M S Subbulakshmi and her music - Part 12: Expanding the repertoire of Carnatic Music - Part 2

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After I posted the first part of Part 12, a good friend pointed out that when talking MS and Annamacharya krithis, we cannot miss out on 'Dolayam' and 'Ksheerabdhi Kanyakaku.' It is very true, because MS has made these krithis as standards with her amazing renditions. 

Here is MS singing 'dolayalam', a Khamas-based Annamayya krithi.


Hear the amazing precision and the sense of layam in the krithi. It charms you immediately.

Let's now hear, 'ksherabdhi kanyakaku', a Kurunji raga krithi of Annamacharya.


Again, a song that gains so much from MS's voice texture, vocal dynamics and the deep-rooted bhakthi that she conveys. 

When the Venkateshwara Suprabhatam LP was released, it was an instant hit, and even to date, it is played in homes and temples all across India. What is more relevant to this article is the B side of this LP, which contained two krithis that also became extremely popular due to MS singing those krithis.

The first of them was the Swathi Tirunal ragamalika krithi, the retelling of Ramayana, 'bhavayami raghuramam' (The whole piece was supposed to have been sung in Saveri, but Semmangudi retuned it as a ragamalika, and that is how most of us know this krithi.)

The rendering of this krithi showcases MS's skills as a storyteller, for you have to keep the audience engaged throughout this lengthy piece by creating appropriate drama. The drama is created by the contrasts in ragas, speed and the light and shade she evokes with her voice. The jarus, the fast swaras, the reaching for the skies, and the lowering and raising the voice level at the right time, all combine to captivate you, and you wish the song continues on and on and doesn't end. 
Interestingly, Semmangudi has also rendered this piece, but it is MS's piece that has inspired everyone and kept the krithi alive in the hearts of the listeners.
The other krithi on the B side of the LP was Dikshitar's 'Rangapura Vihara' in raga Brindavana Saranga. 

MS's brilliance shines right from the word go, when she renders a slokham as a preface to the krithi. And her vocal dynamics keep the relatively lengthy charanam interesting.
( DK Pattammal, too, has a lovely rendition of this krithi, though MS's rendition became highly popular)
Another Dikshitar krithi always associated with MS's rendition is 'Akilandeswari' in Dwijavanthi. So many youngsters were inspired by this rendition.

(As an aside, let me state that among Dikshitar scholars, the consensus is that this is not an authentic Dikshitar krithi due to the raga swaroopa and some of the words used in the krithi. It is believed that the one authentic krithi of Dikshitar in this raga in 'Chetasri Balakrishnam.' The raga swaroopa in that krithi is very different from 'Akhilandeswari,' carrying the flavours of Yadhukula Khambhoji and Sahana in it, while Akhilandeswari is more akin to the Hindustani Jijavanthi. Whatever be the consensus, I personally believe that Carnatic music is enriched by this krithi, even if we all agree it is not a Dikshitar krithi.)
There is one more krithi famous in MS's voice that also has a lovely recording of D K Pattammal, 'Kanakasaila Viharini' of Syama Sastry. I have already linked this krithi in an earlier part of this series.
Coming to Tyagaraja, a couple of krithis became very popular due to the LPs released by MS. The first one is the Gouli Panthu krithi, 'tera teeya radha,' Tyagaraja's plea to Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati.

Another Tyagaraja krithi made famous by MS is the Kedaragowla beauty, 'venugana loluni'. A song of Lord Krishna by Tyagaraja.

Among the Swathi Tirunal krithis, she made 'Bhogindra Sayinam' in Kunthalavarali famous.
This keithi needs her precision, vocal dynamics and lung power.
Another Swathi Tirunal krithi made famous by her is in a rare raga, 'Bhushavali'. Hear 'gopanandana' in her voice.

We shall talk about her bhajans and abhangs in our next part.





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