Apoorva Ragam

Mind-The Unravelled Mystery!

2011-12-27T18:30:00.002+05:30

Human Mind is a mystery.

It is indeed very difficult to unravel this mystery. How does the thinking process take place? What happens when we think?How and why do we get negative thoughts? If somebody is a criminal, is it because of his/her mind? If so, should we blame that person or should we blame the mind?

Our ancestors have thought a lot about this and that is why we are told to think of good things and channelise our thoughts.

But is there a link between our body language and the mind?

Bharata’s Natyashastra says,

Yatho Hasta Thatho Drishti
Yatho Drishti Thatho Mana:
Yatho Mana: Thatho Bhaavo
Yatho Bhaavo Thatho Rasa:

‘The eyes follow the hand
The mind follows the eyes
The expressions reflect the state of your mind that leads to the enjoyment of the same’.

This obviously means that the body and the mind are interdependent and therefore there is a direct link between the two.

If the body language is positive, our thinking is healthy.

If the mind is free from negative thoughts, we look positive and our face glows.
Kannadasan sang ‘Manam oru Kurangu’(Mind is a monkey).

As per the principle of Transcendental meditation, our mind is like a river and the thoughts are like ripples. In fact, Zen Buddhism also follows the same principle.

Saint Thyagaraja-who according to me was a great thinker- often spoke about the mind.

In his Malayamarutam kriti, ‘Manasa Etulo’, he asks ‘Oh mind! Why do you refuse to listen to me’?

In another Kriti in Abhogi, he says, ‘What is the use if we do not even know to control our mind?’(Manasu Nilpa Sakthi Lekhapothe).

He talks about how smart and crazy the mind is in ‘Manasa Mana Saamarthiyamemi’(Ragam-Vardhini) where he also quotes examples from Ramayana and talks about the minds of Kaikeyi-who was very fond of Rama until her friend sowed poisonous seeds in her mind- and Sugreeva-who was so selfish that he forgot the quid pro quo agreement with Rama after regaining Kishkinta.

In that blissful Sankarabharanam Kriti, ‘Manasu Swadheenamai’,he says ‘if one conquers the mind, does he need anything else in this world? Is it not the ultimate?’

His mind was so pure that he had the audacity to ask Rama to understand his mind,his innermost yearning.
The Kriti is ‘Manasuloni Marmamunu Telusuko’.

There is a very interesting fact about this Kriti.

As per history and authentic sources, Tyagaraja composed this in Hindolam.But some present day musicians choose to sing this composition in Varamu(Hindolam with the Chatusruti Dhaivatam) for reasons better known to them.

ILaiyaraaja, a great admirer and devotee of Saint Tyagaraja has used Tyagaraja Kritis in movies whenever possible.

Today’s rare gem is this kriti that was used in ‘Thanthu Vitten Ennai’(1991).

If Janaki’s voice infuses joy, the accompaniment of Tabla adds lustre to this composition.

The liberal sangatis strewn all over is unusual for a film song.

The pallavi and the anu pallavi have an evocative grandeur.
The short violin piece is like a pleasant drizzle.

The Charanam throbs with joy with smooth glides.

The Swara singing that lasts two-and- half minutes leaves us mesmerised.

It is subtle and powerful.
It is enticing and is peaceful.
It is a Rhapsody but is assiduous.
It disturbs us and it makes us calm.
It is magnificent and is simple.
It is immaculate…

…just like the human mind!

Made For Each Other..

2011-11-20T18:21:00.003+05:30

One of the most underrated talents in Tamizh Film Music is that of Deepan Chakravarthy.

As I have been mentioning time and again, I fail to understand as to how and why Raaja sir gave opportunities to some mediocre and below par voices while people like Soolamangalam Murali, Radhika, Krishna Chander, T.KS.KalaivaNan, Deepan Chakravarthy were not given their due despite being introduced by him.
(I can easily list out the mediocre voices now, but I would prefer to not do it now.. ).

But in a way, Deepan was fortunate that unlike Murali, Radhika , he was not ‘dumped’ after just one song.

To be born in an illustrious artistic family has its advantages and disadvantages.
The pluses are the environment, artistic discussions and getting an entry as a performer rather easily. But on the other side are the expectations from the public and the pressure to live up to the expectations. And even after one shines, the refrain would be ‘It is in his/her genes. So, what is great about it?’

Deepan Chakravarthy’s father was the legendary singer Trichy Loganathan, who has the rare distinction of being the first male playback singer in the history of Tamizh Cinema.Those days actors were singers and therefore, they would lip sync to their own voice in front of the camera. However, Trichy Loganathan lent his voice to some other actor thus creating history!

Known for his crystal clear voice and perfect diction, Loganathan gave many hits including the incomparable ‘Vaarai nee vaarai’.

One of his sons, T.L.Maharajan started singing in movies at a very early age. His ‘Thaazh thiravaai’ in ‘Thiruvarutchelvar’ was so majestic and classical that it became a huge hit. But after he grew up, the voice had changed and that feminine tinge in his voice had disappeared forever. Because of this or whatever reason, he did not get too many opportunities.

T.L.Tyagarajan, Loganathan’s second son focused more on devotional albums and live light music concerts though he did sing some songs in films too.

Deepan Chakravarthy is Trichy Loganathan’s son.

He recorded his first song with Janaki for the film ‘Enakkaga Kaathuru’on Apr14th 1980(Tamizh PuththaaNdu NaaL). Many people still think that ‘Poongathave..’ was his first song.

However, ‘Poongathave thaazh thiRavai..’ did open new doors for him and he started singing some songs for Raaja consistently at least for the next four years or so..No, I am not contradicting what I wrote in the first paragraph. What I meant there was that for the kind of talent Deepan has, he was surely not given enough opportunities.Except for a few songs during late ‘80s, I do not remember his having sung too many songs in late ‘80s .

Deepan’s voice is marked by sweetness, clarity, shruti unison and of course perfect diction.All these qualities he would have imbibed from his father but one can clearly make out that he has a unique style which is different from that of his father.

Sometime during 1983, he was roped in as a hero in a film called ‘Rani Theni’ a film that also saw the Shree alias Mahalakshmi (daughter of AVM Rajan-Pushpalataha ) make her debut. I do not want to discuss the quality of the film because the less said the better.

Today, let us take up a gem from the same movie, a movie in which singer Deepan sang for the actor Deepan.

The song is ‘Ramanukke Seetai..’

The song starts with a mesmerizing aalap of Janaki that has contours of Kalyani as well as the Hindustani raag Hamir.The elegant electric guitar and the beautiful bass guitar follow making it a very short, sweet, attractive prelude.

The Pallavi with the flute juxtaposed lingers tenderly.

The tempo and the colour change suddenly in the first interlude. The guitars and the trumpets exude radiance and take joyous flights.

The CharaNams have soothing passionate phrases. It is sensuous, erotic and lucid.The resonant and charming timbre of Deepan makes it more attractive..It is enlivened by the flute and the Bass Guitar.

The Flute continues its journey with its melodic charm in the second interlude. It is a subtext of tones as the guitars and the synthesiser vies with each other to allure the flute. The subtle and varied electric guitar vivifies the atmosphere.

The second extended charaNam is a surprise too with the male singing the notes of the Pallavi with different set of words.

Intensely beautiful!

Rama and Sita.
Krishna and Radha.
Raga and TaLa.
Raaja and Music.

Are these not made for each other?

Old and the Gold

2011-10-01T17:56:00.001+05:30

‘Old is gold’ is one of the oldest adages.

But sadly, our country is known for not respecting anything that is old. Most importantly, we also fail to recognise and appreciate genius stuff. Remember what happened to Bharati when he was alive!

We also do not utilise the ‘gold’ properly (no..I don’t mean the ornamental gold, the very mention of it send a chill down my spine).

One of the classic examples is the talent of Sivaji Ganesan. Many in the present generation identify Sivaji with the somewhat artificial modulated dialogue delivery. It is because of our film makers who with their contrived way of story telling, gave him stereotype roles with little scope of innovation. In spite of this, if Sivaji rose like a colossus, it was because of the huge talent he had.

Unlike what is popularly believed, Sivaji Ganesan’s forte was not just the dialogue delivery. Each and every muscle of his face would speak. In one of my earlier posts, I had mentioned as to how Rajaji-who hardly watched films- appreciated the expression of ‘Bharatan’(Sivaji) in the film ‘SampoorNa RamayaNam’. I had also mentioned about how Shri.Dhananjayan, the great Bharatanatyam exponent and Padma Bhushan awardee considered Sivaji Ganesan as one of his inspirations.

Today is the birthday of Sivaji Ganesan. This Blog has been carrying special posts every year (right from 2008) and a lot has been written about him and his talent in those posts. Therefore, let me directly get into the rare gem of the day.

It is ‘ILamaikkalam enge..’ from ‘Thaikku Oru Thaalaattu’(1986).

The song is very special.

ILaiyaraaja, a great fan of MSV found an opportunity to pay tribute to his idol in this song. He used the tune of ‘Unnai Ondu Ketpen’(Puthiya PaRavai).

As per the sequence in the film, Sivaji talks to Padmini about their younger days and the humming of this song appears in the film(If I am not wrong, the song is not part of the movie. It was either not picturised or it was removed). But I am still surprised that ILaiyaraaja chose to use this tune and not a tune from a Sivaji-Padmini combination. As many of you must be knowing, the original is a Suseela solo sung for Saroja Devi. Maybe the director(Balachandra Menon) wanted it. Or it is one of Raaja’s favourite songs.

Whatever be the reason, it is nice to hear a MSV tune with Raaja’s orchestration.

One more interesting detail is that TMS sang for Raaja after a gap of 6 years (and this song remains the last song rendered by TMS for Raaja till date).

The song starts with a humming of TMS. Pallavi follows in the voice of Suseela.
‘Pazhaiya Paadal pola Puthiya Paadal Illai’ says TMS.

Raaja’s intelligence is shown in the orchestration. As you all know, 1986 was the time when he would use close to 60 instruments for most of the songs. But he must have used just about 5 instruments for this song.In fact, the keyboard dominates the entire song.

I am sure, he must have done it so that the essence of the tune is not spoiled. One can in fact feel the respect Raaja has for MSV in the entire song.

The first interlude is graceful, mellifluous, gentle and beauteous.

Except for the sharp Tabla in the second interlude of course shows us the ILaiyaraaja we know, the second interlude more or less is subdued.

A great tribute to the Old and the Gold!

Language of Music..

2011-09-04T12:09:00.003+05:30

Last year, during the Music Conference in one of the most reputed Sabhas, a very senior Vidwan remarked ‘…….’ is the mother tongue of Carnatic Music. I refrain from mentioning the name of the language since I have a lot of regard and respect for that language ( it is not Tamizh anyway!).

I feel it was an atrocious and outrageous statement coming as it did from a very senior musician. This is chauvinism at its worst and deserves to be condemned. It also betrays the narrow mindedness of some classical musicians.

There is yet another category of classical musicians- Haters of Film music. Though likes and dislikes are personal and are subjective, what irks me is the fact that these people hardly listen to Film music but still pass on irreverent comments. Ostrich like, they dig their heads under the sand. This refusal to see reality is most disturbing.

This is not to say that all classical musicians are like this. Nor do I have anything against classical musicians. I have the highest regard for classical music and musicians but I also feel that a true musician should have an open mind and appreciate anything which is good irrespective of the form.

Did not Saint Tyagaraja sing ‘Endaro Mahanubhavulu..Andarikki Vandanamulu’?

There is one more group of classical musicians- vidwans/vidushis who claim to have done a ‘lot of research’ on film music and spread the raga based songs to the world. While their mission is commendable, I feel it would be nice if they do their home work well. For example, a musician who regularly undertakes ‘musical journeys’ on stage and who explains the ragas fairly well always talks only about the popular songs(read songs known to her) and conveniently leaves the songs despite their being good.

This too, according to me is not a good trend since one has to have a good repertoire before venturing on any project.

This musician writes a fortnightly column in a national newspaper too and in the 3 ragas covered so far, some of the major compositions of ILaiyaraaja have been left out. While it is next to impossible to include all compositions in a raga in a small column, it would have been nice if some effort was made to mention some rare classical compositions which would kindle the interest of the reader.

Take the raga Shanmukhapriya.

Though some wonderful compositions have been mentioned, I was also more than surprised to see some great compositions being left out. Ignorance? Or Negligence?

Classic examples- ‘Abhisheka Neratthil’(Azhage Unnai Aaradhikkiren), ‘Vengaya Saambarum’(Panneer PushpangaL).

The aforementioned were great hits during late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Of course, it is too much to expect a song like ‘Ponnu Paakka’(AvaL oru Pachchikuzhandai) to be mentioned when even popular songs were left out.

I shall take up yet another rare song now and if any of your friends’ friend happens to know the musician, please try and convey the message to that musician : ‘Please widen your horizon..’.

The Rare Gem of the day is ‘Podhum Podhum’ from ‘Oru Iravu Oru PaRavai’(1980).

The prelude itself is very interesting.

Synth in combination with the keyboard with the violins joining soon.Within the 12 second, the sketch of Shanmukhapriya is drawn.The elongated note leads to the flute which sings in the raga to the accompaniment of the single stringed folk instrument.
Towards the end, the flute sings the first line of the Pallavi itself.

Suseela in her inimitable style sings the Pallavi and with the wordings, it is clear that it is a ‘oodal’ song.The great SPB takes over and continues in pure Shanmukhapriya.

The powerful Bass Flute in the first interlude takes us through the lanes of Shanmukhapriya. The ‘Bird calls’ and the strings transport us to a ‘Beautiful New World’.

The CharaNams are designed meticulously and aesthetically with all the lines moving with vigour and vitality.

A surprise awaits us in the second and third interludes.It was the first time (and the only time) that he used same BGM for the second and third interludes.

But musically it is very interesting.

A single string of Guitar plays and repeats the same notes while the dexterous keyboard gushes on. The percussion jumps with joy. A joyful competition between the strings and flute follows.

Can such beautiful music have any language? Is music not a language by itself?

Let us shed our hypocrisy and closed mind and learn to appreciate anything beautiful!!

One who dispels myths and darkness..

2011-07-15T20:26:00.003+05:30

‘Can there be any separate place for Guru’(Guruvukku Yedhu Sthaanam?) asked the gentleman with a beaming smile and sparkling eyes.. I was left speechless.

This happened on the 23rd of Jan 2009 when I fell at his feet and asked for his blessing from a ‘Guru sthaanam’.After that, I left for a divine village.Throughout the bus journey, I was left pondering at that statement..How we take things for granted..What do we mean by ‘sthaanam’? Can a Guru be pushed to that ‘corner’ as per our convenience and worshipped?

Well..no points for guessing as to whom I am referring to..

This gentleman has taught me so much about music and life in the last 35 years without his being aware of that. Like a colossus, he rose and guided me through his music. Without him, would it have been possible for me to have deciphered the difference between Mohanam and Pahaadi? Or Tisram and Khandam? Or even known about Graha Bedam? Or known about Base lines?...Apart from appreciating his music, if I have gained some knowledge(though very miniscule) in music, don’t I owe it to him?

Given these facts, is it fair on my part to give some small ‘sthaanam’ to him?Is he not omnipresent with his music?

Today is Guru PoorNima.It is believed that Sage Vyaasa-who wrote the Magnum Opus Mahabharata- was born on this day and also organised the Vedas into different parts on the Guru PoorNima day (much later).Veda Vyaasa - as he is called- is also considered to be the first Guru. This day is celebrated(more in N.India) with great reverence and the people( mainly of Fine arts) offer their PraNaams to their respective Gurus.It is somewhat equivalent to Vijaya Dasami celebrated in the South.

On this day, I offer my humble PraNaams to my Guru through the only way I know.Writing and dedicating the post and the song to him.

Today’s song is ‘Anbu Enum’, a composition from ‘Shri Ragavendrar’(1984).

The opening of the song itself dispels the darkness(‘Guru’ means the one who drives away ignorance and darkness!).It is set in Vibhas, one of the morning ragas.The Sitar, the strings and the Jalatarangam show us the morning rays of the sun as the Pallavi in pure and simple Kaapi starts.

‘The Mantra called Love is enough for all of us to come together’.

The raga beautifully changes to Chakravaagam in the first interlude.
The CharaNam that continues in Charukesi talks succinctly about the Guru and his Grace.

‘He knows no anger.. He is serene..’

The second interlude is a kind of question and answer session between a Guru and his disciples. The luminous flute towards the end is graceful as the Guru and symbolically represents the Guru’s calm demeanor.

The last musical piece leads towards Senchurutti, a very beautiful raga.

‘Everyone is equal before him.He knows no partiality’.

Unconditional Love.. Unbridled Affection.. Ever flowing Grace..

Guru-Can we even attempt to put him in a Sthaanam?

Music of Words, Dance of Music

2011-06-24T14:32:00.002+05:30

What determines a great film song? Wordings or the tune? Meanings or the orchestral arrangement?

Well..this topic has been discussed and debated ad nauseam in the media and in many forums.But I am not sure if a proper answer has been found. As a matter of fact, it is next to impossible to find the answer because we are all guided by our perceptions, tastes and most importantly the way our ears have grown up over a period of time.

For example, a song like ‘KaalangaLil AvaL Vasantam’ or ‘Pon enben..’ still linger in our memory because the words, tune, rendering have gelled together so well(these are just 2 examples of the many immortal songs of the past).

During the earlier days, songs were tuned for the already written lyrics. Post-1970, this scenario changed and the wordings had to follow a metre set by the music composer(unlike what is popularly believed it is not ILaiyaraaja who introduced this concept though he was the first one to implement this fully!).But still, the final output-the songs- were great.

After 1976, all music directors invariably started following ‘words for tune’. But the difference between others and ILaiyaraaja was the orchestration, arrangement and the way instruments were used even as the lines were being rendered. But this does not mean that his tunes were in anyway inferior (in fact, I had discussed about this in detail in one of my earlier posts).Being very knowledgeable in Tamizh, Raaja always gave importance to the wordings.

And being a musically inclined person, Kannadasan had no difficulty in adapting to the new scenario(the same applies to Vaali).His creativity was as great as ever with words flowing like a non-stop stream as soon as the tune was played to him. His wonderful meaningful words added beauty to the music. As already mentioned in this community before, he gave as many as 16 different stanzas for ‘Ezhu SwarangaLukkuL’(Apoorva RaagangaL) and MSV sir and the director Balachander were in a quandary as to which one to use and which one to leave.

On his Birthday, I salute this greatest poet tamizh cinema has ever seen(and will ever see).He continues to live in his songs..

Much has been written in this blog(on the special birthday posts in 2009 and 2010)about the special relationship ILaiyaraaja and Kannadasan shared. And that is why, he respects Kannadasan a lot and even today given an opportunity, he praises Kannadasan to the sky (and not without reason).Starting with ‘Kannodu Kannu’(Paalootti VaLartha KiLi-1976), the Raaja-Kannadasan combination has given some marvels until ‘Poongaatru Puthithaananthu’ and ‘Kanne Kalaimaane’.

On this special day, we are going to see one of the gems which also has a very interesting story.As mentioned in the fifth paragraph, the names ‘orchestration’ and ‘arrangement’ acquired new dimensions after the entry of Raaja.At the same time, his detractors kept insisting that his music was drowning the lyrics and that he did not pay proper attention to the words.

Not sure if Raaja took this to heart and if wanted to prove a point. But one day during a composing session, something struck him suddenly.Maybe it had to do with the request of the Director I.V.Sasi-who would often quote a old hindi tune and ask for a tune similar to that.Raaja, who always loves challenges and who is also known for his rebel streak immediately decided to do something different.

The session was for a movie called ‘Pagalil Oru Iravu’and the year was 1979.I.V.Sasi explained the situation. The character(played by Seema) dreams of her marriage with the Hero Vijayakumar.The joy, ecstasy, happiness have to be shown in this sequence. As usual, he hummed a old hindi tune(I think a song from the film ‘Junoon’) and asked for a tune similar to that.Raaja took the harmonium, hummed a tune, wrote the notes and went straightaway for recording. And yes..before that Kannadasan was called and the lyrics were written in a jiffy(writing was a child’s play for Kaviyarasar).

Raaja now told him that he was planning to record the song without any melodic instruments and that the lead singer and the chorus would either hum or say dance jatis during the prelude, and the interludes.The baffled Director was all at sea. Already, it was not the tune he had asked for..Added to that was the absence of the instruments.But still he gave Raaja the green signal since he had a lot of confidence in his abilities.

The prelude: Just the humming from a set of lady chorus voices. The next set joins.Very subtle sound of the bells in the background and the voices climb up reaching a crescendo. Mohanam is in full flow in a matter of seconds. The first set of lady chorus again but this time the male chorus accompanies them in lower octave. New addition-Bass Guitar (conceived, and composed by Raaja without any trace of doubt!). A short question and answer session between the female and the male chorus is followed by the tisram ‘Dheemta’ 12 times.It is rounded off with the graceful humming that sounds similar to the beginning but a close listening shows the subtle change that leads to the Pallavi.

Now substitute these 7 variations with instruments like violin, veena, flute, guitar.Will the sound be different or will it be the same?

Pallavi:The poet uses the jatis beautifully and says, ‘My heart that dances ‘tam ta’ ‘dheem ta’ sings an epic.Tala is ‘dheem ta dheem ta’ Mela is ‘dheem ta dheem ta’and the Ragam is Mohanam. The entire sequence depicted in a matter of 3 lines!

1st Interlude: ‘Dheem ta’ ‘Ta dhi na’ ‘Ta ri ki ta tham’’Ta ri ki ta ta ka’.Dance syllables wonderfully sketched and painted with the colours called Laya and Raga.Marriage between Mohanam and Tisram!

1st CharaNam:’Time has come to realise and cherish my dreams.Love God has brought a lot of poems.Physically I have changed; mentally I have changed.The new river breaks the sluice gates and dances’.
Look at the brilliant use of words by the poet and the beautiful use of the raga by the composer with the subtle changes in the octaves until they reach the uppermost in the last line.The ‘janta swaras’ make the already beautiful Mohanam a Beauty Queen!

2nd Interlude:Three sections. First one only the jatis.Second one –a set very innovative and novel syllables.Third one- Just the sangatis in ‘akaaram’.

Laya Natana Raga Raaja!

2nd CharaNam:’’Beautiful new relation’ says the God today. The boon of youth-shyness- I feel it today. Fruit has ripened. My heart has blossomed. My happiness knows no bounds.But is this the end?Are there not many more things to follow?’

