Recommend new ideas and projects for IR

[ananth222]

Just like every Indian cricket fan has batting advice for Sachin Tendulkar, I think we also have plenty to say about what IR ought to be doing. So let us post and discuss all your ideas on this thread. May some of it might one day reach IR and he might decide to do something... or maybe not, but at least we can get it off our chest!

Let me start with one:
I recently stumbled on this album called "Rafi Resurrected":
http://www.raaga.com/channels/hindi/movie/HC000152.html (Vol. 1)
http://www.raaga.com/channels/hindi/moviedetail.asp?mid=HC000153 (Vol. 2)

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra released this album, a collection of old Rafi songs orchestrated and performed by the CBSO, with Sonu Nigam providing the vocals. Apparently they even toured and performed these numbers live. The effect is pretty good, especially "Kya hua tera vada", "Tareef karoon kya uski" etc. Vol. 2 also has some instrumental versions.

One of my gripes about old IR songs has been the poor quality of playing and recording. How would it be if IR decided to do something like this, selecting some of his evergreens, re-orchestrating them (to the scale of TiS) and recording with a competent orchestra? I believe that IR can achieve astounding results in this format. Please share your thoughts.

There are also some videos (but poor quality):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpPCjr5Y6mo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOVlOk1sg7w&feature=related

[natha1729]

what depth and breadth that a professional symphony orchestra can add and the heights to which Indian songs is breathtaking! The finesse is fantastic and the pace is brilliant and measured. Sonu enthusiams is exceptional . Can't imagine IR's mind boggling preludes / interludes on these orchestras, it will be something to look forward to...... GO FOR IT, India FM!!! Thanks ananth222 for this info. (I missed this boat as well, but you know we can see the birth of conductors and orchestras with thier own interpretations of Indian film songs...... it is limitless)

[natha1729]

please note that India FM has always been created in a hurry, and the pressure to come out with the best in the shortest possible time is reflected in the deep and exotic melodies and instrumentation. If IR were to slow down and compose song with great detail to orchestration , i think indian music would've seen a deficit of around 3000 songs! Now, orchestras can take the musical values and treasures to the next level. Content is there,now it is just the packaging!!! I am proud of Indian FM!

don't music out on the raaga.com links. It is simply amazing

[raagas]

Very interesting.

It is always wonderful to listen to philharmonic orchestras playing indian raagas.I have thoroughly enjoyed Thiruvasakam, in this aspect and i would be ecstatic if ilaiyaraaja churns out more of such stuff.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is quite a good one. Ilaiyaraaja prefers Budapest philharmonic. Ofcourse we have philharmonic orchestras in Berlin, Vienna, London, New York etc...all being very famous.
One more philharmonic orchestra, which appealed to me immensely was Czech Philharmonc Orchestra of Prague. i happened to listen to two albums by A.R.Rahman - 'Warriors of Heaven & Earth' and 'Bose - The Forgotten Hero', in which he used Czech philharmonic quite impressively(and i am not trying to raise a cliche` argument/controversy here by praising ARR.. i genuinely liked his work in these two albums and felt that he used the orchestras effectively..). I am not comparing it with how IR uses philharmonic orchestra..but it is purely a standalone opinion..
The bottomline is: I Wish IR also tries something like what ARR tried in these two albums.

[irir123]

using symphony orchestras has a lot to do with financial backing/strength! most orchestras around the world are simply starved of funds and the cheapest orchestras are in Europe - in fact most Hollywood composers would rather fly into the UK or anywhere in Europe to get the entire score (if its orchestral) for a movie played and recorded rather than hire an orchestra within the US - the hiring prices are astronomical and European orchestras are dying!

with the current global financial meltdown, this would only get worser by the day!

avanavan sothhukku alaiya vendiya time vegu dhoorathil illai!

