Raja's Gems - the latest one you heard...Part 3

[V_S]

Great picks from everyone starting from EVK. Very good write-up Querida!. Again an album light years ahead of any film music.

Sureshji, 2010 is very special to me just because Maestro has scored only two soundtracks, but it is equivalent to 10 soundtracks. If I listen to whole of 2009 once, I would listen to 2010 10 times. Also I believe it is the only year in the whole of IR's musical career that a tamizh film music was not released.:( But he compensated that loss with both Katha Thudarunnu and Gayam-2.

[V_S]

Thanks KV! I would still bet on Lata Rajnikanth.

[Sureshs65]

V_S,

Yes, 2010 had only two film albums and both are outstanding. 'Gayam-2' especially is miles ahead of the times. I know people will laugh at me when I say this but such synthesizer use and such melody!!! Just not possible for anyone else. BTW, he did have the non filmi 'Saibaba' album in 2010.

Listening today to 2011. 'Ponnar Shankar' and "ASK'. Amazing albums both of them. 'PS' blows my mind. Amazing tunes, amazing interludes.

[rajkumarc]

Suresh - I always listen to IR's recent works. They are as important to me as his earlier works. Based on my listening preferences/mood, I will just pick any of IR's works from any time period and get hooked on to it. I will never be able to pick a most favorite segment/time-period in IR's career.

Was listening to Malarvillile from PS today morning. It's such a stunner of a song and will be most heard song this year. Can't get enough of Shreya's singing or the lovely tune or the beautiful orchestration.

Last night, it was Alaigale Vaa from Kavidhai Malar. One of a kind song in TFM, I guess. I'm waiting for App's post on this in SPB-IR thread. But since it's a 1982 movie, it's going to take a month atleast for App to get to it as he is still half way through in 1981. No hurry and no pressure App :smile: , it's worth the wait for your writings.

[Plum]

Suresh, I am going to do a volte face on ponnar shankar. Shreya and the orch shore up atleast 3 songs to glory. Whatay!

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

You are always welcome to do a volte face. In Raja's case we all know that the volte face is only in one direction :) (There are no recorded instances of someone saying, "I loved this song then but now I am not sure" !!!)

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

.. and yes, the orchestration in Ponnar Shankar is superb. There is one interlude in 'kannai padithen' which has violins going full hog. Amazing given that some of those violins could synth ones as well.

[Plum]

I fell for the prelude of malar villilae. What an elaborate, delight filled set-up to Shreya's honey soaked voice.

[San_K]

So, the poll shoud have an another option, 2010s

[KV]

Plum, vazheeku vandheengla? Mottaiyan magickkum, dheivakuzhandhai sokkupodi kuralukkum mayangaama irukka vaaipu eppdigren?
Ennave irundhalum, gramathukulla vandhuta, mottaiyan kaiyyula maatama irukka mudiyuma?
Abdiye unga baani la surrender pathram ezhudheetu ponga...

[V_S]

Plum, And also your detailed thoughts about PS songs please.

Sureshji,
//(There are no recorded instances of someone saying, "I loved this song then but now I am not sure" !!!) //
Oru vaarthai Oru latcham!. Platinathaal porikkapada vendiyavai! No one can disagree here. Excellent!

[Sureshs65]

V_S,

Long time back Plum and I had the same conversation in some thread that only a very handful few of MDs have been able to tide over time. Plum spoke about how he used to love a Mukesh tape but now he doesn't want anyone to know that he has it :D I am still amazed that none of the Raja songs have turned 'old' for me. In almost all other MDs cases there are atleast a few songs which I liked then but now I keep away. Not in case of Raja.

[skr]

Suresh ,

It happened to me with some 90's Bollywood Hits ..Ordinary songs most of them were , now cant even imagine i used to listen to them intently..Ofcourse was much younger than and wasnt exposed to much of Raja and other classics ..
As u say Raja's music truly stands the test of time ..A Tik Tik Tik for eg was composed 30 yrs ago and i still go gaga over it when i listen to it today..It'll be the same when youngsters hear it 30 yrs hence ..

[Plum]

Suresh, don't publicise my shameful secrets man - I'll file defamation :)

Actually, yes, about a year back, I thought I am coming close to saturation with Raja and evn declared that I don't need any more of new Raja. That was as close as it got - not qute renouncing the old loved ones altogether but as close as it can get. Kept away from ponnar sangar etc and tried to reject them - didn't work as you can see.

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

I can understand your 'no more Raja' stand. Since your musical tastes are impeccable, you did not stand firm :) There are others who are so stuck up with the 80s that they are just not willing to give a listen to the newer Raja.

Another reason this happens with Raja is the sheer volume. Sometimes I too feel why dig so deep? Isn't what we have enough? And then comes a 'komali thanuve' and you are blown all over!!!

[thumburu]

Sunday afternoon, immersing in the carnatic classics of "oruvar vaazhum Alayam" .
A very joyful duet in khamaas is "pallaviye charanam" .Watch out for Janaki's delectable jathis during the secomd charanam. Here SPB is a devoted lover lamb
following wherever the queen[Janaki] leads him
nee pournami - A haunting tune in Simhendramadhyamam, KJY's humming, accompanying strains of flute all depict the pang of separation in an acute manner. Causes a lump in my throat. KJY deserves all awards on earth for making this gem glitter for ever

[Sureshs65]

thumburu,

Luckily 'oruvar vaazhum aalayam' was available in CD from Oriental. I think it came with 'naan paadum paadal' I think. Overall that CD is a gem. 'nee pournami' is one of the rare songs of Raja where he lets the voice deal with the song. The orchestration support is minimal when KJY sings. Wonderful tune and superb rendition by Jesudas.

[KV]

Thumburu, lovely picks there! To repeat an often heard expression, I too spent several sleepless nights when I'd discovered the song Nee Pournami.
Rasiah, Dasettan... hallowed be thy names.

[app_engine]

rithubEtha kalpana (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCCCBp6utD0) playing non-stop in Plum-mode from the time I posted about it in SPB-IR thread...what a haunting song!

[irir123]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXFRhxiICYY

unusual prelude, mesmerising flute pieces, and a twisting, meandering tune that does not let go off the sensousness!

[AravindMano]

un manasula pAttuththAn irukkudhu - pANdi nAttuththangam. Soothing. At times you wonder, what the hell you would do if not for his songs. Today is one of those days when you just want to shut the world out and hold on to any of his song and this one came up in the playlist.

Chithra is earnest and lovely in this song. And the lyrics, aptly #meta at places. :notworthy:

[Querida]

Found this gem from a blog maintained from an acquaintance who writes for the Illayaraja thread community in Orkut: http://ragamanjari.blogspot.com/

His blog (second one from the top) succintly analayses "Madhu Malargal" nice sweet song with MV and Janaki

Susheela really breaks your heart with "Magane" even with the elderly voice her words are so weighted with sorrow

My fave is "Malligai Poovukul" with MV and Janaki again...I like the loud expressive beginning and the softness that follows
the crescendo of their voices up a scale and the interchange of their voices at the same time...very hard to achieve and still not make it sound cacophonous. Janaki's voice is so teasing in this song...the electric guitar is a nice surprise right in the middle...not expected at all...the flute again softens...

http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/album/T0002785.html

[Querida]

one of my undying favourites:

Mouna Raagam - Mandram Vanthu Thendralukku

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKy6lO-TJvw

[KV]

Irir123, 'En deham amudham' is a meditative erotic piece dripping with sensuality. The instrumentation, the singing, the tune… everything works in a different plane. In fact, this whole album works that way for me.

Querida, thanks a ton for Mallikai poovukkul. Wow! What a composition! It boggles the mind on trying to think of the number of techniques he has tried out.. the various styles of bass lines, the different vocal and rhythm arrangements. The vocal harmony, though only for a couple of lines, is gooseflesh stuff! And the bass lines here feels as though its racing with the vocals, playing the same notes for the opening lines (and then going off into harmony and tangential stuffs), a beautiful touch there; cant recall too many songs that has this pattern.
By the way, every single time the lines ‘thirumagal varugayil manam urugudhu vegu naalaga’ plays (either physically or in my mind), a vote of thanks gets registered to your account. Find of the year for me!