The last line is the clincher- Music, Dance and friendly spats..

Meaning and realities of life in just one line.

Spontaneity, creativity, intelligence and most importantly the propensity to do something new and different- Are these not the features that distinguish geniuses from mere mortals?

And that is why the songs of Kannadasan and the music of ILaiyaraaja exist and will continue to exist forever!

(Tailpiece: The awe stuck I.V.Sasi praised Raaja non-stop after the recording of the song and cursed himself for asking such a genius to imitate some other used tune.He went on to say that he would show many images of Seema while picturising the song to which Raaja replied that his duty was over and picturising was not his cup of tea.After watching the visuals about 30 years after the release of the movie, I felt that if only Raaja had interfered in the ‘visualisation’….one of the greatest compositions wouldn’t have been murdered so garishly and grotesquely!)

Let New Flowers Bloom..

2011-06-03T17:00:00.004+05:30

Recently I was on a short vacation to a Hill station.What attracted me-more than the mountains, breathtaking views and the weather- the most were the flowers in different colours in the garden close to the place we stayed, and in two Botanical Gardens.

Strobilanthus,Orchids,Cyanotis,Rhododendran,Justicia Simplex,Dahliya,Rose..

How beautiful are the flowers..How Fresh they look..Don't they teach a lesson or two to us-the morose human beings..

Today is the Birthday of the greatest living film music composer and what better way to celebrate than taking up a beautiful gem of his that literally breathes freshness?

It is ‘Madhu MalaragaLe’ from ‘Magane Magane’(1982).

It is a beautiful amalgam of sorts as we hear a folksy tune with western interludes in a carnatic ragam.

We feel the breezy air as the folk string instrument and the Bass Guitar welcome us.The breezy air now becomes effervescent as the Flute joins. The single violin followed by a group of violins give a gentle and feathery touch to the entire atmosphere.

The pallavi-that gives shades of Kalyani- is full of suspense.

First, the female voice and the male voice sing only the first part of their lines.
‘Madhu MalargaLe’-Female
‘Pudhu Rasanaiyil’-Male

Both give a tonge-in-cheek ‘la la la la’.
The string that is juxtaposed between the lines add to the suspense.

Then, we get the answer.

At the same time, there is one more suspense-the Tala pattern.

The lines are rendered in 4 beats while the percussion is played very differently.Is it 7?or is it 5?We are confused just for a moment.

But finally, it turns out to be a 8-beat cycle with a division of 3, 2 and 3 with the last 3 being played in faster pace(mel kaalam).
So, it is 1 2 3 1 2 (1 2 3 4 5 6)-the last one in the brackets being 1 2 3 in faster pace.

The third and the fourth line are again short and are soaked in melody.

The first part of the first interlude is in western style with the violins playing within a well defined grid.The Bass guitar and the lead guitar that appear now and then rather subtly add to the beauty.

Suddenly, the gait changes and the flute moves rather fleetingly.The reverberating percussion beats-that now follow the normal division of 4/4- are appealing and revealing.

The CharaNam is different with the first 2 lines repeated and the last line being very short.But it succeeds in giving a sparkling melody with sustained vibrancy.

The entire Pallavi being repeated before the second interlude is another innovation by the Maestro!

In the second interlude, the guitar and the vibrant bass guitar followed by the needle sharp flute give a very sublime feeling. The vivifying strings give a feathery touch.

The mesmerizing tone of Janaki and the rather rustic tone of Malaysia Vasudevan lend impetus to the marvel.

Let new flowers bloom ..
Let the taste for good music and aesthetics grow ..

A Special Place In Our Hearts..

2011-04-10T16:46:00.004+05:30

The spherical shaped white object was up in the air. Exuding a unique calmness, the pair of eyes followed the object with the timbre held high. The object finally reached its destination-the boundary line- without pitching anywhere in between. And that is it..History was re- written. India wins the Cricket World Cup after 28 years.

Though one can go on and on in their own style describing the victory and how it was made possible, to me, that last shot played with a calm demeanour with determination written all over typifies India’s campaign.

Calmness blended equally with Aggression.

Marriage between instinct and intelligence.

Right combination of leadership and management.

Comparisons are odious. People who do not realise-or pretend that they don’t- compare this victory with that of 1983 and some ‘old timers’ (read as cynics) have gone to the extent of saying ‘whatever it is, there is nothing to beat ‘that victory’ against the ‘Goliaths of Cricket’. Unfortunately, these great souls miss the wood for the trees.

I still remember that Saturday, the 25th day of June when we all rushed to a family friend’s house to watch the finals , only to see our Team being bundled out for a mere 183(1983 and 183-did anybody notice the coincidence?) in the 55th over(it was a 60 over contest those days!).We all reconciled to the fact that after all India was losing to the ‘superpower of cricket’ and India entering the finals itself was a great honour.

When the W.Indies began their run chase, the great Greenidge was bowled by Balwinder Sandhu and we thought ‘Ok..some consolation.Defeat not by 10 wkts-as some of us had predicted’. Enter the Master Blaster with a face full of nonchalance which bordered on arrogance. Chewing the Chiclet, he was sending the red cherry to all corners.Though I was a big fan of his, we decided to leave.

Almost one and half hours had passed by the time we reached our home. Something inside me kept saying that something dramatic was happening.As we neared our home, I heard people saying in Hindi ‘Bas..iska wicket lena hai..India jeet lega’.I rushed to the radio and switched on the BBC and what did I hear?The Windies tottering at 117/7 with Jeff Dujon-the last recognised batsman at the crease.

Within a few minutes, he was bowled by the player with indomitable spirit whose name was Mohinder Amarnath . The battery of pace bowlers who would send shivers down the spine of all the batsmen were now struggling to face the military medium pace of Amarnath and Binny.Finally, the inevitable happened.Holding leg before to Amarnath!It was all over..India, the underdogs who were least expected to win even two matches in the tournament when it kicked off on the 9th of June were crowned the champions.

The idea behind writing all this is not to make any comparison but just to relive the moments so that the present generation gets to know how it would have felt to the millions of Indians 28 years ago.

That victory was unique. The Captain led from the front scripting a victory from the jaws of defeat against a minnow nation Zimbabwe in the Group stages and running some 30 meters to catch the ball hit by the irrepressible Richards. At the same time, it was a Team effort with a bunch of youngsters and all-rounders chipping in with useful contributions and performing when it mattered the most.

But let us also not forget that the 2011 victory is unique too. The Team had to play with the Sword of Damocles hanging above its head. They started as favourites-unlike the 1983 team- and it is not easy to keep the momentum going with the millions of ‘fans’(who would very easily turn foes the moment India starts losing) following them and the statistics and records stacked against them(no home team had won the World cup playing in its own soil in the previous 9 editions). The team had to get past the big teams in the knock out stages with its’ famed’ bowling attack and above average fielding skills.

Therefore, let us avoid comparisons and enjoy the moment giving full credit to both ‘Kapil’s Devils’ and ‘Mahe’s Men'.

It is a week now but the entire Nation is still celebrating.
India is now the World Champions.But this does not mean that we will be the champions forever.It does not mean that we will continue to win all matches henceforth .Let us accept this fact and celebrate.

On this great occasion, let me dedicate a rare gem to the Indian team.This song typifies the Indian Team and is apt for the occasion.

It is ‘KaalangaL MazhaikkalangaL’(Idhayaththil oru idam-1980).

Most of the Maestro’s songs never fail to give us goose bumps. But there are some songs that give us goose bumps throughout.’KaalangaL..’ surely falls under this category.

The opening itself is soaked in melody.

The rich stringed instrument-ubiquitous in his early years compositions- set the tone. The satin smooth flute jumps with joy and the guitar bows its head in appreciation.

Mohanam in full flow-reminding us of the opening partnership between Sachin and Sehwag.
Musically vibrant!

The Pallavi in the sweet voice of Janaki and the majestic voice of Malaysia Vasudevan is salubrious and evokes memories of the cover drive of Sachin.The last line –‘KalaimaangaL PookkaL’- where the alien note is mixed is like the Upar Cut of Sehwag.

The String continues its journey with the Bass guitar when the flute nonchalantly plays a note.This sets a stream of melody gushing from the sluice gates.It flows like a Yuvi ondrive.The serene guitar enters the fray now like Dhoni and it has a calming effect.

The first CharaNam glissades with the flute dancing in between the lines.Aural treat just like how a Raina innings is a visual treat.

The meticulously arranged violins in the second interlude reminds us of Gambhir while the dexterous flute played with vigour symbolises Kohli’s determination.

The intense first part in the second CharaNam is like a Zaheer’s Yorker while the fluid second part is like the carom ball of Ashwin.

The wonderful lyrics of the greatest poet of Tamizh Cinema-Kannadasan and the translucent music of the greatest composer of Indian Cinema music make it a perfect blend of poetry and music.. just like Team India..

No doubt they have a special place in our hearts!

Where are you now..

2011-03-04T22:17:00.004+05:30

I heard a real life story recently in a Lec-Dem at the Music Academy.

It might sound strange but it is true.

This happened long back-say 80 years ago- when stage plays drew a lot of audience. Those days, music dominated the plays and it was mandatory for a drama artiste to have singing ability.People would throng the Halls just to listen to the artistes and they hardly cared if there was any ‘acting’ at all (even story for that matter!).

It seems one day the Hero went on and on in Kamboji ragam and the audience was spell bound. After the scene was over, the Hero rushed to the Green room where his friend was sitting and asked him ‘Pacha.. Please do me a favour. Tell me what ragam I sang now’.

The ‘friend’ was Shri.T.S.Parthasarathy, erstwhile Secretary of the Madras Music Academy and the Hero was Shri.S.G.Kittapa, known for his golden voice(many people now know his wife better. She was none other than Smt.K.B.SundarambaL).

This incident throws up a lot of questions-prominent one being ‘How can somebody sing a pure classical raga with gusto and aplomb without knowing the name of the ragam?’

Now, read the second line of this post again-It might sound strange but it is true.

I have seen many people with ‘KeLvi Gnanam’ render very tough sangatis with consummate ease but if one asks them the swaras of the sangati or the ‘eduppu’ or for that matter any technical question, blank expression will be the reply.

How many of you have seen/heard pure folk songs sung by the people in the village?
To trained ears, it might sound Ananda Bhairavi(with or without the Kakali Nishadam), Sri Ragam(without the ‘pa dha ni pa’ usage), or Nadanamkriya or Neelambari.But try and say these names to the villagers and see what happens..They would only look at us with innocence.

Which brings us to a very basic question. Is it necessary for a singer to know the intricacies of music?

It is of course a debatable issue and my objective is not to get into any debate now.

All I can say is that while a classical music singer must know the intricacies of music, it is not necessary for a cine music singer to get into too much of details.

This does not mean that the cine music or light music singers need not have knowledge. It certainly helps if the singer is knowledgeable and one can give a lot of examples.At the same time, there have also been singers who were not classically trained but still were able to make a big mark in Tamizh Film Music.
One of the classic examples is Malaysia Vasudevan.

It is a fact that he had little knowledge in classical music. It is also a fact that he was not endowed with a great voice. But what he had were determination, and dedication. These qualities more than made up for what he lacked and took him to great heights.

Though his mother tongue was Malayalam, he was more inclined towards Tamizh language and Tamizh films. With an eye on acting, he came to Madras from Malaysia during the late ‘60s and also acted in a movie called ‘Raththa Pei’.But destiny took him to singing.

Many think that his singing career in movies started only after 1976.But he had sung some songs before that (including the popular ‘Indhiya naadu en naadu’ in ‘Bharata Vilas’).

However, the fact remains that it was only after that great year 1976 that people started recognizing him. It was ILaiyaraaja who recognized the immense talent and the potential of Vasudevan. He made him sing in his third movie BadraKaaLi. He also made him sing in movies like ‘URavadum Nenjam’ and ‘ThuNai IruppaL Meenakshi’.But the biggest breakthrough came about in ’16 Vayathinile’ and there was no looking back after that(how and why he sang in this movie was discussed long back in this community!).

‘Kizhakke Pogum Rail’ revealed a new dimension of Malaysia Vasudevan. For the first time, he rendered songs based purely on carnatic ragas(though the ‘Harichandran Drama song’ in ‘ThuNai IruppaL Meenakshi’ was also in based on carnatic ragas, it did not have the‘sangatis’).The two songs-‘MalargaLe NaadaswarangaL’(Hamsadhwani) and ‘Kovil MaNi Osai’(Suddha Saveri) proved that he was adept in this genre too.

But my personal favourite in this genre is ‘MalargaLile Aardhanai’(Karumbu Vil) which is purely based on Keeravani.

He has also sung in Hindolam(Aananda Thaen Katru-MaNipur Maamiyar), Lalita(Madana Moha Roopa Sundari-Indru Poi NaaLai Vaa)- both in C.S.Jayaraman’s style.

His Laya grasp came to fore in ‘Endrendrum Aanandame’(Kadal meengaL).

And how can one forget his ‘Aasai KiLiye’(Thambikku Endha Ooru) in Aarabhi and ‘Vaazhvinil un ninaival’(Pattanam Pogalam Vaa) in Charukesi?

The year 1981 saw one more dimension-ability to sing very softly.

It was a like a pleasant summer breeze.

In fact, I can go on and on discussing the various genres (many have already been discussed/will continue to be discussed in this Blog)..

But who else except Raaja sir could have even imagined giving such wonderful songs to him.

“I studied in one music school.. and all I know is only this school as far as music is concerned. The school is called as ‘ILaiyaraaja music school’ “.
This remark of Yugendran on TV a couple of years back puts in a nutshell the respect, awe and love the singer and his family has for the Maestro and his music.

Malaysia Vasudevan was a jolly good fellow who believed in enjoying life to its brim and that is why, he was able to bring out the emotions so well..

Today, let us see a very rare song of his which is a ‘jolly song’ with a folk flavour.

It is ‘Ye en aasai vaazhai kurutthe..’ from ‘Aayiram Vaasal Idayam’(1979).

The prelude is resonant with the chorus voices wooing us. The invigorating percussion in typical folk instruments is enticing and makes us sway and vibrate to the beats.

The Pallavi has an effervescent air with Malaysia Vasudevan joined by the two female singers(Shailaja and Sasirekha).

We see the sustained vibrancy in the first interlude. The folk string instruments and the accordion move with palpable joy while the vocals with the subtle bass guitar vivify the atmosphere.

The lines in the two CharaNams are meaty, colourful, tender and gorgeous.

In the second interlude, the meticulously arranged chorus voices and the pithy flute make it a lilting experience.

What is very special about this song is the pleasant feeling and it is immaculately captured by Malaysia Vasudevan.

We need not ask him ‘Nee ippo enge irukke..’(where are you..) Don’t we all know that he is present in all his songs?

Oh..Love..We worship you!

2011-02-14T20:59:00.003+05:30

Episode No.1:

The young Music Director who took the Tamizh Film world by storm was in the recording studio when he was told that the veteran Film Director wanted to see him to book for his next project.He was astonished.

The astonishment was because the Film Director had until then worked with a very senior music director for many movies.

Episode No.2:

The same Music Director-after having worked with the Film Maker for one movie that was a smash hit- gets a call from the Film maker .This time the Film maker wants a song( that the music director had composed and recorded for some other Director) to be given to him.

Episode No.3:

The Film maker-Music Director combo has worked very well for two movies(both silver jubilee hits in 3 languages!).The Film maker wants to book him for third movie but the Music Director now politely refuses.

No prizes for guessing the Music Director.

But if you are wondering who the Film maker was, let me tell you that it was none other than the great Sridhar!

The song he wanted(episode 2) was ‘ManjaL Nilavukku Indru Ore Sugam’ from the movie ‘Mudhal iravu’-the speciality being the train background throughout the song. Of course , he could not get that song since it was already given to somebody else.

After the polite refusal(episode no.3), the pair went on to work for many more movies and almost all the songs are great.

Coming to think of it, I have discussed 4 songs from this combo(a ‘privilege’ not enjoyed by any other film maker!)in my other blog Ragaranjani(rajamanjari.blogspot.com)

Sridhar ‘s first film was ‘KalyaNa Parisu’ in late ‘50s.

What was unique was the way he conceived the shots. His different camera angles won him accolades.

Never averse to new techniques, this gentleman also introduced new faces.Some of his introductions include Muthuraman, Jayalalitha, VenniRa Aadai Nirmala, Vennira Aadai Moorthy-just to name a few.

His themes were bold and though they bordered on ‘sentiments’(one of the many banes of tamizh cinema!), his presentation and the treatment were different.

His ‘Nenjil Oru Aalayam’ was shot in a single set. The movie also had a O’Henry type ending.

His ‘Kaadalikka Neramillai’ is still considered to be one of the best comedies ever made in tamizh cinema.

His ‘Sivantha ManN’ was the first ever tamizh movie to be shot in foreign locations.

There are many things one could write about this legend but three things need special mention.

One- his sense of aesthetics.
Two- his taste for music.
Three-His Love for 'Love'

In short, he was a Romantic who enjoyed life to the brim.

Therefore, I have decided to dedicate this Feb14th post to this great legend.

As already mentioned,he had a very good ear and music in his movies would always be great.

It is not surprising that he was a great fan of the Maestro's and the association that started with ‘ILamai OonjalaadugiRathu’(1978) lasted till his last movie ‘Thanthu Vitten Ennai’(1992).

The song that I present today epitomises and symbolises the gentleman himself.

It is ‘Azhage Unnai Aaradanai SeigiRen’(from ‘Azhage Unnai AaradikkiRen’-1979).

The song lasts just a little above 2 min.Is it not a fact that all beautiful things lasts only a little while?

It starts with the Bell sound followed by the beautiful guitar.

The melodious voice of Jayachandran takes over and we are transported to a different world.

The interlude has the western flute and whistle(!).

It is simple and at the same time dexterous.

It is piercingly sharp and at the same time velvety.

It is mesmerising and intoxicating.

It radiates soothing light!

Beauty at its best..
Beauty that is to be appreciated and worshipped.

And this what the late Sridhar was doing throughout his life.
And this is what the emperor of music has been doing in the last 35 years..

Oh..Beautiful Music..we worship you!!
Oh..Beautiful Love.. we worship you!!

Flowery Moon..

2011-01-10T18:46:00.002+05:30

One of the many misconceptions about Raaja is that he is averse to encouraging new talents. People who have been following him religiously know there is not an iota of truth in this too.

He introduced a lot of new singers like Deepan Chakravarthy, T.K.S.KalaivaaNan, Krishnachandran, Unni Menon, Jency, Sujata, Chitra..(this list is a huge one..).

His spotting and encouraging new talents did not stop just with singers. He has (and continues to) encourage young and new Directors. But what should be of particular interest is his introducing new lyricists.

There are many and I do not want to list them here. M.G.Vallabhan was one of them.

M.G.Vallabhan started his career as a journalist going on to become the Editor of a Film Magazine when the opportunity came knocking. Selvaraj, a very close of friend of Raaja and who until then was only writing stories for movies (AnnakkiLi was his story) decided to wield the megaphone. He introduced Vallabhan to Raaja.

Soon, they were together in the composing room when Raaja sang a tune in pure Madhyamavati-the tune that was earlier decided for 16 Vayathinile- and Vallabhan started writing ‘Solaikuyile.. Kaalaikathire’.

The song became a huge hit along with ‘Saamakkozhi’ and ‘Oram po’(which were written by Gangai Amaran).

Vallabhan had a style of his own and his love for tamizh language and nature clearly reflected in his songs.

Vallabhan wrote more songs for Raaja in the year 1979..This includes songs from ‘Karumbu vil’, ‘Aayiram vaasal idhayam’etc., He also wrote the Malayalam song ‘Gnaan gnaan paadaNum’ in PoonthaLir.

Vallabhan also directed a movie called ‘Thai Pongal’.

Today’s rare gem is also from this movie.

The song is ‘Pani Vizhum poo nilavil..’

It is a lullaby and gives us some very special feelings.

The prelude itself carries an air of serenity with the sweet bells, soothing flute and the soulful strings.

The lucid Pallavi in the voice of Malaysia Vasudevan and Shailaja makes us sway. We see the musical mastery in the ‘podi sangatis’. Mention must also be made of the simple but beautiful words. ‘VaLarvai tamizh pol nee’ (you will grow up like the language of Tamizh).

The flute in the first interlude lingers tenderly while the violins give the beauteous shades of a lullaby.

The CharaNam is dotted with fine phrases like ‘maarbinil un abhinayam’ ‘maan vizhi sol kavi nayam’ (your gestures are as wonderful and expressive as the poetic beauty of the eyes of the deer!).

The tune of the last two lines-where it touches the higher octave and land safely and exquisitely-melts our hearts.

The second interlude is a stunner. The Guitar shows its face for the first time with a winsome smile. It is sweet, soft and sedulous.We see a mélange of colours in a matter of seconds. The flute that follows the strings flows like a lucent stream. There is a touch of melancholy as well..

’Thaai madi un uraividam’ ‘vaan mathi pon thirumugam’ (Mother’s lap is where you lie you little one whose face is like the moon..) says the second CharaNam.

The song itself shimmers like the flowery moon as we lie on the lap of the composer..

Timeless..

2010-12-11T18:39:00.004+05:30

Multi-Dimensional!

This is how one can ‘describe’ Bharati.One can of course keep writing pages and pages about the greatness of his poems but those 2 words define who Bharati is(pl. note I am not saying ‘was’).
Songs on and for:
India
Tamizh Nadu
Freedom
Freedon movement
Freedom fighters and leaders
Major revolutions in other countries
Devotional
Philosophy
Children
Society
Women (with brains)
Nature
Kannan songs
Paanchaali Sabatam(a small but very important portion from Mahabharata)
Kuyil Paattu
Autobiography (in poetic form).

Tell me now if he is not Multi-Dimensional….

What is to be noted is that there are not just few songs in the aforementioned subjects. And most importantly, each and every poem is great and can be cherished by one and all irrespective of the time.

There lies the greatness of the person!!

My salutes to the Mahakavi on his 128th Birthday..

The rare gem of today is a rather short song.

Though it is short, it does convey a lot of meanings, and is contemporarily relevant.

Bharati was a rebel and hated stereotypes and conservatism. One of the major things he wanted to change was the status of women in the society.

He coined a new word ‘PudhumaipeN’(New Woman) and described her attributes.

Today’s gem is taken from the 7th stanza of his poem.

It is ‘Nimirntha Nannadai’ from the film ‘Etthanai KoNam Etthanai Parvai’(1984).

