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O.S.Arun: Likes ragas that suit his voice.

Choosing ragas is like choosing clothes for oneself. You generally don’t go by trends. You wear what suits you and enhances the personality. My favourite ragas are those that suit my voice and add to the appeal of my singing.

Since I sing classical, bhajans and ghazals and also in different languages, Behag is the most preferred. It lends beautifully to all forms and styles. Its inherent melody has a calming effect and can sometimes even move you to tears. ‘Erakkum Varamal’ or Surdas’s ‘Meri Mayi’ are some of the excellent compositions in this raga. Also, it is a Bashanga raga, which means it can take a foreign note or an anya swara that can further bring out the beauty of the raga with its flashing touches.

Next comes Thodi, which is a Carnatic speciality. I have been extremely fond of this raga since my college days. You get a feel of its limitless expanse when you render it as you can play around with the gamakas. I first got a feel of its majestic appeal when I heard my brother O.S. Thiagarajan sing it for an hour.

There are several Tygaraja kritis in Thodi which I like such as ‘Dasarathi’ and ‘Karuna Judavamma.’ Once during a two-hour concert, I sang a Thodi swarajati that took up one hour and 45 minutes. It just makes you go on and on.

CHITRA SWAMINATHAN

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