New age IR's Raga Choices

Suresh,

'srirama' would be a pantuvarali without the gamakams,prayagos,etc. So just scale based, imo.

<dig>
On the aarabhi writeup - in particular - the recent carnatic singings, it must be a coincidence.. I was thinking exactly the same while watching some jaya tv concerts recently. Barring BMK and couple others, the perfection is steadily declining but rasikas still applauding (sometimes more than before). Was listening to DKP's bairavi few days ago (NOV posted in concerts thread).. what a perfection those days! How many can even think of coming close to it now? </dig>

Quote:

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Similarly, another song from Kolangal "Mouna Ragam" appears to follow the scale of "karnATka Suddha Saveri".

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CSR,

I too think so. The scale S R1 M1 P D1 implies Karnataka suddha saveri (or Gunkali in hindustani terminology). But the song
is very classical, so can't just say scale based I think.

Related raga is the 4-notes only Lavangi (S R1 M D1) - yet another beautiful BMK creation. I recently read in Raj's blog that IR has
tuned a song (below) in this raga ( or rather raga mixture). It was a pleasant surprise to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYo8cB8aM-w

However, this one is just scale based. (To appreciate the raga's real beauty, youtube for it. There's one detailed rama varma rendition.)

RR,
/Dig

I generally don't get started on the lack of perfection in today's concerts because I cannot stop :) All I can say is that you are spot on and the customers(rasikas) are not demanding perfection. Which is a sad state of affairs.
/End Dig

Thank you RR. Though, these might have been discussed in other threads of TFMpage, I still bring it here also, for reference sake.

Kolangal song Mouna ragam-karnataka suddha saveri - is definitely, a well established one Carnatically ragamwise. I hope the lyric is written by IR himself, since I find the word “Nyaana Desiganai” in the last line of Charanam, I guess that way.
(I only proceeded from where our friend Vel Ramanan established that this is not Malahari, then I got into the verification process.)

Mouna Ragam from Kolangal in Karnataka Suddha Saveri

Listen to the song here : http://thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp...9&#39;&lang=en

The lighter version of this raga is in still older one :Amma Endru from Devotional Album IR - Geetha Vazhipaadu:

Listen to the song here : http://thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp...4&#39;&lang=en

Another classically classical is the Ponnil Vaanam, an equivalently stunning rendition by S Janaki (again with the swaras of Karnataka khamas, but with different feel )

Ponnil Vaanam from Villupattukkaran in Ragam : karnAtaka khamAs
Listen to the song here : http://thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp...2&#39;&lang=en

This also needs analysis in this thread.

You have also rightly approached the “Kangalukkul Ennai Ezhudhu” which is quite logical. In fact this was the first song I took up in 2004 with Vicky who confirmed the 4-swara aspect as well as the raga name as Lavangi.

Then I further took it up (in IR-yahoo group as well with others) to explain how IR goes for modulation with 4 swara raga (Lavangi), then 5 swara (Amirthavarshini) and then 6 swara (initially I found the name Ponni for that, but later in rasikas.org somebody corrected me as Mandari) etc. (Vel knows this, but still have some reservations, I think, in updating his Iliayaragam with the name Lavangi !)

But unlike the way Aboorva raagangal song in Mahathi is quoted often, this one in Lavangi is never known to many. (Only when Vel update his site and then in Thiraipaadal, world will notice that)

Yes, Varma’s youtube I have already noticed and yet to listen. Also, MFM has a few more songs in Lavangi by Raveendran etc (as I saw in malayalasangeetham.info , but many of them are after Kangalukkul, I think)

lovely! :clap: thanks csr, Suresh, RR... lotta homework. kEttutu varEn.
(ponnil vaanam, listening to it for the first time, whattaybeauty! :shock:)

Superb CSR Sir reading your analysis. :clap:
Had a great time interacting with you in Orkut.
Guess im in for more of a feast here too .

CSR,

thanks for reminding 'amma endru'. What a wonderful raga usage.. Really miss that IR!

Interesting to hear about the 4, 5, 6 swara extensions. I missed the amrithavarshni part. Care to highlight which line it is?

On Lavangi, I too heard the mallu songs and they are ok ones. I think 'who did first' is just academic interest. Any kuppan or suppan (with due respect to MD's) can do it, but how they use it is the main matter. In 'adhisaya ragam' I think MSV went one step beyond what BMK could bring out in his composition - which was just carnatic one anyway. I am yet to see that in Lavangi. Pls listen to BMK sishya's rendition. I feel there's a lot to tap in the raga. IR can of course do a beauty but I guess he is not interested anymore.

Ponnil vaanam is a bit more complex, yes. Will listen more and get back. KV will help with the complete notes ;)

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Originally Posted by RR

CSR,

I too think so. The scale S R1 M1 P D1 implies Karnataka suddha saveri (or Gunkali in hindustani terminology). But the song
is very classical, so can't just say scale based I think.

Related raga is the 4-notes only Lavangi (S R1 M D1) - yet another beautiful BMK creation. I recently read in Raj's blog that IR has
tuned a song (below) in this raga ( or rather raga mixture). It was a pleasant surprise to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYo8cB8aM-w

However, this one is just scale based. (To appreciate the raga's real beauty, youtube for it. There's one detailed rama varma rendition.)

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KaNgaLukkul ennai yezhudhu - Lavangi yaa? I thought it was Amirthavarshini scale in the pallavi with a Grahabedham done in the charanams to PanthuvaraLi??? RR, the last line of pallavi "enna idhu enna idhu pudhu pudhu mayakkam" and the initial portions of the first interlude rang the Amirthavarshini bell in my mind.

Regarding ponnil vaanaam, I feel Naattakurinji odour , but ONLY at few places. Anybody with me?

Thumburu,

I also get a similar feeling about 'kangalukkul'. I am not too sure of the pallavi being Amruthavarshini. Maybe it has only four notes but the charanam surely has the tinge of Panthuvarali and in the second interlude some scale changes seem to happen. As usual Raja used his own grammar here is what I think.

Reg 'ponnil vaanam' I clearly Sriranjani in that!!! I mean the Sriranjani flavour is very much there, especially the way he ends the pallavi. 'kaalayile, solayile, kann padum velayile'. The flute that accompanies after that also indicates Sriranjani. I do see some changes in the interludes but the main melody sounds very much like Sreeranjani to me. In some places I clearly see this being equivalent with 'naadam ennum kovilile' (MSV - Manmada Leelai?)

And thumburu, no, I don't see the Natakurunji flavor. Atleast not in the main song. As I said the interlude seem to have some alien notes but the main thread seems to be Sriranjani.