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WHAT RAAGA IS "MALLIGAI EN MANNAN MAYANGUM" ?
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N Y MURALI



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 920
Location: CHENNAI

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 7:43 pm    Post subject: WHAT RAAGA IS "MALLIGAI EN MANNAN MAYANGUM" ? Reply with quote

DEAR FRIENDS,

DISCUSSION HAS BEEN GOING EVER SINCE THIS SONG CAME IN TO EXISTANCE. SOME VERY RENOUNDED CARNATIC MUSICIANS HAVE MENTIONED WITH AMUSEMENT THAT THEY SOME HOW COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE RAAGA OF THIS SONG.

I WANT TO SHARE MY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF THE SONG.
FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THIS SONG HAS BEEN COMPOSED WITH NO RAAGA IDEA IN MIND BY MSV. IT HAS BEEN COMPOSED WITH THE TONES OF 6 CHORDS. THE NOTES OR THE SWARAMS OF THESE CHORDS HAVE BEEN USED TO LINK ONE TONE WITH ANOTHER TO PRODUCE THIS MASTER PIECE MELODY.

I SHALL TRY TO EXPLAIN. I AM ASSUMING THIS SONG IS TO BE PLAYED IN “C” SCALE IN WESTERN TERMS OR “SHRUTHI 1” IN CARNATIC TERM. LET US ANALYSIE THIS SONG.

THE PALLAVI HAS BEEN COMPOSED WITH THE NOTES OF 5 CHORDS
‘C MINOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘SA’ ‘GA1’, ‘PA’
‘F MAJOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘SA’ ‘MA2’, ‘DA2’
‘D SHARP MAJOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘GA1’ ‘PA, ‘NI1’
‘B MINOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘NI1’ ‘RI2’, ‘MA2’
‘G MINOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘PA’ ‘NI1’, ‘RI2’

NOW IF WE ANALISE THIS PALLAVI IN TERMS OF RAAGA THEN IT CONSISTS OF THE SWARAMS ‘SA’, ‘RI2’, ‘GA1’, ‘MA2’, ‘PA’, ‘DA2’, NI1’
IF WE MAKE OUT THE RAAGA THEN IT IS LIKE

THE AAROHANAM
‘SA’, ‘RI2’ ‘GA1’, ‘MA2’, ‘PA’, ‘DA2’, ‘NI1’
THE AWAROHANAM
‘SA’, ‘NI1’, ‘DA2’,‘PA’,‘MA2’,‘GA1,’‘RI2’

FROM THIS WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT THIS IS IN RAAGA KARAHARAPRIYA.
BUT HOLD ON. OUR ENTIRE CONCLUSION OF THIS PALLAVI IN KARAHARAPRIYA RAAGA GOES FOR A SIX WHEN THE CHARANAM COMES.

THE CHARANAM OF THIS SONG HAS BEEN COMPOSED IN TWO PARTS.

THE FIRST PART HAS BEEN COMPOSED WITH THE NOTES OF 5 CHORDS
‘C MAJOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘SA’ ‘GA2’, ‘PA’
‘F MAJOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘SA’ ‘MA2’, ‘DA2’
‘D SHARP MAJOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘GA1’ ‘PA, ‘NI1’
‘C MINOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘SA’ ‘GA1’, ‘PA’
‘G MINOR’ THE NOTES ARE ‘PA’ ‘NI1’, ‘RI2’

THE SECOND PART OF THE CHARANAM IS THE SAME TUNE AS THE PALLAVI . (COMPARE WHEN YOU HEAR THE TUNE OF THE LINE “EN KANNAN THUNJATHAN EN NENJAM MANJAM THAN” AND “MALLIGAI EN MANNAN”).

THE SWARAMS THAT COMES IN THE USAGE OF THE CHARANAM ARE ‘SA’, ‘RI2’, ‘GA1’, ‘GA2’, ‘MA2’, ‘PA’, ‘DA2’, ‘NI1’

NOW WHERE IS KARAHARAPRIYA? HOW CAN IT BE CALLED AS KARAHARAPRIYA WHEN THE MELODY COMES IN THE MIXTURE OF ‘GA2’. THE SWARAM ‘GA2’ IS FOREIGN TO KARAHARAPRIYA. SO WE CANNOT CALL THIS ENTIRE MELODY BY ANY RAAGA NAME.

WE COULD STILL ARGUE THAT IT CONTAINS ALL THE SWARAMS OF KARAHAPRIYA EXCEPT THAT OF ‘GA1’ SO IT IS ALMOST LIKE KARAHAPRIYA. IF THAT BE CASE YOU GIVE A LIST OF ABOUT 500 SONGS IN WESTREN MUSIC AND I SHALL TELL YOU THE NAMES OF THE RAAGAS WHICH WILL BE ALMOST SIMILAR.

WHAT MSV HAS DONE IS THAT HE HAS CLEVERLY USED A WESTERN CONCEPT CALLED CHORDS USE THE NOTATIONS OF THIS CHORD AND LINKED ONE WITH ANOTHER TO CREATE HIS MELODIES. THOUGH HE HAS USED A WESTERN CONCEPT BY HEARING THIS SONG THE SONG DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A WESTERN MUSIC. IT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE AN INDAIN MUSIC. IT IS ALWAYS INDIAN STYLE. AND MORE TO THAT IT EXPRESSED THE EMOTION OF A ‘SUMANGALI’ TO HER HUSBAND WHICH IS UNIQUE FOR INDIA. YOU ALL KNOW THAT INDIA IS APPRECIATED FOR THE STRONG FAMILY BONDAGE. SO THE SONG EXPRESSES ALL THESE EMOTIONS.

SO WHEN MSV USED THIS STYLE IT WAS LOOKED AS VERY UNIQUE STYLE. LIKE THIS HE HAS COMPOSED 1000 OF SONGS DURING 1960 TO TILL DATE.

BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE HAS NOT COMPOSED BASED ON RAAGA. I SHALL GIVE EXAMPLE OF 3 SONGS WHICH MSV HAS COMPOSED IN KARAHARAPRIYA ITSELF.


TAKE FOR EXAMPLE 3 OF MSV SONGS COMPOSED IN THE SAME RAAGA KARAHARAPRIYA.

‘MADHAVI PON MAYILAL’ IN ‘IRU MALARGAL’ IS THE CARNATIC CLASSICAL VERSION.

‘MAHARAJAN ULAGAI AALALAM’ IN ‘KARNAN’ IS ALSO IN THE SAME RAAGA BUT WITH MORE OF A HINDUSTANI STYLE.

‘I WILL SING FOR YOU, I WILL DANCE FOR YOU AATTAM ENNA SOLLUDI THOZHI NAAN AADIDUVEN KONJA NAZHI’ ( I HAVE FORGOTTEN THE MOVIE NAME) IS A FUSION MUSIC. THAT IS, IT COMBINES THE STYLE OF WESTERN AND CARNATIC. IF WE NOTICE THE LINE ‘I WILL SING FOR YOU’ AND ‘I WILL DANCE FOR YOU’ IT IS FOLLOWED BY GUITAR CHORDS TO INCREASE THE EFFFECT OF WESTERNNESS. THE NEXT LINE ‘AATTAM ENNA SOLLUDI’ IS THE CARNATIC STYLE. SO IT IS FUSION MUSIC.

