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Weekly dose of raga

It's a raga a week with Charulatha Mani in "Isai Payanam"

If you are told Mariah Carey's "Emotions" is based on the Carnatic raga Mohanam, would you believe it? If you don't, ask Charulatha Mani. Not just that, Charulatha tells you about the ragas on which several popular Tamil film numbers are based in "Isai Payanam." The programme is one of the many segments featured in "Kaalai Malar" on Jaya TV (Tuesdays, 8.20 a.m.).

"I deal with one raga in each episode," says Charulatha, "Every aspect of the raga is explored... aarohanam, avarohanam, with examples. To help listeners relate better to a raga, I choose films songs based on the same raga. For example, while talking about Reetigowla, I sang `Chinna Kannan Azhaikiraan' and `Azhagana Raakshasiyae'."

Though most of the songs she chooses are from Tamil films, there are some well-known Hindi hits that make it on the programme like "Tere mere beech main" which is based on Sivaranjani or "Sayonara Sayonara" that has a Mohanam twang to it. Background material for this interactive show is drawn from various sources, including inputs from family members.

For the mechanical engineering graduate armed with a Masters degree in Music, music was a natural choice of profession as her mother is a veena player, and sister, a playback singer.

A regular in the Carnatic circuit, Charulatha has several `thematic' albums to her credit.

SAVITHA GAUTAM

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