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An enchanting evening of raga Mohanam

An evening dedicated to raga Mohanam. The occasion was `Mohanamai' - a tribute to the raga used to denote various emotions and situations.

Presented by singer V.T. Murali under the aegis of the Bankmen's Club, cultural association of bank employees, at the Tagore Hall on Friday, it provided an opportunity to listen to classic film and theatre tunes in Malayalam, besides those in Tamil and Hindi, where the raga was interwoven to create everlasting magic.

Musicians and lyricists who had etched the raga on the minds of the listeners through evergreen film numbers and other tunes were remembered on the occasion. Many of their compositions were also rendered.

Murali, lyricist Kaithaprom Damodaran Namboodiri, and writer V.R. Sudeesh explained the intricacies of the raga and render the songs.

"This is a sincere effort to bring to the notice of music lovers and others the all-pervading presence of raga Mohanam in almost every aspect of life almost unobtrusively and unconsciously and yet to make the beauty and intensity of the ragam felt," said Murali.

Nuances of the raga

The term `Mohanamai' indicated the depth of the raga, he said.

The attempt was to popularise its nuances and how musical renderings were enriched by its use through melody, rhythm and beat.

Devarajan and K. Raghavan Master were two musicians who used the ragam often and at different planes to create soul-stirring music, said Kaithaprom.

"Poetry and music here combine to make beautiful songs."

Music directors exploited the raga to the hilt.

The literary element too was introduced to advantage as in the songs `Arabhi Kadaloru... ' and `Nilagiriyude Sakhigale... '

V. Dakshinamurthy, Sreekumaran Thampi, Kaithaprom, O.N.V. Kurup and P. Bhaskaran were among those who created some memorable songs in the raga.

The audience were treated to a virtual musical feast as songs in which the raga made its presence felt were rendered by Murali, Kaithaprom, his son, Deepankar, and others.

The rendering of `Kaliveedurangiyallo, Kalivakkurangiyallo... ' by Kaithaprom, along with Murali and Deepankar, was the highlight of the evening.

`Ezhu sundara rathrikal, ekantha sundara rathrikal... ,' `Marivillin thenmalare... ,' `Swargaputri navarathri... ,' `Chandrikayilaliyunna chandrakantham... ,' and `Upasana upasana... ' were among the songs rendered at the programme.

Maleeha Raghaviah

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