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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Y a m u n a K a l y a n i ..Krishna Nee Begane Baro..


An angel in bridal clothes, decked with flowers and jewels, brimmingwith expectations, bristling with desires and blushing shy, broughtslowly by the teasing maids on either side to the decorated dais, thatis how this raga develops and progresses.

"Krisna nee begane baro" (or Krishna nee vegamai vaarai in Tamil)
would at once bring to your mind the picture we are trying to visualise.

Though invoking Krsna to reach faster, the pace of the kriti is farfrom being faster - the slow pace that sets the rhythm of thebridegroom approaching the dais. So romantic, colourful, the entireatmosphere charged with love and aesthetics.

A janya raga of Meecha Kalyani (Kalyani in HCM),
Yamuna Kalyani is avakra raga.

Arokan: S R g P m d S
Avarohan : S d P m P g R S

A raga most popularly adopted in many Hindi films, LP had it in twosongs in their very first film - Parasmani - "Woh Jab yaad aaye" and"Roshan tumhi se duniya".

Dev Anand pleaded with Sadhana not to leaveso early "yeh dil abhi bhara nahin" in Hum Dono. Bharat Bhushan couldnever "boolenge wo barsaat ki raat".Kamal Amrohi made Meena Kumari wonder "Mausam hai Ashiqana". She alsohad some shikayat against "inhi longon ne".Amitabh, on one of the occasions when he was less angry, brooded on thethought that comes to his mind "kabhie kabhi"Recently, you had the melody "ghar se nikhalte hi" in Papa kahete hain.Yamnuna Kalyani's slow and royal pace is revealed in all these song,even in a sad song like "Ehasaan tera hoga mujhpar" (Junglee).

On the Tamil front, we have number of songs based on Yamuna Kalyani. Avery beautiful number by TMS-PS, "Vennila Vaanil Varum" (Kannipenn-MSV).is an excellent example. Follow the humming of P.Suseela in thecharanam, almost akin to the charanam of Krsna kriti, it would enableyou realize the essence of the raga in all its splendour. "Nila Kaygirathu" (Indira - ARR), "Varaha nadhi" (Sangamam - ARR)"Yamunai Aatrile" (Dhalapathi - Ilayaraja) are a few others.

The most unforgettable and melodious song after this raga, to date,however, remains the song by the forlorn princess, a lullaby for herchild in the midst of the jungle, a child who should otherwise havebeen enjoying all the royal luxuries- "Anbil malarndha nal roja"(Kanavane kann kanda Deivam),

The aphrodisiac beauty of Anjali Devi,the lyric, the raga vied with one another in retaining the song as anevergreen favorite of film music buffs.

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