[vithagan]

Veenaikku Veenai (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00131&lang=en)from Ellame En Raasathan

Whenever I listen to the song.. I'll be mesmerised. Raja :notworthy:

[Sureshs65]

vithagan,

What song. Was listening to 'veenaikku' a couple of days back. Superb tune and wonderful singing by Raja.

Listening to some superb Malayalam melodies yesterday. 'kathirum kothi'. When Raja deals with Madhyamavathi, it never ever goes wrong and this is another example. M G Sreekumar and Chitra. Wonderful vocals, especially Chitra. Nothing new.

Another song was 'virahamaai vipalamaai'. Showcases how you handle synth for soft songs. Raja with his synth in Malayalam is different man altogether. No unnecessary gimmicky sounds. Infact no unnecessary sounds. A very ambient melody, where the synth helps in create a great mood. Chitra, as usual. What more to say.

Both songs from the movie, 'Man of the Match'.

Download link for 'Kathirum Kothi': http://www.4shared.com/audio/BltgvgqF/Man_Of_The_Match___Kathirum_ko.html
Listening link to 'Virahamaai': http://inbaminge.com/m/m/Man%20of%20the%20Match/Virahamaay%20%5BF%5D.eng.html

[Querida]

Querida, thanks a ton for Mallikai poovukkul. Wow! What a composition! It boggles the mind on trying to think of the number of techniques he has tried out.. the various styles of bass lines, the different vocal and rhythm arrangements. The vocal harmony, though only for a couple of lines, is gooseflesh stuff! And the bass lines here feels as though its racing with the vocals, playing the same notes for the opening lines (and then going off into harmony and tangential stuffs), a beautiful touch there; cant recall too many songs that has this pattern.
By the way, every single time the lines ‘thirumagal varugayil manam urugudhu vegu naalaga’ plays (either physically or in my mind), a vote of thanks gets registered to your account. Find of the year for me!

V_S, your comment means a lot coming from a person who has shared such a treasure trove of songs :D
I enjoyed reading you description of the song, frankly I didn't know how to effectively put into words what Raja has done in this song... a very unique piece of work indeed! :)

[irir123]

"ilavattam" from My dear marthandan

what energy and creativity, esp the anupallavi 'poo pol poo pol pooppaa' and the tonal shift to a blissful Western classical second interlude!

it is this energy that i miss in lots of IR's new synth-based tracks

[Divine22]

Found this gem from a blog maintained from an acquaintance who writes for the Illayaraja thread community in Orkut: http://ragamanjari.blogspot.com/

His blog (second one from the top) succintly analayses "Madhu Malargal" nice sweet song with MV and Janaki

Susheela really breaks your heart with "Magane" even with the elderly voice her words are so weighted with sorrow

My fave is "Malligai Poovukul" with MV and Janaki again...I like the loud expressive beginning and the softness that follows
the crescendo of their voices up a scale and the interchange of their voices at the same time...very hard to achieve and still not make it sound cacophonous. Janaki's voice is so teasing in this song...the electric guitar is a nice surprise right in the middle...not expected at all...the flute again softens...

http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/album/T0002785.html

Hi Querida,,

Malligai poovukkul Is lovely !! I've never heard of this song or movie bfr this !! Thanks a lot ~ ;))

[app_engine]

HTNI during the long drive last night!

Plus some recent classics - swapnagaL kaNNezhudhiya, mella oorndu oorndu, onnukkonnu thuNai irukkum ulagaththilE, thAlAttu kEtka nAnum eththanai nAL...

[KV]

V_S, your comment means a lot coming from a person who has shared such a treasure trove of songs :D
I enjoyed reading you description of the song, frankly I didn't know how to effectively put into words what Raja has done in this song... a very unique piece of work indeed! :)
Querida, you for mistake. Me V_S no. I see, jusht for vetti. Me go, (official treasure digger) V_S come.

[Querida]

Querida, you for mistake. Me V_S no. I see, jusht for vetti. Me go, (official treasure digger) V_S come.

:omg:
I sincerely apologize KV, I should give credit where credit is due, :oops:
I'm sorry to have just assumed,
that your description of song deserves praise does not change!
No offense intended, I hope this does not deter you from quoting/commenting on my posts in future.

[KV]

:notthatway:
Querida, I just said that in a lighter vein; absolutely no offence taken. I simply used the oppurtunity to quote a Vadivel dialog, and to finish off in the same style.... "Why tensun ya? Cooldown, cooldown, cooldown!"

[raajarasigan]

:omg:
I sincerely apologize KV, I should give credit where credit is due, :oops:
I'm sorry to have just assumed,
that your description of song deserves praise does not change!
No offense intended, I hope this does not deter you from quoting/commenting on my posts in future.:lol:.......

[app_engine]

We had some discussions about the rare nature of IR repeating interludes (or portions of interludes) within a song in another thread.

So far, the two songs with total repeat of interludes identified were -'madhana mOga roopa sundari' (inRu pOi nALai vA) and 'pOttu vaiththa kAdhal thittam Okay kaNmaNi' (singAra vElan).

I caught the third one today - 'kOdi kottikkoduththAlum' of ponnar sankar :-( Both the interludes are ditto and makes me think more that this was not a rAsA song (ordinary tune, loop background, weak string sound accompaniments that are worse than SAR levels etc). The only thing that disproves the theory is the postlude which is strongly IR-ism :roll:

(Note : There are repeat of portions of interludes which is a different story, as in the case of 'hEy OrAyiram' of meeNdum kOkilA, 'thaththOm thaLAngu thaththOm' of veRRi vizhA)

[Sureshs65]

app_eng,

I remember this discussion about same interludes happened in yahoo groups some years back. Recent one I remember is the 'gaana song' from 'Valmiki', "ennada paandi" which has the same interludes.

[San_K]

I think a song in 'Ellame En raasathan' has same interludes. mey be it is "Thoothukudi Muthu Muthu" (or 8 ana iruntha?)

[groucho070]

Radio playing Maasaru Ponne Varuge - Devar Magan. What a song! What a song! No words.

[Sureshs65]

Listening to the awesomeness called 'Virumaandi'. How can a person who has been churning folks songs for 25 yrs come out with such wonderful mix of folk and modern!!! His creativity seems inexhaustible. Especially if you check out 'Annanmaar Kadhai' and 'Bhavani Varugira' from 'Ponnar Shankar'. I love every song of 'Virumaandi', the most fav one being 'karumaathur kaatukkulle'. This was another album when it came out I thought was just an OK album!!! The watermark those days was whether Raja's album could raise to the top 10 and best the albums of Rahman and Harris!! Stupid, I know but we are dictated by the times, aren't we. Now, I have no hesitation in declaring it as one of the best albums of the first decade of the 21st century. What imagination, what creativity, what innovation!!! Excellent tuning, wonderful orchestration and authenticity. This is a tape which once I put in my car stereo runs for atleast a dozen times before a change happens!!

[Bala (Karthik)]

Found this gem from a blog maintained from an acquaintance who writes for the Illayaraja thread community in Orkut: http://ragamanjari.blogspot.com/

My fave is "Malligai Poovukul" with MV and Janaki again...I like the loud expressive beginning and the softness that follows
the crescendo of their voices up a scale and the interchange of their voices at the same time...very hard to achieve and still not make it sound cacophonous. Janaki's voice is so teasing in this song...the electric guitar is a nice surprise right in the middle...not expected at all...the flute again softens...

http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/album/T0002785.html

:ty: :notworthy:
What a song! What was mottai tripping on when he composed this song? Very unique indeed. A kind never heard before or since

[V_S]

Listening to the awesomeness called 'Virumaandi'. How can a person who has been churning folks songs for 25 yrs come out with such wonderful mix of folk and modern!!! His creativity seems inexhaustible. Especially if you check out 'Annanmaar Kadhai' and 'Bhavani Varugira' from 'Ponnar Shankar'. I love every song of 'Virumaandi', the most fav one being 'karumaathur kaatukkulle'. This was another album when it came out I thought was just an OK album!!! The watermark those days was whether Raja's album could raise to the top 10 and best the albums of Rahman and Harris!! Stupid, I know but we are dictated by the times, aren't we. Now, I have no hesitation in declaring it as one of the best albums of the first decade of the 21st century. What imagination, what creativity, what innovation!!! Excellent tuning, wonderful orchestration and authenticity. This is a tape which once I put in my car stereo runs for atleast a dozen times before a change happens!!
Well said Sureshji! Those were times when (still today) people are caught up with 'style' rather than substance. If a folk song rustic like this, then it is an outright dismissal and stylish songs marching way forward. Virumaandi one of the golden soundtracks in TFM history, but sadly except 'onnavida', other songs are not known much.

