Music or Isai!!!

Isai moovar or trinities.

Off late, I have started listening to loads of Carnatic or South Indian Classical music, especially Tamil vocals and violin solos.

Not sure, why, however, should date back my interest not because I have started to learn to play Carnatic violin of late, but, possibly to the periods of my sweet childhood.

We those days, lived in the famous Coral Merchant Street of George Old, original Town of Chennai of 20^th century. Just next to our house were three important sources of music like the trinities of Tamil Classical music.

Nalachakravarthi

The first one, to be exactly opposite to us was the, then famous Nalachakravarthi Kalyana mandapam, a marriage hall.

Well, apart from during the months of AAdi Tamil period, roughly between July and August, every year, there was constant source of music, right in front of us and our ears, because of the marriage ceremonies!

It is likely that, as a lullaby, I had listened to the evergreen Tamil and occasional Hindi hits from the conical loud mouthed dinosaur speakers of the Hall and grew with the musical noise. At times, especially during the exam early morning hours, the music and noise would become so unmanageable, which obviously would need the visit of my Appa or sometimes my brother to tone their volume, a wee bit down.

However, having said that, because of this, we never owned a radio or a cassette player or needed to buy one, until the late nineties. This incessant supply was providing us with all those great lyrics and music and also very rarely inappropriate song selections for a marriage hall.

I still remember those not so dusty, breezy evenings, when I sat on front on the entrance steps along with my brother, who was sat on the Thinnai of our house, listening to wonderful melodies of MSV, KV Mahadevan and eventually Illayaraaja, before it was even out on the Radio programmes.

Katchaleeswarar temple

The second is the Katchalleeswarar temple right next to the Marriage Hall.

We were traditionally Saivites, (worshippers of Lord Siva) however, were told right from our childhood, not to enter this temple as a routine by our Amma. The story goes some thing like this: my grand father, who was a wealthy man ages ago was an ardent devotee of the main deities of this temple and also had offered lots of donations. However, he and his immediate family (my appa) members, ended as paupers not soon after my grandfather’s involvement with this temple.

Anyway, I was the only one, who would always sneak to this temple, either with or without Amma’s consent, to break away this sentimental stuff.

The temple was as usual famous for its yearly rituals around Sivarathree (for Lord Siva), during the month of February and also other auspicious times, when the whole street would be filled with joy and fun and of course good looking birds(with Thaavani or half saree) from local Agaraharam!! I was so fortunate to live near this temple for so many obvious reasons apart from my interest in music.

The nights would start with Nagaswaram kutcheris or recitals by famous players of those days and I would be listening to those pure soulful whatever music came out of those long winding instrument, in the process also, relishing the percussive exponents of Thavil or the drum players, accompanying them.

The music was heaven and I have to be honest, I did not and I still do not know any thing about carnatic or classical south Indian music. How ever, I was there every night and that was between year four, if I could vaguely remember and ten at school.

The tea shop

The third one was the tea shop owned by a friend of ours just besides our house. In fact the shop had multitude of owners all those years, however the music from the vinyl’s never changed in quality or quantity.

Once again, I had seen all sort of vinyl’s and cassettes of 70’s ,80’s and nineties in that shop and in the process have listened to wide variety of music, right from Annakili to Ayirathil oruvan and Bobby to Baazigar. It was music and music all along and was at times mind boggling and overwhelming!!!

I must have also finished off quite a few samosas and vadais during this musical journey, routed next to the big glass jars. Still vividly remember the “Puthiya varpugal songs”, especially, “ Tham thana tham thana thalam varum” musically, soothing my hormonal excitements of those periods!!

The trinities of Tamil classical Isai or Thollisai are namely Appar, Sundarar and Tiruganasambandar between 6 and 10 century; Arunachalkavirayar, Marimuthu pillai and Muthu thandavar between the 15^th and 17^th century and the  Tiruvaiyaru trinity, namely Thyagaiyar, Muthsamy theetchithar and Shyma sastrigal during the later periods.

Now you know about my trinity!!!