Application of Manodharma Sangeet (Imaginative Music)

By Prof. Kolitha BHANU DISSANAYAKE

A song generates a multiplicity of meanings at different levels when tonal motifs, singing and subtle meanings of the lyric are manifested. A lyric can become meaningless due to linguistic errors and lack of literary value. A composition of music should only be done in a highly creative and meaningful manner.

The voice has to enhance the meaning of the lyric and intensify the tension and release of the musical composition while the mind manipulates and controls the dilivery through a complex process of evaluating conceptual values and expressive criteria of the composition.

Such singing becomes a memorable experience to listeners as pure notes are organically generated in the process.

One of the prerequisites for a singer is that he or she should be knowledgeable of breathing life to the pure note and of its intrinsic tonal properties. When a vocalist renders his or her voice to a song with the comprehensive knowledge of intrinsic tonal values, what the listener recognisers as musical joy is actually the imaginative properties of a pure note sung perfectly. Listeners would experience the applied value of the pure notes.

Such songs become popular and linger in the minds of the listeners who would, sometimes, try to associate them with their life experiences. Thereby, they would experience their life through songs. In simple terms, the appreciation of music should be identified in this practical and imaginative context. It is against this context that Sujatha Attanayake's style of singing should be evaluated.

The only process through which successful singing can be generated is by the production of pure notes. Throughout her career in music, Sujatha Attanayake has sung songs with diverse note colours and tonal motifs with an unusual clarity. Her style of singing is challenging.

It is due to her versatility that creates spontaneous imaginative music (Manodharma). Each and every song, she sang, can be analysed on diverse signing embellishments.

The imaginative music motifs and tonal embellishments are manifested through her voice generating a true form of listening excitement.

There are thousands of such examples to highlight these intrinsic qualities of her singing. The following song which is not often played, will reaffirm a multidimensional nature of her singing and sheer attractiveness of her voice. The song woven around an age-old Tamil marriage custom is a poignant dialogue to Sinhala society.

Female: Kottakelinge thambala kannata dunna
Thirukkural kavi kata padam karala dunna
Mandala gama haradaYannata yanna
Kudirakara mama…//

Male: Kudiragale vadane ekath kaduva eiye
Dumkola hene vadakerumathi mata be aiye
Ehindai man hituva towmata yanda
Nikan idala ba kavadath jeevathvenna
Female: Poribadala sinidama kannata dunna
Ganapathi shiva deva kata kiyaladunna
Man dala gama harada yannata yanna

Kudirakara mama …//

Male: Bhumitel karatteka nagala thel vikunala
Kasipanam malu malu bandala mudalali vela
Mase agadi aragena thagi malla pirenna
Ennava ma podileli balala yanna

Lyric by Premakeerthi de Alwis
Music composition by Dr. Victor Ratnayake
Singing: Dr. Victor Ratnayake

Sujatha Attanayake
(Source; SLBC archives)

When Sujatha begins to sing, she captures the tonal embellishments of the song miraculously. This song alone is sufficient to affirm Sujatha Attanayake’s multiple application of her voice in North and South Indian traditions of music.

One can cite many such songs to illustrate the unique abilities that Sujatha is gifted with. Dr.Victor Ratnayake’s music composition and singing is extremely soothing and sensitive.

Songs of this nature that generate genuine emotions in the listener, can only have a positive effect on them, and such music can play a vital role in bringing about reconciliation in our society.

The recreation of tonal signals which are received from the ear and processed in the mind, through voice is a result of an extremely complex physical process. The notes restored in the mind are recreated by signals generated by the nervous system. The process is spearheaded by the mind. Hindustani theory of music explains that music perceptions are created in a musician or in vocalist through imaginative music (Manodharma Sangeet). ‘Imaginative’ music does not occur in each and every person, it could be called a gift of nature, an inborn talent.

Although one may be gifted with imaginative music, appropriate imaginative music does not emerge automatically.

To create apt imaginative music, one should possess extraordinary creativity backed by musical perceptions.

Sujatha Attanayake’s styles of singing linger in the mind as photographic memories. Such memories are created due to the musical excitement created by her imagination through voice that touches the deeper recesses of the listeners’ mind.

It is because of this peerless quality that Sujatha Attanayake is one of Sri Lanka's foremost singers. A singer who manifests ‘Imaginative’ music by the production of the pure note.