One of my biggest loss

I lost my Guru/Grandmother/Paatti/Mammu/Gaanamma better known to the outside world as Gynanam Subrahmaniam, today(Sat. Feb. 26 2005,1:30 am). Couple of weeks back she survived a mild heart attack I was told. I spoke to her last week over phone these were the first few lines she told me "Seekaram vandhudu paa mottha vidhwathayam solli koduthidaren". I confidently told her that she is not going anywhere until I learn everything from her. Next week, she is non-existent. F*&@ #&% God.

She was a great musician, unfortunately the industry and to a great extent her family failed to recognise her talent. It is a disgrace that I didn't know her date of birth, but the Internet had it !!! quite surprising. The other details that's shown here, goes to show her calibre in the field of classical carnatic music. It is not easy to become Chembai's disciple and not everyone can compose. She has composed close to 2000 "keerthanais" and many thukadaas/varnams/vrithams. I am really proud and feel blessed to have been her disciple for nearly 17 years. In these 17 years I managed to learn only a small fraction from her, I am deeply disgusted with myself for not exploiting such an opportunity.

Suddenly the musical path in my life seems to have hit a dead end.

07-04-1928 to 26-02-2005

Raagam "MettiSavitriYaasi"

Lazy sunday morning almost always dawns at 11:00 am for me. With a hot cup of coffee in my hand was reading "The Hindu" online of course; while my prodigious collection of Illayaraja's best was playing in the background. This one song "Metti Oli kaatrodu..." from the movie "Metti" was playing. I was amazed at Illayaraja's genius, such a smooth melody with no fuss yet sounding like sweet honey to the ears. Illayaraja has sung the song himself, from what I've heard Illayaraja doesn't seem to have all that control over his voice, in the sense, he's not very comfortable when it come to tunes with lot of gamakas, birkas and complex sangathis. But he keeps it simple and almost always chooses songs that suit his voice. This is one such song where the tune is very simple and Illayaraja does an excellent job of rendering it. The song is so good that it sometimes stimulates some unexplainable parts of the psyche and creates this overwhelming sence of delight.

The song initially sounded like "Sudha Dhanyaasi", but I was not too convinced for my instincts kept saying that there is some difference. Though I don't profess to be an expert when it comes to identifying ragams, I can do a decent job of guessing. As my Guru always says that you can guess ragams but guessing gets only close and doesn't help you in really hitting the nail on its head. My Guru, has always wanted me to figure out the arohanam and avrohanam from the song and then try to map it to a ragam, which in reality helps in getting the closest possible match. So, I decided to do some research.

First thing was to figure out the arohanam and avarohanam. The process involves humming the song over and over again and trying to looks for places where the song goes from the lower Sa to upper Sa, otherwise called a "sancharam" which manifests the ragam's nuance in order to find the arohanam, similarly, upper Sa to lower Sa for avaroham. Though this song didn't have any such easy/complete "sancharam", it did have enough to figure out the arohanam and avaroharam. For example, the lines "Kodhai malar poompaadam vaa vennu dhe...." translates to "P P N2 S G3- G3- M G3 M G3 M P M G3 S" and also the initial "naaaa nananana nananana..." helps in figuring out the arohanam. Thus, we get the arohanam as "S G3 M P N2 S". Now, consider in the caranam "Vaazh naallem unnodu thaan Vaazhnthaale poodhum" here "Vaazhnthaale poodhum" transaltes to "N2 S N2 P M G3", which make the avrohanam as "S N2 P M G3 S". So whats the ragam ? it's certainly not sudha dhanyasi for it's arohanam/avarohanm is "S G2 M1 P N2 P S - S N2 P M1 G2 S". Wait a minute, then why in the world did it sound like sudha dhanyasi ? because predominantly matches sudha dhanyasi and differs just in the gandharam(G2/G3).

Since we have the arohanam and avorohanam we can easily find the ragam. I have a poor memory(excuse,with toungue in my cheek) and cannot possibly remember the Ar/Av (I am tired of typing arohanam/avarohanm) of those innumerable janya ragams. Thanks to the internet, someone has patiently compiled a list of Janya ragams. A quick look up for our Ar/Av fetches a match... Voila ! its "saavitri" S G3 M1 P N2 S - S N2 P M1 G3 S a harikaambhOji (S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 S - S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S) janyam. I've never come across this ragam before. Quite interesting, would IR(I am sick and tired of typing Illayaraja) have thought about this ragam and composed the song ? don't know but if he had indeed wanted it to be "saavitri" then he has comitted a blunder. Well, calling it a blunder would be too harsh for sometimes the rules are not that strict. Sometimes it is a practice to include "Annya"(Alien) swaram as an embelishment to the ragam and make it sound more pleasing to the ears.

