Songs, Presentation and Appeal

[smala]

My attempt here is to point how the same song can move you deeply depending on who, how and the raga. Hope this thread will produce more followups with the same songs that are distinctly different when sung by a another artist !

Here are two versions of the same krithi, Purandhara Dasar-

In Vasantha - pleasant and quite enjoyable as a musical piece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruiF_X1aOOE

The second, following an intense viruttam, gets my full attention making me want to know the import of the words, reaching out to the depths of my soul. Raga?

http://www.hummaa.com/search/search.php ... +rama+rama

[mahavishnu]

the ragam is Tilang. I believe it is from Kamba ramayanam...

[smala]

the ragam is Tilang. I believe it is from Kamba ramayanam...

Composed by Purandara Dasar, based on the Kamba Ramayana ? Tilang is what makes so powerful?

[mahavishnu]

The second, following an intense viruttam, gets my full attention making me want to know the import of the words, reaching out to the depths of my soul. Raga?

No, the viruttam is from Kamba Ramayanam.
I was just responding to your question about what ragam it was.

[smala]

MV - I was referring to song *after" the viruttam - Rama Rama Rama Eniro in my post 1 for comparison of the same song by two artists!

[Enna_Solven]

The viruttham is from kamba rAmayanam. The song is by purandaradasa.

rAma rAma : vasanta / tilang. Adi (lyric from Lji)

pallavi
rAma rAma rAma rAma rAma ennirO sItA

anupallavi
nEmadinda bhajisuvavara kAmitagaLa koDuva nAma

caraNam
amarapatiya divya nAma andu odagado

bharati yamana bhaTaru bandu horaDuyendu meTTi tuLidu
koraLigAtma sEridAga hariya dhyAna bhAradayya

indriyangaLella kUDi bandu tanuva musukidAga
sindhu suteya patiya nAma andigodagalariyadayya

shvAsa khAsaveraDu kaNTha vAsavAgi silukidAga
vAsudEva krSNana nAma A samayakodagadayya

shrngArada dEhavella angabaDidu muridu biddu
kangaLigAtma sEridAga shrI rangana nAma odagadayya

vAta pittaveraDu kUDi shlESma bandu odagidAga
dhAtugundidAga raghunAtha dhyAna odagado

kallu maranante jIva nilladante maraNa vyALe
pullanAbha krSNanembo sollu bAyigodagadayya

bharadi yamana bhaTaru bandu horaDiyandu meTari
muriyalu koraLi gAttma sEridAga hariya nAma odagado

bhraSTa janmadalli bandu duSTa karmagaLane mADi
biTTu hOgva samaya purandara viTTala nAma odagadayya

keTTa janmadalli puTTi duSTa karma mADi dEha
biTTu hOguvAga purandra viTTalana nAma odagado

Ihadalli iSTavuNTu paradalli sukhavuNTu vara
purandara viTTaLanna smaraNe bAyige odagado

[smala]

Thanls E-S for coming to the rescue - back to my point again - do you get the same difference of feel with same song presented in :

-Vasantha
-Tilang

Seems a world of difference to me! Don't know why the powerful one is *not* the norm? Similar to the argument of Kanden Kanden Sitaiyai BUT here the difference made is SO stark.

[Enna_Solven]

I prefer the tilang version (vasanthA has its own charm). I think the differences are mainly due to the rAgAs chosen but I leave it to the experts. PD's songs are sung in all sorts of rAgAs by various schools. Nithyashree's version concentrates more on the musicality but TVS' version is more about the bhAvA/import of the song.

[smala]

I prefer the tilang version (vasanthA has its own charm). I think the differences are mainly due to the rAgAs chosen but I leave it to the experts. PD's songs are sung in all sorts of rAgAs by various schools. Nithyashree's version concentrates more on the musicality but TVS' version is more about the bhAvA/import of the song.

I love this last sentence from you...because my quest in CM is food for thought and the soul. The Vasantha version is like singing for a get-together - you could substitute less for the words and and still keep the charm. To me this is where CM would fail.

[smala]

Would be interested to know of other same song different raga renditions.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

I can relate very well to this particular song of Purandaradasa, "rAma rAma rAma sItA rAma enniro ...."

My Father Veena Raja Rao had tuned this in Durbar and he used to sing it often. His singing is etched in my brain (unfortunately, I do not have any recording - we had taped this at home but the audio tape has been lost for nearly 40 years now!).

Only recently I have listened to this song in vasanta, and today I have heard it in Tillang.

