Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Miscellaneous topics on Carnatic music
Post Reply
vijay.siddharth
Posts: 358
Joined: 14 May 2017, 13:08

Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by vijay.siddharth »

As many of us know, the vast majority of our neraval lines are either very inappropriate (Kama Moha Dasuneepai Rama from Emi Jesithe) or incomplete (Manikkam Vairam Mudal Navarathnaabharanangalum from Kaana Kan Kodi Vendum). Hence, while neraval is performed fantastically (perhaps it is the golden age for neraval singing), there tends to be 'vibareethams' associated with flouting the laws of grammar and altering the meaning of the song.

However, as I was thinking about this earlier, I came upon a solution. Why not sing neraval in the pallavi of these krithis (for example singing neraval in Kaana Kan Kodi Vendum or O Rangasayee or Emi Jesithemi)? This way, the meaning of the song is preserved, no grammar laws are flouted, and, since pallavis of these songs have large spaces between syllables, the vidwan/vidushi can do a more extensive neraval!

Please let me know what you think!

Cheers,

Siddharth

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by arasi »

Siddharth,
Yes, inappropriate lines are inappropriate! However, many singers do choose to do the neraval with the pallavi line--to the point it can be a predictable thing. Especially when the song may yield a beautiful line to please the ears (chandra bimba muga malrAlE ennaittAnE pArkiRAr oru kAlE--for example). Or, you take a long line like kAlinil silambu konja, sing to the end the line, then take up separate phrases from it, go back and forth and again, finish it by singing the whole long line. The imagery is elaborated then, to please the listeners. Then, philosophical lines which make a statement are welcome. karuNA sAgaran nI anRO? and such. In my simple bilahari song vaLLi nAyakanE vA, both the pallavi line and the charaNam line tandai nIyE, tavap pudalvanum nIYE are suitable :)

Rsachi
Posts: 5039
Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by Rsachi »

Or, you take a long line like kAlinil silambu konja, sing to the end the line, then take up separate phrases from it, go back and forth and again, finish it by singing the whole long line.
Precisely. Arasi said it. Make sure you do begin and end by singing the entire line

It is the sanchaari bhaava. You dwell on different phrases, extracting musical juice from them, perched at different swara sthanas, and let the musical bhaava flow, to assist the rasa of the original line and its meaning, exploring different dimensions.

As Shakespeare said famously, never quote a Niraval line in part. You will break the string of Victoria's pearls.

Rsachi
Posts: 5039
Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by Rsachi »

And Siddharth also sounds a proper word of caution. Never pick a line where the meaningful word or verb is so far down the line or tucked away like a policeman hiding in Saturday night traffic on Indiranagar 100-ft road. The words like Jaata Roopa Nibha chela, Janmarjita mamaakila are then repeated cyclically to yield hilariously inappropriate meanings. The kalayaami guy is really mixing things up then.

Sivaramakrishnan
Posts: 1582
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Sahitya passages selected for Neraval of late are becoming so imaginative that they rather lose the spontaneity and charm associated with the 'time tested points'.

Of course care shall be taken to avoid meaningless or 'unaesthetic passages', to illustrate, by eschewing 'janmaanthara mamaakhila' after 'Jatharoopa nibhachela ' (Devedeva kalayami-MM goula). Or happily take Bhuvanatrayanaayaka (anupallavi) for neraval and sing the anupallavi in full a couple of times (it is quite possible) to show that you take due care of what is conveyed.

But the recent 'growing trend' of selecting the Pallavi itself for Neraval is not welcome (at least as far as I am concerned!). Pallavi is that gets most repeated in a kriti and it would be unfair to 'squeeze' it further. In the (g)olden era neraval went by the most 'compatible idiom' for the raga in the varnamettu of the kriti. Do we mean to say that none of the musicians knew the meaning?
Stalwarts like GNB took Neravals at 'surprise points' (with due regard to the meaning) much to the excitement of rasikas. There are numerous examples.

Recently a young Vidwan framed a neraval passage by grafting one word from the first line of Anupaalavi with another word from the last line of charanam. I don't think this is required.

Neraval could be avoided if no suitable passages are available in the kriti. Do we run short of compositions that do not yield for meaningful neravals?

And do not forget we have RTPs that facilitate 'ne-revelling' to heart's content!

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by CRama »

Vijay Siddharth. Kindly attempt a neraval for the lines O Rangasayi or O Jagadamba and see the result.

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by shankarank »

Sivaramakrishnan wrote: 03 Nov 2017, 06:10 by eschewing 'janmaanthara mamaakhila' after 'Jatharoopa nibhachela ' (Devedeva kalayami-MM goula)
vijay.siddharth wrote: 02 Nov 2017, 06:06 very inappropriate (Kama Moha Dasuneepai Rama from Emi Jesithe)
TRS on : vAni mATalaku kOpa ginci kaNTa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cmzirv ... .be&t=1531

Like cittoor school musicians do ocassionally even in a single line neraval ( Somu, Tadepalli) , just do a two line neraval!

Like the double header Jack in a trump game. The man (SSI) who is able to bring in a card game metaphor to say dESAdi tALa is "No Trump" :evil: - செம்மங்குடி கல்கி தோட்டத்திலே இரண்டு தலை ஜாக் வந்தா சும்மா விட்டுருப்பாரா? நான் கேட்கட்டுமே! - would he lose the opportunity of a double header Jack in a Kalki Garden Trump game? :evil: :twisted: :lol: :lol:

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by shankarank »

Here is a four line neraval for you:

https://youtu.be/ipcOT35gnnU?t=537

bala747
Posts: 314
Joined: 20 Mar 2006, 12:56

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by bala747 »

CRama wrote: 03 Nov 2017, 16:48 Vijay Siddharth. Kindly attempt a neraval for the lines O Rangasayi or O Jagadamba and see the result.
I think it is definitely possible with O Rangasayi because of the raga-amaippu of Kambhoji allows for long syllables. O Rangasayi is commonly sung with about 10 sangathis anyway, so it is in essence a mini-neraval. IIRC Bombay Jayasree has sung it with the neraval at that very line. I don't know how good it was. Never heard or cared much for Bombay Jayasree but if she can pull it off, other far more accomplished vidwans would be able to as well.

Sivaramakrishnan
Posts: 1582
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: Neraval Lines - A Conundrum and a Solution

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

bala747,
Why bring rasikas to 'the edge of their seats' with such delicate exercises?
Many things are 'possible' but not aesthetic in music.

Post Reply