Every year the ultimate day-dream
of every highly-accomplished Carnatic musician comes true for just one of them,
in the form of the title of 'Sangeetha Kalaanidhi', awarded by the prestigious
Music Academy in Madras (now called Chennai). The Sanskrit-Tamil
expression literally means 'Music Art Treasure', and can be freely translated
as 'Cultural Wealth of Music'.
The distinguished musician
presides over all the events taking place in the Academy during the fabulously
massive music season which blows like a hurricane across the city all through
the winter month of Maargazhi, in December-January. For an
insightful analysis of the unique extravaganza, please see :
This year's Kalaanidhi is vocalist
Aruna Sairam. Exactly 30 years ago I had written a rave review in the New
Delhi edition of THE HINDU, about a concert she gave in the Capital as a
visiting artist from Bombay where she was based. I didn't hear her music
for a long time after that ; but both of us having settled down in Madras
eventually, I've been able to attend many of her concerts from 2007,
and I've written about them in glowing terms in my column Musicscan in the THE HINDU.
So then, here are 16
reviews which project the adventurous saga of Aruna Sairam on a
very wide screen. (In this blog I usually provide a glossary and
annotations for the benefit of international readers who aren't likely to be
familiar with some names and expressions figuring in the texts ; but
this collection is mainly meant for enthusiastic lovers of Carnatic
music, so I am skipping what might be a distraction for them). Please also see the PostScript I've added after these texts.
* * * * *
THE HINDU, New Delhi, 23 Dec. 1988
Colorful pallavi
creates panic
Creeping at a snail's pace along
the road leading from the southernmost bridge towards the trans-Yamuna
colonies, I was afraid that I was going to miss the vocal recital of visiting
artist Aruna Sairam of Bombay, organized by the East Delhi Music Circle in the
Guruvayurappan temple in Mayur Vihar on a bitterly cold evening last
week. There was an excruciating traffic jam congesting the highway, and
it was 7-30 p.m when I reached the venue. Much to my relief (or was it
disappointment?), the concert had not yet started, as the young violinist
Sunder Rajan had also not arrived. Later on I learnt that he had been
trapped in the same traffic crisis.
The singer was to catch the Tamil
Nadu Express bound for Madras at 10-45 p.m., and she had very little time before
her when she began the recital at 8 p.m. But the sight of the small
audience which had waited patiently for nearly two hours seemed to kindle her
spirit, and she gave a fine performance, well assisted by Sunder Rajan and the
mriangam-player V. Raghuraman. She had some trouble with her voice in the
chill weather, but controlled it well with frequent doses of hot water poured
from a vacuum flask.
Such was the rapport Aruna
established with the listeners that she seemed to become quite unaware of the
limited time passing. The organizers became restless when she took up a
brilliant elaboration of Kraharapriya after 9 p.m. They got really
worried when she followed it up with a thaanam, and they panicked when she
started a colorful pallavi.
But she just ignored their frantic
signals and sang on and on in a leisurely way -- choosing, of all things,
the first stanza of the Thyagaraja krithi 'Chakkani Raja-maargamulu', which
wouldn't bear any condensation. The marvelous exercise was consolidated by a
fulsome chain of svaras in raaga-maalika.
The singer somehow managed to
conclude the recital after 9-45 p.m., and dashed towards the waiting
taxi.
We have read stories about how
some handicapped persons, in the process of using their will-power to overcome
their weakness, actually end up by accomplishing truly great things.
To this encouraging literature I am glad to add the story of a
talented musician's superb performance in the face of such extremely
trying circumstances.
* * * * *
THE HINDU, Chennai
MUSICSCAN, 23 Feb. 2007
Majestic procession
It was a bitterly cold winter evening in Delhi 18
years ago, and Aruna Sairam from Bombay was to sing in a suburban temple in
Mayur Vihar, far away from the New Delhi railway station where she was to catch
the Tamil Nadu Express leaving for Madras at 10-45 p.m. The violinist had been
trapped in an awful traffiic jam on a congested bridge across the Yamuna, and
the concert could begin only at 8 o'clock, which left very little time for her to
sing.
But what a marvelous performance it turned out to
be! A small but earnest gathering had waited patiently and hopefully for two
hours to hear her recital, and she must have felt she owed them something
special in return. Totally ignoring the frantic signals of the organizers who
were getting into a state of panic, she rendered a colorful
raagam-thaanam-pallavi in Kharaharapriya in a very leisurely style, choosing
the first stanza of Thyagaraja's composition, "Chakkani Raja" for the
lyric, followed by a sparkling string of swaras in several ragas.
Somehow she managed to conclude the recital just
before 10 p.m. and rushed to the waiting taxi. I don't know whether Aruna
was able to catch the train for Madras that cold and memorable night in Delhi,
but she didn't certainly miss the boat for the hearts of music lovers in Madras
or anywhere else!
Year after year, as she has steadily grown in
stature as a musician, she has recruited more and more admirers wherever she
happens to perform regularly. No wonder the spacious outdoor venue of
Hamsadhwani was overflowing with eager rasikas when she sang there recently.
Matching their consistent adoration with her characteristically intense
commitment, she gave a profoundly moving performance likely to be remembered
for a long time.
Meditative
style
What makes Aruna Sairam's recitals so memorable is
the meditative and soulful quality of her music, which is the result of a
beneficial combination of several significant factors, including the influence
of her great teacher Brinda.
Endowed with a rich, low-flung voice which is
admirably suited to the extremely slow tempo she likes to adopt, she explores
the subtle nuances of melodies and songs in a calm and unhurried manner, which
enables her to project the spiritual vision of the classical composers on a
very vast screen. Her overall bearing and stately style forcefully remind us of
the monumental music of M.D. Ramanathan.