[ananth222]

using symphony orchestras has a lot to do with financial backing/strength!
That is true, but I do believe that this kind of an effort will be easier to pull off than TiS - the songs are already there, and it is not a hard challenge for IR to reorchestrate them for such an orchestra. I'm sure they will also be accepted more widely than TiS, esp if the songs are chosen wisely.

btw, you can download the mp3 version of "Rafi Resurrected" here:
http://www.atozmp3.net/2008/09/rafi-resurrected-2008-hindi-mp3.html

[app_engine]

the songs are already there, and it is not a hard challenge for IR to reorchestrate them for such an orchestra.

ஏற்கனவே அவர் எல்லா ஸ்கோரும் எழுதித்தான் பண்ணி இருப்பார். Having some of the sheet music is better than nothing - and being the phenomenal genius he is, to bring out a revised version will be a child's play for him.

The bigger challenge will be to select the numbers.

[irir123]

ananth222:you have missed my point completely - even if he desires to rework n record orchestral versions of his songs, he needs heavy financial backing to hire symphony orchestras and do the same

[natha1729]

here is my take on how professional orchestras can make a living on Indian film songs, without having to worry about what songs are suitable for that graceful orchestral stretch. (No matter what any MSV melody must easily translate into orchestral versions.)

This is based on how CBSO did Rafi resurrected - 2 versions one with vocals and the other with no vocals

1. symphony orchestrate (with as many layers as want but no voice) the main melody (pallavi and charanam) without original prelude / interlude.

2. like a regular vocal song but with symphony orchestra interpretation for prelude and interlude, and no orchestral backing should replace rhythms with the voice, and also percussion should nt be out of the preludes/interlude.

This way they can have 2 versions of the same song - the instrumental interpretations without prelude/interlude clutter and confusion and heaviness, and the actual vocal songs without missing out on the actual percussions sounds and leaving out orchestral flourishes with the songs, which i found a little too heavy and taking focus out of the voice.

This way, the essence of the song is presevered in the orchestral version and the original sounds and vocal emotions and percussion is retained in the vocal version. and people can have a easy listening expeirince of the instrumental version.

CBSO did a fantastic job, but both versions were too heavy sounding. i am sure Rahman is inspriing just that in India. I hope to see Indian Paul Mauriats, Pourcell, James Lasts, Pappeti, Acker Bilks, Mantovanni, Bill Vaughn.

[ananth222]

ananth222:you have missed my point completely - even if he desires to rework n record orchestral versions of his songs, he needs heavy financial backing to hire symphony orchestras and do the same
Sorry, what I meant to say was:
1. this kind of project won't stretch out like TiS - therefore may not be as expensive
2. the old popular songs could generate more interest - possible resulting in better funding/sales to support it than it was for TiS
So compared to TiS, this may be easier to manage financially.

[NormalMan]

IR's Tribute to the Legends
---------------------------
- Had I got Hendirx to play for me
- Tribute to MSV
- Tribute to SDB
- If Ray Charles were alive
- Thayagaraja meets Ilayaraja meets Led Zeppelin
- Bach & Ilayaraja do a folk together
- And finally to John Williams

[K]

He can Do music to verses from 4000 Divyaprabandham which he got a request on stage a few days ago here are my suggestions, First to take "Thirupalli ezhuchi" by "Thondaradi Podi aazhwar"From Prabandams and set music to it(not like tiruvasagam) with his own style and make it as popular as suprabatham, then "Amalanaadhipiraan" by "ThiruPPaanaazhwar"and "Thiruchanda Virutham" by "Thirumazhisai Aazhwar"(this has some challenge to him because it is set in a meter). By God's Grace this thought should reach him and make him to deliver some divine music to the divine verses.

[natha1729]

rafi resurrected has an RRB song "Gulabi Aankhen' came out in 1970 in the movie Train. It is "almost alike" to MSV mega song "Pattathu Rani" (Sivantha Mann). Anyone knows which one came out first? RDB song seems like a trimmer version. I know that RDB copied MSV' Muthukulikka Vaaregala song, so is this another copy. I have seen major MSV influence in quite a few of RDB' other songs as well.

