Shreya Goshal's Munbe Vaa

Wow Wow Wow What a voice, What a diction and What a beautiful young lady Shreya Goshal is! She is really unbelievable - she sings Hindi like a North Indian, Tamil like a Tamilian and most important malayalam like  a malayalee - have to listen to her 'Kannin ima neele' from Anwar to believe it.
Shreya has a clear, very feminine voice  like K.S. Chithra that is plain 'sweet' and not distinct - so automatically becomes the voice of all sweet girls and choice for all sweet songs :). Matches Lata Mangeshkar in the open throat, effortless singing high pitch and has the language dynamics of Vani Jeyaram! And got the looks of a model, rocks on stage... Above all, appears very modest in her interviews.  Truly, a  consummate singer !!
What more proof do you need to say she is the Best we have now than, the fact that she has already sung more than 1000 bagging four  National Awards along the way at this young age when there is so much competition!
I first heard her in 'Munbe Vaa' her Tamil super hit from 'Sillinnu Oru Kaadhal'.
Actually, was a fan of 'bairi piya' for Aishwarya Rai but little did I know that Shreya was the singer and her voice had added some magic there. Same with Challamai chellam, ninaithu ninaithu .... !
She sounds so native in unnavida- virumaandi, uruguthey - veyil, the recent sollittaale - kumki and so on especially when Tamil songs sung with a non-Tamil accent have become a trend now :)!

Here is my humble attempt at Munbe vaa...

Happy Vinayak Chathurthi - Modhak recipe

Modhakam as we know is Lord Ganesha's favorite prasaadam. The modhakam that I knew was what my grandma made - a brown sphere of a homogenous mixture of broken rice, jaggery, dhal, coconut etc. And my mother also made an erukkalam kozhukkatai which has a white rice flour covering with jaggery/dhal/coconut filling inside.
Somehow never tried making either of them but last year, when I came across this 'modhak' which is a Maharashtrian special that looked very artistic, wanted to give it a try for Vinayak Chathurthi which was near approaching.
While I started to prepare on Chathurthi, to my pleasant surprise my neighbor/friend dropped in for  a casual visit...
So handed her the camera (Thanks madam, you are a wonderful camerawoman :) !) with the intention of making a food video some time - a dream for a long time...And it has been fulfilled today after one year at least in time for  Chathurthi this year....
Here is the video - how to make modhak

Hope you like it and find it useful!

The Tamil Alphabets

A language is best learned to speak if we grow up in that language or live around people who speak it. But to read and write, a good training material is enough for eg. the good old 'Balaji Publications'. I could vouch for that - I don't even remember the method that was used in it but surprised that I still remember the Telugu I learned through that. Thanks to my dad who had almost the whole series in his little library.

A couple of weeks back, during a casual conversation about languages, when a Telugu friend mentioned he knew Tamil but has forgotten now, I immediately offered to bring him my son's elementary Tamil books to refresh. But then on a serious thought, how could that help unless some body reads it or there is transliteration in a language more familiar to them?

Hence, decided to make this video of the Tamil alphabet with transliteration in Telugu and also English. Have also included a beautiful song by Mrs. Vani Jeyaram which is like an add-on pronunciation tutorial having the Tamil alphabet as its lyrics. The song is from the movie 'Kaanchi Kaamaachi'.

Hope you like it !

For those interested, below are the websites I have used for
typing in Tamil
typing in Telugu

Kannulaku Choopandham

Kannulaku choopandham from the Telugu Movie Padhmavyooham (actually the dubbed version of Puthiyamugham)  is one of the few songs where the dubbing has been done full justice.
The words fit perfectly in the rhythm in fact, sounds even better in Telugu and the words are very close to what it is in Tamil. Just the first line, 'Kannulaku choopandham' is a deviation from the theme - describing how something enhances the beauty of something else. While  'Kannukku Mai azhagu'   means the coal or kajal adds beauty to the eyes, kannulaku choopandham means eyesight adds beauty to the eyes when eyesight is what eye is for!

This song is unforgettable for many reasons one, this was one of the early hits of AR Rahman, Revathy and her husband Suresh Menon acted in this movie. This was the first audio cassette we had in the new white plastic packaging ( along with the lyrics sheet and having the names of the musicians also) instead of the two piece hinged one that always broke! And then there was a kumudha or anandha vikatan contest to write lines in the lines of Kannukku mai azhagu. I remember sending 'Sippikku Muthazhagu', of course did not hear back ;-) !

For a long time, wanted to give some Telugu song a try - this seemed easy - so here is a video with me singing along with the lyrics in English.

Balamuralikrishna's Shree rama neemamemi ruchira

This is a sequel to my earlier post Shree rama namam
because this is also a Bhadrachala Ramadasa song tuned by Shri Balamuralikrishna. Learnt it form his rendition and his favorite disciple Shri Rama Varma's lesson to the students of Veenvadhini School of Music in Perla.