Quite predictably, just as in the case of MDR's
recitals, the highlights of the Hamsadhwani concert (`Sri Satyanarayanam,
Sabhapathikku Veru Deivam,' `O Rangasayee') came and passed before us like a
majestic procession of the divine images. In the Subhapanhuvarali krithi,
Muthuswami Dikshitar conveys a profound sentiment with a simple phrase : Sarvam
Vishnu Mayam. In the Khambodi song,Thyagaraja is lost in wonder singing in
praise of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam. In both cases the grandeur of the ragas
is matched by the depth of devotion that the words convey.
Aruna deserves a bouquet for invoking the true
spirit and divine message of the songs, to touch the hearts of a thousand
spellbound rasikas.The singer owed much to the excellent support provided by
all her accompanists: H.N. Bhaskar (violin), J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam), S.
Kartick (ghatam), and B.S. Purushottam (kanjira).
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 21 Dec. 2007
Truly
glorious!
Aruna Sairam is quite used to attracting a full
house wherever she happens to be singing these days. But even by her own usual
standards, the highly excited gathering in the premises of the Chettinad
Vidyashram School near San Thome could not be fully accommodated even in
the very spacious Muthiah Hall there.
The program was part of the winter series of
Carnatic music concerts organised by Jaya TV, and television cameras were
capturing the whole scene, making the occasion extremely glamorous.
The recital had a sharp focus on Lord Muruga, so
most of the songs were in Tamil. After an initial spell in Sanskrit — a slokam
from Subrahmania Bhujangam, a Dikshitar krithi and a composition by
V.V.Srivatsa — Aruna rendered a couple of songs composed by Papanasam Sivan, a
pallavi with her own Tamil lyric, a Thiruppugazh verse, and Madurai Somu’s
favourite song ‘Enna Kavi.’
She had excellent support from the accompanists,
H.N.Bhaskar (violin), J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam) and S. Kartick (ghatam).
There’s invariably a stage in Aruna Sairam’s
performances when she achieves a heart-to-heart communication with the adoring
listeners, which makes them all forget her glamorous personality and
concentrate intensely on her earnest music.
In the concert under review, that point was
reached in the course of the unconventional raagam-thaanam-pallavi.
Midway through the pulsating thaanam which
followed a calm and meditative elaboration of Thodi, Aruna switched over to a
resounding mode with strong percussion accompaniment.
That set up a lively prelude for the pallavi and a
dynamic tempo for the swara-prasthaaram featuring a string of six melodies
(Sunaada-vinodhini, Ataana, Ranjani, Darbaari-kannada, Senchuruti and Aabheri).
Aruna has an intriguing way of infusing a
worshipful flavor even into a normal series of improvised swaras.
On this occasion, after each colorful spell of
sol-fa notes she inserted a line of her own Tamil lyrics visualising Lord
Muruga as enshrined in one of six sacred locations in South India, which
greatly enhanced the emotional element. And singing the whole sequence in a
soaring crescendo, she took the spellbound audience on a whirlwind tour of
Thirupparan-kundram, Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhani, Thirutthani and Pazhamudhir-solai,
giving us some flashing impressions of the youthful God.
That was the stage when the self-conscious rasikas
even lost sight of the television cameras, and just swam in a strong current of
sacred music which flowed gloriously on. According to the Oxford and Chambers
dictionaries, the word ‘glory’ means (among other things) ‘great beauty,’
‘magnificence,’ ‘resplendent brightness,’ ‘summit of attainment,’ and ‘worship
and thanksgiving offered to God.’
Judged even by the most severe standards, Aruna’s
performance was truly glorious in every sense of the term as defined above.
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 17 Dec. 2009
Magic moments and an awesome oeuvre
Like a cluster of comets they're all suddenly visible
together on the Chennai sky in the winter months, having gone away somewhere on
their respective orbits in space during the rest of the year. We are, of
course, talking about the most popular vidwans and vidushis of Carnatic music.
Some of us get to see many of them in a particular Sabha where we happen to be
regular members or have anchored ourselves with season tickets. But some of us
rush here and there to buy expensive and usually hard-to-get daily tickets to
attend several concerts of the same set of our favourite musicians.
One of the most popular singers who invariably
performs in a full or overflowing house even in the largest concert halls in
the city is vocalist Aruna Sairam. And wherever she sings, she usually casts a
spell on the listeners midway through the recital. The point where the rasikas
collectively feel transfixed in a mesmerised state of mind differs from concert
to concert, depending on the given ambience and audience; but it doesn't
normally fail to materialize.
In Aruna's concert in the Maargazhi Mahaa Utsavam
organized by Jaya TV at Kumara Raja Muthiah Hall in South Chennai, the crucial
stage was reached when she began singing ‘Jaago Thumi Jaago!' following a
soulful rendering of Papanasam Sivan's Tamil krithi ‘Unnai Allaal Vere Gadi' in
Kalyani. ‘Jaago Thumi Jaago', the beautiful Bengali song, is rendered before
dawn every day in the Kaalighat temple in Kolkata, calling on the Goddess Kaali
to awaken. It is quite unfamiliar in Carnatic music circles today; but is no
longer likely to remain so, because Aruna has just created yet another
favourite number for which her admirers are bound to clamour again and again.
Of course, prominent among the rasikas' favourite
songs in Aruna's repertoire are the Maraathi devotional songs known as
‘abhangs.' Usually these are sung in praise of Lord Vittala, but there are also
worshipful abhangs on Lakshmi ; and Aruna sang one of these, composed by
Samartha Ramdas, adding to it part of a traditional Maraathi folk chant on
Kolhapuri Lakshmi. This accorded well with the theme of the whole concert,
which was exclusively devoted to the Supreme Goddess.
A few days later Aruna sang a resounding Vittala
song towards the conclusion of her performance at the Krishna Gana Sabha. In
that hallowed venue of Carnatic music, the magic moment of mesmerism had
arrived during a monumental rendering of Thyagaraja's krithi ‘Kaddanuvaariki'
in Thodi. So intense was the singer's involvement in the effort that the swara
improvisation progressively became a stormy crescendo which made the audience
breathless, and not the singer!