[Plum]

Badli Yeh Hawa (Shiva 2006 - Hindi)
Oru NaaL mAlaiyil (Udhayam - Shiva 2006 - Tamil)
manasA adagavA (Shiva 2006 - Telugu)

endha mozhila kEttAlum deiva kuzhandhai kural & isai kadavuLin thiRan - pErinbam, pErinbam. Back to back these 3 songs since Saturday. This is divine. I dont think I need to listen to any music for another 1 month. kAdhula fullA inba thEn pAinju over flow Agi veLLamAgi pOchu.
adhilum telugu version - maybe I am biased but once again namma Subbu's words vindicated - (i.e.) Sundar Ate Lungi nil... )

[tvsankar]

Telugu versionku link venum Plum...........

[raagas]

Listening to the awesomeness called 'Virumaandi'. How can a person who has been churning folks songs for 25 yrs come out with such wonderful mix of folk and modern!!! His creativity seems inexhaustible. Especially if you check out 'Annanmaar Kadhai' and 'Bhavani Varugira' from 'Ponnar Shankar'. I love every song of 'Virumaandi', the most fav one being 'karumaathur kaatukkulle'. This was another album when it came out I thought was just an OK album!!! The watermark those days was whether Raja's album could raise to the top 10 and best the albums of Rahman and Harris!! Stupid, I know but we are dictated by the times, aren't we. Now, I have no hesitation in declaring it as one of the best albums of the first decade of the 21st century. What imagination, what creativity, what innovation!!! Excellent tuning, wonderful orchestration and authenticity. This is a tape which once I put in my car stereo runs for atleast a dozen times before a change happens!!

I like some of the songs a lot, though not all. But I do have some favourites. But the one concern I have is - why does IR, a disciplinarian, sacrifice his composition/melody to the personal whims of Kamal Haasan by allowing him to sing, with apasruthis? I am sure the same songs would sound much better with a trained singer? I mean, whats the point of having a wonderful composition, when a singer butchers it? And why does IR tolerate that? Why not exercise his discipline there? does his personal relationship precede his relationship with music? somehow, I dont feel convinced to believe that IR too, perhaps, wanted the same output, with all the apasruthis! I feel IR just becomes party to Kamal's self-indulgence and thereby to the massacre of his compositions.

There were few songs that Kamal sang well, probably back in 80s/early 90s but in albums like Virumandi, i feel his apasruthis are too evident!

[Plum]

raagas, dont know but I think unna vida captures the spirit of the song much better than SPB's ninnu thappa. I think Raja has always understood that fidelity to the movie is the primary purpose of the song - and even purely musical considerations come later. You could say there are some songs where Kamal doesnt do justice but by and large, he does. It is afterall, his own movie and he doesnt settle for lower quality where it comes to his movie.

[raagas]

Plum,

I dont mean SPB either. I am sure there must be many other options. and Onna Vida is a fantastic composition and I love it a lot too. And perhaps Kamal's rendition was better in that song, compared to others. But generally, the album as such has lot of Kamal dose... rather Kamal 'coarse' dose. May be it suits the rustic character on screen, but ultimately music listeners listen to the album and not see it all the time. and my concern is about the composition as such! Sometimes I feel like skipping some IR-Kamal songs (some, not all), just because my listening pleasure is comprimised! few songs in virumandi come in that bracket. But i feel glad that for some songs, IR doesnt let Kamal do the job. like say Vazha Osai. Again, i dont mean to say that IR doesnt know what he is doing! He does. Just that he probably gives in to the compromise at times! (i think).

[Plum]

Oh yes but Virumandi for me is unimaginable without Kamal's vocals. Just nobody else can do justice - you have pushpavanam kuppusamy for folk but he'd sound wimpy, SPB too smooth and polished(as he infact did in the telugu version). Perhaps Malaysia Vasudevan.

[Plum]

And the success of the album is in putting off listeners like you for coarseness - not coarse in the Deva (white lagaan kozhi types) way but coarse in a Virumandi way. I did watch his story raptly but introduce me to the real life Viruman, and I'll be recoiling in horror, unable to face his acid barbs, and coarse, straight talk. The songs need to be interesting, with all the regular listenability factors yet put you off purely because of Viruman's voice - both physical and meta-physical.

There are a whole lot other native singers from periya karuppa thevar to several other no-names in the album. I, for one, rejoiced in the native voices it showcased, including Kamal's own inner gramAththAn.

[KV]

Nice points there Raagas and Plum.
Raagas, I think certain singers have this unique ability of being exceptionally emotional, their voice and rendition brimming with life and soul, while technically, their vocal chords might not necessarily be hitting the notes with the required precision. Kamal is one such singer. For that matter, I would even bracket IR, the singer, in this category. If one considers the overall context of some of these songs, these guys, more than make up for their technical handicap with their superior comprehension of the movie’s situation, mindscape of the characters in it and the lyrics. I do understand that this could be beyond the general, fathomable parameters to judge/enjoy singing/music for a person who isn’t too familiar with the background or language. To flip it around, this works as a perk if one does happen to know a bit or two about these exterior aspects. Which is why I feel Kamal is one of the strong points in this album. And To me, it is this factor that, more often than not, puts IR on a higher pedestal than other singers (in my books). I’d take such voices any day over look-at-me-I’m-so-cool auto-tuners and technically-besh-besh-but-emotionally-so-so Mandhu Balayyas.

[raagas]

I guess it is all about our personal preferences! i mean, the kind of music/singing one grows up on and is accustomed to. And like you said, it also depends on one's familiarity with aspects other than the composition - ie., context, language, situation etc. May be thats why, I felt that even IR struggled (and faltered) with sruthis in that sad song in Gaayam-2, no matter how much I loved the composition. I have nothing against his singing. I have my own favourites, like the same IR effortlessly rendering a breezy melody in Nandalala. Or even that amazing folk song in "Pazhassi Raja". There are IR songs where i felt he was perfect. but, there are some, where i the struggle/faltering disturbs the (my)experience slightly(Gaayam-2). But i know there are many who didnt feel so for Gaayam-2 song. Like i said, it all comes to the individual connect with a composition. Anyway, on this note, let me revisit that Gaayam-2 song.

[raagas]

Kalagane Kanulalo (Gaayam-2)

The beauty of this composition lies in its simple tune. And that pause, after which the lines go "naatho saage". Thats unexpected there! and thats where he scores (atleast for me).

[V_S]

Plum, raagas and KV, you guys are amazing! Very interesting view points! Plum and KV sort of summed it up aptly that's its our way of brought up and how deeply we associate a song with the movie and it's setting even when we are just listening most of the time (as raagas observed). So basically and automatically we dissolve and immerse ourselves in that setting rather than just concentrate on his singing. I would say that's the composers magic. I too could not imagine that soundtrack without Kamal.


And the success of the album is in putting off listeners like you for coarseness Plum is always Plum!

raagas, bang on 'kalagane' song, thats the highlight of the song stealing that 'natho saage' line from nowhere. Again one of the best black song of IR and no one other than IR would have brought that rawness in the song!

[vithagan]

Naan vaakkapattu - Dhesiya Geetham :musicsmile:

[app_engine]

pAdum vAnambAdeee hA & seer koNdu vA veN mEghamE

SPB gems from nAn pAdum pAdal...

[AravindMano]

aagAya veNNilAvE tharai meedhu vandhadhEnO - arangEtRa vELai.

Everyone involved in this masterpiece, from the singers to the last guy who played the violins, would have had a whale of time. This is one of those songs that is too perfect to believe it's conjured up by human effort. Or that it was imagined piece by piece and assembled later. rAtchasar, as SPB says.

