Introducing JAPAN

I think it is interesting to note that between these two sources, “Japan” in Oxford Music Online and Music in Japan by Bonnie Wade, have two different approaches on how to introduce this country.  Music in Japan introduces the reader to the culture of Japan and how it has been influenced by the different cultures that come in and out of its shores. On the tenth page of the book, Wade introduces the Meiji Period and how Japanese leaders attempted to modernize their country. Examples of this include universal education and changing from an agricultural economy to an economy based on industry. However, the online source introduces this concept as the very last topic!  I think the Meiji period is instrumental in understanding how Japan has come to be and how all these different cultures mesh in society, especially in the area of music.  For example, through universal education European music was taught into the school curriculum.

Interpreting Bollywood

After watching the clip, I have related the song to some elements we have been studying in class.

When trying to explain to the girl, Gauri, that she is jealous, he sings, in free rhythm, something sort of improvised as if it is something like an alapana.  Here, he kind of introduces the melodic material.

When the song starts, after he tells her he likes her, we hear the acoustics start to establish a beat, kind of like a mridarigam does.  I think here is when we can call it the beginning of the kriti.  The pallavi, ‘O Lassie, its true.  It’s only you that I love.’  Then, Gauri starts the annupallavi. 

Whatever the form may be, we can hear the tala and raga recurring.

Also interesting to note, in the clip you can see how the British is taking control of the Indian village in order to ‘help’ it, as was noted in Music in South India.

 

The Three T's: Trimurti, Tamil, and Tarunamidamma

 

The kriti Tarunamidamma is by the composer Syama Shastri.  Shastri was the oldest of the Trimurti, or Trinity, of Carnatic music along with Tyagaraja and Muttusvami Dikshitar.  Shastri lived a life of 65 years; he was born in 1762 and died in February of 1827.  The community he was born into was a Tamil-Brahmin community known as auttara vadama.  His kin can be traced back to being archakas in the temple of Goddess Bangaru Kamakshi.  An archaka is a very distinguished person in the community.  They are high priests who are responsible for conducting temple rituals.  Although Shastri’s parents were scholarly and taught him the Telugu and Sanskrit languages at a young age, they were not, however, interested in music, yet his mother did instruct his cousin to teach him the basics in music. 

When Syama was eighteen, a monk named Sangitaswami was staying with the family.  He was a master of dance and music and was quick to find a special gift in Syama.  He was granted permission from Syama’s father and ended up teaching him the art of tala, raga, and swara prastharaas.  He encompassed all this information in just a matter of four months! Syama started composing in Sanskrit first and later changed to Telugu.  He also composed in Tamil, however this kriti, Tarunamidamma, is the only one known as of today.  Also, it is the only one of his kritis in Gowli Panthu raga.

Now what exactly does that mean, you ask?  There are thousands of different types of ragas.  Raga is the term used in Indian music to distinguish the mode and the specific pitches, melodic features, scale patterns, and ornamentation in the music tradition.   The specific pitches of the Gowli Panthu in the pallavi are:

r s- n p , N , ; S    n-s R      | rs S      ; pm       pm- P    dm-gr

1             2       3   4           | 5          6            7            8

The approximate pitches of the Annupallavi (keep in mind there is still improvisation and ornamentation that will cause it to vary:

                ; p np     , s S        S S          R S          | R- rs    nd pm   n p N    S S

The Caranam:

                ; sn         g R s       Srs nd    S S          | ; P        m-pdm g R- g    R S

; p n P - S S S R R | ; rs nd pm n p N            S S

; S- S      s -S s N ; srS , -d pm | ;- rs pm - dp sn - mp dm –

Notice that each letter or group of letters grouped together in the lines above total to the number 8.  That is because the particular tala that this composer uses is called Adi tala.  In Adi tala, we have an 8 beat cycle.  Another important aspect of this kriti is that most of the cycles of phrases do not begin on the downbeat of one.  All of the phrases begin on the next tic-mark right after 1 except for the last 4 cycles of the pallavi and the very last line of the caranam.  Now in this kriti, the performer begins on sa in the first two cycles and gravitates towards ri as a starting pitch for the remaining part of the pallavi.   The beats 4 and 3, first to be recognized by theorists as a legitimate basis to build a tala over, are very important in the anupallavi and caranam.  These  are the ‘strong beats’ in this kriti along with 5 in the pallavi. 

The relatively brisk tempo gives the performer certainly enough time to repeat the text.  The pallavi itself has 8 cycles of tala!  The anupallavi, consequently, also has 8 cycles.  The caranam has 11 cycles and then the pallavi is repeated.

In the anupallavi and the last two lines of the caranam, you can feel the performer intensify the text through the notes of the raga.  He slides from low sa to high sa within one beat of the tala.  He then stays at high sa for the next beat, then ascends to the higher ri, back down a step to high sa, and finally returns to low ri and low sa.  He repeats this sequence a number of times throughout the cycles.  The effect is a yearning for the Goddess Kamakshi to be his protector.  He depends on her.

 To look at the raga and tala in written format, see below.