NOW IF WE COMPARE THESE 3 SONGS WITH THE MELODY OF PALLAVI OF MALLIGAI EN MANNAN (BECAUSE AT LEAST THE PALLAVI SATISFIES THE RAAGA) AND SEE WHAT IMPRESSION WE GET. IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY THAT THESE THREE WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THE SONG ‘MALLIGAI EN MANNA MAYANGUM’. IF IS THE SAME THEN THE CARNATIC LEGENDS WHO WERE TRYING TO FIND THE RAAGA NAME OF THIS SONG WOULD HAVE TOLD US THAT ATLEAST IT IS MORE OR LIKE KARAHAPRIYA. BUT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH AS I MENTIONED EARLER THE PALLAVI SATISFIES THE KARAHAPRIYA NOTATION THE SHEAR USAGE OF THE NOTES AS A NOTATION OF THE CHRODS AND NOT AS A RAAGA MADE THEM THINK THAT IT IS NOT KARAHARAPRIYA.

FOR INSTANCE HOW DO WE EXPRESS RAAGA KARAHARAPRIYA
THE AAROHANAM
‘SA’, ‘RI2’ ‘GA1’, ‘MA2’, ‘PA’, ‘DA2’, ‘NI1’
THE AWAROHANAM
‘SA’, ‘NI1’, ‘DA2’,‘PA’,‘MA2’,‘GA1,’‘RI2’
SO THERE ARE 7 SWARAMS.

BUT THIS CAN ALSO EXPRESSED AS TH FOLLOWING CHORDS
C MINOR CHROD – SA, GA1, PA
B MINOR CHORD – RI2, MA2, NI1
F MAJOR CHORD – MA2, DA2, SA
HERE ALSO THERE ARE SAME 7 SWARAMS.

CARNATIC RAAGA BASED COMPOSERS WOULD LOOK AT THE SWARAMS AS KARAHARAPRIYA FOR COMPOSTION.

BUT MSV WOULD LOOK AT LOOK THESE CHRODS AS INDIVIDUAL TONES.
WITH THESE TONES YOU ADD ANOTHER TONE LIKE C MAJOR WHICH HAS ‘SA’ ‘GA2’ ‘PA’. IT HAS A TOTTALY DIFFERENT TONE. BY MIXING THE NOTES OF C MAJOR HE COULD PRODUCE DIFFERENT MELODY AND THERE BY THERE IS CONFUSIN ABOUT RAAGA.

THIS IS EXACTLY THE STYLE MSV ADOPTED DURING 1960S TO TILL DATE.

I ALREADY MENTIONED THAT MY HOBBY IS TO PLAY ALL MSV SONGS AND TRY TO FIND OUT HOW HAS STRUCTERED THE MELODIES. I MYSELF BEING A COMPOSER, I ALWAYS COMPOSE SONGS WITH THE RAAGA BASED CONCEPT. I MIX SOME ADDTIIONAL SWARAMS IN ORDER TO CREATE A MELODY SO THAT IT LOOKS LIKE MELLISAI. SO IT IS QUITE NATURAL FOR ME TO APPROACH THIS SONG IN THE SAME METHOD AND TRIED TO PLAY AS A RAAGA CONCEPT. BUT I COULD NOT FIND OUT THE EXACT SWARAMS EVEN AFTER TRYING FOR OVER 250 TIMES. BUT LATER ON WHEN I LEARNT THE CONCEPT OF CHORDS SUDDENLY THIS IDEA STRUCK ME. SO I TRIED TO FIND OUT FROM THE CHORDS BASED METHOD. WHAT A SURPRISE. IT ALL STATED FLOWING LIKE WATER FALLS. JUST IN COUPLE OF TRIALS I COULD PLAY THE WHOLE MELODY. IN THIS REGARD I ALSO WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT I NEVER LEARNT ANY PROPER CARNATIC MUSIC OR ANY OTHER USIC FOR THAT MATTER. EVEN HORMINIUM I LEARNT TO PLAY FROM A TEACHER ONLY FOR 2 MONTHS. EVEN NOW I CAN PROPABLY SHARE MORE INFO ABOUT HIS MELODIES. BUT I KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ‘THALAMS (RYTHMS) IS ABSOULTELY ZERO. I CANNOT EVEN WRITE NOTATIONS OF THE COMPOSTION WITH THE TIMING THAT IS ‘THALAM’. NOW ACTUALLY I WANTED TO LEARN THE ‘THALAM’ CONCEPT FROM ANY ONE YOU WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS. LIFE ITSELF IS ABOUT LEARING NEW THINGS.

SO I TRIED TO ADOPT THIS METHOD (CHORDS BASED MELODY) IN FUTURE COMPOSITIONS. BUT I COULD NOT GET A MELODIOUS TUNE. FOR THAT YOU NEED HIGH AMOUNT OF CREATIVITY.

THE FACT IS THAT THERE COULD BE HUNDREDS OF BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT COOKING. BUT YOU CANNOT COOK DELICIOUS FOOD BY READING THE BOOK ALONE. YOU NEED PRACTICE.

THE RAAGA BASED MELODIES ARE THE NORMALL METHOD ADOPTED BY SO MANY MDS BEFORE AND AFTER MSV.

BUT MSV THE ONLY MD WHO HAS ADOPTED THIS METHOD AND EXPLOTED THIS METHOD TO THE MAXIMUM LIMIT. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO MATCH FOR HIM.

WE ARE ALWAYS OBSESSED WITH THE CONCEPT OF RAAGA WHEN EVER WE TRY TO EXPRESS OUR MUSIC SENCE. THE RAAGA CONCEPT IS THE EXPRESSION OF OUR MUSIC CULTURE. BUT MSV THOUGH INTIALLY STARTED COMPOSING IN THIS METHOD EVALOVED HIMSELF TO THE WORLD MUSIC. YOU CAN NOTICE HE HAS COMPOSED MANY SONGS IN DIFFERENT WORLD MUSIC STYLES

RUSSIAN – KANN PONA POKKILE KAAL POGALAMA
LATIN - YAAR ANDHA NILAVU
WESTERN – (LOT OF SONGS) MALAR ENDRA MUGAM ONDRU SIRIKKATUM.
PERSIAN -NINATHEN VANDHAI,PAVALA KODIYILE MUTHUKKAL POOTHAL
EGYPTIAN – PATTATHU RANI
ARABIC – ALLAH ALLAH NI YILLADHA IDME ILLAI
JAPAN - BANSAYI KADAL PARAVAIGAL
GAZAL - VIDIYA VIDIYA SOLLI THARUVEN. (GAZAL THOUGH EXTENSIVELY USED IN INDIA IT EVALOVED BECAUSE OF THE MIXTURE OF PERSIAN AND HINDUSTANI MUSIC DURING MOGUL EMPIRE.


COMING BACK TO MALLIGAI EN MANNAN MAYANGUM,

THE OTHER IMPORATANT SUCCESS OF THIS SONG IS THE WAY IN WHICH SRMT VANI JAYARAM HAS SUNG. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SING THIS SONGS BECAUSE THERE ARE LOT OF SANGADHIS. BEING HER FIRST INDRODUCTION TO TFM SHE HAD RENDERED A BRILLANT PERFORMANCE. THE BEST WAY TO EXPRESS MY EMOTIONS TO HER WOULD BE TO OFFER A ‘SHASTANGA NAMASKARAM’.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE COMPOSER FOR CREATING THIS MASTER PIECE MELODY. KANNADASAN ONCE SAID IN A SONG ‘PIRINDHAVAR MEENDUM SERNDHIRUNDAL AZHUADAL KONJAM NIMMADHI’.
HOW CAN I EXPRESS MY EMOTION WHEN I FIRST SUCSSESSFULLY PLAYED THIS SONGS AND UNDERSTOOD THIS GENIOUS OF THIS COMPOSITON. I COULD ONLY CRY.

