BULLEH SHAH- ABIDA PARVEEN


Her simplicity. Her voice. The words. The music. In Yuddha Kaandam of Kamba Ramayanam- Kamban describes that Rama's arrow bore into Ravana's body and searched all over his body for any love for Sita left-in. Similarly, her singing, bores into us- searching the soul unknown even to us- and touches it... This music fills our insides... How I wish, those people who pull down places of worship, listen to this...!



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Toss the Feathers

'Toss the Feathers' is one piece of amazing music that makes my day, everyday. It's an Irish folk tune and here is the Wiki text:

Toss the Feathers is a traditional Irish folk tune, typically played with a tin whistle and fiddle. It has existed in several variations, each in a different key, the two more common being D and E minor. More recently the music has been adapted in over 200 modern compilations, including both traditional versions by groups such as The Chieftains, and rock renditions such as those by The Corrs on their album "Forgiven Not Forgotten".

Toss the Feathers - The Corrs



Put this song,
close your eyes and
drown yourself in bliss!


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சட்டென நனைந்தது நெஞ்சம்...

First thing came to my mind after I saw Manasa's post 'Water on a lotus leaf', is the song 'Sattena Nanaindhadhu Nenjam' from movie 'Kannathil Muthamittal'.

இன்னும் ஒரு மணிரத்னம், ஏ. ஆர். ரஹ்மான், வைரமுத்து அற்புதம்.



சட்டென நனைந்தது நெஞ்சம்
சர்க்கரை ஆனது கண்ணீர்
இன்பம் இன்பம் ஒரு துன்பம்
துன்பம் எத்தனை பேரின்பம்!

(சட்டென நனைந்தது நெஞ்சம்...)

உடலுக்குள் மல்லிகை தூரல்
என் உயிருக்குள் மெல்லிய கீறல்
சுகமாய்ய்ய்ய்ய்ய்ய்....
சுகமாய் சுகமாய் கொள்ளையிடு
என் உயிரை மட்டும் விட்டுவிடு!

எந்த வாசல் வழி காதல் நடந்து வரும்
என்று காத்து கிடந்தேன்
அது வானில் பறந்து வந்து கூரை திறந்து வரும்
என்று இன்று தெளிந்தேன்

தாவி வந்து எனை அணைத்த போது எந்தன்
சல்லி வேர்கள் அறுந்தேன்
சாவின் எல்லை வரை சென்று மீண்டு இன்று
ரெண்டு ஜென்மம் அடைந்தேன்

துடிக்கும் உதடு கொண்டு துடைத்திடு
வெட்கத்தை
அணைப்பினாதிக்கத்தால் வெளியேற்று
அச்சத்தை

(துடிக்கும் உதடு கொண்டு...)

சுகமாய் சுகமாய் கொள்ளையிடு
என் உயிரை மட்டும் விட்டுவிடு!

சட்டென நனைந்தது நெஞ்சம்!


இந்த உணர்வை இதைவிட அழகாக யாராலும் சொல்ல முடியுமா என்பது சந்தேகம் தான்.


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நாடோடி இசை - 'ஜிப்ஸி'க்கள்

பண்படுத்தப்பட்ட இசையில் இல்லாத ஒரு வாழ்க்கைப் பதிவு, பாமர இசையில் இருப்பது உண்மை. ஒரு இனக்குழுவின், சமூகத்தின், வாழ்வும் வாழ்வியலும், சுகமும் சோகமும், நாட்டுப்புறத்தின் எந்த ஒரு கலை வடிவத்திலும் பொதிந்திருக்கும். அந்தக் கலை வடிவங்கள் அவர்களின் அடையாளமாக செயல்படுவது மட்டுமில்லாமல், வாழ்வின் பின்னோக்கிய பார்வையின் ஊடாக அவர்களை எதிர்காலத்தை நோக்கிச் செலுத்துவதாகவும் செயல்படுகிறது.

அந்த வகையில் நான் சமீபத்தில் உலக இசையைத் தேடிக் கொண்டிருக்கையில் தென்பட்டது 'ஜிப்ஸி' இசை. ஜிப்ஸிக்களைப் பற்றி அறிந்து கொள்ளும் போது மிக சுவாரஸ்யமாக இருந்தது. நானும் இணையத்திலேயே படித்து அறிந்து கொண்டதால் அந்த தொடுப்புக்களை இங்கே கொடுக்கிறேன்.

