My show on Ragas

[DRML]

Dear All
Thank you for all the support, my show on Kalaignar TV Sugamana Ragangal is marching towards the 50th episode this week. This week, I have focused on few Ragas that are seen only in Carnatic Music and not in World Music at all. A lot of research and so much of hard work has gone behind the preparation.

This week I have played rare Muthuswamy Dikshitar Kritis like Siddisvaraya Namaste - Nilambari, Halasyanadham - Darbar which I learnt from my guru Smt Ramani Baskar from the Kallidaikuruchi Mahadeva Bhagavathar lineage and in this regards I'm very happy to possess a good number of rare Dikshitar Kritis which I perform in many of my concerts too. Very interesting that Yochana of Tyagaraja has `GGRS' prayoga of Darbar while in Halasyanadham this prayoga is not seen in the kriti. Some ragas like Dhenuka, Vaasanthi are seen in World Music traditions which I have played too in the World music segment. Dhenuka is seen in the Music of Italy and Romani Music. I have rendered an abhang in Raga Vaasanthi - known as Rag Bhoopeswari in Hindustani Music, a bhajan in Madhuvanti, a rare kriti of my guru Violinist Sri L. Vaidyanathan in Raga Vaasanthi which will be part of this weeks episodes.

I wish to thank all for the support, feed backs to me either by email, phone calls and messages. Looking forward for your continuous support.

DRML
http://drmlalitha.wordpress.com

[rshankar]

Dr. Lalita - welcome to the forum! Please continue to post here and educate us. We look forward to interesting interactions with artists like you!

[DRML]

Thank you rshankar, Its my pleasure to meet you all and hope to continue interacting.

[ganeshkant]

I have not seen this prog.yet.Unfortunately no one has bothered to announce the timings.

[DRML]

Ganesh, the timings are from 8. 20 (sometimes 8.30) to 9 am

[ganeshkant]

Thanks.Hope its daily except may be week ends.

[Govindaswamy]

Dr Lalita
Today (8.8.12) I have seen your posting and saw your lecture demonstration of the rAgam dEnukA. Knowing that you have presented nearly 50 episodes made me feel sad, for having missed such an educative programme.

In the first place for making these observations I request you in advance not to take offence. I am an ordinary rasika enjoying music for more than 60 years but not knowing the science of music.

You had presented the kriti ‘teliyalEru rAmabhakti mArgamu’ which is familiar to most of the rasikas. The kriti of kOTIswR ayyar is not so well known. You played the first one in full and the second one only partly. It would have been better if the presentation was the othet way. Only one sangati of the film song was presented. Is one sangati in a song qualify it to make claim for this rAgam.
You were reeling out lot of information about this rAgam appearing in World Music Traditions. Most of your presentation went well over my head. I thought that only senior students of music could grasp the information at the speed at which you were presenting it.

I would have preferred if you played the same (similar) rAga pieces in hindustAni and worls music and explained the similarities/variations. 30 minutes is too short a period.
Regards
Govindaswamy

[DRML]

Sri Govindaswamy, thank you for your valuable feed backs.

The Kriti I presented was only Theliyaleru Rama and I mentioned about the other Kriti in the same raga Karunai Kadale of Kotisvara Iyer and sung some phrases of Dhenuka. The entire concept of the program is ragas in Carnatic Music and their usages / equivalence in Tamil Film / World Music/ World Fusion / Folk Music traditions and therapy.The more focus is on Carnatic Music / World Music and their different genres and Therapy, since much has been spoken about many on the Carnatic Ragas and equivalent Tamil Film songs. That's why when I speak about a FiIm song, I also tell, that this is based on this raga, and also if the raga or svaras change in between along with an short analysis of the song along with the BGM's presented sometimes.

Regarding the World Music / Fusion I do play the same in the World Music Segment. In fact for Dhenuka, today I played two songs one from the Italian Music and the other from the Romani Music repertoire apart from explaining how Dhenuka known as the Neopolitan Minor is seen in the Italian Music traditions. I also spoke about the Music of Italy and Romani Music. I know the time is short to bring in all the elements and Im trying my best to incorporate the main details in each segments.

For every raga I m trying to add different world music elements if there's any equivalence and also add different musical forms. I have played a bhajan, an abhang for Madhuvanti, Vaasanti ragas which are yet to be aired.

I value all your feed backs and appreciate for taking much of your valuable time in writing to me. Thank you once again.

[ganeshkant]

Today I watched ur program on Darbar which was informative as well as educative.Pl.continue.

[DRML]

Thank you Ganeshkant

[venkatakailasam]

Dr. M Lalitha explaining Raga Mathuvanthi...recording on 10-08-2012...

http://jumbofiles.com/73kono10g81k/Dr M Lalitha-violin-Raga Maduvanthi-MP2_Aug10_082748_0.mp3.html

It is a Hindustani music raga, which is reported to have been borrowed into Carnatic music, and is structurally similar to Multani.

Madhuvanti is the janya raga of the 59th Melakarta of Carnatic Music, Dharmavati.

Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is ....
ārohaṇa: S G2 M2 P N3 S
avarohaṇa: S N3 D2 P M2 G2 R2 S

It is played in the evening....

Lalgudi's thillana.. is a famous one..

[DRML]

Sri Venkatakailasam, Thank you for your contribution....