Superb and dynamic accompaniment was provided on
these two occasions by violinist H.N. Bhaskar and percussionists J.
Vaidhyanathan, S. Kartick and S.V. Ramani; and Aruna Sairam certainly owes them
a vote of thanks for enabling her to shine so brightly.
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 2 April 2010
A question
of integrity
The task of reviewing Aruna Sairam's unusual
concert in the superb auditorium at the Seva Sadan's Harrington Road premises
is a very intricate one, because the context of the event as well as the
performance had many different dimensions, mainly social, cultural, national
and spiritual.
The highly-priced concert was organised by a
couple of institutions concerned with a pension fund meant for providing a
lifeline to languishing musicians -- viz., the Interface (described as ‘social
investment managers') and Global Adjustment Services (‘a relocation, realty and
cross-cultural services company').
The event was organized on a grand scale, with
special stage settings by Thota Tharani and colored lighting effects, and a
commentary in English provided by Ranjini Manian, the social service
entrepreneur who runs Global Adjustments.
Unity in cultural, national and spiritual terms
was the theme of the show, and songs in a dozen different languages were
featured. Of course, all Carnatic music vocalists are usually familiar with
songs in six languages -- the four Southern ones (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and
Malayalam) as well as Sanskrit and Hindi (the last one usually involving
‘bhajans'). Aruna has also consistently rendered abhangs in Maraathi in her
Carnatic music recitals, and occasionally taken up devotional songs in other
Indian languages such as Bengali.
All the languages mentioned above naturally
figured in the concert.
The singer had only to add the immensely popular
national song ‘Vaishnava Janato' in Gujarathi, a Sikh hymn in Punjaabi, a
traditional musical prayer in Oriya, and an ode to the Virgin Mary in Italian,
and presto! The score was a dozen!
Perfect
pronunciation
Among the factors which ensured the authentic
tenor of the whole performance were Aruna's perfect pronunciation of all the
selected languages and her earnest and intimate association with various
musical cultures and traditions of India, as well as the Gregorian chants of
medieval Italy.
Another notable feature of the event was that four
Northern musicians, playing the harmonium, thabla, pakhawaj, and a set of minor
percussion instruments (such as folk drums, cymbals, bells and jingles, with
names like chimta, ghungru and manjira) had been brought over from Mumbai to
supplement standard Carnatic instruments, viz., the violin, mridangam and
ghatam. This further enhanced the authentic sound of the music drawn from
such wide-ranging sources. (There was the Carnatic flute also).
It is difficult to identify any particular song as
the highlight of the recital, because all of them were rendered with an equal
measure of élan and exuberance. However, given the central theme of the concert
and the prevailing communal tensions all over the world, one must say that the
most moving song was Bharathiyar's 'Allah! Allah! Allah!', said to have been
composed by the immortal Tamil poet standing in front of a mosque not far from
where he lived, in Chennai.
Universal
appeal
The spellbinding impact the music seemed to have
had on the gathering was an eloquent tribute to Aruna Sairam as a Carnatic
musician with universal appeal.
But what about thousands of Aruna's admirers who
turn up regularly at her Carnatic music recitals, and who couldn't afford this
performance? Surely it will be a great idea for the organisers to let some
leading Sabhas in Chennai and elsewhere re-enact the show. Of course, that
would perhaps mean that the expensive Northern instrumental support cannot be
imported.
But even with the usual Carnatic instruments --
with the addition of just a morsing or kinnaaram -- this diva is quite capable
of moving the spirit of the listeners. For ultimately it's a question of the
integrity of the music, and not merely its packaging.
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 15 Oct. 2010
Let Thodi come live!
It is well known that even some of the seniormost
Carnatic vidwans and vidushis used to be intimidated by the redoubtable music
critic (the late) Subbudu, whose acid comments were balanced by his sparkling
sense of humour, whether he wrote in English or in Tamil. But he could also be
extremely lavish in his praise, when he so wished.
One of the most memorable compliments ever paid by
Subbudu was his breezy statement that if he was exiled to an isolated island,
the only things he would want to take with him would be some betel-leaves/nuts
and tobacco, and an LP record of Sudha Ragunathan's music. (I am quoting
roughly from memory, and not accurately from records; but this was more or less
what he declared).
I don't know whether Subbudu ever took any of
Sudha's records along with him when he travelled, to listen in blissful
solitude; but I have certainly brought a few selected CDs with me half way
around the globe, to the U.S., to enjoy them in peace when I am not playing
with my grandchildren, watching television or reading.
One of these selections is the first of a twin-set
of CDs titled, ‘Arunambujam,' featuring the compositions of Ambujam Krishna,
sung by Aruna Sairam. And the focus of my interest is the Tamil song,
‘Kandathum Kanavo' in Thodi, on Track 4. Taking up the phrase, ‘Nan Unaik
Kandathum Kanavo, Rama!' (Was it a dream that I saw you in, O Rama!) as a
refrain Aruna melts your heart with one of the finest niravals in Thodi I've
ever heard in my life.
I wish to hear it again live in all its glory in some
concert hall in the coming winter season! Will it come true or will it remain
only a dream?
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 31 Dec. 2010
A vision so colourful
The basic framework of Aruna Sairam's kutcheris is
so substantial that she may have run the risk of letting her music sound too
heavy, if she hadn't developed certain effective methods of levitation which
lift the listener's spirit and invariably gives him or her a wonderful vision
of mystic beauty.
One might be tempted to think that it is the
extremely colourful manner of her presenting a string of attractive songs in
the concluding section of her recitals which accounts for this amazing
phenomenon. Such an impression is true to some extent, but that's not the whole
truth. The majestic progression of her music in the initial and middle stages
of the concert is a major factor which conditions the listener's soul to
get stirred properly by those lively songs -- which, in turn, is due to the fact
that Aruna infuses her music from beginning to end with a powerful and
transparent spirit of devotion
.
