Song: Saavira Janumagalu
Composer: Ilaiyaraja
Lyrics: Unknown ( no info available)
Singers: S.P.Balasubramaniam, Janaki
Movie: Nyaya Gedditu
The song today is one of Ilaiyaraja’s rare Kannada songs. It’s also rare because it’s composed in a very rare raga called Mallika Vasantham. It’s one of the most haunting songs you will ever hear. It starts with melodious humming by SPB and goes into the main tune. The first interlude has a dilruba (violin-like instrument), santoor and strings in the background. This is followed by a magical flute piece, guitar and cascading strings. It goes back to the stringed instrument and ends with the flute again. The stanza as usual is as brilliant as any Raja tune. The second interlude has Mridangam solo, Veena and an extended flute piece (flute seems to sound amazing for this particular raga). This is followed by a short string and violin piece leading to the second stanza. The whole song’s percussion is only on the Mridangam and this is where Raja’s shows his arrangement skills as it allows the voices to be at the forefront. In my opinion, this is one of the best SPB-Janaki duets ever. Listen to this nectarine song below: