Great composers of Kerala

Carnatic composers (other than performing vidwans)
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jayaram
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Post by jayaram »

http://www.hindu.com/ms/2006/12/01/stor ... 230400.htm

There is mention in this article of a kriti Sarasijanayana in Puranira ragam by Rukmini Bai. Has anyone heard this kriti/ragam?
Her compositions Sarasijanayana in raga Puranira is unique for the Sahitya each part of which begins with each of the Saptaswaras.

Lakshman
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Post by Lakshman »

puranirmai is the old name for the modern bauLi.

jayaram
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Post by jayaram »

Thank you Lakshman. Are there other ragams that have changed names over time?

And do you have the lyrics to this kriti?

ramakriya
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Post by ramakriya »

jayaram wrote:Are there other ragams that have changed names over time?
Many ragas have changed their names in their long history

Some names which I can recall are

dombakriya -> bhUpAli -> mOhana
madhyamAdi -> madhyamAvati
dEshvAlagouDa -> kEdAragouLa
sindhurAmakriya -> subha pantuvarALi
rAmakriya -> kAmavardhini
karnATA gouDa -> kannaDagouLa -> vAgadhIshvari (possibly)

And many have evolved changing names during this process - This is much more than just a name change

dhanyAsi -> shuddha dhanyAsi (dhanyAsi originally was a ouDuva rAga)
sAvEri -> shuddha sAvEri
vasanta -> shuddha vasanta

-Ramakriya
Last edited by ramakriya on 09 Jan 2007, 05:50, edited 1 time in total.

ranjani
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Post by ranjani »

karnATA gouDa -> kannaDagouLa -> vAgadhIshvari (possibly)
I think Kannadagowla and Vagadhisvari are two distinct ragas.

Lakshman
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Post by Lakshman »

Here are the paNs and their equivalent modern names:

naTTapADai-Nata
takkarAgam, takkEsi=kAmbhOji
gAndhAram, biyandai gAndhAram, kolli, kollikkavvarNam=navarOj
sAdAri, naTTarAgam=kAmavardhani
kaushikam=bhairavi
vyAzhakkurinji=saurASTra
AndALikkurinji=sAmA
sevvazhi=yadukulakAmbhOji
pancamam=Ahiri
gAndhAra pancamam=kEdAragauLa
indaLam=mAyAmALavagauLa
puranIrmai=bauLi
pazhampanjuram=shankarAbharaNa
pazham takkarAgam=shuddhasAvEri
mEgharAgakkurinji=nIlAmbari
kurinji=harikAmbhOji
sIkAmaram=nAdanAmakriya
sendurutti=madhyamAvati

Sorry I don't have the lyrics for sarasija nayana song.

meena
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Post by meena »

here is some info Re: the kriti Sarasijanayana in Puranira ragam:

[quote]She had composed another kriti, ‘Sarasijanayana,â€

ramakriya
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Post by ramakriya »

ranjani wrote:
karnATA gouDa -> kannaDagouLa -> vAgadhIshvari (possibly)
I think Kannadagowla and Vagadhisvari are two distinct ragas.
True - I was only indicating the historic structure. In fact a mELa called karnATagouDa is said to have existed taking the swaras that we associate with vAgadhIswari now.

The same is true with bhUpAla -> mohana as well; Now bhUpALa and mOhana are distinct rAgas.

jayaram
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Post by jayaram »

here is some info Re: the kriti Sarasijanayana in Puranira ragam:
Meena - thank you! This kriti sounds very interesting. If only we could get the complete sahitya...
Radhakrishan-ji, can you help?

meena
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Post by meena »

jayaram, if u have a non commercial clip ur welcome to u/l, one of our many talented/skilled mem. will help u out with the txt.

jayaram
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Post by jayaram »

Meena - how I wish I had that recording with me! No, and I have not heard anyone sing it either. Hence my plea to Radhakrishnan.

I will check with my mom this weekend. She grew up in Trivandrum steeped in Travancore culture and music.

Btw, the listing of Irayimman Thampi compositions at the site http://carnatica.net/special/irayimman-ppn.htm includes two rare ragams: kakubha and indIsha - does anyone have more info on them?

