Thought that readers can post some lesser known information about Carnatic Music. Of course on a lighter note.
For example I came to know to that Raga "Varali" is not taught to students as there is beleif that the Sishyas would leave the Guru if this raga is taught.
Similarly Raga AAhiri got an association with some bamboo story. Can readers enlighten and also share more such incidents..
I am from Trichy. The legend has it that the flute maestro Maali, while studying 5 th or 6 th grade in National High School in Trichy, used to take a big leaf from Arasa Maram, roll it up and make holes and play a real flute during break times! What a genius!
The ri in Saveri keeps oscillating really close to sa - so, "saa -ve ri" (in Tamizh)! (told by my guru Smt.Savithri Satyamurthy; told to her by her guru Dr.S.Ramanathan).
ganesh_mourthy,
If I said we played rounders (baseball, cricket) as children with some nut which fell from a few trees in the school grounds (yes, there were trees when we went to school!), would you ask: what? play cricket with a nut (I mean, of the tree kind!)? Finding sturdy leaves from a tree (yes, I repeat, there were plenty of trees around--in Mali's days too), he would have rolled them up, pinched holes, and would have blown into them to make music. This is not about something which happened on a concert stage, though playing a bamboo flute too was child's play for him
Yes Arasi, many of us have tried rolling the arasu leaf or any sturdy leaf and blowing thro them; all we got was just some 'pI-pI' sound; Mali alone could bring out shankarbharanam or a saveri thro it.
He was Mali and we were all kAli-(empty)
May not be totally relevant to music, but I was very impressed that the address for the The Mylapore Fine Arts Club is 45, Musiri Subramaniam Salai in Mylapore.
In a malayam film Nedumudi venu appeared in a scene as a mirudangam vidwan. Even in close up shots I could be able to watch his fingering ,movemements and expressions fully enjoying the music as a real vidwan would do. IMO he must be knowing the art of mirudangam . In the same way in one tamil film janakaraj played violin with apt fingering and bowing sinchronising with the music. Few cine artistes besides acting know the other fine arts too. viz MKT nadaswaram, YGM tabla.
Thanjavooran
On deepawali day in vijai TV cine artiste sivakumar's lecture on the subject ' mother, wife and daughter' was telecast. The entire programme revealed his knowledge in tamil literature and the flow was very free with appropriate quotes from thevaram, thiruvasagam and other tamil literatures. No doubt he is versatile and good exponent of religious discourse. He spoke on this subject for one and half hours and the audience were spell bound.
Thanjavooran
manvantara wrote:Do you know how the ragam saveri got its name?
The ri in Saveri keeps oscillating really close to sa - so, "saa -ve ri" (in Tamizh)! (told by my guru Smt.Savithri Satyamurthy; told to her by her guru Dr.S.Ramanathan).
Thanjavur Sankara Iyer used to mention this often.
Yes, Nedumudi Venu is an accomplished Mridanga Vidwan + a connoisseur of Kerala folk arts. The late Srividya (Daughter of MLV) was an accomplished veena player. And we can see both of them in action in several films.
thanjavooran wrote:On deepawali day in vijai TV cine artiste sivakumar's lecture on the subject ' mother, wife and daughter' was telecast. The entire programme revealed his knowledge in tamil literature and the flow was very free with appropriate quotes from thevaram, thiruvasagam and other tamil literatures. No doubt he is versatile and good exponent of religious discourse. He spoke on this subject for one and half hours and the audience were spell bound.
Thanjavooran
It was an interesting speech and very moving. The video is available here:
thanjavooran wrote:In a malayam film Nedumudi venu appeared in a scene as a mirudangam vidwan. Even in close up shots I could be able to watch his fingering ,movemements and expressions fully enjoying the music as a real vidwan would do. IMO he must be knowing the art of mirudangam . In the same way in one tamil film janakaraj played violin with apt fingering and bowing sinchronising with the music. Few cine artistes besides acting know the other fine arts too. viz MKT nadaswaram, YGM tabla.
Thanjavooran
Sivaji Ganesan and Party in Thillana Mohanambal. wasnt it as apt as it could get?
thanjavooran wrote:On deepawali day in vijai TV cine artiste sivakumar's lecture on the subject ' mother, wife and daughter' was telecast. The entire programme revealed his knowledge in tamil literature and the flow was very free with appropriate quotes from thevaram, thiruvasagam and other tamil literatures. No doubt he is versatile and good exponent of religious discourse. He spoke on this subject for one and half hours and the audience were spell bound.
Thanjavooran
totally. couldnt agree more with you. it was too good.
Students of Tamilnadu govt music college, staged a dharna on 13th nov infront of the college to press their demands which includes the appointment of properly trained and talented nadaswara vidwan for teaching the art. [ref dinakaran tamil daily dtd 14th.]
