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naadhaswaram in TFM

Topic started by bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on Wed Jan 20 23:02:33 EST 1999.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

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Responses:

• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Wed Jan 20 23:08:28 EST 1999
  
  naadhaswaram: an oft neglected instrument in TFM and in the music community in general. TFM is filled with violins and flutes, but not this beautiful instrument.kaarththaala, en appa veettile pOdara cassettes: thiruvizha jaishankar, sheikh chinna mowlaana, NPN sedhuraaman, ponnusaamy , pOndravargaL. i was fascinated by that instrument. hindhOlamum sindhu bhairaviyum romba nallaa irukkum naadhaswaraththil. i would like to discuss in this thread about naadhaswaram in TFM, how well it is used, and how it has uplifted the song. THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT RESTRICTED TO IR ALONE. in fact, i hope this thread breaks the IR vs ARR and deva bashing monotonies in DF.
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Wed Jan 20 23:10:56 EST 1999
  
  just to mention: i also hope this will not be a list making exercise. please analyze the songs.
  
  
• From: Murali Sankar (@ perceval.ece.sc.edu) on: Thu Jan 21 11:47:12 EST 1999
  
  Sorry bb. just an info. the very first song of IR "Machchaanai paartheengala" had adorable "duppaanguthu" pieces. Just like thillana mohanambal 'pudhuppatti ponnuththayi'was devoted to that instrument. But it had a brilliant song "Ooradangum saamaththilaye" too without Nadhaswaram :)).
  
  
• From: SR Kaushik (@ ntws219.cs.wisc.edu) on: Thu Jan 21 14:09:50 EST 1999
  
  BB: Again sorry.
  
  In How to Name it there is a piece called "Do anything" which has the best fusion of nadaswaram and WC that I have ever listened to. The piece is oozing with spontaneous joy.
  
  
• From: Neels (@ 202.54.125.164) on: Thu Jan 21 14:35:59 EST 1999
  
  Nadaswaram in TFM always reminds me of Singara Velane Deva..from the film 'Konjum Chalangai' An all-time great by Janaki.
  The instrument played a major role in the film Kovil pura. Listen to the songs... Amazing use of this majestic instrument. Especially noteworthy is Janaki's masterpiece, 'Sangeethame, En Jeevane' set to Rasikapriya (I think). It is the third song after 'Singara Velane Deva' and 'Macchana Paartheengala' that had SJ complementing the Nadaswaram and vice versa.
  
  Talking of Nadaswaram (Or is it Nagaswaram, as some say?) and its equivalent in Hindustani music, the Shehnai (that IR used to great effect in many of his interludes), I have observed that though both are considered as 'Mangala Vadyams', Nadaswaram is ONLY played during festivities and celebrations whereas Shehnai is played in case of a 'sad event' too. You'll never hear Nadaswaram being played on AIR when the nation mourns the death of a leader, whereas Shehnai is played all-over!!!
  
  Neels
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ pm062-04.spindler.wmich.edu) on: Thu Jan 21 15:56:08 EST 1999
  
  BB naan sollalai?:)
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ ifmxlenx.na.informix.com) on: Thu Jan 21 16:18:27 EST 1999
  
  One could never get tired of listening to this instrument. The potential it has to create a festive mood is awesome. "Koyil Pura" had some pieces as Neels had mentioned. "Poo mudippaaL intha Poonguzhali" from Nejirukkum varai had excellent pieces. Some more, "Nathaswara osaiyile" from Poovum Pottum, "Vasanthathil Or NaaL" from Moondru Deivangal and ofcourse who can forget Thillaana MohanambaaL.
  
  
• From: SM (@ 208.236.83.3) on: Thu Jan 21 19:40:25 EST 1999
  
  "Baatsha"vil "azhagu" paattil kooda naadhaswaram varum. Rajni vaasikkira maadhiri varum. Adhai vaasikkum podhu enna enna settai seyyakkoodaadho adhai ellam Rajni andha paattil seivaar.
  
  
• From: SM (@ 208.236.83.3) on: Thu Jan 21 19:41:32 EST 1999
  
  Hey, how did you guys forget "vaaraay en thozhi vaaraayo" song when talking about "Naadhaswaram in TFM".
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Thu Jan 21 23:13:40 EST 1999
  
  Nadhaswaram is a majestic instrument and so closely tied to religious and wedding ceremonies that it would probably lend unnecessary and irrelevant significance to most pop songs. This may be the reason why most MDs use it judiciously in TFM songs.
  
  "Nalamdhaana" from Thillaana Mohanaambaal springs to mind immediately at the mention of Nadhaswaram. That song must have been tailor-made for the instrument that its interludes beautifully blend in with the fabric of the song.
  
  Among instrument renditions of TFM songs, one of my favorites by Nadhaswaram is the C.S.Jeyaraaman
  classic, "Aayiram Kann Podhaadhu Vannakkiliyae". I don't know if the original song contained Nadhaswaram, but maybe it should have.
  
  Another thing I've always wondered about is the parallels between Saxophone and Nadhaswaram. Imagine incorporating nadhaswaram for Kadhri's interludes in "Anjali Anjali" from Duet. I think it would be interesting.
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Thu Jan 21 23:49:07 EST 1999
  
  a favourite of mine is the western notes performed in thillana moganaambal. since then, i have heard it in several nadaswaram cassettes (and, of course, by kunnakkudi too!). does anyone know the origin of this? was it composed for the film or what?
  an album with which i was disappointed was pudhuppatti ponnuththaayi. no wonder MS remembers ooradangum saamaththile than others:))
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Thu Jan 21 23:55:19 EST 1999
  
  delving into nadhaswaram in general, for long, i think it has been sidelined unfortunately, with even the bigwigs too not being as well off as others. the instrument is very difficult to handle and control. and we have very few women in this field (madhurai ponnuththaayi, if my memory serves me right). nowadays, things are changing for the better. sheikh chinna mowlana has received the sangeetha kalanidhi this year. in his acceptance speech, he has made a passionate plea for the cause of this majestic instrument. there are also several novel efforts in this side. i watched a chidambaram natyanjali concert where naadhaswaram was used.
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Fri Jan 22 00:02:58 EST 1999
  
  what udhaya says is very interesting. the parallels of sax and naasaram are definitely there. i guess why no such fusion attempt is done is because sax is considered a jazz instrument. another thing that i find is that naadhaswaram is rarely used for the song's sake rather than for the situation's sake. as raghav kaushik pointed out, in HTNI, the use of nadhaswaram is very novel, very subdued and well controlled.
  i would also like to add the right hand of nadhaswaram, thavil , to the discussion. please add your opinions on this too.
  
  
• From: aruvi (@ spc-isp-tor-uas-73-64.sprint.ca) on: Fri Jan 22 03:42:44 EST 1999
  
  Hey Noone has yet mentioned the nathaswaram in the film 'Thillana Mokanambaal'. It had that great piece that Manorama acted as she was playing.
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ karthi4.globalcenter.net) on: Fri Jan 22 05:00:02 EST 1999
  
  The most unique Thavil use in TFM in the modern era has got to be "Ottagaththai Kattikko". Thavil goes hand in hand and surprisingly so with all the wind instruments in that song that are not usually used as thavil's counterparts.
  
  IR's "Mayilaadum Paarayilae" has some rousing Thavil in it even though it's the traditional use of that instrument. IR does use Thavil in background music in comic sequences or comic songs like, "Ada Maappillai summa moraikkaathae", "Padippula zero nadippula hero".
  
  MSV favored Mridhangam a lot (Aboorva Raagangal remains a great example of this). KVM seems to have favored bongos and the hollow beats. IR took the tabla to never before seen heights in TFM but diminished mridhangam's use in TFM except for his brief alliance with T.V. Gopalakrishnan during the Rajapaarvai hay days. IR gets a lot more out of his folk rhythm instruments: urumi, thappattai, etc, that Thavil doesn't see much use in his repertoire. One of my favorite rhythm arrangements of IR is "Sandhaikku Vandha Kili" such an undulating build up...damn, I miss those type of arrangements these days.(yeah, I know I'm getting away from the Thavil and Nadhaswaram combo topic here, but it's unlikely that we will get to focus on instruments again, so bear with me please.)
  
  
• From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Fri Jan 22 08:26:56 EST 1999
  
  IR's use of nadaswaram and thavil was brilliant in karagaattakkaran. hats off to raaja for resurrecting the use of these two majestic instruments.
  
  bb
  the notes in thillana mohanambal that u are referring to were composed by madurai mani iyer.
  
  
• From: SN (@ palo6.pacific.net.sg) on: Fri Jan 22 08:59:57 EST 1999
  
  Nadhswaram was used mainly to indicate marriage. Small bits though nicely used in
  kanmaniye kathal enbathu, poonkathave thazhthirava and countless places in BGM.
  
  
  
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Mon Jan 25 02:22:58 EST 1999
  
  another good piece is in chinna kavunder...does anyone remember it?
  
  
• From: Neels (@ 202.54.125.128) on: Mon Jan 25 08:07:43 EST 1999
  
  Udhaya,
  
  The first time I noticed IR innovatively using Thavil as the MAIN percussion instrument (and not just a filler) was in the song "E Ayyasami, Ada Nee Aala Kaami" from 'Varusham 16'.
  The tune, the rhythm and the mood (with the all-male chorus joining a enthusiastic SPB and later a mellow Chitra) was just great.
  
  Interestingly, Ottagathai Kattikko too was set to the same raga 'Dharmavathi' and also used Thavil. There are no other similarities here. I am just pointing to a coincidence.
  
  Neels
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Wed Feb 10 14:05:43 EST 1999
  
  I was listening to "Poo Mudippaal Indhap Poonguzhali". Most of the song sails with just Thavil as the accompanying instrument, quite a revelation for me. Also, there is a great non-traditional (i.e. not the traditional use of the instrument in TFM) Naadhaswaram interlude. Another special thing about this song, TMS reads a wedding invitation in the middle of the song without breaking from the song's melody.
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Wed Feb 10 14:47:15 EST 1999
  
  udhaya: enna padam adhu?
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Wed Feb 10 15:20:15 EST 1999
  
  bb,
  I think it is Sridhar's "Nenjirukkum Varai"; all the other songs in it are great as well.
  
  
• From: rameshb (@ interlock.itthartford.com) on: Wed Feb 10 15:21:38 EST 1999
  
  BB, i think it is pachchai viLakku,
  
  Udaya, this is how sivaji reads the invitation
  
  nigazhum pArthiba Andu
  Avanith thingaL irubathAm nAL
  thirumanach chelvan siva rAmanukkum
  thirumanach chelvi rajeshwarikkum
  nadai peRum thirumaththirkku
  sutRam soozha vanthirunthu
  vAzhththi yaruLa vEndukirEn
  thagaL nalvaravai virumbum ragurAman, ragurAman, ragurAman
  
  It is very aptly inserted in the song.
  
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Thu Feb 11 00:43:31 EST 1999
  
  udhaya, rameshb - thanx.
  is anyone aware of sax usage (non jazz) in earlier films??
  
  

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