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Dharmagiti

Call Number : RR-013

Music Resource Code : MA-MAL-017

 

Dhaṛmagīti

ധർമമഗീതി

( Hymnal in Malayalam )

Compiled by

The staff and students of (Dharmaram College, Bangalore)

 

A Review by

Dr. Joseph J. Palackal CMI, (2017)

  • Printed at - K. C. M. Press, Ernakulam, (Commercial Movies & Christian Worship in Kerala: A Musical Intersection )
  • Year - 1963

 

This hymnal is a witness to a period (1950s to 1970s) in the history of Christian music in Malayalam, when composers of lyrics looked up to film tunes in Hindi, Malayalam, and to a lesser extent, Tamil, and wrote Christian lyrics to the meters and melodies of popular film songs. These songs reached Kerala through the government sponsored All India Radio.. The hymnal also shows the intersection of commercial movies and Christian worship at this time in Kerala, India. The hymnal was intended for private use at Dharmaram College,

Call Number : RR-013

Music Resource Code : MA-MAL-017

Dhaṛma gīti

ധർമ്മ ഗീതി

(Dharmageethi, Hymnals in Malayalam)

Compiled by

The Staff and Students
Dharmaram College, Bangalore

A Review by

Joseph J. Palackal CMI, (2017)

 
Dharmageethi
 
 
Image
Image
 
 
  • Printed at K. C. M. Press, Ernakulam, (Commercial Movies & Christian Worship in Kerala: A Musical Intersection)
  • Year- 1963
This hymnal is a witness to a period (1950s to 1970s) in the history of Christian music in Malayalam, when composers of lyrics looked up to film tunes in Hindi, Malayalam, and to a lesser extent, Tamil, and wrote Christian lyrics to the meters and melodies of popular film songs. These songs reached Kerala through the government sponsored All India Radio.. The hymnal also shows the intersection of commercial movies and Christian worship at this time in Kerala, India.


The hymnal was intended for private use at Dharmaram College, the Seminary of the religious congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate that the saintly Palackal Thoma Malpan (1780-1841; my collateral ancestor),PorukaraThomaMalpan (1799-1846), and Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara (1805-1871) founded in 1831 in Kerala. The title of the hymnal takes after the Sanskrit name of the seminary, Dharmārām, which literally means “garden of virtues.” In the 1960s, over two hundred seminarians lived and studied at one point in time at Dharmārām, The hymnal was in use until the 1970s.

There are 133 songs of which 130 are in Malayalam and the other three are Syriac chants printed in Malayalam script. The songs are grouped under 12 headings:

  1. Hymns in praise of Jesus: songs 1-38
  2. Hymns in praise of Blessed Virgin Mary: 39-65
  3. Christmas songs: 66-74
  4. To the Holy Spirit: 75-79
  5. To St. Joseph: 80-86
  6. St. Thomas the Apostle: 87-93
  7. St. Theresa of Avila: 94-100
  8. St. John of the Cross: 101-105
  9. St. Theresa of Lisieux: 106-110
  10. The patron saints of different residence buildings of the Seminary
  11. Songs for various occasions:
  • Syriac chants for the Benediction: 117-118
  • Litanies: 120-124 - Stations of the Cross 125
  • Hymns to the Holy Spirit: 126-128
  • Stations of the Cross 125
  • Hymns to the Holy Spirit: 126-128
  • The Lord’s Prayer: 129
  • Hail Mary: 130
  • Hymn to Mary: 131
  • Dedication to the Holy Spirit

12. Malayalam translation of the Latin chant Te Deum: 133

 

The tune is indicated in parenthesis below the title by the opening words of the film song to which the lyrics are written;in some cases, the name of the film in which the song appears is also mentioned. The number of stanzas and the number of verses in each stanza coincide with those of the film song. These songs were not part of the official liturgy of the Syro Malabar Church, they were sung during such paraliturgical services as the Holy Hour (adoration of the Blessed Sacrament), Benediction, prayer gatherings, litanies and novenas to saints.


The hymnal lacks an Introduction. Hence, we have no information on the thought process that went into its preparation and publication.What is conspicuous by its absence are the names of the lyricists. It is possible that a few of those hymns were written by the talented students at the seminary. Some of the hymns were popular among Catholics all over Kerala.
The preparation of the hymnal took place during the time when the Syro Malabar Church was engaged in translating the liturgy from Syriac to Malayalam. The inauguration of the Malayalam version took place on July 3, 1962, one year before the publication of this hymnal. The inclusion of the Syriac chants shows the continuity and comfort level of the worshippers with the Syriac language and chants. Two of the three Syriac chants (117 &118) are translations of the Latin chant Pange Lingua by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1244). The third one (65), šlām lēk (“shanti to you [Mary]”) is a chant in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The community used to end the night prayers with a hymn to the Blessed Virgin. This Syriac chant was sung on that occasion..


Interestingly, there is only one instance of using a melody from a Tamil film (38); Tamil is the language of the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. Yet, the Christians in Kerala were more tuned to the film songs in Hindi, the language of the distant north. One reason may be that All India Radio. stations in Kerala gave greater importance to Hindi songs than Tamil songs, and cinema theaters in Kerala screened comparatively more films in Hindi than Tamil .


