Creeping Corruption

We often boast that India is the largest democracy. Along with this boast, we can also be 'proud' of its large scale corruption and backdoor politics.
This is amply proved by the fact that in many cases, one individual often holds several important posts. Why is this ? Is there a shortage of manpower in our country? Obviously, there is more to this than just selection on merit.

When allegations of corruptions are made against some politicians, there is normally a huge clamour for their resignation, but nothing normally results. This 'virus' has entered the art field also. In fact, it has taken on a 'Viswaroopam'.

Creeping Corruption

When a government appoints someone to a top post, it is with some confidence in this candiate's abilities and also the belief that at least 80% of the finds handled,  will be put to correct use. Misuse of funds will pass as long as it remanins unnnoticed. But there is no smoke without fire. When it is discovered, especially in the field of art or in the music institutions, it creates depression and dejection in artists.

In the field of politics and politically based organizations, means like fasts , strikes and protests bring the problems to the public eye and help dispensing of justice. Unfortunately, in the field of music, there is no such means to bring the wrongdoers to book. Only then would the culprits be known to the public. Otherwise, like the politicians who enter the police vans with a broad smile on their faces, the accused in the art field will keep attending important functions without any guilt feeling or whatsoever.

Only if these trends are stopped the music will thrive and flourish in the long run.

Analysis - IV

Starting time : 4:35
Ending Time : 6:17

As seen in the previous post, shifting from one nadai to another nadai can be done in different ways. He mani sir has chosen a simple method. Taking a syllable of 8 mathrai playing the same in chatursram and tisram.

In simple words, if you play a syllable of 8, 2 times in 4 Aksharams (16 mathrais), it should be played 3 times in 4 Akshrams (24 mathrais). This is what he is doing from minute 5:00 to 5:28. The korvai starts @ 5:30. The Korvai is defined for 1.5 Avarthanams (2 kalai) / 3 avarthanams (1 Kalai) or 24 Aksharams of chatursram,which is 32 * 3 = 96 Matharais.

while converting the same into tisram, this comes to 1 Avarthanams(2 kalai) or 2 Avarthanams (1 kalai) or 16 aksharams or 48 * 2 = 96 Mathrais. The 48 is nothing but, 6 mathrais per aksharam (1 beat) and aditalam comprises of 8 beats its is 8 * 6 gives you 48.

The korvai is structured as into two parts. The first part is set to 8 Aksharams and the second part is set for 9 aksharams for thisram, if it has to played for chatursram, the same thing will fit into 10.5 aksharams and 13.5 Aksharams.


There is lot of scope of improvising this particular korvai. In the diagram, I have drawn two lines, vertical and horizontal. The uthrangam (finalpart) of the korvai can be played either horizontally or vertically, since the average is 18.

Next we will see about harishankar's thisram.

Analysis - III

It is continued by a thisra nadai by mani sir. I would like to add few of my view points in this area. There are different ways of converting from one nadai to another nadai. To my knowledge the following is some of the ways it can be shifted.

1. Starting thisram staright from the word GO
2. Starting thisram by playing a small syllable then shifting gears
3. Play a korvai in chatursram and convert the same into thisram
4. Play thisram in terms but not showing the nadai.
5. Just play a korvai in thisram

We can never say which one of the above mentioned is the thumb rule, it purely depends on time. If you are in Air, if you are a 3 minutes thani, you can never play thisram elaborately. In this thani avarthanam, you will find 2 ways of handling conversion from one nadai to another nadai.

Manisir will be taking chatursram Syllable as a base and do vinyasam on the same, play same korvai in chatursram and thisram, where as Harishankar will Play a BIGGGGGG korvai playing the same 2 times in chatursram and finally converting the same into thisram.

We are familiar with composers of songs, but a special note should be made on the korvai harishankar has played. The composer of the korvai was mani sir. He composed it especially for harishankar for the Sruthi laya Thaniavarthan Series (1980). Harishankar has handled the korvai as if its made only for him. Many will feel that its not a tough korvai, but it requires lot of memory power and control over the laya. We will see more about the korvai when we see Harishankar's extra-ordinary thisram section.

Thani Avarthanam - I

Here is ONE of the best thani by Mani sir and G.Harishankar. It’s been long time since I wanted to write about the thanis of mani sir somehow it didn’t happen. I don’t know how many of you have this recording with you. I am uploading the same for the sake of people who don’t have it.

The idea behind writing about thani is, often in many forums I see people saying… “I don’t understand anything, but I like it”….

The first step I am doing here is giving you the link to download the thani, if you want to hear it online, you can do it. The below given links will help you.

Enjoy the scintillating thani
Download : Thani Avarthanam

Listen Online

Mridangam Language

South Indian drumming has a language all of its own. For every sound produced by the mridangam, there is a corresponding syllable. These syllables, known as solkattu, are combined to form innumerable rhythms. The solkattu language becomes almost inseparable from the drumming itself.

One might assume, therefore, that one could assign a MIDI note for each syllable, and then use a mridangam sample of each syllable to play back these solkattu compositions. However, there is considerable flexibility in the system of interpreting the solkattu for the drums. For example, the syllable ta is used for 11 different strokes. Over the years, the solkattu system has evolved to serve as a structure for many different drums, and so many different interpretations are possible.