Set aptly in Mohanam by the Maestro, the song enters one’s soul.

The plain ‘Nimirntha’, ‘gamakam’ at ‘Ner koNda Parvai’, the aalap after ‘Iruppathaal’ the sangati for ‘Semmai Maadhar’….who else but Raaja can show such a magic in a matter of seconds?

Malaysia Vasudevan does full justice with his flawless rendering and perfect diction. How beautifully he pronounces 'ற' in ‘திறம்பு’!Is there any singer in Tamizh now who can do this?

The meaning of the song is:

‘With an upright gait, straightforward look, fearless ideals, proud with great knowledge and wisdom, a woman never goes wrong nor does she falter..’

The key words to be noted here are ‘நிமிர்ந்த‌’(upright), ‘நேர்கொண்ட பார்வை’(straightforward look), ‘அஞ்சாத’(fearless) and ‘செருக்கு’(pride).

We all know that women have been branded as inferior since ages and are supposed to possess four qualities ‘அச்சம்’(fear) ‘மடம்’(dependence) ‘நாணம்’(shyness) ‘பயிர்ப்பு’(tolerance).

Bharati breaks these so called attributes with just a single stroke of his pen. He goes one step further and says ‘ஞானச் செருக்கு’(pride of knowledge).

Mind you.. This was written nearly 100 years back..
And how relevant it is even now!

In one of his other poems, he is supposed to have challenged ‘Yama’, the Lord of Death by saying ‘Hey..you..Come near my feet.. I shall stamp you’ -காலா!உனை நான் சிறு புல்லென மதிக்கிறேன்.என்றன் காலருகே வாடா!சற்றே உனை மிதிக்கிறேன்!!

Yes..it shows his fearlessness.. But I feel it also challenges ‘Time’ (‘Kaalam’ in tamizh also means Time).

Are not his poems timeless?

My Quest..

2010-11-20T18:27:00.003+05:30

The word 'Rare' is generally used when we come across something unusual.

But we all know that Raaja's music itself is unusual and therefore is rare.

In this blog, I have been trying to analyse his unknown compositions. Unknown to many in the present generation.

The danger in any analysis is that it tends to get subjective.

For example, for people who grew up with his music right from AnnakkiLi, not many songs can be called as rare.

Therefore, let us take an objective view.

Moreover, a song cannot be classified as rare just because it is old.

While 'Machanai paartheengaLa' and 'AnnakkiLi Unnai Theduthe'(Janaki version) are not rare despite being 32 years old, the TMS version of 'AnnakkiLi Unnai..' can be classified as rare.

Just ask these simple questions:

1.Is this song being aired by any Radio/TV channels at least once in a while?

2.Are many people aware of this song?

If the answer to both the questions is 'yes', then it is not rare irrespective of the year of release.

If it is 'no', then it obviously deserves a place in this Blog.

I started this Blog 2 years back and have been on a journey since then..

And what a journey it has been!

A journey that took me back to the days I listened to these songs for the first time as boy.. to the days where my transistor radio would be playing the songs with me doing my home work.. to days where I would be all alone on the terrace gazing at the stars with my ‘lover’ very close to my ears(now, don’t jump to any conclusions.. people who know me well know what I call as my first ‘love’).

Almost all the songs discussed by me belong to the period mentioned in the previous paragraph.

And most of the songs have been inside me all this while waiting for an opportunity to jump out and show their smiling faces to the world.

They come out depending on the place, time and most importantly my mood. For example, when I was travelling in Tanjore in Feb 2009 , my i –pod was playing ‘MaharaNi unai thedi’(Aayiram Vaasal Idhayam) when the bus was plying close the Palace.The result?

A post on the 28th of Feb!

At times there would be some unexplained reasons too.

But what I am going to narrate now is something unique.

One day my friend Govindarajan called me up and asked me the name of a movie of a particular song that goes like ‘Kanna..Vaa’.He said it was sung by Janaki and Jayachandran. My brain immediately thought of ‘Kanna Vaa Kavithai solla va’.But it is a Janaki solo and as far as I knew there was no Jayachandran in that. I asked him to send the song but he found it very difficult to trace it in his I pod since all files were jumbled and the nomenclature given as per the whims and fancies of the people who uploaded (in the site).

After about a week on a busy Friday morning, he called me again and played the song from his phone. Though it was not clear, it did ring a bell.. I asked him to mail the song which he did the following day. The moment I heard it, I knew that I know the song. But frankly speaking I could not place the name of the movie. After racking my brain(that already has only a little stuff), I finally remembered that it is from a movie called ‘MalargaL NanaiginRana’(1983) and that it used to be played by AIR those days.

I wondered how it got missed out from my little brain all these years.

I have had the experience of people requesting me to write about a song they like.

I have had the experience of people asking me the name of the movie of a familiar song (that is familiar to me).

I have had the experience of people saying they were listening to the song(s) for the first time when I play the song(s) or write about the song(s).(as i write this, I get a call from one of my friends who has fallen in love with 'Engengo Sellum',the song which was sent by me about 2 weeks back and says he is addicted to it!)

But this was the first time that a person-that too a close friend of mine- made me rediscover a gem.

That is the Power of ILaiyaraaja!

Now, let us look at the song.

Raaja’s Mohanams are always special. Right from ‘Kannan oru kaikuzhanthai’, he has been giving special treatment to his Mohanams. He has fondled it like a child, has romanced with it like a lover, has been very strict with it like a father and has friendly banters with it like a friend.

‘Kanna Vaa’ is no exception.Even when he mixes the other ‘ga’ and makes it sound like Shivaranajani, Mohanam looks as beautiful as ever.

The prelude itself is very interesting.

We hear the santoor followed by the shrill flute and this is enough to give us an image of flowers nodding their heads and swaying in happiness.

The weighty and the sprightly violins that follow hold our hands and take us inside the musical garden. The shrill flute and the exotic santoor play with each other in pure Mohanam showing us the cuckoo and other birds perched on the trees.

Does the prelude (especially the violins section) remind you of the prelude of ‘KaNmaNi nee vara Kaathirunthaen’?

‘KanmaNi..’ is based on Malayamarutam while ‘Kanna..’ is based on Mohanam-ragas that have no direct relation.

However, the variants of ‘ga’ ‘pa’ and ‘dha’ are common for both and the Meastro brilliantly uses these swaras to make Malayamarutam sound like Mohanam (and vice versa)!

Incredible Innovation!

The Pallavi in the voice of Janaki is reposeful. The alien note in the third line gives a kind of poignancy and pulls the strings of our hearts.

The violins in the beginning of the first interlude are as tender as the breeze. The flute and the santoor ride on romance.

The CharaNams are steeped in melody.

The structure is interesting too with the first charaNam rendered by Jayachandran, the second charaNam rendered by Janaki while the third charaNam alternates between the two.

The second interlude has the violins wending their way through. It is sheer magic after that with the Shivaranjani peeping in as the flute and santoor crisscross each other.It is lie a musical rainbow!

The third interlude unfurls another beauty.

It begins with the chorus that gives an aural imagery.
The Horns and violins now enter with a flourish soaking us briefly in Western Classical Music.
The lilting violins now play in folk style sustaining the glory and evoking sweet memories.

It was Horace Walpole who coined the word ‘serendipity’ in his work ‘The Three Princes of Serendip’ and it means making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which one is not in quest of..

I would term this discovery of the song is somewhat serendipitous..
But my quest continues..

Dedicated to..

2010-11-01T16:38:00.004+05:30

Recently, in the much touted, much publicized and much hyped World Tamizh meet(செம்மொழி மாநாடு ), a lady ‘poet’ (poetess sounds chauvinistic to me) while reading out her ‘poem’ said tamil(தமில்) for Tamizh (தமிழ்), aval(அவல்) for avaL (அவள்), panam(பனம்) for paNam (பணம்).To top it all, the gentleman who was the Head of the gathering- who calls himself as ‘Kavi perarasar’- while introducing her said 'தமிழ் இவரது பாட்டன் வீட்டு சொத்து (Tamizh is her grandfather’s wealth) referring to her lineage.

Can there be a greater insult to the language?

But this is not an isolated case. Tune in to any satellite channel. Listen to the anchors. Watch any new tamizh movie. Listen how the actors pronounce the words. Listen to the present day songs.Forget even the North Indian singers. Look how the ‘so called Tamizh singers pronounce the words .Cold blooded murder!

At times, one feels a law has to be enacted and the offenders punished very strictly. They must be put behind the bars and an intense training on pronunciation must be given. Their release date will purely depend on their ability to grasp what is taught and their seriousness in implementing it. But there is a serious problem here. As things stand, I feel at least 70%-80% of the Tamizh population does not pronounce the letters properly. This being the case, will there be enough space in the prisons? And even if there is space, do we have enough people to teach the huge crowd?

Point to ponder!!

Today’s rare gem is a very interesting song. Nearly 3 decades back, Raaja sir had envisaged this situation and composed a song as a parody. Malysia Vasudevan, known for his clear diction sang it admirably well. I know how difficult it is for a person who is attached to the language religiously to murder that language.

The song also takes a dig at self-styled moralists who banned songs at their will. The second charanam makes specific reference to the 2 songs that were banned.

Another speciality of the song is the Thyagraja Bhagawathar style of orchestration.

Without any further delay, let me tell you that the song is ‘Vaalvinil un ninaivaal’ from Pattanam pogalam vaa(1981).

We hear the ripples of melody from the jalatharangam followed by the energetic violins. The saxophone follows in the ‘old’ style rather sarcastically. The Raga Charukesi looks at us with glee.

Malaysia Vasudevan starts the ‘murder’ with pin point accuracy. The pause for almost one cycle gives an opportunity for the mridangam to dance with joy.

The first interlude follows the Bhagawathar pattern.But what is admirable is the fact that though it has that old flavour, one can also easily make out the ‘Raaja style’.Isn’t this one of his many strengths?

The CharNams are designed very interestingly. If one forgets the funny voice and the pronunciation, it can easily be called as a pure classical song!

The second interlude gathers momentum with the violins and the Tabla Tarang giving a swirl of patterns. It is graceful and at the same time is very sharp. The tender saxophone and the captivating flute exude brilliance.

As already mentioned, the second charaNam is full of sarcasm. The niraval swarams at ‘Oram po..’ give us loads of laughter. If only the ‘authorities’ who banned the songs were to listen to this, they would squirm in their seats with their conscience constantly pricking them all over.

The ‘kolluthe’ line typifies the present day Tamizh.

This song is dedicated to all the murderers of Tamizh language with a fervent plea to learn the language properly!

Otherwise Tamizh would turn back to them and say ‘Vaazhvinil un ninaivaal azhugindren..’(I am crying!!).

World of Divine Music and Divine Acting..

2010-10-01T16:57:00.003+05:30

T.M.Soundarajan recently said in a show:

‘He kept listening to ‘Neeyum naanum kanna..’(Gouravam) continuously for 4 - 5 times. When an assistant director asked him the reason, it seems he said ‘TMS has given so much of life to the song.Don’t I have to bring out those emotions when move my lips and act?’

That is Sivaji Ganesan for you..

Mind you, this happened in the year 1973 after 2 decades of his entry into cinema.
He set an example to all the artistes in film world with his dedication, devotion, discipline and eye for detail.

Today is the 82nd birthday of the legend.

I have written a lot about this genius -and the similarities between him and Raaja- on the 1st of 2009.Today, I shall narrate just one small incident before moving on to the rare gem.

During the shoot of ‘Mudhal Mariyathai’, there was one particular shot -of his tasting the ‘Fish kozhambu’- when the entire unit was stunned and even the EE Bharatiraja (EE-Ever Emotional) forgot to say ‘cut’ at the end of the shot. It seems Bharatiraja went to Sivaji, held his hands and started crying.

The relationship between ILaiyaraaja and Sivaji and the mutual admiration have also been narrated by me earlier in this Blog.

The Sivaji-Raaja combination has always been special and people who know my all time favourite song know the reason for my saying this.

Today’s rare gem is unique too.

It is unique because of the very unusual combination of singers-TMS and Shailaja.As far as I know, this is the only song in this combination.

The song is ‘Muththamizh Charame’ from Vetrikku Oruvan(1980).

I have said this many times.

I always wonder as to how Raaja conceives a tune, writes notes for the orchestra and arranges the instruments and all these in a matter of minutes.

The Hero is shy, reserved and docile in the first half of the movie.He expresses his love to the Heroine and (as usual) the song starts.

This is the situation. Or at least this is how the director would have explained it.

Now listen to the prelude.

The violins play crisply for some 15 seconds and then a funny sound to depict the ‘sober’ Hero.The sound continues and is joined by the violins this time playing very differently. It gathers further momentum with the piano like sound playing with harmonious precision. The tender flute joins the party and it is romance all over..

The melody packed Pallavi follows with the same romantic flavour.

The beginning of the first interlude gives a jazzy feel with the sharp piano sound and the exquisite trumpets. The violins then invite the diaphanous flute. It bends gracefully, twirls and echoes evocatively.

The prelude is rounded off with the ‘funny sound’.

The CharaNams are beautifully layered with the first two lines exuding soft radiance, the third line moving with verve and the following lines careening us gently.

The second interlude sees the romance between strings and the wind instruments.
The violins which by now have gathered momentum moves sprightly and the charming trumpets match their speed. In the second half, the tender saxophone moves with poise along with the violins.

There is a sudden deviation and we see the impeccably deep violins and a very different electronic instrument take us to an entirely new world.

A Brave new world of divine music and divine acting..

Wind and Music..How beautiful these feel and sound..

2010-09-28T19:56:00.002+05:30

It is amazing to know how a particular thing acquires different names depending on the quality/character/circumstance.

Take the seven basic notes for example. Same notes used in different contexts give a totally different flavour. Though my intention is not to get too technical, the notes ‘pa’ ‘dha ‘ and ‘Sa’ are present in both Mohana Ragam and Kamboji Ragam. However, we call the same combination by different names depending on how they are rendered.

Examples galore..

In Tamizh language, the wind has many names.

If it blows from the east, it is ‘KoNdal’ (கொண்டல் ).
If it blows from the west, it is ‘Kodai’(கோடை).
If it is from the north, it is ‘Vaadai’ (வாடை) and when it blows from the south, it is 'Thendral'(தென்றல்).

A hurricane is called as ‘SooRai’ (சூறை) while a snowy breeze is known by the name ‘Oodai’(ஊதை ).

Out of these, 'Oodai' is supposed to be sensual and therefore the union while ‘Vaadai’ kindles the Viraha feeling.

Today’s rare gem is a wonderful mix of both these qualities.

It is ‘Oodai Kaaththu Veesaiyile’ from ‘Gramaththu Athyayam’(1980).

The entire song is an example of how folk tunes can be brilliantly used in films (of course he is a master in this!).

The song starts without a prelude with the melodious voice of Jayachandran. A very simple folk instrument accompanies the voice.We are transported to a beautiful village as Janaki now takes over.

The first interlude is a wonderful combination of folk and western as instruments vie with one another.If the sharp percussion sound gives the rustic flavour, the electronic instruments give the western contours without in anyway spoiling the mood of the song.The interlude ends with a mesmerizing piece.

The charanams are as tender as the ‘Oodai’ and as innocent as the ‘Thendral’.The way the female voice takes over in ‘Naan Ennaththai Seyya..’in the first charanam and ‘Adhai Solladi Pulla’ in the second interlude is wonderful.

The second interlude is a kind of ‘question/answer session’. The playful question and answer takes place between the electronic and bass guitar in the beginning and the flute in the end. In between, we have the santoor acting as the referee.

This is my most favourite interlude and I cannot help now swaying whenever I listen to this.

The third interlude is again different. The Santoor is sensual while the graceful flute is nostalgic and evokes viraha.
‘Oodai’ and ‘Vaadai’.

Wind and Music-How beautiful they sound and feel…

Slangs in Tamizh Cinema..

2010-07-22T18:39:00.003+05:30

Tamizh Cinema is known to have songs with slangs.

One of the most popular songs I can think of is ‘Muththu KuLikka VaareegaLa’ from ‘Anubhavi Raja Anubhavi’.It had the Tirunelveli slang rendered beautifully by TMS and LR Easwari with wonderful acting by Nagesh and Manorama.

‘Elantha Pazham’(PaNama Paasama) and ‘Vaa Vaadhiyare Voottande’(Bommalattam) had the great Madras slang.

In a similar vein, the Directors enjoy dragging a particular community.

It all started with ‘Ethir Neecchal’(Aduththaththu Ambujaththai paartheLa) went on to become ‘Iyeraaththu ponnu Sonna’ and ‘Engaathukku maappillai nee’(sorry, don’t remember the movie names).

‘Vaangonna’ was banned by AIR, the reason being ‘hurting the sentiments of a community’.
Now-a-days, it is fashionable to robe the ladies in the group dance sequence with the 9 yard sarees and make them gyrate to the horrible beats(yes..this does not hurt anybody’s sentiments!!).

The point to be noted is that except one or two none of the directors is politically correct.

For example, in a movie where a very popular hero appears as a ‘paatti’, (s)he wears the nine-yard saree throughout and the ‘thaththa’ who loves her(?) is shocked when she says she is already married.

The fact of the matter is that any lady is ‘eligible’ to wear the nine-yards only after she is married.

One of the other ludicrous things is the group of women wearing white sarees during a pooja.
White is anathema to married tamizh ladies in that particular community and even this fact is not known to that great perfectionist!

One feels very bad looking at such comedy of errors.

My idea is not to defend or offend any particular community but the film makers must realise the implications of wrong depictions and portrayals.

Today’s Rare Gem also uses the slang.

Though the song does not show the community in poor light, the diction and pronunciation of the slangs by Shailaja and Vasudevan leave a lot to be desired.

I honestly feel SPB and Suseela would have done a better job.Janaki of course does a good job in the song!

However, one can enjoy the song for the mesmerising Mohanam and the hypnotising Orchestration.

The song starts with a humming by Shailaja.

The Veena and the flute combine to give us a scintillating Mohanam and then the Nagaswaram takes over in the higher octave.

The first CharaNam has questions and answers (rib tickling?).The Raga again flows with great fluency and my most favourite line is ‘Thoppanaaru Panjapakesan..’(for the sheer beauty of the raga).

The Nagaswaram plays with evocative joy in the second interlude.The Jalatarangam and the tabla are the specialities of the Maestro.

The second charanam is structured in a different way. The voice of Janaki is a great relief here!

In ‘Nal Vaazhvu Vaazha Naam Vaazhththa VeNdum, Mohanam shimmers and looks at us with glee..

Listen to ‘Enthaththu Paiyyan Avan’ from ‘ILaiyaraajavin Rasigai(1980) and be blessed!

His words..His silence..

2010-06-24T18:32:00.004+05:30

The chubby faced actor said this recently in a TV show:

“My father was very close to him. They would have friendly banters and quarrels now and then. One day, he landed up at our house early in the morning and said he wanted to see my father.My father was sleeping upstairs and I called him on the phone through the phone using the extension button.My father refused to see him.When I told him this, he smiled and said ‘Oh..he is still angry with me. Doesn’t matter. Please tell him that I am going to the US and will be back after a month. I came to say Bye to him..".

"But he never returned.This happened in 1981.My father was alive for another 10 years and not a single day passed without my father saying ‘He came to see me the last time.But I didn’t see him.. How bad on my part! ”

The ‘He’ here is Kannadasan.

Friendly banters and fighting with friends were not new to this gentleman. But the best part is he would do this only with a select few ‘just for the fun of it’.

Once he and Shivaji had a fight and both were not on talking terms.But he continued to write for his movies.That was the time when the Shivaji-Bheemsingh-Kannadasan-Viswanathan-Ramamurthy combination was at its peak.He wrote a song and asked MSV to show it to Shivaji.It seems Shivaji started crying the moment he read the pallavi.

The song was:
‘Ennai Yaarendru Enni Enni nee paarkiRai..Idhu Yaar Paadum paadalenru nee ketkiRai..’

MSV sir and Kannadasan too had a very special relationship.Their composing sessions were a treat to watch.It seems MSV would tell him ‘What are you writing anne..Even I can write better’ and Kannadasan in turn would say ‘You are not able to set my song to tune and are shifting the blame’.Both would even use unprintable language. But the session would end with one praising the other.Their mutual admiration was something that cannot be described in words.

People who have watched such spectacles live describe the events with awe. But all of them maintain that it was Kannadasan who would initiate the ‘fight’Why?Because he loved MSV so much that he enjoyed pulling his leg.

Not only did his face look like a child. He was a child at heart.
But when it came to writing, he was unparalleled and incomparable.

That is Kannadasan.

I have already said this many times.There has never been and there can never be any other lyricist as great as Kannadasan.There can only be one ‘Kaviyarasar’.If some people claim themselves to be ‘Perarasar’,they are cheating themselves!

Today is the birthday of Kannadasan and MSV. I wish a Happy Birthday to both. The physical body of Kannadasan is no more.But he lives and will continue to live with his immortal songs.

Before I take up the Rare Gem of today and Raaja sir’s association with Kannadasan, I would like to quote a few lines from a MSV-Kannadasan song:

The Hero, a writer who writes with a pen name Gowrimanohari falls in love with a lady. What is great or different about it? He is a widower with 6 children and is in his middle ages.
The Heroine sings ‘I saw Gowrimanohari in the form of a man’(the brilliant MSV set this song in pure Gowrimanohari ragam!).

The second charaNam shows us why Kannadasan is a genius.

‘Malai meethu adiththaalum Kaatru.Adhu Kadal meedhu tavazhnthaalum kaatru.Vaythodu vanthaalum kaadhal,Adhu Vayathaagi Vanthaalum kaadhal.’

(Breeze is breeze whether it blows over the mountain or over the sea Love is the same whether it comes during youth or in old age!).

With this, let me turn my attention on Raaja sir and Kannadasan and today’s rare gem.

In fact, I had written about their association and the mutual admiration many times in this community.

Raaja was a great follower and fan of Kannadasan right from his younger days.He still remembers the poem Kannadasan wrote when Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in 1964.

Kannadasan warmly welcomed Raaja to Tamizh cinema music adding the line ‘Raaja vaa..Raaja vaa.. ‘ in the song ‘Kannodu Kannu’(Paalootti VaLarththa KiLi-1976).

The combination gave some unforgettable songs(many of which have been discussed in this community) for 5 and half years.As fate would have it, Kannadasan wrote his last two songs for Raaja on the eve of his departure to the US in 1981.

