How do we define what music is?
Organized sound?? A melody set to a pattern of rhythm?? a set of notes of various frequencies??
What is that which defines the difference between sound and music?? It seems it is in the ability of the sound produced to invoke in us a particular mood that elevates sound to become music. Music then is a language without words that creates a mood or bhAvA in us. Our Indian Classical music has its foundation in this bhAvA or rasA. In fact it is the extent to which a music taps the emotions of the listener that draws appreciation and attention.
Generally each raaga is associated with a mood. For instance the mood of raaga Yaman of Hindustani classical music or kalyani of Carnatic music is that of devotion and that of raaga Boopali or Mohanam is shringaar. Generally a particular raaga is associated only with a particular mood and that is the case across all the listeners’ minds.
But there are some raagas which convey different moods and the bhAvA that it carries depends on the way the raaga is handled.
In this article we can try to explore the raaga Karahapriya and the various bhAvAs it showers depending upon the way it is composed.
Karaharapriya has been handled very deftly by various film music directors in Tamil Film industry. This raaga is generally associated with bhakthi rasa.
But there are cases where songs set to or based on this raga convey different or even contrasting moods like romance, fantasy, melancholy.
One more interesting aspect of this raga is that it can be composed in folkish, classical and citified ways.
Before we enter into assessing the various moods, we shall first get acquainted with the raga.
Karaharapriya is the 22nd of the 72 melakarthas (ragas with all 7 notes in ascending and descending movements). Several composers have composed their masterpieces in this raga.
Listen to raga karaharapriya rendered by Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam
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The Ganadaram and Nishadam are never sung as a plain note in an alapana, which can be noticed thro this recording.
The Hindustani equivalent of karaharapriya is raga Kafi. But unlike in carnatic music, the Ga is sung without the modulation.
Here is a raga sample in raga kafi sung by Pt Ajoy Chakrabarti.
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Let us shift in to our subject of discussion ie the way this raga is handled in film music.
First we shall hear to a typical, undiluted karaharapriya that is as good as a carnatic music rendition. The song is from film ambigapathi, rendered by Sri TM Soundararajan. Listen to the unique and beautiful usage of the raga at “ayal oruvar kanpadumo endranji”
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What we just heard is an undiluted version of the raga. We shall subsequently understand the raga and the various bhavas that it unfurls.
At this juncture I would like to clarify to the readers that by karaharapriya I do not mean the 7 notes of the raga or the patterns that are “allowed” to be sung in the name of the raga karaharapriya as imposed by a particular system of music. But what is implied is the mood called karaharapriya. To make it clear, I would not like to confine the raga to limits of any “framework” imposed by a particular music system in terms of the exploration and usage.
The same raga in a little folkish but undiluted manner has been splendidly handled by Maestro Illaiyaraja in the film ooru vittu ooru vandu. The song is thaana vanda sandame.
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The very first time I heard to the song, I was put to an extreme awe at the musical genius of Illaiyaraja. Some typical classical prayogas or phrases were used by the maestro. “Sowkhyam” or the soothing aspect of the raga would have been brought to the best in phrases like “yAralum padikkAda mangala rAgame” with phrases g r n d n s. A few authoritative movements like r g r (lower) - d n d - r g r (upper) sung at rAni inda rAni inda ……virruppame
Listening to this song, one would definitely relish in folkish romance that is just apt to the sequence of the song in the film as well. The song poo mAlayil Or malligai from the film Ooty varai uravu also brings the best romantic mood with a more urban flavor.
The same raga has been handled in a very sad and melancholic mood by the great MSV in the film padithaal mattum poduma. The song is “annan kAtiya vazhiammA”
In karaharapriya the nishadam is sung with a glide or gamakam as in pa da n…i sa. When sung as flat notes, the raga acquires a slight melancholic tinge. In this song the first five opening notes are straight away set to the arohanam of karaharapriya ie s r g m p without any gamakam at gandaram. At “idu anbaal vilanda pazhiamma” movements like m p d, p d n, n d p m g are heard. Another aspect is that raga karnaranjani which is a derivative of karaharapriya and conveys a sad and soulful emotion has its scale as s r g m g p d s. Since in aroharana g p d s is sung it also resembles raga Sivaranjani. Any song that is based on karaharapriya and has the phrase g p d s, skipping the nishadam will have a flavor of sadness in it because of its nearness to sivaranjani / karnaranjani. The same is the case in this song. Intelligent usage of shehnai by MSV, the mesmerizing voice of TMS soaked with bhava adds to the pathos.
