The Kings Treasuries - Part 20

Narayanan Swaminathan writes:

The Kings Treasuries - Part 20

Guiro, Clave, Castanet, Cabasa...??

We have heard and read that Raja re-energised tamil folk music using several folk instruments.. But he did not stop with that. He has experimented and used several latin american, spanish, afro, moorish percussion instruments in his music.. We have enjoyed those sounds without knowing the names of the instrument.

These instruments were used by many music directors, but the fascinating ways in which raja used them, made me go behind the sounds and find out the names of the instruments that make those sounds. The above are the names of some of those instruments. Let us see some songs in which each of them were used.

Guiro

1. Kannil Edho - Poo Vilangu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPO5lAcrC9A

2. Naan Pooveduthu - Naanum Oru Thozhilaali
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl8UD9VaSSc

3. Ilamanadhu – Selvi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kcq1RYrWI8

In all these song preludes raja has used the instrument. It is a very small instrument and i believed for many years that it is produced by scratching a comb, after seeing Kamal doing it in Saagar.
When we listen to an extended period of time to a particular composer, we become aware of the patterns in which he composes, the raga chooses for a particular type of situation, the instruments he chooses and even the singers he chooses.

Raja has mainly used guiro in sultry songs, where viraha is the underlying bhava of the song.

Clave

This is also a simple instrument which has a pair of thick wooden sticks used for rhythm measurement, just like our nattuvangam thaala kattai where a manai and a stick are used. It can be heard in the following songs.

1. pattu kannam prelude - kaakki sattai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBp4RssMwCQ

2. enna solli naan ezhudha - rani theni where it is used as the clock sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuvEStzUd94

3. pudhiya poovidhu - thenrale ennai thodu as a metronome every 2 stroke in a bar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c__LCYsTLUQ

4. oru naal unnodu oru naal - uravadum nenjam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-lk8HJDByg

Here too, we can find a pattern. Whenever a temporal manipulation is required like nostalgia, or imagining differrent time periods or where time is the underlying essence, raja has resorted to this instrument.

Castanet

This is used in greek, latin, moorish and spanish music. Sadly it is stereotyped as a pichaikaran's property in most tamil movies. Who can forget rajapart rangadurai.. Used in

1. Kadhal enbadhu from palaivana rojakkal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KoDrRw-UEo

2. pattukannam prelude.

3. En mana vaanil - kasi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-UDN9f4P8o

Cabasa

This instrument everyone of you would have seen in all old tv music shows.. you can see it in this video where the person uses it for rhythm in the piece 'Do anything' from how to name it album
https://youtu.be/xeUwoW16bO4 This instrument is used in innumerable songs.

Duggi tarang, maracas and the list goes on.. Will see them in another post about raja's treasures.



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