Brinda Muktha July2007

8/13/2019 Brinda Muktha July2007

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Brinda and Muktha had a thousandsongs in their repertoire. Tepopular and the rare kriti-s of

yagaraja and Dikshitar, the gems ofSyama Sastry and Subbaraya Sastri,Anai-Ayya, Gopalakrishna Bharati,Arunachala Kavi, Subbarama Dikshitar,Ponnayya Pillai, Kshetrayya, MysoreSadasiva Rao, Subbarama Dikshitar,besides innumerable javali-s were all intheir possession.

Karubaru, a grand yagaraja song inMukhari was their favourite. odaythis song has become famous. Similarly

Elavataramu in the same raga was agrand edifice of pure and deep melody.So was Sangeeta sastra gnanamu, againin Mukhari. In odi, they knew many yagaraja songsincluding Tappi bratiki, Kotinadulu, Emi jesitenemi,

(Vegavahini), Chetasree (Dwijavanti), Sree Rajagopala(Saveri), Sree Venugopala (Kurinji), Sree Matrubhootam

Brinda-Muktha: Certain Aspects of their MusicRavi & Sridhar

Brinda and Muktha


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further said that the anuswara had to be coupled withbhava, not just dryly sung. Each and every swara shouldbe sung with bhava and feeling. Otherwise what is theuse of singing it? Teir singing of sangati-s involvingcomplicated anuswara combinations was effortless yet fullof feeling. Teirs was a typical example of bhava sangeetam

which touched your soul. As much as the gamaka was animportant component of their music, smooth and beautifulkarvai-s, and breathtaking jaru-s were important too.

While singing certain kriti-s, they were so taken up by themusic that both Brinda and Muktha sang as if possessed, asif they were in competition with each other (in the wordsof a staunch rasika, potti pottundu paduva!). ChetasreeofDikshitar in Dwijavanti was one such composition. Teir

version almost followed Venkatamakhis definition of theraga whereas the version of other musicians is now almostakin to the Hindustani Jaijaivanti. In the madhyama kala

passage of the anupallavi, their singing of Pootanadisamharam, Purushottamavataram and in the charanam,the line, Nava champaka nasikam in the top register wasthrilling, as if the gates to heaven had opened. Te uniquerishabha swara of Dwijavanti would take on a beautifulcontour. All through the song, Mukthas alternatingbetween the middle octave and the top would enhancethe quality of the music without deflecting attention

shadja jaru in the beginning of the line Sree GuruguhaGurum produced the same thrilling effect. It is in pieceslike these that we can discern the influence of the veena ontheir music. Teir version of Sree Subramanyaya namasteis almost totally different from the usual one, with thecharanam sung in true chauka kala. Te current popular

version is sung in madhyama kala.

Te bhava-laden compositions of Syama Sastry and

Subbaraya Sastri received special attention as they werethe precious property of their family, Dhanammalsgrandmother being Subbaraya Sastris disciple. Te swara-sahitya passages brimmed with special beauty. Brinda sangthe sahitya and Muktha the swara, simultaneously. Tis

was repeated in the charanam with the roles reversed. Tisis not an easy feat as it requires tremendous concentrationand the extraordinary effect that it produced on listenershad to be experienced to be believed. Tis was especially

true of Marivere gati (Anandabhairavi), Janani ninuvina(Reetigaula), Sree Kamakshi(Vasanta) and Annasami Sastris

Inkevarunnaru(Sahana). Syama Sastrys compositions likeNinuvanaaga mari (Poorvikalyani), Ninne namminanu(odi), O Jagadamba, Pahi Sree Giriraja sutey (both

Anandabhairavi), Palinchu Kamakshi (Madhyamavati),the Bhairavi swarajati, and the kriti-s of Subbaraya Sastrilike Ninu sevinchina in Yadukulakambhoji Venkatasaila in


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Teir javali-s were sparkling and ravishing and many of thejavali-s as well as padam-s brought out the true sringarabhava. Pining for the lover was the theme in certainpadam-s and javali-s and there was a certain pathos intheir rendition if the sahitya so demanded. Sakhi prana

was one such javali which in the hands of Muktha reachedsublime heights.

