A superb rendition by Vid. N. J. Nandini and Vid. Vishnudev Namboodari has prompted this post:
Sakhi Prana - one of the MOST famous javalis in Carnatic music is composed by Dharmapuri Subbaraaya Aiyyar - a 19th century composer.
Listen to Sakhi Prana here:
N J Nandini is the grand daughter of Sri. Vechoor Harihara Sharma of Trivandrum. I know her to be a gutsy and good singer.
Vishnudev Namboodari is a very good singer and a student of P S Narayanaswamy. Both of them therefore belong to SSI school. But this type of collaboration is not only difficult but also singers often resort to gimmicks and electronics to hide the inadequacies of singing. This lady has done a fabulous job here. The bold moves in her voice are difficult indeed to pull off.
Meaning:
Pallavi:
sakhi prANA sakhuDiTu jEsenE
Oh friend! look what my soul mate has done
C1: idigO vaccedanani hitavugA mATalADi aladAni niDa cErenE
he sweetly told me that he would just come back and then took the other lady's shelter
2: nana vilutuni pOrulaku pilacitE vADu anarAni mATalADanE
he abused me when I invited him for the manmatha's games
3: munu nannu kalasi marmamulerigina dharmapuri vAsuDu maracenE
the dharmapuri vAsa, who was with me earlier and knows all my secrets, has forgotten me.
sakhi prANA sakhuDiTu jEsenE
Oh friend! look what my soul mate has done
C1: idigO vaccedanani hitavugA mATalADi aladAni niDa cErenE
he sweetly told me that he would just come back and then took the other lady's shelter
2: nana vilutuni pOrulaku pilacitE vADu anarAni mATalADanE
he abused me when I invited him for the manmatha's games
3: munu nannu kalasi marmamulerigina dharmapuri vAsuDu maracenE
the dharmapuri vAsa, who was with me earlier and knows all my secrets, has forgotten me.
Dharmapuri Subbarayar hailed from Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu, and composed in Telugu. He is the most notable composer of the Jaavali form, of which he is the universally acclaimed master. Most of the music he composed, therefore, dealt with sringaara rasa, or romantic and even erotic love, and all were of the jaavali form. Many of his compositions were composed in the home of Veena Dhanam, whose music he admired, and who learned around 60 javalis from him. It is said that he may have composed the poignant javali ``Sakhiprana'' at her home, grief-stricken at his inability to save her from bankruptcy.
The story goes that once Dharmapuri Subbarayar had to go away to his native place to settle certain personal things. He promised Dhanammal that he would be back soon. But it was more than six months before he returned. Meanwhile Dhanammal had to vacate her house because of debts. Subbarayar was saddened by this and in remorse he composed 'sakhi prANa'. In it he says that he had promised to return soon but had not kept his promise. This is the background of this javali.
Smara sundaranguni (paras) was also written out of respect for her. This close contact with Veena Dhanam as well as T. Balasaraswati influenced dance as much as music, especially abhinaya. Subbarayar was also employed by the Yenadi Sisters. T Shankaran, in one of his articles, writes that he kept a notebook at his bedside near the pillow to write down the javalis that came to mind, but his wife is said to have fervently prayed to the diety at Tiruchengodu that her children should not take after their father!
Javalis like Parulanna mata (Kapi), Sakhiprana (Jhunjooti), vaaNi pondu (kaanaDaa), , caarumati (kaanaDaa), Muttavadura Mohananga (saavEri), Ethanaichonalum (saavEri), ni Pondu Chalu (kaanaDaa), Narimani (Khamas), praana sakutitu (chenchurutti), Idi niku (bEgaDa) and Emandune muddu (Saindhavi) are among his compositions.
Sources: various, from the Internet.