There are many personal favourites but today I am taking up a song from ‘Pagalil Oru Iravu’, a 1979 movie. Somehow one song ‘obscured’ the beauty of other songs in this album.Maybe that song is very powerful and is indeed one of my all time favourites. But the gem of today is ‘Kalaiyo Silaiyo’, another beautiful composition not known to many.

The most striking aspect of the composition is the silken softness.The song describes the beauty of a young and innocent girl.

Other lyricists would have resorted to simple ‘Maane Thaene..’and gone on to write some nauseating words.. or would have given computer to Brahmma and imagined about her laugh being like the sound of a telephone. But not Kannadasan!

Before that, let us see the musical part first.

The prelude itself is so meditative that it makes our eyes close automatically. The sound of bells and the mesmerizing flute are steeped in tranquility.

The tune of the Pallavi in the melodious voice of Jayachandran is simple and beautiful.

The Violin orchestra in the first interlude is infused with haunting air. A very different combination of sitar and flute is the icing on the cake.The twin-violins with the Bells and the bass guitar in the background captivate our hearts.

The CharaNams radiate softly .The lines are tender and are piercingly sharp.

The second interlude is impeccably deep.The first part sparkles with the violins and the Bass Guitar while the second half-again a combination of sitar and flute but this time sounding very different- is dainty.

Let us now look at the lyrics.

He says ‘Are you the epitome of fine-arts?Are you a sculpture? Or are you like the Golden Deer? Are you a fruit? Or are you the parrot? Or, are you the moon who came on a walk to see this Earth?’

Though the words sound very simple, there are a lot of inner meanings.
Awed by the beauty of the girl, he sees her as a sculpture as well as the art form; Bird as well as the Fruit.

He also feels for a moment that maybe this is not true..Because it is impossible for such a beauty to exist.So, he says ‘Are you the Golden deer’?(we all know the story of Golden Deer in Ramayana).

He then imagines that the Moon has descended on the Earth(it has come on a picninc!).

Poetic beauty at its best!

In the first CharaNam, he says ‘Is this the dancing chariot walking? When will the mind shed its innocence and blossom like a flower? A beautiful maiden with the youth like the rain of flowers..’

Please do not miss the ‘Blossoming of the flower’ followed by the ‘Rain of flowers’!

The second CharaNam is a marvel.

We all know the power of silence.Here, the poet gives a completely different dimension to the silence of the girl.

He says ‘Is your silence the code/secret language?’(the use of ‘paribhaashai’ here is very noteworthy.I am not aware of any other film song using this word!).

‘Gestures that I am not able to understand-maybe it is the respect you have for me and my love’.

‘Child-like enthusiasm and energy –a beautiful girl!’

The last line ‘Thogaiyin Bhaavamo’ can be interpreted in many ways.
Thogai-means a girl. It also means a peacock feather.
Peacock is known for dancing.
Therefore, one could interpret it like ‘a beautiful girl’ or ‘a dancing girl’ or even ‘as beautiful as a peacock’.

His words mean so much…

At times, I even feel how would it be if only he was alive today.. But I thank God that he is not alive to see the murder of Tamizh. Murder in the name of ‘semmozhi’ by people who can not even say ‘Yaathum oore yaavarum keLir’(யாதும் ஊரே..யாவரும் கேளிர்..) properly.

As I said, Kannadasan’s words mean so much.. Now, let silence carve new meanings and teach all these people who murder the beautiful language and who ‘adorn’ the language with vulgarity and expletives..

Mouname Paribhashai..

The simple musical instrument..

2010-05-06T19:58:00.001+05:30

The 12 year boy was very excited. He was alone at home and in front of him was a musical instrument. He had been wanting to lay his hands but his elder brother would never let him do that. It was his brother’s prized possession.

What is so special about that instrument?
Coming to think of it, it just has black and white keys and is not very melodious.

But the boy was too excited with the instrument that he started playing it..And then.. suddenly his brother appeared from nowhere and needless to say what happened after this.

But that did not deter the boy from playing that instrument.He did not know the swaras.He did not even understand that.But he was capable of playing any song in that instrument.

His brother was running a drama troupe and was also an active member of a political party.One day, the instrumentalist was absent and without any hesitation, the brother asked the boy to play!

The Instrument-Harmonium
Brother’s name-Varadarajan
Boy???Do I need to say who it was?

Paavalar Varadarajan was a genius. He was a musician, a poet and an orator.
He was also very actively involved in the communist movement during the ‘50s and early ‘60s.

Daniel Rassiah (yes..this is the original name of the man whom we know as ILaiyaraaja now)used to accompany him along with his brothers Amar and Bhaskar.Rassiah would sing in the female voice.

Paavalar Varadrajan penned lot of songs on the working class.He would use the popular tunes from films, modify and make Raasaiah sing.

He also did a lot of research on folk music.

Today, we are going to see one of his songs used by Raaja sir in a film.

The song is ‘Ellorum Poranthom Onnaga VaLarnthom Enna KoNdu Poga Porom..’from Agal ViLakku(1980).

The opening sounds very humorous..

The Flute bit that follows gives us traces of Valaji Ragam.

Ha.. ..before that is the harmonium bit. In fact, no film music composer has used harmonium as extensively as Raaja sir (and don’t we know the reason?).The folk beats add spice.

And then we hear ‘We were born here and we grew up here.But finally what are we taking with us?’(rendered beautifully by Malaysia Vasudevan and Sai Baba)

Surprsingly enough, I find traces of Harikamboji in the song now.
The interludes have the Raaja trademark.Folk instruments with Shehanai and the drums!

The first Charanam take a dig at the society;at the people who cheat;who are deceitful.

The second interlude is another beauty.Very few instruments but look how the pattern changes.

The second charanam subtly attacks the so - called bonds between siblings.

A very thought provoking song with a simple but beautiful orchestration.

As simple and thought provoking as the Harmonium!

Musical Fragrance..

2010-04-27T23:00:00.004+05:30

Mimusops elengi.

Ever heard of this name?
No..my intention is not to threaten you nor take any class in Botany.

But somehow, I find this name to be very interesting and musical too. Remember my post on ‘Yaar Maamano’ where I had written about the musical sound of ‘Mediterranean’.

Mi mu so pu s-sounds like ma ma sa pa sa.

Well..this is the botanical name of a lovely flower.A flower that is small, stra-shaped, yellowish white with a crown rising from the centre.This flower is better known as ‘Magizham poo’ in tamizh.

‘Magizham poo’ has a very rich fragrance and the odour lasts several days. This quality of maintaining the fragrance without any change in the intensity makes this flower a very special one.
‘Magizham poo’ is also known by the name ‘VakuLa’.

More about the musical quality of VakuLa later.

Though most of Raaja’s songs have this quality,there is something very special about today’s rare gem.

The song itself is a ‘magizham poo’.It is based on Pahadi and is set to the 7-beat misram.

The prelude is enticing with a very different bass instrument. The combination of Bass Guitar and the Flute is amazing indeed! Wonder from where he gets such ideas.

The sweet voice of Yesudass now joins with the violins following him very closely.

The first interlude is dominated by the violins and the guitar in the beginning.Suddenly, the flute takes over and plays with spry freshness.It sings like a cuckoo while the guitar and the violins then gently caress us..

The Charanam is delicately nuanced with the voice of Suseela adding luster.If the first two lines are imbued with energy, the following lines are lucid and flow like a gentle stream. We swim like a fish and jump like a deer.

The second interlude has a swirl of patterns.We feel the aromatic flavour of the village garden with the stringed folk instrument and the flute. It entices us..It mesmarises us..It hynotises us..

The soft touches of guitar make us forget ourselves.
The exquisite phrases continue in the second charanam but this time with a different orchestral arrangement in between the lines..

Mimusops elengi ..

This Magizham poo will continue to spread the fragrance even after centuries.

ma ma sa pa sa..

Multi-Dimensional..

2010-04-17T17:55:00.002+05:30

Cricket is a very funny game indeed!

Most of you must be familiar with the famous quote ‘Eleven fools watched by eleven thousand fools’ of Bernard Shaw(if he was alive today, he would have said ‘Eleven Fools watched by Eleven million fools’!).

Now, look at this.
A bowler delivers the ball and even when one can see the ball live, it is called as a ‘no ball’ just because his foot was outside the crease.
But a batsman can stand outside his crease and yet it is not a ‘no bat’.

Then there is a leg spin ,a leg- cutter and a leg-break..If you are wondering how a leg can be spun..here is the answer:
The leg-side is the left side of the batsman and if a ball pitches on or outside the leg stump and turns to the right, it is leg spin.

Then there is ‘swing’. No..it is not that the players sit on a swing on the ground.If the shining side of the ball moves in the air, then it is said to ‘swing’(there is reverse swing too when the other side swings later when the ball becomes older).

Let us look at these terms: Fine-leg, Square-leg, Short-leg, Long-leg.
If the uninitiated among you think that over a period of time (of playing cricket), the legs of the players become like this, you are way off the mark.
These are just names of some of the fielding positions.

There is a ‘silly point’ too (who is silly is the question).

And a person wearing all kinds of protective gears, gloves etc., stands behind the stumps(called as wickets) and while his job is to see that the wickets fall, he is called as ‘wicket-keeper’.

The bowlers and fielders also ‘appeal’ to the umpires very often as though it is a court of law!

There is something called 'Chinaman' too..China and Cricket?Am I kidding?

Well..it is the name given to a delivery bowled by a left arm spinner!

The best part is while two teams can have a game of just 20 overs each (one over consists of 6 balls), they can also play the game spread over 5 days(6 hours per day).To top it all, the one spread over 5 days can end up in a ‘draw’.Criminal waste of time, energy and money!!

Well.. if by now you have concluded that here is an heir to Bernard Shaw or that this guy hates cricket like how Aurangazeb hated music, you are thoroughly mistaken.

I am a great cricket buff and I go to the extent of seeing music in Cricket.

Then why write all these?
It is always nice to see the lighter side in any event or for that matter in life.
Laughter –the best medicine for any ailment!

In Film music, there have been some great humorous songs starting with the KalaivaNar(the one and only) NSK, Chandrababu, Manorama and a host of others.I can include Nagesh also though he only moved his lips(perfectly) for the played back voices.

These are of course comedians. But there have also been comedy songs involving heroes.

Unlike the popular perception, Raaja sir has a great sense of humour. His first song as a lyricist was ‘poda poda pokke’ from UdirippookaL in the year 1979.’Samaiyal padame’(the original of ‘Enna samaiyalo’) was written by him for the film ‘Manippoor maamiyaar’(1980) and people who do not smile after hearing this song can join the ‘most serious people’ club!

I can quote many more songs but let us look at today’s rare gem. This song was not written by Raaja sir but by Kannadasan.It is ‘Varuvai Kanna’ from ‘Pattakkaththi Bhairavan’(1979).This movie with the weird name must be already familiar to all those who follow this community very closely.

There are some specialities to this song.
First and foremost, it is composed in Kedaram ragam(though many people think that this ragam was first used in ‘Pon maalai pozhuthu’).

Secondly, in between the song, he used the tune of one of the most popular hindi film songs.. In the film 'Avar Enakke Sondham' he beautifully used ‘Kabhi Kabhi’ . In ‘Varuvai kanna’ too, the hindi film tune is used wonderfully.

Let us have a look at the song.

The prelude has the flute, veena and the violins in pure Kedaram and we all begin to expect a classical song.

The pallavi in Suseela’s voice more or less confirms this.But suddenly, we hear catcalls(donkey calls?) followed by the flute still in classical style but in a totally different ragam (traces of vakhulabharanam and punnagavarali).The western instruments like guitar and the trumpets join now.

A very different voice sings a very familiar tune.
Different voice-SPB
Familiar tune-Mehbooba from Sholay.

The interlude is classical again with the flute, clarinet playing Kedaram.
In the first CharaNam Suseela sings about ‘Srungaram’ ‘Krishna’ and ‘Radha’ followed by a beauty. The interlude of Mehbooba played in kedaram.Music for Raaja is like Srungaram to Krishna!

As the CharaNam ends, it is ‘donkey calls’ again and the song seamlessly changes its ‘Bhavam’.
The second interlude has classic touches with more focus on the laya.

The second charaNam talks about the ‘Bow and Rama’ and ‘fine arts and Krishna’.

It is ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ after this.
The orchestration is amazing here.
The same words are repeated in modern style.The song ends with claps in ‘rock and roll’ style.

It is the applause for the many dimensions of the this gentleman’s music!

Colourful Musical Garden..

2010-03-24T20:07:00.002+05:30

In tamizh cinema, some intelligent directors (though it a rarity!) use songs very effectively.

Balachander used to boast that people would find to get up during the song sequence in his movies because he would narrate the story in the song itself.

One of the intelligent directors in tamizh cinema who could not cope up with the demands of the distributors was Mahendran.I am saying in past tense because he no longer makes any films.

Though he became popular with ‘Mullum malarum’ and very popular with ‘UthirippookkaL’, some of his movies have not been popular.

‘Poottatha PoottukkaL’ was one such film.
It was a story about a childless couple.I do not want to get into the story now.

But what I would like to get into is the way he introduced the characters using a song sequence.The picturisation was great.But most importantly, the song(lyrics by Panchu Arunachalam), the tune, and the music are fantabulous.

It is ‘Vanna Vanna Vanna Pooncholaiyil’.

The prelude is very interesting.It starts with a violin prelude juxtaposed with the string.

The tempo that was very slow suddenly gains moment as the guitar and the flute start.Janaki’s humming takes over now.

The pallavi is simple and attractive and the guitar piece in between the lines add to the beauty.

The first interlude transports us to the western countryside and suddenly we are brought back to a South Indian village as we hear the flute and the throbbing of the Ghatam.
The wonderful guitar piece-a kind of 'theme music' of the song-in the charanams is possible only by one gentleman.

The second interlude has the beautiful violins and the Dilruba and of course Janaki.Do we need to say more?

The way Janaki renders the word ‘NaaNam..’ is a lesson for the bunch of younger lot who pretend to sing with expressions.

Don’t we all want to be part of this musical colourful garden?

The Power of Music

2010-03-16T11:24:00.002+05:30

‘Bol re Pappihara..’.During early ‘70s(extending to mid ‘70s), if there was one song that held almost the entire nation hostage, it was this song.

Of course, there were also peppy songs like ‘Roop Tera Mastana’, ‘Dam maro Dam’ etc., but ‘Bol re..’ was unique.Unique because it was purely based on a Hindustani Raag.Unique because it was plain and simple.Unique because it was rendered by a hitherto unknown female singer.Unique because despite being a south Indian , her diction was impeccable.

This female singer created ripples (melodic ones of course!) and also tremors. I shall come to the last mentioned a little later.

The female singer is none other than VaNi Jeyaram.

‘Bol re Pappihara’ based on Raag Miya ki Malhar and ‘Humko manki Shakti Dena’ based on Raag Kedar (again sung by VaNi) were composed by Vasant Desai for the Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed film ‘Guddi’. The film was about a teenager (played with aplomb by Jaya Baduri) who is obsessed with actor Dharmendra. How she is made to distinguish between the real and the reel was shown poetically by the director. It is an undeniable fact that the songs played a great role in the success of the film.

It is not a surprise that this voice which was as fresh as early morning dew and as sweet as the honey attracted all leading Hindi film music composers and offers started pouring in for Vani Jeyaram. What happened after this is very interesting..or is it?

Let us now go back to the‘tremors’ part.

Unable to stomach the success of the new comer, the ‘leading female singers’ did the unthinkable.. The two sisters (I do not want to name them since it is obvious whom I am referring to. Moreover, both of them are legends in their own ways and I respect that!) requested, cajoled and finally threatened the Music Directors. The ‘threat’ was a kind of Satyagraha and they said they would never sing again. The final ‘assault’ worked. Music Directors budged. Hindi Film music lost one of the most beautiful and melodious voices.

Looking at it objectively, it is a case of jealousy getting the better of aesthetic sense. After all, aren’t musicians connoisseurs first? Should they not appreciate anything that is good? And most importantly, if only they are confident and feel good about themselves, can the feeling of insecurity ever creep in at all?

Questions that can be easily answered..

But in a way, it was a blessing in disguise since VaNi Jeyaram became a household name in the South. Hindi Films’ loss was South Indian Films’ gain.

What stands out in VaNi Jeyaram’s voice(apart from the sweetness) is the clear diction. In fact, I have found it easier to remember lyrics of her songs and I am sure this has to do with her crystal clear rendering and pronounciation.With a very strong foundation in classical music (Gurus-Cuddalore Srinivasa Iyengar-Carnatic and Ustad Abdul Rahman Khan-Hindustani) , her adherence to Shruti is perfect.

Not many know that her family itself is full of artistes.N.Rajam, -a very famous Hindustani Violinist and sister of the legendary T.N.Krishnan –is married to one of the brothers of Mr.Jeyaram while Gayatri, a Bhratanatyam artiste from Kalakshetra is married to the other brother.

Though she is classically trained, she renders even dabbankuththu songs with consummate ease.

Her association with ILaiyaraaja is rather interesting. Though she did not sing too many(compared to Janaki and Suseela) in his music, almost all her songs in his music are gems.Can one forget the peppy duet ‘Poonthendrale’(Bhuvana Oru KeLvikkuri-1977), the folksy ‘Niththam Niththam Nellu Soru’(Mullum Malarum-1978), the intriguing ‘Ennullil Engo’(Rosappoo Ravikkaikari-1979), the beautiful Vivadi Ragam Chitrambari ‘Sangeetam En Degam Andro’(Bala Nagamma-1981), the romantic duet with Yesudass ‘ABC Nee Vaasi’(Oru Kaidhiyin Dairy-1985)?

When Raaja sir introduced the superimposing technique for the first time in ‘Kaatrinile Varum Geetam’(1977), he gave similar songs to Janaki and VaNi Jeyaram(of course different orchestrations). In fact, until the records were out, the singers were not even aware that the song had two versions!

In the song ‘Vizhiyil Vizhudu’( ‘AlaigaL Oyvadhillai’), VaNi Jeyaram’s humming in Sudhdha Dhanyasi in the telugu version- ‘Alalu Kalalu’(Sitakoka Chiluka) was retained in the movie though the Tamizh version was not rendered by her.This humming appears only in the movie(wish she had sung the Tamizh version as well!).

The Sridhar(whose wife Devasena was a classmate and a close friend of VaNi) directed ‘Azhage Unnai AaradikkiRen’(1979) saw VaNi Jeyaram crooning 5 songs-each sounding so different. ’Naane Naana’ was a rage those days.

Today’s rare gem is a song that can also be classified as a ‘disco song’.I have taken this song because it is relatively unknown and also to show as to how versatile the singer is.

The song is ‘Mayakkama oru Thayakkama’ from ‘Naan Potta Savaal’(1980).

It has contours of jazz with a unique mix of rhythms, trumpets, saxophone and guitar.

The prelude is dazzling.The bass guitar throbs while the trumpets are intoxicating.But the most beautiful thing here is the way the saxophone emerges.
Dizzyingly beautiful!

The Pallavi gives ripples of melody in the sparkling voice of VaNi Jeyaram.The way it reaches a crescendo towards the end is remarkable. The flute bits interspersed between the lines carry the stamp of the Emperor.

In the first interlude, the drums thrum with life and the trumpets come up trumps. The Sax which is sandwiched between the two, roar with blazing intensity. The enthralling electric guitar sparkles.What is to be noted here is the synthesizers and other electronic instruments.

It is believed by the present generation that the synth and other techno sounds came into existence in Indian films in ‘90s.Such people must listen to this song (and ‘Vaalibame Vaa Vaa’-Ram Laxman).In any case, is there any use in waking up people who pretend to be sleeping?

The CharaNams are marked by lively touches with notes jumping suddenly and unobtrusively.The flute bits are elegant while the sax just at the end is euphonic.

The second interlude rocks us.It is agog with excitement moving at a fleeting pace.It is enticing and intoxicating. The harmony makes it quite irresistible.
Makes one forget everything.

Anger, Jealousy, Sorrow, Hatred,Enmity..
That is the power of Music!

Trident-The Power of Women!

2010-03-08T14:22:00.003+05:30

1980 was a very significant year.

Yes, it was the beginning of a new decade and trends were changing (or trends were being set).

In London, Prince Charles married Diana.

In India, the first coalition govt. crumbled and the Congress took over yet again.

Indian Cricket team defeated the Pakistan team in a test series.

In Tamizh Nadu, the first batch of Higher Secondary(plus two) successfully passed out.

Most importantly, the 100th movie of the Master (Moodupani) was released.

The year also saw the advent of a new lyricist in Tamizh Film industry.
This gentleman,whose name is Vairamuththu hails from a village called Vadugappatti in Madurai district.

He was already a known figure in (a section of) the Tamizh literary world for his ‘Puthukkavithai’ form. .

Puthukkavaithai(literally translated as ‘new poem’) is easy to understand and at the same time is very powerful. In fact , Mahakavi Subramania Bharatiyar is the father of this form-though some people have chosen tol call themselves as the ‘father of this puthukkavithai’.

Vairamuththu’s collection of poems like ‘Intha PookkaL ViRpanaikku alla’was already popular in 1980.In one of the collections, he had beautifully described about evening.

That was the time when Bharathiraja was looking for a ‘suitable replacement’ for Kannadasan.Until then Kannadasan had written at least one song in each of his five movies.Why they fell out is not relevant here.

ILaiyaraaja gave a tune in Kedaram and Vairamuththu responded with ‘Ithu Oru Ponmaalai pozhuthu’(most of the words were from his own poem written sometime back).

It was a ‘pon kaalai pozhuthu’ for Vairamuththu then since ILaiyaraaja developed a special liking for his lyrics.

This combination was almost like a MSV-Kannadasan combination and ruled Tamizh cinema for nearly 7 years until there was a misunderstanding.

For many, it still remains a mystery as to why the two parted ways.
Though I know the background and the reason, I am not getting into that now.

The song became an instant hit as soon as the music was released in July 1980.The Film ‘NizhalgaL’ was released in Nov 1980.

Raaja sir being Raaja sir, introduced Vairamuththu to many producers and Directors..
Songs were recorded and strangely enough some movies were released much before NizhalgaL.

One was ‘KaaLi’ and the other one was ‘Soolam’.

So though his first recorded film song was ‘Ponmaalai Pozhuthu’, ’Soolam’(Soolam) and ‘BadrakaaLi’(KaaLi) were the first to hit he silverscreens(in Jul ’80).

Yes, truth is stranger than fiction!

Vairamuththu, a ‘proclaimed atheist’ wrote a song eulogising KaaLi and another song on ‘Trisoolam’, the weapon of Durga Devi .