SEE YOU AGAIN

N Y MURALI
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sriramp



Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 68

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Murali,

Great writing and analysis on MSV, may be professor should take this entire posting as is in his new book . I don't know anything about music but your writing about chords and raaga is certainly an understandable perspective about MSV's genious.

We should also translate and read out this article to MSV. I am extremely glad that many new faces have made this forum even more exiting.

Thanks for giving me an oppurtunity to understand the work involved in MSV's songs. Please continue to post.

--Sriram
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Damodaran Pachaiappan



Joined: 21 Oct 2007
Posts: 119
Location: Ireland

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Mr.Murali,

I can remember the bustle this song created among music analysts of the day. Mr.Subbudu ( the critic ) once wrote in a weekly that he could never tell which raga this song was based upon. He heaped praise on Mellisai Maamannar for his creativity. I don't remember the exact words. He described this as the best film song that he had ever heard. He later changed his mind when our Legend produced Vaan Nila, Nila Alla and appreciated it greatly.

I always felt that there was "Non-Indian" ( or western ) hue or 'feel' to this song but I never dared to mention it before. But from what you describe, only Sangeetha Saraswathy MSV can come up with a composition that is beyond the grasp of other mortals. No wonder people are still trying to identify the 'raagam' of this song.

This is heart rending melody. Vani Jayaram has, of course, done justice to this song and she is never tired of speaking highly of our Master.

By the way, the song "I will song for you" is featured in the film 'Manitharul Manikam' in which Nadigar Thilagam plays a guest role.

Thanks for your wonderful analysis and keep it coming.

Regards
_________________
Dr.Damodaran Pachaiappan
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N Y MURALI



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 920
Location: CHENNAI

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAR Mr. SRIRAM

THANKS FOR YR REPLY. IN FACT I WANT TO WRITE A RESEARCH ABOUT MSV COMPOSING STYLE. BUT I DO NOT WANT TO RUSH. I NEED OPINION FROM THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT WETSREN MUSIC, CARNATIC AND OTEHRS. I THINK ONE Mr. CHAKRAVARTHY KNOWS THE WESTERN. OUR MODERATOR RAM ALSO GIVES LOT OF INPUTS ABOUT HIS WESTERN STYLE. IT WOULD BE PROPER ONLY AFTER DISC WITH OTHERS THEN WE CAN SHOW IT TO MSV. BY THE WAY WHAT IS THE BOOK? WHO IS COMPILING ? ACCHA ONE MORE INFO I NEED FROM WHERE IS RAJARAJAN PATHIPAGAM. CAN YOU PROVIDE THE TEL NO AND ADDRESS. I WANT TO BUY THE BOOK ABOUT MSV.

ALSO THANKS TO DR DAMODAR PACHIAPPAN FOR MENTIONING THE NAME OF THE MOVIE.

REG

N Y MURALI
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Damodaran Pachaiappan



Joined: 21 Oct 2007
Posts: 119
Location: Ireland

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Mr.Murali,

The address of Rajarajan Pathipagam is:

19 Kannadasan Salai
T.Nagar,
Chennai 600 017.

But I bought the Biography of MSV by Raani Maindan at Higginbothams on Mount Road during a one day trip to Madras. Excellent value at Rs.125/-

In fact as I was about to board the plane, I received a call from Landmark that they had the book too.

I hope this is helpful.

Regards
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Dr.Damodaran Pachaiappan
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sriramp



Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 68

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Murali,

I bought the Mellisai Mannargal five CD collection (saregama) from Lakshman Sruthi in Ashok Nagar more than an year back. I found many copies of the book on MSV on their upstairs book store.

Lakshman Sruthi Musicals
#72
2nd Avenue
Ashok Nagar
Chennai-600083
Phone: 044-24718080

There was one ravilsr who posted many articles on MSV raga analysis in this forum, I think you would find lot of info from him.
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s.r.sankaranarayanan



Joined: 29 Jan 2007
Posts: 80
Location: CHENNAI

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAR NY MURALI,

READ YOUR POSTS WITH ATTENTION.I AM REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE FOCUS WITH WHICH YOU HAVE SET OUT TO DISCERN MSV,S COMPOSITIONAL METHOD.IN FACT,LOT OF GUYS IN THE FORUM HAVE TRIED TO DISSECT THIS IN MULTIVARIOUS PERSPECTIVES AND AND THE MAGIC THEORY OF HIS EVERYTHING IS AS ELUSIVE AS THE UNIFIED FIELD THEORY OF COSMOLOGY.LOT OF QUESTIONS WILL REMAIN UNANSWERED IF ONE TRIES TO DEFINE HIM WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF CHORD PROGRESSIONS.BECAUSE IN WESTRN COMPOSITIONS,MELODIES ARE COMPOSED SIMPLY AS ASSEMBLAGES OF CHORDS AND THIS IS A GROUND RULE.THIS IS QUITE FUNDAMENTAL IN MELODY COMPOSITION IN WESTERN.MAY BE,IF YOU HAVE OBSERVED A METHOD IN HIS COMPOSIONS,IT WOULD BE A FINE PERSPECTIVE/OPENING (LIKE IN CHESS)FROM WHICH ONE CAN COMPREHEND THE ENTIRE POSSIBILITY AND RANGES.I AM ALSO INTENSELY CRAVING TO KNOW THE MIND OF THIS GENIUS,BUT EQUALLY I AM CONVINCED THAT IT IS NOT QUITE FATHOMABLE IN A WAY THAT IF YOU PULL ONE STRING AND EVERYHING FALLS IN ITS PLACE.A GOOD PERSPECTIVE TO START THE EXPLORATION.
BEST WISHES AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.

S.R.SANKARANARAYANAN[/b]
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N Y MURALI



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 920
Location: CHENNAI

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAR SRIRAM & DR DP
THANKS FOR THE INFO ABOUT THE BOOK.

DEAR Mr. S R SHANKARANARAYANAN

I AGRRE WITH YOU. THE MORE WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE GENIOUS OF MSV WE GET NEWER THINGS. AS I FAR AS I KNOW HE SEEMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED 3 DISTINCT STYLE IN HIS CAREER. FROM 1952 UPTO 1960 I THINK HE ADOPTED A STYLE WHICH WAS COMMON. HE GAVE US MANY BRILLIANT SONGS LIKE 'SENTHAMIZH THENMOZHIYAAL'. THEN COMES A SUDDEN CHANGE FROM PALUM PAZHAMUM AND MOST OF THE SONGS IN THE 'PA' SERIES HE SCALED EVEN GRETER EXTENT IN THIS STYLE. THEN AGAIN FROM 1970S HE AGAIN ADDED ONE MORE CONCEPT OF PURE RAAGA BASED MELODIES BUT WITH HIS NEW ORCHESTRATION. EXAMPLE IS THE SONGS 'KADAL KADLA ENDRU PESA' FROM UTHARAVINDRI ULLE VAA' IS BASED PURELY ON A RAAGA CALLED 'MADUVANTHI' AND HE USED THE SAME RAAGA FOR 'HELLO MY DEAR WRONG NUMBER' IN 'MANMADHA LEELAI' , AND 'AMMANAI AZHAGU MIGUM KANAMANAI' IN THE MOVIE 'AVAN ORU SARITHIRAM'. HE ALSO USED A VERY RARE RAAGA UN TFM CALLED 'KUNDALAVARALI' IN THE SONG 'RAJA VADA SINGA KUTTI RANI VADI THANGA KATTI' IN 'THISAI MARIYA PARAVAIGAL.

