An Exercise in manOdharma- Creation of rAga : dorai

During the year 1982, Dr. M Balamurali Krishna (BMK) gave many performances in Bangalore and each concert had something unique to experience. One such concert was performed at gAyana samAja . Just before this concert, BMK gave a lecture demonstration in gAyana samAja on the occasion of its 14th music Conference on 5th November 1982. The epoch making event was an exercise in manO-dharma. This event was indeed an amazing demonstration of the art of forming a new rAga and a new tAla for a new song composed extempore on the spot from a scale (ArOhaNa & avarOhaNa) given to BMK from audience. Veena Maestro, Mysore Doraiswamy Iyengar, gave a scale with an ArOhaNa S-G3-P-M1-D2-S and avaRohaNA S-N2-D2-P-M1-G3-R2-S, derivative of Harikambhoji (28). BMK then started humming to himself the contours of the new rAga and there was a total silence in the hall and everyone was eagerly waiting for the outcome. After about 20 minutes or so, BMK started singing a newly composed song in Telugu. 'manaku vachhenu swatantrayamu', in the new rAga developed on the spot. As he sang we noticed that tAla was also new (Trimukhi Adi : 3-2-2-2-3-2-3-2). BMK named the new rAga as dorai in the honour of Sri. Doraiswamy Iyengar who gave the scale out of which a new raga was to be created. This new composition in the new rAga was sung by him during his live concert in the gAyana samAja itself on 7th Novemmber 1982 and again casting a mesmerising spell on the audience, who couldn't witness this exercise earlier. Noted music critic Sri B.V.K Shastry, commented " With Dorai as mAta (mother) and Timukhi as pitha (father) , BMK as sangeetha bramha breathed-in life for the composition 'manaku vachhenu swatantrayamu'.This composition in Telugu was also translated in to Kannada by Dr. Lakshmi Narayana Bhatta, which was also sung in tandem on 7th November 1982. Hope you will enjoy listening to these concerts and looking forward to your comments and reflections. The concerts are available in the folder #021 and #022 and can be downloaded from the link http://www.sangeethamshare.org/sreenivasa/Dr_M_Balamurali_Krishna/ Best Regards, Sreenivasa Murthy

1st January 2010