Romantic Ragas

I believe that ragas elicit certain emotions in you when you listen to them and each one has one emotional trait that is predominant. It is possible for song or songs with lyrics that carry a certain emotion to majorly influence how the raga is “felt”. It is also possible for a raga that has been deemed a pathos raga to be used for songs that elicit happiness and vice versa. Having said that, I am not well read when it comes to carnatic music theory, hence here is the disclaimer that whatever I write below is exclusively what I think and it from my experience.

For this love themed jodi posts by CBC, I thought I should write about ragas that I think are the most romantic, for various reasons. By romance, here I mean the “a feeling of excitement and mystery and happiness that might or might not be associated with love”.

Reethigowla

The reason I chose Reethigowla is hugely influenced by its usage in duets and other romantic numbers in Tamizh film music. The carnatic compositions were of no help here, as they are all viewed in religious or spiritual context. Whereas in films, right from songs like “Chinna Kannan Azhaikkiran” (Kavi Kuyil) to “Azhagana Rakshasiye” (Mudhalvan) to ““Sudum Nilavu” (Thambi) to “Kangal Irandal” (Subramaniyapuram), most of these famous romantic duets are set in this raga. Maybe the GaMaNiNiSa phrase gives that lilting beauty when sung; or the very structure of the raga is not flat and boring (because of its vakra nature) but mystical and interesting.

Here is a playlist of Tamizh movie songs in Reethigowla for you.

To read more on this ragam, click here.

Kaapi

Kaapi I believe lives up to its name. If coffee is believed to be an aphrodisiac, then the name sake might as well be one. It oozes love, and that love does manifest itself in many forms in many songs. For example, Bharathi’s love for Kannamma in Chinnanjiru Kiliye, sringara rasa compositions (Javalis) such as “Bayarani Baaliche” by Thirupathi Narayanasamy and “Parulanna Maata” by Dharumapuri Subbarayar, the motherly love of Yashodha in “Enna Thavam Seidhanai”, or seperation of love in ARR’s Kadhal Rojave. It seems to me that, like the various types of coffees from each part of the world, the various songs in Kaapi have a unique flavor and each have to be dealt with, different from the other. You might want it black, or with milk or cream or sugar, but each type (song) has to be savored in the way it has to be.

Behag

This is my favourite raga of the three. But not many would agree with me for even adding it in the list of romantic ragas. I never associated this raga to romance earlier, but then I learnt this song Kamaladhala Kannan in Behag. I don’t know what ESS Iyer imagined when he composed it, but that part “madhi mosam ponenadi” does something to me, every time I listen to it. The context of the phrase is thus: (I am giving the text in Tamizh as the essence seems lost when I translated it to English, sorry)

… ஒருவரும் இங்கில்லை என்று ஒருமுறை கண்ணா என்றேன்

ஓடி வந்து என்ன என்றான் ஒன்றுமில்லை என்றேன் நான்

வருந்தி இனிமேல் அழைத்திட்டாலும் வரமாட்டேன் என்று சொல்லி

வருந்த வைத்து மறைந்தார் – மதி மோசம் போனேனடி…

“Knowing none is around, she calls Krishna – he appears – she gets tongue tied – hence he leaves saying don’t expect me to come next time you call – and that is when she loses her mind”. (See, essence lost in tranlation!)

Malargal keten from OK Kanmani and Aalapanam from Gaanam are the only two movie songs I can think of in Behag and both are abstract in a way. Even the abstractness that this raga embellishes is lovely.

To read more on this ragam, click here.

If you have a difference of opinion, or think I’m incapable of writing about love, or got anything else to say, do leave a comment. I’m not really a fan of bouquets, so that and brickbats are equally welcome ;)

This post was originally written for the ‘love theme’ contest by The Chennai Bloggers Club at viddev.com.