I AM NOT WELL VERSED IN WESTERN MUSIC AND HENCE NOT ABLE TO ADD MORE INFO WHEN I MENTIONED MY POSTING ABOUT HIS COMPOSITION. MAY SOME FREINDS IN THE SITE CAN HELP AND WE CAN REFINE THE WHOLE CONCEPT SO THAT IT COULD BE USED FOR FUTURE GENERATION TO USE IN THEIR COMPOSING. THE STYLE WHICH I MENTIONED THOUGH WAS A WESTERN CONCEPT USED BY HIM THE END PRODUCT WHICH HE DELIVERED WAS INDIAN STYLE MELODY. THAT SHOULD BE THE REASON THAT HIS SONGS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING EVER GREEN.

THANKS

N Y MURALI
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Vatsan



Joined: 20 Jan 2007
Posts: 352

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 6:31 pm    Post subject: Resp Reply with quote

NY Murali, good post. But I do differ with respect to certain observations of yours. Going by my gut instincts, what drives a typical MSV tune would be a mix of absence of shackles, absence of rules, being instinctive, being aesthetics driven etc. Being very instinctive, he may have allowed a chord idea to flow in at times or simply introduced a minor note in an otherwise 'major' flow, we do not know. He may have not have thought of the chord first all the time. The example I thought of just now was the prelude of 'engirunthO AsaigaL'....the accordian, violin dialogue and a sudden plunge into the 'minor' territory before the "double" sitar offers the prompt for the pallavi. I feel that MSV introduced this deviation in the prelude piece to simply experiment with unchartered territories at the same time maintaining the tastefulness. I believe that in this case, the chord was not the driving force. To sum it all up, it could be a mix of everything, using a note that he felt was appropriate or following a chord he thought would add another dimension to the song. He renders himself open to all ideas while composing.

Your observations are all very original and interesting , especially with respect to a conspicuous change in style in the 70s where I thought his melodies became more sangathi heavy and gamaks heavy (this is not a bashing by the way) but still continued to retain the ability to flow into the unexpected. Even the very famous 'kamban EmAnthAn' (1978) has this very palpable dip into the unexpected in the charanams in the melody negotiating line at 'arunjuvai pAl' ....a sangathi heavy number. Here , I believe too, the deviation is melody driven and not chord driven.
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N Y MURALI



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 920
Location: CHENNAI

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAR Mr. VATSAN
THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS. BUT I STILL BELIEVE HE MUST BE HAVING A METHOD TO PRODUCE A MELODY. IT CANNOT FLOW FROM NOWHERE. BUT I ALSO WISH TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH HE COMPOSED SONGS IN THIS STYLE FROM 60S STILL HE RETAINED THE STYLE HE ADOPTED BEFORE 60S AND STILLE CAME UP WITH ONE MORE STYLE DURING 70S THE DETAILS OF WHICH I HAVE PROVIDED IN MY REPLY TO Mr. S R SANKARANANARAYANAN. SO HE HAS USED ALL THESE METHOD DEPENDING ON SITUATIONS. FOR INSTANCE HE COULD NOT HAVE USED THE CHORD BASED MELODIES FOR A SITUATION LIKE 'MADAVI PON MAYILAL '. BUT STILL I RESERVE MY OBSERVATION AND THE BEST POSSIBLE THIING FOR US IS TO MEET LIKEMINDED PEOPLE IN THIS SITE WHO WANTS TO KNOW AND ANALYSIE HIS COMPOSING STLYE. WHY NOT WE ALL MEET AT SOME POINT OF TIME AND SIT LEISURELY AND DISCUSS IN PERSON. IF ANY OTEHR PEOPLE WHOM SEE THIS CAN JOIN. I CAN BRING MY KEYBOARD AND SHARE MY INFOR WITH OTHERS. MY CELL NO IS 98409 08843. IF YOU ARE INTERSTED PL CALL. WE CAN ALL DISCUSS AND COME TO SOME CONCLUSION AFTER THROUGH ANALYSING. MAY BE Mr. RAMKI AND Mr. VAIDY CAN ARRANGE THE MEETING.

REG YOU SONG 'ENGIRUNDHO ASAIGAL' AND 'KAMBAN EMANDHAN' I WANT TO STUDY AND COME BACK TO YOU

REGARDS

N Y MURALI
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tvvraghavan



Joined: 15 Dec 2006
Posts: 175

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Mr.Murali,
What a Candid delineation of this great song. As always said,his composing style always remains a mystery and would always remain a topic of discussion and debate. Am sure this would continue for all generations to come.

Well, one of his composing styles is the manner in which he surfaces and connects charanam back to the pallavi as found in this song. He would typically use a pattern or tune that would be brought at the end of the charanam to connect it to the pallavi. Another fascinating facet of his compositions are the interludes and preludes that actually blend so well with the song.

Brilliant post again.

When talking about "Dharmavathi", I believe the Master must have got so fond of this raga during the 70s and especially while doing the movie "Uthravindri Ulley Vaa". Even the title song "Utharavindri Ulley Vaa" which is a beautiful western and light music fusion has a pure classical "bit" as one of the charanams rendered by TMS for Nagesh which I believe is based on the raaga "Dharmavathi". The most beautiful aspect of the song is the way in which the pure classical charanam would retrace and fuse back to the pallavi in a totally different style. Mr. TMS would have done a tremendous job in showing the difference.

As mentioned before , the song "Kadhal Kadhal Endru Pesa" is also composed on the same raaga which is another example of master's boundless creativity and value for aesthetics.

Thanks for the oppurtunity.

MSV Rules !!!
Venkat
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N Y MURALI



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 920
Location: CHENNAI

PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAR Mr. VENKAT,

THANKS. THE SONG 'UTHARAVIDRI ULLE VAA' IS A VERY UNIQUE SONG IN TERMS OF RAAGA ANALYSIS. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER MSV HAD USED HIS COMP STYLE ON RAAGA BASED. THE BEAUTY OF THIS SONG IS THAT THE PALLAVI IS IN RAAGA 'SIVARANCHANI'. ANOTHER GREAT INFO ABOUT THIS RAAGA IS THAT SIVARANCHANI WAS ALWAYS USED ONLY FOR SORROW SITUATIONS. BUT OUR MASTER HAS BROKEN THAT MYTH AND HE COMPOSED IT FOR JOLLY SITUATION.

THE GENERAL NOTES THAT COME IN TO SIVARANCHANI ARE 'SA', RI2', 'GA1', 'PA', 'DA2', 'SA,.

THE GENERAL TRADITION IN CINE MUSIC IS TO MIX 'GA2' WITH SIVARANCHANI AND PRODUCE VARIATION. EXAMPLE 'TERE MERE BEECHU ME' HINDI SONG IN 'EK TUJE KE LIYE'

COMING BACK TO OUR SONG WHILE YOU FINISHED HEARING THE PALLAVI AND COMES TO A CONCLUSION OF THE RAAGA A SURPRISE IS AWATING IN THE 1ST CHARANAM SUNG BY LRE. THE MASTER MIXES 'NI1' AND NOT 'GA2' AS TRADITIONALY PRODUCED. SO THE FIRST CHARANAM IS OVER.

THE PALLVAI AND THE FIRST CHARANAM ARE ALL IN WESTERN STYLE.

