Tag: raga_ruminations

Music, Podcast

Simhendramadhyamam – Raga Ruminations

Raga Simhendramadhyamam is a very popular raga that inspires and enthralls listeners. It holds a special place in my heart for several reasons. As a teen, I had participated in the Music Academy Vocal Music for Ladies competition. When it was my turn to sing, the song chosen by the judges was “Ninne nammiti”, a composition of Mysore Vasudevachari in raga Simhendramadhyamam. As I waded … Continue reading Simhendramadhyamam – Raga Ruminations

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Miscellaneous, Music

Dhanyasi – Raga Ruminations

The strains of raga Dhanyasi reverberates in my living room. I haven’t heard this raga in a long time. The singer is Ramnad Krishnan, one of the greatest Carnatic vocalists in my opinion. Regarded as a “musician’s musician” by many, his manodharma(imagination) was unparalleled when it came to raga alapana.  The Dhanyasi is soul-stirring and I can now understand why other Carnatic connoisseurs feel his music is … Continue reading Dhanyasi – Raga Ruminations

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Miscellaneous, Music

Saveri – Raga Ruminations

I was listening to a vintage recording of a padam in raga Saveri by stalwarts T.Brinda and T.Mukta recently. While the lyrics were evocative the richness in the melody stirred my soul. The advantage of listening to such greats is that one gets a fresh perspective of the raga every time you listen to it. Raga Saveri never fails to leave an impact on my soul … Continue reading Saveri – Raga Ruminations

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Music

Charukesi – Raga Ruminations

Whenever I listen to raga Charukesi, I recall an incident from my childhood. My music class was in progress and the song that I was learning was Kripaya Palaya, a composition of Swati Tirunal which extolls the virtues of Goddess Lakshmi. Even as I was singing, I could hear my uncle whistling under his breath as he walked behind me.  The tune that he was humming sounded similar … Continue reading Charukesi – Raga Ruminations

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Music

Varali – Raga Ruminations

Varali – a melody that reminds one of ‘a bee humming’. It was referred to as Varati in old musical texts such as Sharangdev’s Sangeetha Ratnakara.  A widely held belief was that teaching Varali would give rise to discord between a teacher and their student. Hence, in the past, it was rarely taught and students had to learn by just listening to their teacher and … Continue reading Varali – Raga Ruminations

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Music

Bowli – Raga Ruminations

When I hear M.S. Subbalakshmi singing the song, Shriman Narayana in the wee hours of the morning, the day starts on a bright note. It could be a combination of the singer’s voice, the melody and the lyrics but the effect is always the same. The song is a benediction to Lord Venkateshwara and the melody has a meditative nature. Raga Bowli is a morning raga where the notes are sung … Continue reading Bowli – Raga Ruminations

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Music, Raga Ruminations

Harikambodhi – Raga Ruminations

Harikambodhi is a melody that occupies prime real estate in the pantheon of Carnatic ragas. For some reason, it is often overlooked as the centrepiece in a concert in favour of a similar-sounding raga. Given the popularity of raga Shankarabharanam or raga Karaharapriya, carnatic music lovers couldn’t be faulted for thinking that Harikambhodhi (which is only a note different than the former) would share the … Continue reading Harikambodhi – Raga Ruminations

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Music

Pushpalatika – Raga Ruminations

Can a song, one by an obscure composer become popular solely based on a singer’s rendition? There are a surprising number of such songs that have shot to prominence. Here is one such story which became well known after M.S.Subbalakshmi’s concert.  The song Ikainaina, the composer, Tirupati Narayanaswamy and the raga Pushpalatika were not well-known in the concert circuit. It went down in the annals of Carnatic … Continue reading Pushpalatika – Raga Ruminations

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