Where did our friend introduce the "Annya" sawaram ? Consider this piece, "Metti oli kaatrodu..." translates to "P P M G2 G2 M G2 M G2 S" which is "vakra"(crooked) in behaviour. G2 was not there in our original Av !! so the new Av is "S N2 P M G3/G2 S" and as usual I've never come across anything that even barely resembles this one, given the fact that my knowledge on ragams is very very very to the power of very limited. Now again the question; why did it sound so close to sudha dhanyasi ? because both share the same Av.

Incidentally, there is also another ragam with the same Ar/Av as Sudha Dhanyaasi. Udhaya Ravi Chandrika same S G2 M1 P N2 S - S N2 P M1 G2 S, I've some across discussions before with some saying "Entha Nechinaa.." is Udhaya Ravi Chandrikaa and others Sudha Dhanyaasi, should we say both are correct ? I don't have the knowledge to make a call here. But, why then have 2 different ragams with the same Ar/Av ??????

May be there is some difference in ragam "sanchaaram" perhaps there is some unique "sancharam" that distinguishes the two.

Anyways, end of the day I am left wondering if "metti oli" is sudha dhanyasi or savitri. Sure is a better "savitri" than a "sudha dhanyasi" but is not "savitri". Otherwise "savitri" is not wrong but is not correct either...aarghhhh OK, here is a plausible conclusion.

The song "Metti oli" is raagam "MettiSavitriYaasi".

Don't Panic !

"When the world ends"
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, coming soon.... checkout the trailer

GIZMATADO !

I am wondering why there isn't any player than can read/play mp3 from DVD media ? That way I can have all my music in couple of DVDs. Why don't we have it yet.... ? is too early for the next generation portable DVD based mp3 player ? is it some biz. strategy being adopted by those that push the CD based mp3 players ?

Flash based mp3 players are way too expensive, so let's look at the h/d based ones.
A 5GB h/d based player costs somewhere between $150 t0 $200.
Looks like it is possible to build one for less than $50. From what I can see, a DVD-ROM drive costs ~ $50. This might sound a little crazy, but makes me think that a DVD-mp3 player should cost only $100 :-) ok, let me be a little realistic here, giving a $50 buffer makes it a $150 "Gizmatado" !!!

Let's say mass production of "Gizmatado" brings down the cost by $50 (wishful thinking). Our ultimate price is $100. Now wait a minute, if we are talking about the Chinese mass producing "Gizmatado" we can expect a 20% drop (this is no wishful thinking). The grand final price comes to about ~ $80.

Now, which one is a better a value proposition a 5GB or "Gizmatado" ?? (brief silence)
taataaahn ... and the winner is "Gizzzzzzzzmatado" ! (thundering applause)

Ok I heard it, I really can't equate H/D and DVD media.
Well, for me it makes sense because all you need is a DVD+RW media and a comp. with a DVD burner, which has become a common thing of late. Moreover, there is still a niche market for CD-mp3 player which can be converted quite quickly. IT IS A KILLER PRODUCT...hear me all those pointy haired VCs out there.

So, Coming soon.... "Gizmatado" ....Watch out, at a store near you :-)

* Gizmatado - Trademark is my property only
Copyright 2005 ~ythee~ corporation all rights reserved.

Aye, Kya Bolti tu

I picked up this translation of the hindi song from here. Strangely, the tamil version was missing so added it :-) enjoy !

Hindi: Original:

A Kya Bolti Tu

A Kya Mai Bolu

Sun

Suna

Ati Kya Khandala

Kya karu Ake mai Khandala

Are Ghumenge, nachenge, gayenge Aish karenge or kya ?

Tamil :
Aye,enna solra nee
Aye,enna sollanum naan

keellu

Sollu

Variya Khandala

Ennapannanum, vandhu naan Khandala

Suthalaam, Aadalaam, Paadalaam, Santhoshama irukalaam…verenna ?

English :

Aye what do you say?

Aye what should I say?

Listen.

Speak on.

Coming to khandala?

What should I do, coming to khandala?

We’ll roam, we’ll loaf, we’ll sing, we’ll dance

we”ll freak, baby,what else?

Sanskrit : This is too good

Aye balike, twam katham kathisyasi

Aye balakah aham kim kathisyamh

Shrinvasi

Shrunha

Kim twam khandaalaa agchasyasi

Aham kim kurwasyami khandaalayeh

gamisyami, bhramisyami, nryuthyami, gaayami, maja

karishma, kim karishyami?

Punjabi :

A ke boldi tu;

A ke mein bolan;

Sunh

Sunha

Chaldi khandala

Ki karaan ae ke mein khandala

Are Ghoomenge, Turainge, Naachenge, Gaavenge, Mauj

Karenge, Aur Ki ?

Gujarati :

Aye shun bole tu?