THEN COMES THE TMS (NAGESH) PART WHICH IS PURE SIVARANCHANI. THERE IS NO MIX OF ANY NEW FORIEGN SWARAM. WHY? THE REASON COULD BE THAT IT IS RENDERED IN PURE CARNATIC STYLE. THUS GOES THE 2ND CHARANAM. THE BEST PART OF THIS SONG IS WHEN TMS CONNECTS THE CHARANAM TO THE PALLAVI. BOTH OF ARE IN SAME SIVARANCHANI RAAGA. BUT THE WAY IN WHICH HE CONNECTS IS ENCHANTING. FROM THE CARNATIC STYLE WITH LITTLE EASE HE GOES TO THE WESTERN STYLE. THIS IS MASTER PIECE OF COMPOSING AND SINGING. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HEAR TMS GIVING PRESSURE OF HIS VOICE WHEN HE SPELLS THE STARTING OF THE PALLVI AS 'UTHARAVINDRI ULLE VVVAA
YOU CAN SENSE THE STYLE CHANGE.

IN THE 3RD CHARANAM RENDERED BY SPB AND LRE THERE STILL MORE SURPRISE. AGAIN HE GOES BACK TO THE WESTERN STYLE. THIS TIME HE MIXES THE SWARAM 'NI1' WHICH HAS USED IN CHARANAM 1 BUT ALSO MIXES 'MA1' WHICH GIVES A TOTALLY DIFFERENT COLOUR.

SO IN THIS SENSE IT ITS AS SUPERB SONG. THERE IS NO EQUAL REFERENCE IN ANY OTHER SONGS FOR THE ASPECT I MENTIONED ABOVE.

ACTUALLY I WANTED TO WRITE A NEW TOPIC FOR THIS SONG. BUT ONCE I SAW YOUR REPLY ABOUT THIS SONG THEN I COULD NOT RESIST MYSELF

THANKS

N Y MURALI
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VaidyMSV & Sriram Lax



Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 852
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dear murali

We love your posts as much we love MAster's music .
great write ups.

dear dr DP

subbudu wanted the raga of Malligai en mannan Mayangum is to be named after the master and to be named VISHWANTHAPRIYA .he also identified the blend of 2 raagas , which was masterly done
that article in idayam pesugirathu had many good things about the genius
thanks
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vijayakrishnan
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tvvraghavan



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PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
THEN COMES THE TMS (NAGESH) PART WHICH IS PURE SIVARANCHANI


Dear Mr.Murali
Thanks for clarifying. I got mislead by the first line that ends as "Bhoomiyil Maanida Jenmam Eduthathu Kaathali Unai Kaana.." that sounded like "Dharmavathi.." to me Surprised.

After I read your post, "Sivaranjani" was pretty much evident in the opening prelude violins that embellish the song.

MSV Rules !!!
Venkat
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N Y MURALI



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 920
Location: CHENNAI

PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DEAR FRIENDS,

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS. I HAD POSTED ARTICLES ABOUT ‘MSV’S COMPOSING STYLE’ PART 1 TO PART 4 IN THE SECTION COMPOSING STYLE OF MSV. I MENTIONED AT THE END OF PART 4 THAT I WOULD CONITUNE MY NEXT AND CONCLUDIG PART 5. BUT I DELIBERATELY DELAYED BECAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE THE OPINION OF OTHER MSV FANS. NOW HAVING GOT SEOME FEED BACK I THOUGHT I WOULD POST MY CONCLUDING PART 5 IN THIS SECTION ONLY SINCE IT CAN ANSER SOME QUERIES POSED WITH RESPECT TO THAT SONG.

I HAVE RAISED A QUESTION ABOUT MSV'S COMPOSING STYLE. SO IT IS ALSO MY RESPOSIBILITY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE ATLEAST. I DO AGREE THAT A GENE LIKE MSV CANNOT BE COMPRESSED IN A BOTTLE WITH A LABEL CALLED TRADITION. IF HE IS NOT TO BE LABELLED CARNATIC(TRADITION) THEN WHAT I FEEL IS THAT IF HE HAS USED A WESTERN CONCEPT CALLED CHORDS AS THE PRESET MELODIES TO INSPIRE HIM TO CREATE TUNES THEN IS HE AGAIN COMPRESSED IN ANOTHER BOTTLE LABELLED WESTERN?. NO I FEEL.BECAUSE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. THOUGH HE USED THE PRE SET TONE OF THE CHORDS WHICH IS A WESTERN CONCEPT YET IF YOU NOTICE THE END PRODUCT IS COMPLETE INDIAN. SO I STILL BELIEVE THAT HE MUST HAVE A MEHTOD OR METHODS TO COMPOSE.

IF BREAKING THE TRADITIONAL RULES IS A METHOD THEN THE TRADITION OF BREAKING ITSELF COULD BE A METHOD. FOR EXAMPLE THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY WHO BY VIRTUE OF THEIR ACTION BREAK THE LAW OF THE LAND. THAT IS THEIR TRADITION. BUT EVEN AMONG THEMSELVES THEY HAVE A RULE OF LAW AND THEY FOLLOW THOSE IN MUCH MORE STRINGENT WAY THAN THE OTHER SIDE. MSV HIMSELF IN A WAY STOLEN OUR HEART BY WAY OF MUSIC.

I ALWAYS BELIEVED AND SAID MSV IS AN ‘AVADARAM’ OF A ‘KANDHARVAN’ WHO IS ONE SECT OF DEVAS. THEIR JOB IS TO PLAY MUSIC AND DANCE. IF HE IS TO BE LIKE THAT THEN WE ALSO CONSIDER GOD LIKE RAM TO BE AN ‘AVATAR’ OF SRI VISHNU. AND AS PER OUR HINDU TRADITION GODS ARE MORE POWERFUL AND RESOURCE ORIENTED THAN THE DEVAS WHO ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN HUMANS. WHEN WE SEE RAAMANAYANA WE FIND ENOUGH EVIDENCE THAT EVEN GOD HIMSELF FOLLOW THE RULES STRICTLY. THAT IS WHY WE SEE RAAMA LIKE A MAN CRYING WHEN HE LOST HIS FATHER, OR MISSES SEETHA IN THE FOREST. HE GETS ANGRY WITH SAMUDRARAJA WHEN HE REFUSES TO GIVE WAY TO GO TO LANKA. SO IT SHOWS THEY THEMSELVES FOLLOW AND BEHAVE LIKE HUMANS.

SO EVEN WHEN MSV IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS THE ‘AVATAAR; BUT STILL HE HAS TO FOLLOW THE COSMIC RULES. THERE IS NO ESCAPE.


BUT I AM IN NO WAY TRYING TO CONVEY THAT THIS IS THE ONLY METHOD. THIS COULD ALSO BE ONE OF THE METHODS ADOPTED BY HIM ESPECIALLY AFTER 1960S. BUT HE MUST HAVE A METHOD. EVEN THE GREATEST CREATION CALLED UNIVERSE IS WORKING ON A METHOD. THE PROBLEM IS WE ARE STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT.

AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND HE SEEMS TO HAVE DEVLOPED 3 TYPES OF MELODY COMPOSITION. THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1952 TO 1960 IS ONE METHOD WHERE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MELODIES WERE REGULAR PATTERN PREVAILING THEN.