Today’s rare gem is the latter and is also our 'Women's day' special!

The first thing that strikes us when we listen to the song is the use of electronic instruments.

This was the first Revathi Ragam by Raaja sir in films!

My most favourite is the second interlude where the Master has weaved magic just with the percussion instruments and the chorus voice.Simply exhilarating!

The third interlude is another beauty where the swaras dance and the traditional and modern instruments compete with each other.

The first interlude has the vibrant flute and the mellifluous Shehnai.

The opening of the song(prelude) itself makes us visualise the Trisoolam with a wonderful laya pattern.

The powerful lyrics give more energy to the Trident.

The Stree Sakthi-the Devi concept is described wonderfully.
The explanation about the Trident is very thought provoking-valour,modesty and knowledge symbolising the woman.

In fact the song is peppered with feminist views, a rarity in film songs.

Let us all realise the Stree Sakthi, and celebrate 'Women's day'..not just by deifying or glorifying.......
......but by respecting women!

Images of Krishna..

2010-03-03T21:45:00.003+05:30

Kannan(or Lord Krishna) has a magnetic charm. People get attracted to him so easily that at times one even tends to forget the ‘divine’ tag.

Periyaazhwaar, one of the 12 Vaishnavite saints treated him as his child.

AandaL-daughter of Periyaazhwaar- considered Krishna as her lover.

Subramaniya Bharati went one step ahead and made him his servant, his master, his guru,his lover…In fact he even created a feminine version of Kannan and called her(him?) Kannamma.

There are many others including Poet Jayadeva and Meerabai and Muththiah.

The first two names sound very familiar.But who is that third person?

Muththiah was born in a small village in Karaikudi district who ran away from his home during his early teens. He became a great follower of the Dravidian ideology and became an atheist.

And what does this atheist has to do with Kannan?

Nothing much except that one day after reading the verses of AaNdaL, he became a devotee of Kannan and changed his name to Kannadaasan.

Yes, I am referring to the greatest lyricist Tamizh cinema has ever had.

I had already written about him and the synergy between him and Raaja sir in one of my posts in this blog.
Truly a Genius!

Whenever and wherever possible, he would ‘drag’ Kanna (or Krishna) in his songs.

Today, we are going to see one such song.

And what a song it is..

It is a competition between lyrics, tune, orchestration, and the voice.

The song is ‘Kannan NaaLum Podum Vedam..’from ‘Ilamai Kolam’(1980).

It is based on Gowrimanohari ragam.It is generally a soft ragam that gives us peace and tranquility.

But the Emperor of Film Music shows us a completely different dimension of this Raga here. In fact, he poses a challenge to the Emperor of Film Lyrics.

Listen to the first two lines in the Pallavi. You will know what I mean.

It goes as very short phrases with each phrase almost sounding similar and suddenly it goes up like a crescendo.

Imagine the Music Director singing phrases like ‘Thaa Na Thaa Na Thaa Na Thaa Na Thaa Na Thaa Na Thaa Na Thaa Na Thanananaa Thana Thanananaa Thana Thanananaaaaa..Tha Na Na..Tha Na Naaa..’to the lyricist.

The great ‘poets’ of today would have walked around parks like Thiru.Vi .Ka Park(in Chennai) at least for one week before coming up with suitable words. Or they would have written ‘Naanum Paarthen Neeyum Paarththe Avanum Paarththan AvaLum Paarththaa..’

The Lion(of poetry) replies to the Lion (of Film music)-Kannan NaaLum Podum Vedam KangaL engum Pennai Thedum Gopalanin Antha KolangaL Thaan Nenjil Aanandamagum..Hey Krishna!Jey Krishna!!

And yes..just before this Pallavi is the prelude. And what is that prelude?

A sweet aalap by the evergreen Janaki.

What can one say about the first interlude?

Jazzy to start with..
Flute peeps in suddenly with a Carnatic flavour.
It is then the violin in typical Hindustani style.
Bass Guitar rounds it off in Pop style.

In the first Charanam, it is the Saree and the Garland.
Gowrimanohari wears a beautiful Saree wearing a garland of Swaras.

Beauty at its best in the second interlude as the seductive bass guitar races ahead with the synthesizer following very closely.As we begin to get lost in this beauty, the Violin in Hindustani style appear from nowhere giving poignant images. The question and answer session between the Violin and the Harmonium(?) makes us raise lot of questions.

Is it a poignancy of parting and separation?
Or is it nostalgia?

Is it the sadness?
Or is it the compassion?

I would say a feeling that cannot be put in words.

Just like the feeling when one gets to see the different images of Krishna..

Sports..Life..Music..

2010-02-18T20:35:00.006+05:30

Sports, Life, and Music –How many similarities!

Unpredictable..
Full of ups and downs..
Elegant..
Versatile..
Poetic..
Enjoyable..
Beautiful..

But first congrats to Team India!

A very professional display proving yet again that the no.1 tag is not a fluke.
Today’s victory is more special because it came while playing on a very sporting track somewhat different from the usual dusty pitches where the ball hardly bounces and starts turning right from Day 1.

While it is a very happy moment for all Indians, one should not take the credit away from the South Africans for putting up a fight almost till the end-thanks to the gritty man called Hashim Amla and that handsome bowler called Morne Morkel whose defence was as solid as any known batsman in the world.

On this special day, let me dedicate a rare gem to Team India.

A song that uses the words from a traditional tamizh folk game.
People who watched the ‘Andrum Indrum endrum’ show may recall Raaja sir rendering this line while talking about tradition(though he did not mention about using these words in one of his compositions).

The game is almost like the Kabadi and one has to catch the opponents rendering these words holding the breath.

The words are ‘Naan da ungappan da ..nallamuththu devan da..’

The rare gem of the day also uses the same words but in a very different situation.
It is a fight sequence!

How often do we find a song during Fights?
Balachander used it in ‘Ninaiththale Inikkum’ and it is rather surprising that this idea was used in a pure masala Devar Films production!

The film ‘Ram Lakshman’(1981).

Of course it is not uncommon for Raaja sir to use some very innovative sounds-like Mrudangam, Ghatam or even konnakkol- in a fight sequence.

But this song is very special because it beautifully blends folk with western and makes us all jump and hit all our hidden enemies.
The major highlight of the song-apart from the music- is SPB.

Though we all know his versatility, it is amazing to see how he renders the lines in a single breath leaving all of us breathless!

The song starts with beautiful folksy beats with trumpets showing their faces now and then.

The arrangement that follows is really breathtaking with the wind instruments in full flow!

The Karate and the boxing sounds coupled with the voice of SPB make Pallavi an enjoyable one.

The CharaNams too have beautiful, aggressive sounds but what distinguishes this song from the Dappan kuththus of today is the melody element.
Look how the lines ‘Paaganillatha Yaanaiyai pola’ and how the first two lines are linked to the last two lines..

The interludes are very interesting too..

Bass guitar, Saxophones,Trumpets playfully fight with each other in the first interlude.

The second interlude has the folk drums and seamlessly change to a western pattern. Don’t miss the synthesizers!(who said synthesizer is a ‘90s instrument in Indian Cinema?)

Listen to the Pallavi after the first CharaNam and ‘NoRukki Vaippen’ in the second CharaNam.

All present-day singers! Don’t you think you people need to learn a lot from this legend?

‘NaaNda ungappan da..nallamuththu peran da..’

Team India might as well sing this to all the rival teams now..

Music of the Breeze..

2010-02-15T18:32:00.002+05:30

P B Shrinivas is a multi- faceted personality.

We all know that he is endowed with a Honey Soaked voice.
But not many people know that he is a linguist. He knows 14 languages.

The surprise does not end here.
He can write poems in all these languages.

Now in his 80s, this gentleman can be seen in all major Sabhas of Chennai like the Music Academy , Narada Gana Sabha etc., during any good music or dance shows.

Until recently his favourite spot was a very popular restaurant in Chennai near the Gemini Fly- over(which has since been demolished) and he could be spotted there almost everyday with sheaves of papers either writing or reading..

His association with Raaja sir is very interesting.

Sometime back in the same thread, I had written about the two hindi songs of NaNdu(1981) penned by PBS.

In 1993, Raaja sir was honuored by the film fraternity for scoring the symphony and this function was attended by a galaxy of stars across India.

The great legend of Indian Cinema Naushad(another poet) spoke about Raaja sir in Urudu and PBS was the translator.

At one point, PBS stopped and gave a perplexed look. Naushad asked him to translate what he said verbatim.

After lot of hesitation, PBS translated it.

‘’ILaiyaraaja has lot of stuff. I will never hesitate to learn many things about music from this gentleman.’’.

Everyone including Raaja sir was stunned.

It is not that PBS did not like what Naushad said. But he thought perhaps Naushad was getting emotional and was being overwhelmed by the occasion.

But Naushad said it was his true feeling coming straight from the heart and that PBS could translate what he said without any hesitation.

PBS and Raaja knew each other even when Raaja sir was GK Venkatesh’s assistant.

He admired Raaja sir’s talent and his quest for innovation.

I still remember him praising the song ‘Naane Naana’(Azhage Unnai Aardhikkiren) in one of the Tamizh magazines.

He has also sang one song in Raaja sir’s music and according to me the song is a marvel.

‘Thendrale Nee Pesu’(KadavuL Amaitha Medai-1979) has the contours of a ghazal.

It is based on Sindhu Bhairavi, a Raaga with many dimensions.Maybe Raaja sir composed it in this Raaga as a fitting tribute to a legend like PBS,who is a multi faceted personality.

The composition starts with the santoor that itself sets the tone for the beauty that is to follow.

The violin orchestra and the flute towards the end of the prelude make us feel the gentle breeze.

The breeze follows us throughout the composition.

Whether it is the lovely Flute or the dulcet violins, the wonderful santoor or the amazing bass work, it is mellowness all the way.

The Sarod in the second interlude plucks the strings of our hearts.

Charanams are constructed with melody as the edifice.

The way notes jump in the last lines of each Charanam is the speciality of the Master.

And the voice of PBS makes us all close our eyes and meditate.

In tamizh, ‘Vaadai’ is the breeze from north and it depicts ‘Viraha’ or separation.
‘Thendral’ is the breeze from the south and this depicts happiness.

In this song, we feel both Vaadai and Thendral.

Yes, it is the Music of the Breeze!

Spontaneity..

2010-01-23T19:10:00.003+05:30

Today is a special day for me since I met the Maestro exactly one year back on this day.

On this special day, let us see a special song..

Spontaneity has its own charm.

Anything that is spontaneous has no pretensions. Most importantly, it comes straight from the heart.

Given a chance to choose between the head and the heart, I would choose the heart. If the heart is pure, the entire system is healthy.

When an artiste realizes the beauty, internalizes the feelings and expresses himself/herself without any pretensions shedding all the pedagogic stuff, the performance reaches great heights. On the other hand, if the artiste indulges in gimmickry and tries to show off whatever he/she knows (or doesn’t know), it looks like a circus. The main objective of such artistes is to get applause. Yes, one can appreciate the ‘knowledge’ of the artiste but finally is that an art all about?

Our traditional folk music is great because it is without any pretensions. People who composed the music and the lyrics are illiterates. They do not perform in front of any audience (folk forms are performed on stage as well now-a-days but most of these artistes do not perform just to please the audience).

They sing to themselves.
They sing when they are happy.
They sing when they are sad.
They sing when they fall in love.
They sing when they long for their beloved.
They sing when a child is born.
They sing when somebody dies.

Singing here is only a form of expression for them.

But surprisingly enough, most of the songs fall under a scale/raga.

It is said that classical music originated from folk music and traditions.

I do not want to get into this debate now.

All I know is that Ragams like Sankarabharanam, Harikamboji, Mohanam, Sudhha Dhanyasi, Karaharapriya, Nata Bhairavi, Mayamalawagowla, Naadanamakriya, Punnagavaraali, Mukhari…are found in folk songs.

The song we are going to see today also follows the Mayamalawagowla.

It is ‘Enna Paattu Paada’ from ‘Sakkalaththi’(1979).

Here is a driver. No..he does not drive a motor car..nor does he drive a bike.

He is driving the Bullocks sitting on a cart.

He is enjoying his trip and wants to express it. Wants to sing but does not know what to sing..Suddenly, he listens to the chime of the bells tied to the neck of the bullocks.

He decides this will be the rhythm.
The song itself starts with the sound of the bells.

The voice innocently asks ‘What shall I sing?’

The beauty is after asking (literally) this thrice, he sings in tune.

The entire song then follows the rhythmic pattern of the Bullock carts.

We join this gentleman in his journey. We see the road-not a highway- a path full of stones and mud. A path that is dusty. But we also see the green fields. We also see the birds on the trees.We feel the joy of the ‘driver’ and it is infectious.

We see all these in the first interlude that has the flute, and other folk instruments.

The Guitar, the Shehnai, and the Flute show the betrayal, the hypocrisy, the hatred, and the arrogance of the mankind in the second interlude.

The voice of the Master adds to the beauty..

It is spontaneous!
Yes, it is without any pretensions!!

Breeze from the coconut tree..

2010-01-09T17:45:00.004+05:30

I have often been awestruck by the beauty of Coconut trees.

Always standing in a slanting position, the tree is a treat to watch.The coconuts are hidden behind the pinnate leaves and smile at us rather cheekily when the leaves sway.
The swaying of the pinnate leaves is another beauty.As we look up, they tend to nod their heads and somehow I am reminded of the elephant trunk!
The trunk of the tree is also very smooth.

The breeze from a coconut tree is special and in tamizh, it is called as ‘Tennankaatru’.
It touches us, embraces us and envelops us very gently.
Just like the song ‘Tennamaraththula Thendral Adikkuthu’ from ‘Lakshmi’(1979).

What strikes one first is the way the prelude and the pallavi have been composed.The flute, the bass guitar and the strings move so fast before we beat an eyelid.The different rhythmic patterns in Tisram within a space of few seconds are amazing.

The young voice of the master is as fresh and sweet as the coconut water.The very short flute piece adds to the taste.

A brief interlude and we hear Suseela. Honey mixed in coconut water.
The way the swaras are ‘packed’in the first two lines in the charanam , the way they move up and down and the way the last line is rendered in two octaves make it an aural treat.

The second interlude is dominated by the flute but let us not miss the other instruments that play different notes.

The clarinet greets us in the third interlude as the other folk instruments join the Village Party!

I remember reading the review in Vikatan that criticised the picturisation of this song.Thankfully, I have not seen the movie nor have I seen this song in motion.

That is why, this song still remains in me….just like the breeze from the coconut tree in my school and in my cricket ground those days!

Naan thinanthorum rasichaalum thigattathu pasikkathu ..

Poetry..Music..Nature..and..

2009-12-31T19:16:00.005+05:30

Poetry is a very beautiful thing indeed!

In fact, our life itself is poetic.

Coming to think of it, there is a close relationship between poetry, music, nature and life.

Sometime back I had written in my other Blog Ragaranjani
‘’Whenever we read something beautiful, we say it is poetic.
Whenever we hear something great, we say it is musical.

But we also use these expressions whenever we undergo a great experience…
We say ‘The journey was Musical’ or ‘The valley is poetic’.

At times we also say that the Music is so poetic or that the Poem is so Musical..

This is because there is a Connoisseur in all of us!’’

For some people, this ‘connoisseur’ is dominant.

They see poetry in all forms.

They feel music everywhere.

This is what Bharati was. He saw the almighty in everything. So poetic and of course philosophical was his outlook that even while touching the fire, he felt the pleasure of touching the God(‘TheekkuL viralai vaiththaal Nandalala, Ninnai TheeNdum Inbam Thondruthaiyya Nandalala’).

Another great poet Rabindranath Tagore describes a flower:

‘Pluck this little flower and take it, delay not!
I fear lest it droop and drop into the dust.

I may not find a place in thy garland, but honour it with a touch of
pain from thy hand and pluck it.

I fear lest the day end before I am
aware, and the time of offering go by.

Though its colour be not deep and its smell be faint, use this flower
in thy service and pluck it while there is time.’

Bharati and Tagore.

South and the East!
But look how poetic their approach to life was.

Such people are born to make mortals like us also feel poetic.

Another gentleman who is a living legend and who can be considered on par with Bharati and Tagore sees music everywhere.
To him even silence is musical.

Long back, he was asked as to what his most favourite instrument is.

Without any hesitation, he said the Tanpoora. Unable to comprehend what the Maestro meant, the interviewer-a cynic, who considered himself to be an authority in Carnatic Music and Dance- later ridiculed this.

There is indeed nothing to beat the drone of the Tanpoora. Only people who feel music everywhere can understand this.

At times, I have even wondered as to what makes his compositions so special.

Though there are a variety of reasons, I feel that his propensity and proclivity to appreciate nature is the main reason. And for this, we must all thank his rural upbringing.

If only he was born in Madras or even Madurai.......
He would have become a musician but I doubt if his music would have had this much of impact on all of us..

On this day as we step into a new year, let us look at one of his most beautiful compositions that sees the beauty of a village through the eyes of a city-bred young girl.

Generally,one would expect a folk melody for this situation(though this kind of a situation itself is a rarity in the present day movies!).

But the Emperor of Film Music has composed the song in a pure Carnatic Ragam, Madhyamavathi.

The song is ‘Solaikkuyile’from ‘Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu(1979).

This was also S.P.Shailaja’s first song for Raaja.

The song starts with a beautiful humming that is deep and crisp..

The musical piece that follows make us jump from our seats. The mesmerising flute transports us to a village effortlessly. The prelude winds up with a short piece that encapsulates Madhyamavati.

Musical images of a village!

The short Pallavi is delightful and prepares us for the treat.

The first interlude makes us see the wonderful vistas of the village as the flute plays with lucidity and fluidity.
The different rhythmic patterns in Tisram show us how musical the nature is.
The guitar piece is appealing and reveals the ravenous beauty of the place.

The vibrant end piece sustains the glory of the musical village.

The CharaNam is a dexterous display.

The first two lines are tender.

The third line is moving. A word of appreciation for the lyricist M.J.Vallabhan(his first film song!) for the line ‘Asaivil Isiayil Kanni Tamizhe’(‘The movements and the music is as beautiful as the Tamizh Language’).

The lines that follow are luminous.
It is Laya Raaja in full flow as he indulges in a beautiful rhythmic pattern.
Shailaja renders this rather tough piece lines with felicity.

In the second interlude, he weaves a silken thread.

The violins take us to a beautiful river in the village.
We immerse ourselves when suddenly we see the clear blue sky and looking at this grand spectacle, we shake our heads in disbelief as the guitar resonates.

Steeped in tranquility, we begin to swim as the violins play with harmonious precision.

The shrill flute makes us feel the stillness.

Nature’s overwhelming beauty!

Poetry, Music and Nature..
…And the Living Legend!

Darkness follows Light..and Light follows Darkness..

2009-12-22T18:09:00.003+05:30

I have often wondered at the beauty of the Raga system.A simple permutation and combination of same set of swaras give us what is called as Raga.This set pattern gives us various patterns and the probability of the same pattern getting repeated is very low.

Let us take just three compositions of Saint Thyagaraja- ‘Amma Raavamma’, ‘Nidhi Chaala Sukhama’, ‘Ethaa Unaraa’.All these are in Kalyani but still each one evokes a different kind of emotion.

‘Amma Raavamma’ extols Tulasi,’Nidhi Chaala Sukhama’ridicules the materialistic world and ‘Ethaa Unaraa’has philosophical contours.

While it is a fact that each Raga is unique, the mood of the raga also depends on how the composer conceives the composition and importantly how successful he is in terms of communicating this to the listener.

Hindustani music is very strict in even the time of a raga.For example, a Raag like Yaman(Kalyani in Carnatic music) can be sung only in the night while a Raag like Bhairav(Mayamalawagowla in CM) must be sung in the morning only. It is considered sacrilegious if these rules are broken. This is because it is believed that certain ragas evoke certain emotions and these are directly related to our biorhythms.

Carnatic Music does not have such strict rules though it does have morning ragas(Bhoopalam, Bowli, Bilahari), afternoon ragas(Madhyamavathi,Sriragam,Manirangu),evening Ragas(Vasanta, Lalita).There are also ragas for each rasa.

But the greatness of Carnatic music lies in its ability to be flexible and at the same time adhering to the rules.

That is why great composers like Thyagaraja, Dikshithar, and Shyama Sastry have been very successful in bringing out the emotions so subtly.

Long back, the great G.Ramanathan broke a rule.Mukhari, a raga considered to bring tears in our eyes was used by him in a romantic duet in a movie called Ambikapathi.Of course, there was a reason behind this as well.The movie was based on a (supposed)romance between Kamban’s son Ambikapathi and the King’s daughter Amaravathi with the Hero meeting a tragic end. GR sir brilliantly used Mukhari to foretell what was to come later.

Musicians are great indeed!

The Genius whose other name is ILaiyaraaja has used ragas so differently that at times it is difficult to believe that such ragas are also capable of evoking such emotions.

Mohanam was used in a pathos song-Oru Raagam Paadalodu Kaadhil Kettatho.
Kalyani in ‘Alai meethu Thadumaaruthe siru odam’.

Subhapantuvarali in a humourous song-‘Kandu Pidichchen’
Chakravaagam in a love duet-‘Nee Paathi Naan paathi’
VakulabharaNam as a philosopher-‘Aarum Athu Aaazham illai’.

These are just some examples.More examples will be shown in my 'Ragaranjani' Blog.

But I have always been intrigued by his use of one particular raga. Not a single human emotion has he left out using this raga. Not a single facet of this raga has he left uncovered in this raga.

In ‘Madha Un Kovilil’, the raga prays.

In ‘Mani Osai Kettu Ezhunthu’, the raga cries with the lover.

In ‘Shenbagame’, it waits patiently for her husband.

In ‘Enna Saththam intha neram’,it cries,laughs,dances,walks,runs,sits,meditates.

In ‘Enna solli naan ezhutha’, it writes a letter.

In ‘Aaatama Therottama’,it is a cabaret dancer.

In ‘Aasai Adhikam Vaichchu’, it is a tribal dancer.

In ‘Poongaatru Puthithaanathu’, the raga jumps with joy totally oblivious to the uncertain future.

In ‘VaLai Osai ‘, it is the naughty love.

In ‘Muththu Mani Maalai’ it is the newly married couple.

One can go on and on…

The rare gem of today is also based on the same raga.

It is ‘Hey Masthana..’ from ‘Azhage Unnai Aaradhikkiren’(1979).

