Viloma Chapu Kritis

[vilomachapu]

We know Shyama sastri hass composed some kritis in viloma chapu. talli ninnu nera, meena lOchana brOva, ninnuvina mari dikkevarunnAru are few examples. Has Thyagaraja or any other composer composed in this tala?

[keerthi]

The pallavi-anupallavi of buddhi rAdu - SankarAbharaNam are usually sung in viloma chApu, while the caranam is in the regular chapu.

Also, your third example ought to be ninnu vinAga mari dikkevarunnAru.

[vasanthakokilam]

I am curious about a related thing as well. There are a lot of Misra Chapu krithis whose eduppu is as follows: 123 45 67, these krithis start before '4'. Viloma Chapu songs start on 4. Is there any material laya difference if one considers these Atheetha eduppu of VC?

[keerthi]

There are a lot of Misra Chapu krithis whose eduppu is as follows: 123 45 67, these krithis start before '4'. Viloma Chapu songs start on 4. Is there any material laya difference if one considers these Atheetha eduppu of VC?

I don't know if there are lots of Mishra chApu kRti-s with eDuppu after 6 akSara-s. We could try making a list of chApu tAla kRti-s with different eduppu-s. I think both tryashra tripuTa and mishra chApu have scope for much variation regarding eDuppu, and this has been well exploited by composers of padams, maybe to some degree by other vAggeyakAra-s too.

mInalOcana brova [in the version I learnt] begins before 6, i.e. after 10 akSarams; but this eDuppu changes in the caraNam, where the cross rhythm is more apparent.

ninnu vinAga [the chApu version] begins at the point you mention - 4, but the caraNam again has a different take-off point. [before 3?]. I think it is the same for nannu brovu lalitA.

Is there any material laya difference if one considers these Atheetha eduppu of VC?

While the important feature of this tAla may not be in the inversion of the familiar chApu's rhythm [123-12-12 converted to 12-12-123], surely there is a different architecture and laya flavour to this set of compositions, when compared to a more predictable misra cApu setting as seen in nannu brovumani ceppave or nidhi cAla sukhamA.

[vasanthakokilam]

OK, may not be lots of krithis, but when I hear MC songs I kind of check if the eduppu is atheetham to 4 and I find that template used in quite a few songs. I will come up with other examples, but the songs I have in mind are the ones like Endraikku Shiva Krupai, kadaikkan ( begada ), pakkala nilabadi etc. I would put 'nidhi cAla sukhamA' as well in that category. But you called that predictable, so what I am referring to as 'atheetham to 4' may be the common place one. I consider that Atheetham to '4' rather than anagatham to '1' since the first major stress falls on '4' but it can go either way

btw, I just noticed in 'talli ninnu nera', while the start is right on '4', 'nammi' is atheetham to '4' and so is the start of the anupallavi.

Having said that I see what you are saying. These VC songs do have their own laya characteristics. Not surprising I suppose and eduppu does have an effect on that overall laya personality.

[Suryasriram]

Well there is always Deva Sri Tapasteerthapuri in Madhyamavati of Tyagaraja.

[vilomachapu]

Thanks a lot keerthi. buddhi rAdu in viloma chapu is a surprise for me. Any recordings of this version available?

[mohan]

I understand Abhishek and someone else (Sowmya perhaps) sang ninnu vina (purvi kalyAni)at the Music Academy in normal misra cApu as opposed the usual vilOma cApu!

[vijay.siddharth]

It was vidushi Sowmya in her Music Academy concert, with the accompaniment of vidwans Nagai Sriram, Neyveli Narayanan, and Payyanoor Guruprasad. She also sung neraval and swarams to 'Ninnu Vinanga Mari Dikkevvaru'. If you need the recording, please let me know. I may share it.