Swappnam: Music for your dreams

Illayaraja has composed for a dance ballet for the first time. Hence there was an excitement amongst fans about this album. Let us look at how the album shapes up. First I will write about each piece and in the end give my opinion on what Raja tried doing in this album.

Dreams of the Young (Ezhisaiyai) - Abhishek Raghuram: For some reason all songs are given an English title. The song which opens the album is Ezhisaiyai. The opening though has a swell of violins in the western classical mode and other instruments join in to provide the harmony. Slowly the main violin starts playing strains of Kambhoji. Not the strong Carnatic variety, which would come later, but a more flatter Kambhoji. Towards the end of the symphonic music, you start hearing Kambhoji clearly, atleast clear enough to know that Kambhoji would follow. The violinist does a great job.

Abhishek Raghuram is in familiar territory. It is Kambhoji of the concert variety that he starts singing, with the veena and venu providing him support. It is here that you start hearing the rhythmic variation and this would be a constant feature of this album but I am running ahead. The rhythm instruments, mridangam, kanjira, ghatam and morsing get their share of attention, playing a sort of mini thaniavarthanam. The tune hugs to Kambhoji and when the piece finishes it is almost as if you have heard a standard concert piece. At the same time, the rhythmic variations offer a lot for the dancers.

Adoration (Kathar Kuzhalada - Tiruvempavai) Poornima Satish and Vasudha Ravi: (Surprisingly the cover says it is Tiruvasagam.) This Jog based melody is a knockout melody right from the pallavi. As with Tiruvasagam here too Raja gives us the feel of the 'bee' with violin imitating a 'bee' at 'vandin kuzham aada'. You will miss it easily and as is Raja's wont he does it very naturally, as if the violin is showing us one facet of Jog. The sarvalagu accompaniment for most part and the few twists once in a while keep the interest alive. There is a bit of tension between the tune and the rhythm which I am unable to articulate. The tune is something to die for and combined with the rhythm makes you dance involuntarily. Amazing melody this one. Poornima Satish and Vasudha Ravi do a terrific job.

Romance (Pradeeptha) Shareth and group: There is too much happening in the rhythm front that I am not able to follow but Rajendra writing in his blog says this is the 9+7 beat that Raja uses in the beginning. (Technically a sankeernam + mishram) It changes a bit later. Infact too much happens rhythmically in this and yet it doesn't sound forced. It is as if this is the only way you can orchestrate this song.

The tune is filled with vocal harmonies and is majestic, doing full justice to the verses. The verses glow in this song. And observe the orchestration: veena, flute, mridangam, pakhway and voices. Raja creates a song of great grandeur, as grand as Siva himself. It is very difficult to pin down the Raga. (There are traces of Kapi and Desh but when it comes to Raja it is better not to commit any raga to be on the safer side. ) Sarath and the group of singers outdo themselves, with the swaras which come in between wonderfully done. It is just impossible to believe that this song is just 4 mins long. There are so many ideas packed that I found it difficult to believe that he could pack all of them and create such a epic piece in that short time span. This song is like a natural wonder.

Recognition (Koovina Poonkuyil) Poornima Satish and group: The title also says Vocal Harmony and the song starts with a lovely vocal harmony, almost like Acapella, based on Bilahari. Ragas like Bilahari are quite difficult to fit into the harmonic framework given how rooted they are in Carnatic music. Taking up such challenges is Raja's daily job and the Bilahari harmony is outstanding. Then after a chirping of birds, Poornima Satish sings 'Koovina Poonkuyil', the Tiruvempavai Tirupalliezhuchi, with just the violin accompaniment. Once that is done, we have vocal harmonies with voices now singing the swaras. What a lovely Bilahari they deliver. The last section of swaras especially is charming. Again so many ideas packed into a less than 3 min piece.

Reverence (Bhajeham) Rajashree Pathak and group: This song introduces us to the best singer in this album, Rajashree Pathak. This is the first time I am hearing. She sings with assurance and precision. Her voice in the lower registers is powerful and it suits this song perfectly. The song is the famous Bhajeham Bhajeham which has been tuned and sung by many people. Raja brings in a meditative mood to this song, which Rajashree delivers perfectly. The initial strains of the veena capture the mood. The song is not meditative in a slow way but it is meditative and vigorous at the same time. A power packed meditation. It would sound incongruous but if you hear this you will agree with me. The rhythm is subdued and the tune is the one which carries the power within itself. A lovely interlude featuring the veena and flute add to the beauty of the song. The song ends with 'sivoham sivoham' sung at faster pace.

Realization (Ammaye Appa) Sudha Raghunathan Vasudha Ravi, Srinivas and group :  Raja had used this piece in his magnum opus, Tiruvasagam. While he orchestrated it in the western classical way, he makes Sudha sing this in Kanada with just violin as the accompaniment. The Kanada sounds lovely in Sudha's voice. The best part happens after she finishes sings. The veena picks up and plays Kanada for a few seconds, Then the vocal harmony starts. With only voices as backing Vasudha and Srinivas sing the same virutham again, It is a superb harmony that Raja builds with the backing merging brilliantly with the foreground singing. And listen to how they finish it. This harmonic piece alone is worth the cost of this CD.

Wisdom (Ayye Meththa Kadinam) Barath Sundar : Raja recites what I think is a Tiruvembavai verse before Bharath Sundar starts the famous Punnagavarali piece of Gopalakrisha Bharathi piece, 'ayye meththa kadinam' made famous by the inimitable M M Dandapani Desikar. Raja uses the same tune, The mridangam accompaniment is very interesting with the mridangam paying lot of nadais in the charanam and the syncopated beats alternating with sarvalaghu create an additional interest in this already lovely song.

Awakening (Kozhi Silamba) : Shareth, Abhisekh Raghuram, Vasudha Hari and Poornima Satish:  The song starts with an interesting rhythm with the mridagam playing some fast phrase in an otherwise slow rhythm. The rhythm has enough silence to grab our interest. The tune perfectly evokes the morning right from the word go when the female humming starts and each of the singers does great justice to this amazing tune. Once again vocal harmonies towards the end add additional depth to the song. Again a plethora of ideas in a song which last just 2.2 mins

Dream of Old (Vishweswara Darshan) Rajashree Pathak and Abhishek Raghuram : This is the famous Swati Tirunal piece which is often sung in concerts. Raja uses the tune as it is and the rhythm is kept well in control letting the tune take precedence.

The chimes of the bells, the pakhwaj (or some other North Indian rhythm instrument) try to take you to Kasi. The interesting aspect is that Rajashree Pathak's voice sounds masculine and Abhishek feminine. Not sure if Raja wanted it that way but that is how I felt especially with Abhishek singing the high pitch. Rajashree is very assured here and the Sindhu Bhairavi is a joy to hear.

Truth (Anbum Sivamum) Raja : The album ends with Raja reciting one of Tirumular's Tirumandhiram 'anbe sivam'

Overall this is a fantastic album. Raja as his wont straddles multiple worlds with ease. One one hand, he experiments with vocal harmonies in Indian ragas, one the other hand he gives us mellow tunes keeping with the requirement of the dance drama. The rhythm is the mainstay of this album but Raja doesn't let it intrude and spoil the melody. While rhythmic experiments are happening all the while, they somehow end up supporting the tune and don't distract you.

This is an album, which the master of dance, Lord Siva himself, wouldn't mind dancing to.