THE CLASSIC
Jaya TV features some very good carnatic music based programmes early in the morning. Oh, I realize ‘early in the morning’ is such a relative and subjective phrase so let me be more precise - I guess it’s from 6.30 to 7 AM IST. Sometime back they even featured the Cleveland festival that RS so eloquently wrote about.
Today morning in one of the episodes, I could see some school kids performing brilliantly in violin and mridhangam. And me invariably turns happy and envious whenever I see such young prodigious musical talent for obvious reasons. My knowledge in carnatic music ranges from 0 to -273 in a scale of 1 to 10:)
But hey, that would never prevent me from naming my favorite carnatic music album. It’s got to be THE CLASSIC by Unnikrishnan. It needs no introduction to any who is introduced to classical music. It’s almost as popular as some of the film albums and for very good reasons.
First, the structure and content would, by and large resemble a film album. It has about 10 songs and none of them exceeds 10 minutes - which is good because it means you are saved from lengthy Alaapanas. Knowledgeable carnatic music lovers should excuse me here but for me lengthy alapaanas are a huge turn-off. Invariably I find the singer and the co-performers in an ecstatic state during an alapaana and people like me begin to think about matters of critical importance like Asin’s next movie.
Secondly, the album has numbers like Paluke Bangarumayana, Kelathi Mama Hridhaye and Vandanamu which any music lover can enjoy irrespective of his background.
The third reason, I guess, is Unni’s melliflous voice and his popularity after his Ennavale in Kadhalan. Experts like Subbudu crib when seasonsed carnatic musicians turn to film music for some quick buck. Their ground is that, essentially a carnatic song is different from film song in content, style and pace and hence the singer’s voice gets disturbed. That may be true but this trend does have its benefits. I don’t think I would’ve bought this album before ‘Ennavale’. How many people knew about Bombay Jeyshree before “Vaseegara…”? Not many I would suppose. So middle-ground albums like THE CLASSIC make people even like PK to listen to carnatic music. I wish more such albums gets released and identified. I also request readers to let me know if they come across any…
Talking about music and we cannot be far off from KJY, can we? If you have time please do go to Raaga.com >> Malayalam songs section>> select a film called Aaram Thamburaan >>and listen to one number called Hari Muraliravam and let me know:)
AWESOME is the only word i can think off..
PS:
Abba!! rombo nalaiku aprom oru urupadiyana post pottachu :p
June 20th, 2006 at 9:41 am
p.k,
you said about your knowledge scale in carnatic music which made me think of my scale. Naagarigam karuthi enoda scale ai inge include panuvathai thavirkiren.
but ‘ll surely listen to your picks.
June 20th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
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June 20th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
Alabanas would interest u definitely when u learn carnatic say for more than 5 years….And what really seems to be pathetic is the same kids whom you have mentioned might have a dream of pursuing their career in music…sadly parents are at no cost ready to make their children pursue their dreams….For them software field and its high pay or flattering academics matters more than anything else….
June 20th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
PK,
Arumayaana post!
I would be your fierce competitor when it comes to the “score”
And i agree with you o the point you made about film music and carnatic music. If novices like me an identify a few raagas, it is with the help of “pattern-matching” technologies, with film songs as the reference.
June 20th, 2006 at 7:21 pm
that harimuraliravam is indeed an awesome one. I bought the movie dvd especially for that song. Everytime I hear that song, I am moved to tears. KJY, not surprisingly, won a national award for that one. That is one thing I like about Mallu movies, there is a strong carnatic stress in songs. Another gem is natharupini by Sreekumar. He is another very versatile singer.
June 20th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
Thanks
Listening to Hari Muraliravam now
June 21st, 2006 at 12:16 am
“Invariably I find the singer and the co-performers in an ecstatic state during an alapaana and people like me begin to think about matters of critical importance like Asin’s next movie.
” - LOL
Haven’t listened to classis….but will do so when I get a chance. As for the carnatic people singing cine song, I think it’s a biased opinion. And that bias has declined since unni, nityasree and Jayashree have made their names prominent in the cinema industry.
Have you listened to one of unni’s older albums called mellifluous melodies ?
June 21st, 2006 at 1:04 am
I’m not sure if I’ve heard this album you’re talking about.
Of Unnikrishnan’s carnatic numbers, my favourite is “Venkatachala Nilayam Vaikunta Puravasam”
June 21st, 2006 at 7:33 am
srikanth,
amaidi amaidi, naanum neeyum ourhtarai oruthar kevalapadutha vendaam:D
do listen to hari muraliravam, u wont regret it:)
shobana,
carnatic music for 5 yrs?? thats a lot of time yaar!
i totally agree to yr point by parents…
bala(karthik)
exactly!!
munimma,
i saw in mouthshut that this song was featured in the top 10 songs of KJY by one of the reader
RS,
welcome, enjoy!!
dinesh,
melliflous melodies?? therila ppa.. let me try and find out….
vinesh,
let me try to find that one…
June 21st, 2006 at 8:45 pm
PK,
I agree. I like Unni’s music too. But a lot of carnatic musicians dislike Unni for just this reason- for diluting carnatic music!