Learn the Lingo
Photo: R.V. Moorthy
JUST MIME Nirmala Ramachandran giving a padam concert along with gestures and facial expressions.
Music
Melakarta raga: A term found in Carnatic music, Melakarta literally means the `maker' or creator of a raga. (Mela is a Sanskrit term for raga.) The Melakarta raga scheme, created by Venkatamakhi in the 16th Century, is a scientific codification of 72 ragas, from which hundreds of other ragas have been created. Melakartas are also called `janaka' or `father' ragas, while the derivative ragas are called `janya'. The melakartas all have seven notes each. Their varieties arise from the variations in the notes Rishabh, Gandhar, Madhyam, Dhaivat and Nishad.
Dance, music
Padam: A padam is a musical form. As suggested by its name it is a poetic expression. The creation of the padam is attributed to the saint poet Annamacharya of the 15th Century. It became an important part of Carnatic music, combining devotion with high poetry in the mode of madhura bhakti, which uses the metaphor of human love for the pining of the human soul for union with the Divine. Kshetragnya was another saint composer who wrote thousands of padams in the 17th Century.
Padams are an important part of the repertoire of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and other classical dance forms of South India. When interpreting a padam, the dancer concentrates on facial expression and mime using hand gestures, and footwork is usually minimal. Traditionally, dancers would often sit on the floor while presenting a padam. They would also sing and dance it themselves. The inextricable relationship between music and dance is exemplified by the padam. Dancers who are great singers are often the best padam exponents. For example, the legendary Balasaraswati. The vocalists T. Brinda and T. Mukta from her family were celebrated padam singers, and many dancers admit to realising the deeper meaning of dance expression after learning to sing from them.
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