Anything about IR found on the net - Vol 2

app_engine wrote: rAsA at the time of SKV

Interesting video, rAsA comes to stage a couple of times...

plum wrote:

plum wrote:Nothing on the net. A small round-up on an extended stay in Hyderabad recently.
Thanks to a rickety ancient mp3 player pilfered from wife I had the chance to listen to a lot of FM.It is not something I do in Chennai given a) the prime time contemporary boring songs domination 2) Raja saar spewing RJs mokkai commentary in between Raja songs - or perhaps the other way around - during Raja time. After the novelty of the experience in 2010 when I moved to Chennai I had stopped this exercise completely.

Hyderabad FM was a better experience - this despite the fact that on the average you are more likely to get a Raja song in Chennai FM than in Hyderabad. Admittedly I am extrapolating based on my totally unscientific method of stats collection - primarily consisting of flipping channels all through the day when I get a chance to listen to FM - means skipping every song including Raja songs and just flipping all through to note the stats of what songs are played how regularly.

As I said in absolute numbers of Raja songs played Chennai trumps Hyderabad - at the outset a distressing piece of statistic. However as always there are wheels within wheels and these particular wheels are very heart-warming. Hyderabad may lose out on quantity but on quality of Raja appreciation it trumps Chennai as expected.
This is how things go.

Morning prime time(8AM until 11AM) is primarily new songs - basically last two years worth of hits with the occasional one from last 4-5 years - in all channels except Rainbow FM which plays English Pop hits and Big FM which is unabashedly Hindi. 

However a few classics do seep through occasionally in the morning - no surprise for guessing which are these classics. Yes it is mostly IR with the rare MM Keeravani or Mani sharma hit. However it is quite trying to go through 3 hours of primarily non-raja contemporary "music" to catch the occasional classic. 

And that's not the end of the story - the real story is the actual Raja songs that get requested and played. In the case of MMK and Mani S the songs requested are primarily hero hits (i.e) songs remembered because of the hero Chiru or Balaiah or Venky - note that Nagarjuna doesnt have this fandom - a choodalani undhi or preminchukundham raa. In the case of Raja they surprised me completely exposing even me a veteran of telugu songs of Raja with rare rare rarest hits of Raja from obscure movies or movies whose heroes raise no contemporary fandom.

Songs like "Thene kannA theeyanidhi" (Rajkumar whichj is famous for Janaki kalaganaledhu) Chamki Chakka(Kokila) and manhy others were a revelation to me.
Goes to show with Raja you can never be confident you have listened to it all.

The important thing is the recent hits that get played. It is mostly last two-three years' hits - and I found that Yeto Vellipoyindhi Gundello Godaari Gaayam2 and EVEN Dhoni and Om Shanti(which was way back in 2010 or so) find decent airing. All songs of YVM except pengal endraal and pudikkala mama are patronised. Telugus love melody you see - except when jiving to heavy beats of DSP types I suppose LOL

The only Rahman song - not even album - that gets an airing in this time period in the predominantly telugu channels is gunjukunnA(nenjukullE). Not even other songs from Kadal. Nary a hint of Maryaan etc.

Big FM is a different story though - Highway etc find lot of patronisation. So that's the prime time story - Rahman is a much played bollywood composer while Raja is a marginally played tollywood composer. Rahman the tollywood composer is no where in the picture.
(Contd)

Few additional points:
I continue to maintain my 100% rate of identifying a song as IR even when listening to from middle having never listened to it before.
Several songs I discovered during this visit as mentioned above and most of these were caught in the middle as I was flipping the FM channels. I'd go "ah that sounds like IR" and sure enough it'd turn out to be. Likewise one second of a raj-koti or keeravani song was enough to distinguish that it is NOT IR - though not enough to determine whether it was keeravani or mani sharma or raj-koti or whoever. I just dont understand people who claim that they are paamara isai rasigars and it is difficult to distinguish deva and raja for example. And that only hardcore fanatics of IR can differentiate. Over 30 years of intent listening I have a 100% success rate in 1) Idnetifying an unknwon IR song as IR 2) Identifying an unknown non-IR song as non-IR.
And by no means am an musical elite though I manage to fool a few people to sound like one - purely on account of ability to speak/write  English well.