Pallavi:

Tarunamidammaa EnnaiRakshikka

; s r , M , ; N , s R | rsS ; ; ; ; ; ; ||

Taru - nam - i dam- maa-- - - - - - -

; s r , M , ; N , s R | rsS ; sn dp - P dm-gr ||

Taru - nam - i dam- maa-- - En- - nai Ra - - kshi

r s- n p , N , ; S n-s R | rs S ; pm pm- P dm-gr ||

- kka Taru - nam - i - dam- maa-- - En- - nai Ra - - kshi

r s- s r , M , ; N , s R | rs S ; ; ; ; ; ; ||

-kka Taru - nam - i dam- maa-- - - - - - -

[FINAL FINISH:

(instantslide from high "s" to low "s")

r s- s r , M , ; N , s R | rs - s r , M , ; N , s R ||

-kka Taru - nam - i dam- maa Taru - nam - i dam

r s- s r , M , ; N , s R | rs S ; ; ; ; ; ; ||

maa- Taru - nam - i dam- maa - - - - - - -

]

Anupallavi:

Karunaanidhiyaagiya Kaamaakshi Rakshikka

; p np , s S S S R R | ; , s r-s n s r- S,r - n S ; ||

Ka ru - naani dhiyaa gi ya Kaa maa-- - - kshi - -

; p np , s S S S R R | ; rs nd pm n p N SS ||

Ka ru - naani dhiyaa gi ya Kaa maa-kshi Ra- - kshikka

; p np , s S S S R S | R- rs nd pm n p N S S ||

Ka ru - naani dhiyaa gi ya - Kaa maa-kshi Ra- - kshikka

; p np , s S S S R S | R- rs nd pm P dm gr - gr || s n

Ka ru - naani dhiyaa gi ya - Kaa maa-kshi Ra- - kshi - - - kka

Charanam:

Kaamita PhalattaiKaimel Taruvaaye Kanpaarttu Rakshippa Eppodum Neeye SomashekhararPadi Sundari Kaumaari Shyaamakrishnan Sodari Shailaraajakumaari

; sr , m P PP D ; | ; M , D m g R- g R S ||

Kaa- -mita Phala ttai- - Kai - mel- Taru vaa - ye

; sr , m pm , p P D ; | ; M , D m g R- g R S ||

Kaa- -mita Phala ttai- - Kai - mel- Taru vaa - ye

; sn g R s sn D S S | ; P m- pdm g R - g R S ||

Kan- paa-rttu Ra- - kshippa - Ye - ppo-- dum- Nee- ye

; sn g R s Srs nd S S | ; P m-pdm g R- g R S ||

Kan- paa-rttu Ra- - kshippa - Ye - ppo-- dum- Nee- ye

; p n P - S S S R R | ; rs nd pm n p N S S ||

So - ma she kha ran Padi - Sun da- ri- Kau-- maa ri

; p n P - S S S R R | ; rs nd pm n p N S S ||

So - ma she kha ran Padi - Sun da- ri- Kau-- maa ri

; S s -S s sN, r s -sd p m | ; - rs pm - dp sn - mp dm - gr ||

Shyaa ma krishna So - - - da- ri - Shai la- raa- ja- ku- maa- - -

S- S s -S s N ; srS , -d pm | ;- rs pm - dp sn - mp dm - gr || sn

ri Shyaa ma krishna So - - - da ri - Shai la- raa- ja- ku- maa- - - ri-

 

*Note: Some of these lines are repeated in the recording

 

Speaking of interpretation, the text of Tarunamidamma is as follows:

Pallavi:

Tarunamidammaa EnnaiRakshikka

Anupallavi:

Karunaanidhiyaagiya Kaamaakshi Rakshikka

Charanam:

Kaamita PhalattaiKaimel Taruvaaye Kanpaarttu Rakshippa Eppodum Neeye SomashekhararPadi Sundari Kaumaari Shyaamakrishnan Sodari Shailaraajakumaari

 

                The translation is as follows:

Pallavi: Mother this is the right moment to protect me.

Anupallavi: O Kamakshi thou art the treasure house of compassion.  Protect me.

Charanam:  I have no duty other than uttering your name. Do I have any other deity for allaying me of my worries? Now is the time for you condescend and look at me. You incarnated to develop the universe. O primordial energy source. O mother, tell me who else is there to support me? I seek your feet like the Chataka bird seeking the moon. O daughter of Himavan, sister of Syama Krishna, you always give more boons than asked for. You are the one who protects me always.

 

 

Notice that after the pallavi, the texts get more elaborate and descriptive.  Here, Shastri is worshipping the Goddess Kamakshi, the goddess of the temple in which his family are devout archakas.  It is said that Shastri was very pious and would sing his kritis to the goddess.

The text is pretty straightforward; he praises and honors the goddess and tells her there is no other deity in which he would devote himself to because She is the one who supports him and calms him of his worries.

Some interesting images are the Chataka bird.  He seeks her feet while the Chataka seeks the moon.  In Indian mythology, the Chataka bird is said to be unable to drink water found on earth so it looks towards the heavens and the skies, drinking the water falling directly from the skies.  It is only said to be found during the rainy season, as it is a migratory bird.

Himavan, mentioned as well, is the king of the mountains in Indian mythology.  His daughter, Uma, was also known as Parvati, who was the reincarnation of Sati, the wife of Shiva.

Although Syama Shastri only wrote about three hundred kritis, he still maintains a permanent position within the Trimurti “due to the quality, depth, variety, scholarliness, and bhakthi bhava in his compositions.”¹  Bhakthi bhava is described as a feeling of devotion and in Tarunamidammam, it is easy to feel each trait mentioned above in Shastri’s music.

 

Click here for a recording of this kriti

 

 

 

                                                                                           

1 http://www.angelfire.com/musicals/kallidaihari/shyama_profile.HTML
   http://www.carnatica.net/composer/syama1.htm
   http://padmum.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/the-legendary-indian-birds-hamsa-chatakas-and-chakoras/
   http://www.apamnapat.com/entities/Himavan.html
   http://lakshmidevnath.com/images/friday_reviews/composer.pdf