http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?rop3=108397&rog3=AF

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy

மத்திய கிழக்கு, கிழக்கு ஐரோப்பிய தேசங்களின் பகுதிகளில் இருக்கும் இவர்கள், ரொமானிகள் என்று பொதுவாக அழைக்கப்பட்டாலும், அவர்கள் இந்தியாவிலிருந்தே குடி பெயர்ந்தவர்கள் என்பது மேலும் சுவாரஸ்யாமான செய்தி. இவர்களின் இசையில் மத்திய கிழக்கு, கிழக்கைரோப்பிய, இந்திய இசையின் கூறுகள் இருப்பதாக விஷயமறிந்தவர்கள் சொல்கிறார்கள். எதுவாக இருந்தாலும், இவர்களின் இசை என் இசையனுபவத்தை மேலும் ஒரு படி ஏற்றி வைத்ததாகவே நினைக்கிறேன். உங்களுக்காக இங்கே ஒரு சான்று:

Mahala Raï Banda - Mahalageasca (Romania)



'Rough guide to world music - Balkan Gypsies' என்ற ஆல்பத்தில், ஜிப்ஸிக்களின் பதினேழு பாடல்கள் தொகுத்தளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

குறுந்தகடு வாங்க:

http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Music-Balkan-Gypsies/dp/B000A5EMKE

இந்தத் தொகுப்பில் வரும் ஒரு கிரேக்க மொழிப் பாடலின் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு இங்கே:

How fine it is to be called a Gypsy
Though it's not easy a Gypsy to be
I don't know what I'll become
I don't know

It would be fine to be Gypsy
I would adore a Gypsy to be
I don't know what a Gypsy is
I don't know

Simple, but how amazing?

Read full review at

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/review-the-rough-guide-to-the/

இந்த 'Rough guide to world music' தொகுப்பில் வெளி வந்துள்ள அத்தனை உலக இசையும் அற்புதம். வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்தால் கேட்டுப் பாருங்கள். இனிமையான அனுபவமாக இருக்கும்.


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Water on a lotus leaf

The rain was beautiful,
the sun's not out yet
I still hold
your wetness.

Don't go
And leave me
parched.

So much
for my detachment!

நீ மழை
நான் இலை
இதற்கு மேல் உறவில்லை
விடை கொடு
போகிறேன்
ஈரமாய்
வாழ்கிறேன் !



PS: The title is from the common motif of water on a lotus leaf. The water never quite wets the lotus leaf, though it lives in water. That's because there's an oily film coating its surface, but leave that to biology nerds! :) It is symbolic for detachment; to be in the thick of things yet remain detached.


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RAVAN RAVANAN RAHMAN




A perfect blend is essential in whatever it may be. Food- requires a perfect balance of salt and sugar. Life- happiness and sorrow. Music- Rahman and Vairamuththu!

Been listening to "Usurey Poguthey" for a millionth time now. I wish to confess something before I proceed with whatever I am trying to say here. I belong to that group of people, who think Rahman is God and there can never be and has never been anyone who has created wonders/miracles like Him in music before. People who feel the same way about Raja/R.D.Burman/MSV/Madan Mohan and the likes, no offence. They are good too. This is my view! A note off the track- "Humans" are never good, idle! They need to believe in something! Theists believe in "God"- Atheists believe that they are "Atheists". So every one believes in something! And this is my belief!

So, coming to the point! "Ravan" was what I heard first. The first song I ever listened to was "Ranjha Ranjha"- see I'm in love with Rekha Bharadwaj's voice. Not since "Gendha Phool" but ever since "Maqbool"! The love only increased after I listened to "Namak Ishq ka" from "Omkara". But it became so strong after an album song penned by Gulzaar- "Tere Ishq Mein"- that whenever I see that name, I can't stop myself!



When a favorite pupil commits a mistake in class- the teacher laughs over it and smiles as though saying, "You naughty boy"! It's like that with Rahman! You can't be blaming him if a few of the tunes sounds familiar to you! Take it from me! You are just connected with Rahman at that moment, when you feel that way! As though you are enjoying a secret joke known only to you Rahman! "Ranjha Ranjha" was one such piece of music! Couldn't help smiling, when I heard and I smiled at my Rahman wallpaper- The "You naughty boy!" smile! Not that there's a mistake in that song- it just reminded me of a few things! Nothing wrong with that!

"Beera"/”Veera” was brilliant! The oddities in it! I don't actually know what to say about it! I have heard that AB plays a Naxal leader hailing from MP! I don’t know what Vikram is playing though, in tamil. But the character- feel! Can't you feel it? Kuchcha roads, TVS 50, Beedi, torn shawl, tea in mutka- see, it all fits there- in that one song!!

