Beauty of Bowli
The waft of the first filter coffee brew or the visual delights of an intricately drawn kolam at the entrance of the house do indeed herald energizing mornings, however, nothing compares to the beauty of a well-crafted Bowli ragam to ring in the day in the most auspicious way. The intervals in Bowli are some of the most interesting in Karnatik music. The suddha rishabha to antara gandhara interval that gives way to the gandhara to pancama intervals sets up an open purvanga. The uttaranga has suddha dhaivata ti sadhja leap, once again an open and free-flowing intervallic placement. I have wondered if perhaps it is because of these broad intervals between notes that Bowli holds out the promise of a morning of possibilities, freedom and hope. The descent features the kakali nishada, almost as a grace note, de-emphasised in theory. Thus Bowli is a fresh ragam heralding new beginnings. With plentiful kritis - many of which I have recorded and performed live and made available below for your listening - Bowli is often sung as a minor item. Usually I am satiated with a few minutes of alapana and just a few avartanas of swaraprastharas when I handle a raga such as Bowli, for its freshness is preserved with a light touch approach to exposition. In film music, K. V. Mahadevan's handling of the viruttam Panniner mozhiyal in Bowli is certainly one of the most traditional approaches to the ragam. This viruttam precedes the famed Kambhoji piece Alaya mani kathave - so four lines Bowli is all we get but even those summarise the ragam in the sublime voice of TMS! Sentazham Poovil from Mullum Malarum film in the music of Sri Ilaiyaraja has facets of Bowli. However, the presence of the madhyama even in the opening phrase "...thazham" renders clear-cut classification challenging. There are a handful of film songs that begin with Bowli phrases, however even as these songs progress into the first BGM and charanam, the madhyama comes into the picture. For instance, Oru Ponmanai from Mythili Ennai Kathali (T. Rajendar's music) and Kozhi koovum from Vanna Vanna Pookal (Ilaiyaraja) both move away from Bowli after the first few strains of the pallavi. MSV's Sugamana sinthanaiyil from Taxi Driver begins with Bowli phrases but interestingly drifts into glimpes of Lathangi in the charanam. It seems to me that T. Rajendar has a liking for the ragam Bowli, or at least the idea of morning ragas in general. In the song Kathiravanai paarthu from Pookal vidum thoothu, TR gets Yesudas to sing the piece that commences in Bowli and moves into Mayamalavagowla in the charanam. The word Bhoopalam however appears in this song - no relationship to Bhoopalam ragam is present. It seems like the morning raga grouping was so profound in the film field during those times that Bowli and Bhoopalam became somewhat interlinked to the idea of dawn breaking. Just as interestingly, in the song Bhoopalam arangerum velai, Yesudas begins with the arohanam-avarohanam of Revagupti (basically the scale of Bowli but without the nishada in descent)! Again, no presence of Bhoopalam (the gandhara remains antara gandhara - whereas Bhoopalam employs the sadharana gandhara). Unsuprisingly, this song composed by Shankar Ganesh for the film Agni Theertham too almost immediately moves towards Mayamalavagowla. The kritis Purushottamuda (Annamayya) and Gopalaka (Swati Tirunal) in Revagupti are like manuals for the ragam. Bowli and Revagupti are too close. An example of classification for the sake of a minor scalar difference. Anyway, as I have always maintained, film songs need not be classified or categorised just for the sake of doing so - they merely have to be enjoyed for the melange of melodic qualities that they represent. In ragas, the prayogas and murchanas - meaning key phrases that establish the melodic identity of the raga - are more important than arohana-avarohana scalar structures and janya classifications. Let us take a moment to appreciate the emotions that Bowli murchanas elicits in us all - that of a fresh start to the day. Enjoy the audio and video clips, and do let me know if you have any questions or comments. Happy to respond!
Best wishes, Charulatha Mani
Isai Payanam with Charulatha Mani - Raga Bowli:
Audio Clips:
Ragas Bowli and Revagupti in Film Music:
Also, in "A Raga's Journey":
Soothing the Senses - Raga Nilambari
A Rare Treat - Raga Saramati
Morning Ragas - Ramapriya and Rishabhapriya
Pious Notes - Ragas Nasikabhushani and Vagadeeshwari
Priya Principle - Ragas Rasikapriya and Ratipatipriya
Versatile Nattai
Positively Tranquil - Raga Harikambhoji
Catchy and Classical - Raga Sankarabharanam
Of Love and Longing - Chandrakauns and Surya
Godly Gowrimanohari
Kedaragowla’s Many Moods
The Royal Durbar
Joy of Hamirkalyani
Power of Three - Ragas Madhyamavati, Brindavanasaranga, Brindavani
Wake up to Valaji
Distinctly Classical - Ragas Gowla and Lalitha
Auspicious Sri
A Complex Beauty - Raga Dwijavanti
Tale of Two Varalis - Ragas Punnagavarali and Kuntalavarali
Morning ragas - Bilahari and Malayamarutham
Endearing Khamas
Light and Melodious - Raga Sindhubhairavi
Harmonious Symmetry - Raga Kiravani
A Rare Treat - Raga Saramati
Morning Ragas - Ramapriya and Rishabhapriya
Pious Notes - Ragas Nasikabhushani and Vagadeeshwari
Priya Principle - Ragas Rasikapriya and Ratipatipriya
Versatile Nattai
Positively Tranquil - Raga Harikambhoji
Catchy and Classical - Raga Sankarabharanam
Of Love and Longing - Chandrakauns and Surya
Godly Gowrimanohari
Kedaragowla’s Many Moods
The Royal Durbar
Joy of Hamirkalyani
Power of Three - Ragas Madhyamavati, Brindavanasaranga, Brindavani
Wake up to Valaji
Distinctly Classical - Ragas Gowla and Lalitha
Auspicious Sri
A Complex Beauty - Raga Dwijavanti
Tale of Two Varalis - Ragas Punnagavarali and Kuntalavarali
Morning ragas - Bilahari and Malayamarutham
Endearing Khamas
Light and Melodious - Raga Sindhubhairavi
Harmonious Symmetry - Raga Kiravani
Thanks a lot
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