[V_S]

Oh Nenjame Ithu Un Raagame - Enakkaaga Kaathiru (Deepan chakravarthi, S Janaki)
Listening after years. Aha! enna oru inimayana paadal. Blown away completely! Soft and silky voice of Deepan and gliding SJ's singing. Prelude and Interludes will steal our heart, especially the second one. Charanam innum arumai. Very neatly picturized on some breath-taking locations, with no unnecessary dance steps (except for few seconds, forgivable). Young, tall and handsome Suman (except his hair could have been trimmed) and pretty Sumalatha doing good job there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwgHHNFetsA

All the songs in this movie are soft and soulful melodies and decently picturized.

Pani Mazhai Vizhum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlSQ0wf9RM0&feature=related
Oh Maaya, Ooty Malai Kaattilae, Our Raja! Beautiful song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nv93VsYUys&feature=related
Dhaagam Edukkira
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWM8kVdE28M&feature=related

All songs here:
http://thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00143&lang=en

Thanks to the uploaders!

[Sureshs65]

I know the discussion is sort of close but since it started with my post, I will anyway add a couple of words :D

raagas: I am with Plum and KV on this. I personally feel that for this movie, Kamal was the very apt choice. As said by Plum and people like Rajasaranam earlier, Raja's fidelity is to the movie. He may miss out on the 'listening experience' aspect by choosing people like Kamal but from the movie's standpoint, it is a perfect choice. I know many people who don't like 'maada vilakke' mainly for Kamal's voice and the sadness of the tune but then, it is 'perfect' for me. It is exactly like how the character would sing. Credit to Kamal for getting the required emotion in that song. It slowly risen in my liking and nowadays I keep singing it often. As Plum mentioned, the other unpolished voices in 'karumaathur kaatukkule' add to the authenticity as well as to my enjoyment.

I feel that you can use less the perfect voices when they are needed and they do tend to add a bit of charm to the song. Let me take this opportunity to replug my blog post about Malaysia Vasudevan about the same aspect, the voice not being perfect but yet conveying a lot: http://sureshs65music.blogspot.com/2011/02/kodai-kaala-katre-tribute-to-malaysia.html

[rajkumarc]

V_S - Enakkaaga Kaathiru is one heck of an album. Each song is a stunner to me. Thanks for the youtube links.

Listening to a couple of songs in the spooky/supernatural genre.
--Devathai Ilam Devi from Aayiram Nilave Vaa. The orchestration is beyond words and this one song is enough to showcase IR's innovation in this particular genre. SPB's rendition is so soulful and always pulls the heart strings.
--Enakkul Oruvan Yaar from Enakkul Oruvan. The beats in the prelude set the tone and MV's rendition is awesome bringing in the emotions of the possessed soul.

[San_K]

I am longing for fine quality IR songs like Enakkaga Kaathiru. Atleast can we legally purchase these rare IR songs anywhere?

[Querida]

Great Album...

Fave pick is "Oh Nenjamae"
The repetitive use of the staccato violins from 1:48 to 1:32 is so reminiscent of another song....anyone? :huh:
http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs=%27SNGIRR0796%27&lang=en
"Pani Vizhum" bgm sounds very oriental fitting with the video that uses burmese? nepalese? fashion
"Ohh Maaya" is quite different...quite right about the tribal feel...never heard this song before...beautiful interludes...

[Sureshs65]

Deepan Chakravarthy is on Jaya TV every night this week doing the 'thirumbi paarkiran' program (10 to 10:30pm). Yesterday they should a clip of a song from 'Nizhal Thedum Nenjangal', which he has sung with Janaki. Lovely number.

[Querida]

A heartfelt thanks to Usha for introducing me to "Muthu Kaalai" songs

each one is very soothing to hear esp. Punnai Vanathu and Antha Kanji...both are vying for a spot but both equally are special.

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00385&lang=en

Antha Kanji - starts with a sweet humming, SJ has such a cute teasing quality in her singing, the first interlude is so buoyant and playful then becomes a little melancholic like and then highlighted by a shrilling bell sound and the rest is then punctuated by a single bell sound....an indication of a shared harmony between lovers? Second humming with ohhohoho is also nicely highlighted by the shrilling bell sound again.

Punnai Vanathu - starts out heart wrenching almost as if for a pathos song...(one of the things I regret is my lack of knowledge of what instruments IR uses...it makes it difficult to describe the music at times...just today finally put a name to a musical instrument that I have heard often in songs of yesteryear - the vibraphone)

when SPB sings "maar meedhum thOL meedhum saaindhirukka.."

and then SJ replies much more quietly: "oh paalaarum thEnaarum paaindhirukkae..."

too sweet!!!

Nalla Kaalam and Vaazhai Illai are also uplifting solo pieces of SPB's with Manorama in the latter song.

[Plum]

Telugu versionku link venum Plum...........

nalla ALu pArthu kEttInga? enakkum link findingkum romba dhooram.
Suresh/raagas - pls do the needful :-)

[raagas]

nalla ALu pArthu kEttInga? enakkum link findingkum romba dhooram.
Suresh/raagas - pls do the needful :-)

:-)

http://www.raaga.com/channels/telugu/moviedetail.asp?mid=A0000843

Shiva 2006 in Telugu. The song plum was talking about is Manasa adagava

[V_S]

Thanks Querida and Ushaji for highlighting one of Raja's best tracks. With SPB and SJ in it, we can't get better. Very valuable mention about vibrophone. Coincidently, yesterday I witnessed to some superb vibrophone performance in Vijay TV Super Singer 3 for 'Deiveega Paadalgal' round. Please don't miss this round if you get a chance, all are gifted melodies and singers are doing amazing job with T L Maharajan as one of the chief guest, it great to hear him sing and speak.

[Sunil_M88]

Magic journey and Salsalakum kaatre - twinkle twinkle little star (2005) :musicsmile:

[tvsankar]

Que,
thanks for the mentioning.. s. am great mad to these songs......

[tvsankar]

raagas,
thanks for the link.. paatai kaekaren......................

[Sureshs65]

This wonderful melody from a the flop Malayalam film 'Pachakuthira'. What a power packed song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kWI8Onrf0Y Revisiting it after a discussion with skr in another forum.

Which brings me to the question, where is raj_musings nowadays?

[Devaraagam]

For long time I have missed this thread by looking the top threads. today only realized that those threads are sticky threads. :)

[vithagan]

Singara mane poondhene - Thaimozhi

Unknown gem from Raja !

[app_engine]

'Oh pApA lAlee' on loop in the car for the last two days (idhaiyaththai thirudAthE)!

What a sweet orchestration and fantastic melody, the first interlude just pizhinjifies the heart / nAdi narambellAm suNdi izhukkum strings!

Possibly the best song for Mano but he does dhrishtippottu on a number of spots :-( Also, makes one feel why can't he sing with the intended feel for any song.

Possibly IR/MR decided that for that actor - with a single emotion of 'being in pain even when laughing' - this voice is good enough :roll: I've seen only one movie of Amala's hubby - this one - and IMO he is the Telugu equivalent of oru thalai rAgam Shankar. Always sad, troubled, in-pain kind of face. Like Mano, always flat feeling - let it be love, thAlAttu, sogam, hAsyam, veeram whatever.

(Some say Mano did great post-IR, why not, post-IR which composer bothers about giving "emotional" songs to Mano? What emotions needed to be showcased in, say, veerapANdi kOttaiyilE? or mukkAbullA? or azhagiya lailA? Obviously, why won't Mano sound great there!)

[V_S]

:lol: Hilarious post App. I listened to Mano's version only during my college and couple of later years. First time I watched the movie was in Madurai during summer holidays with my college friends. Later on once I discovered SPB's version I stopped listening to Mano's version, not just Mano's version was bad, it's SPB's version was far ahead.

Plum and Param should be more happy on your post.:smile:

But what a song, right from one second prelude (the shortest and best till date) till the end, this song will leave you speechless, even after the song has stopped long before. There will be pure silence within yourself for long long time.

[raagas]

'Oh pApA lAlee' on loop in the car for the last two days (idhaiyaththai thirudAthE)!

Possibly the best song for Mano but he does dhrishtippottu on a number of spots :-( Also, makes one feel why can't he sing with the intended feel for any song.