Popular
composition
The climax of Aruna Sairam's recital was
‘Chinnanchiru Kiliye Kannamma.' This extremely popular classical song has
been heard in our concert halls on countless occasions, but I've never heard it
rendered in a more heart-warming manner.
It was preceded by a traditional Kaanthimati
Temple verse, ‘Varaathirundal,' with a similar theme; and according to Aruna,
the legendary dancer Balasaraswati's depiction of the sentiment was the source
of her inspiration.
Earlier, she had projected other wonderful images
of the Goddess in several krithis -- especially Shyama Shastri's ‘Palinchu
Kamakshi' in Madhyamavati (which was the main number of the concert), and
Ramamurthi Rao's ‘Shringeri Sharada' -- and brief slokams/verses rendered as
preludes (‘Jaya Jaya Kamakshi' and ‘Sweta Padmaasana').
And before them came lovely versions of Ambujam
Krishna's ‘Kandathum Kanavo' in Thodi, and Bhadrachala Ramadas's ‘Ennagaanu' in
Panthuvarali. One might as well mention here that the concert began with an
earnest Thiruppaavai verse!
Aruna was accompanied sensitively (as usual) by
H.N. Bhaskar on the violin, J. Vaidyanathan on the mridangam and S.V. Ramani on
the ghatam.
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 20 Oct. 2011
Triple A for
Aruna
Aruna Sairam's special concert
organised at the Music Academy's acoustically marvellous main hall on Sunday
last was in connection with the release of her latest CD featuring a set of
seven Abhangs, produced and distributed by Nadham Music Media.
At a brief function, the first CD was presented to
Leela Samson, director, Kalakshetra, by veteran Tamil cinema director K.
Balachander.
Aruna Sairam rendered all the songs figuring in
the CD, as well as a few others, in a memorable performance which turned out to
be as spirited as it was spiritual.
Aruna has succeeded in creating an authentic sound
effect in the CD by having several North Indian instruments, such as the sitar,
harmonium, Hindustani flute, thabla, pakhwaj, dholaks, dholki and cymbals as
accompaniments.
North
meets South
In the concert under review, the same instruments
(minus the flute) were featured, supplemented by the Carnatic violin, mridangam
and ghatam.
An interesting and not very obvious fact in this
context is that all the Northern instruments were also played by competent
musicians based in Chennai as recording artists (mainly from the film
industry).
Some of the rousing devotional songs in Maraathi which
effectively transcended the language and secular barriers and held a very large
cosmopolitan audience spellbound and spiritually moved for more than an hour
were compositions by Sant Namdev (‘Teertha Vittala,' ‘Bhaktha Jana Vathsale');
Sant Eknath (‘Majhe Majhe Pandhari,' ‘Omkaara Swaroopa'); Sant Jaanabhai
(‘Dalitha Kaanditha,' ‘Pandharichya Raaya') and Sant
Ramadas (‘Kadaakadani').
In addition to the above songs, all of which
figure in the CD, Aruna rendered a Tamil verse from the ancient music of the
Aazhwars (‘Pachchai Maamalai Pol Meni'), and demonstrated the striking
sentimental and lyrical resemblance it has with the Maraathi song, ‘Savale
Sundara Roopa Manohara,' by Sant Thukaram, which happens to be one of the
abhangs, Aruna is fond of featuring in her Carnatic music recitals.
The fascinated audience left the auditorium in a
euphoric mood.
The performance warranted a triple A rating --
Aruna's Abhangs were Awesome!
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 5 April 2012
Delightful soirée
Sri Ariyakkudi Music Foundation organized a cultural soirée of song
and dance at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Audiences were treated to a fine
Kathak performance by Sharmishta Mukherjee and a concert by Aruna Sairam.
The evening started with a short but resounding
naagaswaram recital by Thiru-meignaanam Brothers (Ayyappan and
Meenakshi-sundaram), accompanied forcefully by Thiruvalaputhur Kaliamurthy on
the thavil.
This was followed by an impressive performance by
Sharmishta and her troupe comprising four other women and two men.
The cleverly-conceived show effectively integrated
Bengali and English poetry (of Tagore and Shelley) as well as Rabindra Shangeet
and Western music (Tagore/Vivaldi).
This didn't come as a surprise really because the
Ariyakkudi Music Foundation seems to be currently stretching its own mission
beyond Carnatic music and traditional artistic boundaries.
The graceful movements of Sharmishta and her
colleagues had a universal appeal which tastefully blended music, poetry and
language. The response of the audience to the rather unusual performance was
remarkably warm.
Pleasing
the rasika
Commencing her vocal recital well beyond 9 p.m.,
Aruna Sairam wisely chose to render a kriti in Kalyani in a concise manner, and
then gave the rasikas what they were clamoring for -- a couple of abhangs, a
unique thillaana and a Kannan song.
All told, it was quite a delightful soirée of
song and dance.
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 12 July 2012
Spiritual
transfusion
“It is necessary for us to reconcile in our minds the apparent contradiction
between artistic tradition and innovation and the evolutionary relationship
which exists between them. This is a universal phenomenon, which is as complex
as the evolution of life itself. Art is also a living organism, which needs to
renew itself in order to survive . . . Innovation, therefore, can never
be forbidden. Obviously it would be impossible for anyone to draw an arbitrary
line somewhere and say: ‘Thus far, and no further!’ In the last analysis, it
all depends only on who innovates, and how . . . (‘Innovative base of
tradition’,
Musicscan,
Oct. 9, 2009).