This reminds me of an incident some 45 yrs back. A novel method to press their demands and to record protest, students of swathi thirunal music college chose an important junction at thiruvandapuram town assembled with tamburas and started singing the kritis in chores. A large crowd gathered to listen and enjoyed the chaste CM, stalling the entire traffic. This attracted the attention of the authorities, students were passified and made to disperse.
manvantara wrote:Do you know how the ragam saveri got its name?
The ri in Saveri keeps oscillating really close to sa - so, "saa -ve ri" (in Tamizh)! (told by my guru Smt.Savithri Satyamurthy; told to her by her guru Dr.S.Ramanathan).
Thanjavur Sankara Iyer used to mention this often.
sometimes, when you hear some people singng that rAgam, we realise, its.... sA-"vary"
Your lighthearted and very innovative "thani avartanams" bring cheer and great variety to this otherwise serious forum . I liked the politicians and surutti especially
Dear brother-member, thanjavooran, In general music aspirants never dare even to ask any of their doubts lest their teacher may discontinue to teach them properly. But, if such soft students stage even a Dharna that obviously reveals the seriousness of the situation and they must be awarded as the grave situation they are facing made them bold enough to stage even a Dharna. Many people take their reaction jovially and leniently but do not respond properly.
Having worked for 35 years as Lecturer and Principal in many of the Govt. Colleges of Music & Dance of Andhra Pradesh, still working hard indirectly for their benefit even after my retirement and being a known person of their plights I can not take their action jovially at all.
Recently I have acted as one of the Judges in the interviews held for the post of music teachers. Only qualified candidates attended and we all have selected only efficient candidates unanimously. But, like a deaf and dumb person appointed as a Telephone Operator on reservation basis, a candidate to whom we could not award more than ‘0’ marks unanimously was successfully appointed as a Teacher on reservation basis. While, on one hand, even the efficient teachers are interested only in, somehow, finishing the syllabus but not in shaping the students as successful performers at all, on the other hand, this kind of appointment of inefficient teacher adds fuel to the fire of the music-students and drive them to stage such Dharnas. I can write volumes of these students’ plights but, I have not yet seen even a single person in our country who solves their problems. For example, since last 50 years there was not even a single academic inspection in these colleges. The health of any society always remains safe in the hands of efficient doctors, teachers, lawyers and engineers and efficiency should only be taken into consideration without any other influence in the appointments of these candidates.
Always the in-efficients are far more in number or power than efficients and dictate terms to the Governments to frame the respective rules and regulations to cover up their in-efficiencies by reservations. For example, when I have appeared for the interview for the post of Staff-artist Violin in All India Radio, Hyderabad in 1977, at last, Late Shri Sandhyavandanam Shrinivasa Rao, one of the 3 Judges, asked me to render all ki-ta-ta-kas (4s) in all the Kriyas of Adi-tala but ending each Avarta with only one ta-dhi-gi-na-ta (5) in eka-kala (4-units per each Kriya) and dvi-kala (8-units per each Kriya) and patted my shoulders affectionately when I have redered the same efficiently and successfully. This kind of Laya-test must be made cumpulsory for each and every candidate appearing for the interviews of scholar-ships or stipends or teachers’ posts or radio or TV-grading or for all the music-examinations. When I was in service, as the founder President of the Teaching Staff Association, I have tried my level best and succeeded in bring out a Government Order restricting the maximum age limit to 25 years for the new entrants into our music colleges. But, a group of powerful ladies, wives of Directors and Secretaries etc., worked very hard and successfully got this G.O. squashed within a month. Even now, I will not be surprised if I am put off in one accident or other in near future by a group of in-efficients for having suggested to make this Laya-test compulsory for all of them. This is the state of affairs in our country which never change irrespective of any Government. amsharma
Last edited by msakella on 18 Nov 2008, 09:42, edited 1 time in total.
Teachers should provide their best in creating performers, in making the students realise what they learn, to generate the interest to practice, to bring the best out of the disciples by concentrating in places where they are strong and throwing light at where they lack something and put them in the right way of reaching more heights. Pedagogy includes psychology a lot.
That’s how I teach my students and after a certain stage, everyone needs different ways of training as everyone has their own identity and culture, though, everybody is a spark of the divine. As a lecturer in the "Thanjavur Vaidhyanatha Iyer School for Percussion"
A smile brightens where misery resides,
Words born out of woe become poetry,
A spark of joy dispels surrounding gloom,
And humor disperses impending gloom--
Erode is not just an artiste, he is poet too
And a humorist...
Dear brother-member, erode14, What you wrote is true. Teachers should provide their best in creating performers but not only to cover the syllabus. In many institutions many of the teachers are only covering the syllabus but they are not thinking that the learning of the items of the syllabus must lead them to give performances ably. In the absence of proper supervision the teachers are merely doing their duties but not the needful. Ultimately this is leading to the unrest of the students and driving them to agitate. amsharma
Shree: I first thought the 'Mundu incident' is going to happen to the speaker. Iyayyo But at the end I understood what Mr. Varma was saying. Quite humorous. That is a risk that always exists, especially for those who do not wear a dothi/mundu regularly. Even then, a belt can be what Krishna was to Drowpathi
I rememeber reading an article on MLV through incidents related by her daughter Srividya about her choice of sarIs and adornments. She says you could tell if the concert on a particular day would feature varied items by the different gems on MLV's rings on each finger(also how much sparkling br.gAs that would be presented that day ) and the color of her sArI denoted the mood she was in.
