Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Entertainment | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Revelling in ragas

B. RAMADEVI

`Hamsaveena' Sampath feels children can be initiated into Carnatic music through film songs.

PHOTO: M. Balaji.

ENJOYABLE: `Hamsaveena' Sampath.

Staunch lovers of Carnatic music usually frown upon film songs. But `Hamsaveena' Sampath from Bangalore has a different viewpoint. A mechanical engineer by profession and a practising veena artiste with immense love for Carnatic music, he feels film songs can and should be used to instil interest in classical music among youngsters. He was presenting the light and sound show `Manam Virumbudhey' at Harvey Kumaraswamy Kalyana Mandapam, Tirupur, under the auspices of Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha.

The occasion was doubly significant — Gandhi Jayanti and the birth centenary of advocate K. R. Varadaraja Iyengar, Sampath's grandfather and father of the present president of the sabha, V. Veeraraghavan.

Sampath pointed out that present day music was note-based, the basic notes coming from Carnatic music. Today's composers make music lovers hum the tunes by simplifying the gamakas.

Everyone started humming the sophisticated Charukesi when `Manmatha Leelaiyai Venraar Undo' was set in that raga.

The heavy weight Kalyani sat lightly on `Chinthanai Sei Maname' and `Mannavan Vandhaanadi.' Yaman Kalyani can be easily recognised in `Nilaa Kaaigirathu' and `Amma Enrazhaikkatha Uyirillaiye'.

The Tamil film hits in Ananda Bhairavi (`Naanatchi Seithu Varum Naan Maadakkoodalile' and `Malarndhu Malaraatha') and Sindhu Bhairavi (`Katrinile Varum Geetham' and `Unakkenna Mele Ninray O Nandalala') are still being hummed.

True to the name of the show, Sampath started with the song, `Manam Virumbuthe' set to Nalinakanti, which is almost similar to the Tyagaraja kriti, `Manavyalakincharathate'. He played the arohana and avarohana on his veena and then presented the clip, with swaras of Nalinakanti in between the rendition.

The other ragas he dealt with were Mohanam, Shanmukhapriya, Hindolam, Kanada, Darbari Kanada, Kaapi, Naattakurinji, Keeravani, Sahana, Maand and Pahadi.

Pleasant surprise

The audience was pleasantly surprised to know that some of the modern songs such as `Engey Enathu Kavithai' (Sindhu Bhairavi), `Sri Ranga Ranga Nathanin Paadam' (Mohanam), `Kannaalane' (Keeravani), `Kannamoochi Enada' (Nattakurinji) and `Oru Deivam Thantha Poove' (Darbari Kanada) are steeped in Carnatic.

Sampath's message was clear — let children get familiar with ragas through film songs as the first step. Once the interest is created, teaching classical music becomes much easier. Sampath acknowledged with gratitude the inspiration and help he received from Madurai G. S. Mani, who has successfully presented programmes combining film songs and pure classical songs.

On the flip side, the programme needs a bit of trimming and polishing. Also, he could have limited the number of slides and increased their duration.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail