The Score Magazine - Archive February 2015 issue! | Page 41

Is there anything really new about “Love”
or “Shringara”, known to humans? “Love
at first sight” is an often-heard phrase that
new lovers always fancy, swear by and the
story writers, poets have always glorified,
immortalized with their creative genius.
The feeling of love is probably the most expressed “thing”, whatever
one may call it – “feeling” or “emotion”, or just a “concept”, in any art
form ever since literary expression blossomed in human history.
Everyday, many pairs of eyes meet that someone special and fall in
the special bond, attraction called “Love”, feeling close for a reason, or
even without a reason! Sometimes not even understanding if it is sheer
lust or the pure love. Perhaps, what begins as a casual observation of
someone based on how they move with others in social settings, one
may feel drawn closer to another; but only moving with that person
closely understanding what their true persona can evolve into a
sustaining relationship of based on blissful love.
South Indian classical music and dance scene, the center core of which
is, devotion to the chosen deity, is full of compositions asking, pleading,
demanding, praising and even scolding the deity of choice in the name
of some form of love.
The expression of love placing the higher being, the God head, as the
Purusha- the Man and all the devotees as female form pining
for the sacred union of eternal and earthly souls is termed as
Madhura Bhakti.
But what wins the hearts of most people, induces the
vivid imaginations, is more direct form of man-
woman relationship, expressed in any art form.
The enormous success of film songs in our
“?ollywood” productions from the early days
stands testimony to that.
When the scholarly portrayal of this
divine love was expressed in exquisite
musical poetry, it assumed a name
“padam”. Some authors point to the
late 19th century, as the beginning of
another form of compositions, mostly
from composers of Telugu origin
expressing explicit, graphic and more
lewd form love, grouped under the
name “Javali”. The pace was rather
medium to fast tempo known as
“ashwa gathi chandas”.
It is not the intent or within the
scope of this article to trace the
etymology of the word itself, but
to see how valentines’ day has
not been just a once a year affair
for our poets, but a continuum, a
depiction of our way of life.
Dr. Pappu Venugopal Rao,
Secretary of the Music Academy,
Chennai, in one of his articles
says, these compositions have
slowly disappeared from concert
stages as a lot of them have gone
beyond the subtle expressions
to openly erotic, sensuous, and
even using words that would be
crude for singers to sing with
straight face on respectable
musical gatherings.
Though many would disagree, it is partly true skimming through the
words of many of these Javalis. But this is not new to the genre of
compositions from the distant past either. Jayadevas Ashtapathis,
Andal’s NachiyAr Thirumozhi, Muvva Gopalas (Kshethranja)
padams have had explicit expression of male-female physical union,
broadly categorized under “Madura bhakthi”. Some people claim it as
expression of love in light-hearted manner too!
Leaving aside these contentious issues, looking closely at the lyrical
beauty and the musical forms of these musically rich compositions, it is
irrefutable that they have a great appeal for literary enthusiasts as well
as a lot of discerning musicians still.
Legendry Brinda and Muktha were the last of the legions of the
tradition that were acknowledged torchbearers of old school essence
of these compositions. Many of the current day musicians have either
learned directly from them or they use their recording as their guiding
light.
The varied moods, themes of Javalis provide ample scope for visual
art form of dance and dancers to show different forms of ‘nayikas’ –
Swadhinapathika (greatly satisfied with overall persona of the hero),
Vasakasjjika (Waiting for the hero), Virahothkandita (Disgruntled,
dismayed that the hero has not come), Vipralabdha (Sad, and almost
tempted to break relationship with unfaithful lover), Kandhita
(Heroine questioning the Hero about his relationship with the other
woman). The general theme is showing diverse moods of the love-struck
heroine (nayika).
There are apparently over 1000 javalis that have been composed by
different composers from the four regions of South India; but only over
less than 100 are known to the fraternity and even less has been sung on
concert stages.
Most Javalis have the usual Pallavi, Anu Pallavi followed by two
or more Charanams. Like most of the popular music of film lore,
Javalis predominan tly have employed what are broadly known as
Desi ragas (lighter variety) such as Behag, Darbari Kanada, Kamas,
HamirKalyaNi, Jenjhutti, Kapi, Paras, Saindavi, Sindhu Bhairavi
and YamunA Kalyani, etc., though Thodi, Atana, Natakurinji and
Bhairavi are typically used for central piece of the concerts, they have
also been used in these compositions.
An interesting thought about how Javalis transmigrated from
expressing divine love to earthly love of humans. At the dusk of even
small kingdoms, under British Raj, the big landowners or rulers of
smaller principalities known as Mirasdars, Zameendars and other
men of power and position became the patrons of the arts and artisans
to a certain extent. Not being subsidized for their livelihood by any
other means, the musician-poets started eulogizing their patrons in
some demigod forms and the Devadasis’ that danced to these pieces
started indulging in overtly pleasing their masters by dancing to these
verses with seductive words of inviting their lords for physical union.
It is impossible to list all of them here, but we can look at the lyrics of
one Javali to see the veracity of the claims:
The popular Kalyani Javali, “EntaDi kulukE intirO kAntanuki
ippuDu” asks addressing the sakhi, her friend and the confidante, “O
Lady! How much pride my loved one has now? O! lotus-faced one! He
behaves as if there is a score to settle, as I got into a tussle with him.. After
playing the game of Manmatha (Cupid) in that unforgettable night, how
is that Lord of Dharmapuri refuses to have a conversation with me now?”
There are many well known Tamil javalis such as Aduvum SolluvaL
Ini enna pEchu, varaTTum sAmi, thoTTu thoTTu pEsavarAn.
Others like Apaduru LOnathinE, KommarO, parullena mATa,
sahki prANa, sAramaina, Smara sundarAnguni, vagalADi, still do
their rounds on musical and dance concert platforms quite successfully.
While I’ve provided a fair amount of pedantic information about javalis
and their nature, there is much to explore in this sub genre of Classical
Music. Regardless of the origins, what and how they convey, without
that Cupid song, how could continuity of creation itself be guaranteed
in the universe. Cupid song is the nature and the DNA of cosmos that
the tiniest of atoms to the tireless mankind seeks, finds pleasure in and
continues the progenies we see and have.
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