The seven main notes (or Swars) that are well-known today for the Raga scales in Indian classics of North and South India are: Sa (Shadaja), Re (Rishabh), Ga (Gandhara), Ma (Madhyama), Pa (Pancham), Dha (Dhaivat) and Ni (Nishad).
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10th February 2013 – 05:00 pm EST (11:00 pm CET) @ Radio FRO (A) (premiere: 16th February 2010 – 09:00 p.m. CET @ Tide Radio) broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast
Shadaja, Madhyama and Gandhar Gramas
The origin of the Ragas and it’s microtonal structure (22 shruti-s) can be dated back to the scripts of the ancient India and the Vedas (600-500 BC).
In the Natya Sastra, a musical treatise about the performing arts (theatres, dance and music) written by the Indian musicologist and sage Bharata Muni we find first references with two basic types of scales (grama-s) to which all Ragas of today can be referenced: Shadja Grama and Madhyama Grama.
Extended Helmholtz-Ellis Ji Pitch Notation *
The accomplishment of the Natya Sastra is dated approximately between 200 BC and 200 AC. By its fundamental treatise of performing Indian arts till nowadays it is called the 5th Vedic book (Veda in Sanskrit means ‘knowledge’). Bharata Muni referred herefore to the Ghandarvaveda, a treatise about music, dance and theatre as part of the Upaveda, the technical manual of the Samaveda. This collection of hymnes is the 2nd book of the Hindu scripts and part of the 1st 4 Vedic books. 75 of the melodies (samagana) in the Samaveda derivate from the Rigveda, same a collection of hymnes sung by the priests of Vedic religion for praising different deities. The Rigveda is dated aproximately between 1700-1100 BC.
Chitti Babu (October 13, 1936 – February 9, 1996) was a renowned classical musician from India, and arguably one of the greatest Veena artistes, in theCarnatic Music genre of South India, who became a legend in his own lifetime. His name was synonymous with the musical instrument Veena, and he was and still is known in the Carnatic Music world, simply as Veena Chitti Babu.
Chitti Babu Challapally (surname) was born on October 13, 1936, in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India, to music-loving parents, Ranga Rao Challapally and Sundaramma Challapally, who had initially named him Hanumanlu, when he was born. Chitti Babu was his nickname at home, which came to stay eventually, after his father formally changed it to be so. He was a child prodigy who started playing Veena at the age of 5. He had a providential beginning, when at that tender age, he corrected his father playing the Veena and the stunned father spontaneously decided to get him started on the Veena and nurture the child’s inherent prodigious talent. Chitti Babu gave his first performance at the age of 12. He had his earliest basic lessons from Shri. Pandravada Upmakaya and also Shri Eyyuni Appalacharyulu and later was a prime disciple of MahaMahopadhyaya Dr.Emani Sankara Sastry.
In 1948, they moved to Madras (now Chennai) primarily because they got the opportunity for Chitti Babu to act in a Telugu movie “Laila- Majnu” as a child artiste who played the role of little Majnu. The movie was produced by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna and starred herself and Akkineni Nageswara Rao in the lead roles, both of whom became thespians eventually. The movie was a hit and he had also starred a in a small role in another movie as well.
However, Chitti Babu even as a child of 12, was very focused and determined on becoming a performing classical musician, after the movie assignment. He was inspired by the original style of Veena maestro Emani Sankara Sastry and was under his tutelage, learning all the nuances and honing his skills.
Film artiste/composer/music director
Like any upcoming young artiste of that era, it was also a struggle and a difficult thing for him to get the first major breaks as a performing artiste and more so as a teenager. So, he had a significant stint as a key Veena artiste, in film music from 1948–1962, when he worked in the South Indian Film Industry as a recording artiste, playing Veena for numerous background scores in movie soundtracks under the batons of many eminent music directors of the time like Saluri Rajeswara Rao, Pendyala Nageswara Rao, and the duo of Viswanathan-Ramamoorthi among others. A key element in many of the super hit songs of that time period in Telugu and Tamil, was the Veena by Chitti Babu
After having established himself as a Carnatic musician, Chitti Babu still had opportunity to associate himself with filmdom for a while.
Some of his key works include:
– Playing the Veena soundtrack in Director CV Sridhar‘s classic Tamil movie called Kalai Kovil in 1964. The protagonist of this movie R. Muthuraman was a Veena artiste, and the entire background score for the Veena was played and recorded by Chitti Babu. This movie received wide critical acclaim for its music and storyline and performances by the artistes.
– Playing the kriti “Raghuvamsa Sudha” as the Title Soundtrack for the very famous Telugu classical hit movie called Sampoorna Ramayanam directed byBapu
– In 1979, he had also composed music for a Kannada movie called “Sri Raghavendra Mahime” that was also dubbed into Telugu.
However, the burning ambition inside him to continue to establish himself as an independent, freelancing solo concert artiste made him declare at a very young age – “Veena is my Mission in Life” and caused him to pursue a lifelong career as a performing artiste, a goal from which he never wavered for the rest of his life.
Playing Style or “Bani”
Veena de Saraswati (Berlin) (Photo credit: dalbera)
While continuing with the principles of his Guru’s pioneering school – the Emani “Bani” (tradition/style), Chitti Babu, created and evolved a distinctive style and identity, entirely his own. The exquisite tonal quality and versatility that have been his magical hallmarks of his style of playing the Veena, saw him produce sounds as varied as the majestic Vedic Hymns or as delicate as the Cuckoo’s voice or even play many western-music based compositions of his own. He was known to reproduce the songs and compositions in an almost vocal like tonal quality on his Veena, and was also known to evoke deeply emotional and appreciative responses from his audiences.
His music could impress the connoisseurs and invoke the interest and curiosity of the youngsters as well, that always ensured that his concerts were a big draw in terms of audience.
Awards Titles & Honors
Throughout his glittering career, he won many accolades regularly from almost all major cultural organizations in India and abroad. Many had also conferred numerous honorary titles on him (as is traditional to honor someone in India) and were presented to him by senior artistes, government officials, and other eminent people of his time, from all walks of life. Some of the more well-known ones are:
Sangeet Natak Akademi award for 1990 – awarded by the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi in New Delhi and presented by Shri R. Venkataraman– the then President of India
Kalaimamani – 1972 – Prestigious Award from Government of Tamil Nadu presented by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Shri Karunanidhi
Asthana Vidwan – Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams
State Artiste – Government of Tamil Nadu – 1981-1987, presented by Shri MG Ramachandran, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Telugu Velugu – Government of Andhra Pradesh by the then CM of AP in 1981
Tantri Vilas – Government of Madhya Pradesh
Spirit of Excellence Award in 1991-92 presented by the then Vice President of India Shri Shankar Dayal Sharma
Sangeetha Choodamani – Krishna Gana Sabha – 1990
Sangeetha Kala Nipuna – Mylapore Fine Arts Club – 1995
Chief among those was the title “Vainika Shikhamani” in 1967 presented by the then Maharajah of Mysore, Shri Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, who on hearing Chitti Babu, in an exclusive performance at his palace, was so impressed by his versatility that, he removed a golden chain that he was personally wearing around his neck at the time, and presented it to Chitti Babu in a spontaneous gesture of appreciation. The chain also happened to have a gem-studded, gold pendant. Chitti Babu cherished this because Wodeyar was known to have been a great connoisseur of arts and music, and was also known as “a musician among princes and a prince among musicians”.
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