Ilaiyaraja does not know music.

Ilayaraja recently said: “I am still in this field because I don’t know music. I still have so many things to pass on to the younger generation.”

Sounds like another philosophical rant, right? But there are many ways of looking at this statement. It will hit you depending on what category of fan you are.

category 1 fans - Fans that think Raja is past his peak - this group can probably reconcile / console themselves to the fact that raja is still learning (as admitted by him) and does not know music, while the "other MDs" (i made this plural) have already mastered the art of music making. So the friends in this group, you have to wait for your next 'virumandi' or 'sony music collaboration' to happen, to be happy with IR. Till then, its not a sin to have fun with your other MDs. Its good to drift away once in a while, just for the heck of it.

category 2 fans - Fans that think Raja has not finished yet or are mighty content with what they already have - This group does not feel hurt by market forces/realities / statistics or even comparisons with "Other MDs" on this basis - to this group of "selfish" fans, they dont want to expect anything more from their idol. They have their bags full already and it will take many "sweet" years for them to even completely figure out whatever he has given so far. To this category of fans, measuring IR on a commercial yardstick is like comparing a Kamaraj with a Chavan, a Kalmadi or a A.Raja (telecom minister). Kamarajar was not commercially successful either. But Kamarajar didnt take up politics to be commercially successful. The intent is different, the agenda is different, the purpose is different. The Game is played differently.

Raja started his musical journey, first as a professions, then a passion and then as a spiritual tool. The spiritual dimension at which he approaches music now is never going to make any sense or can never draw parallel to today;s materialistic / manupulative market environment. We just have to let him be what he is.

For me, a category 2 fan, the statement at the top of the mail sounds like IR has an agenda. Read the second part of the statement - Raja says - "I still have so many things to pass on to the younger generation." I belong to the group that knows or hope that the finish line is yet to be drawn.

We can talk of the winners once the race is over.

செவிக்கு உணவில்லாத பொழுது ..

ராஜாவின் சில வித்தியாசமான எண்ணங்கள்...

1. செவிக்கு உணவில்லாத பொழுது என்கிறார்கள் - அப்படி ஒரு பொழுது எங்கே இருக்கிறது?
2. சர்வம் சிவமயம் என்றால் அதில் நல்லதும் கெட்டதும் இரண்டும் அடங்க வேண்டும் - அடங்கும் !
3. எண்ணத்தில் நல்லது என்ன தீயது என்ன - எண்ணம் எதுவானாலும் அது தவறே ..எண்ணமே தவறு !
4. எண்களில் கடைசி எது - இதற்க்கு பதில் சொன்னால் ஒன்று....பதில் சொல்லவில்லை என்றால் பூஜ்ஜியம் !

பூவின் மலர்ச்சி

நாத வெளியினிலே புத்தகத்தின் முன்னுரையிலிருந்து .....

இன்று எல்லாம் உங்களிடம் இருக்கிறது ..பொருள் ஈட்டுவதற்காக படித்தீர்கள் ...படித்தது ஒன்று...தொழில் இன்னொன்று...அதனால் என்ன ..எல்லா வசதியும் உண்டு ...கார் ...பங்களா கம்ப்யூட்டர் .. வீடு...குளிர் சாதன பெட்டி ... ஆனால் எல்லாம் இருந்தும் என்ன பயன்? அதிகாலையில் எழுந்து வாக்கிங் போகும் முகங்களை பாருங்கள்...ஒருவர் முகத்திலாவது மலர்ச்சி இருக்கிறதா? ஒரு நாள் மட்டும் வாழும் பூ கூட மலர்ச்சியாக இருக்கிறது...அது அதன் இயல்பு ...இயல்பை தொலைத்த மனிதர்கள் முகத்திலாவது மலர்ச்சியாவது ...ம்ஹூம் !

Lateral thinking?

நாத வெளியினிலே புத்தகத்தில் இன்னொரு சுவையான கருத்து ராஜா சொன்னது இங்கே உங்களுக்காக...

அவர் கேட்கிறார் படைத்தல், அழித்தல், காப்பாற்றுதல் என்று மூன்று சாமி தேவையா? படைப்பவர் செம்மையாக படைத்திருந்தால், வேறொருவர் காக்க வேண்டிய வேலை இல்லை. காப்பவர் சரியாக இயங்கினால் அழிப்பவருக்கு வேலை இல்லை...நிச்சயம் புதிய சிந்தனை தான் :) நம்புங்கள் , அவர் சத்தியமாக ஒரு ஆத்திகர் தான் ..ஆனால் சதா ஆழமான சிந்தனை உடையவர் ...அதனால் எழுந்த கேள்வி இது :))

the power of music

In the astrology book 'star signs', author linda goodman says that in ancient times, massive stones and rocks were moved and handled using music as the source of power...that is, by singing a combination of mystical musical notes, ancient people lifted stones and rocks to build architectural beauties that are not possible even by modern technology. Thalaivar Raja also mentions about a similar thing in the book Naadha Veliyinilae...he says (though playfully) that the stones and rocks that were dumped to be used as construction material for the vaigai dam have all listened to his singing and his flute music (played through slender eethai sticks, made by IR himselves, using a type of bamboo)...so mesmerised were they that they would automatically move and go sit in slots that they were supposed to be placed!

the roots of raaja's mastery in swara bedham

In the book Naadha Veliyinilae, IR says..."when i started playing the harmonium, i wouldnt know which is the Sa (aadhara sadjam0). I would take whichever note the song starts with, as the adhara sadjam...Also, though i knew many raga names, i didnt know the actual swaras that made the ragam...i was all a self-taught man at that time...But whatever be the song, by listening just once or twice, i would be able to play it fully on the harmonium..."

I guess this is why raaja today is a scholar is swarabedham / grahabedham. He makes masterly shifts of the adhara shadjam and creates brilliant songs that all still sound as one coherent unit.

Nadha Veliyinilae...

i start this blog by thanking a friend of mine who gifted this lovely book 'naadha veliyinilae' for my marriage anniversary. The book is a combination of 3-4 books by raaja. I read it whenever i feel like. And sometimes i wonder, boy, how complicated can he think..