Indian Film Songs in kApi (Kāpi)

Posted by dhanyasy on Feb 6th, 2011 in Ragas in Film Songs, Selections from the Web | 6 comments

Kāpi (Sanskrit कापी, Tamil காபி) is a popular rāga in Carnatic music, the classical music of South India.

Kāpi is a janya rāgam with a meandering vakra scale. It is considered to be derived from the Kharaharapriya rāgam. Typically performed at slow and medium speeds, Kapi is capable of inducing moods of devotion, pathos and sadness in the listeners. Kāpi is different from the Hindustani raag and thaat Kafi.

Structure and Lakshana: Kāpi is an audava-vakra rāgam with an ascending pentatonic scale and a descending scale with seven notes, but not in a descending order. It uses two different nishāda swarās.

ārohaṇa : S R2 M1 P N3 S
avarohaṇa : S N2 D2 N2 P M1 G2 R2 S

The presence of two separate nishāda swarās (N2 and N3) lends a distinctive quality to Kāpi, along with the fact that it uses a set of vakra swarās (N2 D2 N2).

(Source: wikipedia)

Listen to compositions in Kāpi rendered by Dhanya Subramanian on this site:

Mee Valla Gunadosham – Tyagaraja
kArthikeyanai – Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri
Pazhani Ninra – Periyasaamy Thooran
kalaiyaatha kalviyum – Abhirami Andhaadhi Padhigam

Other Popular Compositions in Kāpi:
Jagadhoddhārana Adisidalu Yashoda – Purandaradasa
Kurai Ondrum Illai (in two charanam verses) – Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
Enna thavam seydanai Yashoda – Papanasam Sivan

Songs List
A short list of film songs that are predominantly in Kāpi (click on the images below to view the songs):

Senthamizh Theyn Mozhiyaal, Maalaiyitta Mangai (Tamil)

Senthamizh Theyn Mozhiyaal (Tamil)
Film: Maalaiyitta Mangai
Language: Tamil
Singer: T.R.Mahalingam
Music Director: Viswanathan-Ramamurthy
Year: 1958

Rajeeva Nayane Neeyurangu, Chandrakantham (Malayalam)

Rajeeva Nayane Neeyurangu (Malayalam)
Film: Chandrakantham
Language: Malayalam
Singer: Jayachandran
Music Director: M.S.Viswanathan
Year: 1974

Hey Padal Onru (Tamil)
Film: Priya
Language: Tamil
Singer: K.J.Yesudas, S.Janaki
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1978

Idhu Kuzhandhai Paadum Thalaatu, Oru Thalai Raagam (Tamil)

Idhu Kuzhandhai Paadum Thalaatu (Tamil)
Film: Oru Thalai Raagam
Language: Tamil
Singer: S.P.Balasubramanyam
Music Director: T.Rajendar
Year: 1980

Gokulathil Pasukkal Ellam, Krishna Ganam - Devotional (Tamil)

Gokulathil Pasukkal Ellam (Tamil)
Film: Krishna Ganam – Devotional
Language: Tamil
Singer: S.Janaki
Music Director: M.S.Viswanathan
Year: 1980

Aakasam Eynatitho (Telugu)
Film: Nireekshana
Language: Telugu
Singer: S.Janaki
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1981

Swarna Mukhile, Ithu Njangalude Katha (Malayalam)

Swarna Mukhile (Malayalam)
Film: Ithu Njangalude Katha
Language: Malayalam
Singer: S.Janaki
Music Director: Johnson
Year: 1982

Kanne Kalaimane (Tamil)
Film: Moonram Pirai
Language: Tamil
Singer: K.J.Yesudas
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1982

Thumbi Vaa (Malayalam)
Film: Olangal
Language: Malayalam
Singer: S.Janaki
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1982

Sangathil Paadatha kavithai, Auto Raja (Tamil)

Sangathil Paadatha kavithai (Tamil)
Film: Auto Raja
Language: Tamil
Singer: S.Janaki, I.Ilaiyaraja
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1982

Thanni Thotti (Tamil)
Film: Sindhu Bhairavi
Language: Tamil
Singer: K.J.Yesudas
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1985

Chinna China Roja Poove, Poovizhi Vaasalile (Tamil)

Chinna China Roja Poove (Tamil)
Film: Poovizhi Vaasalile
Language: Tamil
Singer: K.J.Yesudas
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1987

Neer Veezchi Thee Moottuthe, Kanne Kalaimane (Tamil)

Neer Veezchi Thee Moottuthe (Tamil)
Film: Kanne Kalaimane
Language: Tamil
Singer: S.Janaki
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1988

