From: cen466p@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au (S. Parthasarhathy)
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical
Subject: Query -- dEvi brOvA  samayammidE
Keywords: lyrics  story  dEvi brOvA
Date: 21 Dec 92 04:14:29 GMT
Reply-To: Mohan Krishnamoorthy <mohan@mel.dms.csiro.au>
Organization: Dept. of Chem. Engg., Monash University, Australia

Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.indian
Subject: Query -- dEvi brOvA samayammidE
Distribution: world
Organization: CSIRO, Div. of Maths & Stats, Melbourne, Vic., AUSTRALIA
Keywords: lyrics story devi brova


I am unable to read news from my account because our NewsServer is down.
So, I am logging in from a friends` account to send this.  Copy any
replies to mohan@mel.dms.csiro.au

This is basically yet another lyrics-wanted-type mail.  This is regarding
yet another kirtanai sung (mostly) by KVN in a very KVNesque way!  So,
yet another chance for Srini Pichumani to get all worked up about ;-)

This is a rather wonderful song called dEvi brOvA samayammidE in rAgA
chintAmani (set to Adi tAlA).  This song is a bit strange in the sense
that it has no anupallavi.  It has a very moving pallavi followed
straight by 3 charanams.

Story has it that ShyAmA ShAstri (who composed the song) 'forgot' to
compose the anu pallavi at the time.  Shyama Shastri composed this at a
time when a musician by the name of Keshavaiah, from Bobbili in Andhra
Pradesh was running amok, collecting laurels from all over the music
world.  Keshavaiah challenged musicians from all the well-known
samsthAnams to music duels.  He also won handsomely, thereby collecting,
as prizes for his victories, the tambUrAs of the defeated musicians!!
One day, he decided to`attack` the Tanjore samsthAnam, home of several
well known musicians, including ShyamA ShAstri.  The royal court of
Tanjore did not quite know who to put up to challenge Keshavaiah.  They
couldn`t ask ShyAmA ShAstri, for it is common knowledge that ShyAmA
spurned royal patronage all along.  Still, a day before Keshavaiah was
set to arrive in Tanjore, the palace vidwAns persuaded the great composer
to take part and protect the reputation of Tanjore as the hub of musical
actiity those days.  On the evening before the contest, he locked himself
up in the local dEvi temple and composed this kirtanai extempore.  So,
worried was he that he chose a very obscure rAgam for this composition.

I don't think any of the great composers have composed in this rAgam.
If I am wrong, I'd sure like to know.  In any case, this is a very rare
rAgam!  Here again, if anyone is aware of any other kirtanais in this
rAgam, I'd love to know.

ShyAmA ShAstri must have been in an extremely agitated state of mind
when he composed this extempore, for he forgot to compose the anu
pallavi!

Anyway, I have a tape of KVN in which he sings only 2 charanams of
this song.  Again, the lyrics aren't very clear.  Alright Srini, it
is perhaps the quality of the tape and/or my music system and not the
diction of KVN itself that is to blame ;-) :-I

If anyone has the lyrics of this song and any other historical anecdotes
relating to this song, that'd be great...

/Mohan

-------
Mohan Krishnamoorthy, CSIRO, Division of Maths and Stats,
Private Bag 10, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia.
Phone: (Off) +61 3 542 2263;  (Res): +61 3 543 4248
Fax:   +61 3 542 2474;        email: mohan@mel.dms.CSIRO.AU
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical