Musical Mornings by Ramya Shankar
The best investment I’ve made over the last couple of months is in a pair of noise-cancelling earphones. This has taken my music-listening experience to a whole new level; a level where sometimes I can’t even hear my own thoughts. It has proved mighty useful at work, where I plug in my earphones and I’m transported to a completely different place. This has proved embarrassing too, but let’s save that story for another time, shall we? Being an obsessive list maker by nature, I organise my music into playlists and I have a work-based playlist that belts out the perfect songs that contribute greatly to my productivity.
I go to work really early and I don’t enjoy fast paced songs first thing in the morning, so I usually start my day with something Carnatic. You know how it is with Carnatic music, each raga resonates differently at different times of the day. Understanding and learning about ragas can take a lifetime. My grandfather used to be able to identify a raga just by listening to a few notes of the aalaap. While I failed to inherit that ability, I was fortunate enough to learn and identify my favourite ragas at the very least.
Being a Yaman Kalyani fan, I love how the raga soothes and calms my agitated spirits. Despite being an evening raga, I enjoy it first thing in the morning. Derived from Kalyani, the queen of ragas, Yaman Kalyani is nothing less than comprehensive. Sung with faith and devotion, this auspicious raga is a frequent attendee in weddings. Bombay Jayashri’s soulful rendition of Bhavayami Gopalabaalam and TM Krishna’s playful rendition of Krishna Nee Begane are my current favourite covers of the raga. It’s fascinating how the same raga sung by different artistes can sound so unlike. That’s the beauty of music, each person interprets it differently. So adaptable and unique, but still being cohesive in its entirety. If ragas had personalities, Yaman Kalyani would personify kindness and benevolence. Yamunai Aatrile from Maniratnam’s Dalapathy featuring the gorgeous Shobana happens to be based on the same raga as well.
A close second favourite raga would be Desh. Every time I listen to Desh, it paints an imagery of a tangerine, overcast sky with dark, rumbling clouds. It makes me want to burst into a song and prance about in green meadows wearing flowing chiffon clothes. I also remember this old Hindi film song composed in Desh and sung probably in the highest imaginable pitch by Lata Mangeshkar called Aji rooth kar ab kahan jaaiyega that I’d heard on an old record and admired for years. It is about a woman in love telling her man that he would find her wherever she went. I’d heard a friend humming this song a couple of days ago and haven’t been able to get it out of my head ever since. Desh also brings back fond memories of my childhood in Delhi when Vande Mataram used to be played every morning on the radio. It is a tune so fitting in Desh to be the personification of a country as diverse as India. And then of course AR Rahman came and changed the face of India to the world with his version of Vande Mataram. No complaints there. Sometimes, I do find it tough to recall the original tune of Vande Mataram set in Desh.
It would be total injustice to ignore the plethora of other wonderful ragas. Despite Yaman Kalyani and Desh being very close to my heart for several reasons, there are so many ragas that have played key roles in my life – from Nattai being the first raga I ever learnt to Sree ragam being the last raga I picked up during my music learning years. Looking back, there are several compositions that I would have loved to learn. Yet, setting aside regrets, I feel fortunate that I can appreciate the nuances and the intricacies of Carnatic music that manifests itself in the songs that I listen to these days. The knowledge, without any doubt, takes the joy of listening to music to a whole new level. And, needless to say, I love the experience.
*****
Encourage Live Concerts! by Bhairavi Vaidyanathan
Having lived in Chennai for over 20 years, I have always pondered over the reasons for the sudden laidback attitude of people with regard to fine arts. Chennai is flooded with sabhas (halls where fine art performances happen) that have a series of concerts lined up throughout the year. However, while the public attends concerts of established Carnatic musicians with great enthusiasm, they do not display similar zest for upcoming artistes. In recent times, we indeed have had youngsters excelling in different genres of music including classical music. It’s unfortunate that people’s mindset is such that audiences throng auditoriums when established singers perform while upcoming artistes of today sit in a practically empty auditorium and sing their hearts out to the walls and chairs. I think the reason for this attitude could be that these days everyone is bound by time and so, people prefer to sit at home and listen to concerts when they are aired on television or better still, see it online on YouTube, what with even the older generation now becoming increasingly tech savvy.
