The living music of MSS

I was suddenly struck by the desire to listen to Chinanchiru kiliye by Bharathiyar. One of my favorite songs, primarily for the simplicity of the verses, yet the profoundness of love and emotion in those lyrics, it has a special place in my heart. I used to go to sleep with paati singing that song. That and Vandadum solai thanile/ Amarar Kalki.

Each stanza is love itself atleast to me as Bharati picturizes kannama in a variety of moods. As she jumps, dances, runs, she being praised,.. It is a simply put, a dancer's delight. So I was searching online and musicindiaonline.com had a whole gamut of artists singing the song. As I went from one to the other, I was totally left untouched. All I could discern was fine raagamalika or neruvals, in short a variety of vocal gymnastics and repetitions of the same verse meaninglessly 100 times. Every one of those I heard left my heart untouched.

It is the bhava. I know I rant about this a lot. Maybe being a dancer, my heart jumps when "odi varugaiyile kannama, ullam kuliruthadi.." My heart dances in elation when I imagine those verses. "Aadi thirithal kandal unnai poi aavi thazuvuthadi".. uchi thanai mugarnthal garavam ongi valaruthadi..mechi unnai oorar pugazhnthal meni silirkuthadi..

The warm love, yet the hesitant desire of kissing her cheeks..makes me swoon with delight,. kannathil muthamittal ullam than kallverikoluthadi..

The whole point of the song being set in Raagamalika was to bring out different emotions and feelings towards a much loved girl.

This made me think who would have the antidote and who else than MSS. All her songs are replete with life. It is merely a cliche to even say that she was a master of bhava. In her own words, understand and feel the song before singing., would be great advice for any of today's musicians.

I am not a singer. I do not know to discern raagas. At best, I can say, well, this song resembles that. Are they the same raaga? To tell you the truth, I dont care. My brother argues that Semmangudi is a far far better singer than MSS. Maybe.

I search for life. In the Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, the boy is asked to find life in the desert by the alchemist while riding through the desert. Then he also advises that life finds life. So the boy unloosens his horse and it leads him to a rock where it stops. Under the rock is a rattle snake. The boy has learnt to survive in the desert.

Whatever we hear, we speak, all the sounds cherished and remembered are full of life. It is like a mom never never forgets the dawdling of her baby. To her, it is the most succulent sound in the world. A true devotee cherishes the sound of His Lord's name. "then vanthu payuthadi"..it feels like honey.

When I hear Maithreem Bhajatha by MSS, I feel like I am being advised by a being of the other world. "Damyatha datta dhayathvam janatha.." or "Janani prithvi kaama duhaste", "Janako devaha sahala dayalo". When she says that, you think of the LORD. No one else. And you feel comfort in the fact that He is ever merciful and loving. You do not dissect the devvahahhha, the final hhhhha or vvvva or whatever. Simple, straight to heart, lively, music.

My paati used to tell me that N.C.Vasanthakokilam (believe me her voice is sweet beyond compare), a contemporary of MSS, used to be called Venugaanam. Her voice was so sweet that her music was compared to the Lord's flute play. I believe that MSS was the Lord's flute. When He was passing above the earth, it fell from His pitambaram and He did not notice. Only when He heard her voice after 11 earth years, He understood that He had lost it. But He let it remain so that humans for generations could savor Him, cry for Him and that voice which they forever lost when they fell out of favor.

I am rambling. I want everyone reading this blog to listen to the voice that is echoing in my ears, singing the songs, full of devotion, life and love and feel the same. Share the thought that MSS is simply the greatest singer that ever lived. Rejoice in the happiness of her music.

Feel the life. Feel its everlasting joy. Feel the pain yet be happy.