This hymnal is a case in point for an uncanny musical interface of commercial movies and Christian worship in Kerala. The Catholics were quite comfortable in celebrating their faith by singing secular melodies with their visual connotations. The hymnal also portrays the poetic imagination of a particular period in the history of Christian lyricists in Kerala, and bears a testimony to the theological thinking and prayer vocabulary of the time. Finally, this hymnal documents the names of a number of popular songs and the names of films in which they appear, indicating cross cultural communication within the country.

Joseph J. Palackal
New York
1 November 2016

Songs added to Directory of Christian Songs (DCS)

# DCS Call Numbers Page Links
1. DCS-086 to 100
2. DCS-100 to 219  

 

Keywords : Dharmagiti, Dharmageethi, Dharmagithi,Dharmageeti, Dr. Joseph J. Palackal CMI, Dharmaram College Bangalore, Christian Music in Malayalam, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, CMI, Hymns in Praise of Jesus, Hymns in praise of Blessed Virgin Mary, Hymns to the Holy Spirit, Hymns to Saint Joseph, Hymns to St. Thomas the Apostle, Syriac Chants for Benediction, Stations of the way of the Cross

List of Releases
  1. Baalapaadam Children's Songs
  2. CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONAL SONG FROM MOVIE THOMMANTE MAKKAL
  3. Christian Devotional Song JEEVADAYAKAN by Fr. Joseph Palackal C.M.I. and Naidine
  4. Christian Devotional Songs L P Record
  5. Solemn High Mass in English
  6. Sree Ranjini Maria keerthanangal by Vidwan Sri George Panjara
  7. Abhishek - Christian Bhajans and Hymns (Hindi) By Fr. Joseph J. Palackal CMI and Fr. Anto Amarnad CMI
  8. Benediction Booklet
  9. Christ the Good Shepherd L P Record
  10. Christian Bhajans by Joseph J. Palackal CMI
  11. Christian Devotional Song from Malayalam movie ROMANS
  12. Christian Devotional Song From the Malayalam Movie Makane Ninakku Vendi
  13. Christian Devotional Song From the Malayalam Movie - Kattuvithachavan
  14. Christian Devotional Song From the Malayalam Movie Bharya
  15. CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONAL SONG ST. MARY'S BASILICA ERNAKULAM
  16. Christian Devotional Songs (Children Interest) L P Record
  17. Christian Devotional Songs By K. J. Jesudos - L P Record
  18. CHRISTIAN SONGS (Malayalam) By Jolly Abraham
  19. CHRISTIAN SONGS (Malayalam) By K.S. George
  20. Christian Songs Malayalam By P Jayachandran Vincent S Janaki
  21. Christian Songs Malayalam By P. Susheela / P. Jayachandran / K.P. UdayaBhanu
  22. Dharmagiti Hymnal Book
  23. Ganadhyapakan Music Teacher Book
  24. JEEVANDE NATHANE (Malayalam) By K.J. Yesudas / R.K. Shekar
  25. Karunamritham Bhajans by Sheila Kannath and Joseph Palackal
  26. Kristeeya Gaanangal Christian Songs 45 Rpm ep record
  27. Kristu Sahasra Namam Audio CD
  28. Life of Christ - L P Record
  29. Lokanaathan Uyritharathri ലോകനാഥൻ ഉയരിതരാത്രി
  30. MA O' MARIA - HYMN TO ANNAI VAILANKANNY By Fr. Joseph J. Palackal CMI
  31. Malayalam Christian Classics by Sri George Panjara
  32. Malayalam Christian songs - A. P. Komala
  33. Mar Yousepp Keerthanam - Thāpasāvaranāya Mār Yousepp
  34. Mathrusthawam - CMI Congregation Book
  35. Mattoru Smarakam Aavashyam illaatha - Nidheerikkal Mani Katthanaar
  36. Music For Life
  37. Nadopasana Christian Classical Music Concert by George Panjara
  38. NADOPASANA CHRISTMAS '86
  39. Nidantha Sneham Christian Classical Music by George Panjara
  40. Old Christian Malayalam Songs - പുരാതന ക്രിസ്‌തീയ മലയാള പാട്ടുകൾ
  41. Old is Gold - Old Christian Songs
  42. Oshana Christian Devotional Songs
  43. Padheyam - Maranavasara Gaanangal (Malayalam) By Nadopasana
  44. Qambel Maran Syriac Chants from South India
  45. Sandesh - Hindi Christian songs by Dr. Joseph J Palackal C.M.I.
  46. SARVESHA PUTHRAN - Old Christian Song by Fr. Abel and Antony master
  47. Sathyanayaka Christian Songs (Malayalam) By K. J. Yesudas
  48. SATHYARADHANA SAKHYAM
  49. SNEHAMALYAM CHRISTIAN SONGS from Tarangani Cassettes - K.J. Yesudas
  50. Solemn Qurbana in Syriac By Fr. George Nellikkatt
  51. Sreeyesukeerthanam- Christian Classical Music By George Panjara
  52. Theshbohtha - Solemn Syriac Qurbana by Fr. Varghese Mattathil

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