When listening to music is a passion and acquiring knowledge about any song is an hobby , you get involved too much. Such is the passion which makes me to select and re discover the songs which are buried in the name of last generation. I’m sure greatest fanatic of Illairaja sir himself cannot recognize all the songs of the maestro and such is the case with that of all the masters. With respect to my earlier series of posts talking about my favorite songs this post indeed shall differ in the approach. This approach made me to rethink why we like a song. When shuffling in my pod , call it coincidence or what happened to listen two songs of different era language and geography , how could possibly people can create two different numbers based out of same raga giving it a touch of differentiation in its composition and presentation.
My interest of writing this post just looped in my mind post my conversation with my sister in law about a song which we confronted of what raga what it was. She being a Carnatic singer herself missed a chance to win over me with this number which I feel is one of the best composition of my friend ARR.
Narumugaye song from the movie Iruvar is one of the magnum opus of ARR. In this song ARR has used Naatai as well as Ghambeera naaai ragas. The male voice sings in Naatai, while the female voice sings Ghambeera Naatai. Raaga sivaranjani is usually used for pathos moods, but the ARR has used raga Sivaranjani for the song Kannum kannum in the movie Thiruda Thiruda. ARR has composed the song Ghanan ghanan in the movie Lagaan in his usual (innovative) manner. He has used the raga in a beautiful way to give great appeal to the song. Others are like here … Piya haji ali (Fiza) Maand ,Pachai kilighal (Indian) Kapi ,Thenmerku (Karuthamma) Kanada ,Ni main samajh gayi (Taal) Ahir Bhairav ,Kannamoochi (Kandukondein Kandukondein) Natakuranji/Shahana
Illairaja not only re-creates a magic of the raga which the song is based on , he has the capacity to invent a new range of composition which becomes a difficulty in itself to identify the raga. Thoongatha Vizhigal Rendu - K J Jesudas and S Janaki for ‘Agni Nakshatram’ is based on Amirthavarshini Raga and KJY voice is immortal. Aadal Kalaye Devan Tanthathu – K Jesudas for ‘Sri Raghavendrar’ is based on charukesi.
Sometimes for an amateur as me it’s easy to identify some basic ragas but it takes effort by asking experts to know all these songs are based on some raga.
The basic fact of a person if he likes a raga he might tend to listen all the songs of the particular raga is also true.
