Sunday, July 13, 2014

Raga Mayamalavagowlai - Special Medley # 2

Continuing my previous post on Mayamalavagowlai based medleys, I found that this raga is an absolute beauty, and Maestro Ilayaraja has presented many treasures based on this simple yet wonderful raga.

You can practically witness songs in almost all emotions coming out from this single raga - love, karuna, pathos, bhakti, education (guru-sishya), soulful music, western style and what not. It is just all encompassing, and I decided to publish this second medley right away without any further delay.

I chose tracks only from Maestro's compositions to showcase how deftly he has blended the western chords and the oriental east, how the jazzy strings meet the classical Carnatic, how this raga evolves into the rustic folkish genre and how it so beautifully transforms into Bhakti rasam as well.

Sure this should have given you some food for thought, and you could potentially have identified what lies in store. But before we get to listen to them, let me add some of the other beauties available in this raga - from old to new film songs - "Kallellaam maanikka kallaaguma", "Azhagaana ponnu thaan, adukkeththa kannu thaan", "Solladi Abhiraami", "Mookkuthi poo maelae kaathu", "Poonkadhavae Thaazh Thiravaai", "Poova eduthu oru maala thoduthu",  "Kaadhal Kavithaigal padithidum naeram".. the list is endless, including Isai Puyal ARR's recent "Sollayo Solaikili" which is a modernized rendition of this raga..Thanks to my FB friends Saradha Seshadri and Bhoomija Vijayaraghavan for identifying a few tracks on this list.

Back to the medley mix, here is what I have put together for you..

Starting with Raja's special composition for "How to Name it" Album - opens with western beats and chords, and smoothly transitions in to the Tyagayya Kriti - "Thulasi dala mulache". Watch out for the background violin orchestration carefully - the lead violinist (believe it is the champ Violinist Dr LS who played that for the album) goes on wonderfully and in the background, you can still hear many more violins playing special chords that continue to maintain a beautiful rhythm and introduce elements of surprise swings all through this kriti as well..

This goes on for the initial minute and more.. and then we transition with a strings based musical interlude of the song "Madurai marikkozhundu vaasam" which is a super folkish presentation of this raga with the quintessential Raja stamp of melody. Impressive composition by bringing in all the key swaras in to this so nicely and presenting it in a Jana-Ranjaka format, which is Raja's special capability.

I tried a different mix in to the third song - basically, the charanam of the second song is dovetailed into the pallavi of the third one - mixing up the pallavi of third song in the place where second one should actually have been. In other words, where the charanam ends and you would expect "Madurai marikozhundu" to come up, you will have "Mariyamma" filling your ears.

Yes, you will understand and enjoy this much better when you listen to the Minute point (02:46) in the medley.

So, that is the third and final piece in this medley - completely earthy, rustic appeal with brimming Bhakti rasa all through to the finish. Amazing energy levels from Malaysia Vasudevan & Chitra keep the tempo up so high, and we have heard in the past that lot of people in village theatres got fully charged up and danced to this song, making that movie Karakaattakaaran a run-away hit.

In effect, this medley brings in the combo of western chords, pure classical, fusion of the two, instrumental music, love duet, folk music all finally ending up in a bhakti rasa - which is how our life also has to finally fold - everything should end up and evolve in devotion to the Almighty. I hope this piece of soulful music helps you in the process of finding inner peace too.

Comments welcome as always..

 
Links to the full tracks for those want to download the individual songs: 1) How to name it - study for violin 2) Madurai Marikozhundhu Vaasam 3) Maariyamma Maariyamma

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Few of the finest collections of Raja sir... Mixing of the violin piece and madura marikozhundu s a fantabulous idea and s very soothing to hear... Finishing with maariyama s like a tornado swiping off the city.. All together it was marvellous.... Expecting many more medleys ji... Thanks a lot...
uthra

V Murali said...

The violin was awesome. The travel of sa ri ga ma pa da ne sa in the interlude was just amazing.. the bowing mastery of a genius very evident. The mridangam chaapu was brilliant . whoever has played it.

Anonymous said...

Violin was amazing. Devika

NaveenAshwath said...

Mayamalava Gowlai is special for "Madhyama" and Maestro has rendered this music with core brilliance. LS with Maestro does not have a comparison.Just imagine,Maestro should satisfy LS with adequate challenges and its evident that this song has a vital competition between the Composition and Violin.