“. . . Such experiments in innovation can
result in fascinating and permissible performances only if the musicians who
undertake them are not only well accomplished, but actually function at the
highest level of imagination, excellence and integrity. In the case of Carnatic
music, it is vitally important that the spiritual quality of the music is never
sacrificed.” ('The logic of fusion',
Musicscan, Oct. 4, 2010)
I couldn’t help recalling the above opinions
expressed by me in this column on past occasions, as I sat mesmerized by Aruna
Sairam’s highly innovative vocal recital (labelled ‘fusion’) at the Music
Academy’s main auditorium last Saturday evening. The event was organized by the
Cancare Foundation, to raise funds for providing effective care to cancer
patients.
The main artistic objective of the concert was to
demonstrate the amazing melodic similarities between the ongoing classical
Hindu tradition of Carnatic music and the historically significant Gregorian
Chant, which was the Christian liturgical music tradition of Central and
Western Europe during the medieval era preceding the 17th century.
One of the fascinating aspects of Aruna Sairam’s
wide-angled musical vision is the way she strives to share the ecstatic
experiences and authentic impressions she gains in different, far-flung musical
environments with the rasikas, who flock to her concerts.
Thus, with the lilting ‘Kaalinga Narthana
Thillaana’ (which she has made so popular that music lovers everywhere clamor
for it endlessly) Aruna conveys the immense thrill she feels whenever she
actually visits the sacred spot in a temple in Oothukkaadu village, where
there’s a lovely statue depicting Lord Krishna as a young boy dancing on the
hood of the vicious serpent Kaaliya. Similarly, with the rousing Bengali song
‘Jaago Thumi Jaago,’ she gives us a glimpse of the devotional fervor, which
overflows in a Durga temple at Kaalighat, in Kolkota, at dawn every morning, as
the song is recited by a chorus of devotees to wake up the Goddess.
In the same vein, Aruna tried to recall in the
concert under review her exciting experience of singing certain Carnatic ragas
inside several churches and concert halls in Western Europe, precisely matching
the melodies of some Gregorian-Chant verses recited by the distinguished French
musician Dominique Vellard, in partnership with whom she has been exploring the
intriguing similarities between the melodic patterns prevailing in these
totally unrelated musical traditions.
The highlights of the concert were a couple of
Gregorian-Chant songs titled, ‘Ave Vergene’ and ‘Rosa Das Rosas,’ with Latin
and archaic Italian lyrics respectively. These songs are set to medieval
European melodies, which have a close resemblance to the Carnatic ragas,
Kalyani and Bhimplas. And Aruna, who rendered the Latin and Italian texts with
apparently high fidelity, matched them with Aadi Sankara’s Sanskrit verse
‘Shabda Brahma Mayee’ in Kalyani and Bharatiyar’s Tamil song ‘Vellai Thaamarai’
in Bhimplas.
While the resemblance between the parallel flow of
these mutually alien melodies was quite remarkable, no less significant was the
close affinity between the devotional spirits of the two different musical
systems and cultures. Aruna’s true achievement was to preserve the authentic
character and mystic spirit of both traditions equally well, while letting them
also crystallize into a common idiom which was saturated with Bhakthi. In this
sense, the whole exercise was, in my opinion, a case of spiritual transfusion,
rather than mere ‘fusion.’
Apart from the phenomenon of similar
Carnatic-Gregorian melodic streams, there were certain other significant
aspects of this unique performance, including the overall theme (Divine Mother)
and the splendid instrumental component. Let us take a close look at them in
the next essay in this column.
(To be continued)
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 12 Aug. 2012
Horizons and
hazards of 'fusion'
Continuing my review of Aruna
Sairam's recent concert containing elements of both Carnatic and Western music
( Musicscan, Spiritual transfusion,
July 12), I had intended to conclude the comments this week. Meanwhile, colleagues
at the Online desk were good enough to insert, alongside the above article, a
clickworthy list of 20 earlier essays in this column which had analyzed the
highly complex issue of 'fusion' music rather extensively.
For the benefit of readers who may not have the
time or inclination to go through all that voluminous material, I wish to
reproduce here some selected paragraphs from those articles (which, though not
in chronological order, somehow sum up the whole scenario in a logical
sequence). Accordingly, the concert review is bound to overflow into the next
article in
Musicscan!
Horizons
of exploration
"The necessity to introduce legitimate
innovations, which do not dispense with the basic elements and principles of a
musical tradition, arises mainly from two important factors. One of them is the
increasing sense of monotony created by endlessly recurring features, and the
constant need to find more exciting methods of performance. The other factor is
the progressive and dramatic transformation of the social and cultural
environment caused by successive technological revolutions -- reflected in the
lifestyles and attitudes of the musicians and music-lovers -- which creates an
urge to trim some conventional modes of performance and introduce some new perspectives."
[The logic of fusion, October 4, 2010].
"And if they happen to have a very wide
musical vision which transcends the system in which they are functioning as
successful performing artists, their exploration too tends to cross the borders
and enters the frontiers of some other system, particularly when there are some
elements common to both . . . That’s the point where they come across
like-minded musicians belonging to the other side, and begin to visualize
collaborative ventures like North-South jugalbandis (in the case of Carnatic
and Hindustani music, which have many similar and almost identical elements),
and experiments in East-West integration (as when Indian classical music is
harmonized with jazz, or even with Western classical music)." [Of
credentials and criteria, July 6, 2007].
Hazards
of experiments
"Indian classical musicians even at average
levels of competence are nowadays having more and more opportunities to visit
Western countries on the invitation of the ever-growing Indian communities
there, and they find it quite easy to line up some ordinary foreign musicians
to join them in a free-for-all musical merry-go-round. And back home in India,
of course, their CV and image get boosted by cryptic references to their
‘experience in fusion'. Who is to review and critically evaluate their
activities abroad?" [Colors of sound, July 25, 2008].
"Far more alarming is the fact that even some
reputed and accomplished Carnatic musicians tend to fall into a ‘fusion trap'
and embark on such ventures without a proper perspective, the damage caused to
the culture of Carnatic music being in direct proportion to their high
accomplishment and reputation. One can say, 'Go slow on going global!'
