Song of the Day # 190
From: bb (@ 12.234.176.52) on: Thu Mar 27 22:12:38 EST 2003
Song of the Day: sangeetha sowbhagyamE from sampoorna ramayanam.
http://www.tfmpage.com/cgi-bin/stream.pl?url=http://www.dhool.com/sotd/sangeetha.rm
- MD: KVM. Sung by Chidambaram Jayaraman.
- Manisegaran's mammoth series on KVM has a section on Sampoorna Ramayanam: http://www.tfmpage.com/my/mani/kvm.html (part 18 in this series). In that article, Manisegaran writes:
Sangeetha Sowbagyamey
Sangeetha Sowbagyamey is a song that gives basic tuition to a beginner of Karnatic music. There is a dialogue in this song seeking clarification of the different ragas that are used for different parts of the day, different moods, and different events, and Raavanan gives explanation through the ragas accordingly. This was precedence again. Morning raga is Poobaalam; Raaga for noon is Saaranga; Raaga for evening time is Vasanthaa; Raaga for mercy is Neeelambari; Raaga for declaring war is Kambeera Naatai; Raaga for happiness is Danyaasi; Raaga for composing Venbaa is Sangarabharanam; Raaga for agaval paa is Thodi; Raga that is most appropriate for Tamil music is Kalyani; thus replies raavanan bys singing these ragas out in songs. Finally Mandothiri asks “Swamy, Kailainaathanai Thaangal Gaanathaal Mayakkiya Raagam Ethuvo?” to which Raavanan sings with beautiful surangal. What a gift of KVM in Raagamaalika?
- I should add that the raagam that Ravanan sings "Kaiyilai naadhanai mayakkum raagam" is kaambOdhi.
- Thread on C.S.Jayaraman: http://tfmpage.com/forum/16830.4.html
- Manisegaran also adds:
From the title readers ought to know what I am arriving at. Yes it was Samboorna Ramayanam. Following the resoundiong success of Town Bus, MA Venu was contemplating on the next movie. This time he decided to take a great risk by going for a daring theme. He wanted to produce a movie based on the epic Ramayanam. But Ramayanam has already been produced several times by others either in full or in parts.
Shadows of doubts were cast on the viability of this effort. Will such a film run?
This was the time when people were moving away from the stereotype movies and opting for modern themes, and would Ramayanam strike well? But a few plus and minus positions were carefully taken into consideration and studied. They could not risk at all, as the subject was too big and many leading stars were thrown in. APN guaranteed good dialogue based on wide research; KVM was there to give his best music; K.Somu was readily available for ably directing the movie. Then they worked out a range of great stars who would suit the characters. Sivaji Genesan came as Bharathan; NT Ramarao as Raman; Pathmini as Seetha: TK Bhagavathgy as Ravanan; Santhya (Honourable CM Jayalalitha’s mother) as Mandothiri; MN Raajam as super Soorpanagai. Narasimma Bharathi, and V.K Ramasamy were there to add strength. With the songs and music thrown in Samboorna Ramayanam created history and became one more milestone in cine field. Following the resounding success, a special souvenir book was released in which leading figures of the then Tamilnadu gave congratulatory messages. Even MR Radha, the hardcore hater or Ramayanam gave a congratulatory message, very ably and carefully worded..
Now what about the songs? It was said that until the coming of Ramayanam there was no one single film that carried so many Raagas in one film. It is said that this film had the most number of Raagaas. Ramayana is a long story that cannot be summarised. After so much adaptation and accommodation the film was cut down to just 4 hours. This was achieved after summarising certain portions of Ramayanam by means of songs. KVM very marvellously composed for the songs. This was a yardstick to measure the ability of KVM, and true enough turned out to be a crowning glory for Isai Thilakam.
Discussion Pages in TFMPage on this Song
http://tfmpage.com/forum/26544.20880.03.21.22.html
http://tfmpage.com/forum/29266.20880.03.21.22.html