Eventhough I have liked the above versions, for me, this song appeals the most in Durbar. I might be prejudiced here, for I first heard this as a child, and then, the personal association with my Father who set it to Durbar.

Having said that, when I sing this (of course, in the bath room!!), I cannot imagine any other rAga than Durbar bringing out the effect to perfection, especially the line "koraLigAtma sEridAga ......." and the other line "kangaLigAta sEridAga ............."

There are a few corrections that need to be made in the lyrics provided above. I will do that shortly.

[smala]

Could this be close to what was sung in your home. Sri Rajkumar Bharti sings this in yet another raaga ? The words are different in several places and end 'odagado' each time, not 'odagadayya' as in E-S's post.

http://smashits.com/purandaradasar-krit ... 62164.html

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Yes, the lyrics are close to what my Father used to sing in Durbar.

I should add that the anupallavi shown in post #6 was absent in Father's renditions.
It is also not present in the version printed in "haridAsara kRtigaLu" published in the year 1942 by kannaDa sAhitya pariSat. This book has about 50 compositions of haridAsa-s set to musical notations by Veena Raja Rao.

[mohan]

Another example is that of arunAcala kavi's kaNdEn kaNdEn. TNS & Santanagopalan have sung it in vasanta while Bombay Jayashri sings it in bhAgESri. I find the bhAgEsri version nicer musically but the more exuberant vasanta version perhaps better conveys the emotion of Hanuman relating the sighting of Sita to Rama.

The appeal of a raga or song is extremely subjective. It is based on one's perception, prior experiences, mood, expectation and understanding.

[cienu]

Pibare Ramarasam . The Semmangudi version is in Yamuna Kalyani and the Balamurali version is in Ahir Bhairav

[smala]

Thanks for the pointer ! - I had saved this because I liked this a lot just as much as the MSS version. Find it touches me in a mellow, introspective way. Pibare, ahir bhairav, from an artist you'll soon find out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug6bfEDvppw

Another artist :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bhxASxSQ94

So at least three top artists have sung this in ahir bahairav.

[smala]

On a dark evening, in a somber mood, this feels like the spirit is singing to you.
hari tum haro jan ki peer from Jagjit. Raga experts please identify :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qDdA6KRarM

while the same in darbari-kaanada by MSS more open voiced, makes you hear the plea, something I'd listen during the day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCzxL5RMjUA

[smala]

Thumak chalat ramachandra

D. V Paluskar, a simple yet very attractive rendition. Produces a quiet somber awe in the scene of the toddler taking his baby steps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnvFvyH5v0U


O.S. Arun, pleasing celebratory musical, a little flashy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMVpFdWeeKA

[Sathej]

Have heard this - Rama Rama, by TNS sung in Shanmukhapriya elaborated quite a bit, with Neraval, Swarams at the Anupallavi - Nemadinda. A beautiful exposition..Have also heard it in Vasantha, but am a bit biased towards the Shanmukhapriya..

Sathej

[arasi]

Mohan,
We have spoken about kaNDEn kaNDEn some time ago in another thread. Ravi (rshankar) likes the bhAgESri version like you. I prefer vasanthA for the very reason you mention. Whenever I listen to a rAma nATaka kruti, I hear it as if I'm watching it being enacted. So, it explains my personal preference with this particular song. I'm very partial to bhAgESri for its emotive quality, though not here.

[rshankar]

We have spoken about kaNDEn kaNDEn some time ago in another thread. Ravi (rshankar) likes the bhAgESri version like you.

I prefer the bhAgESri version mainly becuase I find the exuberance of vasantA doesn't suit the somber picture painted by hanumAn od sItA's plaight in lankA...As I have always said, excpet for the pallavi, the rest of the sAhityam lends itself to the somber bhAgESri, and not the exuberant vasantA....

[smala]

True. Except for the initial exuberance in declaring kandEn kandEn - the rest is a description with pathos - felt in the bageshree. I also wondered elewhere why both ragas could not be employed for the appropriate parts but that query went unnoticed.

[rshankar]

I also wondered elewhere why both ragas could not be employed for the appropriate parts but that query went unnoticed.

I did notice it, S-P, but, that is a question that musicians can/should answer!

[mohan]

Yes - perhaps kaNDEn kaNDEn would be more suited to be a rAgamAlika!

[rshankar]

Thumak chalet

The best version of Thumak calata rAmacandra is by Lata Mangeshkar.