Have created a video singing the same with lyrics and meaning.
Rama Varma sir, please pardon the musical flaws ! :)

This is another beautiful version by the Priya sisters but somehow I think in Dr. Balamuralakrishna's tunes and renditions, the  meaning is completely justified - the meaning is conveyed in the tune itself. It is as supportive as the body language to a  talk. Even a lay listener is automatically pulled in instead of dismissing that as a 'carnatic' song that only a few folks are able to appreciate fully.

Lyrics
Shree Rama nee naamamaemi ruchiraa
Oh Rama neenaamamentha ruchiraa

Kariraaja prahlaadha dharanija vibheekshanulu gaakhina neenamamaemi ruchiraa
Kariraaja prahlaadha dharanija vibheekshanulu gaakhina neenamamentha ruchiraa
kadhalee kharjooraadhi phalamoolakadhikammu |
pathitha paavana naamamaemi ruchiraa ||
pathitha paavana naamamentha ruchiraa ||

anjanaa thanaya hrithkanjadhalamunandhu ranjillu neenaamamaemi ruchiraa |
anjana thanaya hrithkanjadhalamunandhu ranjillu neenamamentha ruchiraa ||
sadhaashivudu ninnu sadhaa bhajinchedi
sadhaanandhanaamamaemi ruchiraa
sadhaanandha naamamentha ruchiraa

thumburu naaradhulu dambu meeraga gaanambu chaesedi naamamaemi  ruchira|
thumburu naaradhulu dambu meeraga gaanambu chaesedi naamamentha ruchira ||
araya bhadhraachala shreeramadhaasuni
aelina neenamamaemi ruchiraa
aelina neenamamentha ruchiraa

p.s. Thanks to my Telugu friend for clarifying the meaning.

லிங்காஷ்டகம் - lingashtakam

Mahashivarathri was on Feb 19th this year. 'Shivarathri' is used almost as a synonym for 'staying awake in the night'. But a true Shivarathri would be to dedicate the night in prayers to Lord Shiva. I was familiar with the விடிய விடிய (day/night) poojas on Shivarathri and also the 'Shivalaya Ottam' where people visited twelve Shiva temples on this day back in India...
May be because our temple visits were limited to those on very important days and obviously, Shivarathri not being one of them for us, I had no clue that day-night poojas were conducted here in New Jersey temples too. Luckily the next day being a holiday on account of President's day, we decided to visit the Guruvayoorappan temple in NJ. It was a nice experience - thanks to the pooja, the devotees, the bhajans, it had the very same flavor and scent of the temples in India.

Though we did not stay through the night, I felt highly motivated to spend the night creating a song video with lingashtakam. Successfully started it that night but could not stay awake even past midnight! Have finally completed it today..... here is the lingashtakam video with some information on the Pancha Bhootha Lingams and Sthalams.

Reciting the lingashtakam in a Shiva temple is considered very noble.

Hope you like it!

Nottuswaram - Vandhe Meenakshi

Influenced by western classical music, great musicians like Muthuswami Dikshithar and Muthayya Bhagavathar have composed a lot of songs in the western style where the swaras are sung as plane notes with no gamakams. They could be called 'Carnatic Volts' as Prince Rama Varma explains here. The second part has the famous 'English Note'.
Had used maestro Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan's 'Note' for an earlier post.
Here is Madurai Mani Iyer's who actually popularized the English Note.

Vandhe Meenakshi, set in Shankarabaranam is a very simple 'nottuswaram' song composed by Muthuswami Dikshithar. I was excited to learn and create a video for this as the thaalam is really easy - no wonder it is used as an exercise for beginners! I have given the swarams and the lyrics ( some words have been split to match the beat).
This is a dedication to a little friend who introduced me to this song and was looking for the swaram!
Hope you like it ...

Here is a certified version of the same (sung beautifully by a 13 year old) that I learnt from...

Kangal Neeye from 'Muppozhuthum Un Karpanaigal'

'Kangal Neeye' song by Thamarai for the Tamil movie 'Muppozhuthu Un Karpanaigal' has a fresh perspective to a motherhood song. When most of them talk about the sacrifices of a mother, this one is about the mother's content and her simple joy. ( We had the award winner 'Kannathil Muthamittaal' but that was more situational to the movie). The pain we go through to bear and rear them is our dues to enjoy the happiness they give us back - nothing comes free!

