Rare Treats in Carnatic Music #11

Here is the 11th one in the series (click here for the 10th one). This one is a reasonably popular (and very attractive) raga, although running into elaborations i.e. alapana, neraval and kalpanaswaras is rare . You may run into an occasional alapana and even kalpanaswaras, but a neraval? Now, that I believe is quite rare! So here is it is, a neraval in this beautiful raga. The krithi I believe is an unknown one, and so I have left the neraval line as-is as I do not think it would give the raga away to most of you.

Can you guess the raga?

For the answer (and some analysis): click here

 

Rare Treats in Carnatic Music #10

After a brief hiatus (job change, new schedule etc. ete.), here is the tenth one in the series (click here for the ninth one).

This is actually a well known, charming and beautiful raga – but this still is rare and special (at least to me!) It should be fairly easy to identify I think. If you are on the right track, there is only one answer. If you are in the right neighborhood, there are only two possible answers! If did get it right,  and before you read the ensuing analysis below, give some thought into why you were able to identify it and not be misdirected. I would be interesting in knowing your reasoning and intuition.

So here it goes.

Note: I have “masked out” the refrain line of the kalpanaswaras out with a tampura sound  to not give things away (although I think the krithi is rare). I  know it is odd – hopefully it does not affect your listening pleasure and interfere with your thought process too much!

(Audio Courtesy: Sangeethapriya)

So, can you guess the  raga and the artist?

(answer below)

 

Rare Treats in Carnatic Music #9

Here is the ninth one in the series (click here for the eighth one).

This is a rare, charming and beautiful raga. It is very rare to run into any elaboration although it supposedly had a more exalted status in the past. There are couple of reasonably popular short krithis but one composer has a large composition in it, and another one had a big varnam in it. It also has a fairly characteristic stamp and so may be easily identifiable in spite of its rarity.

I had to dig around, and ask a few well placed friends to get this one ! Although the audio quality is poor, I think it is still a very rare and special treat.

The artist should be easily identifiable and she is probably one of the few who can pull it off. I have also heard her do an alapana in this raga in a concert that I attended a few years ago.

(Answer below)