But who is to confront them all and enforce restraint, and how?" [The
fusion trap, August 19, 2010].
"Of course, many new trends can be extremely
damaging and must be discouraged. But the dividing line between progress and
perversion in all visual and performing arts is so thin that it is often almost
invisible . . . There’s no hard-and-fast rule in this regard, and every
manifestation of change must be judged on the basis of its own merits. And
naturally, you must be a very imaginative and fair judge if your verdict is to
be valid and valuable." [Thyagaraja Jazz Suite, June 22, 2007].
"We would certainly like our adventurous
musical ambassadors to perform in their own country now and then with their
foreign collaborators, and subject their credentials to our critical
scrutiny." [Alien connections: why, who and how? August 2, 2007].
Mystic
vision of fusion
In such an extremely intricate scenario, it must
have taken great courage of conviction for Aruna Sairam -- who is a leading
exponent of our sacred classical music in its purest form -- to give us such a
transparent view of her experiment, right here in the Mecca of Carnatic music.
I do find her mystic vision of 'fusion' truly admirable, and I hope I have the
proper credentials for saying so!
(to be continued)
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 23 Sept. 2012
Western colors
“Aruna’s true achievement was to
preserve the authentic character and mystic spirit of both traditions equally
well, while letting them also crystallize into a common idiom which was
saturated with Bhakthi. In this sense, the whole exercise was, in my opinion, a
case of spiritual transfusion, rather than mere ‘fusion’.”
That’s how I had summed up my impressions of Aruna
Sairam’s presentation of the intriguing similarity between the melodic patterns
of Carnatic music and those of the medieval West European musical tradition of
Gregorian chants, in a recent article . . . There were certain
other important elements and aspects of the concert under review, which I had
intended to discuss subsequently. But as things turned out actually, in the
next article I was tempted to recall several significant comments I had made in
this column during the past several years about the ongoing trends of alien
connections of Carnatic musicians. This substantial set of quotations couldn’t
be accommodated in the Friday Review for want of space, but it was published in
the Online edition . . . .
I had concluded the article with the following
observation: “In such an extremely intricate scenario, it must have taken great
courage of conviction for Aruna Sairam to give us such a transparent view of
her experiment, right here in the Mecca of Carnatic music. I do find her mystic
vision of ‘fusion’ truly admirable, and I hope I have the proper credentials
for saying so!”
Moderation
and integrity
Now, let me resume my comments on the concert
under review: The couple of Gregorian chants which Aruna rendered in Latin and
archaic Italian -- and the corresponding Sanskrit sloka and Tamil song -- were
only a small segment of the 90-minutes-long performance, which included several
songs in Sanskrit, Tamil, Marathi and Bengali (Dikshitar’s ‘Hiranmayeem’ in
Lalitha; Mysore Vasudevachar’s ‘Maamava Saraswati’ in Hindolam; Papanasam
Sivan’s ‘Naanoru Vilayaattu Bommaiya?’ in Navarasa Kannada; Subramania
Bharathi’s ‘Chinnanchiru Kiliye’ in Ragamalika; the abhang ‘Bhaktha Jana
Vathsale’; and the Durga song ‘Jaago Thumi Jaago’).
The underlying theme of the concert was the Divine
Mother, and quite appropriately the performance began and ended with a short
but soulful recitation of selected names of the Supreme Goddess figuring in
Lalitha Sahasranaama Sthothram. On the Gregorian Chant side, this was matched
by the two odes to the Virgin Mary.
Some of these songs were rendered with a
Westernized touch, with subtle undertones of church music and jazz, produced by
organ-like effects on the keyboard, and by acoustic/bass guitars and Western
drums. But this never took away the authentic Indian flavour of the music,
because it was all accomplished with extreme moderation and sensitive aesthetic
perception.
The accompanists were Embar Kannan on the violin
and Patri Satishkumar on the mridangam, and a set of bright youngsters
belonging to the enterprising band, Oxygen.
What strikes one most forcefully is the absolute
integrity which characterizes Aruna Sairam’s music even in her highly innovative
ventures. In the concert under review, the subtle Western colors she introduced
just looked like some exotic flowers grown in her own beautiful Indian garden!
(concluded)
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 14 March 2013
Sculptures in
sight and sound
“Malavika, in the chiselled lines of her dance,
has perfected Bharathanatyam to a point where its geometrical exactitude cannot
be bettered.” That's what the eminent dance critic Leela Venkatraman had said
in this newspaper about Malavika Sarukkai's accomplishment, 15 years ago. And
this is what she wrote recently: “While artistic freedom is every dancer’s
right, for one of Malavika’s stature exploring fresh avenues, the challenges of
living up to expectations and standards set by one’s own prowess can be
daunting.” ( The Hindu, Friday Review, October 5, 2012).
These were the significant comments I recalled
specifically in the course of an innovative joint performance of music and
dance in the Music Academy's main auditorium on Saturday last, where the stage
and limelight were shared by diva Aruna Sairam and dancer Malavika Sarukkai.
For both those observations would have been remarkably true of Aruna's music
also!
With her leisurely and majestic singing style, she
does invariably seem to be chiselling the melodies and songs into lovely
sculptures in sound. And as regards that second statement, you have only to
change the names, and the seasoned critic might have been talking word for word
about Aruna Sairam!
The first half of the program was devoted to a
clinical presentation of a couple of Tamil verses from Sri Aandal’s ‘Naachiaar
Thirumozhi’ rendered in ragas Hindholam and Aarabi; a brief vocal sketch of
raga Kharaharapriya, followed by crisp, danceworthy sequences of improvised
swaras; a soulful Hindi Meera bhajan in Kalyana Vasantham; and a romantic
Sanskrit song from Jayadeva's ‘Geetha Govindam.’ These initial numbers,
which depicted the feminine devotee’s adoration of Lord Krishna in spiritual
and romantic terms, progressed more or less on conventional lines.