Also, the Todi kriti japata japata harinAma is mentioned as a Thampi kriti - I'd always assumed it was Swati Tirunal's
Last edited by jayaram on 10 Jan 2007, 15:34, edited 1 time in total.

Radhakrishnan
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Post by Radhakrishnan »

Jayaram, Rugmini bhai(or rather Ayilyam tirunAl rugmini bhAi thampurATi) was the sister of swAti tirunAl.I don’t have the lyrics of that song,shall try to get it.
Other composers mentioned in that Hindu article,like K.C.Kesava Pilla,have composed some beautiful songs.
Last edited by Radhakrishnan on 10 Jan 2007, 20:38, edited 1 time in total.

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

can any one assist me on compositions of tulasivanam and pudukkode krishnamrthy, kutty kunju tankachi and other female composers of the royal family of travancore
gr

kmrasika
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Post by kmrasika »

jayaram wrote:Also, the Todi kriti japata japata harinAma is mentioned as a Thampi kriti - I'd always assumed it was Swati Tirunal's
So is nityamAShrayE (rItigauLa) and centAsAyakarUpa(jAvaLi - bEhAg). irayimman thampi is the maternal uncle of svAti and was also a musician in the latter's royal court, hence the attribution of compositions to svAti is not surprising. kuTTikunju tankacci as you've probably found out by reading ShrI PPN Sir's article is his daughter.

A number of lyrics of of tulasIvanam rAmacandran nAyar's compsitions are here: http://www.karnatik.com/co1121.shtml

pudukkOTTai kr.shNamUrti's works haven't been published, I think.

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

Does Any One Know Of PudukkoDE Krishnamurthy's Life/works
Last edited by gangar2758@vsnl.net on 04 Feb 2008, 23:34, edited 1 time in total.

meena
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Post by meena »


sivachinta1965
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Post by sivachinta1965 »

dear Rasikas

Kotungallur Kunjikuttan Thampuran( Kerala Vyasan) and his brother Bhagavathar Kunjunni Thampuran , together introduced a new raga called " Medha". any information on this Raga??

Sivaprasad

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

Thanks For The Info On Pudukkode Krishnamurthy
Am Interested In Knowing More

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

cud u tell if they hv composed songs?

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

wud be thankful for info on ennappadam venkatraman bhagavatar,s compositions other than those in book"venkataramaneeyam"
Last edited by gangar2758@vsnl.net on 07 Feb 2008, 21:04, edited 1 time in total.

sivachinta1965
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Post by sivachinta1965 »

dear Rasikas

some thing interesting

Thulaseeva... was later involved in a fake land deal and he was charged with land grabbing . later, I think somehow he escaped!

vs_manjunath
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Post by vs_manjunath »

paripAlaya mAm in rIti gowla is a lovely composition of Swathi Tirunal. GNB used to sing this composition execllently well.
This has become rarely sung now a days.
Last edited by vs_manjunath on 08 Feb 2008, 09:48, edited 1 time in total.

harish03
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Post by harish03 »

i would like know , is there any site i can down load swathi thirunal kirthis legally.

can anyone help me pl.

thanks
hari

devi
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Post by devi »


rajeeram
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Post by rajeeram »

Check this Dept of Culture, Govt of Kerala web site.

http://www.swathithirunal.in/
Last edited by rajeeram on 05 May 2008, 23:14, edited 1 time in total.

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

Why no discussion on this topic for quite some time. Does no one with links to kerala music interact here?

rshankar
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Post by rshankar »

gangar,

Why don't you take the lead?

