madhmath sarang (hindustani)..s ri2 m1 p ni2 ..madhyamavathi in carnatic

Check this spine chilling cool tune and rendition...the power of traditional Rajasthani folk music brought out by Lata ji so well -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOQSxepySCk

This is raag madhmath sarang in hindustani......s ri2 m1p ni2 s..madhyamavathi in carnatic....In this Yaara sili sili song, a slight touch of ga2 adds to the beauty of the charanams


Coming back to Raaja....Thalaivar's madhyamavathi list is big....

Madhyamavathi S R2 M1 P N2 S
Madhyamavathi Aagaya Gangai Dharma Yudham
Madhyamavathi Aala Marathu Kuyilae Annan
Madhyamavathi Ariro Araro Indiran Chandhiran
Madhyamavathi Adi Pennae Ponoonjal Aadum Mullum Malarum
Madhyamavathi Ammamma Thalaattu Padava
Madhyamavathi Anandham Then Sindhum Mann Vasanai
Madhyamavathi Arule Arul Maniye Kavalai Padathe Sagodhara
Madhyamavathi Azhagaana Manjapura Ellame En Raasathan (bliss this one)
Madhyamavathi Azhagiya Thirumaganae Rajarishi
Madhyamavathi Bhoodyaaviyaa Habba Habba Boomi Geetha (Kannada)
Madhyamavathi Chittu Chittu Kuruvikku Azhaghi
Madhyamavathi Eeramana Rojave Ilamaikalangal
Madhyamavathi Ejamaan Kaaladi Manneduthu Ejaman
Madhyamavathi En Kalyana Vaibhogam Azhaghe Unnai Aaradhikiren
Madhyamavathi Halo Guru Nirnayam (Telugu)
Madhyamavathi Kannil Ilam Aayiram Nilave Vaa
Madhyamavathi Kathirum Kothi Man Of The Match (Malayalam)
Madhyamavathi Kavithai Paadu Kuyilae Thendralae Ennai Thodu (Mixes Brindavana Saranga)
Madhyamavathi Kumbam Karai Sertha Thangayya Kumbakarai Thangaiyya
Madhyamavathi Kuyile Kuyile Aan Paavam (bubbling with enthusiasm)
Madhyamavathi Kuyile Kuyile Kuyilakka En Bommukutty Ammaavukku
Madhyamavathi Mangalam Nerunnu Alliyilam Poovo (Malayalam)
Madhyamavathi Maragadha Kutti Chinna Durai
Madhyamavathi Muthu Muthu Nammura Mandaara Hoove (Kannada)
Madhyamavathi Nila Kayidhu Sakalakala Vallavan (touches of sri ragam, sriranjani)
Madhyamavathi Nee Thane Enthan Ninaivellam Nithya
Madhyamavathi Poo Arumbuthu Kutti
Madhyamavathi Pon Meni Urugudhe Moonram Pirai
Madhyamavathi Pon Vaana Poongavil Vaalibamae Vaa Vaa
Madhyamavathi Ponnu Veetu Kaararae Kelunga Ponnu Veetukkaran
Madhyamavathi Puthu Ponnu Mapillai Kaadhal Rojaave
Madhyamavathi Sembaruthi Penoruthi Raman Abdulla
Madhyamavathi Sevanthi Pookalil Seidha Veedu Mella Pesungal
Madhyamavathi Solaikuyile Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu
Madhyamavathi Suvvi Suvvi Swathi Muthyam (Telugu)
Madhyamavathi Thaalattu Pillai Ennai Achchaani
Madhyamavathi Thanga Nilavukkul Nilavondru Rickshaw Maama
Madhyamavathi Thazham Poovae Vaasam Kai Kodukum Kai
Madhyamavathi Thulli Thulli Sippikkul Muthu
Madhyamavathi Vanamellam Senbagapoo (male version) Naadodi Pattukaaran
Madhyamavathi Vanna Pandhai Thottu Vilayaada Chinna Vaathiyaar
Madhyamavathi Vennilavu Kodhipadhenna Chinna Mapillai


Over 40 known madhyamavathis of IR...but no repetitive tunes.....each unique...Gifted we are to live in his era....


madhyamavathi is easy to recognize ....it has a lullaby kind of touch to the melody...Ilaiyaraaja’s use of Madhyamavathi thus can be summarized as “Thalaatu”…Yes, madhyamavathi usages by IR are (90%) hypnotic lullabies. So why not start off with Thaalattu Pillai Ennai from Achchaani. The entire pallavi is a neat usage of madhyamavathi. See how raja has stressed on the raga flavour right at the start by the way SPB sings “thalaattu”…..Just do this mini exercise…after you sing for yourself the pallavi of the song thalattu, dive to “thunbam endrum aanukkalla” charanam from “thulli thulli”…You would have no problems shifting to back “thalaatu” once you finish “thulli thulli charanams”… another good example would be “Thazham Poovae Vaasam from Kai Kodukum Kai”

Madhyamavathi, as said earlier, is S R2 M1 P N2 S and same backwards…. I had mentioned that you can keep remembering the word “lullaby or “thalaattu” while trying to decipher a madhyamavathi based song…If you want to also see some songs that are hardcore madhyamavathis, take En Kalyana Vaibhogam - Azhaghe Unnai Aaradhikiren. One of those rare combination of raja and vani jayaram. Don’t you get a feeling as if vani jayaram was sitting in a oonjal (swing) while she sang it…or even better, don’t you feel that you are yourself are being put in a musical swing (oonjal or thooli). The same swing effect can be seen in the first few lines of Nee Thane Enthan - Ninaivellam Nithya .

The song “thulli thulli nee padamma” starts with a humming and mini alapanai session between SPB and S.Janaki. That vocal prelude bit is the best crash course you will ever get on madhyamavathi in the shortest of all times (roughly 1 and a half minutes). You might do well to listen to that initial humming alone n number of times, until you start to understand madhyamavathi…Because, that’s all you need to know to recognize a madhyamavathi based song. Solaikuyile kaalai kadhire from ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu is another vintage composition, wherein just the pallavi is enough to teach you madhyamavathi. See the how the pallavi lands down to a sweet musical swing (as if you were in a thooli) in the lines, “thullum ragame, thullum raagame”…Ange thullum ragam madhayamavathi thaan….Avvalave dhaan :)

Lend your ears, I will tell you a simple trick that works 90% of the times in deciphering madhyamavathi in IR’s songs. There would invariably be a scintillating usage of the instrument Shenai. You wont find many madhayamavathi based songs from IR which didn’t have the shenai, used in a mesmerizing fashion.

If you asked my personal choice amongst all madhyamavathis, I would say it is Thanga Nilavukkul Nilavondru from Rickshaw Maama. It just does not get better than this. Raja in a thaalaatum mood and his best partner SPB to carry the tune forward. Who wants the heavens, it is here and now, right in your room. Just plug in to raja’s music :)