MWC_Edition11

November 29_KV

One among the most revered musical trinity of Carnatic music is a devout Rama bhaktan. One is yet to see a composer more mesmerised by, more in love with, more lost & wasted away in the devotion of the Lord. So much so that more than half of his compositions are on various episodes (kandas) of his ishta devata's life.
He is sampoorna aatma samarpanam personified. Sri Thyagaraja.

In this collection of rama kritis (which are also aptly nicknamed Thyaga Ramayana), is a set of 11 splendid ones, set in the Kiskhkintha kanda. Each describing the numerous ways in which Rama showered his blessings on Sugriva and helped him retrieve the throne.

This song is called Namoralakimpa.
Thyagaiya yearns for Rama's karunai. Clearly "jealous" of Sugriva, he says
"Am I too not Sugriva? Why would you not be so merciful on me?"

A brilliant word play here....

Griva meaning Kantha...throat which in this context becomes Voice and
Su meaning good/sweet/pure
SuGriva... sweet throated/voiced... smile emoticon

As usual he ends the kriti saying "who am I, in the end, but thyagaraja, your slave."

Composed in the enchantingly slow Devagandhari ragam; set to Rupaka talam; Sung by S. Ramanathan, in a pace faster than is typical of the ragam.

http://sangeethapriya.gotdns.org:8080/…/nAmor