A old post of mine comes to the mind on this:https://ilayaraja.forumms.net/t3p15-manadhil-oru-paattu-song-of-the-moment#824
(I am pretty much like that call taxi driver - enna I can write/speak ornamental English; he can't)

Plum wrote:
plumWas travelling back home from airport today in a Call Taxi. Radiola orE Raja pAttA pOikittirundhudhu. Driver seemed to be intently listening. nAn oNNum pEsalai. After a basket of Raja songs, suddenly tehre was a "enakkena piRandhava" slipped in. Driver immediately changed the channel - after keeping him in observation till then, immediately I recognized that ivan namma paya :lol:and asked

Me: ninga ilayaraja fanA
Him: (full of smile and happiness) AmAm saar. avar pAttu dhAn saar manasuku idhamA irukkum
(The mean streak in me was still suspicious - wanted to test him further. oru vElai idhamana pAttu rasiganO, without any discernment in music appreciation)
Me:appO En Raja pAttai mAththinInga
Him: endha pAttu saar? 
Me: ippO mAthiningale "enakkena pirandhava"
Him: illai saar, adhu avar pAttu mAdhri illai
Me: illainga adhu RAja pAttu dhAN. idhukku  munnAdi kEttadhillaiyA? enna padam theriyumA? Prabu padam. K Balu eduthadhu. avarukku eppOvumE Raja dhAn music
Him: illai saar kEttadhillai but adhu avar pAttu mAdhiri illai saar
Me: oh appO theriyAmalE Raja pAttu illainu mudivu paNNittIngaLA?
Him: ennamO saar, enakku apdi thONuchu. 
Me: edhai vechu solRInga Raja pAttillainu?
Him: adhellAM enakku theriyAdhu saar. nAn oru pAmaran, sAdharaNa rasigan enakku adhu Raja saar pattu madhiri thONAlai

Me: (Triumphantly) nee rasigEndA! indha pidi aayiram poRkAsugaL!


The reason I am quoting this is in that forum, we are used to certian political beings claiming to be pAmarans and therefore unable to distinguish Deva and Raja. (basically they have an agenda to promote non-IR and use the pAmaran label for that). And here was a man who has no musical pretense but is able to still identify the Raja signature and calling himself a pAmaran. 

I think this is what is true rasippu thanmai. The ability to atleast identify your taste in your heart even if you are not able to articulate it. It also speaks about how Raja's music speaks to hearts of people. evLO Rajavai uL vAngi irundhA, andha isai ilakkaNam theriyadha sAdhAraNA rasigan avLO accurateA annappaRavai pOla paguthaRiya mudium?

Shouldnt our web aaivekkadus who claim to be unable to differentiate between Deva and RAja be ashamed of themselves? And on top of that stelaing the pAmaran label for themselves. Basically, to me this guy is a proper pAmara isai rasigan. He doesnt know music grammar but he is an ordinary pAmara rasigan who knows exactly what he appreciates. 

endha music perusungaradhu mukkiyam illai. rasippula oru underlying ability to discerrn vENum. One cannot hide under the pOrvai of pAmaran and use that to justify lack of discerning and lack of discrimination.

What a wonderful night! Tried to tip that feller extra. He refused it.


The thing that I am specifically referring here is the rebuttal I usually get to saying that it is alway spossible to differentiat ebetweeen IR and cheap quality imitations of IR. THey say "But Plum you are a hard core fan of IR and a meesical so you can differentiate but we pAmarans cannot differntiate that much".