Possibly IR/MR decided that for that actor



On the contrary, the first time i heard it, I thought it is probably Mano's worst ever rendition under IR's baton. :-) Infact, you said it yourself - the feel aspect is gone somehow. And the weight given to the words is too heavy, while SPB in telugu, gave a more gentle rendition. And gentle rendition was what the song required too. And SPB was just perfect for/in it.

Secondly, I think (and I heard many times) that IR is not (least) involved in the dubbed versions. And in most cases, the decisions for dubbed films are governed by "dates and rates of singers", and not by "which singer is apt for this composition?". I think IR decides about the aptness of a singer, only in the original version. For the dubbed versions, he is hardly involved. Infact, for many Tamil-to-telugu dubbed versions, he was not present in recording (this is what I heard from people who followed his 80s Telugu career diligently) and his assistants just did the job (track singing was in vogue anyway).

There are 100s of examples where the singers were switched from KJY to SPB (& viceversa), SPB to Mano (& viceversa), Chitra to Janaki/Susheela (& viceversa) - given that language barrier is not an issue for any of these singers. It is more of who could the producer afford and which singer was available, to finish the dubbing that day.

[groucho070]

As Hub Mano Fan Club president and treasurer, I agree that entire Idhayattai Thirudathe album features lazy efforts from Mano. Before you get excited Plum, I didn't post this in Mano's thread.

[Plum]

App, Raagas - :clap:
Truth needs to be told.
Again and Again.

I think raagas' point on dubbing movies sure does make sense.
Watch out for Teacher Amma(:hattip: appengine) singing "oru poongavanam" like she were singing a blind school prayer in Gharshana(Agni nakshatram). Teacher amma got a lot of Telugu dubbing songs of hit tamil movies in the 80s - which is perplexing considering she literally accused IR of orangattifying her in the 80s.

Raagas' explanation fills in this conundrum - in that, IR might not have been involved in her selection for the telugu version. If he didnt trust her for the tamil version, why would he give the telugu version? Also, the fact that she was less busier and cheaper in the 80s compareed to Janaki, Chitra and Suseela fits in with Raagas' theory.

[Devaraagam]

App, 100% agree with u on mano and idhayathai thirudathey as its my feeling too. actually, SPB was not well during that period so mano got the bumper prize

[app_engine]

It is more of who could the producer afford and which singer was available, to finish the dubbing that day.

haiyA!

I had been stating this as a theory (PMP thingy) and nice to see that guess getting partly ratified :-)

Looks like IR was not even in the picture on the dubbing cases :-)

[irir123]

:lol: Hilarious post App. I listened to Mano's version only during my college and couple of later years. First time I watched the movie was in Madurai during summer holidays with my college friends. Later on once I discovered SPB's version I stopped listening to Mano's version, not just Mano's version was bad, it's SPB's version was far ahead.

Plum and Param should be more happy on your post.:smile:

But what a song, right from one second prelude (the shortest and best till date) till the end, this song will leave you speechless, even after the song has stopped long before. There will be pure silence within yourself for long long time.

IT had several unintentionally funny elements associated with it

1. Mano's singing was totally clinically executed cold-blooded murder of some of the most original tunes of all times! in tamil, 'o paapa laali' became 'o BAABA laali' (as in 'Baa baa black sheep have u any wool?')!, an energetic 'jagada jagada' became a dull, 'vidiya vidiya' perhaps foreboding the hero's abt-to-be-revealed-sickness!, a sincere soulful 'o priya priya' in telugu by SPB, became a hopeless, desperate, almost self-pitying rendition by Mano in tamil! a self-introspective 'aamani paadave' by SPB became a hopeless 'kaaviyam paadavaa thendraley' tat wud have made any self-respecting breeze cry out 'cudnt they have picked up a better singer to invite me to sing ?'

2.Nagarjuna's perfect non-acting, just completely shoved over by IR's genius and brilliance in every single frame - IR must have been laughing inside and delighted at this oppurtunity to run riot with a mesmerising western classical score to complement PC Sriram's brilliantly executed visuals! this movie completed 100 days in tamil ONLY for IR's music, since Nagarjuna was an absolute stranger in TN!
There were some unintentionally scary scenes when the camera pans in to show his face in such closeup, one could see hairs from his moustache sticking out pefectly horizontally like miniature barbs!

3.the unintentionally ironically hilarious comedy track featuring disco shanthi ! it was hilarious primarily for (i) the mundance stupidity and (ii) once again showcasing Mani Ratnam's pathetic sense of humor, or lack of it, following the distasteful 'comedy' track in Agni natchathiram featuring VKR, Janakaraj n Disco Shanthi - however, despite all of this, IR gave us two memorable themes for these sequences!

[raagas]

Irir123,

Geetanjali had about 55 mins of background score, probably the longest duration in Maniratnam's films. Apparently, Mani Ratnam treated Ilaiyaraaja as this film's hero, right from the time he started filming it, because i remember reading about Maniratnam's penchant for less-dialogue shots in that film. Some of the posters too, did not have faces of actors, but only dark silhouettes and only Ilaiyaraaja's name, along with Maniratnam's name, on the posters.
That hopeless comedy track was missing in many DVDs/Video Casettes/VCDs. Apparently, that track was shot in the last minute, to please the distributors and once the film began ringing cash registers, that whole track was edited out. I remembering seeing the edited out version of the film.

[V_S]

IT had several unintentionally funny elements associated with it

1. Mano's singing was totally clinically executed cold-blooded murder of some of the most original tunes of all times! in tamil, 'o paapa laali' became 'o BAABA laali' (as in 'Baa baa black sheep have u any wool?')!, an energetic 'jagada jagada' became a dull, 'vidiya vidiya' perhaps foreboding the hero's abt-to-be-revealed-sickness!, a sincere soulful 'o priya priya' in telugu by SPB, became a hopeless, desperate, almost self-pitying rendition by Mano in tamil! a self-introspective 'aamani paadave' by SPB became a hopeless 'kaaviyam paadavaa thendraley' tat wud have made any self-respecting breeze cry out 'cudnt they have picked up a better singer to invite me to sing ?'

2.Nagarjuna's perfect non-acting, just completely shoved over by IR's genius and brilliance in every single frame - IR must have been laughing inside and delighted at this oppurtunity to run riot with a mesmerising western classical score to complement PC Sriram's brilliantly executed visuals! this movie completed 100 days in tamil ONLY for IR's music, since Nagarjuna was an absolute stranger in TN!
There were some unintentionally scary scenes when the camera pans in to show his face in such closeup, one could see hairs from his moustache sticking out pefectly horizontally like miniature barbs!

3.the unintentionally ironically hilarious comedy track featuring disco shanthi ! it was hilarious primarily for (i) the mundance stupidity and (ii) once again showcasing Mani Ratnam's pathetic sense of humor, or lack of it, following the distasteful 'comedy' track in Agni natchathiram featuring VKR, Janakaraj n Disco Shanthi - however, despite all of this, IR gave us two memorable themes for these sequences!
:rotfl:thoroughly enjoyed your post!

[AravindMano]

To everyone who have thrashed Mano of Idhayaththai Thirudathey - :clap: :thumbsup: :redjump:

[rprasad]

I think Geetanjali/IT remains one of the best background scores ever composed in Indian film music atleast in my opinion. One of most commonly overlooked points about that score is the fact that IR uses a predominantly electronic score during the first half of the film while switching over to complete western classical strings based score for the more emotional second half of the film. It is as if two different MD's had scored for the same movie. IR showcases his amazing versatility in dealing with modern electronic sound for bringing out the fun quotient in the first half and going back to his core WCM based score for the emotional second half. Absolute genius work. An absolute masterpiece which will stand the test of time.

[rajkumarc]

Nice posts on Idhayathai Thirudathe. Makes me want to revisit the movie soon. Plum - Who's teacher amma?

[app_engine]

Plum - Who's teacher amma?

As told there by Plumji, I was the culprit who promoted that term when discussing 'ABC nee vAsi' song of OKD. (Now you know who that singer is :wink:)

[rajkumarc]

Oh VJ... never knew her mother tongue was Telugu, thought she was a Tamilian. Need to listen to Oru Poongavanam Telugu version despite Plum's warning :-)

Recently revisited Pazhassi Raja songs. The orchestration (percussion especially) felt so powerful & perfect, a thoroughly satisfying album on all aspects.