I was so delighted to see this line 'unnai meendum alli eduthu karuvil vaikka nianikkiraen'. I have often felt this when overwhelmed with love and admiration for the baby (of course, they do act up, test our patience and we scream at them like monsters) but have dismissed it as a non-progressive thought...I am relieved it is not a crazy thought after all. Ideally, this feeling in the marital relation should have been the origin of a child ! :)

The old saying 'Kaakkaikkum than kunju pon kunju', how every mother feels proud of her child is so eloquent through the lines 'Suvar meethu kirukkidumbothu Ravivarman nee ...naan kollum garvam nee'. The whole song is full of beautiful words and thoughts even if not highly poetic.

The first couple of times I heard without paying attention to the lyrics, had no clue it was a mother's song - may be because of its closeness to Kanaa Kaangiraen song from Anandathaandavam or the tune itself - it sounded more like a heroine's longing. But after listening to it a few times, it sounds amazing in G.V. Prakash's music. And the singer Sithara's ( must be the Apple mega star winner on Jeevan TV) heavy voice with a classical base makes this song so touching.

On the whole, a definite candidate for any collection of 'mothers' special' songs !

I have created a little movie singing this song . Hope you like it.

Paathayaathiraigal - Thai poosam - Muruga Muruga Song

Thaipoosam as the name suggests falls on the poosam (same pooyam / pushyam ) day of the Tamil month 'Thai' every year, this year on Feb 7th.
This day again is celebrated as the victory of good over evil - the day when Lord Muruga got the 'Vel' (spear) from Mother Parvathi to defeat Soorapadhman. Lord Muruga is considered the 'Tamizh Kadavul' and hence Thai poosam is a very important festival for all Tamilians even outside India. In fact, the largest celebrations take place Singapore and Malaysia - Thaipoosam day is declared as a public holiday in many states in Malaysia. This does not mean non-Tamilians do not :) actually it is celebrated in all Murugan temples in Kerala too . Just that the number of Murugan temples are comparitively lesser though steadily increasing in the form of new temples or Murugan sannidhis in the existing temples!

Two pictures that come to my mind in connection with Thaipoosam are

1. The Rice Mountain: The Murugan temples and madams do annadhaanam (referred to as 'Vadikkarathu' in our native place). All devotees offer rice and vegetables. The boiled rice is offered in front of God in a huge heap on which is perched a silver Murugan Vel. Then it is served to all the devotees for lunch.
2. Kuthiyottam: The most Thaipoosam celebrations I have been to were at the Subramanaya Swamy temple on the banks of Karamana river in Trivandrum (Kerala). I was always struck in awe and a bit of fear watching the hundreds of devotees that come in a procession to the temple (as a pledge made to God) with spears pierced through their bodies, cheeks and so on. Most of them are in a trance and give out vibhoothi prasaadhams to the people on their way. In Tamilnadu, its called velkavadi.


Another important venduthal or naercha (an offering / activity pledged to God) done around our native place is the paadhayaathirai (more often referred to as nadakkirathu), the promise to undertake a journey by foot to the Murugan temple in Palani. People form groups and start from a central location typically a week before Thaipoosam. They walk during the cooler times of the day and take rest in the night.

I have never done this but have visited people who walked to vaitheeswaran Kovil ( a similar paathayathirai but since it is during summer they walk during the nights) when they take their breaks and sleep like jet-lagged people in the viduthis ( the inns generally associated with a temple) and then resume their journey. I am sure it is pretty tiring but what they say makes it easy is the company and the songs they sing (called vazhinadai paadal) . They are typically the bhajanai songs which are simple group songs. For most of them, the charanams are sung by the lead singer and the repeating pallavi is sung by the whole group as a chorus.

Here is one - Muruga Muruga Vel Muruga that I learnt from my cousin sisters who themselves learnt and sang when they walked to Vaitheeswaran Kovil.

Hope you like it and Happy Thaipoosam!

Manathil Uruthi Vendum - Bharathiyar Song

A friend of mine who teaches Tamil to small kids including mine was preparing them to sing 'Manathil Uruthi Vendum' and looking for a simple tune. I had come up with this (must have gotten into my head from some nursery rhyme! ) but was worried that all lines did not fit into the tune. However, the teacher and the kids both managed it perfectly. So thought of sharing the youtube video with lyrics in Tamil and English.

Yesudas's Harivarasanam

Jan 15 - Makarajyothi day 2012

Harivarasanam, the urakkupattu or the aduthajama song sung by Yesudas is the most divine song I have ever heard. I would like to call this Yesudas's Harivarasanam eventhough it was written by Kambankudi Kulathunka Iyer and tuned by G.Devarajan because it is his voice that echoes when the Shabarimala door closes each night. It is as though Lord Ayyappa blessed him with this golden, sonorous voice so He could enjoy this lullaby and we could experience the Supreme being.

Posting 'my singing with lyrics' in malayalam and English on this special Day as a dedication to the millions of Ayyappa devotees.

Enjoy listening to the same song - a faster bhajan version by Yesudas.