Music Musings

One of the most popular ragas in Carnatic music, Kharaharapriya is also a wonderfully flexible scale that lends itself to a variety of expression, covering a range of genres. We discuss some of the important aspects of the raga, and go through a small selection of songs in it. The bonus in this episode is a look at how Kharaharapriya works as the background score for a scene in a movie.

An exploration of the contours and facets of Raga Kharaharapriya in the classical context and out of it.

Here are the links to YouTube videos of the music discussed in the episode.

Maharajan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBVdIzzgwgc

Saamyam Akannor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmODJmrxZic

Sangeeta Swarangal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWXU07K7CIQ

Unnai Vazhtha Vandhen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etMeHAvNRhc

Odakkuzhalum (MLV) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjMRQRm1Ol4

Mayilaadum Thoppil - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiKFhOU_qU8

Innum Ente Kannuneeril - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqH_vlbPcbY

Maappillaikku - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_U6kmRmQ4

Praana Naathan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjymSzqhElQ

Unnaal Mudiyum Thambi scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrdBqPv7Aq

India abounds in stories. And Carnatic music does not lag behind. Dozens, if not hundreds, of songs have stories behind their creation. This episode looks at a few such songs.

The singers of the songs used in this episode are:

Vatapi Ganapatim (Hamsadhwani) - Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar

Namo Namo Raghavaya (Desya Todi) - M L Vasanthakumari

Sri Naathaadi Guruguho (Mayamalavagaula) - R Vedavalli

Devi Brova Samayamidey (Chintamani) - Palghat K V Narayanaswami

Jagadodhaarana (Kapi/Peelu) - Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam

Omana Thingal Kitaavo (Arabhi) - Sikkil Gurucharan & Anil Srinivasan

Praananaathan (Kamboji) (from the movie Enippadikal) - P Madhuri

A rambling, sometimes distracted, discussion about ragas - classifications, characteristics, oddities, interesting raga clusters and raga names.  (Two song excerpts have been used in the podcast. Ardhanaareeshwaram in Raga Kumudakriya is by Madurai T N Seshagopalan, and Raga Kurinji is by Dwaram Mangathayaru.)

Back to some basics. An episode that discusses the building blocks of music - the octave, the note, and the microtone. Nothing much else, actually!! (The music for the intro and outro is from a piece for piano composed by Madhura Sundararajan.)

Well, why not?! We've had two different kinds of journeys with ragas. Here's a third, where we have a kind of musical chairs with the notes of Raga Chakravakam. (The music for the intro and outro is from a piece for piano composed by Madhura Sundararajan.)

A new kind of musical journey awaits you in this episode centred around trains and film music. Here is a YouTube playlist where you watch/listen to all the featured songs - and a few not featured: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKYZQd76hY3kXjqUWI-wJ4qxMH6habEEK

What is fusion music? Well, asking from today's perspective, perhaps the more relevant question would be: what isn't? Is fusion a genre, a movement, an impulse, or just fate?!! :-) A drive through the Indo-fusion landscape, taking intermittent snapshots with a few samples thrown in.