[app_engine]

never knew her mother tongue was Telugu

Did Plum say that? Or did you read it somewhere? It's news to me :-)

BTW, wiki says:



Vani Jayaram was born in Vellore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vellore) in Tamil Nadu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Nadu), in a family of musicians. Her mother is the disciple of Ranga Ramunaja Iyengar (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranga_Ramunaja_Iyengar&action=edit&redlink=1), a great veena (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veena) exponent. Kadaloor Sreenivasa Iyengar, who taught Vani’s sister music, was fascinated by her observation and grasping power. He taught her a few Dikshitar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muthuswami_Dikshitar) kritis when she was hardly five.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vani_Jairam#cite_note-vani1-1) The fifth daughter in a family of six daughters and three sons, Vani always secretly yearned for a career in film playback singing. Considered to be a child prodigy, Vani Jayaram claims to have recognized the different ragas of Indian classical music before the age of five. Her voice was first heard on All India Radio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Radio), Madras, at the age of eight.
Vani Jayaram studied Carnatic music (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnatic_music) under the tutelage of Kadalur Srinivasa Iyengar (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kadalur_Srinivasa_Iyengar&action=edit&redlink=1), T. R. Balasubramanian (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T._R._Balasubramanian&action=edit&redlink=1) and R. S. Mani (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._S._Mani&action=edit&redlink=1). Her Hindustani classical music (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustani_classical_music) guru was Ustad Abdul Rahman Khan (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ustad_Abdul_Rahman_Khan&action=edit&redlink=1).
After her marriage to Jayaram she settled in Mumbai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai), where she realized her dream.

[rajkumarc]

Thanks App for clarifying. Based on the previous discussions, I assumed VJ's mother tongue is Telugu...my bad :-)
Strange that VJ got to sing Telugu version of Oru Poongaavanam.

[Plum]

As app clarified, it's Vani-ji, who is, btw, so obviously a tam-brahm. Is it even possible to think otherwise when you get to see her and hear her speak?

[Plum]

Vani-ji ek dum spoiled telugu dubbing versions of tamil hits. Not that they had much going for them - their lyrics usually have an unusual feature not found in regular telugu songs - the tendency to use "antA" as filler at the end of lines. Suresh/raagas might be able to explain why so but to me those lines signify a poor translation effort. To date, I have never found use of that filler in proper telugu original songs.

[Plum]

suresh/raagas, please dont quote the counter example in AhA nA peLLaNtA which is a glorious example of the correct usage of "aNTA". I hope you understand what I mean - I am not able to recall specific lines from specific songs but I hope you would be able to help illustrate

[raagas]

suresh/raagas, please dont quote the counter example in AhA nA peLLaNtA which is a glorious example of the correct usage of "aNTA". I hope you understand what I mean - I am not able to recall specific lines from specific songs but I hope you would be able to help illustrate

:-D you saw that coming! But your inference is right! not just "Anta", even a suffix "Le" (as in "maaradhule", "preminchaavule" etc) is quite prominent in dubbing songs - prevalent even today. But i must add here that there was a lyricist named Rajasree, who was treated as "right lyricist for dubbed films". And to be fair, he did not ruin the lyrics are the norm is today. He did write some very good translations. He wrote lot lyrics for lot of dubbed IR albums (including Gharshana). Unfortunately, he passed away soon after ARR began enjoying Telugu audience patronage (after Kaadhalan, Thiruda Thiruda) and we had a breed of new lyricists who butchered Telugu like anything.

Back to topic, I need to dig out VJ songs in telugu. Honestly, I am not much a fan of her renditions because of STRONG (S-T-R-O-N-G) ditction. :-)

[fan_ir]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glhoXCDM2cY

[AravindMano]

fan_ir, excellent find. Thanks much! Sharing it right away!

[venkkiram]

Kurisenu Virijallule - Gharshana


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIP03X1W1NQ&feature=fvsr

நான் அடிக்கடி கேட்டு மகிழும் பாலு-வாணி கூட்டணி பாடல். எந்தப் பாடல் என்றாலும் பாடலை அடுத்த தளத்திற்கு எடுத்துச் செல்வதில் வாணிக்கும் யேசுதாஸிற்கும் ஒரு ஒற்றுமை இருக்கிறது. தெய்வீக உணர்வு. தீவிர குரல் பயிற்சியால் வந்ததா இல்லை இயற்கை அளித்த கொடையா எனத் தெரியவில்லை.

[Querida]

I wonder today as I have done countless times before what magic rests in the hands of the Maestro
in that listening to deeply loved popular hits still allows one to feel goosebumps and marvel at its incredible beauty
and if possible love it that much more...here's to a night filled with well known hits and faves!! :musicsmile:

[Querida]

After listening to Venkkiram's Gharshana song posting looked up my fave song from the same movie "Vaa Vaa Anbae",
in Telugu version sung by SPB...."Neeve Amara Swaramae".....doesn't seem to be captivating for me as KJ version was...his deep voice just really suited this song IMHO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-OfpaFYOnw&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvIiQPX0fc
:notworthy:

[Plum]

deiveega uNarvu for thoongadha vizhigaL reNdu - vonly teacherammA fossible - precisely what app is laying as chargesheet against her :-)

[V_S]

Yes, I agree with Plum and Querida. VJ's voice does not suit at all for this kind of song (yes sounds devotional, may her voice suits more for those kind of songs) and even first time I would say SPB is shades lower than KJY's version. Those sangathis by KJY is top class and clearly VJ is no match for SJ there.

[Shank]

"Naadham En Jeevane" (Kadhal Oviyam) is one of my most fav songs....complete goose flesh category. Every time I hear this song, especially the melodic stanzas, I have to pinch myself.

[app_engine]

thAlAttudhE vAnam, thaLLAdudhE mEgham (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1399'&lang=en) on loop in the car now, superb song by PJ/SJ in the Kamal movie kadal meenkaL.

This movie came around the same time period as alaigaL Oyvathillai and was such a roaring hit. At the time of arrival, 'enRenRum AnandhamE' was my top preference but this has won that spot over a period of time.

Both the prelude and second interlude are 'ellA soththum ezhudhi vaikkalAm' category. The very start of the prelude takes one straight to a kadal theeram! The 'doonta-doonta' BGM for the pallavi was one among 1000's of new sounds coming up those days.

And the second interlude is simply goosebump stuff. That too the end of it leading to the saraNam - :kaN kalangal: :uNarchchipperukkam: :unmaththam:

[Devaraagam]

intha padukailey from chinna vathiyar. y'day by mistake I pressed this song and after listening this I started to listening continuously. tremendous delivery from chitra and different pattern of rhythm.

IR gave lot of varieties to KSC

http://thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs=%27SNGIRR0530%27&lang=en

[rajkumarc]

Naarinil Poo Thoduthu from Irandil Ondru sung by IR & KSC. A very nice duet, the tune is really haunting and wonderfully rendered by IR & KSC.

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00205&lang=en

[V_S]

Wonderful picks rajkumarc and devaraagam. I was thinking why I didn't include 'Naarinil Poothoduthu' in Raja duets list. May be since Chitra doing the 'lala' humming only at the start, it was not included.

[Devaraagam]

Naarinil Poo Thoduthu from Irandil Ondru sung by IR & KSC. A very nice duet, the tune is really haunting and wonderfully rendered by IR & KSC.


I likes the lovely pallavi and the way IR starts the song. thanks for bringing to my memory

[Plum]

If vAnengum competes for the longest pallavi ever, sugamO aayiram does for the shortest one. ivLo dhAn pallavi - "sugamO Aayiram, uravO kaaviyam"
indha pAttu evLO muRai kEttAlum, as the song itself says on "samsAram": "dhinandhORum rasiththAlum oru nALum thevittAdhu"

[Devaraagam]

Sugamo Aairam is my personal favorite. I feel after listen the tune kannadasan wud hav penned sugamo aairam.

[AravindMano]

saththam varAmal muththam koNdAdum - my dear marthAndan :musicsmile:

Mano's singing :banghead: :hammer: :banghead:

It seems Hub will only not allow me to put anymore smile to express my angst.

[venkkiram]

saththam varAmal muththam koNdAdum - my dear marthAndan :musicsmile:

Mano's singing :banghead: :hammer: :banghead:

It seems Hub will only not allow me to put anymore smile to express my angst.