The sequence is somewhat interesting.Two young lovers travel to Goa and dance with the hippies in the evening.The girl’s aunt- ditched by a man(villain!)-and a man totally devoted to this lady accompany the couple.

Listen to the prelude.The long flute slowly takes us away from the hustle-bustle of city life while the guitar and the chorus leave us in the midst of hippies.
A short interlude with the strings and the trumpet and we start dancing to the voices of Jayachandran and Jency.

The next interlude is what shows us the genius.

The western fast –paced beats suddenly give way to the violin evoking a totally different and contrasting emotion.

The next CharaNam is slow in keeping with the mental state of the senior couple.Vani Jayaram and SPB do full justice to the situation.

As the CharaNam ends, we start jumping with joy with the young lovers.

We continue to dance in the next interlude as the Shehnai and the other instruments stare at us with glee.

This continues in the CharaNam as well.

Now comes the beauty.
The flute and the violin making us close our eyes and just relax.
We become sober in the following CharaNam.

Contrasting emotions depicted so musically.

Well..after all what is life?
Darkness after light..and Light after Darkness..

Just like the Ragam-Sindhu Bhairavi!

It is raining music...

2009-12-18T12:14:00.003+05:30

It is raining in Chennai..
Yes..natural rain and musical rain(isaivizha).

Now talking about the rain,

Most of us have had the experience of watching a Drizzle..

Many of us have run out of the house to get drenched..

Some of us have danced to the beats of the rain drops..

Here is a song that makes us do all these!

This is a song for the 1977 film 'AaLukkoru Aasai'.

What makes this song great?

Is it the base voice rendering ?

Is it the very different tune ?

Is it the orchestration ?

Is it the modulation ?

Is it the acoustic Guitar that appears now and then?

Is it the Bass Guitar?

Is it the Spanish Flavour?

Is it Yesudass?

Is it Suseela?

Listen and tell me if you can find the answer..

If I was asked to describe this song in two different words,I would say

ABSTRACT
ECSTATIC

This is the real "Isaimazhai"!

Rain of Music!

Musical Hatari..

2009-12-16T15:40:00.001+05:30

Danger!

This is what Hatari means in Sawhili language.Swahili is one of the many dialects of Africa.’Hatari!’ is also the name of a 1962 film directed by Howard Hawks and John Wayne.The film was very popular in the ‘60s and the ‘70s because of many reasons.

It had some breathtaking live wildlife chases never seen before on the screen.

It was shot near the picturesque Mount Meru, a dormant volcano near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The actors (and therefore the characters) were from different parts of the world like the USA, Mexico, Germany, France, Italy.

One of the most popular tunes in the world , the ‘Baby Elephant Walk’ was composed for this film by the world renowned composer Henry Mancini. Mancini was the winner of Academy and Grammy awards and has also scored music for the ‘Pink Panther’ theme- a beautiful piece in Jazz.

Another world- class composer, who hails from India and who has given many excellent songs over the last 33 years gave a song that according to me is a Musical Hatari!

And that is today’s Rare Gem.

The song is ‘Nandavanaththil Vandha Kuyile’ from the film ‘Annai Oru Aalayam’(1979).

The Hero takes the Heroine for a ride(literally and metaphorically!).

Hunting is his hobby and the Heroine- as usual- is scared of animals and the forest.
He takes her on his jeep to show her the myriad hues of the forest.

The entire song is very fast and moves aesthetically like a Cheetah!

The opening itself is very beautiful and prepares us for the Ride.

The Pallavi in the magnificent voice of SPB is an incredible combination of power and elegance.

In fact, the entire song brings out the subtleties and the contrast. For example, the beginning of the first interlude is westernised with the electric guitar and the allied instruments and suddenly the flute appears from nowhere.

It gives traces of the Raag Jog. The beats then change when the trumpets take over.

The CharaNam is also astonishingly beautiful and we feel like being in KaLakkad forest.

We get to see the lions, tigers,antelopes,jackals, elephants in the second interlude.

The Bass work is so wonderfully conceived to give us the feel of the forest, the animals and the ride.

Truly a musical Hatari!

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Immortal Poems..Immortal Music..

2009-12-11T13:22:00.005+05:30

Subramaniya Bharati is one of the greatest poets of all times.

A very radical personality,he simplified Tamizh language. His poems covered a gamut
of subjects.

India, Tamizh Naadu, Tamizh languge,Freedom movement,Patriotism,National leaders,Other Countries,Bhakthi,Philosophy,Society, Feminism, Nature, Love,Kannan songs..well the list is endless.

What is amazing is that he was able to visualize India’s independence as early as 1910 and was able to sing ‘Aaduvome PaLlup Paaduvome..Aananda Suthanthiram Adainthu vittom Endru’(Let us sing and dance!We have attained freedom).

His clairvoyance is shown in another song where he says ‘Kaasi nagar Pulavar pesum Uraithaan Kaanchiyil Ketpatharkkor karuvi Seivom’(We shall invent an instrument that will make people in Kanchipuram listen to the speech of a poet in Kaasi).

In the days of Satellite televisions, DTH and the internet it is easy to ask ‘what is so special in this?’

But this poem was written much before a gentleman called Marconi invented Radio.

Bharati is also considered to be the father of New Poetry(Puthuk kavithai).

As we celebrate his 127th Birthday today,it is with great pride that I write about one of his songs set to music by the other genius, who is the Bharati of Film Music.

The Film Kavarimaan(1979), directed by Sp Muthuraman has some wonderful songs.It has a Thygaraja Keerthanam in Bahudari Ragam as well.We shall see this sometime later in this Blog.

The song ‘Solla Vallayo KiLiye’is very special.Sung by the veteran singer S.Varalakshmi, it is the first Bharati song set to tune by Raaja sir.

The entire song is in pure carnatic style.

The Pallavi is in Surutti, a beautiful and different raga considered to be very auspicious.In fact, it is not easy to handle Surutti since a small slip could land in Kedaragowla or at times even Madhyamavati.The sweet aalap in the beginning gives the essence of the Raga.

The first Charanam is in AtaaNa, a Raga full of valour.I am sure you all remember ‘Baala Kanakamaya’in Salangai Oli..

The brief sangathis after ‘AllikuLatharuge’ take us directly to the pond full of flowers.

The second charanam is in Shanmukhapriya and the Swara singing passages have a charm of their own and give us an exhilarating experience.

The Parrot seems to say this:

Long live the poems of Bharati! Long live the Music of Raaja!!

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I think of your Music..and it is so...sweet!

2009-12-05T19:22:00.003+05:30

What determines the mood in music?

Is it the Raga?
Is it the Tala?
Is it the way it is sung?

If it is the raga, then the Mukhaari(considered to be a ‘crybaby’ raga) song by G Ramanathan in ‘Ambikapathi’ should sound sad. But did he not do it for a romantic duet?

And what about the Mother of Pathos-Subhapantuvarali?

Raaja sir composed a song humourous peppy in this Ragam(‘Kandupidichen Kandupidichen'-Guru Sishyan’).

Maestro often says that music is nothing but a kind of ‘Sithtu Velai’(black magic).Of course, words of such geniuses should not be taken literally. They carry lot of meanings.

He has even composed a pathos song in Mohanam(Oru Raagam paadalodu-Aananda Ragam) and happy duets in Sivaranjani(Adi Aathaadi-Kadalora KavithaigaL, Vaa Vaa Anbe Anbe-Agni Nakshatram).

But I am still amazed by one of his compositions-I must say two compositions.

In 1979, he composed two different songs for two different movies.Both were based on the same Ragam, Abheri.Both followed the same Tala structure,the 7 beat Mishram.

But one was a slow (somewhat sad) song and the other a romantic solo.

The slow song is ‘Aayiram MalargaLe’(Niram Maraatha PookkaL).

The peppy number is the one we are going to see today.It is ‘Ninaiththaal Inikkum’from ‘KalyaNa Raman’.

‘Ninaiththal inikkum..’ starts with a humming of Janaki.And yes’Aayiram MalargaLe’ also starts with a humming.But look at the contrast!

The subtle bell sound the violin and the flute that follow are enough to create the right mood.

Now listen to the beats.

The ‘Tha Ki Ta Tha ka Dhi Mi’ that moves our hearts in ‘Aayiram malrgaLe’ sound so sensual in ‘Ninaiththal inikkum..’

In the first interlude, the guitar at the end plays almost the same notes as the Violins..but how different it sounds! The Flute appear now adding to the beauty.

We get to hear a classical western piece in the beginning of the second interlude and suddenly it becomes folksy.

The third interlude is aggressive and sensual at the same time.Of course, this has to do with the sequence in the movie where the Hero holds and throws away at a snake ‘hurled’ at him by one of the villains while the Heroine keeps singing at her house.

One has to also notice the difference in ‘speed’ between the Pallavi and the Charanams. But are they really different? They follow the same tala.It is the pattern played in the percussion instrument that gives us such an illusion.

So, now what determines the mood?

Whether it is ‘sa ga ma pa ni Sa/Sa ni dha pa ma ga ri sa’ or ‘Tha ki ta tha ka dhi mi’, it is the composer who determines and gives us the mood.

And aren't such compositions sweet even when we think of them?

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Garden of Music..

2009-11-27T19:29:00.001+05:30

It is a garden of flowers.We see the trees, plants, and creepers.We hear the song of the birds..

Is it just the birds?

Hey, wait! We feel the trees are singing; the plants and creepers providing the orchestra; the birds and animals dancing.

It is a garden of Swaras.. A Musical Garden!

‘Nadhiyai Thedi Vantha Kadal’(1979) was yet another novel adapted for movies.Written by the tamizh writer Maharishi, the novel revolved around one middle aged woman.

This was the last film of Jayalalitha who played the middle- aged woman.

But let us focus our attention on the musical garden.

The composition starts with the simple but beautiful humming of Shailajaa.

The birds welcome us ..and…the flood gates open.

It is a dazzling canopy as one hears the flute and we jump and run with joy.We chase the birds as the strings and the violins play.

We get to see the jumping rabbits, romantic deers, majestic lions, astonishingly beautiful monkeys, and sweet parrots in the first interlude.

In the second interlude dominated by the violin (and how wonderfully conceived!), we see the multi hued butterflies flapping their wings and playing with the flowers.We see the luscious fruits.We see the covey of birds.

A grand spectacle!

It is palpable blithe in the third interlude as the violins follow the strings.

Harmony all around.

Yes, harmony of nature.Harmony of his music.

Garden of flowers-Garden of Swaras-Garden of the Emperor of Film Music!

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Musical River

2009-11-26T18:02:00.001+05:30

Rivers are Very Musical.

Saint Thyagaraja lived in the village Thiruvaiyaaru-meaning the confluence of Five Rivers.

The River Danube flows in Vienna considered to be the Temple of Western Classical Music.

One can give more and more examples..

Apart from these facts about the composers and rivers, we also know how musical the river sounds when it flows.

It is said that in the olden days, Carnatic Musicians used to do Saadhakam(practice) standing neck deep in the river.

The River gave their voice a special charm and Shruti unison.I have a feeling that it also gave them the Laya Gnaanaa(sense of rhythm)!

The Emperor of Film Music also grew up in a place very close to where the Vaigai River flows rhythmically.. And I am sure this has had a great impact on him.

There is an old composition of his where the river Cauvery has been dealt with romantically.

The song is ‘Cauviriye..’ from ‘Archchanai PookkaL’(1980).

River and Romance..

Is there any surprise then that he chose the Mohanam Raga for this?

With just the sound of the strings, we are transported to the banks of Cauvery.

We see the white water birds welcoming us.

The Bass Guitar and the strings play and river smiles as we place our feet somewhat stealthily on the water.

The golden voice of SPB hums blissfully with the repartee from the flute and there..we jump into the river ready to taste the beauty of the music.

Janaki joins with her sweet voice and we begin to swim.

We see the sinuous waves as the violins play and we go with the stream.We see the playful fish under the water as the Flute throbs.

As the Charanam is sung, we look up at the golden sky and are mesmerized by the sight. As the alien note is used now, we take a turn and watch a grand spectacle.

We see the celadon green fields as the river speaks to the plants and trees.

The raindrops now fall on us and now it is the romance between the river and the rain.
It is the vibrant Flute again.

The River now passes through craggy surface and is slightly obstreperous as it gushes out spraying water all around.

It is in perfect synchrony as it continues to flow nonchalantly .We get out of the river and step on the banks reluctantly…. only to take a plunge again!

What an enchanting experience!

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Shruti and Laya..

2009-11-24T21:03:00.002+05:30

Status of women in the society- a pet topic of many. A topic that will be discussed/debated/argued but finally end up doing nothing. The way society (society includes women too..) contradicts itself baffles us.

At one extreme, women are glorified as Gods(or is it goddesses?).At the other extreme, they are considered as glamourous creatures meant for providing fun and entertainment.In between are the various roles that they are expected to perform without fail.

Why should they be deified in the first place and then pushed to a corner?

Let us look at films. Of course, a majority of the films is ‘hero-oriented’ and the heroine speaks like a doll, dances like a doll, runs like a doll, cries like a doll, laughs like a doll.. But what about the ‘Heroine-oriented’-or rather ‘Women-oriented’ subjects ? Here, the lady invariably sheds tears, does a lot of ‘sacrifices’, brings up her children/brothers(or even husband!) but reveres her ‘mangalasutram’ and finally dies on her husband’s lap.

One of the very few exceptions was a film called ‘Thyaga Bhoomi’(1939)-story by tamizh writer Kalki-where the main protagonist fights for her rights till the end.This movie was a box-office hit and was later banned by the British Govt. for its pro-Freedom movement ‘propaganda’.More about this later in some other thread(maybe Vintage thread).

Though Rudraiah made an effort in ‘AvaL Appadiththaan’(1978), the film failed to make a real impact because of the weak screenplay.

It is rather unfortunate that exceptions have always been exceptions and no film maker dared to make a movie to show the woman as woman.

The film songs too echo the same sentiments.

The Lady Love will be addressed as ‘Maane Thenae’(Oh..Deer/honey) and will be mainly described as one who fulfils the wishes of her lover.

However, today’s Rare gem is an exception. Here too, the male sings ‘women are like deer’ with the female countering him. But the end is very interesting.

The song is ‘PaavaiyargaL Maanpole’ from ‘Ore Muththam’(1980).

The song starts with a beautiful harmonium piece- that lasts for at least half a minute- giving a Qawaali flavour.

The Pallavi-rendered by SPB- says ‘Women are like deer; like the Cauvery river.If only they lead their lives properly, they are more than angels. Why be modern?’

The Qawaali flavour continues in the first interlude with the Shehnai, harmonium and the claps..

The first charanam talks about the looks of an ideal woman-well-braided hair bedecked with flowers..It also asks the woman to read tamizh(does the poet mean tamizh culture or tamizh language?)

The second interlude changes beautifully.The Qawaali now becomes jazz with the trumpets, electric guitar and a host of other western instruments.

The tempo too changes in the charanam as Janaki renders ‘A virtuouswoman can be found in a forest or even in a ‘Daasi’s house(I am sure no translation is required for this word!).I know what I am and I don’t need anybody to preach me’.

The next tempo change is very interesting and intelligent too..The 4-beat Chatusram changes to the 3-beat Tisram.The orchestration is jazzy again and makes us tap our feet.

The male now sings ‘The heavens protect you when you wear a saree(silk!!).God comes to you when you are with your sindoor and flower(wow!what a way to suppress woman by glorifying her beauty!)’

Repartee by the female: ’Even if the God comes now, he will be by my side since times are changing.Please put things in the proper perspective.If you can’t ask me’.

The next interlude has the Shehnai bit alone indicating how the momentum has picked up.
The tempo changes yet again and the male now sings’ Women those days would only look at the ground while walking (so scared of the silly men folk!) but the present day woman smiles directly looking at our faces(maybe so handsome!).If a woman laughs it is doomsday’.

One more jazzy interlude followed by my favourite charanam.

The female says ‘If I make a mistake, you are welcome to tell me and similarly, if I find a problem in you, I shall point out.After all, Men and Women are equal.’

Now both sing, ‘Good and bad exist in everything. Let us discover the world.Let us unite!’.

Yes.. let us learn this.

Men and Women differ physically.. biologically...maybe emotionally..
But both have equal rights. One cannot exist if the other ceases to exist.

Like the Sruti and the Laya..

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Flowers that bloom once in a century..

2009-10-30T18:10:00.003+05:30

The Music Director said ‘Thaanaa Thaanaanaa’ and the lyricist wrote’ Rajavai Paarunga’. Everyone in the composing room said ‘ok’. But the Youngman, an assistant to the Music Director said ‘No’.The perplexed lyricist looked at him and asked him the reason. The Youngman said ‘The tune is ‘Thaanaa Thaanaanaa Thaanaana Thaanaanaa’and therefore the word ‘Rajavai’ will not fit in ‘Thaana’.The lyricist changed it to ‘Raja Paarunga Rajavai Parunga’.But obviously he felt insulted.He had been there in the industry for more than a decade and here was a small assistant finding fault with his writings.

He vented his anger at the Senior Music Director in a party the same evening. He accused the MD of insulting him using a ‘chotta guitarist’.But the senior did not budge. He said ‘If there is a mistake, there is nothing wrong in pointing out’.
This incident happened during the composing session of a Tamizh movie ‘Piriyavidai’.

Music Director - G.K.Venkatesh
Lyricist – Vaali
Guitarist/Assistant-Do I need to say?

The story does not end here. During the composing of BadrakaaLi, Vaali recalled this and asked Raaja if he remembered the incident.
Any other lyricist would have held a grudge against a junior- who found fault with his lines- and would have waited for an opportunity to give it back. But not this gentleman.

That is Vaali!

I wish a very happy 78th birthday to one of the most brilliant lyricists (next only to Kannadasan).

Vaali’s original name is Rangarajan. He was born in a conservative family in Srirangam and right from his childhood showed a lot interest in sketching(both pictures and poems).Not many people know that he and writer Sujata(whose real name was also Rangarajan) authored a kind of magazine in Srirangam in their younger days. I am saying ‘a kind of ‘because this magazine was not printed and the contents were handwritten. It was called as ‘Kai Ezhuththu Paththirikkai’ and the concept was unique (unfortunately such concepts do not exist now. First of all, do we write anything at all? We only type!).

Rangarajan-the poet and the aspiring lyricist went to Madras during early ‘60s.Those days, it was very difficult for a newcomer to enter the film world. Repeated door-slamming and insinuations made him disillusioned. The Youngman decided to end his life…

It was at this point that he happened to listen to two songs-‘Vaazha Ninaiththaal Vaazhalam’(Bale PaNdiya) and ‘Mayakkam Kalakkama’(Sumai Thaangi) both penned by the great Kannadasan. The wordings had a deep impact on him. He gained confidence.
His outlook and perception about life changed.

Rangarajan became Vaali.

His first song was for the K.S.Gopalakrishnan directed ‘Karpagam’(1963) and there was no looking back after that.He has seen four generations of Heroes(I am sure it will continue for the 5th generation too) and has written the most number of songs in Tamizh Cinema.

Vaali’s words are very simple but sharp. Of course, though he considers Kannadasan as his ‘Maanaseeka Guru’ he has his own style that is impeccable. He is also adept in writing ‘Pudhukkavaidhai’(a form of poetry that does not necessarily follow grammar).Unlike some other ‘poets’ who with their bloated egos call themselves as masters of this form and use dry meaningless fillers most of the times, Vaali’s Pudhukkavidhai is unique, is rich in design and is very meaningful. He penned many wonderful ‘Pudhukkavithai’s in the Balachander directed movie ‘Agni Satchi’.

His works in Pudhukkavidhai like ‘Paandavar Bhoomi’, ‘Avadaara Purushan’, ‘Krishna Vijayam’, ‘Ramanuja Kaaviyam’ were serialized in a tamizh magazine and I would say they are sure to find a place in the annals of Tamizh Literature. In fact, even a non-believer like KaruNanidhi appreciated these works on Hindu mythology. It seems he would read them first thing in the morning every week when the magazine was out and would pick up the phone to speak to Vaali.

I was also very happy to see the lines from PaaNdavar Bhoomi being used in a Bharatanatyam performance recently.

Like all great artistes, Vaali is a very sensitive and his short-temper is well-known. He never hides his feelings when he is upset. However, he also understands that it is all part of the game and gets on with the wrok. Once it seems Kamal was not happy with a song and Vaali had to keep changing the lyrics 5 times. The sixth time, he wrote something, threw the papers and said ‘This is it. I can’t write better than this’ and walked out.
The song was ‘Unnai Ninaichen Paattu Padichen’ from ‘Apoorva Sagodharargal’

He is also very sharp with a great sense of humour. Once a scribe asked him the reason for his pen name. He replied that like the mythological Vaali -who had a boon of absorbing half the power of any opponent thus becoming doubly stronger- he also wanted to take and absorb good things from the people he met. The naughty scribe told him ‘But you don’t seem to have so much of power or knowledge’. Pat came the reply from Vaali ’That is because I come across only people like you in my life. ‘The scribe was zapped.

That is Vaali for you.

Vaali’s association with Raaja is very special.Pl. refer the beginning of this post. What started as a kind of spat between the two has now become a very healthy relationship, one of mutual admiration. Was it just a coincidence that he wrote ‘Raja Paarunga..Raajavai Paarunga’ when Raaja was just a guitarist?

All of us saw how he spoke about Raaja and Semmangudi sir’s appreciation for his music in the live show organized by a TV channel 4 years back. It came straight from the heart. He also said it was Raaja who taught him to write ‘VeNba’(a form of classical poetry in tamizh).Though I do not have numbers and records to back, I feel Vaali has written more number of songs for Raaja sir(than for any other composer).Their combination has produced some of the most memorable songs in the history of Tamizh Cinema.

Today’s song is one such gem. It is ‘Kurinji Malaril Vazhindha Rasaththai’ from ‘Azhage Unnai AaraadikkiRen’(1979).
Raaja sir is known for giving tough and very long pallavis.Most of them will have to be sung in single breaths(examples:KaNmaNiye Kaadhal Enbathu, Thiruththeril Varum Silaiyo..).

This song is no exception.

The Pallavi has 27 phrases. Imagine the plight of the lyricist listening to the ‘Tharana Tharana..’.Any other lyricist(of course with the exception of Kannadasan) would have asked for sometime to write and get back.Some lyricists also take a stroll in a park(it is not the metaphorical ‘walk in the park’) in the night and go back with the lyrics after a day or two!