"Behene de" was good. I did not concentrate much on it. I only thought- "Another Sindhu Bhairavi(though not very pure) from Rahman"- nothing else. On that raga- I've always liked Rahman's Sindhu Bhairavies. "Jiya Jale"(Dil Se), "Margazhi thingalallavaa"(Sangamam), etc. Nice way of handling the raga! But the best was (though not very pure form of it) "Mera rang de.. Basanti" from "The Legend of Bhagath Singh". I mean- that song has got everything in it! Perfect music/lyrics/patriotism!

But the one song I really enjoyed was "Kata Kata"! I felt it sounded better than the tamil counter-part of that song- "Keda Keda". Kunal Ganjawala has done a great work! Rahman, as we all know, is great with wedding sequences! "Avalukkenna.." from "Sillunu oru Kadhal", "Yaro Yaro.." from "Alaipayuthey" and the likes! We also know Mani Ratnam is good with that, too! Let's wait for the movie! Any way, the highlight of this song, I felt was Ila Arun. Try closing your eyes and listening to her. There is not one note here nor one note there. It just falls there, where it should be! Amazing voice texture! I have always liked such voices. The strong ones. Not like others are weak. But when you hear it- there is power in it. Sunidhi Chauhan, Shubha Mudgal, Richa Sharma, Jaspinder Narula kind of voices! Perfect folk voices- for they feel so earthy!

Coming to "Khili Re". Well, since I heard the hindi version first, I thought it was a sweet, slow song. Reena Bharadwaj- the one who mesmerized me with her "Yeh Rishta kya kehlata hai" from "Meenaxi"- has done well. Nothing special about it! But when I listened to "Kalvarey" by Shreya Ghoshal- I saw that there was a classic! It gave a great feel, which you only get in Hrishikesh Mukherjee- Salil Choudhry combinations! Rahman's that class of songs- the likes of "Jash-E-Bahar" from "Jodha Akbar". They have a certain class in them! They stand out- so different from the others! They sometimes, may not become the song of the mass! But eventually they do! It takes people time to realize that they actually like these songs. When "Sillunu Oru Kadhal" music got released, I was the first one to get the cassette (those days I used to buy cassettes, for I had a walkman!). So in our college bus, we were allowed to bring cassettes of our choice. I gave this cassette to Conductor Anna! And some of the people, I remember were calling "Munbe vaa" a flop song! They were shouting- asking the conductor to change the cassette, which he did! But people did love that song! There was a time when people couldn't remain without listening to that song at least once in a day! Such songs- People don't know how to react! There lies the genius in Rahman!

"Kodu potta"/"Killi"- I have not listened much to it. See, there are a few songs which you could enjoy once you see the sequence of it in movie! I can only say- I could not entirely get this song! So, I would wait for the movie! But yes, the music part of it- Sukhwinder Singh! What a gift he has! He's in that league- like the ones I had mentioned about the "Power-Voiced"! I need not give examples of songs by him- for I think his songs are eternal enough to be remembered!

Coming back to the original reason why I wanted to write whatever I have written so far! "Usurey Poguthey". The perfect blend?

People! This is the essence of the movie! The concept of Raavan. This is the reason why "Behene De" had no effect on me! For that, I felt was missing the spark- the fire which I found in this song. I like the character "Ravan" from the mythology! May be that is exactly why, I wish even more to see this movie! There are few people, who enjoy the antagonists more than the protagonists. I can't tag myself as that also. See- in mythology, antagonists are not divine! May be that's why I like them! They are more normal- like us. With all formidable emotions running wild in their hearts. Perversions within cocoons called the "norms of the society". Veiled and masked! We are all them! The antagonists! I'm not trying to romanticize the antagonists. But- I felt, they are more possible! Rama? How can a man be so flawless!? It just seems absurd to me!


"விதி விலக்கில்லாத விதியுமில்ல", this is what was missing in "Behene de"! No man is intentionally bad- says my father! That is so true. Not any person will claim that he's bad! It's not normal. It's what the others think! Winners write history. And Ramayana was a story of Rama! That's it. The mentality of Ravana- the one who knew all the Vedas. Such a great worshipper of Shiva, who created a master-piece in "Shiva Thaandava Shlok", which proved what a scholar he was! How can a man like that commit such an act? One could wonder? But he did not think that way. He did not think he was wrong:


"பாம்பா விழுதா
ஒரு பாகுபாடு தெரியலையே
பாம்பா இருந்தும்
நெஞ்சு பயப்பட நெனைக்கலையே"

This was Ravan!

There lies the brilliance of Vairamuththu. Of Rahman! The blend, so perfect- that it conveys exactly what it has to convey!

Hats-off to Vairamuththu!

And Rahman- You ARE God!





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Sapnon ke dheep - a dream-lamp.

मेरे ख़यालों के आँगन में,
कोई सपनों के, दीप जलाए, दीप जलाए॥



(तेरे लिए है। हाँ, तू)


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