மனோவை ஒரு வழி செய்வதற்கு முன், அவரை தேர்ந்தெடுத்த ராஜாவையும் நினைத்துப் பாருங்கள். அப்புறம் இதுபோன்ற சுத்தியல் அடிப்பது, தலையை முட்டிக்கொள்வது படங்களையெல்லாம் பதிய மாட்டீர்கள். எத்தனை டேக் எடுத்திருப்பார்கள். எத்தனை முறை மனோவின் குரல் தரும் உணர்வை, தரத்தை ராஜா கேட்டிருப்பார். "ஒருவர் பாடியது பரவாயில்லை அல்லது நல்லா பாடியிருக்கிறார். அதையே இவர் பாடியிருந்தால் இன்னும் அருமையாக இருந்திருக்கும்" என்ற அளவில் விமர்சனம் செய்தால் அதை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளலாம். ஆனால் ஒட்டுமொத்தமாக ஒரு பாடகரை நிராகரிப்பது, ஃபெயில் மார்க் போடுவது அந்த இசையமைப்பாளரையே விமர்சனம் செய்வது போலத்தான். இதயத்தை திருடாதே படப் பாடல்களையும் குறிப்பிட்டு இங்கே மனோ கடுமையாக விமர்சிக்கப் படுகிறார். ஆரம்ப காலம். இருந்தும் "காவியம் பாடவா", "ஓ ப்ரியா ப்ரியா" இந்த இருபாடல்களும் மனோ குரல்களில் நன்றாகவே வந்திருக்கிறது. ஒட்டுமொத்தமாக இதயத்தை திருடாதே படப் பாடல்களை நிராகரிப்பது ஏன் எனத் தெரியவில்லை.

[AravindMano]

ராஜாவை நினைத்துப் பார்த்தால் ஏன் சுத்தியல் வராது? பாடகர்கள் தேர்வில் ராஜாவை ஏன் விமர்சிக்கக் கூடாது? சில பாடகர்கள் தேர்வு, synth இசை, கோரஸ் குரல்கள், பல பாடல் வரிகள் - இவைகளில் எனக்கு எப்போதும் ராஜாவின் மீது விமர்சனம் உண்டு. என்ன, ஆயிரமாயிரம் முழுச்சூரியன் பிரகாசிக்கும் வானத்தில் அங்கங்கே இருக்கும் ஒரு சில கிரகணங்கள் தெரிவதில்லை. அதைப் பற்றிப் பேசி விட்டுத்தான் மனோவை விமர்சனம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று அவசியம் எனக்கு தோன்றவில்லை.

மனோவின் பங்களிப்பு என்னைப் பொறுத்தவரையில் on and off தான் - சில இடங்களில் தேறும் பல இடங்களில் சறுக்கும். ஞானம் இருக்கிறது, நன்றாகப் பாடகிறார் என்ற காரணத்தில் வருகிற வாய்ப்புகள் ஒவ்வொன்றிலும் தனித்தனியாக அவரது merit என்ன என்று தான் பார்க்க முடிகிறது. இன்னிக்கு ஒழுங்கா பாடியிருக்காரா என்பது தான் மேட்டர். அவர் அன்னைக்கு சொத்தியிருந்தால் அதற்கு ராஜாவை எப்படித் திட்ட முடியும். நீங்களே சொல்றீங்க, காவியம் பாடவாவும் ப்ரியா ப்ரியா பாடலும் நல்லாத்தான் இருக்குன்னு. மீதி பாட்டுக்கு மனோவத்தானே திட்ட முடியும்? ரெண்டு பாட்ட நல்லா பாடிட்டு (அதாவது உங்க அபிப்ராயத்துல), மத்த நாலுல என்னாச்சுன்னு? :)

இதயத்தை திருடாதே பாடல்களில் ஒவ்வொன்றையும் மனோ கொலை செய்திருக்கிறார் என்பதே என் தாழ்மையான அபிப்ராயம். ஒட்டுமொத்த ஆல்பத்தையும் ஒரு முறை கேட்டால் எனக்கே ரெண்டு பாக்கெட் ஸ்ட்ரெப்ஸில்ஸ் போட்டுக்கொள்ளத் தோன்றும்.

[Sureshs65]

I probably am not as harsh on Mano as others. I like some of his songs and don't like some renditions. (As an aside and answer to Venki: You can blame Raja for bad selection but if Mano sings badly, you can only blame Mano for that rendition :) ) Anyway, my feeling is that Mano got more brickbats because his voice resembles SPB and hence the constant comparison.

Contrast this to Arunmozhi's singing. I have been hearing quite a few which he has sung and his voice lacks any sort of emotion. app_eng once said that Bhava was like a karoke singer. I feel the same with Arunmozhi. He delivers what is given to him from the notes perspective but I find the emotion lacking. This is accentuated when he sings duets. Against the likes of Janaki, Swarnalatha and even Minmini, Arunmozhi's lack of emotion is clearly seen. Yet he escapes any criticism from most of Raja fans, who reserve their choicest words for Mano.

Given a choice I would anyday pick Mano over someone like Arunmozhi.

[raagas]

I agree with Suresh. Mano, i feel, is actually not a bad singer. Yes, he is unlucky in the sense that his voice resembles SPB but he cant complain because he started out as a track singer for SPB (from what I heard). But otherwise, I usually feel that his renditions are good enough, (some exceptions like Geetanjali in tamil). But that could be because of bad selection. I mean, it is understandable that they tried Mano's voice but when the output is visibly bad, why retain it.
I somehow never liked Arun Mozhi's voice. I always felt that his voice is some incomplete version of a typical Jayachandran/madhu balakrishnan's voice. Cant point out exactly what is lacking but something definitely is.

[app_engine]

Given a choice I would anyday pick Mano over someone like Arunmozhi.

Definitely!

I'm not an expert to pick on incorrect notes / quality of voice / timbre / pitch control / breath control and such pure musical-technical aspects but can decently evaluate on pronunciation / language & emotions as any TN layman can do.

Going by my bias :
AM - almost all the instrumental music coming from IR's troop have better emotions than his singing
Mano - "praying" is the only emotion he can nail correctly and it may also work at times for love, longing, thAlAttu etc but often a misfit creating irritability
SPB - AhA, let me not do this nonsense of including him in the same post that discusses the likes of AM / Mano :-)

[AravindMano]

AM - almost all the instrumental music coming from IR's troop have better emotions than his singing


Ha ha ha! [Sigh, can't just put a smiley :| ]

[KV]

Listening to ‘Unna nenachu urugum’ from Rasiah currently. I’m a sucker for this beauty of a melody. The lady’s singing is so fluid, her voice just beautifully glides into every space, twist and turn the tune takes. Mano, going by his standard, does a not-bad job. But the poor guy, however hard he tries, the emotional dynamics just don’t come out right in his voice. He should actually be called Mono. Every time he sings the lower notes in the song, his voice has just one tone/expression/sound… like that of a plain bass guitar note 'dharrrrrrr'

[Sureshs65]

app,

The irony is that one of the instruments which portrayed myriad emotions in Raja's music, the flute, is actually played by Arunmozhi (aka Napolean) !!!!

Listen to this lovely song from "Dharmaseelan'. Arunmozhi and Minmini. What a gentle and lovely song. As raagas says Arunmozhi is like a poor man's Jeyachandran. Minimini does a nice job in this song while Arunmozhi's rendition lacks emotion. The song would have gained a lot had Jeyachandran sung it.

[Plum]

Reg arunmozhi, his voice is the right fit for the likes of unnai kaanaamal naan edhu
Otherwise, he is quite ordinary.
But I like his version of nenje gurunadharin to the more accomplished mg sreekumar'sa. Again because his voice suits the emotion.
He doesn't get criticised as much because he chewed a lot less than mano did.

[app_engine]

'idhu oru nilAkkAlam' on repeat in the car.

I think no other song will be needed for some more days :-)

[AravindMano]

mAnin iru kangaL koNda mAnE mAnE - mAppiLLai :musicsmile:

Such joy oozes out from this song. Second interlude is very imaginative, as usual. 80's masala potboilers owe so much to Raja!

