Monday, December 9, 2013

Here's another medley - Raga Rasikapriya

My next attempt in Raga based medley - now based on the rare raga Rasika Priya..

Rasikapriya is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the last (72nd) melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music.

It is called Rasamanjari in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.

As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the prati madhyamam equivalent of last suddha madhyamam melakarta, Chalanata, which is the 36th melakarta scale.

More details can be had from Wikipedia

My favorite composer Ilayaraja (IR) has used this raga decades back in the movie Kovil Pura for a wonderful song delivered beautifully by S Janaki - "Sangeethamae En Deivamae".  In fact, legend has it that IR expected to win a national award for this very song itself (though Kovil Pura had many other beautiful songs, IR was so confident and proud of this particular song and delivery by S Janaki)

IR again brought this raga back to life in 2009 with the great song "Kannil Paarvai Pona" sung this time by another brilliant lady - Shreya Goshal. Amazing emotion of deep pathos blended in this song with the instrumental background that can actually crush your heart out.. just try to listen to that full song when you can, especially sometime alone and peacefully and you might end up having tears in your eyes.

While both these songs are capable of bringing out a deep emotion of pathos from the listener, the old song is set to fast tempo and the recent one is of much more slower beat.

In the meanwhile, another great composer - Vidyasagar (VS) - used this ragam for a love duet (how versatile should this raga be if it can be used for either extreme emotion) - this was a great hit from the movie "Ji" ("Ding Dong") delivered by Madhusree and Madhu Balakrishnan.

Though the songs themselves are of different tempos and cannot be blended that easily, I have tried to stitch it together in some closest order so you can listen to them and cherish the ragam and its deployment - it wont gel as smoothly as it did with the Vasantha Medley, but still would be worth lending an ear.

With this, I would again repeat that VS is very much under rated, and his skills are not really understood by Tamil Film Industry yet. Hear the way he has handled this raga to bring out a love duet, you will just love it.

I shall be happy to hear your views and comments, as ever..

Cheers


 

4 comments:

Raman's said...

Nice to listen...

No provision for downloading!!!!

Unknown said...

Very nice.
Hats off to you.

Anonymous said...

MSV has his contribution "oru naal iravu"
IR has also one "Mouname Nenjil"

jasenthini said...

Uthira uthira song