Vaali wrote ‘Kurinji Malaril Vazhintha Rasaththai Urinja Thudikkum Udhadu Irukka Odiyathenna Poovidhazh Moodiyathenna En Manam Vaadiyathenna Oru Maalai Idavum Selai Thodavum VeLai PiRanthaalum Andhi Maalai Pozhuthil Leelai Puriyum Aasai PiRakkatho ‘

Romance bordering on eroticism..

Look at the rhyming words ‘Thudikkum’, ‘Odiyathenna’, ‘Moodiyathenna’, ‘Vaadiyathenna’ and Maalai, Selai,VeLai, Maalai,Leelai.’Maalai’ in the firs instance means ‘garland’ and in the second one means ‘evening’.

It is interesting to see the response of the lady.When she sings the Pallavi at the end of the first CharaNam, she changes the words and says ‘Kurinji Malaril Vazhintha Rasaththai Unrinja Thudikkum Udhadu Irandum Vaadiyathenna Poovidhazh Thediyathenna Ennidam Naadiyathenna Oru Maalai Idavum Selai Thodavum VeLai PiRakkatho Andha VeLai VaRaiyil KaaLai Unadhu Ullam PoRukkatho’.

Imagination and Creativity at its best!

I can go on writing about the CharaNams as well but would like to leave it to the readers to listen and appreciate the beauty.

Let me say a few words about the music now.

The prelude itself is brilliant. Look how the flute entices us with repeat notes, how the delightful electric guitar surrounds us and how the stirring violins play with harmonious precision.

In the first interlude, the accordion (?) is crisp, the Violins are deep, and the electric guitar enterprising.The lilting Veena and the soulful flute take over giving us an enchanting experience.In fact, the Veena dominates all the interludes and the reason for its sounding melancholic is because of the situation in the movie.(I am sure you all remember ‘Hey masthana’ from the same movie which was discussed in the same bolg sometime back).

The melancholy mood is seen in the second interlude as well while the third interlude is somber and intense.

All the three charaNams have melting phrases and both SPB and Vani Jayaram have done justice to the song.

‘Kurinji’ flowers are unique to Tamizh Nadu and its culture and one finds a lot of reference to this flower in Sangam Literature.This flower which is purple-blue in colour blooms once in 12 years -in Kodaikanal and Ooty and the name Nilgiris was acquired because of this flower only.

People like Kannadasan, ILaiyaraaja and Vaali are also like the Kurinji flowers..except that we get to see such flowers once in a century..

Grand Chariot!

2009-10-01T19:55:00.004+05:30

Said Kamalhaasan, '‘Like BC and AD, Tamizh cinema can be divided into two eras –BS and AS.There is no actor in the AS era who does not have the influence of ‘S’ '' .

What is AS and BS? First of all, who is that ‘S’?

I am sure most of you would have guessed who it is.

Yes,it is none other than Sivaji Ganesan, one of the greatest actors cinema has ever seen.

Vizhuppuram Chinnasamy Ganesan was born on the 1st of Oct 1928.
He dropped out from the school at the age of 12 to join a Drama Company(yes..such things were existing those days!).

He learnt things the hard way.Small ,minor roles to start with ;supporting roles over a period of time;major roles; finally a Hero.

The play ‘Sivaji KaNda Hindu Saamraajayam’ was watched by none other than the great Thanthai Periyar who was so enthralled with the performance of Ganesan that he called him ‘Sivaji’ Ganesan.

And that was the beginning (that has no end).

His first movie 'Parasakthi' brought him many accolades.The story and dialogues of Kalaignar KaruNanidhi uttered with clarity by Sivaji Ganesan was the talk of the town then.

He also joined the Dravidian movement and came out of it in the mid ‘50s to become a staunch Congressman and a disciple of Kamarajar.

What can one say of his acting skills and talent?

Words like Multi Dimensional and Multifarious have no meanings in front of this Himalaya.

Though he was a natural actor, he constantly updated his skills and never hesitated to learn from anybody.

For his role as the poet Thirunaavukkarasar-a.k.a.Appar-in the movie ‘Thiruvarutchelvar’, his inspiration was the Paramacharya of Kanchi.He spent time observing the seer and brought out his mannerisms wonderfully.

Rajaji who hated cinema has watched only two movies in his entire life ,one of them being ‘Thikkatra Paarvathi, a story written by him on the evils of alcoholism.The other movie was SampoorNa RaamayaNam where NTR played the role of Rama and Sivaji,the role of Bharata.

He was so captivated by just an eye movement of Sivaji in one of the sequences that he said that alone is enough to show the genius of this man.

Very recently, I had the opportunity to attend a function to falicitate the great Bharatanatyam dancer Shri.Dhananjayan,who is very well known for his facial expressions.He remarked that Sivaji Ganesan was one oF his inspirations.

There are many souls across the globe who have been inspired by this great man.

There are also some who say he tends to ‘overact’.Fine..but is cinema itself not an exaggerated art form?

Sivaji and ILaiyaraaja were great friends and had mutual admiration.

I had written about Sivaji-Raaja story in my write-up on Deepam in the Vintage Raja thread.

In fact, some of the common traits are striking.

No formal education.
Born geniuses.
Came up the hard way.
Very punctual(both of them will be in their respective studios at 7 am sharp!).
Inspiring.(Tamizh cinema music also has two eras-BI and AI).

In fact, the day before Sivaji Ganesan passed away,Raaja sir was away in Mumbai doing the re recording for the Hindi film 'Lajja'.He was running very high temperature and as soon as he came to know that his idol was critically ill, he flew down to Chennai.

By then, it was all over.

But Raaja being Raaja accompanied the body-along with Kamal, Rajini,and Bharatiraja-in an open van till the crematorium-a four and half hour journey despite the high fever.

That is the regard and respect he had for the great actor-sorry,the greatest actor!
And maybe that is the reason he gave some unforgettable music for almost all Sivaji movies-starting from 'Deepam' to 'Devar Magan'.

Coming to think of it, my all time favourite ‘Engengo Sellum’ is also from a Sivaji movie.

Today, we are going to see one of the gems.Incidentally, the three doyens-the three lions-of Tamizh Cinema,Kannadasan, Sivaji Ganesan and ILaiyaraaja are present in this song.

There is another interesting story-though personal.

My seven year old son loves this song and asked me to write about the song a year back.

Maybe it is destined to happen on this special day.

The song is ‘Thiruththeril Varum Silaiyo..’from ‘Naan Vaazha Vaippen’(1979).

The opening of the song itself is special.
The Guitar jumps with joy as the violins join the party.
Yes,it is party time!
Party in Mohanam...

We see the beautiful Statue(of liberty?)coming to life with SPB’s voice.
We see and hear the parrot as Suseela joins.

In the first interlude, we see the Statue and the parrot play-running around, hopping,dancing,and hide and seek.

The first Charanam epitomises Mohana Ragam.

Lullaby?Lotus Dance?Fragrance of flowers?Shower of Musical notes?

A beautiful Raga embellished by a beautiful composer.

The second interlude is another marvel.

Musical notes of one orchestra repeated by the other two-canon in western music parlance-produces a magnetic effect.

As we immerse ourselves in this beauty, we are stirred by the guitar that makes us sway giving us goosepimples.

In the second Charanam, we see the temple.We hear the music.We feel the breeze singing in chaste tamizh.

And there we see the masterstroke of the lyricist.

He describes the month of Karthigai as the one full of brightness -meaning Kaarthigai,the festival of lamps.Maargazhi,the following month as per Tamizh calendar is considered to be the most divine month.

The heroine here sings ‘Devan Varum Maargazhi’-the month when the Lord comes.Pl. note that Christmas is also celebrated in Maargazhi and it is believed that Jesus would one day come back here to save us all.

That is why the poet says ‘En Devan Anuppiya Dhoothuvan’(Jesus is considered as Deva Dhootan-the ambassador of the Lord!).

The one who comes on the Grand Chariot..like Kannadasan, Sivaji and ILaiyaraaja..
Are they also not the ambassadors of the Lord?

My Dream...

2009-08-12T10:02:00.000+05:30

Call it luck.. Call it fate.. Call it even destiny.
The entry of the genius into Film music happened during my formative years.

It has been proved scientifically that the formative (or adolescent) years shape up one’s personality. What we are likely to be/ how are likely be in future is determined to a great extent during these years. I am not sure if I would have got into appreciating music, literature and aesthetic things in general if not for my exposure to his music during those years.

And if I were asked to thank somebody/something for my exposure to his music, without any hesitation I would thank Radio Ceylon(Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation, Tamizh service).

Listening to radio nowadays is confined to a plethora of FM Channels. But those days, one had to listen only to the State controlled AIR which had its own whimsical ways. Long back, I had mentioned about the banning of songs like ‘Vaangonna..’ and ‘Oram Po’.It was not just this aspect.They were also very choosy in airing songs.For example, they would play only two songs from a particular movie repeatedly making one feel there were no other songs from the album. Songs like ‘Gyaan Gyaan Paadanum’(PoonthaLir) were anathema since it had Malayalam lyrics(sounding crazy?).Of course, the only thing we all enjoyed was the commercial show between 9.30 and 10.30pm every night where the promos of movies would be played along with the songs.

In this scenario, SLBC was a Godsend to lakhs of people in Tamizh Nadu.The Programmes would start at 7 am in the morning and go on till 6pm in the evening.T he versatility of the programmes that ranged from very old songs to brand new songs was amazing!

In fact, they would even bring us recorded versions of a Live Studio Recordings.I remember listening to the recordings of ‘Kaaththodu poo urasa’(Anbukku Naan Adimai) and many wonderful songs.

The versatility was not just in the programmes. It was also in the way it was presented and this is where the announcers(sorry..I don’t want to call them RJs) played a major role. The majestic Mayilvaganan(Senior), the flamboyant K.S.Raja, the honey-soaked Rajeswari Shanmukham, and my idol B.H.Abdul Hameed..the list goes on.

All these Super 10s, and singing competitions that we get to see now on TV were conducted by SLBC more than 30 years back without in anyway compromising on the decency and decorum.

I am now sad not just because we no longer get to listen to this channel but also because of the present condition in Sri Lanka. I had a very unique bond with thousands of people who would regularly write/participate in the programmes there.
I am not sure how many of them are alive.I am not sure how many of them are homeless. I am not sure how many of them have lost their parents, their brothers, their sisters.

My heart bleeds for these brothers and sisters who were instrumental in developing my taste.

Today’s Rare Gem is dedicated to all these people.

It is a song which used to be aired at least 15 times in a week (at times even thrice on a single day!).

It is ‘Aasai Nenjin KanavugaL VaLarpiRai’from ‘Mugaththil Mugam Paarkalaam’(1980).

On first listening, the song appears to be very mundane and simple. But once it gets into our system, it is very difficult to separate.

The strings of Santoor supported by a rather sharp percussion; melodious flute playing Mohanam;the violins making an appearance in western style; the resonant Veena joining gracefully.
This is the 30 second prelude magic for you.

Malaysia Vasudevan starts the Pallavi in his own unconventional style.

The majestic Violin orchestra in full flow in the beginning of the first interlude. The Flute takes over in a folksy style as we travel from Vienna to Vaadipatti. The Veena joins again pulling the strings of our hearts. Carefully listen to the counterpoints here.. and of course the very subtle bass work. The mix of alien swaras in the Veena only adds to the beauty.

It is now Suseela’s turn as she starts ‘Pongi Varum alai..’ with the violins and the flute following her closely. Vasu now replies ‘Malar kaNaigaL..’ and we become drunk with the beauty.

The stringed instrument -that is ubiquitous in Raaja’s ‘70s compositions- partners with Bass Guitar and it is the Violin Orchestra yet again that flow like a clear stream with the Veena welcoming them with a smile. The Flute now jumps with joy and literally dances.
This second interlude is one of my favourite interludes and I would be playing this mentally whenever I feel like it.

The graceful Veena dominates the third interlude. The repartee by the Violins is the mark of the Master.The effervescent Santoor greets us all..

Though all lines are unforgettable, the second CharaNam has some special wordings that are very relevant:’KanavugaLe Ninaivil Varum..NinaivugaLe Nidamum Sugam’(Dreams come as thoughts and these thoughts are always enjoyable).

The thoughts linger in me.. the nostalgia.. the formative years.. the Radio channel…and the people of Sri Lanka..

And my dream is to see my brothers and sisters live peacefully again.

‘Enathu Nenjin KanavugaL VaLarpiRai’

It is like the waxing moon..Let us hope to see the Full moon soon!

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=364771

Pearl(s) in an oyster!

2009-07-30T11:35:00.000+05:30

Kannadasan, according to me is the greatest lyricist in Tamizh Cinema.

There are a lot of similarities between Raaja sir Kannadasan.

Both are spontaneous and can compose in a jiffy.

Both are from rustic background.

Both do not have formal education (school drop outs!).

Both are very frank and do not hesitate to speak their minds (and earned enemies/detractors because of this).

And yes, spiritually inclined..

Kannadasan had a special liking for Raaja sir though his favourite was MSV sir who was like a younger brother.

In fact, Panchu Arunachalam who introduced Raaja sir in Films is Kannadasan’s nephew.

Raaja sir also had(and has) the highest regard for Kannadasan.

Before leaving for the US in the year 1981, Kannadasan wrote two songs for Raaja and it seems told his assistant ‘Raaja is very lucky because I probably wrote my last song in movies.After returning from the US, I wish to focus fully on spiritualism and don’t intend to write anymore for films.’

How prophetic it turned out to be!

Kannadasan died in the US and would never write again..

And the last songs were written for ‘Moondram Pirai’.

Though there are lot of gems in the Raja-Kannadasan combination (‘Engengo Sellum’, ‘Devathai oru Devathai’, ‘Kovil Mani Osai’-just to name a few!), I am taking up a very rare song which cannot be seen anywhere..

Cannot be seen anywhere?

Yes, because though it was composed for a movie, it was not present in the final cut.

It is ‘Aazhak Kadalil Thediya Muthu’ from ‘Sattam en Kaiyil’(1978).

The whole song follows the ‘wavy’ pattern and is as soft as any lullaby could be.

The song starts with a whistle like sound followed by the flute in lower octave, Santoor and the violins.

The interludes are simple but great. The sudden surge of the strings in the first interlude looks like a huge wave raising and kissing our feet.

The ‘Heyyy..’ in the second interlude takes us straight to the catamaran on the sea.

The third interlude makes us close our eyes and enjoy the sea breeze.

In the third Charanam the mother and father sing to the child.

The mother says,’Your father gave the pearl.’
Father says’Your mother is a golden oyster’.
Both of them say ‘We swam and had a dip to bring you out’.

‘Chippikkule Muthu vaichu unnai thantha appa kanne..
Chippiyilum Thanga Chippi Unnai Pethha Amma Kanne
Neendhinom muzhginom unnai edukka’

Very subtle (sounds more subtle in the original ..)

I wish Lyricists of today who tend to take a dip and dunk in vulgarity took a leaf or two from the Master Lyricist..

Aazha Kadalil Thediya MuthukkaL-ILaiyaraaja and Kannadasan!

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=207160

Musical march of the flowers..

2009-07-24T10:37:00.000+05:30

One of the many beautiful things in this world is the flower.

Flowers give us fragrance.
Flowers give us happiness.
Flowers make us soft.
Flowers make us mellow.
Flowers give us strength.
Flowers give us a new meaning in life.

Coming to think of it, that great thing in the world called as Music also gives us all these..

Our Literature is also replete with references to Flowers.

Music, Literature and Flowers..
Lot of similarities!!

What happens when flowers take out a march accompanied by Music and lyrics?

Is it not a triple treat?

‘Azhagiya MalargaLin Pudhu Vidha Orrvalame..’ from Ullasa ParavaigaL(1980) gives us this treat.

We see the buds swaying their heads in the first part of the prelude and these begin to dance to the beats in the middle part.

These buds now begin to smile as the western flute is played and …start blooming to the background of violins.

What a great sight it is!

Has anyone ever watched the buds turn as flowers..

His Music makes us see this marvel!

The first interlude is sheer magic as the flowers nod their heads to the pure western classical tune..

We see the Lily, We see the Daisy.
We see the Daffodil, We see the Ambrosia.
We see the Carnation, We see the Lavender.
We see the Marigold, We see the Sunflower.

It is the Painter’s Palette!

The second interlude is a riot of colours as all these flowers march ahead acknowledging the music of the Great Composer…

The voice of Janaki flows like the honey from each of these flowers..

The phrase ‘Vannam Vannam Kannil Minna.. nana.. nana..’ makes the decoration even more beautiful.

Yes..It is the Musical March of the Flowers!!

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=218754

Music is Universal..

2009-07-23T11:48:00.000+05:30

Music is Universal!

The more I think of music or the more I listen to all forms of music, this phrase keeps coming in my mind and I cannot help it!

Maybe that is the power of Music itself.

Though Raaja sir has melded all major forms of music in many of his compositions, I would like to take up one of the songs today as an example.

It is ‘Eriyile Elantha maram’ from ‘Karai Ellam Shenbagappoo’(1981).

The story was by Sujata and it came as a serial(sorry!not a TV serial) in the Tamizh magazine Ananda Vikatan between 1978 and ’79.

A very interesting fact about this story was that Sujata wrote this after Raaja sir asked him to write something about the folk songs of Tamizh Nadu.

The hero visits a village to research on the folk music.The story takes an interesting twist and becomes a murder mystery.

Sujata in his inimitable style had woven the story interestingly giving a special colour to each colour.

If the case of‘NaNdu’(Sivasankari-Mahendran) was one extreme where the story was changed (rather abridged), ‘Karai Ellam Shenbagappoo’ was another extreme.The Director G N Rangarajan stuck to the story religiously. But he failed to bring out the flavour of each character.

Therefore, it was like a replica but without any life.

For example, Sujatha touched upon the platonic love between the hero and Valli, the village girl in a very subtle poetic way. This was absent in the movie.

Subtle and Poetic?

Are we not expecting too much from Tamizh Cinema Directors?

But, yes, we are fully justified if we expect this from a Genius whose other name is ILaiyaraaja.

And he has never disappointed us.

Though all songs in ‘Karai Ellam Shenbagappoo’ are great, my pick is ‘Eriyile..’
Not without a reason..

The song gives us Carnatic, Western classical, Folk within a matter of seconds.

The notes of this raga form the Major scale in Western music.

The prelude starts with the bass guitar and the chorus voice sings ‘sa ri ga ma pa dha ni Sa’ followed by ‘Thanthana naadeenam Thanthananna’.

Any other proof needed for the universality of music?

And in the hands of the master, the universal music takes a wonderful shape.

The Pallavi gives us all shades of the scale in different octaves.

What does one say about the versatile Janaki amma?

Look at the way she sings like a 12 year old boy..

The interludes are great-as usual -starting with the flute in western style, chorus( in harmony), and the folk instruments in the first interlude, a mini percussion ensemble- called as ‘Tani avarthanam’ in Carnatic Music parlance-in the second interlude show the Emperor of Universal music in full flow.

Eriyilum Karaiilum Shenbagappoo, Isai poo..

(Musical flowers on the Lake and on the banks!)

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=216752

Midair romance!

2009-07-22T11:09:00.001+05:30

When we listen to great music, we say it is out of the world..

We feel as if we are floating in the air..

We feel as if we are flying..

What happens if the song itself is sung in mid air?

Yes, the Hero and Heroine fly in different aircrafts and sing..

Absurd? Well.. maybe .But do movies follow any logic?

In a way it is good because we would not have got some gems.
As long as we get great music, I do not think we should complain.

In Guru(1980), Kamal is a modern day Robinhood and the Villain tries to ‘sell’ military secrets of India to another country. This he does by hiring a small private aircraft. He is accompanied by-no prizes for guessing-the Heroine, Sridevi who has no inkling of what the villain is doing(pl. read the line again!). And thinks the Hero is the Villain.

Of course role reversals do take place everywhere..right?

The Hero-in another private aircraft- follows the Villain to thwart his attempts. Not just this..

He follows the Heroine as well and expresses his love..

How does he express his love?

Any other Music Director would have used ‘I Love You’..

But not the Maestro.

As soon as the situation was explained to Raaja sir by the Director I V Sasi, he devised an ingenious way.. musical way..

He used the aircraft signal (somewhat similar to morse code).
The song starts with the beep sound which when translated means ‘I Love You’!

This beep sound forms the theme music of the entire song.

That is why I keep saying he is the eighth wonder…

He creates the atmosphere of aircrafts just with the Bass Guitar the wind instruments, and the violins..

The beautiful Flute in the second interlude makes us see a bird’s eye view of …not just the village/town/city/country but also the entire World. The Music World of the wonder called ILaiyaraaja!

Whenever I fly (normal aircraft of course!), I too say ‘Paranthaalum vida matten’-meaning I will not leave you even when I fly..

Yes….. I will not leave his music even when I am in midair..

The Queen goes looking for the King of Music!

2009-03-01T14:52:00.003+05:30

It is a well known fact that Raaja had done many experiments.

He brought a new dimension to orchestration and arrangement.He used different kinds of instruments and each one would overlap on each other producing harmony..He used Bass Guitar in almost all his compositions and the bass notes would be entirely different from the main tune but still it would gel well with the song.

Bass Guitar was also used for rhythm following Carnatic rhythmic pattern.’Endrendrum Aanandame’(Kadal MeengaL) is a classic example.

He also composed a song without any instruments in the prelude and the interludes(Thaam ta Dheem ta).

Apart from all these, his use of vocals needs a very deep analysis.Many songs(esp.his vintage stuff) start with the humming and the podi sangatis in the humming are amazing!

Today’s Gem also starts with the beautiful humming of Janaki.

It alternates between long and short phrases.I still keep wondering if she sang it continuously or was it punched..But whatever it is, it sounds great.The higher ocatave ‘aaaaa..’takes us to an entirely different world.

The song I am talking about is ‘MaharaaNi Unai Thedi’from ‘Aayiram Vaasal Idayam’(1979) sung by Janaki and Jayachandran with lyrics by M G Vallabhan.
As soon as the humming ends, the violins start very gradually reaching a crescendo.

Honey flows as the flute blows.
The pallavi starts.

Here too, I wonder how Raaja composes his preludes and interludes.
He always ensures that the words given by the poets attain musical form.I can quote many examples.

Look at this song.

The pallavi is ‘MaharaaNi unai thedi varum nerame..engum kuzhal naadame..Thendral theril VaruvaL..Antha kaaman viduvaan KaNai IvaL vizhi’(When the Queen comes to you, there is music of flute all around..She comes on the Chariot of Breeze with eyes like the arrow of the cupid).