Spell-binding
It was in the second half of the program that the
collaboration between Aruna and Malavika resulted in a performance which
acquired a grand and truly fascinating dimension. The magic materialized as
soon as Aruna began to sing one of her favourite Abhangs ‘Theertha Vittala’ in
Maraathi. For many years now Aruna has bound the rasikas in a spell with her
vigorous Vittala songs; and here was Malavika creating an actual visual
impression of the listeners’ subconscious awareness of devotees in temple
scenarios dancing in ecstasy!
And that mood was reinforced by the number which
followed -- Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi's ‘Kaalinga Narthana Thillaana.’
Music-lovers have always consciously imagined a dancer when listening
rapturously to Aruna's version of this lively piece of music -- and here was
Malavika again, providing an actual visual extension of that mental vision,
enacting the roles of both the awesome and evil serpent and the young God
Krishna vanquishing it. Truly a rewarding and mutually beneficial encounter between
diva and dancer!
Excellent accompaniment was provided by: S.
Srilatha (Nattuvangam), Nellai A.Balaji (mridangam), Sai Shravanam (Tabla),
Vishnu Vijay (flute) and Srilakshmi Venkataramani (violin).
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 20 Sept. 2013
On the charming
cowherd
Versatile vidhushi Aruna Sairam's music has so
many different dimensions that even in the endless repetition of some of the
most popular songs in her rich repertoire, one often finds some unusual
elements which add new colors to those familiar songs. This fact was strikingly
evident in her recent Oothukkadu Temple benefit concert at The Music Academy.
In recent years, Aruna has been playing a major
role in popularizing the compositions of Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, which have
several different dimensions.
Rare
krithis on Krishna
On this occasion, which coincided with the
celebration of Janmaashtami, she included some of his familiar as well as
unfamiliar krithis on Lord Krishna - in a delightful selection of songs tracing
the birth of the beautiful infant and the pranks of the playful child to a
lullaby.
The songs were further enhanced with the lively
dancing of young children trained by dance gurus Narasimhachari and
Vasanthalakshmi, in a pleasing stage setting reminiscent of Gokulam and
Brindaavan, the abode of the Divine Cowboy.
The addition of the flute and the thabla was
another feature that added novelty to the presentation. Excellent performances
by the following accompanists enhanced the lively atmosphere: Padma Shankar
(violin); J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam); Dr. Kartick (ghatam); Sruti Sagar
(flute); Kiran (thambura).
A cheque for Rs. 10 lakhs was presented by the
organizers of the benefit concert, SS International Live, to representatives of
the Oothukkadu Temple.
This reminded one of the way the legendary M.S.
Subbulakshmi had raised funds for the Ramakrishna Math.
Also present that evening was Dr. Kris Yogam from
the U.S., who made a substantial donation of Rs. 10 lakhs to the temple fund.
Beautiful garland
of songs
The songs that Aruna chose to trace the birth of
Krishna and enumerate his pranks are:
- ‘Vishamakkaara Kannan’ - Oothukkadu’s hilarious
song on the mischievous child.
- ‘Mandha Maarudham’ in Bhairavi – the birth of
Krishna in a tense atmosphere concerning his security.
- ‘Tamadbhutam Balakam’ - A sloka from Bhagavatham,
on the glowing looks of the baby.
- ‘Oru Puram Nandarum’ - A viruttam in raagamalika,
on the infant’s secret transport across the river.
- ‘Oruthi Maganai...’ in Behag - An Aandal verse
from Thiruppavai.
- ‘Uthi Uthi Gopala’ in Bhoopali - A Maraathi song
featuring a chorus by the gopis to awaken the lovely infant.
- ‘Thatthi Thatthi Nadanthu’ in Chenjurutti - This
talks about the child that starts walking.
- ‘Dekhori Dekhori’ - A cradle song in Brijbhashi,
by Saint Paramanand.
- ‘Thaaye Yashoda’ in Thodi - The popular song by
Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, on young Krishna's endless antics.
- ‘Maatrariyaadha Pasumponne’ in Nadanamakriya -
Yashoda's plea to the mischievous boy to stop his antics.
- ‘Brindaavani Venu’ in Abheri - a Marathi abhang by
Bhanudasa describing the fascination with which wild and tame animals alike
listen to Krishna's flute in the forest.
- ‘Manamayakkum’ - A virutham by Venkata Kavi, on
the beautiful cows and calves of Gokulam.
- 'Kaalinga Narthana Thillana' - the glorious dance
of Krishna on the serpent Kalinga.
- ‘Maadu Meikkum Kanne’ - Yashoda's protests about
young Krishna’s forays into the forest herding the grazing cows, and the boy's
humorous response.
- ‘Maanickam Katti Vairam Katti’ in Neelambari - A
paasuram by Periazhwar.
- ‘Mani Noopura Dhari’ - A lullaby in Neelaambari,
by Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi.
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, 13 Nov. 2015
Aruna Sairam
meets Agam
There is nothing new about
associating Indian classical music with Western rock. Fifty years ago, the
Beatles and Rolling Stones introduced Indian colors marginally into their
music, giving rise to a trend known as Raga Rock.
Today, with the proliferation of
television channels and music shows, numerous talented rock bands have sprung
up in India, with many trying to mix the nuances of Western rock with Indian
classical and popular music. For many such bands in the South, the main source
of inspiration is Carnatic music, and outstanding among them is Agam, a band of
seven music-minded software professionals from Bengaluru.
The 12-year-old ensemble, which
has been steadily gaining popularity, suddenly found itself catapulted into the
stratosphere last week, performing at The Music Academy in the exalted company
of Aruna Sairam, one of the most popular vocalists in Carnatic music today.