[ananth222]

He can Do music to verses from 4000 Divyaprabandham which he got a request on stage a few days ago here are my suggestions, First to take "Thirupalli ezhuchi" by "Thondaradi Podi aazhwar"From Prabandams and set music to it(not like tiruvasagam) with his own style and make it as popular as suprabatham, then "Amalanaadhipiraan" by "ThiruPPaanaazhwar"and "Thiruchanda Virutham" by "Thirumazhisai Aazhwar"(this has some challenge to him because it is set in a meter). By God's Grace this thought should reach him and make him to deliver some divine music to the divine verses.
Having IR work on ancient poems is surely a great prospect. My only wish is that such works must have a strong musical foundation, and not simply be a collection of devotional songs. That is the reason I rate TiS highly, as opposed to his other devotional albums. Religion does play an important role in music, esp. in south India - (it helped carnatic music survive for 100s of years) - but it shouldn't become a platform for sub-par music. IMO, While devotion has sustained carnatic music demographically, it is only the technical aspects that have preserved its quality over the years.

[K]

He can Do music to verses from 4000 Divyaprabandham which he got a request on stage a few days ago here are my suggestions, First to take "Thirupalli ezhuchi" by "Thondaradi Podi aazhwar"From Prabandams and set music to it(not like tiruvasagam) with his own style and make it as popular as suprabatham, then "Amalanaadhipiraan" by "ThiruPPaanaazhwar"and "Thiruchanda Virutham" by "Thirumazhisai Aazhwar"(this has some challenge to him because it is set in a meter). By God's Grace this thought should reach him and make him to deliver some divine music to the divine verses.
Having IR work on ancient poems is surely a great prospect. My only wish is that such works must have a strong musical foundation, and not simply be a collection of devotional songs. That is the reason I rate TiS highly, as opposed to his other devotional albums. Religion does play an important role in music, esp. in south India - (it helped carnatic music survive for 100s of years) - but it shouldn't become a platform for sub-par music. IMO, While devotion has sustained carnatic music demographically, it is only the technical aspects that have preserved its quality over the years.

I have High respect to TiS I know its depth, but Fully western classical backing like that may not help the Verses I told, but his own style of music which is blend of East and west like his HTNI or NBW, not in particular EAST or WEST.

[Sanjeevi]

1) Festive, Session & Nature songs such as for Diwali, New Year, Winter, Summer, Rain, air, tree,e tc
2) an Jazz album
3) carnatic classical album
4) hindu devotional songs like TMS outstanding murugan padalgal
5) Music for literature like he did for Thiruvasagam

[kameshratnam]

1. Release RPO and thats enough for some more years

[viraajan]

Stop composing for TV Serials.

[kiru]

Recycle "tik tik tik" with synths :-)

[irir123]

Recycle "tik tik tik" with synths :-)

:exactly: :2thumbsup: :goodidea:

'tik tik tik' - the movie, the screenplay, the background score and the tracks are all unique n way ahead of its time!

[K]

using symphony orchestras has a lot to do with financial backing/strength!
That is true, but I do believe that this kind of an effort will be easier to pull off than TiS - the songs are already there, and it is not a hard challenge for IR to reorchestrate them for such an orchestra. I'm sure they will also be accepted more widely than TiS, esp if the songs are chosen wisely.

btw, you can download the mp3 version of "Rafi Resurrected" here:
http://www.atozmp3.net/2008/09/rafi-resurrected-2008-hindi-mp3.html

after listening to Rafi Resurrected I realized the greatness of Raja once again, simply Raja rules in orchestration the above album is not much impressive in first listening

[ananth222]

after listening to Rafi Resurrected I realized the greatness of Raja once again, simply Raja rules in orchestration the above album is not much impressive in first listening
I think that the songs were reorchestrated by the CBSO. The main thing is the quality of the performance - if we combine IR's melody and orchestration with such an effort it would be outstanding (and surely exceed Rafi Resurrected by great lengths!)