Lec-Dem by Ravikiran and Sriram Parashuram @Odakuthur Mutt

[srinidhi]

Lec Dem By Chitravina N.Ravikiran and Sriram Parashuram at Odakathur Mutt on Sunday.

The topic was " Method and techiniques of Improvisation in Carnatic music"

I arrived just as Sriram Parashuram was winding his introductory remarks. He seemed to have stressed on the fact that while manodharma, gave a free rein to the artiste's imagination, he was
bound by certain limitations- the raga, the swaras, the key phrases,etc. Without the restrictions, it would be anarchy.

Ravikiran took off from where SP left and began by saying that to be able to produce good quality music, one has to keep three things in mind- the swaras occuring in the raga, the sequence inwhich they occur and- what he calls as the essential feature of Carnataka Sangeetham- the gamakas intrinsic to the raga. He illustrated this by singing a few streches of swaras in Sahana especially the rishabha and the nishada. Todi, a gamaka laden raga also found mention.

Sriram eluciated the lakshana and the lakshya aspects and the need to learn several krtis in a particular raga to understand the raga lakshana. He sang the chittaswaram from the kriti Gajavadana- Todi , which is said to employ 14 different types of gamaka in gandhara.

Both artists stressed on the importance of voice culture- for vocalists. There were a few lighter moments when there was some disagreement between them. Sriram also gave a few examples of Hindustani ragas to demonstrate the difference in voice reqirements of the two streams. For e.g he sang a sketch of raag multani and then varaali- both of which are similar but which produce different effects.

Ravikiran then went on to explian what he called Compositional styles- that of the trinity, kshetragya padams and Oothukadu Venkata Kavi. He stressed on the need to adhere strictly to the nature of the compostion and the style of the composer.

Time was running out , so he briefly launched into explanation and execution of neraval and kalapana swarams. Questions from the audience were answered. Both artists acknowledged the need to learn from a good guru, a solid pathantharam, and the need to listen to past masters.

[msakella]

This is true. There are three notes, Sadharana-gandhara, Shuddha-madhyama and Kashiki-nishada, among the 12 notes, which make the Karnataka music wealthier and keep it as high as the head and shoulders of the world music. No other system of music in the world has this kind of special range of oscillation, gamaka in their music. So, the same thing I also did in respect of Kashiki-nishada of Bhairavi by bringing out 21 different raga-phrases in which the different facets of it are brought out through the ‘Analysis of Gamaka applied to Kaishi-nishada’ in my book, Sangita Svararaga Sudha (Engl;ish) in pages 175 & 176. Such things speak volumes of Karnataka music and obviously reveal that even the Panchadasha-gamakas do not cater the needs of gamakas of our Karnataka music. Even without understanding such in-depth intricacies of notes of the true Indian traditional music, the South Indian Karnataka music, people who are unable to bring out such different facets of notes, think that our musicians are not giving much importance to Shruti. But, at this juncture, I personally feel that, now, though very late, this is the responsibility of all our musicians to find a suitable system of notation symbolizing the different facets of such notes in particular for documentation as is done by me as part of my service to the cause of Music at this retired age. This is for kind information of all our musicians and music-lovers. amsharma.

[rajeshnat]

Sriram eluciated the lakshana and the lakshya aspects and the need to learn several krtis in a particular raga to understand the raga lakshana. He sang the chittaswaram from the kriti Gajavadana- Todi , which is said to employ 14 different types of gamaka in gandhara

There was once a hindustani-carnatic music mela conducted by carnatica , a year before in chennai. That day srirAm parasuram talked about the different gamakams in gajavadana . His communication was perfect and lucid, but I only got 4 to 5 gamakams,rest were bouncers. He gives great lectures.

[msakella]

Many of our Karnataka musicians cry aloud that our music cannot be written in notation and it must be learnt in person. They also tell that, as there is only one kind of shake in western music, writing notation has become very easy in their music and we cannot and should not do so. I cannot and do not agree with this argument. While a short fellow builds his house with shorter doors and , in the same manner, a short fellow wears a shorter pant, a longer fellow should build his house with longer doors and, in the same manner, a longer fellow wears a longer pant. A pant should be sized according to the person but not vice versa. In the same manner, I, being an elderly and experienced person in this field, feel that it is the duty of such people to make things possible to their kids. Let these musicians get what they want in their life, but they all should also feel to make the matters easier to their followers. Many of our musicians are always used to teach many Varnas and Kriris but a very little of Svarakalpana and Ragalapana. I have made umpteen experiments upon my students and found some easy methods in this aspect. To tell the fact, I, having given up even my concert life as a Top-grade Violinist, took the propagation of these easy methods in singing Svarakalpana and Ragalapana as a mission of my life even without expecting any monetary benefit at all and also wrote books on this particular topic. I am not writing all this to boost myself. I felt it as my duty and doing this but not to get any title or any fame or money at all. To make the Gamaka aspect easier to my music community I have introduced nearly 60 to 70 symbols in my book, Sangita Svararaga Sudha, defined each one of them with examples and some compositions of Bhairavi-raga. Bhairavi-raga is of more complexity than any other raga in Karnataka music as it incorporates all the three notes, Sadharana-gandhara, Shuddha-madhyama and Kashiki-nishada carrying very sensitive
Gamakas than any other note. So, I have tried my level best to define them fully. I cannot tell mine is the final. Still, I doubt whether I did cover all the aspects. I did not do this to prove my ability and also not that everybody sees this and follows. I wrote all this to make a start in this aspect and to initiate a person among thousands. I hope that, at one time, some other younger person should take the lead and continue the idea of making things easier to our Karnataka music community. This is for the kind information of all the musicians and music lovers. amsharma.