My message to thosee folks is "no you arent the pAmara rasigan. YOu arent even a isai rasigan. A true pAmara rasigan is like that call taxi driver, who can differentiate an ddiscern even though he cannot articulate. Dont even try to call yourseladf pAmara rasigan or even rasigan"

fring151 wrote:The title song in this Jeyakanthan documentary (starts at 0:35) is actually quite a stunning melody. Also some great lyrics to go with the tune - who wrote them, any idea? Also, which raagam is this?

fring151 wrote:^^Wow that's quite beautiful as well!! Have my doubts about Hamsanandhi though as the M1 svaram makes an appearance in the first vari itself. When I heard it I thought it sounds like Hamsanandi, but apparently it isn't quite! But if I am not mistaken, that seems to be the only deviation, so should be some raagam close to Hamsanandi...

fring151 wrote:P.S: And wait, you say the Telugu keerthanai lyrics are by IR?  Not that I understand any Telugu, but the Osai nayam is great, and to be able to write lyrics AND music all by himself in 2 different languages is quite remarkable! Should include this point also in the genius thread  

P.P.S: As I pay closer attention, I realise it's not that hard to get a general idea of the lyrics given the heavy sanskrit flavour which I can understand to some extent. What does thelisenu mean though?

vicks wrote:also, Mathru Bhuteshwari, I much prefer IR's 'version' over the recorded one - IR seems to bring so much more life to the song:

Munk wrote: The song is also written by IR. It refers to Ramana Maharishi’s mother who took up Sanyasa and spent her last 6 years with her son under his instructions and helped him in his service. After his mother passed on, he coined her samaadhi as Mathru Bhutheshwari. He saw her as a form of Shakti aka Annapoorni (the giver of food. Ramanar’s mother’s name was AzhagammaaL). Raaja uses that name to write this kriti entirely in Sanskrit! Having a basic exposure to Sanskrit, I had to take some time in deciphering the song. I find it awe inspiring that Raaja wrote this without any formal education. The composition took him roughly 5 minutes (from the horse’s mouth, linked in the video below the song which vicks has linked above ). It starts with a brief aalaapanai presenting the raga in all its beauty. The song then starts and for the entire duration, there is only a violin which is monophonic with the lead melody and a Mridangam. He sticks to the tradition of Indian Classical Music duh! This is afterall a keerthanai. He calls her Annapoorni (AnnapoornEshwari) and refers to her link with Ramana, being his mother (Guru Ramana Maata). He also adds in a maam paahi in between repeating the lines, referring to her protecting him (Raaja i.e. maam = me and pAhi = protect).

The charanam points to her as leading everyone (nEtra, apart from meaning eyes, also means to lead in Sanskrit) without any external support (niraalamba) like a true Goddess without any Guna (nirguNa) and having her permanent abode in Tiruvannamalai where Ramanar established his ashramam (aRuNa kshEtra nirantara vaasini, aRuNa referring to Arunachala, another name of Annamalai, kshEtra meaning spot and vaasini meaning resident). What stunning flow of words there, the எதுகை நயம் (second word of the second line rhyming), with nEtra and kshEtra in Sanskrit, making for some fabulous poetry! As Jayashree sings the line, she pauses for a mini aalaapanai bringing the lakshanam of the raga in its pristine beauty too. The charanam ends with calling her kAshini (resident of the town, Kasi). Annapoorni has a famous temple in Kasi and Raaja is referring to that and the இயைபு comes in (rhyming the last words of the two lines, vaasini and kAshini) to make for some more beautiful poetry.

The second charanam does not conform to the limits of the usual film song composition (this not being one (duh again! what was I thinking here!) and explores more of Saranga Tharangini with putra pavitra parama para tatva satya mitra satguNA teeta gnAna soorya Sri Ramana (putra, her son, pavitra, in that poetic flow, meaning pure, parama para tatva, meaning that great தத்துவம் who is the friend of truth, satya mitra, and is a gnAna soorya, Sun of knowledge, Sri Ramana). The lines sound professional and with a scintillating rise at dEhOth bhavA (one went beyond his dEhA, i.e. body), the ascending notes underlining Ramana’s ascent in the spiritual world, the composition is also elevated. The line continues with vidEha kaariNi, pointing to her as the cause (kaariNi) for him going beyond the bodily world (vidEha being the antonym of dEha) and coins her as vEdAngamaati (?). I assume Raaja refers by his inference to her being a part (anga) of the Vedas (vEda + anga + maati = vEdAngamaati). He goes down the octaves with satyaatma swaroopiNi (visible example of a realized soul). What is most striking is she is the one who gave him his body being his mother. Yet, Raaja credits her for him moving out of his body to realize his soul. A paradox that sits superbly with poetry.

