Avid listeners of classical carnatic music of the
greats know that each one had a unique 'bhani' (may be loosely translated as
'style').
The beauty of these various styles was each one
brought different hues, aroma and flavours to the song, raga and rendering.
All bhanis manifested all unique features of
classical carnatic music with emphasis on individual improvisations and
melodies throwing out to the listening ears of rasikas the millions of nuances
of gamakas ( https://contentwriteups.blogspot.com/2016/03/gamakas.html?m=0 * ) which touch almost all forms of emotions
and psychological moods. It has to be savored with total intensity and intense
totality.
Madurai Mani Iyer rendered natural rhythmic music
with Sruthi suddham be it in Sangathis, alapanas or those amazing lilting
kalpana swaras both with clarity and alacrity that anyone listening to him felt
like tapping for the rhythms. Even Yadava kula Murali will come dancing
to his saranam rendering [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz0Hz79BWws
]
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar paid greater attention
to weave and to work on perfecting formats of rendering every Sangathi (refrain)
of the lyrics as well as formatting a whole concert.
GNB enthralled everyone with sliding his natural
briha imbued 'aharams' be it in alapana, Sangathi or kalpana swara. Samani
kamaja sudha will flutter in aaaa[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkn_zA__u6g ]
Semmangudi made a supposed weakness of his excessive
nasal tone and husky voice to gel marvellously gradual and incremental
improvisations of Sangathis, alapanas and sarva laghu swaras. [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwujn0iosYM – kalpana swaras improvisation from Gandharam in
the abv recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bukcovU0u5s&list=RDbukcovU0u5s&start_radio=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ_k_94r_pM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_kwonAPAyc ]
While KVN was a master at floating in resonance.
However, Dr.M. Balamuralikrishna was one of those
unparalleled all round master of any or all Bhanis and he could switch from one
to another with equal ease, enormous exuberance, exquisite emotional appeal and
exact scales with crystal clear rendering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkPjrJKgmqI
If you have a patience listen to this full
interview to know what an all-rounder he was https://map.sahapedia.org/video/In-conversation%20with%20Carnatic%20vocalist%20M.%20Balamuralikrishna/11229
Madurai Somu was master at gimmicks involving very
high level of technical skills not easy for ordinary folks to understand the
full depth of the gimmicks without real in depth knowledge listen to this sample of last four
avarthanais though poor recording
Maharajapuram Santhanam could render in deep
throated full voice many nuances imbued with full bhavam and also manoeuvre and
merge seamlessly mellifluous tones. Two samples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpdYWv-Y4Ns [ksheerabdi kannike sree maha lakshmi]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k25MAxdQdZQ [Marukelara obh raghava]
I can go on and on with several singers and their
renderings
*On Gamakas and voice culture
If a vocalist pays more attention to various
appropriate kamakas the more embellished the rendering becomes. To some it
comes naturally for some they have to work at it hard consciously.
Special addition on Gamakas a very
comprehensive and crystal clear demonstration of gamakas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4w30izPVDA
One of the most precise and perfect demonstration
of minutest nuances of voice culture which go onto embellish a vocal rendering.
Voice Culture - Lecture demonstration - Dr. M
Balamuralikrishna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ccGhf4Y-cw
Another good demo of voice culture impregnated with
certain unique features of Indian classical music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30CW1gD76gE
12
swarasthanams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL4OEaYAdcw
No comments:
Post a Comment