Tukkada

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 31 Jul 2008, 01:57

We all have some time or other used the word tukkada or tukkadas. I like to ask the learned rasikas and musicians, what, according to them, is the definition of tukkadas?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Jul 2008, 03:03

VKRaman,
Though not an expert, I can tell you that in CM, it has come to mean the lighter pieces of rendition in the latter part of the concert. TukDA in Hindi (Urdu) means--a little piece. In CM it encompasses songs, vituttams, jAvaLis, padams and tillAnAs which are not presented like any mains sung earlier in the concert, though a sketch of a rAgA might precede a tukkaDA piece.
I am curious though as to why you typed the question about TukDAs (small stuff) in bold letters

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 31 Jul 2008, 03:06

Most of the CMs are praise of god and goddesses and I wonder what will make such rendition tukkada, is it based on lyrics, ragas, timing, etc. and I had an yearning desire to know what is tukkada

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Jul 2008, 03:43

I leave it to the experts to explain...

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 31 Jul 2008, 13:32

Most of the tukkadas are in praise of god / goddesses.. Like thirupugazh, viruttam (slokas are used generally), and even in tillAnAs, charanam is on praising a god. padam / javali might not be focusing on devotion always. Bhajas certainly focus on bakthi. I am not sure how many tukkadas were sung pre-ariyakudi era, but Ariyakudi set this pattern, to give a wholesome concert for 2-1/2 hours duration catering to everyone's needs. One is free to perform a concert without a tukkada!!! Can end the concert with a grand piece like akshyalinga vibo or mari mari ninne... Only thing, it might look like eating curd rice first, and then sambar in the end(;- Don't we do this also for certain diseases like ulser? Nothing is wrong, it is all based on artist and audience chemistry and expectations.

-hari

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 31 Jul 2008, 17:20

I f the musician does not sing tukkadas, some listeners who come onlty for tukkadas, may say TOOKADA IVARAI(lift him ) GOBILALITHA

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 01 Aug 2008, 20:21

Ha ha...nice pun

-hari

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 01 Aug 2008, 21:23

s_hari wrote:it is all based on artist and audience chemistry and expectations.

-hari

Can I conclude that tukkada is enjoyed by everyone including the rasikas who do not understand CM grammar heavy stuff?

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 01 Aug 2008, 22:28

VK RAMAN wrote:Can I conclude that tukkada is enjoyed by everyone including the rasikas who do not understand CM grammar heavy stuff?

No

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 01 Aug 2008, 23:35

No, I don't think so either!

Whilst it may be a shorter piece, lighter in melody, it is still classical music.

I'd say, for instance, that a slokam, unless it appreciated purely for its religious content, is highly unlikely to be liked by someone who doesn't have a taste for carnatic music, and the improvised aspects of it.

There is also the fact that, to have reached this stage, the audience member will have had to sit through all the heavier aspects of the concert first.

Good concert presentation seems to be a skill in itself, and part of that skill is gauging the weight required at any one point. Thus the concert can be experienced as a whole, rather than as disjointed items, and one can leave feeling the completeness of the experience.

It is not simply a matter of working up to a hight, and then letting down gently with lighter stuff, although it can be and that is one way of doing it. The curve is not always regular, either: a light song in the middle refreshes the palette nicely, and is often there in the earlier part of a concert, after a certain seriousness has been achieved, and before moving on to the major item.

As Hari has said: Nothing is wrong, it is all based on artist and audience chemistry and expectations.

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 02 Aug 2008, 00:17

Smt. Sowmya sang a full length concert of tukkadas a few years ago for Jaya TV's Margazhi Mahotsavam. At that time she mentioned, I am paraphrasing, that tukkadas are often times quite challenging to render - with a sore throat it is possible to sing the "heavy" pieces and get away using the "gnanam", but that is not possible with tukkadas.

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 02 Aug 2008, 02:32

VK RAMAN wrote:We all have some time or other used the word tukkada or tukkadas. I like to ask the learned rasikas and musicians, what, according to them, is the definition of tukkadas?

One definition-of-sorts is given here:
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Car ... id/1298512

Tukkada

After a heavy dose of musically complex keerthanas the artists perform short, light and usually fast numbers. The recent trend has been that some of these are based on Hindustani Ragas. tillanas and Javalis are sung during this phase. There would roughly be around 3 to 5 tukkadas.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 02 Aug 2008, 02:57

Thanks ragam-talam. What is the meaning of the word tukkada - what language is it?

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 02 Aug 2008, 03:04

Not sure of the exact word meaning, but in CM parlance it refers to the light songs that are rendered towards the end of a concert. A good example would be 'Chinnanchiru kiLiye'.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Aug 2008, 04:03

See my post #2 for the meaning.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 02 Aug 2008, 05:04

Thank you arasi. I got it.