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Usage of Mridhangam in Raja songs

Topic started by eden (@ 202.54.71.149) on Sat Jun 5 05:23:28 EDT 1999.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

An acclaimed DF-er (is it bb?) wrote in one of the threads that Raja has not used much of this traditional instrument and ARR has bettered him in use of this. It would be great if some of the knowledgeable IR admirers can disprove it!!

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Responses:

• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.149) on: Sat Jun 5 05:32:51 EDT 1999
  
  My heart didn't accept....`No, it can't be true. It's quite possible if that's some latest synth stuff. But with his vast list of compositions, he should have played around with this traditional intrument'.....Hmmmm...initial reaction of the heart is OK. Now it's for the mind to dig out some great numbers. .....Two nos. came immediately:
  
  1. One of my all time fav. songs - Ayiram thamari mottukkale. Wow! The starting piece - following the 4 claps- is still lingering in my memories! Added to that is the accompaniment for the pallavi! If that is not great, then what is?
  
  2. The great percussion combo for the saranam of the song `Pon vaanam panneer thoovuthu inneram'. It has a great mix of mridhangam & tabla.
  
  Mmmmm... Let me leave others the opportunity to point out more nos, which are sure to be there!!!!
  
  
• From: Shankar (@ webgate0.mot.com) on: Sat Jun 5 11:41:23 EDT 1999
  
  eden,
  mundhitteenga!!! On seeing the topic the first song that came to mind was ponvAnam panneer thoovudhu innEram.
  
  ennuLLE's prelude - mridangam and cheNdai , brilliant piece.
  
  Will write more as they occur.
  
  
• From: pg (@ client-151-198-136-6.bellatlantic.net) on: Sat Jun 5 13:32:31 EDT 1999
  
  what about kasthUri mAnE kalyANa thEnE from pudhumaip peN ?
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ proxy8.ykt.prodigy.net) on: Sat Jun 5 16:17:25 EDT 1999
  
  One of the best is 'Poo malarnthidu....' from TIK TIK TIK. Really superb usage and 'anthi mazhai..' to a lesser extent.
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.22.112) on: Sun Jun 6 09:30:43 EDT 1999
  
  Sindhubhairavi.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.159) on: Mon Jun 7 01:30:18 EDT 1999
  
  You said it in one word MS!!! That's IR's answer to any critics!!
  
  He excels in the use of this instrument in colloboration with Tabla often; one of the songs that use this unbeatable combination is another number for dance - Thogai Ilamayil. The accompaniment for the singing is Tabla while the interludes (when the heroine tries to dance) are compiled with excellent Mridhangam pieces!!
  
  Another dance number where Mridhangam is nicely used is `Ther kondu vandhavan' (Enakkul oruvan). In the same film, megham kottattum has a fusion of drums with mridhangam in the ending of the song, nicely suited to the scene on the movie.
  
  Many of the semi-classicals of IR use this instrument aptly -in various songs (some are in Salangai Oli, Kovil pura, Sippikkul muthu). Some of our friends with classical background may be able to highlight the technicalities!
  
  Talking about Sippikkul Muthu, can anyone forget the `Lalee Lalee' number by PS. Is not the main percussion none other than the lovely Mridhangam?
  
  
• From: aruLarasan (@ psiphi.umsl.edu) on: Mon Jun 7 01:47:45 EDT 1999
  
  (1) kARROdu kuzhalin nAdhamE - kOdai mazhai
  (2) gangaik karai mannanadi - varusham 16 (not a great one tho')
  (3) iLanjOlai puththadhA - ??? (not a great one but the transition from thablA to mrudhangam is very smooth and pleasing)
  (4) Adal kalaiyE dhEvan thandhadhu - sri rAghavEndhrA
  
  many many more. (thUkkakkalakkaththil onRum thOnRA mAttEnengiRadhu :-) )
  
  
• From: Diwakar (@ 98ae1bf3.ipt.aol.com) on: Tue Jun 8 05:14:47 EDT 1999
  
  A very effective use is in O Vasantha Raaja.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.145) on: Tue Jun 8 05:21:08 EDT 1999
  
  It's interesting to note that IR has mostly resorted to this instrument whenever he wants to stick to the classical grammer as closely as can be! The other song that came to my mind (which again belongs to the same filmi-classical category) is `Mayile, Mayile' from Kadavul amaitha medai which has a nice use of Mridhangam as the percussion through out. IR once told this song as his most favourite claiming this as `suththamana Hamsadwani ragathil amaindha padal'!!
  (this claim was long back -may be in 1980- in Cinema Express during the period of his 100th film or so)
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.145) on: Tue Jun 8 05:30:01 EDT 1999
  
  And it's also true that non-classical songs -even dappanguthu's- had the pleasure of having Mridhangam beats, like `Maane Thene Kattippudi' of Udhaya Geetham!
  
  
• From: sree (@ orchid.cs.concordia.ca) on: Tue Jun 8 18:31:33 EDT 1999
  
  Another one from Manathil uruthi vendum - "Sanga thamizh " sung by KJY & Chitra.
  Excellent use of Mridhangam in the above song.
  
  
• From: Krish (@ mailserver01.sb.com) on: Tue Jun 8 18:53:39 EDT 1999
  
  Also count IR's use of mirudhangam in Andhi mazhai song in Raja parvai...ask them to better it.
  
  Also I dont know how many of you have noticed that in the song "Vaa Vaa vaa" from "velaikaran", IR will use drums for beats in the first two stanzas and for the same tune he will brilliantly use mirudangam for the beats. You have got to listen to this to appreciate the subtle expression of his brilliance.
  
  
• From: Krish (@ mailserver01.sb.com) on: Tue Jun 8 18:54:06 EDT 1999
  
  Also count IR's use of mirudhangam in Andhi mazhai song in Raja parvai...ask them to better it.
  
  Also I dont know how many of you have noticed that in the song "Vaa Vaa vaa" from "velaikaran", IR will use drums for beats in the first two stanzas and for the same tune he will brilliantly use mirudangam for the beats. You have got to listen to this to appreciate the subtle expression of his brilliance.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.153) on: Tue Jun 8 23:33:44 EDT 1999
  
  Varusham 16 has this `Pazhamudhircholai' song, a masterpiece with KJY singing. While the accompaniment for pallavi is some drums, the saranams are treated with lovely Mridhangam composition!
  
  Some not-so-great-yet-successful usage is found in the prelude of Kanna thorakkanum sami (Mundanai mudichchu) & madana moga roopa sundari (Indru poi naalai vaa)!
  
  
• From: yvs mani (@ hub.nic.in) on: Wed Jun 9 00:59:38 EDT 1999
  
  Another one, I think is " Maanida sevai throgama Kalaivani" from Unnal Mudiyum thambi
  
  
• From: bb (@ inehou-pxy04.compaq.com) on: Wed Jun 9 17:53:25 EDT 1999
  
  saw this thread just now.. list pOdaradhellaam sari thaan, but raja has done more wonders with tabla, and instruments like mELam, urumi(?) than with mridhangam. i am sure they outnumber.. eden, even for classical numbers, he has used tabla with telling effect. also surprised that the interlude of mirudhangam with kamal's sabaash and balE during the poNNu paarkkum padalam wasn't mentioned:-)))
  
  
• From: Sridhar Seetharaman (@ sagramolapc.cc.bellcore.com) on: Wed Jun 9 18:16:36 EDT 1999
  
  1. "Vaidhei Raman" from Pagal Nilavu By S.Janaki
  2. "Karyaidha Manamum undoa" from Varusham 16.
  
  Both songs have changing mridangam shruthis.
  
  
• From: Hari (@ 129.100.4.10) on: Wed Jun 9 22:36:30 EDT 1999
  
  Sridhar,
  
  Interesting inclusions. Thought I would put in my two bit here. The shruthi change in vaidehi raman is because of grahabhedam. When he shifts from kalyani to todi he has to change the tunings for the mridangam, especially because SJ sings swarams. The difference in the pitches is only a semitone. (I think there were two guys with different tunings playing.)
  
  Karayadha manum is somewhat different I think. This song uses the chandrakauns scale with an added ga3. (The scale is called Hemabhushani, a derivative of Gangeyabhushani, the 33rd mela) I think the change in the shruthi occurs in the second charanam, where the first line starts at ga3 (E sharp?) and centres on it, and the second line at ma. Wonder why he did that.
  Can you help me out?
  
  Hari
  
  
• From: bb (@ inehou-pxy04.compaq.com) on: Thu Jun 10 13:10:25 EDT 1999
  
  apparently, ARR's sangamam uses mridangam a lot:-)
  
  
• From: suren (@ proxy.mcmail.com) on: Thu Jun 10 17:12:11 EDT 1999
  
  
  What about the song "kutathile koyilpura".The maestro has used a dappanguthu instrument in the first stanza.. and in the second one you can very well notice how wonderfully he brings on the mirudangam as the percussion background!.And infact he starts using it in the second interlude itself!Hats off to IR>
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.136) on: Fri Jun 11 01:39:07 EDT 1999
  
  bb!
  Agreed that IR has used tabla more and much better- but that does not mean his use of Mridhangam is anyway inferior to others, esp.ARR's. That was my objective & from the above postings that's quite apparent! (IR's hit songs with Mridhangam may outnumber the total hit songs of ARR!!!)
  
  I wish to add the start-up of the instrumental piece in Raajapaarvai. A classical combination with Violin!
  
  
  
• From: bb (@ dialup-209.245.192.127.houston1.level3.net) on: Fri Jun 11 02:03:06 EDT 1999
  
  eden, i didn't mind ur misquoting me initially, but am forced to reply to ur latest posting:-))) please check if i have referred to arr in the sense u have written:-))) (listening to sangamam now and haven't heard any mridhangam yet:-))) )
  among the songs listed above, i guess the worst effect was in maanE thEnE kattippudi.. still better than the cacophony with mirudhangam in ratchagan:)
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.146) on: Fri Jun 11 05:37:57 EDT 1999
  
  bb!
  I'm sorry if I have misquoted, probably my understanding was not correct!
  
  Advance thanks for your understanding!
  
  
• From: Madhan (@ 202.41.117.63) on: Fri Jun 11 12:32:59 EDT 1999
  
  Friends, the most melliflous soothing usage of Mirudhangam by IR is in "Poovey ilaiya poovey" sung by MV in Kozhi Koovudhu - especially in the second interlude, the flute which comes with the mridungam as the base is just out of this world.....
  
  The starting of "Oru raagam paadalodu" from Ananda Ragam and the charanams of the same song has mridungam base .
  
  The song "paadum vaanambaadi" from Naan paadum paadal has a complex mixture of Tabla and mridungam.
  
  
  
• From: yvs mani (@ hub.nic.in) on: Wed Jun 16 02:40:18 EDT 1999
  
  I think the song, "Vaikasi masathil pandhal onnu pootu" also qualifies.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.153) on: Wed Jun 16 05:12:15 EDT 1999
  
  I remember a nice song with beautiful percussion accompaniment - mridhangam - `Neelakkuyile unnodu naan paN paduven'. Don't get the name of the movie... I think it was sung by SJ
  
  

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