Natakurinji Comment On This Article Below. Return to the article M.R.Rangarajan comments : I read the article with interest. 1. What do I do to hear the audio clips? When I click on the URL, a download window opens and when I choose not to download it to the hard disk but only run it from the present position,a pop window asks the name of program I want to use to open it with. Should I have MP3? Or what program do I use to open? 2. Another very popular song in Natta kurinji recently heard in concerts is ' Paal vadiyum mukham ninaindhu' of Uthukkadu Venkatasubbaier sung by many vocalists,male and female. It also may be included in the article. Keep it up! M.R.Rangarajan Arun Sitaraman comments : Kudos to Muthukumar and Ramana for presenting this very nice article on Natakurunji. I enjoyed the rare audio clips that accompanied it. Anantha Krishnan comments : Congratulations Muthukumar and Ramana for a superb article. Unlike several who write articles, which are necessary "cut and paste" quotes and notes from various earlier articles, you have created an excellent piece where you have intertwined the references with excellent audio pieces. Just as additional information... there is a wonderful rendering of the raga( in fact RTP) for a concert at Krishna Gana Sabha, where the artists include KVN, Lalgudi and Raghu. I guess the concert was in Aug/Sep '75. Once again, congratulations on a wonderful article and look forward to several such articles. Best Wishes. Anantha Krishnan Harish Neelakandan comments : VNM and MVR: Congratulations on a superb article. Your research and compilation is very impressive. Just to add to Anantha Krishnan's observation, I have also heard KVN's rendition of the RTP, but with M. Chandrashekharan on the violin, and the name of the raga also appears in the text of the pallavi. In response to M.R.Rangarajan's query, I too had difficulty hearing the audio initially, but got it to work eventually with RealPlayer. Congratulations once again, and thank you for the most interesting article, and we look forward to more. Sriram Ramabhadran comments : I really enjoyed the article. Could you please comment on the difference between Natakurinji and Ravichandrika ? Thanks and looking forward to your next article, Sriram The authors respond: Both Natakurinji and Ravichandrika share a similar scale. However the treatment of the swaras, especially g and n (we adopt the same swara notation as in our article) are different. Consider the treatment of n in these two ragas. Natakurinji uses n as a nyasa swara in prayogas such as m d n, (d)n. The nishada also occurs prominently in prayogas such as d n s", d n s" d n". This is to be contrasted with Ravichandrika where a weaker n occurs (only) in the avarohana as s" n d m. As we pointed out in our article, g plays an important role in the development of Natakurinji but when used as a nyasa swara, it is usually in conjunction with m or with s; e.g., g - m g s, or s r g (g) m etc. Ravichandrika employs phrases such as m g - m g, s r g, d m g etc. Clearly, g plays a stronger role in this raga. Ravichandrika allows the prayoga m g r s as well. Finally, we recall S. R. Janakiraman's remark about the special role played by the panchama in Natakurinji. It is "not within raga dharma" to eschew panchama in Natakurinji, whereas Ravichandrika skips the panchama altogether. V. N. Muthukumar and M. V. Ramana Krishnan K.Namboodri comments : The piece on Natta Kurunji was very interesting and informative. May I say that you might need to consider the following with regards to your statement that there is no mention of this Raga before 18th Century? A learned scholar in the court of Vijaya Raghava Naikkan, ruler of Tanjavur during 17th century, Mayavaram Govinda Deekshitar was entrusted the task of teaching a young prince (b.1644-d.1704) of the small kingdom of Kottayam in North Malabar in the Keralam. He later came to be known as Kottayathu Thampuran. He has written 4 exquisite plays which were also composed for Kathakali performances in his lifetime. These plays contain several pieces in the raga, Natta Kurunji like Madhava Jaya Shaure, Vacham Shrunu Me etc. The opening shlokas of this King’s plays pay his respects to the guru, with lines”Govindamadyam Gurum”. This Govinda Deekshitar is reputed to have learnt the finer techniques of Kuchippudi before coming to Keralam. In the ancient Sanskrit drama tradition which is still being followed in Keralam through the Kootiyattam there are several ancient Ragas employed and if I am not mistaken Natta Kurunji may be one of them. The musical traditions in Keralam, especially in Sopana sangeetham and Abhinaya Sangeetham might be worth looking into since it could unravel many things. The clips were really nice and especially that of KVN singing the Swathi Thirunal composition. My interest in C.M stems from my intense passion for Kathakali in my childhood days. Being so far from home the interest turned in to C.M. If you need any generic information on Kathakali I shall be glad to furnish you with whatever I can. Let me thank you for the write-ups and I hope you shall continue to write on other Ragas too with the clips which really is a great help. Sarayu comments : the work done here is very good. however I was looking for lalgudi jayaraman's raga tanam and pallavi in natakurinji.I did not get that . could you please send me that link.? Ranga Sridharan comments : GNB's Nattaikurinji RTP excerpts are just Fabulous!. The recording quality is splendid which exemplifies the enchantment one gets from just listening to GNB. I am in my 30s and born long after GNB passed, but I am his most ardent fan. Thanks to your presentations that I feel I'm listening live!. Please keep your writings and insights coming...looks like the flow has ebbed last 2-3 years ?. All listeners of your clips owe you both and team a debt of gratitude!. - Ranga Sridharan L.K.GOPALAKRISHNAN comments : This is the first time I have logged in this site.It is really wonderful.Since I am from a family of musicians I enjoyed.My grand father Narayana bhavathar my uncle Viswanathabhavathar and his son Palghat K.V.Narayanaswamy I am from Palghat Many thanks Rajagopal Sugumaran Uppili comments : I was searching forthe M G S prayoga in NAttaiKurinji via google. Luckily I got this site. Awful commentary on the raga and prayoga. Nattaikurinji RTP by T.N.Sheshagopalan is really worth hearing in addtion to your refernces. Thanks for the article. Expecting more. MURALI BALASUBRAMANIAN comments : Heart-felt thanks to respected Sri Muthukumar and Sri Ramana. I am fortunate enough to go through this article. My year of birth is 1958 and I am an ardent fan of the Great GNB. What has been told about Great GNB is hundred percent correct. GNB had achieved more than enough and left us very early. If the present media had been in 1950, GNB would have been an Universal star. Even now, he occupies the minds of carnatic music people. Thanks Amrutha comments : I would like to know about basic ragas& talas as I've started learning violin recently. K.M.Ravi comments : I have come across this site the first time. Clutch of Wonderful collection. Thank you so much. I have a request. You have provided very little of the doyen Musiri Subramania iyer's rendition. While the other noted Vidwans' whose recordings are widely awailable, we rarely find any of Musiri Subramaniyar's recordings. I am not requesting for the recordings of the entire session but this Nattakurinchi alone in full version, if possible. Looking forward to more of such collections. Even at at the very beginning Musiri has brought our the essence of raga with the phrase ma ga sa. We understand the impact of famous varnam, which begins in the same fashion. Thanks very much.