Basavaraju Apparao - Part 1 (Re: Andhra & 50 ...... - #2)
Sreenivas Paruchuri (sreeni@ktpsp1.uni-paderborn.de)
Wed, 19 Feb 1997 16:41:37 +0100 (MET)
[Polishing one of my old postings, in reply to Paalana gaari
latest posting on Basavaraju Apparao. Regards, --Sreenivas]
Sub: guttonkaay koorOy baavaa!
Keywords: basavaraaju, gooDavalli, lalita sangeetam, AIR
Probably its not an exaggeration to claim that all of you have heard
the song "guttonkaaya koorOy baavaa! kOri vanDinaanOy baavaa" in one
or other version (either it be the film version or as a folk song). But,
what do you know about the lyricist? Regular All India Radio listeners,
esp. the "lalita sangeetam" fans should have heard many of his songs,
repeatedly, sung by stalwarts like bandaa, sooryakumaari,
baalamuraLeekRshNa, R. baalasaraswati et. al.
He was one of those highly acclaimed "bhaava kavulu" from the early decades
of this century. Alas! very little attention was paid to this great poet
in his birth centenary year of 1994. But, thanks to a great film
personality; gooDavalli raamabrahmam, who extensively used his
"bhaava/lalita geetaalu" in his films and popularised him. Thanks also to
AIR for regularly playing his songs and keeping him alive in our memories
till today.
basavaraaju vEnkaTa appaaraavu, B.A, B.L (13.Dec.1894 - 19.June.1933) was
a contemporary of dEvulapalli, nanDoori, raayaprOlu & co, the
other well known "bhaava kavulu". IMHO its his simple language, which
made his songs very popular. The other poet, who wrote in comparatively
similar language, but more in "folk" style, was nanDoori. dEvulapalli
comparing the both said: "subbaaraavu paaTa nibhRta sundaram, appaaraavu
paaTa nisarga manOharam".
Coming to his songs, it was gooDavalli (1902-1946, maalapilla, raitubiDDa,
palnaaTi yuddham fame) who acquired the rights for BA's songs and
introduced them in his films starting with "maalapilla" (1938).
The song "kollaayi gaTTitEnEmi maagaandhi, maalaDai tirigitEnEmi? .......
chaka chaka naDistEnu jagati kampinchEnu .." sung by sooribAbu (the film
version as you see above is slightly modified from the original text)
echoed all over telugu speaking areas during freedom fight.
The (mega) hit song from the same film; "nallavaaDE gollapillavaaDE", sung
by kaanchanamaala and sundaramma, was also written by BA. Other BA's songs
in that film were: niSchala satyamutO jatagoorchina (kaanchanamaala),
aa mabbu ee mabbu aakaaSa madhyaana and chilipi chEshTalu jEya cheTTunaku
gaTTiraa(the later two were clubbed in to one, GVR & kaanchanamaala). One
name worth mentioning in this context is bheemavarapu narasimharaavu,
music director for "maalapilla", who revolutionaised the Telugu film music,
was the first to introduce "link music" between pallavi & anupallavi.
Perhaps, many of you may recall his last film, "ardhaangi (1955)".
In the later films, raamabrahmam used many of BA's songs:
raabOku raabOkuraa chandamaamaa, kOyilokasaarocchi koosipOyindi
(raitubiDDa-1939, The earlier song was released already before with
T. sooryakumaari and in film had undergone slight changes, to my knowledge),
[This kind of business was practiced quite a few times by recording companies
to escape the royalty payments to the producers. In the above case AVM
Chettiyar's Odeon/Columbia lable did that.]
kaavyapaanamu jEsi kaipekkinaanE (*,an ever-green song, one of my all time
favourites, young Saluri Rajeswararao and R. Balasaraswati singing),
dinadinamu paapaNNi deevinchi ponDi (lakshmeeraajyam), vaaDina puvvuna
kETiki maralanu parimaLa mosagedu dEvaa (illaalu-1940),
[*A small bit from `kaavya mallEnanchu gantulEsEvu' was also taken and added
to this song in the film*]
eemaavi painunDi eevu kookooyanchu, raavaalanTE trOvElEdaa dEvadEvuDau naa
naathunaku, paanakammulO puDaka nETikiTu paDavEsitivO dEvaa, padimandilOna
paaTa paaDumani balavantamu chEyaku naathaa, veeNa chEjaari paDipOvu
(padyam), haayilO mungi maayamai pOyinaavo (padyam) were used in apavAdu ('41)
and kooyakE kOyilaa kooyabOkE (pantulamma, 1943, slightly changed).
It also shows the respect, director/producer had had for the poet
while "verbatim" adopting the song, and at times creating a scene,
just to introduce the song.
--------To be continued-------------