Day after day for years, I never fail to switch on the radio to 'Chennai Vaanoli' (Madras A) station at 8.45 am for an hour of immersing in the melody and rhythm of classical music. Many days, cooking would be dancing to the tunes flowing all around me. That is the time, I am alone with my music and cooking and with no one to disturb this engagement with music. It mostly becomes 'my time and space' and I float like a feather with all stress, questions and worries dropping off and disappearing in a smoke!
Today it was a Veena concert by Kalyani Ganesan; the seasoned Vainika and a great teacher that she is, the choice of songs and the arrangement was crisp. A lilting Hamsadvani was followed by a sedate Varali (Seshachala Nayakam); soulful Anandabhairavi of Shyama Sastri entreating Meenakshyamma to protect him ('Marivere gatiyevaramma') came after that. O...Rangasayee' in Kamboji was magnificent.
The words of the song when completely true of the feelings and ideas of the composer, are touched by a divinity, I feel. Languages never are barriers then; the feelings reach you through the right combination of notes (swaras) and the heart understands the language of true emotions.
Otherwise, how could I realise that Shyama Sastri emphasises his devotion when he sang "Mariwere gati" (Who else other than you) or recognise his complete surrender to 'Ma when he tells her, "nIvE(y)ani sadA nammiti nammitini". Dhikshitar's Seshachala is like a simple but the special Thulasi garland - simple words with such depth of meaning evokes Bhakti within me -
" viSEsha phala pradAyakam || mandahAsa vadanam;
svachchanda hrudayasadanam; aravinda patra nayanam
"O.. Rangasayee" is utterly magical! Thyagaraja Swami's Bhakti and his immense knowledge of music becomes a powerful combination - The moment the song begins with lower octave shadjamam and calls lord Ranganatha with such familiar love of a friend as addressing a friend standing in front of us doesn't the dark handsome Lord turn from his snake bed and engulf me in his side-glance?
Whoever sings the song, I get the vision with a sudden jumping feeling in the gut -so close and in full splendour, he directs that lopsided smile at me! - there is no one between Him and me.
That's the power of divine verse, I presume.
The artist concluded with a soothing song in Kaapi (Pazhani nindra) by Thooran in Tamil.
I was so moved today that I wanted to cherish the vision of Ranga and experience the grace of his glance! What did I do? Listened to different versions of Rangasayee' on YouTube (of MS Amma and the unique TM Krishna rendition for about 2 hours. It was a zone of timelessness and the seamless blend of space within and outside.
(Muthuswamy Dhikshithar, Shyama Sastri and Thyagaraja Swami are known as 'Trinity of Carnatic music' . They were the outstanding composer-musicians of 18th century.)
The words of the song when completely true of the feelings and ideas of the composer, are touched by a divinity, I feel. Languages never are barriers then; the feelings reach you through the right combination of notes (swaras) and the heart understands the language of true emotions.
" viSEsha phala pradAyakam || mandahAsa vadanam;
svachchanda hrudayasadanam; aravinda patra nayanam
"O.. Rangasayee" is utterly magical! Thyagaraja Swami's Bhakti and his immense knowledge of music becomes a powerful combination - The moment the song begins with lower octave shadjamam and calls lord Ranganatha with such familiar love of a friend as addressing a friend standing in front of us doesn't the dark handsome Lord turn from his snake bed and engulf me in his side-glance?Whoever sings the song, I get the vision with a sudden jumping feeling in the gut -so close and in full splendour, he directs that lopsided smile at me! - there is no one between Him and me.
That's the power of divine verse, I presume.
The artist concluded with a soothing song in Kaapi (Pazhani nindra) by Thooran in Tamil.
I was so moved today that I wanted to cherish the vision of Ranga and experience the grace of his glance! What did I do? Listened to different versions of Rangasayee' on YouTube (of MS Amma and the unique TM Krishna rendition for about 2 hours. It was a zone of timelessness and the seamless blend of space within and outside.
1 கருத்து:
That's such a pausing writing in the middle of a busy day. Yes the Madras A magic belongs to another generation of people, guess no one born in the post 24x7 news channel generation would know about this wonderment and potential magical channel.
Your recollection of the songs and the O Rangasayee completion is tempting for me to stop whatever i do to listen to the renderings that you have referred to.
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