Entaro Mahanubavulu (So many great people)

Title of this thread reminds me of an incident.. I was doing my MTech and was visiting trivandrum.. there was a cultural program in a palace and a singer started to sing this song.. as soon as he started this song, I stood up and was walking away(it was a small group, may be 40-50 people).. seeing me walking away from the concert, the singer stopped and asked me "Is something wrong with the way I am singing".. I said YES.. you are pronouncing Tyagayya's words all wrong.. stunned by my reply, the singer abandoned this song and started other song...

Later some one at the gate told me that the singer belongs to Travancore royal family.. I said so F what.. first ask him to pronounce properly, then he can sing..

I have big beef when some singers mis-pronounce words or add/substract syllables. For crying out loud its mahanaubhavulu not maganubhhhavulu..

 

Dear Ramyamusic madam,
Thank you very much for bringing in one of the famous kritis in Raga Sri.It is actually in praise of Lord Rama and the bhakthas have become mahanubhavas because of association with Lord Rama.Thyagaraja had a devotion uncompare to Lord Rama.

Regarding pronunciations unless one understands Telugu and Sanskrit ,it is understandable that one cannot get at the correct pronunciation initially. Tamil language itself does not have different consonants for ka, cha tha, ta,pa etc.
Unless one knows Sanskrit ,even Tamil scholars are likely to go wrong.As one takes music lessons in his/ her own mother tongue,these mistakes are likely to occur.It is very correct in terms of Tamil language and totally wrong in terms of Sanskrit.

It may take a very long time ,even years to get the correct pronunciation, though they have captured the essence of the song.While 100% perfection is the goal, some mispronunciations, I think , are pardonable, having consideration to the other attainments like raga gnanam, swara prastharam, shruthi, layam etc etc.

Compared to the previous generation of musicians, who were no good in segregating words into meaningful syllables, now a days greater importance is given to this aspect by teachers, as many books are available in English with correct pronunciations.Even students who don't know any of the Indian languages are able to get at the exact pronunciation.

I had been to a concert given by American students.
While the girl had quite a great American accent when she introduced the song, composer etc, she was perfect while singing with distinct, clear meaningful segregation of syllables and nobody could say that she was a foreigner .It is because she has from the beginning attached significant importance equally to nuances of music as well as sahitya and its meaning and had been trained well.
I think as audience, one has to develop a tolerance to these lapses .When such errors are pointed out in personal quarters it may have more impact.If one has to occupy the stage only after attaining perfection in all the fields, it may not be possible for anyone to reach the stage during one's life time.
Like any other science, music also is evolving through omissions and commissions and nobody is a paragon of perfection.

Jayasala 42

 

Dear Ramya,
Do you mind if I say something about pronounciation? My mother tongue is Telugu.
It is "Endaro mahanubhavulu andariki vandanamu". Of course Bhakt bhava is more important. I completely agree.
Syamala

 

Dear Ramya,

Of all the people who commented on this snippet, I am the least qualified to write something about one of the Mumoorthigal known as Thyagrajar in Tamilnadu. Every time I visited Thiruvarur, I used to think how the life would have been when Thiyaga Brahmam lived in that town. His compositions are still sung in Thiruvaiyaru in his memory by most Carnatic Musicians and even countries like the US have introduced Cleveland Festival in memory of his great work.

What can I say anything about someone who recited the name of Rama over billion times during his lifetime. I have heard that because of his constant reciting of Sri Rama's name, the Lord Himself decided to manifest in his full form. When Thyaga Brahmam opened the door of the house for someone calling from outside, The Bhaktha of Sri Rama saw Maha Vishnu in His full form and He was not even able to face the light emitted from His Tejas. This incident brings tears into my eyes and demonstrated what type of bhakthi one should have in order to have the Lord's Pratyaksha.

I digressed a little and let me get back to the subject you have covered. What a great lesson to learn from Thiyaga Brahmam! Whenever, I think of his devotion to Lord Rama, Sabari comes to my mind. Musical compositions in praise of the Lord melts the heart and the Lord is no exception. The Lord makes sure such people are blessed.

Viswa

 

Thankyou Ramya for explaining the background of this beautiful Carnatic song. My DD learnt this and of all the Pancharatna Kritis this is the one she loves to sing. I wish her teacher had explained this background which will help students to sing with expression. Thanks for sharing this and if possible please share background stories or meanings of other Kritis too.

 

No need of Madam Ramya. Just Syamala is enough.
Syamala