What I found interesting was that MLV on foreign tours would absolutely insist on consuming ice cream before any concert, else she would refuse to perform that day!
now to the story.. it is believed that ahiri (hindustani raag), is from the community called Ahir, cowherds in northern and western India who were into tribal melody.
And I assume it is best possible because it adds authencity to the story behind Ahiri not to be sung.
It is said once a man, (cowherd) was sitting in the forest and he hung his lunch on a tree nearby. he started singing this raga, and he was so immersed that he forgot everything. when lunch time came, he could not find his lunch bag and he was left hungry. Actually, the man hung his bag on a bamboo tree, which was lying low in the morning, but with the heat of the sun, straightened itself...
so it is nothing but a assumption just like varaali is not supposed to be taught by a guru...
Ahiri, is supposed to cure your anger.
Compositions in Ahiri..
Mayamma yani- Syama shastri
Sri Kamalamba jayathi - muthuswami dikshitar
Many of you might already know this but for the rest:
Each swara (e.g. "Sa", "Ri", "Ga", "Ma", "Pa", "Da", and "Ni") is believed to correspond with the natural sound of an animal/bird, and some have a meaning of its own.
Swara Expansion Meaning Animal/bird
Sa Shadjam (षडà¥ÂÂ
He is one of the Composers who handled Sanskrit so well and hence listeners of his kritis might think that Sanskrit is simple and easy. This deceptive simplicity is possible for the composer only with deep insight in that language.
His deep knowledge in Sanskrit can be seen in the he has placed the Raga's name in the kritis. Some raga names are wonderfully placed:
Samsara Bhidyaapahe in Sri Saraswati
Chitbimbou Lila vigrahou in Sri Parvati Para
Satchidananda Bhairavisam in Thyagaraja Yoga Brindavana Sarangendra in Rangapura Vihara
Kritikaa Suddha Dhanyena in Subramanyena
Some of the songs like Thyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam has a unique structure in its Pallavi like an Inverted Temple Tower. In this Pallavi each sentence has a meaning.
Thyagaraja yoga vaibhavam
Agaraja yoga vaibhavam
raja yoga vaibhavam
yoga vaibhavam
vaibhavam
bhavam
vam
Last edited by srinivasrgvn on 08 Feb 2009, 10:04, edited 1 time in total.
Dear Vasanthakokilamji,Ksrimechji, V K Ramanji and KMRASIKA.
Thanks for the response.We would like to hear a comment from Princeji himself.Sir where are you?
Shree,
"Sir', normally a title given by his sort to commoners is being missed on the forum, bien sur...
By the way, when you name so many names, wouldn't it suffice if you made a plural of the ji and place it at the very end? So and so, so and so and so on and then add the jis?
Last edited by arasi on 08 Feb 2009, 22:42, edited 1 time in total.
srinivasrgvn wrote:
More Info on Ahiri:
Ahiri, is a karuna rasa based raga. it is a morning raga.
now to the story.. it is believed that ahiri (hindustani raag), is from the community called Ahir, cowherds in northern and western India who were into tribal melody.
And I assume it is best possible because it adds authencity to the story behind Ahiri not to be sung.
It is said once a man, (cowherd) was sitting in the forest and he hung his lunch on a tree nearby. he started singing this raga, and he was so immersed that he forgot everything. when lunch time came, he could not find his lunch bag and he was left hungry. Actually, the man hung his bag on a bamboo tree, which was lying low in the morning, but with the heat of the sun, straightened itself...
the story extends a little further....' to such an extent that he couldnt reach his lunch bag,
and that lead to the tag 'singing Ahiri deprives food'
Smt. Sangeetha Swaminathan sang this at the Narada Gana Sabha mini hall for Kartik fine arts during the season and had I been dead, this rendition would have surely brought me back to life
This is once again about Cine Artist Sivakumar. Actor Sivakumar's literary discourse on Kamban Enn kathalan quoting 100 verses from Kambaramayanam in Vijai TV on 14th April was excellent. The 2 hrs 30 mts lecture was quite interesting and the audience mostly college tudents [girls] and other Tamil scholars were spell bound without getting distracted by other activities. He has proved his ability and knowedge in Tamil literature once again. The beauty of the entire discourse is his good memory power and fluency . He ended with Sri Rama pattabhishekam narrating entire Ramayana right from Bala kandam.
Thanjavooran
But at the end I understood what Mr. Varma was saying. Quite humorous. That is a risk that always exists, especially for those who do not wear a dothi/mundu regularly. Even then, a belt can be what Krishna was to Drowpathi 