BUT HE SEEMS TO HAVE CHANGED SUDDENLY TO THIS NEW MEHTOD I HAVE EXPLAINED WHICH IS TO LOOK MELLISAI FROM A WETERN CONCEPT OF BUILDING MELODY NOTES FROM THE CHORDS ITSELF. SINCE HE IS FREE TO SELECT ANY CHORDS FOR A PARTICULAR SONG THEN THE TOTAL MELODY ITSELF GOES AWAY FROM THE CONCEPT OF RAAGA.
PLEASE SEE HIS PALLAVI OF THE SONG ‘ANBE VAA’ IN THE MOVIE ‘ANBA VAA’

THE FIRST LINE ‘ANBE VAA’ IS FROM C MAJOR (ON C SCALE)– SA-GA2-PA
THE SECOND LINE ‘ANBE VAA’ IS FROM D SHARP MAJOR – RI1-MA2-DA1
THE THIRD LINE ‘VAA’ IS FROM E SHARP MAJOR – GA1-PA-NI1
THE FOURTH LINE ‘VAA’ IS FROM C MINOR– SA1 (HIGR SC) -GA1- PA

HE HAS TAKEN ONLY ‘NI1’ AND ‘SA’ HIGER SCALE AS THE WORD PERMITS ONLY ONE SWARA KAALAM. THAT IS TO ADJUST THE METER TO THE MATTER AS HE SAYS NORMALLY.

OF COURSE THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE I AM SAYING. BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE ENTRIE SONG IS NETTED WITH THE SWARAMS OF VARIOUS TRIO CHORDS. IN FACT AFTER PALLAVI THE CHARANAM GOES THROUGH THE NOTES OF SINDU BAIRAVI RAAGA FOR SOME TIME. BUT EVEN WITHIN THAT HE SEEMS HAVE TO TAKEN THE RELATIVE CHORDS SWARAMS OF THE RAAGA SINDHU BAIRAVI AND CONNECTED. IF YOU PLAY THE SONGS YOU WOULD NOTICE THIS.

SO EVEN THOUGH HE DEVLOPES THE MELODY FROM THE TONE OF VARIOUS CHORDS INSTEAD OF RAAGA SWARAMS IT MAY SEEM TO US THAT HE HAS MIXED 2 RAAGAS TOGETHER. IN THE CASE OF "MALLIGAI EN MANNAN" SONG HE HAS ADDED ONLY ONE SWARAM FROM THE RAAGA KARAHAPRIYA. YET WE COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE RAAGA

I HAVE SEEN MDS USING MORE THAN ONE SWARAM FROM THE ORIGINAL RAAGA AND YET THEY COULD NOT HIDE THE FLAVOUR OF THE RAAGA. FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU SEE ILLAYARAJA’S SONG ‘POONGATRU PUTHIRANADU’ IN THE MOVIE ‘MOONDRAM PERAI’ HE HAS COMPOSED THE SONG IN THE RAAGA ‘SINDHU BAIRAVI’ AND MIXED ‘MA1’ AND ‘GA2’ DURING THE CHARANAM. (PLEASE NOTE THAT HIS MIXING IS ONLY IN CHARANAM AND NOT PALLAVI SAME AS ‘MALLIGAI EN MANNAN MAYANGUM’.) YET IF YOU HEAR THE SONG EVEN BEFORE THE PALLAVI IS OVER WE CAN IDENTIFY THE RAAGA AS SINDHU BAIRAVI UNLIKE ‘MALLIGAI EN MANNAN MAYANGUM’. AND IF YOU HEAR CHARANAM YOU CAN STILL IDENTIFY THAT STILL IT IS IN SINDHU BAIRAVI AND YOU CAN ALSO FEEL THE DEVIATION OF THE TWO SHARP NOTES WHICH ILLAYARAJA MIXED IN THE CHARANAM. LIKE THIS THERE ARE 1000 OF HIS SONG I HAVE PLAYED. I AM A MSV FAN NOT BECAUSE I HEAR HIS SONGS BUT BECAUSE I PLAY HIS SONGS. THIS I HAD BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS WHEN I STARTED COMPOSING MYSELF.

WHY ILLAYARAJA SONG? TAKE FOR EXAMPLE MSV SONG ITESELF. THE SONG ‘MAALAI POZHUDIN MAYAKKATHILE’ IN THE MOVIE ‘BAGHYALAKSHMI’ HAS BEEN COMPOSED IN THE RAAGA ‘CHANDRAGOUNS’ A HINDUSTANI RAAGA. THE SWARAMS THAT COME IN THAT RAAGA ARE ‘SA’, ‘GA1’, ‘MA2’, ‘DA’ ‘NI1’ ‘NI2’ AND ‘SA’. IT WILL BE ALMOST SIMILAR TO THE RAAGA ‘HINDOOLAM’ EXCEPT FOR THE ADDITIONAL SWARAM ‘NI2’ AND THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO EMPHASISE THE SWARAM ‘NI2’ IN THE BEGINNING OF THE COMPOSTION OR OTHER WISE WE WOULD GET CONFUSED WITH RAAGA HINDOLAM.

HERE IN THIS SONG WE ALL CAN SENSE THE RAAGA FLAVOUR IN THE ENTIRE SONG. BUT STILL HE HAS MIXED TWO SWARAMS ‘RI2’ AND ‘PA’ WHICH ARE FORIEGN SWARAMS TO THAT RAAGA ‘CHANDRAGOUNS’. THE SWARAMS THAT ‘RI2’ CAN BE SENSED DURING THE ANU PALLAVI WHEN IT STARTS ‘INBAM SILA NAAL THUNBAM SILA NAAL’. THE MIXING OF ‘RI2’ AND ‘PA’ CAN BE SENSED DURING THE LINE IN CHARANAM ‘VAZHI MARANTHENO, VANDHAVAR NENJIL SAINTHUVITTEN THOZHI’.

BUT EVEN AFTER MIXING OF THESE 2 SWARAMS TO THE ORIGINAL RAAGA ‘CHADRAGOUNS’ STILL WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE RAAGA AS ‘CHANDRAGOUNS’ WITH SOME SWARAMS MIXING. THE REASON IS THAT IT HAS BEEN COMPOSED IN THE NORMAL STYLE UNLIKE WHAT I HAVE MENTIONED ABOUT ‘MALLIGAI EN MANNAN’.

IN FACT WE CAN GET A CLEAR PICTURE OF RAAGA ‘CHANDRAGOUNS’ IN ILLAYARAJA SONG ‘AZHAGUMALAR AADA’ IN THE MOVIE ‘VAIDEHI KAATHIRUNDHAL’. IF YOU NOTICE ILLAYARAJA ALREADY INFORMED THAT HE WAS VERY MUCH IMPRESSED ABOUT THE SONG ‘MALAI POZHUDHIN’. BUT HE NEVER TOLD THAT HE WAS NOT ONLY IMPRESSED BUT ALSO GOT INSPIRED SO THAT HE HAS SET THIS RAAGA FOR THE SONG ‘AZHAGU MALARADA’. YOU WOULD ALSO NOTICE THAT THE SITUATION IS ALMOST THE SAME IN BOTH THE MOVIES. IT IS ABOUT A WIDOW SHOWING HER EMOTIONS OF HAVING LOST MARRITAL LIFE.

NOW COMING BACK TO THE ORGINAL SUBJECT ABOUT MSV COMPOSING STYLE THAT IS THE CHORDS NOTATION BASED MELODIES, THOUGH I HAVE NOTICED MANY SONGS COMPOSED IN THIS STYLE, I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW HOW COULD HE HAVE LEARNT THAT ART. I THOUGHT I GOT SOME REASONABLE ANSWER TO THAT QUERY. THOUGH I AM PLAYING KEYBOARD NOWADAYS EVER SINCE I STARTED COMPOSING DURING 1985 I WAS COMPOSING ONLY WITH HORMONIUM AND I HAD BEEN PLAYING ALL MSV SONGS IN HARMONIUM ONLY UPTO 2006. INITIALLY WHEN I USED TO PLAY THE SONG I USED TO STRUGGLE TO FIND OUT THE CORRECT NOTES OF MSV’S SONGS. WHEREAS ALL OTHERS SONGS I WOULD PLAY WITH EASE ONCE I FIND THE RAAGA OF THAT SONG.

