Yamuna Kalyani (or its Hindustani counterpart Yaman Kalyan) does not need frills. A chameleon of a raga, it can swiftly transform from bhakti rasa to shringara, and in the next instant, go all solemn on you.
Precisely why it is a great favourite of film music composers from Illayaraja to A R Rahman to Naushad and S D Burman. It is also one of those ragas tailormade for medleys, especially since there exist so many compositions, which can easily, smoothly flow into each other.
One such medley I found on YouTube has a strange mellowness about it; a slow peace, a sense of contentment. Produced by MadRasana, a Carnatic music platform, it has Sriram and Ganesh Bala, in simple kurtas, standing in front of a brick wall, presenting the different facets of the raga through a clever merging of five popular compositions. Beginning with ‘Sri Ramachandra Kripalu’ and concluding with a ‘thillana’ by the inimitable Lalgudi Jayaraman, with ‘Krishna Nee Begane Baaro’ sparkling away in the middle, the 10-minute medley is celebratory and soothing at the same time.
The entire production is designed to look ‘unplugged’ though clearly, a lot of thought and work has gone behind its concept.
Play By Ear showcases a potential earworm for you, the discerning listener, who is on the hunt for some musical serendipity.
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