Aye hun shun bolu?

Sambhal

Sambhlaav

Aave chey su khandaalaa?

Shun karu aaviine khandaalaa?

Ghumshun, pharshun, naachshun, gaashun, majaa karshun,

beeju shun?

Marathi

Aye kaai tu mhantes?

Aye kaai mi mhanhu?

Aik

Aikav

Yetes kai khandaalaa?

Kai karu yevon mi khandaalaa?

Are ghumuyaa, phiruyaa, gavuyaa, nachuyaa, aish

karuyaa, aankhin kai?

Kashmiri :

Heey, kya chaakh wannan

Heev, kya bhe wanneyyyy

Booz

Wanoo

Pakha telle khandalaa;

Kya karee weeteth bhe khandalaa

Pherevhey, nachevhey, geevevhey, khevevhey, eesh

karav, beyy kya?

Konkani :

Aye ! kitte sangta tu?

Aye ! aao kite sangu?

Saang

Saangta

Khandalaa yeta ghi?

Khandalaa yevun kithe kharche?

Bhovya, Phireya, Naachya, Gauya, maja korya, ani

kithe?

Bengali :

Ei ki bolis tui

Ei ki ar boli

Shon

Shonaa

Jabi ki khondalaa

Ki kori giye khondalaa

Are, ghurbo, phirbo, nachbo, gaibo, maja korbo ar ki?

Malayalam :

Aye yenna pariyunnu?

Aye nyan yenna pariyu?

Keku

Pariyu

Varinno khandala?

Yendu cheyam? Nyaan vannu Khandaala?

Karangam, chuttam, paadam, aadam, maja

cheyyam,verendha?

Telugu :

Aye, ainte chaepphuta vu

Aye,ainte chaepala

Vinu

Chaeppu

Wastava Khandala

Yem Chesedhi? vacchi Khandala

Thiruguthamu, eguruthamu, aadthaamu, paadthaamu,maja

chesthamu inkemi?

Sindhi :

Aye cha thi chaen tu?

Aye Maan chaa chavan?

Budh

Budhai

Acheti cha khandaalaa?

Cha kandis achi maan khandaalaa?

Are Ghumandasi, phirandasi, gayendasi,

Nachandasi,aaish kandasi, byo cha?

Magahi : (BIHARI)

A ki bolahin tu

A kya boliyuow hum

Sun

Sunaow

Aaimahi ki khandala

Ki kariaow aake hum khandala

Gumbai, Phirbai, naachai, gaayii, aish karbai aur ki

Assamese:

ey ki kua tumi?

ey ki kom moi?

sun

suna

ahibi ki khandala?

ki korim aahi moi kahandalaa

are ghurim,phirim,nasim,gaam,

khub phurti korim aru ki?

Oriya:

e kana kahuchhu tu?

e kana mu kahibi?

sun

suna

khandala jibu ki?

kana mu karibi khandala jaaiki?

arre buliba,ghuriba,naachiba,gaaeeba,maja kariba aau kana?

Foreign Languages :

German :

Was sagst du ?

Was soll ich sagen ?

Hor mal !

Sag mal !

Kommst Nach Khandala ?

Was machen wir in Khaldala ?

Wir gehen, spazieren, tanzen, singen, haben spa?,

was noch ?

Spanish :

Tu que deceas?

Yo que deseo?

Oye

Di me

Vas a tu khandaalaa?

Que haceo, yo voy en el khandaalaa?

Viajamos, vagabundeamos, bailamos, cantamos,

disfrutamos, si no.

Chinese :

Ain, Chon Zuan Ho?

Ain, Chon Hee Zuano?

Sui,

Suion,

Hyuan Chon Khandala?

Chon Tsuani Hyui Hee Khandala?

Chijuan, Kajuan, Marijuan, Siuan, Samshuan

Tsuaniya Tsu Chon?

Russian :

Aeich, Kov Speache niv?

Aeich, Kov miv Speache?

Nuushev,

Nuusheva,

Comeva Kov Khandala?

Kov Sheychev Comov miv Khandala?

Rotiv, Rotrach, Balleva, Opereacha, Enjova

Sheychevin, Kov

Gobraich?

French :

Aye! qu’est-ceque tu dis?

Aye! qu’est-ceque tu me vouler dire?

Entendre

Entendrez

Est-ceque tu viens a la Khandala

Qu’est-ceque je fais a aller a la Khandala ?

Promenez, Allez, Dansez, Chantez a quelle?

Zambesi : (African)

Aye, Zwa To Zulu,

Aye, Zwa Ze Zulu,

Wahte,

Kaso,

Heliyo To Khandaalaa?

Zwa Kumi, Helithe Khandaalaa?

Himala, Romala, Wahwahla, Infala, Kumaya Kumana, Ni

Zwa?