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

okay .
first of all i wud like to know if the audio links at swati's site are working? hv not been able to listen to any. ihv tried mailing to the said site .no help!!!!!
secondly ,any body hving notations of the varnas of irayimman tampi?
Last edited by gangar2758@vsnl.net on 29 Jan 2009, 01:24, edited 1 time in total.

mohan
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Post by mohan »

Review about a recent lec-dem on the topic
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/01/30/stor ... 230300.htm

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

i think this topic cud be split into individual composers from kerala

gn.sn42
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Post by gn.sn42 »

I came across this recently, and as I couldn't find a reference on this forum, thought I'd provide the links:

The Kerala government web site has an interesting document, "Contribution of Travancore to Karnatic Music", by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy:

Part 1 of 7
Part 2 of 7
Part 3 of 7
Part 4 of 7
Part 5 of 7
Part 6 of 7
Part 7 of 7

gangar2758@vsnl.net
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Post by gangar2758@vsnl.net »

17 Reply by sivachinta1965 2008-02-06 09:35sivachinta1965
Member
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Re: Great composers of Keraladear Rasikas

"Kotungallur Kunjikuttan Thampuran( Kerala Vyasan) and his brother Bhagavathar Kunjunni Thampuran , together introduced a new raga called " Medha". any information on this Raga??"

Dear sri Sivaprasad----
pls tell where u got this piece of info?

sivachinta1965
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Post by sivachinta1965 »

dear gang ji,

I belong to that family.

This is only a "kettu kelvi"( malayalam). my mother's elder sister mentions this usually, but no solid reference. There is good possibility. They never kept any records!, but they have contributed amazingly to the world of art and culture.

They were also good sangita Rasikas. Kunjikuttan Thampuna's uncle was a "Chakrathanam" holder ( in Veena).

VK RAMAN
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Post by VK RAMAN »

Here are a few names of composers in Kerala:
Poonthanam
Swathi Thirunal
Irayaman Thampi (1782-1856), whose given name was Ravi Varma, is famous for his lullaby ‘Omanathingal
Mahakavi Kuttamuthu Kunju Kurup (1880-1943), who wrote musical plays and was the editor of Kerala Chandrika,
K.C. Kesava Pillai (1868-1914), who wrote his first attakatha-Prahlada charitram at the age of 15 and was conferred the title, Sarasa Gayaka Kavimani,
Govinda Maaraar (1798-1843), also referred to as Shadkaala Maaraar, because he could handle six kalams
Neelakanta Sivan (1839-1900), a Tamil who lived in Kerala
Lakshmana Pillai (1864-1950) another Tamil poet, who lived in Kerala
M.D. Ramanathan (1923-1984),
Thulasivanam (pseudonym for Ramachandran Nair, retired IAS officer) who composes kritis in praise of the deities in different temples, Ayyappan, Ettumanoor Siva, Padmanabha of Trivandrum, to name a few.

venkatakailasam
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Re: Great composers of Kerala

Post by venkatakailasam »

The story of Poonthanam:

The Poonthanam Namboodiri got married very late . The couple have to wait for a long period to get blessed with a baby. At last, the Antharjanam (wife of Namboodiri) gave birth to a baby boy.

This made the whole village happy.

Poonthanam Namboodiri being a devotee of Guruvayurappan, offered to give the lord’s name to his baby.

He invited all their relatives to the naming ceremony.

The house was full of relatives, Namboodiri’s wife fed the baby full and made him sleep in the corner of the room and was busy with the guests . There was no light in the room. The guests left their angavastram ( Shawl covering their chest) in the same corner where the child was lying with out realizing that the child was there. After sometime when they were searching for the baby,they found that the child was dead due suffocation in the corner.

After the tragedy, Poonthanam become an ardent devotee of The Lord Guruvayurappan.

He consoled himself and started giving Sri Bhagavatham lectures in and around the village temples in a language understood by the villagers.

People used to gather in large numbers to hear his lecture.

He turned out to be a great poet of the 16th century. He wrote devotional poems aiming at social reforms. He exhorted the people to have moral values.
Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri another Devotee who received the vision of Bhagavan Krishna at Guruvayoor, was a contemporary of Poonthanam Namboodiri

Information from net.....

Some of his songs:

Njanappana
Kandu_Kandu
Dushtanayulla Yavananumappohe
kanikanum neram kamala nethrante
Sairanthri Thannude
Sodariyaya Subadraye
Ambadi Thannilorunni – Namarachana
bhoomithan bharam


http://mfi.re/listen/3mffhw5swrb8h2w/Co ... bhudri.mp3

VK RAMAN
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Re: Great composers of Kerala

Post by VK RAMAN »


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