I earnestly feel that a live demonstration of music is more challenging and should be encouraged. Live performances are challenging in the sense that they call for more perfection in terms of rendition as there are no chances of retakes. It requires sincerity and dedication to perform in front of a crowd without any flaws. The art of learning Carnatic music and performing on stage is a challenging task and mastering the nuances of every song and raga is by no means a cakewalk. Talented singers, particularly those who are trying to get established in the field, no doubt, look forward to appreciation and criticism from rasikas. Any artiste would be prepared to listen to a little bit of criticism rather than sing to the tables and chairs. The reality is that people do not mind waiting in long queues, under the famed and scorching Chennai sun to buy a movie ticket, or even spend money to purchase a ticket in ‘black’. But when it comes to spending it on concerts, hesitation creeps in. I would urge everyone, particularly classical music lovers, to take the effort to go out and encourage budding performers when they perform in a live concert. The encouragement will take them places and the direct and immediate impact of a good live concert on our minds is definitely worth it. YouTube, in the meantime, can sure wait!
*****
Why I Love Carnatic Music by Jenani Srikanth
I was so glad when I noticed the topic for this month, ‘Musical musings’. I wanted to share my love for Carnatic music and how it became an integral part of my life.
In my family, it was a tradition to send kids to music classes to learn Carnatic music. As a child, I didn’t realise the value of music and hated going to the music class. In due course of time though, I picked up some lessons and started singing. I noticed that everybody appreciated my skill. I don’t know if I really sang that well or they just encouraged me because I was a kid. But I do know that I enjoyed the appreciation that I wanted more of it.
During my high school, I was put under Late Vairamangalam Sri Lakshmi Narayanan, who was a well-respected and a known personality in the Carnatic music circle. I was old enough to understand things and started to show some real interest and respect to this form of music.
Learning music, according to me, is never towards a set goal. The learning itself, is the reward. As the teacher guides you, and tries to bring out the best in you, your voice begins to open up, feebly at first and then strongly, resonating with the perfection of the master’s. And then he lets you go. You pick it up and surprise yourself with a good rendition. Ah, that joy.
Years later, Carnatic music continues to play an important role in my life. When I get bored or feel low, I listen to a rejuvenating raga. It gives me the energy to carry on with life and gently lifts my spirits. Let me explain how it is like. Picture this. You have a hard day at work, come back home tired after an hour’s travel. Your head is filled with blaring horns, blinking monitors and some random film song that was playing on your iPod. As you slump down on the sofa, you listen to a Carnatic song.
As you start to hear the deep, resonating sound emanating from the strings of a Tanpura (the instrument that is usually employed to give the supportive Sruthi for a musician), you are half refreshed. Then begins the song, Narahari Deva composed by Sri Bhadrachala Ramdass, in the raga Yamuna Kalyani. Flowing like a river, the raga takes you along with all its force, freshness and little gurgles. Just as the Pallavi ends, you can’t wait for more. The Anupallavi enthrals you even more. Slowly, the raga flows, out first gently as a stream, and then gets stronger and stronger. She waters fields, crosses mountains, breaks banks. Then you begin to see the little golden fish jumping up and down, the kingfisher waiting for the right moment to strike, the buffaloes lazing about taking a bath, the deer that have come down to have a drink. And finally you take the turn and get back to the first few lines. The song then ends with a simple yet pleasing note like a glass of cool water on a scorching hot summer day.
Haven’t you by now forgotten everything else in the world except the amazing beauty that music makes you see? That little something that comes out of musical notes, those random images that it paints and that lovely emotion that finds a place in your voice? Doesn’t it make you light? Believe me, it does. That which ushers this change in me, my friend, is the music I love. The music that bestows on me immense satisfaction every time I listen to it or practise it. Put simply, Carnatic music is an integral part of me. I say so because it fills me with a beautiful sense of peace – one that is pure and priceless.
*****
Ramya Shankar has completed her Masters in Computer & Information Sciences. She has undergone training in classical music and dance in her earlier years. An adventurous person by nature, she loves to try new food, work-out, bake and express her thoughts through her honest words. Always effervescent, she is sure to light up a room with her big smile.
Bhairavi Vaidyanathan completed her MBA in finance and pursued her career in Accenture as a financial analyst. After tying the knot, she is now settled in the U.S. and enjoys travelling and spending time with new found friends and acquaintances. A bubbly and cheerful person, her hobbies range from classical dancing to reading and appreciating various genres of music.
Jenani Srikanth is a classical singer and a homemaker residing in Nashville, U.S.
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