[Govindaswamy]

Dear Madam
After your posting in this website informing us about your programme in Kalignar TV, I have been watching your presentations and getting educated. However I wish to point out the following aspect which can be improved upon.
While taking up the comparison of a particular Raga in carnatic music with a tune with some resmblance to it in the music of another country you tend to list out the instruments used there. This information does not register with the viewer in the absence of at least a picture of the instruments. A sample of the tune is preferable. On some days you present such sample.
Today while presenting jaganmOhini kriti Sobhillu saptaswara you mentioned the text in anupaalavi as “nAbhihRtkanTha caraNa’ ‘ The lst word is ‘rasana’ which means tongue.
I am giving the full song with meaning.
Regards
Govindaswamy
( Coutesy Sri.V.Govindan)
SObhillu sapta svara-jaganmOhini

In the kRti ‘SObhillu sapta svara’ – rAga jaganmOhini (tALa rUpakaM), SrI tyAgarAja describes the greatness of music (sangItam).

pallavi
SObhillu 1sapta svara
2sundarula bhajimpavE manasA
________________________________________

anupallavi
3nAbhi hRt kaNTha rasana
nAs(A)dula(y)andu (SObhillu)
________________________________________

caraNam
dhara Rk sAm(A)dulalO
vara 4gAyatrI hRdayamua
sura bhU-sura mAnasamuna
Subha tyAgarAjuni(y)eDa (SObhillu)
________________________________________

Gist

O My mind!
• Worship the radiant sapta svara divinities.
• Worship the sapta svara divinities radiant at navel, heart, throat, tongue and nose etc.
• Worship the sapta svara divinities radiant -
o in the vEdas which are support (for the creation);
o in the heart of sacred gAyatrI (mantra) (as OM - nAdOMkAra);
o in the minds of celestials and brAhmaNas; and
o in the person of this fortunate tyAgarAja.

________________________________________

Word-by-word Meaning

pallavi
SObhillu sapta svara
sundarula bhajimpavE manasA

O My mind (manasA)! Worship (bhajimpavE) the radiant (SObhillu) sapta svara divinities (sundarlua) (literally beautiful ones).
________________________________________

anupallavi
nAbhi hRt kaNTha rasana
nAsa-Adula-andu (SObhillu)

O my Mind! Worship the sapta svara divinities radiant at (andu) navel (nAbhi), heart (hRt), throat (kaNTha), tongue (rasana) and nose (nAsa) etc. (Adula) (nAsAdulayandu).
________________________________________

caraNam
dhara Rk sAma-AdulalO
vara gAyatrI hRdayamua
sura bhU-sura mAnasamuna
Subha tyAgarAjuni-eDa (SObhillu)

O My mind! Worship the sapta svara divinities radiant -
in the vEdas – Rg vEda (Rk), sAma vEda etc. (AdulalO) (sAmAdulalO) which are the support (for the creation) (dhara);
in the heart (hRdayamuna) of sacred (vara) gAyatrI (mantra) (as OM - nAdOMkAra);
in the minds (mAnasamuna) of celestials (sura) and brAhmaNas (bhU-sura); and
in the person (eDa) of this fortunate (Subha) (literally auspicious) tyAgarAja (tyAgarAjuni) (tyAgarAjuniyeDa).
________________________________________

Notes –
References -
1 – sapta svara - shadjaM, RshabhaM, gAndhAraM, madhyamaM, pancamaM, daivataM, nishAdaM.

Comments -
2 – sundarula bhajimpavE – ‘worship these sapta svara divinities’ - nAdOpAsana.

3 - nAbhi, hRt, kanTha, rasana and nAsa - SrI tyAgarAja has only mentioned the abodes from where (or path through which) sapta svara are vocalised. Further, he also mentions ‘Adula’ meaning etc. It not clear whether this means ‘mUlAdhAra’.

SrI tyAgarAja specifically mentions the place of origin of sapta svara as ‘mUlAdhAra’ (mUlAdhAraja) in kRti ‘svara rAga sudhA’ – rAga SankarAbharaNaM. In the same kRti, SrI tyAgarAja mentions about the abodes of sapta svara – ‘sapta svara gRhamulu’; it is not clear whether the seven cakras (of kuNDalini yOga) are meant to represent the sapta svaras ; if that be so the correspondence would be – mUlAdhAra – sa; svAdhishThAna – ri; maNipUra - ga; anAhata - ma; viSuddhi - pa; AjnA - da; sahasrAra – ni. Further, it is not clear how they are to be related to mUlAdhAra, nAbhi, hRt, kanTha, rasana and nAsa mentioned in this kRti.

In lalitA sahasranAmaM, mother is called ‘parA’, ‘paSyanti’, ‘madhyamA’, ‘vaikharI rUpA’.

“parA – The transcendent Word - above other lower stages of speech known as paSyanti (inaudible stage), vaikharI (uttered audible speech) and madhyamA (intermediate stage between paSyanti and vaikharI)”. (Translation by Swami Tapasyananda)

Discourse of Kanchi Paramacharya Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (Page 30) on ‘parA’, ‘paSyanti’, ‘madhyamA’, ‘vaikharI.

Article on 'sapta svaras' and their relation to the seven cakras.

Details regarding ‘anAhata nAda’ may be found in the e-book ‘kuNDalini yOga’ by Swami Sivananda.

As sapta svara belong to the category of 'ahata nAda' (caused sound), it is only at vaikharI stage that audibility is possible.

4 – gAyatrI hRdayamuna – This refers to nAdOMkAra which is the nature of the parabrahman (sadASiva mayamagu nAdOMkAra) – kRti ‘rAga sudhA rasa’. In the kRti ‘mOkshamu galadA’, SrI tyAgarAja states –

prANAnala saMyOgamu valla
praNava nAdamu sapta svaramulai paraga

“Due to fusion of vital force with fire (energy), the sound of OM has elaborated into sapta svara.”