SOMEHOW THE WAY I PLAYED MSV SONGS WAS ALSO NOT PLEASING BECAUSE OF THE WRONG NOTATIONS. I WAS STAYING IN AYANAVARAM THAT TIME. ONE DAY I WAS RETURNING BACK FROM MY OFFICE. I HEARD SOMEBODY PLAYING HARMONIUM THE SONG ‘AALAYAMANIYIN OOSAIYILE’ AND IT WAS VERY PLEASING TO HEAR. SINCE I COULD NOT RESISIT MY TEMPTATION I WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE AND SAW GENTLE MAN IN HIS FIFTIES PLAYING THE SONG. I INTRODUCED MYSELF AND ASKED HIM WHETHER HE COULD TEACH ME SOME NAUNCES OF PLAYING THE STYLE HE WAS ADOPTING. HE INDRODUCED HIMSELF AS THIYAGARAJAN AND THAT HE WAS WORING WITH MSV AS AN ASSITANT. BUT HE CONVEYED HIS INABILITY TO TEACH SINCE HE IS NOT A MUSIC TEACHER. BUT HE APPRECIATED MY INTEREST AND SAID I AM FREE TO COME TO HIS HOUSE AND WHENEVER TIME PERMITS HE WOULD PASS ON TIPS ABOUT PLAYING THE HARMONIUM. THE NEXT ONE YEAR I WAS IN AYANAVARAM. I WOULD HAVE MET HIM 10 TIMES AND IT WAS THEN HE TOLD ME ABOUT CHORDS. TO HOLD 3 FINGERS TOGETHER WHEN EVER WE PLAY HORMONIUM. I ASKED HIM WHY 3 FINGERS? HE SAID THEY ARE CALLED CHORDS. I ASKED HIM WHY SHOULD WE PLAY CHRODS ALONG WITH LEAD NOTES HE SAID ONLY WHEN YOU PLAY THE LEAD NOTES ALONG WITH CHORDS THEN IT PRODUCES THE SOUND OF THE RELATED NOTES WHICH ARE IN HARMONY TO THE ORIGINAL NOTE AND IT WILL BE PLESANT FOR HEARING.

I ASKED HIM IN ONE OF THE MEETINGS WHETHER MSV HIMSELF PLAYS THE HARMONIUM LIKE THIS. HE SAID YES. HE ALSO SAID ANYBODY WHO DOES NOT PLAY CARNATIC MUSIC IN THE HARMONIUM WOULD PLAY LIKE THIS. IN CARNATIC YOU SHOULD NOT PLAY WITH 3 FINGERS BECAUSE IN CARNATIC APART FROM THE RAAGA THE SWARA SUDDAM (THAT MEANS CLARITY) IS MOST IMPORTANT. AND HARMONIUM BEING A WESTERN INSTRUMENT (GERMEN) THERE WERE VERY RARE HARMONIUM CARNATIC MUSICIANS. IN FACT I THINK IN THE ALL INDIA RADIO STATION THEY DO NOT ALLOW HARMONIUM FOR CARNATIC.

THEN IT TOOK ALMOST 2 YEARS FOR ME TO COME TO A REASONABLE LEVEL FOR PLAYING MSV SONGS IN THE HARMONIUM. THEN ONWARDS THE HOBBY OF PLAYING HIS SONGS WITH CHORDS GOES ON TILL TODAY.

ONCE I WAS TRYING TO PLAY THE SONG ‘ANBE VAA’ SONG IT WAS THEN I COULD FIND OUT THIS METHOD OF COMPOSING SONGS FROM THE NOTES OF THE CHORDS ITSELF.

I STILL HAD DOUBT WHETHER MSV PLAYS THE THE HARMONIUM IN THE SAME WAY AS TAUGHT BY THIYAGARAJAN.

MY DOUBTS WERE CLEARED AT THAT TIME WHEN I READ AN INERVIEW OF MSV IN ONE OF THE WEEKLY MAGAZINE. HE STATED THAT BEFORE HE BECAME MD HE WAS PLAYING THE HARMONIUM FOR A DRAMA COMPANY. NOW THE INFORMATION TOLD ABOUT PLAYING STYLE OF HARMONIUM IN LIGHT MUSIC STYLE STRUCK ME. YOU KNOW MSV NEVER MENTIONED THE WORD AS HARMONIUM. HE ALWAYS CALLS IT AS ‘POTTI’. IF YOU NOTICE EVEN TODAY IN VILLAGES THERE ARE ‘FOLK PLAYS’. YOU WOULD NOTICE THEY WOULD CALL THE HARMONIUM AS ‘POTTI’ ONLY. THE OTHER AMAZING THING IS THAT I ONCE SAW A VILLAGE FOLK DRAMA IN TV. THE MAN WHO PLAYED THE ‘POTTI’ WAS HOLDING 3 FINGERS WHENEVER HE WAS PLAYING.

I WILL TELL YOU ONE MORE INTERESTING STORY. ACTUALLY IN MY BUSINESS I HAVE A VEHICLE CONTRACTOR. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE KNEW MY INTEREST IN MUSIC. HE ONCE TOLD ME THAT HIS FATHER CAN PLAY HARMONIUM. SO I TOLD HIM TO BRING HIS FATHER ONCE TO MY OFFICE. HIS FATHER CAME ONE DAY. I ASKED HIM WHERE THE HARMONIUM IS. HE TOLD ME ‘POTTI VANDILE IRRUKKU SIR'

HE WAS KEEPING 3 FINGERS TOGETHER ON THE KEYS. I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS NATIVE PLACE IS. HE SAID IT IS A VILLAGE 15 KMS FROM CHENGALPATTU TOWARDS MAHABALIPURAM. I ASKED HIM WHETHER HE HAS GIVEN ANY PROGRAMME. HE SAID ‘ENNA SIR NAMAKKU AVVLAVA THERIYAADU. EDOO GRAAMATHILE KOILE ILLA THERUKOOTHUKKU VASIPPEN’.

THEN MY INTEREST WENT FURTHER. I ASKED HIM DID HE EVER LEARNT PROPER HARMONIUM FROM ANYBODY. HE SAID ‘ILLE SIR. EDHOO NAANAA PATTU KETTU KETTU VASICHHU VASICHHU PAZHAGUVEN’. NOW I ASKED HIM WHY HE WAS HOLDING HIS THREE FINGER ON THE KEYS.
HE SAID ‘ADHELLEM THERIYADU SIR, IPPADITHAN ENGA GRAAMATHILE VASIPPANGA’.

WHERE ARE WE? THE HARMONIUM IS FROM GERMAN. THE MAN IS IN A VILLAGE NEAR CHENGALPET. HE WAS PLAYING CHORDS ALONG WITH THE NOTES! HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. IT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE OF CARNATIC MUSIC INFULENCE WHERE SWARA SUDDHAM’ IS IMPORTANT. MY STRONG OPINION IS THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN LEARNT FROM THE BRITISHERS WHO WERE HER FOR 300 YEARS AND THE MOMENT THEY CAME, CAME THE CHURCH AND THEIR SONGS, THEIR INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR TROOPS.

