens did I understand what Raja said. The music was 'just right' for Tiruvasagam.
This is one reason why I am not one of the advocates of 'Raja needs to move away from film music' stand. For Raja's aesthetics is based on emotion and films with the cliched or new situations provide this. Based on these emotions Raja weaves his cloth, bringing to bear every musical form that fits. And the various musical forms come in only if they can service the emotion at hand. Otherwise they are ruthlessly discarded. This is something which we need to talk about as well. As how Raja does not get anything in, just to prove that he can do it. It has to with his aesthetics. Very rarely do you get such an amazingly talented artist who always wants to be true to the intended emotion and doesn't do anything just to display his skills or knowledge. We could see this in the older MDs and Raja is a true follower of these great MDs.
Hi friends,
I noticed a sudden spurt in the no.of hits in my blog yesterdayand was led to this page by the sitecounter.
The kind of discussions taking place here has left me spellbound and no words can describe my amazement.
Since it is a discussion on the Talas used by Raaja, I request you all to go through these as well:
http://rajamanjari.blogspot.com/2008/04/laya-raja.html
http://rajamanjari.blogspot.com/2008...-musician.html
Of course, it will be nice if you go through all my posts in the blog and give your feedback.
Henceforeth you can also see me actively participating in the discussions in this forum.
Thanks!
Raj[/url]
Welcome Raj Keep posting here :)
I saw your blog link in the Prakash pov blog spot and followed u there and shared that with ppl around here. vishayam therinjavanga sagavaasam engalukku romba thevai... welcome..Quote:
Originally Posted by Raj4376
Raj,
A warm welcome. Your blog is in my google reader so I don't miss you :) Though I must confess I haven't left a comment there. As Jai says, the more knowledgeable people discussing music, the more everyone gains.
Thanks Sanjeevi, Jaiganesh and Suresh.
I am just a tiny drop in that ocean called ILaiyaraaja..
Shall try and share whatever little knowledge I have!
Music and Mathematics- a lot of similarities apart from the M factor.
Music is full of Mathematics and, Mathematics is full of Music.
Starting from the seven notes, can we think of anything in music without numbers(and therefore mathematics)?
The Melakartha system in Carnatic Music follows mathematics.
The aalapana before a ragam follows mathematics.
The Niraval- followed by the swaraprasthara- follows mathematics.
The Tani Avartanam follows mathematics.
(Please note that I have taken Carnatic music as a sample and let this not be misconstrued that I am praising one form of music.All systems of music follow mathematics)
When it comes to Film music, I cannot think of any composer other than our Maestro who has played around(literally) with mathematics and calculations.
His recent composition in Nandalala is yet another diamond in the crown.
In his compositions, he has used Cross-Rhythms(Endrendrum Anandame-Kadal MeengaL), Aagaaya Vennilaave-Arangetra VeLai), two types of rhythms alternating (Vaa VeLiye-Paadu Nilaave), count starting in the beginning and ending only as the songs ends(Kaadalin Deepam Ondru-Thambikku Endha Ooru).
‘Kai Veesi Nadakkura Kaaththe’ is another experiment with the modern instruments, the synth beats giving an illusory feeling.
It appears as though the beats are being missed by the singers while in reality it is not so..
It appears as if the song starts after ‘samam’ but it is not so.
What he has done is actually very simple.
The composition is set in the 4-beat Chatusra Eka Talam and the beats follow the simple ‘ta ka dhi mi’ pattern.Only difference is the sharp sound produced at the end of second beat.
The Pallavi also gets extended with the freewheeling ‘ sanchaaraas’ that rise like a crescendo.
The 4-beat count in the vocals finally finishes only in the end while the percussion keeps following the 4 beats.
Maybe Raaja sir wanted to convey the philosophy of life where we keep doing things on and on without realising the fact that the Divine binds us!
There are other significant aspects in this composition.Generally, I do not like the latest synth sound and beats in his music.But the sound in this song is very unique.
The prelude starts with a kind of a folk instrument and the music that follows is mesmerising.
Rarely does Raaja sir repeat his interludes.In fact, he was the first one(and as far as I know the only one) who composed different pieces for the three interludes-(yes..there was a time when we did have three stanzas and three interludes!).
But here, the piece sounds so beautiful that one does not even realise that it is repeated.
It spruces up the entire song.
The entire composition is tender, complex, and deep but simple.
Like the subject of Mathematics ..
Like the Breeze that blows swinging its arms..
Raj,
:thumbsup: Lovely post and I liked your comparison with mathematics. It so happened that incidentally I also had posted reg Raja's music and mathematics in another thread.
Now I need to listen to 'kaiveesi' keeping your inputs in mind.
Could you pl. give me the link to your post on the same subject?
Thanks!
Raj