Aruna is well-known for her
majestic projection of the conventional elements of Carnatic music such as
outlining melodies, articulating sacred compositions, elaborating selected
phrases of lyrics, and improvising melodic variations, which establish her
credentials as a formidable Carnatic vocalist.
She has an exuberant way of
rendering specific songs that invoke compelling spiritual visions — such as
Krishna dancing on the serpent’s hood, earnest devotees appealing to Durga to
wake up at dawn, or a boyish Krishna pleading with his mother to let him go
cow-herding in the forest. And Aruna’s adoring audiences everywhere clamor
endlessly for these visions to be re-enacted.
Aruna has a natural flair for
innovation, and she has effectively integrated a genre of lilting Maraathi
devotional songs called Abhangs into her Carnatic music concerts, which is one
of the main reasons for her immense popularity.
The same adventurous spirit
induced her to team up with French musician Dominique Vellard in 2012 (to
marvelously transfuse the bloodstreams of Carnatic music and the Gregorian
chant) and with Indian classical dancer Malavika Sarukkai in 2013 for a
sight-and-sound collaboration.
It wasn’t, therefore, surprising
that Aruna’s quest for innovation should have led her to collaborate with Agam,
but the idea was intriguing.
Obviously, it could not be an
initial attempt to discover common ground between two alien systems of music,
because Agam had already started that voyage. Rather, the issue here was more
about just how far the joint venture could add value to the accomplishment of
the seasoned diva and the enterprising set of younger musicians.
It was obvious, too, that there
wouldn’t be much scope for the rock idiom to enhance the quality of Aruna’s
glorious music in any manner. So, the question really boiled down to this: how
far would Aruna’s association enhance the quality of Agam’s evolving art?
The answer, I found, was this: her
very presence on the stage as a performer lifted the image, morale and standard
of the ensemble sky-high. By merely putting her stamp of approval on their
enterprise, it certified the integrity of their objectives.
The program featured, among other
things, four sacred songs of the venerable composers Thyagaraja (‘Manavyaala’
in Nalinakaanthi, and ‘Bantureethi’ in Hamsanaadam) and Muthuswami Dikshitar
(‘Rangapura Vihaara’ in Brindaavana Saaranga and ‘Subrahmanyena’ in Suddha
Dhanyaasi).
The band had a vocalist and half a
dozen instrumentalists playing a synthesizer, electric guitars and drums. Aruna
chose to play only a marginal role, and did not overshadow the strong voice of
vocalist Harish, the band’s frontman. But her judicious interventions and moral
support inspired Harish to soar to a far higher altitude than his usual
standard, as can be seen from several videos available on YouTube.
Subsequently, Aruna did take the
lead with a vigorous abhang and her evergreen cowherd song. But even here, the
prima donna could not resist letting the limelight fall on Harish, by assigning
him the role of the boyish Krishna.
* * * * *
MUSICSCAN, January 06,
2017
Fresh approach
These are days when exponents of
Carnatic music have started globalizing the sacred tradition — thanks to the
eager response of the formidable South Indian diaspora, and the initiatives
taken by enterprising organizers abroad. At the same time, there is also a
growing awareness among organizers here, in South India, about the need to
disseminate Carnatic music to wider audiences representing diverse communities
and cultural orientations as well as different generations and outlooks
A unique example of such a milieu is the
just-concluded Chennayil Thiruvaiyaaru festival organized by Lakshman Sruthi,
in the spacious auditorium at the Kamaraj Arangam, featuring a continuous
stream of music and dance events, attracting more than 1,500 people, including
hundreds of youngsters. Although the title gives the impression that it is
exclusively about Carnatic music, its predominant elements are dance and
light-music programs; there are also many devotional concerts.
Among the leading Carnatic artists who support the
venture is Aruna Sairam, whose annual performance in this forum usually
features simple and technically uncomplicated pieces — including some of the
songs she has made popular in Carnatic music circles —which have universal
appeal.
In her concert on Christmas evening, however,
Aruna adopted a fresh approach, and rendered a composition of her own in the
form of an unusual Raagam-Thaanam-Pallavi. That was preceded by some
conventional numbers which had set up an intensely spiritual mood in the
overflowing auditorium: ‘Jagadhaananda-kaaraka’ and ‘Naada-thanumanisam,’
‘Kalyaanarama’ (Hamsanaadam; Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi), and ‘Mahaadeva Sambo’
(Revathi, Thanjavur Sankara Iyer).
Seven
pallavis
The RTP in Thodi featured short versions of the
melodic outline and the pulsating phase, and a concise rendering of the lovely
twin-lines: ‘Murugane, Guhane, Unadu Paadam Thunaiye / Vadivelane,
Valli-Manaalane’, followed by improvised swaras.
While it is usual to render the swara sequences
following a pallavi in raagamalika, Aruna added a twin-line pallavi composed by
herself for each of six different ragas, corresponding to the six sacred
‘kshetras’ where the ancient temples of Lord Muruga are situated.
So enthusiastic was the audience response that
Aruna was induced to lend a touch of sophistication, by singing side-by-side a
Sanskrit verse and a Gregorian chant in praise of Mother Mary, to celebrate
Christmas.
The subtle instrumental support provided by Padma
Shankar (violin), J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam), and S.V. Ramani (ghatam)
enhanced the quality of the soiree.
* * * * *
PostScript, Dec. 2018
Roots and branches
In recent years I've been on a long
sabbatical away from Carnatic music and music criticism. But marking
my rare attendance in one of Aruna's concerts in the ongoing
winter season, I got the impression that the roots of her many-sided
music are still buried very deeply and firmly in the classical
soil, though some of its branches have
developed exotic colors. Some soulful spells of her performance
once again made me think of the intensely meditative and mystic
quality of M.D. Ramanathan's music, my impressions about which
can be seen in the following sketch :-
How The MaestroGave Me A Glimpse Of God . . .