A polar contrary to the song above is a song from tik tik tik composed by maestro illaiyaraja, sung by KJ Yesudas and Jency. The song, poo malarndhida nadamidum ponmayile, filled to the brim with flamboyance has been rendered so effortlessly and casually by KJ.
The first interlude in violin is a masterpiece. The composition itself carries a stamp of karaharapriya – s g r g m p d n s. It is so stunning that a heavy raga as this has been used in a context of romance and fantacy. The interlude between the first and second stanzas features an intriguing humming which is composed as rrrr rggr rnnp pppp rgpnr. It’s perplexing as to how such a rare combination of swaras could strike the maestro’s thought process. In fact it makes me think these could not be a result of thinking but has come out of a “beyond thought” intuition.
There are several other songs set to karaharapriya like Anandam pongida pongida from the film sirai paravai, mApiLaikku mAman manasu from netrikkan, ponmagal vandal from the film sorgam, AgAyappandalilE from ponnoonjal etc.
The song from annakili, which threw limelight on maestro illaiyaraja, macchana paartheegala brings a shade of karaharapriya with a pastoral flavor.
Thinking more on these lines, I now am stuck up with a question in mind. Is it the inherent sweetness of the raga to invoke various moods that makes it versatile or the greatness of these masterly composers who have adeptly handled the raga? Whether it is the ductility of Gold or the proficiency of the smith, what we are left with is a treasure of ornamentally embellished golden music.
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In karaharapriya the nishadam is sung with a glide or gamakam as in pa da n…i sa. When sung as flat notes, the raga acquires a slight melancholic tinge. In this song the first five opening notes are straight away set to the arohanam of karaharapriya ie s r g m p without any gamakam at gandaram. At “idu anbaal vilanda pazhiamma” movements like m p d, p d n, n d p m g are heard. Another aspect is that raga karnaranjani which is a derivative of karaharapriya and conveys a sad and soulful emotion has its scale as s r g m g p d s. Since in aroharana g p d s is sung it also resembles raga Sivaranjani. Any song that is based on karaharapriya and has the phrase g p d s, skipping the nishadam will have a flavor of sadness in it because of its nearness to sivaranjani / karnaranjani. The same is the case in this song. Intelligent usage of shehnai by MSV, the mesmerizing voice of TMS soaked with bhava adds to the pathos.
A polar contrary to the song above is a song from tik tik tik composed by maestro illaiyaraja, sung by KJ Yesudas and Jency. The song, poo malarndhida nadamidum ponmayile, filled to the brim with flamboyance has been rendered so effortlessly and casually by KJ.
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The first interlude in violin is a masterpiece. The composition itself carries a stamp of karaharapriya – s g r g m p d n s. It is so stunning that a heavy raga as this has been used in a context of romance and fantacy. The interlude between the first and second stanzas features an intriguing humming which is composed as rrrr rggr rnnp pppp rgpnr. It’s perplexing as to how such a rare combination of swaras could strike the maestro’s thought process. In fact it makes me think these could not be a result of thinking but has come out of a “beyond thought” intuition.
There are several other songs set to karaharapriya like Anandam pongida pongida from the film sirai paravai, mApiLaikku mAman manasu from netrikkan, ponmagal vandal from the film sorgam, AgAyappandalilE from ponnoonjal etc.
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The song from annakili, which threw limelight on maestro illaiyaraja, macchana paartheegala brings a shade of karaharapriya with a pastoral flavor.
Thinking more on these lines, I now am stuck up with a question in mind. Is it the inherent sweetness of the raga to invoke various moods that makes it versatile or the greatness of these masterly composers who have adeptly handled the raga? Whether it is the ductility of Gold or the proficiency of the smith, what we are left with is a treasure of ornamentally embellished golden music.