What follows is a scintillating passage in the raga with pace, precision and classicism of composition at its best with skandAshrama sthala Ramana kara kamala vidEha prAptha vilAsini (SkandAshrama, the ashramam Ramanar moved to after his mother joined him, sthala being spot, Ramana kara kamala referring to the lotus (kamala) hands (kara) of Ramana receiving (prAptha) the path out of the bodily world (vidEha) through her play (vilAsini, referring to the playful one, another name for Parvati. Ramanar left his home at 16, wandered and via a miraculous set of incidents, became the saint who renounced his body even as he was in it). Raaja is essentially pointing to this as her divine play in a beautiful play with words retaining the இயைபு with swaroopiNi from the previous line and vilAsini here. Raaja then goes one further step at Sri Ramana bhakta sEvakAnandi shruta jana raksha sanjeevini and calls her the immortal (sanjeevini) one who services the needs (sEvakAnandi) of the devotees of Ramana (Sri Ramana bhakta) and the savior (raksha) of the Vedic (shruta) folk (jana).

The use of shruta jana raksha sanjeevini can have an interesting connotation. Hanuman carried the sanjeevini mount to save (raksha) the army. He calls her the sanjeevini to save the Vedic folk. Amazing depth. The இயைபு too continues with sanjeevini. He finishes it with one final ascent with janana (birth) maraNa (death) bhaya (fear) abhaya  (being made fearless, beautiful way with words there) kaRi (doer), aRuNAchala (Tiruvannamalai) Ramanashrama paalini (granter), calling her the remover of the fear of birth and death and the one who granted Ramana his ashramam at Tiruvannamalai (it developed around her tomb from 1922 till his time in 1950), to gloriously cap this scintillating composition.

Dad's Friend wrote: - The song is set on Mathrubhuteshvari…. That is a poetic license that Ilayaraja seems to have taken. For the name that Ramana gave to the samadhi shrine of his mother is Mathrubhutheshvara … ie Siva who became Mother… in Tamizh Taayumaanavar… As in our Rockfort temple in Trichy.

- As regards the explanations…

Annapoorneshvari is a perfect reference to Mother. Because, she has been the food giver in Ramana circle. Right from the times he was in the Hill… And when her Samadhi at the foothill became Sri Ramanasrama, food is given every day to a long queue of mendicants… Nowadays, even on non-utsava or woking days hundreds of devotees are served food… And that number swells to thousands on special days….

IR uses the phrase Maduraavaratapuri Mathrubhuteshvari… Your son has skipped the first word there… What IR refers to Maduraavartapuri is – that she hails from Avartapuri (which is the Sanskrit name for Ramana’s village Tiruchuzhi) which is in the region of Madurai (so Madura-aavaratapuri)… Or that she lived in Avartapuri and Madurai….

The lines Netra niralamba nirguna Aruna kshetra nivasini… Can be seen in two ways. One – that the netra niralamba nirguna referes to Mother. Or other – to Aruna Kshetra. If the latter it means that that she Resides in Arunachala, which is the “Eye” (Witness) / Guide, and in Reality is Niraalamba (By itself, needing no other support) and Nirguna (beyond qualities)… If the former then that refers to Mother. I am inclined to go with the latter – grammatically speaking.

Venkat writes: “The charanam ends with calling her kAshini (resident of the town, Kasi). Annapoorni has a famous temple in Kasi and Raaja is referring to that and the இயைபு comes in (rhyming the last words of the two lines, vaasini and kAshini) to make for some more beautiful poetry.”

That is incorrect. The words are Deepa Prakashini… Which means the Shining Lamp or the one who shines as a lamp, or one who lights the lamp… IR does not refer to Kashi,,,

Venkat writes” …putra pavitra parama para tatva satya mitra satguNA teeta gnAna soorya Sri Ramana (putra, her son, pavitra, in that poetic flow, meaning pure, parama para tatva, meaning that great தத்துவம் who is the friend of truth, satya mitra, and is a gnAna soorya, Sun of knowledge, Sri Ramana).”

