Krithis for all (K)lasses
I downloaded the soundtrack of a new tamil flick (Anniyan) slated for release this month. The composer is this doode (Harris Jayaraj) who was AR Rahman's apprentice.
It sounded mediocre until one mesmerizing track spun me down the memory lanes of my teenage years in Bangalore. It was the one of the pancharatna krithis (compositions ala Bach's Brandenburg concertos and Chopin's Mazurka) written by the great saint composer Thyagaraja. He was one of the three icons of carnatic classical music - touted as "The Trinity". Muthusamy Dixitar and Syama Sastry were the other two.
Every year, during early spring, a group of music exponents congregrated at a temple that was about 100 meters away from where I lived. They would sing the krithis for hours together. They were re-creating the Thyagaraja Aradhna (festival) that happens every year around the same time in a place called Thiruvayur.
What struck me most about this re-creation was the opportunity it presented to the layman to sing along with the exponents. You see, learning this form of music was a tedious, regimented process. Add to it, the predominant confinement of this music to a certain sect of people belonging to the so called higher echelons of a class based society - a false notion that was popularized by the demagogues of this genre of music.
It was a treat to watch children, who were otherwise loitering on the streets, attempting to follow the raagas and the basic tunes of the krithis. It was a different thing that their motivation to stay and feel enthused was really the huge feast of a 15 course south indian lunch that culminated the festival.
So for that one day, I would show my deep appreciation for Thyagaraja. The passionate head shaking, the palm slapping on my lap pretentiously measuring the beats, and the other hand raised, almost navigating and sliding through the air guiding the flow of the tune.
Anyways, I am looking forward to watch Aniyan. I cant help it that all my posts are somehow or the other triggered by a film :)
It sounded mediocre until one mesmerizing track spun me down the memory lanes of my teenage years in Bangalore. It was the one of the pancharatna krithis (compositions ala Bach's Brandenburg concertos and Chopin's Mazurka) written by the great saint composer Thyagaraja. He was one of the three icons of carnatic classical music - touted as "The Trinity". Muthusamy Dixitar and Syama Sastry were the other two.
Every year, during early spring, a group of music exponents congregrated at a temple that was about 100 meters away from where I lived. They would sing the krithis for hours together. They were re-creating the Thyagaraja Aradhna (festival) that happens every year around the same time in a place called Thiruvayur.
What struck me most about this re-creation was the opportunity it presented to the layman to sing along with the exponents. You see, learning this form of music was a tedious, regimented process. Add to it, the predominant confinement of this music to a certain sect of people belonging to the so called higher echelons of a class based society - a false notion that was popularized by the demagogues of this genre of music.
It was a treat to watch children, who were otherwise loitering on the streets, attempting to follow the raagas and the basic tunes of the krithis. It was a different thing that their motivation to stay and feel enthused was really the huge feast of a 15 course south indian lunch that culminated the festival.
So for that one day, I would show my deep appreciation for Thyagaraja. The passionate head shaking, the palm slapping on my lap pretentiously measuring the beats, and the other hand raised, almost navigating and sliding through the air guiding the flow of the tune.
Anyways, I am looking forward to watch Aniyan. I cant help it that all my posts are somehow or the other triggered by a film :)
posted by Still in Trance @ 9:49 AM
4 Comments:
At 9:57 PM,
Anispice said…
Harris Jeyaraj... Isn't he the same guy who composed Vaseegara? He does tend to copy ARR quite a bit. In fact for a long time I was under the impression that Vaseegara was ARR's. I do enjoy Tamil and Malayalam film music coz they lean a lot towards Carnatic Music. So thanks for the info on Anniyan... wil pick it up. And hey I envy you your experience of listening to the Thyagaraja festival, live!! I remember as a kid I used to listen to it every year on the TV.
At 10:59 AM,
Still in Trance said…
Yup the guy who did Vaseegara!!..one of my favorites.
btw, check out ARR's "Bose"
I have a new found respect for the man. I thought he doesnt have an Illayaraja's genius to write an orchestra, but he proved me wrong with his album.
At 11:21 AM,
compos mentis said…
Bhabhi meets Guru Kinky ! and compos mentis takes the credit :-)
At 10:24 PM,
Anispice said…
Did get Bose some time back. Hubby dear is a huge fan of ARR. And yes Bose has some brilliant stuff. Also listening to Warriors of Heaven and Earth. Watched the movie last night as well. The quintessential good versus evil story.
And NCM... can please wipe the cheshire cat grin off his face tho' we will give you ur due credit. :)
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