Playing Technique

The fingering technique is a very important consideration in a discussion pertaining to mridangam. The mridangam has a balance between the powerful and delicate techniques. A brief look at the history of the instrument shows why. The evolution of mridangam may be traced to an archetypical mridang. This instrument had a close association to the ancient mythological dramas. This association meant that the drums would sometimes have to support both masculine and feminine characters. The delicate movements of the dance are known as lasya while the more powerful masculine movements are known as tandava. Powerful techniques were developed to accentuate the masculine roles while delicate techniques were developed to support the feminine roles. In the last several centuries the drumming technique in north Indian music has bifurcated. The more powerful and aggressive techniques have been relegated to the pakhawaj while the delicate techniques have been relegated to tabla. Yet there was no bifurcation of technique in the South. The powerful and aggressive techniques exist alongside the delicate. The mridangam is played primarily by using the index, middle, ring and small fingers of both hands while the thumb finger is used as a support element. The palm of the right hand is also used mainly while playing the stroke "plam or jham". To play the strokes "nam" and "dhim", it should be kept in mind that when the index finger is used to play these strokes, the ring finger should always be positioned in between the outer rim and the inner black ring on the right side of the mridangam (fig.1). The stroke "thi" is played by using the middle, ring and small fingers of the right hand in the centre of the black area on the right side of the mridangam but it should be noted that these three fingers should be held together while playing this stroke. Even while playing the stroke "jham", these three fingers should be held together. The stroke "ta" is played by using the index finger of the right hand at the centre of the black area on the right side of the mridangam. Mainly two strokes are played on the left side of the mridangam. These are "thom" and "tha". "Thom" is played by using the middle, ring and small fingers of the left hand and these three fingers should be held together while playing Another technique involved in playing the mridangam is the use of "Gumki". It is played on the left side of the mridangam and is played instead of playing "Thom". One can produce subtle and soothing sound using Gumki which is played using the lower part of the palm and the middle and fore fingers of the left hand.this stroke. "Tha" is played by using the four fingers other than the thumb finger and again these four fingers should be held together.

Mridangam - History

The origin of mridangam goes back to the Indian mythologies wherein it is stated that Lord Nandi (the Bull God), who was the escort of Lord Shiva was a master percussionist and used to play the mridangam during the performance of the " Taandav " dance by Lord Shiva. Another myth adds that that the mridangam apparently was created because an instrument was needed that could recreate the sound of Indra (the Hindu counterpart of Zeus king of Gods) as he moved through the heavens on his elephant Airavata. That is why mridangam is called the 'Deva Vaadyam' or the instrument of the Lords. Indian music, like every other aspect of Indian culture, reflects centuries of influences and changes wrought during its 3,000 years of recorded history with the immigration of the Aryans from Central Asia in the second millennium B.C. to Islamic invasion in the 12 century B.C. and the British rule from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. With each group came new cultural ideas and technical innovations, and with the passage of time, the new ideas were absorbed and assimilated, emerging finally in an undeniably Indian synthesis. In music this synthesis can be seen in the relationship between ragas (expressive modes) of India and those of the Middle East (the Islamic influence) as also in the talas (cycle of beats). Indian music, classical, folk or popular, thus reflects layers of metamorphosis. It includes the two styles of classical music - North India's melodious Hindusthani music and the intricate Carnatic Sangeetham of South India. India can be said to be a country of countries; its diversity of languages, religions, cultures, and traditions have no parallel example anywhere in the world. Indian musical instruments in the same manner are very diverse in nature. Most of the Indian musical instruments have evolved over centuries. Each instrument has its own history behind its evolution. In Indian culture's early stages, artifacts, musical instruments, and lifestyles were simple and basic in nature. Example: all tribal instruments are basic rhythm instruments and never complex instruments having a capacity to produce a range of octaves. As a society progressed, the demands on musical instruments arose. Thus, most Indian instruments, although having started in simple forms, because of a long period of evolution, have now become exquisite instruments capable of producing a varied pitch and range of octaves. Musical instruments, according to ancient works, have been divided into four types. Thatha, Avanaddha, Sushira and Ghana which are Chordophones, Membranophones, Aerophones and Idiophones respectively. The mridangam belongs to the percussion family and has been played by Indians for more than 2000 years. It consists of a wooden shell approximately 27 inches long, covered with stretched skins on each side. It is famous for its distinctive buzzing sound and is used extensively for dance performances. Mythologically it is believed that God himself created tabla by cutting the mridangam into half.

Mridangam

The mridangam is the classical double sided drum of South India and is used as an accompaniment for vocal, instrumental and dance performances. The term mridangam is derived from the sanskrit words "Mrid Ang" which literally means "Clay-Body," indicating that it was originally made of clay. The present day mridangam is made of a single block of wood. It is made either of Jackwood or Redwood. Jackwood has more fibrous structure than the other types of wood.The packing of the fibres is also very high.The pores present in jackwood is less when compared to others. The pore size and distribution of the material can be inversely proportional to the modulus of the wood.the density of jackwood is also less when compared to other woods. The right head is made of three concentric layers of skin. The innermost layer is not visible. The outer ring is called the Meetu thol and the inner ring is called the Chapu thol. The inner ring is made of sheepskin and the outer skin is made of calf-hide. At the center of the right head is a permanent spot of black paste. This spot, called the Soru, is a mixture of boiled rice, manganese and iron filings. This black spot is responsible for the special tone of the mridangam allowing emission of harmonics. Different harmonics of the head are produced by various finger combinations. The left head, known as the 'Toppi' is made of only two layers; the inner one is made of sheepskin and the outer one is made of buffalo hide. Before playing the mridangam, a thick paste made of semolina (sooji) and water is applied to the center of this head. This is done to lower the pitch and produce a bass sound on the left head. This paste is scraped off after the performance. The right head is tuned to the Tonic. On the rims of the two heads there are spaces for the leather braces to pass through. A small, smooth stone and a small stick (wooden) are used to vary the pitch of the heads by upward or downward strokes on the rims. The pitch of the mridangam varies according to its size. The larger the mridangam, the lower the pitch and vice versa. The walls of the instrument are 2/3 centimeters thick and give it stability in the low frequencies.