I want to present new pallavis in different ragas and thalas: Charumathi Ramachandran

In a first, you have composed 108 special pallavis for 108 rare thalas. Tell us about it and your boundless interest in laya.
In 53 years of my career in music, apart from learning and singing the compositions of great vaggeyakaras and minor composers representing all Indian languages, I have always taken an interest in laya or rhythmic aspect of music like thalas, ragam thanam pallavis and different korvais (laya-oriented swaras for the finale of swara prasthara).

From 1970, I started composing my own pallavis. I studied Sanskrit , Tamil and Hindi. I have poetic skills and knowledge of ragas for composition. The response to my pallavis in rare ragas like Neethimathi, malavi and behag was overwhelming.

I always wanted to present different new pallavis in different ragas and thalas as I felt there was dearth of new sahityas for the same. Then, I developed pallavis for the 72 melakarta thalas, a rare and ancient thala scheme, where thalas had the names of 72 melakartha ragas. I presented keeravani thala, with pallavi composed in keeravani raga and it was a grand success. Soon I had kalyani ragam and kalyani thalam. A few months ago I was browsing the ancient system of 108 thalas, where rare thala components like guru and plutham were used. I have completed the mammoth task of composing 108 new pallavis for 108 thalas by the grace of God and with the blessings of my guru Mrs M. L. Vasanthakumari. I hope to publish them next year and it will be for the gen-next to take them up in concerts.