Ragams in Tamil Film Music featuring SINDHUBAIRAVHI RAGA
Indian film music touches the masses in huge magnitude; this is done by making the music accessible to the un-trained ear. The way the resourceful music directors of South and North India did this was to `dilute' the Classical strains of Carnatic and Hindustani music and make it appealing to people, with inventive orchestration and use of Raga and Rhythm. Over the years, they chose to take the Ragas/Scales, of which there is, an infinite choice and made melodies out of them, which rarely resemble the classical forms.

From the Tamil movies, there is no doubt that that man who not just knew Carnatic music inside out and utilised it in the most dynamic fashion but the one who took Western Classical music also, and created an amazing fusion is Maestro Ilayaraja. Originally a band guitarist, he has blended Mozart and Bach, with the trinity of Carnatic music, Thyagaraja, Dikshitar and Shyama Sastri to make a sound which had enlightened and delighted people all over the world. Jumping from Ilayaraja, AR Rahman is the next genius to arise from Tamil Nadu, a pianist trained in Western Classical music and having learnt Carnatic music, AR Rahman is doing a splendid job brining Occidental music to the mainstream. These two Tamil legends have created a new sound of music which is highly revered all over India, AR Rahman being the one who crossed over to the highly critical North Indians as well, he is now in the mainstream, having brought Bombay Dreams to the masses of UK and going to New York. He is also working on the Lord of the Rings musical, with Finnish folk group, Varttina.

So, what are examples of these fabulous fusion pieces, one may ask. Let's start with Ilayaraja's first film album, Annakili. He created a huge hit, a piece called `Annakili Unnai Theduthe', using the Ragam Sindhubairavhi. He successfully touched the hearts of listeners by fusing the styles of South Indian folk music with a Carnatic Raga, delighting the ear of so many. Thus, the phenomenon of Ilayaraja imbibed the masses. Ilayaraja went on to use the Raga Sindhubairavhi in many songs, such as `Maniye Manikuyile' from Nadodi Thendral and `Enna Sattham Intha Neram', from Punnagai Mannan as it is the more `film friendly' Raga, in comparison to its close counterpart Melakartha Thodi. Ilayaraja did a very classical piece in the Raga Thodi, which was a massive hit, from the 80's classic movie, Varusham Padhinaaru, the song being `Gangai Karai Mannanadi'. I can't say that any other music directors have made attempts with Thodi Ragam since then.

AR Rahman has given the Raga Sindhubairavhi a wonderfully refreshing, modern appeal. He used the Hindustani Raag Bhairavhi (it is a close form of Carnatic Sindhubairavhi) for the song `Taal Se Taal' from the Subashi Ghai film, Taal. This song and it's remix uniquely emphasise the vocal rhythm Thaanam syllables by Sukwinder Singh, which are otherwise known as Konnakol, done in Hindustani fashion. This added an interesting element to it. ARR added a masterpiece to the film Sangamam (rumoured to have done the music for this movie for free, helping out his Brother in Law, also named Rahman, the hero of the film). This was the song `Margazi Thingal Allava'. It is a truly spectacular number, which evokes feelings of sadness and joy alike; following the Classical patterns of the Sindhubairavhi Raga. S.Janaki sings the female part, which starts with a Hindu Thiruppaavai sung by teenager, Madhumitha, which then reaches a Climax of vocal Jathi. Carnatic singer, Unni Krishnan then starts the male part, with a fantastic hook, blending the true nuances (Gamakas and Brikas) of this rather spectacular Raga! ARR also blended Sindhubairavhi for a pathos piece, from the movie Kandukondain Kandukondain, the song, `Enge Enadhu Kavithai' which has a Pallavi in Sindhubairavhi, then transcends into the Raga Lataangi, ending in a peak of the Swaras of Keeravani Raga. This is another stunning piece, which encompasses a variety of instruments and harmonies.

There is so much more to this wonderful Raga - listen and you will be amazed....

This was an article I had written for Veena Magazine - a wonderful Asian Arts publication, Winter 2003.

Visit them at:

www.veenamagazine.co.uk

Mental Dependence - The Educated Asian Woman's Dilemma
As part of the Tongues of Fire season, "The Nehru Centre" in Mayfair was the venue to one of the starkest and most realistic Asian domestic violence exhibitions one would encounter. With the endorsement of top female celebrities such as Nandita Das (of the "Fire" movie fame) who are coming together to support a cause that affects many of us in some way or the other, "Behind Closed Doors" brings to light real issues faced by even the most modern of Asian women, today.

The exhibition was created with the talents of brilliant, outspoken, female Asian photographer, Poulomi Desai and organised by Barnados, as part of the Phoenix Project in Bolton. It explored the harrowing ordeals of many Asian women, who have spent their lives miserable, hurt and injured and told the stories of some of them, in form of a series of pictures and a short film, encapsulating the realities of the situation and hoping to draw out those Asian Ladies who are suffering in silence.

Educating people on where to turn to was one of the main aims of the gallery and question and answer session, and as with the National campaign on domestic violence, bring out the people in the minorities, particularly the Asians (whilst domestic violence sees no boundaries of race and colour, Asian Women over time have been in the pool of targets, over the generations) amongst us to talk about their ordeals and how they have come out of these situations, going on to lead productive lives, without the stigmas of society attached to them.

Domestic violence, which includes verbal abuse, physical abuse, incest, and so much more, is a very real issue. Many Asian Women, who are well educated and will set up in life, tend to build up a mental dependence on the Husband they marry or the In-Laws they are bound to or in many cases, the closed-minded Asian societies they have to live in, hence stopping themselves from getting themselves or even their children away from potentially dangerous home situations. This is a real incentive to change the situations of so many beautiful and successful women, who put their lives on hold to keep the people around them happy.

Of many of the hard-hitting images portrayed, the mannequin of the woman in bridal attire, who had hanged herself, was one of those, which sent a chill through one's spine. The sadness of the situation is that many women choose to take their lives, instead of finding the strength to confront the issue or even try to get away from the abuser/s in question and make new lives for themselves. The photographic images were in the realm of caged birds, cigarette burns on the bodies of these beautiful women and one particularly disturbing one, of a woman not able to get away, with the wording "if I can't have you, no one else can" - showing the mentality of abusive men, if particular, who in spite of the distress they cause these ladies, will try and make their lives hell if they get away.

These are some of the issues that the Asian society faces today, where all the good things are high-lighted in the media, but as the aptly entitled exhibition, `behind closed doors', a lot of painful abuse is going on, which is left un-touched.

Let us all hope that more and more women come out of these situations and go on to lead lives they deserve, filled with love and happiness.