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

Agree with you on the 'nenje gurunadharin' song. I was surprised to note that Arunmozhi has actually sung lot more songs than I thought he had !!!

To be kind to Arunmozhi, here is a lovely song, where he plays the flute beautifully (I am guessing it is him. For he is Raja's aasthana flautist.) The voice echoes the flute wonderfully.

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1607'&lang=en

[San_K]

Enakkaga Kaathiru songs with superb quality audio and video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO8woga3R-0&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nv93VsYUys&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlSQ0wf9RM0&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jr_Nyh1Itk&feature=related

A big thanks to the uploader who has uploaded many rare IR song.

Somebody introduce me a rare IR song to me

[KV]

Minmini paavaikal (http://thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1294'&lang=en)from Julie Ganapathy. I can recall correctly the last time I heard this one.
Expect-the-expected IR+BM+KJY song, strained vocals... but many sokkupodi moments in the guitar and keys. :musicsmile:

[KV]

Shaawmee, enakkoru unma therinjaaganam shaawmee..
How many songs has PBS sung for IR? Thendrale nee pesu. What else?
I can't recall even any Kannada songs of this combo (where PBS was more popular). Of course, thanks to SPB, there are some legends of IR ghost-composing under GKV, but how much merit the claim holds, I don't know.

[app_engine]

Shaawmee, enakkoru unma therinjaaganam shaawmee..
How many songs has PBS sung for IR? Thendrale nee pesu. What else?
I can't recall even any Kannada songs of this combo (where PBS was more popular). Of course, thanks to SPB, there are some legends of IR ghost-composing under GKV, but how much merit the claim holds, I don't know.

There is a indhi song in naNdu...'kaisE kahoon'... (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2273'&lang=en) The credit in thiraippadal says Bhupendra but I remember reading in dhool (http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/253.html)that this could be PBS or there could be a PBS version...I also remember reading that PBS wrote and sang the song, can't confirm for sure.

[app_engine]

On the IR doing under GKV claim, IR has indirectly ratified it by using the GKV credited 'mysooru malligE' Kannada song into 'vA vA munnooru milliyE' in his name in a Thamizh movie. However, as far as we know, that's the only case.

In any case, the relationship between both were always cordial (as is the IR-MSV relationship). One can watch GKV on screen in the movie MTK composed jointly by MSV-IR :-)

[Plum]

Kaise kahoon was only written by pbs. It was 100 percent bhupinder singh

[KV]

I'm also pretty sure that was by Bhupinder.
I remember SPB once speaking about one of - Ravi Varmanaa/Baare baare - as composed by IR. Lovely songs, these two.

[KV]

Thus spake the arakkan.
Nandhalala trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW13ECz-p4M
Starting from 0:22 to 0:55... 33 seconds of unadulterated Raja brilliance.
I don't recall hearing this piece in the movie. Was is used at all?

[rajkumarc]

Vegam Vegam from Anjali. Simply brilliant & beautiful orchestration to convey the sci-fi / fantasy theme. Prelude beginning with electronic music transitioning into a lovely string section always gives me goosebumps and gives a feeling of take-off / flying :notworthy:

[app_engine]

'siva rAththiree, thookkam Edhu' (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2054'&lang=en) of MMKR which is another Mano struggle :lol:

It's not that he was not trying - as some phrases of the song show some "forced-trying" (Kamal possibly encouraged him a lot there). OTOH, his "praying / begging" emotion keeps coming back, in totally inappropriate moments, throwing the song into total funny mode - as opposed to the intended "mood".

[app_engine]

The only consolation for Mano in sivarAththiree is KSC too struggling :lol: as she was no Moanica Seles :-)

[AravindMano]

malaiyOram mayilE viLaiyAdum kuyilE & oru rAja vandhAnAm enakkoru rOja thandhAnAm (http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?9393-K.S.Chitra&p=717192&viewfull=1#post717192) :musicsmile:

[Sureshs65]

Listening to 'kaiyetha kombathu' from 'Vinodayatra'. To me, the best Malayalam melody I have heard this century!!!

[naarayanan]

kadhal seiya kanne radha naal varadha.........ir spb sailaja...... a very good song.

[Querida]

kadhal seiya kanne radha naal varadha.........ir spb sailaja...... a very good song.

Link please! :D

[tvsankar]

Que,
first.. Narayanana thititu unaku link tharen. Wait.

[tvsankar]

Narayana,
Lyric a thappa solli. hmmmmm.. 1 hour a thedi thedi kedaikalai.. ipadi oru paatu yen theriyalai nu thindadi.. apram strike agi.. kandu pidichen.............. thookam thelinji
pochu ...... Grrrrrrrrrr...............

[tvsankar]

http://thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00260&lang=en

Kadhal seiya - illa

Maalai soda kannae radha

[groucho070]

app, agree that it's not fantabulous. I agree SPB would do better. SPB would do better anywhere. But Mano did his best there, and I can't think of anyone better than Mano, after SPB, to do that song. Apparently IR thought the same too. Came out well on screen as well. Compare this with MV's excellent Per Vechalum. Two different moods, for two different characters. Two different singers. Two well chosen singers.

[naarayanan]

sorry usha, yday i was half sleepy, just as this song i referred to siriya paravai as pudhiya paravai on vicky's post. there is a vide too for this song although for 1 minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6qIvxLOsBI

[Sureshs65]

Listening to 'Manam Virumbude Unnai'. Lot of gems here.

[raajarasigan]

Listening to 'Manam Virumbude Unnai'. Lot of gems here.இளவேனிற் கால பஞ்சமி :thumbsup:

[Plum]

And vAnaththil adum or nilavu - but then, Mano chews and spits the words in a way as to remove all appetite from our ears. Chitra, as often in partnership with Mano, is left to save the day

[baroque]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiw006_devan-thiruchabai-malargale-female_auto#from=embed

what a magical bgm--rhythm guitar, flute, accordion, church bells, mesmerizing violin postlude lures you back to the composition.

DIVINE Ilayaraja's DEVAN THIRUCHABAI MALARGALE.........POORANI & INDIRA...AVAR ENAKKE SONDHAM..........1977......KANNADASAN.

3 decades +, early ilayaraja's magic rules forever!

Music of the century from Early Ilayaraja

tantalizing violin prelude and interludes, flute bgm with heavenly Janumma's singing & huming

KANDEN ENGUM........KAATRINILE VARUM GEETHAM......1978.....ILAYARAJA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od2N2tZnu14&feature=player_detailpage


After my trip to the baseball field this evening, You and me, Raja, it's a date..:swinghead:
Treat me to your world of musical magic...:musicsmile:
Can't wait for tonight!
love love love love you Raja so much
vinatha.

[groucho070]

And vAnaththil adum or nilavu - but then, Mano chews and spits the words in a way as to remove all appetite from our ears. Chitra, as often in partnership with Mano, is left to save the dayThe scene from Reservoir Dogs comes to my mind. Avlo mOsamA? kEttu remba nAl-Achu.

[baroque]

the GUITAR, FLUTE/VIOLIN bgm/counterpoint of THEN POOVE POOVEY VAA.....ANBULLA RAJINIKANTH is a MAN MADE WONDER!
listen to the prelude & interludes...
Raja, you are very generous and affectionate with us.
Thanks, Raja.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYLnpaohxOo

romantic singing Bala and Janu.:musicsmile:

ஸ்ரீ.இளையராஜாவின் தீர்க்கமான பார்வையும், சாந்தமான சிரிப்பும் உள்ள இந்த visualதான் best.

EVER GLORIOUS 80S ILAYARAJA

vinatha

[J.Radhakrishnan]

Listening to 'Manam Virumbude Unnai'. Lot of gems here.

Good songs, Thanks Mr.Suresh..

[J.Radhakrishnan]

[massege deleted

[Sureshs65]

'un kenda kaalu' from 'Karisakaatu Poove'. What an amazing folk song. Swarnalatha is terrific. The way he changes the melody at the charanam end is pure Raja. http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1582'&lang=en

[Plum]

Actually, how many versions does Kanden Engum have? I know of 2 - Janaki and Teacheramma. There is a rumour about a Suseela version.
Thiraipaadal sadly has only Janaki version.

[baroque]

I have only Janumma's version.

Janu, ