Here is the second one in this series (click here for the first one). It is an alapana for a well known song, fairly common in concerts, but perhaps one for which alapana is rarely rendered (at least to me). Thus it is is special to me.
The musician should be obvious to most of the listeners as he is very well known. I also suspect many of you will be able to guess the raga. In any case, just enjoy an alapana!
(Download here)
(Answer below)
Select the text below to reveal the answer (I hope this technique works for all of you!):
Artist(s): G. N. Balasubramaniam
Raga: SencUkAmbhOji – as a prelude for the well known composition vara rAga laya by Thyagaraja. The song has a very attractive ciTTaswaram in it. You probably will not run into any other composition in this raga in a carnatic concert (i am sure other composers have attempted it). The raga is belongs to the 28th mELa harikAmbhOji and its arohana/avarohana is S P M1 D2 N2 S/ S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S. It has the characteristic Sa-pa jump plus M1 D2 N2 S (omitting pa) in the ascent giving it a distinct flavor and the musicians show this clearly in the alapana.
July 4, 2009 at 1:11 pm
The vocalist gives it away right at the start, including a segment of the pallavi, so this would also be a good counterexample of the TKR alapanai! The structure of the ragam, I think, makes it very easy to distinguish it immediately as you’ve observed in your explanation. Here’s Sanjay with a short sketch followed by the same krithi: http://www.sendspace.com/file/tp689b
If a particular phrase is selected and dwelt on at the outset, I can see it leading to a more major rakthi ragam. In Sanjay’s alapanai, I definitely got a hint of the other raga in the first half minute or so.
July 4, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Got it readily since I have heard it from this master before! But the initial ‘grunt’ fooled me to thinking your most favourite for a while till I recovered! I have never looked at the svaras for this raga and I checked with SRJ who differs considerably from yours. Can you reconcile? Again what is R3 doing in that mela
Arun: Oops R3 was a typo
! The aro/avaro I just got from one source (wiki) – I also see it is quite different from SRJ’s. I am not that familiar with the raga swaroopa to know what is the significance between this difference. I thought the one I quoted seemed to match the cittaswaras – atleast at the beginning, which is why I used it.
July 4, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Ha, didn’t notice the R3 there. That would make it a rather weird ragam.
July 6, 2009 at 2:08 pm
clean bowled! the only ‘progression’ i think i heard somewhere was p-m-d…and I was confused as this did not sound a bit like kaanada… revealed and learned about yet another ragam today..once again, have heard of it… never listened to it in a concert. hmm…
July 8, 2009 at 11:05 am
[...] Carnatic Music, Rare Treats Leave a Comment Here is the third one in this series (click here for the second one). It is an alapana and kalpanaswaras, for a reasonably well known song, although [...]
August 19, 2009 at 1:39 pm
thought it sounded a lot like kannAda -but then n2 in this vs. n3 clearly ruled kannAda out…
so… ok janya of Harikhamboji…cool !
thanks for burning our lives
– I follow the path of the legend about Jeppiyar referring to MGR (translating ‘..engal vazhvil oLi yetri vaitha…)
Arun: Thanks