Now, listen to the prelude carefully.

The first part of the Humming-The Queen looks for you.
The second part of the Humming(the long one with sangatis)-She has seen you.

Violins-Sound of the Breeze.
Strings-She rides the Chariot.
Flute-She comes with the sound of the flute.
The last string section-She embraces you.

The first interlude:
The violins, strings , flute and the guitar.
The first two lines in the CharaNam talk about the sweet voice of the queen(parrot!), compares it with the sweetness of Tamizh and the lips that utter the words.

Go back to the first interlude.

The violins sound as if somebody is speaking in a beautiful tone.The flute sings showing us the sweetness(of Tamizh!).

The following lines talk about the heavenly bliss.
This is indicated by the wonderful guitar piece followed by the violins in the higher octave.

The second CharaNam:
The snowfall on the flower in the month of Maargazhi and the ecstatic blooming of the flower.

The Second interlude starts with the violins in low tone indicating the snowfall followed by the strings that shows us the flower, and its petals.The interplay between the two is musically depicted by the flute!

This song is just an example of how well the Maestro understands the situation,the words and the mood to give us the best possible compositions! Though he remarked to me during the personal meeting that he does not think of all these while composing, I feel his brain captures everything(at times without his being aware) and pours out in the form of music. Certainly not possible for mortals like us!

His music is like the queen that comes looking for us in the Chariot of Breeze!

Divine Dream..

2009-01-11T21:07:00.000+05:30

The Tamizh month of Maargzhi(Mid Dec-Mid Jan) is very special.

Lord Krishna refers to this month in Gita.

Astronomically, the Sun turns towards the north at the end of this month.

Scientifically, the ozone layer is very close to the earth during this month especially early in the morning.

For people living in Chennai, it is a real bonus since the entire city reverberates with music during this month.A host of other activities also take place this month-like the Book Fair, Circus,Trade Fair etc.,

But there is one thing that is an intrinsic part of Maargazhi.That is ‘Tiruppavai’.

In my post on ‘Sundari Kannal..’ in my other blog 'Ragaranjani', I had described about AandaL , her Thiruppavai and Naachiyaar Thirumozhi.

Each day of the month is identified with one Thiruppavai finally climaxing with two Thiruppavais on the last day(there are only 29 days in Maargazhi).

AandaL followed a very unique concept called ‘Paavai Nonbu’ where she along with her friends take a vow on the second day where she says

‘Eschew all carnal and even worldly desires like eating
ghee,drinking milk etc.
Bathe early in the morning.Don't adorn your eyes with
collyrium,or your hair with flowers till the completion
of the vow’.

After 26 days, she ends the vow with the Paasuram ‘Koodarai Vellum’(the one who wins over his enemies).Sri Vaishnavas celebrate the 27th day(which is today) as a day to make friends with enemies.

Apart from the 30 Thiruppavais, AandaL is known for her 143 verses called as Naachchiyaar Thirumozhi.Though all the verses are special, the verses 61-71 are very very special because she dreams of becoming His bride and shares this dream with her friends.

This set of 10 verses is more popularly called as ‘VaaraNam Aayiram’.

While reading the verses or even listening to these, one clearly visualizes the entire wedding as it unfolds scene by scene.

That is the beauty of AandaL’s imagination and her mastery over the language.

The Maestro brilliantly used some of these verses in ‘KeLadi KaNmaNi’(1990).

There are two versions in the album-one sung by Janaki and the other by SPB.The Janaki version is Raagamaalika while the SPB one follows one Raaga.

The film has the former version only.

The song starts with Mohanam(at times it sounds like Mohana Kalyani too to me!) as she says ‘With one thousand mighty tuskers arrayed, the Lord gracefully comes in procession. The Town is adorned with beauteous festoons and welcomes the groom with gold vessels.’

The Tavil gives the wedding ambience as the Raaga seamlessly changes to Nayaki-a very special Raga not used by any film music composer.

She sings,’All the celestials including Indra, the king of Devas assemble and speak to my parents as my sister-in law, Parvati adorns me with flowers and the wedding saree.’

The flute piece after ‘Devar Kuzhamellam’ is heavenly.

The Raaga now changes to Kapi and she says’As learned Pundits chant the Mantras and spread out the Holy grass laying twigs encompassing the sacred fire, He-Lord Krishna-comes like a raging tusker circumambulating the fire holding my hand-fast in hand!’

Unfortunately, the song has only these three verses.

The SPB version follows Kalyani ragam throughout.

My Divine Dream is to listen to all the verses tuned by the Maestro!

1.Janaki's version:
http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=402954

2.SPB:
http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=402955

Musical Angel-She came , She saw , She conquered!

2009-01-01T18:35:00.002+05:30

Music gives us Power..
gives us Energy..
gives us Strength..

Just imagine..

If music took the form of an angel and came in front of us, what would we do?
Dance?
Sing?
Or just watch with amazement?

The Film ‘Pattakkaththi Bhairvan’(1979) was a remake of a telugu movie. A very ordinary story of an orphan (certainly not Oliver Twist!) who turns ‘anti social’.

At times I wonder as to how somebody could score great music for movies that are below par.It needs that ‘attached detachment’ defined by Krishna in the Gita.
In fact, Kedaram Raga was used by him for the first time in this movie.
While reviewing this film, the Tamizh magazine ‘Aananda Vikatan’ said that ‘the Director has succeeded in caging a lion called Sivaji Ganesan and tried to cage a tiger called ILaiyaraaja.But this tiger growls and we get at least two great songs!’

One song is of course very well known to the people familiar with my other Blog-Ragaranjani-and ‘yours sincerely’ because that happens to be his most favourite composition.

For the benefit of newcomers , let me tell you that the song starts with the lines ‘Engengo Sellum En EnnangaL’whose description can be found in 'Ragaranjani' under the caption 'ILaiyaraaja-The Wonder'.

The other duet in the film is great as well..

Of course, I am not talking about the ‘Kedaram’ song-which will be taken up later.

I am referring to a song ‘Devathai.. Oru Devathai’.

Generally, I avoid talking about the technical details of a composition in this blog.

But at times a brief mention is required.

The Ragam of ‘Devathai’ is subject to dispute.Some of the sites mention this as ‘Sudhdha Saveri’ while some others say it is SankarabharaNam.

Yes…Swaras of Sudhdha Saveri are used but in Madhyama Sruti(shall explain this concept in detail in the other thread soon..).The Raga we get is Pahaadi.

He has done wonders using this concept in many of his compositions.

As Bharati says in Paanchaali Sabatham

‘ each moment is different.. different from the previous moment.. full of surprises!’(KaNam thoRum maaRi maaRi oradimatroradiyoloththalandri..), Raaja sir’s music is full of surprises and full of beauty!

Let us look at the Flute piece that appears throughout the composition. It is in fact the ‘theme music’ of the song..

The Violin piece in the second interlude.. purely in western classical style but without deviating from the tune..

The percussion in the third interlude that makes us sway.. And the flute bit that follows ..

The way each instrument speak with one another in the first interlude..

Similar kind of syllables appearing one after the other in the CharaNams(ex-‘Swargaththin pakkaththil vetkaththai vaiththuk koNdaaL’, ‘Aaramba maagattum Kaveri Koodattum Inge’)

The lilting tune..

Yes..As the greatest poet Kannadaasan says ‘The Angel came (flying), saw and conquered’ (a la Caesar?),

‘This Emperor came, composed and conquered millions of Hearts!’

A Thought Runs in My Mind..forever!

2008-12-25T19:10:00.000+05:30

The husband takes his wife out. There is nothing new in this. But if the husband takes her out cunningly with the idea of pushing her down the hill??

Scary?

Well, we could say one of the many weird imaginations of Tamizh cinema...

And they go atop the Hill singing a duet.
At the end of the song, there is a twist..

This sequence appeared in the 1949 movie ‘Mandiri Kumari’.

The song ‘Vaarai Nee Vaarai’ rendered by the inimitable Trichy Loganathan and Jikki became an instant hit.

This song based on Raag Bhimplaas was composed by the great G Ramanathan.

An almost similar sequence appeared in a 1981 tamizh film ‘Vidiyum Varai Kaathiru’.

With K. Bhagyaraj and Sathyakala in the lead, the song is yet another gem from the Maestro.

The first thing that strikes us is the tune itself.

The Master chose to use Kalyani ragam for the song.

Strange? Weird?

But I find it to be amazing…

Just goes to show how things can look different in the hands of the magician.

The next thing is the orchestration (of course!).

The prelude is just one note from guitar.

The Flute and the strings in the pallavi in the gap between the male and female voices carry lot of meanings. The Flute represents the innocent loyal wife while the strings represent the cunning criminal husband.

Throughout the composition one can see the juxtaposition of contrasting elements.

Take the first interlude where the flute plays a big role.One almost hears a plaintive cry when the notes are repeated and before we realise that the violin orchestra starts in western style(with Indian flavour!).

The second interlude is another beauty and we can easily visualize the husband’s futile attempts to murder his wife with her wife being totally oblivious to it.
The Bass Guitar says it all…

Added attraction - Malaysia Vasudevan and Janaki.

Further attraction-The Lyrics(Vaali) that depict the character of the two.

Yes, there is always a thought running in my mind.

I wish to keep listening to music-Maestro’s music in particular-forever...

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=171465

Musical Snowfall..

2008-12-21T17:54:00.000+05:30

It is indeed amazing to note how Raaja creates a particular mood, and transports us to another place with just a simple combination of notes..

Not just the notes but also the pattern..

Not just the notes, the pattern but also the instruments..

Not just the notes, pattern, instruments but also the construction of the pallavi and the chranams..

Examples galore and I can quote N number of songs.

The song I am taking up today takes us all to the snow capped mountains.
We see the snowfall.

We feel the snowfall.

We get drenched in the snowfall, a musical snowfall.

It is ‘Pani Mazhai Vizhum’ from ‘Enakkaga Kaaththiru’(1980).

Raaja has always been fascinated with the Mohana Ragam.So fascinated that he also takes lot of liberties with the Raga. When he mixes the alien notes(mianly the 'dha' making it sound like Vaasanti), it only adds to the beauty.

‘Pani Mazhai Vizhum’ starts with a beautiful tribal instrument. We see the sherpas moving with glee but with military precision.

The interludes are illuminated by brilliant flashes- at times rollicking, at times reposeful. The Shehanai and the Flute are sedate while a different instrument and the Bass Guitar move quickly like a stream on the mountain. The stream becomes a water fall .A Musical Water Fall..

The Question and Answer session between the Shehanai and the Flute is an aural treat.

The Pallavi is designed cohesively while the Charanam moves decorously.

The instruments echo the voice in the first two lines in the charanam while the following two lines throb vibrantly.

The voices of Deepan Chakravarthy and Shailaja are intoxicating..

The Snow Capped Mountain is dizzyingly beautiful…like his Music!

Music and Poetry-Spark or Fire?

2008-12-11T19:53:00.000+05:30

Once I had written that poets and music have a lot of things in common.
When we read a great poetic work, we say it is musical.
When we listen to great music, we say it is poetically beautiful.

Are all musicians poets?
Or are all poets musicians?

Not really!

There are exceptions though..

It is a well-known fact that the gentleman who is the raison d’etre of this community is not only a great musician but a good poet as well.

But not many know that one of the greatest poets in tamizh-whose 126th birthday is being celebrated today-was a good musician too.

Yes..I am referring to Subramaniya Bharathiyar!

Subbiah alias Subramanian was born in a place called Ettayapuram in Titunelveli district.

He learnt music at a very young age and was invited to the court of the King of Ettayapuram when he was just around 11.

Scholars ‘tested’ him in the courtand he was able to compose poems and music spontaneously.

Amazed at the talent of the young boy, the court conferred him the title ‘Bharati’(meaning Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge).
This name would remain forever and we all now know only Bharati and not Subramanian or Subbiah!

The turning point in his life was his meeting with Sister Nivedita-spiritual daughter of Swami Vivekananda- at VaraNaasi in the year 1905.

The meeting transformed him as a person.

Bharati was a multi dimensional person and a poet.

He sang on Nationalism, Tamizh language, Philosophy, Bhakti, Emancipation of women..

He took lot of liberty with Kannan and ‘made’ him his servant,master,disciple,teacher,lover(in masculine form as feminine form-the feminine form of Kannan being Kannamma).

He also authored three major texts in poetic form-Kuyil Paattu, Paanchaali Sabatham, and Suya Sarithai(autobiography).

In 'Paanchaali Sabatham', he symbolised Paanchali(draupathi) as Bharat Mata herself and her vow was to extricate herself from the clutches of British Raj(Dharmaththin Vaazvuthanai Soodhu Kavvum, Dharmam maRupadi Vellum)!

Of course, there are lot of similarities between Bharatiyar and Raaja sir and I had also compared the two in some of the posts in the ‘Ragaranjani' blog.

Let us now move on to today’s Rare Gem.

Talking about Bharati’s philosophical works, there is one poem of his that is often quoted by many.

What makes this poem unique and beautiful?

It is short, sounds very simple, follows a rhythmic pattern and most importantly conveys a lot of meanings.

He also coined a new word-Aggini Kunju(very difficult to translate this into English.Maybe one could say ‘fiery fledgling’).

He says,’I found a fiery fledgling and placed it in a forest hollow. The Forest was burnt (and cooled down).Is age a factor in valour or fieriness?’
(a very loose translation as it is very difficult to depict the feel of this poem in any other language).

It can be interpreted in many ways.

Positive- A small spark will destroy all bad, unwanted thoughts.Discover that spark!
Negative-Any misdeed(small or big) can destroy us!
There is also a school of thought that says that he meant Abhimanyu,the son of Arjuna since he says ‘is age a factor in valour or fieriness?’

I welcome members of this community to give their own interpretations.

This poem is also one of my most favourite Bharati’s poems.

While reciting this poem, I had often wondered as to how it would sound if it was set to music.

I had also thought that it would spoil the essence of the poem.

This was until the year 2000.

When I listened to the song from the tamizh movie Bharati, I was stunned.
A very simple tune, a very soft voice, a very great composer..

Poetically Musical..Musically Poetic..

Two great legends..Two Geniuses..

Spark in their thoughts, Spark in their action, Spark in their eyes..

And that is Agginikkunju!

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=396920

Lullaby of the Breeze!

2008-11-27T10:49:00.000+05:30

Tamizh Cinema Music has seen very different male voices.

Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Chinnappa,Dandapani Desigar,Gantasala,Trichy Loganathan,T M Soundararajan, Seergazhi Govindarajan,S P Balasubramaniam,Yesudass,Jeyachandran, Malaysia Vasudevan....It is a huge list.

One of the most unique voices was that of Chidambaram S.Jayaraman's. Not only was the voice very deep and resonant but also that it was melodious.It also has the rare distinction of Sivaji Ganesan's 'First Voice' in films.

A little known fact is that C.S.Jayaraman was a very close relative of the present Chief Minister of Tamizh Nadu.

Now let us look at a very contrasting voice. This voice was not 'pure' in the classical sense and had its own weaknesses. But the best part was that the singer knew his strengths and his weaknesses and added beauty to the compositions of Raja right from the beginning until the mid '80s.

An interesting fact is that his voice was found suitable for Sivaji later on and he lent his voice for some of the super hits in the Sivaji-Raja combination.

'Muthal Mariyathai' is a classic example.

Yes..I am referring to Malaysia Vasudevan.

Now why am I comparing the two?

It is because Malaysia Vasu has rendered a wonderful song imitating C S Jayaraman.

This song is one of my personal favourites.

It is 'Aananda Thaen Kaatru Thaalaatuthe..' from 'Manipur Maamiyaar'(1980).

‘Manipur Maamiyaar?’ Yes..Don’t know if it had to do anything with the N.E. issues now because this film was never released.

In fact the comedy song ‘Samayal Paadame’(the original of ‘Enna Samayalo’) is also from the same movie.

‘Aananda Thaen Kaatru’ is based on Hindolam and starts with a lovely humming of Shailaja. The Violin Orchestra takes over and the Flute bits at the end are enchanting.

Guitar, Flute and the Violins are in full form in the first interlude but my most favourite bit here is the end(is it piano?)..

The variations of Tisram beats sound wonderful in the Charanams.

Listen to the Bass notes in the second interlude and the modulation towards the end where the Raga changes.

Truly Amazing!

Yes, it is the lullaby of the Breeze!!

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=296916

When you are not with me..

2008-11-13T16:20:00.001+05:30

It was Aug 1992.

I was in watching a film in a Cinema Hall in Madurai. The Hero closes the heroine’s eyes and takes her to an unknown destination. As she opens her eyes, a marvel unfolds..

The audience is awe stuck by the breathtaking visuals and the new wave music.

While I was getting immersed with the beauty of the scene and the music, my thoughts were focused on something else as well.

The female voice in the song rang a bell.The familiarity was astonishing. I knew I had heard this voice long back.

But..I couldn’t make out who it was and I had to give up finally.

After about a week or so, I happened to see the cassette and then….. knew who it was.

The Film:Roja
The Singer:Sujatha.

Sujatha was introduced by Raaja sir in ‘Kavikkuyil’ when she was just 14.She sang in ‘Gayathri’ as well.I have discussed this in the ‘Vintage Raja’ thread.

After the two songs, there was a lull since she was living in Thiruvananthapuram.
She then sang ‘Oru iniya Manathu’ in 'Jhonny'.

Somehow, people tend to get confused and attribute the old songs of Sujatha’s to some other singer(s).

The fourth song of hers is a real masterpiece.

There is also something very special about this song and I shall say this at the end.

The song is ‘Nee Illathapothu Engum Nenjam’ from ‘ILamaikkolam’(1980).

The song has a very unusual opening almost sounding offkey (though it is not).

The wonderful String section (Raaja sir’s speciality) in the prelude followed by the beautiful violin cannot be expressed in words.

The ‘Nee…’ (that lasts 4 beats) in the pallavi itself speaks volumes about the composition. The voice of Malaysia Vasudevan is another asset. And what does one say about the young Sujatha?

The strings, the electronic organ and ‘marching effect’ of the violins in the first interlude, a touch of melancholy and the ever beautiful Flute in the second interlude, the lyrics of M G Vallabhan combine to make this song special.

But the most special thing is this:

After singing this song, Sujatha got married and after a hibernation of 12 years, her voice made an appearance in Roja.

Nee Illathapothu Engum Nenjam Sollatha Kathai Nooru , Athu Nillatha Puthu Aaru-
‘When you are not here, there are lot of untold stories in my heart, it is like an unstoppable stream.’

Apt for Raaja sir’s music..

And ..for Sujatha’s voice as well…

Hindi in Tamizh!

2008-11-03T17:02:00.004+05:30

Tamizh novelist Sivasankari can be called as the Arthur Hailey of Tamizh Nadu.
Before writing on any topic, she would spend months studying teh subject.

She wrote on alcoholism , drug addiction etc.,

While the former was filmed, the latter came out as a weekly serial(not a mega)on Doordarshan in late '80s.

In mid '70s she wrote a novel on cancer- aptly named as 'Nandu'.How this dreadful disease affects a peaceful family was the theme of the story.

A South Indian girl from a conservative family falls in love with a North Indian and they get married after the usual protests from both the families.

The couple manage to fight this cancer but not the one that attacked them.
First it is the husband who falls the victim.

Then it is the turn of the wife who fights it out bravely.. A gripping story indeed!

This story was adapted by the 'Uthirippookal' fame Mahendran.
One had great expectations..But can Tamizh cinema ever change?

The Ladies' sentiment played a big role and the movie ended with the death of the husband and the wife kicking herself and shedding tears (so much that the teardrops fromed a riverr.In fact the tears were also 'brilliantly' used to wipe her 'Sindoor' off.Wow! Ladies' sentiment at its best!).

Whatever be the quality of the movie, it gave us some excellent music.Two pure Hindi songs and two Tamizh songs.

We shall see the Hindi Songs today.

In fact, two songs were recorded by Raja but Mahendran was not too happy with the songs.

It was fresh composing again.

The linguist who also has a very sweet voice Shri.P B Shrinivas wrote the songs.

The duet was sung by the ghazal singer Bhoopender- himself a fan of Raja- and Janaki.

'Kaise Kahoon' is a wonderful melody with lovely beats.One cannot miss the meloncholy touch in this duet.

'Hum hai akhele' is a Qawali type song rendered by Janaki.Takes us to the old hindi songs era.

Listen to these and enjoy:

A Beautiful Sketch-Young,Melodious and Novel!

2008-10-15T19:30:00.001+05:30

Experiment is a very interesting word.

Yes, I have been a science student and have had lab sessions in my school and college. What I achieved there is a question only my old teachers and Professors can answer..

But I am not talking about Experiment in that context. Coming to thing of it, this is a word used ad nauseam by many without really understanding the true import. Many feel if they do anything new(or assume it is new), then it is ‘Experimental’.

We have Experimental Theatre, Experimental Cinema, Experimental Dance, Experimental Music.. But I generally observe that nothing happens after this ‘Experimental phase’.

Maybe they involve themselves in new experiments happily..

In Tamizh Cinema, lot of ‘experiments’ have taken place.

One such experiment was having five Music Directors for a single movie. Thankfully, it is not the story of ‘Five Blind men and the elephant’ because each composer was asked to score music for one song individually.

The movie was ‘Kannil Theriyum KathaigaL’(1979) and the Director(s) Devaraj-Mohan.

The Music Directors were KV Mahadevan, G K Venkatesh, T R Paappa, Shankar-Ganesh and ILaiyaraaja.

Going by the songs, I think it was a Triangular Love Story(why don’t we have a Square or a Rectangular Love Stories? Point to ponder..).

Now let us see the song scored by Raaja sir in this movie.

Based on his most favourite Raga Mohanam, the song is yet another gem in his crown.

The opening itself is beautiful..

We see the ‘Laya Raja’ as the instruments follow a particular rhythmic pattern(I am not getting into too much of technical details here and I shall do the analysis in my other blog Ragaranjani when I discuss this song!).

The voices of SPB, Suseela, and Janaki add to the sweetness.

The first interlude sparkles with Veena, Flute, Jalatharangam and a very differently sounding instrument.

The Violin orchestra and the chorus voices in the second interlude make us to meditate.

The seamless transition to Kalyani in ‘Thana Thirana..’in the third interlude is the masterstroke.

The words ‘Ilamai, Inimai , Puthumai’(Youthful, Melodious, Novel)are rendered repeatedly in the song..

Does it not sum up the music of the Maestro?