SO IF A MAN FROM A VILLAGE CAN PLAY THE POTTI WITH CHORDS EVEN WITHOUT KNOWING THAT HE IS PLAYING THE NOTES WITH CHORDS THEN WHAT ABOUT MSV WHO DAY IN DAY OUT PLAYING THE POTTI FOR THE DRAMA AND CINE MUSIC. HE MUST HAVE LEARNT THE NAUNCES OF WESTERN AS WELL AS OTHER MUSIC DURING THAT TIME.

DOES MSV PLAY HIS POTTI WITH THE CHORDS? I WAS NOT VERY SURE. BUT MSVTIMES CLEARED THAT DOUBT. THERE IS A RARE VIDEO SECTION OF MSV. IN ONE THE VIDEO SECTIONS YOU WILL SEE MSV COMPOSING A SONG WITH VAALI. NOW IF YOU CLOSELY LOOK WHAT MSV DOES YOU WILL NOTICE MSV HOLDING HIS 4 FINGERS ON 4 NOTES ON THE POTTI? HE IS ALTUALLY PLAYING A CHORD. THE OTHER INFORMATION IS HE ALWAYS COMPOSES HIS SONGS WITH THE POTTI ONLY.

SO I BELIEVE HE COULD HAVE DEVELOPED A CONSIOUSNESS ABOUT THIS CONCEPT BY THIS WAY.

BUT I WANT TO EMPHASISE HERE ONE POINT. I HAVE REPEATED AGAIN AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE METHODS HE HAS ADOPTED DURING AND AFTER 1960S. EXACTLY FROM WHEN? I DO NOT KNOW. PROBABILY IT COULD HAVE BEEN FROM MOVIE ‘PUDAIYAL’. BECAUSE MR. VATSAN TOLD ME THAT 'PUDAYAL' GAVE HIM THE BRAKE.

IT WAS PROBABILILY FROM ‘PUDAOYAL’ HE WOULD HAVE STARTED THIS CONCEPT. BEFORE THAT HIS COMPOSITION STYLE WAS A TRADITIO PREVAILING AT THAT TIME. THERE COULD BE SOME EXCEPTION. I HAVE NOT HEARD MANY OF HIS SONGS BEFORE 1960 EXCEPT FOR A FEW. IN FACT I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY OF HIS SONGS IN THE MOVIE ‘PANAM’.

THERE IS ANOTHER VERY INTERESTING STORY. I STARTED TO SURF THE INTERNET 2 MONTHS BEFORE AND FOUND OUT THIS SITE. THE REASON WAS AN ARTICE IN THE ‘HINDU’ ABOUT HIS PIONO PRG WHICH MSVTIMES ORGANISED. ONE DAY I WAS WATCHING THE PROGRAMME ‘THULLADHA MANAMUM THULLUM” IN PODHIGAI CHANNEL. THEY SUNG ONE VERY OLD SONG. MY MIND WAS GOING THROUGH WHO COULD HAVE COMPOSED THIS SONG. AFTER HEARING THE SONG STYLE I THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE BEEN BY SOME MD IN THE YESTERYEAR. ONE GOOD THING IS THAT THEY SHOWED THE NAME OF THE MOVIE.

THE NEXT DAY I WAS AGAIN GOING THROUGH MSVTIMES. THERE IS A SEPARATE PAGE IN WHICH THEY HAVE GIVEN THE NAME OF THE MOVIES HE HAS COMPOSED. I WAS INTERESTINGLY WATCHING THIS NAME OF HIS MOVIES YEAR BY YEAR. WHAT A SHOCK? THE SONG WHICH I HEARD THE PREVIOUS DAY WAS COMPOSED BY MSV. OH MY GOD! I SIMPLY COULD NOT BELIEVE MY SELF.

THE MOVIE NAME IS ‘PORTAR KANDAN’ AND THE SITUATION IS IT IS SUNG BY A ‘BEGGAR’ IN A TRAIN. THE SUPPOSED HERO AND HEROIN ARE IN SOME SOBER MOOD. THAT IS ALL I KNOW. CAN ANYBODY SAY WHAT IS THE SONG NAME.?

NOW COMPARE THIS SONG WHICH CAME IN 1955 WITH THE SONG IN ‘PAAVA MANNIPPU’ (KAALANGALIL AVAL VASANTHAM’ OR PAASA MALAR ‘MALARDHUM MALARATHA’) WHICH IS A CHROD BASED MELODY AS EXPLAINED EARLIER.

OFCOURSE HE SEEMS TO DEVELOPED ONE MORE METHOD DURING 70S WITH THE OLD CONCEPT OF RAAGA BASED MELODIES BUT WITH THE NEW ORCHESTRATION. OLD WINE IN A NEW BOTTLE!. SOME TIMES WE WILL GET CONFUSED. HE WOULD USE ALL THE THREE METHODS THAT HIS PRE 1960 STYLE OF MELLISAI, WITH THE CHORD BASED AND IT WILL ALL BE IN ONE RAAGA ITSELF WITH THE SLIGHT CHANGE. HE WOULD GO AS PER THE INSTINCT. THE OTHER GREAT ASPECT IS HIS SANGADHIS. THE OTHER DAY WHEN I WAS SPEAKING TO Mr. VATSAN HE WAS REFERIING TO A SONG ‘ORU NAALILE’ IN SIVANTHAMAN. I PLAYED THAT SONG AFTER OUR DISCUSSION. THERE ARE 11 SWARAMS APPEAR IN THE SONG OUT OF 12 TOTAL AVAILABLE.

NOW I WANT TO CONCLUDE. I WANT TO SAY THAT WHATEVER I HAVE EXPLAINED HAS COME TO ME FROM MY EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING HIS SONGS IN THE HARMONIUM. WHILE YOU PLAY THE HARMONIUM YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE NOTES AS WELL AS THE CHORDS WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND ONLY AS YOUR LEFT HAND IS ENGAGED FOR THE BELLOWS. SO YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE CHORDS IN BETWEEN YOU PLAY THE NOTES.

I STARTED USING KEYBOARD ONLY FROM 2006. THE REASON IS YOU CAN PLAY THE CHORD WITH YOUR LEFT HAND AND YOU CAN IDENTIFY THE CHORD NAME WHICH IS DISPLAYED IN THE PANEL. I NEVER WISH TO BE A PROFESSIONAL KEYBOARD PLAYER AND NOT INTERESTED TO PLAY FOR ANY LIGHT MUSIC PROGRAMME AS I WOULD BE FORCED TO PLAY THE 'RECENT RUBBISHES'. IT IS ONLY TO PLAY HIS SONG AND UNDERSTAND THE STYLE AND ENJOY. OFCOURSE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME GOOS SONGS OF OTHER MDS.

I ALWAYS FEEL THAT TO BE A RASIGAN OF MSV SONG YOU NEED NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MUSIC. WHAT YOU REQUIRE IS ONLY THE ‘RASIPPU THANMAI’.

MSV’S SONGS ARE LIKE DIAMONDS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF DIOMONDS. EACH DIOMOND HAS A UNIQUE COLOUR. IF YOU SEE THEM FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES IT SHOWS DIFFERENT COLOUR. MSV SONGS ARE LIKE THAT.

WHAT ABOUT MSV HIMSELF. HE HIMSELF IS DIAMOND. A VERY RARE DIAMOND

HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY THE ‘KOHINOOR DIOMOND’

THANKS FRIENDS,

N Y MURALI
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