It is not satguNA teeta or sadgunaateeta … It is shadgunaateeta … Meaning one who is beyond the six guna-s. And Satya Mitra need to be taken separately – as Truth/Reality and Friend respectively. Not as friend of Truth..

Venkats explanation of Videha kaarini is nice. That may be correct, if we view Her as Arunachala Himself who came as mother.

Venkat writes” ..coins her as vEdAngamaati (?). I assume Raaja refers by his inference to her being a part (anga) of the Vedas (vEda + anga + maati = vEdAngamaati).”

The words are not clear in the song… But I think the phrase is vEdAgamAdi satyaatma svaroopini.. She who is the Self that is the Reality-Truth expounded in Veda-s Agama-s etc.

Venkat wites: “what follows is a scintillating passage in the raga with pace, precision and classicism of composition at its best with skandAshrama sthala Ramana kara kamala vidEha prAptha vilAsini

What is meant here is that “She got her release (salvation) from the body at the Lotus Hands of Ramana”. Ramana gave her liberation in Skandashrama, And that is what is referred to here.

Venkat wites: “Raaja then goes one further step at Sri Ramana bhakta sEvakAnandi shruta jana raksha sanjeevini and calls her the immortal(sanjeevini) one who services the needs (sEvakAnandi) of the devotees of Ramana (Sri Ramana bhakta) and the savior (raksha) of the Vedic (shruta) folk(jana).”

The word sevakanandi is original coinage (IR's i.e. the man has originally coined a word in Sanskrit while writing a song spontaneously in a few minutes (enna nenachEn sirichEn))… Means – One who delights in serving Ramana Bhakta-s… And shruta jana raksha sanjeevani means as Venkat has described. Shruta jana however need not be restricted to Veda vidvans, It means learned people in general – people who are cultured and learned.

venkat writes” aRuNAchala (Tiruvannamalai)Ramanashrama paalini (granter), calling her the remover of the fear of birth and death and the one who granted Ramana his ashramam at Tiruvannamalai (it developed around her tomb from 1922 till his time in 1950), to gloriously cap this scintillating composition.”

palini does not mean granter. It means Protector… She is the Protecting Shakti of Ramanshrama…

kiru wrote:BTW, does that bhajan sound Hindustani'ish  ?

kiru wrote:Are you guys telling me that this crazy man wrote the lyrics and composed this keerthanai ?
And a crazy young man writes a commentary on this and learned old gentlemen are analyzing the lyrics..
Damn.. fellows . I feel like an idiot now .. even comparing myself with this young man .. let alone the guy on the harmonium.
And we have a thread where people are arguing whether this man is a genius or not  !!!! Oh my god   

Drunkenmunk wrote:

kiru wrote:BTW, does that bhajan sound Hindustani'ish  ?

Yeah very Hindustani and if we notice, he says something like "if it is a bhajan you want, we can compose one" and gets composing just like that  

இணையவெளியில் இயங்கும் ரசிகர்களுக்காக 'இசைஞானி பேன்ஸ் க்ளப் குளோபல்' எனும் இணைய தளத்தை அவருக்காகத் தொடங்கினார்கள்.

ஆனால் அதிகாரப்பூர்வமாக ஒரு அமைப்பை இசைஞானியே தொடங்கிய பின்னும், இணைய வெளியில் இருக்கும் ரசிகர்கள் இசைஞானி பெயரில் தனித் தனி சமூக வலைதளப் பக்கங்கள் ஆரம்பித்துச் செயல்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். அதிகாரப்பூர்வம் இல்லாமலேயே, 'இது இசைஞானியின் அதிகாரப்பூர்வப் பக்கம்' என்னும் தோற்றத்தை உருவாக்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள்.

இசைஞானியின் பெயரில் தனித்தனிக் குழுக்களாக இயங்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் அனைவரும், இனி இயங்க வேண்டிய தளம் 'இசைஞானி ஃபேன்ஸ் க்ளப் குளோபல் (Isaignani Fans Club Global - IFCG)' என்ற பக்கம்தான். தன் ரசிகர்கள் அனைவரையும் தன் பக்கத்துக்கு வருமாறு அழைத்துள்ளார் இளையராஜா