Ramanan "Soulful musical tribute "





Friday, Aug 08, 2008



Soulful musical tribute

Changambuzha Krishna Pillai, the irresistible romantic in poetry and life, offended many scholars and puritans when he penned ‘Ramanan,’ his tour de force.
Composed as a pastoral elegy in simple Malayalam, all those who read it in the 1960’s became fans of the poet. The tragic love affair of Ramanan haunted them beyond words. Since then, Ramanan has been living amongst Malayalis in every corner of the world as film, drama, Kathaprasangam and musical compositions. The latest in the series is a CD brought out by Manorama Music.

Carnatic vocalist Sreevalsan J. Menon and violinist Edappilly Ajith Kumar have proved their mettle as music composers through ‘Ramanan.’ For them, music here is not an end itself; instead it is a comfortable medium to communicate the aesthetic grace of the poem. ‘

The CD begins with Madanan lamenting the death of his bosom friend, Ramanan. Kavalam Sreekumar has plumbed the emotional content of the lines, ‘Ramana! Neeyengupoy.’ Nuances of raga Vasanthi have been explored in the opening song.

The group song that follows, ‘Malaranikkadukal,’ bearing shades of raga Durga, awakens the spirit and joy of the listeners. In the dialogue between Ramanan and Madanan, Sreevalsan, as Ramanan, sings in a moving accent their mutual affection and concern. Raga Bhageswari distantly suggests a tone of pathos.

Musical conversation

The conversation between the Nayaka (Ramanan) and the Nayika (Chandrika) is composed in the slow tempo. A little rise in the tempo would have augmented the emotional impact of it.

Roopa, singing for Chandrika, delights us with her sweet shruti-shuddha voice. ‘Kaananachhayayil aadumekkan’ is integral to the Malayali nostalgia. K.P.Udayabhanu and P. Leela have made it unforgettable in the film, ‘Ramanan.’

Restructured in ragas Kalyani and Karnaranjini, Sreevalsan and Roopa have succeeded in giving these eminently known lines a distinct flavour. The lines in raga Sindhubhairavi show us the keen literary sense and the astute bhava-orientation of Srivalsan. The succeeding line, ‘Mama manam neerunnu,’ in raga Lavangi is mesmerising.

In the latter part of ‘Ramanan,’ Roopa’s voice carries a better emotional timbre. The dialogues, on a few occasions, drag a little. However, Roopa saves the situation with the line, ‘kandittilla njan evidham malarchendupoloru manasam.’ A little later ‘Bhuvanamithu mayikam,’ depicting Ramanan’s plight, flows in raga Thodi, which Sreevalsan has modelled on the lines of a Kathakali padam. A host of ragas such as Valachi, Naattakurinji, Rathipathipriya, Patdeep, Chandrakhons, Kaappi and Vasantha make a brief entry as the elegy progresses.

Vrindavanasarangam, appearing twice, is one raga that finds an appealing identity among the many ragas in the album.

Reinterpretation

‘Ramanan’ and its poet, for obvious reasons, compel every sensitive mind to approach the work with a pre-conceived notion. This notion could hamper the reinterpretation of a familiar work. The CD under review too is, perhaps, not free from such a handicap, at least in the first part. In the second segment, however, the spontaneity in intonation and musical rendition captivate the listener.

In the concluding segment of the CD, we come across an overdose of the raga Subhapanduvarali, a cliché ridden swara-combination embodying pathos. A discerning rasika might wonder why Sreevalsan and Ajith abstained from using ragas such as Sivaranjini and Revathy, befitting the pathos in the lyrics. It is a bit disheartening to realise that Gayathri’s musical fecundity finds only a narrow space in this creation.

The background artists, especially Ajith on the violin, Kudamaloor Janardanan on the flute and Anand on the tabla, have done an excellent job in creating the right moods for all the characters in ‘Ramanan.’ Nedumudi Venu, who has done the compeering, is excellent all through out the work. All in all ‘Ramanan’ is a responsible and aesthetic re-creation and musical expression of a famous work.

‘Ramanan’

Manorama Music

Sung by Sreevalsan J. Menon, Kavalam Srikumar, Gayathri and Roopa

Music composed by Ajith Kumar and Sreevalsan J. Menon

Cost Rs.75

Comments

Popular Posts