Brinda possessed a beautiful voice that had strength as well

as a melodiousness that defies description. Both Brinda andMuktha possessed tremendous breath control and usedthis strength of theirs as well as the depth of their voicesshrewdly and to great effect. Teir control of the volumeof their voices was especially amazing. Te honey dewed

voice of Brinda perfectly blended with the somewhatrough voice of Muktha. When they sang together in themiddle octave it sounded as if only one person was singing.

Tis can be verified in the few recordings available.

Brinda and Muktha had no use for the scale raga-s or latterday favourites like Ranjani, Nalinakanti, Valaji and thelike. Tey presented the highest in art music. Tey neverhesitated to sing Begada, Saveri, Sahana, Varali, Mukhari,Dhanyasi, Yadukulakambhoji or Surati in concerts. Teirexhaustive manodharma challenged these highly gamaka-oriented raga-s. A Sahana or a Surati had to rise to the

But their knowledge and manodharma ensured thatthey brought out the complete essence of a raga in justa few minutes. Brindas and later, when she sang alone,Mukthas raga alapana-s were eagerly looked forwardto by rasika-s. Every swara was embellished withanuswara-s and the deep gamaka-s interspersed withbeautiful karvai-s were exhilarating. A two-minute alapanaof Begada that Muktha sang at her last concert at theMusiri house is a case in point. All that the great raga had

to offer was said in those two minutes. Brindas niraval-sand kalpana swara-s were precise and to the point. BeingNaina Pillais disciples, Brinda and Muktha had perfectlaya, but they did not indulge in laya acrobatics.

Once, at a concert in Sastri Hall, Muktha sang a Bhairavialapana and yagarajas Raksha bettare in it. Rasika-sattending that concert were floored when she immediatelystarted an alapana of Mukhari followed by yagarajas

Karubaruin the raga. Tere was not the slightest hint ofBhairavi in her Mukhari. Te rich gnanam and immensecourage of Muktha were there for all to see. Very fewpeople knew the extent of Muktas gnanam as, all along,she chose to live in her sisters shadow. But those close toher knew that her musical knowledge was profound.

Brinda was also an accomplished vainika. She played the


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so elegant and graceful is her handling of the instrument.

In veena playing too, Brinda never let the swara alone andembellished the playing with suitable anuswara-s.

Mukthas music

Mukthas music acquired more maturity in later years, inthe 1970s and 80s. Her voice could not be described asmelodious, as noted earlier it was quite hoarse, yet sheovercame this deficiency and made it her strength. She

shunned the niraval and kalpana swara-s and sang only ragaalapana-s, besides of course, compositions. Visranti andsublimity were the hallmarks of her music. SemmangudiSrinivasa Iyer has said that he was in the habit of usingsleeping pills at night. Once he attended a concert ofMuktha where she sang an exquisite Ninu sevinchina,the Yadukulakambhoji masterpiece of Subbaraya Sastriwhich captivated him and held him in thrall. Tat

night, he could sleep well without the aid of a pill. Tis,Semmangudi said, attested to the power of Mukthasmusic. Muthuswami Dikshitars Veenapustaka dharineem(Vegavahini), Dakshinamoortey (Sankarabharanam),Subbaraya Sastris Ninu sevinchina, yagarajasRaksha bettare (Bhairavi), Karubaru (Mukhari), the

padam-s Ninnu joochi (Punnagavarali), Ela padare

(Begada), Niddirayil (Pantuvarali), Padari varugudu(Kambhoji), Tiruvottriyur Tyagarajan (Athana),Naninnadhyana (Kanada) and the javali-s Sakhi pranaandMarubarikorvalene (both in Chenchuritti), to mention only afew, gained considerable weight and beauty in Mukthashands. None in the audience failed to be emotionallymoved when she rendered these works. Te rasikasheart would be suffused with peace and his soul elevated.

Tis unique style of music can now be heard only in a fewrecordings done surreptitiously and there are only a coupleof official recordings. Tose fortunate few who had theopportunity to listen to the doyennes have their memoriesof the great music of Brinda and Muktha to savour.

Tere is a new found interest in the music of Brindaand Muktha amongst young rasika-s the world over.

Many rasika-s who have listened to other musiciansand have accidentally stumbled upon Brinda-Mukthasrecordings have said that after listening to their musicthey are not able to listen to anyone else. What greatertribute does the Dhanammal style need, and needanything more be said about Brinda-Mukthas music? n

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Brinda Muktha July2007