Kanneer Poovinte (Malayalam)
Film: Kireedam
Language: Malayalam
Singer: M.G.Sreekumar
Music Director: Johnson
Year: 1989

Chinna Thai Aval (Tamil)
Film: Thalapathi
Language: Tamil
Singer: S.Janaki
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 1991

Kadhal Rojave (Tamil)
Film: Roja
Language: Tamil (initial humming in Desh Raga)
Singer: S.P.Balasubramanyam
Music Director: A.R.Rahman
Year: 1992

Mounasaravoramake (Malayalam)
Film: Savidham
Language: Malayalam
Singer: K.S.Chitra
Music Director: Johnson
Year: 1992

Varamanjalaadiya, Pranayavarnangal (Malayalam)

Varamanjalaadiya (Malayalam)
Film: Pranayavarnangal
Language: Malayalam
Singer: K.S.Chitra
Music Director: Vidyasagar
Year: 1998

Aaro Viral Meeti, Pranayavarnangal (Malayalam)

Aaro Viral Meeti (Malayalam)
Film: Pranayavarnangal
Language: Malayalam
Singer: K.J.Yesudas, K.S.Chitra
Music Director: Vidyasagar
Year: 1998

Innale Ente Nenjile, Balettan (Malayalam)

Innale Ente Nenjile (Malayalam)
Film: Balettan
Language: Malayalam
Singer: K.J.Yesudas
Music Director: M.Jayachandran
Year: 2003

Aalankuyil Koovum Rayil, Parthiban Kanavu (Tamil)

Aalankuyil Koovum Rayil (Tamil)
Film: Parthiban Kanavu
Language: Tamil
Singer: Harini, Srikanth
Music Director: Vidyasagar
Year: 2003

Rhim Jhim Mazhaiye Mazhaiye, June R (Tamil)

Rhim Jhim Mazhaiye Mazhaiye (Tamil)
Film: June R
Language: Tamil
Singer: Sujatha
Music Director: Sharreth
Year: 2005

Rhim Jhim Mazhaiye Mazhaiye (Tamil)
Film: June R
Language: Tamil
Singer: Hariharan
Music Director: Sharreth
Year: 2005

Uruguthey Maruguthey (Tamil)
Film: Veyil
Language: Tamil
Singer: Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal
Music Director: G.V.Prakash Kumar
Year: 2006

Thumbi Vaa, Ilaiyaraja - Live (Instrumental)

Thumbi Vaa
Film: Ilaiyaraja – Live
Language: Instrumental
Singer: Hariharan, I.Ilaiyaraja
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 2006

Oduvil Oru, Thirakkatha (Malayalam)
Film: Thirakkatha
Language: Malayalam
Singer: K.S.Chitra
Music Director: Sharreth
Year: 2008

Gumm Summ Gumm, Paa (Hindi)
Film: Paa
Language: Hindi
Singer: Bhavatharini, Shravan et al.
Music Director: I.Ilaiyaraja
Year: 2009

Anuraga Vilochananayi, Neelathamara (Malayalam)

Anuraga Vilochananayi (Malayalam)
Film: Neelathamara
Language: Malayalam
Singer: Shreya Ghoshal, V Sreekumar
Music Director: Vidyasagar
Year: 2009

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Mithun Kamath

I was looking for this page for a long time… I am gonna download all these songs.
http://rajamanjari.blogspot.com/ Rajendra Kumar

Interesting list though some more songs like ‘Maalai soodum veLai’(Naan Mahaan Alla-1983), ‘Siriththaal Sirppen’(Maariyamman Thiruvizha-1977), ‘Sugamo Aayiram’(ThuNai iruppaL Meenakshi-1977) could have also been included. But please tell me how ‘Chinna ThaavaL’ can be classified under Kapi.As far as I know, it uses the swaras of Charukesi and the BGM uses vivadi swaras giving a flavour of Ragavardhini.

Thanks,
Raj
D Shanmughaprasad

aar0 viral meetti is in the raga of Hamsanatham
Subramanian

Karimizhi Kuruviye Kandilla – Meeshamadhavan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwK_96CJuU
enna thapam saithanai – Kriti – Thilakkam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLj7EDVDEFw
Shiburaj

Kanneer Poovinte is based on Anandha bhairavi not Kapi
Test

the song does not fit hamsanadam. the flute interlude to the song has S R2 M1 P and N3 notes. The song in the pallavi and anupallavi uses these notes along with D3 along with sparing use of M2 and G2.

It probably can be classified as being in the melakartha scale of varunapriya with M2 as an anya swara.
S R2 M1 P N3 S
S N3 D3 P M2 G2 R2 S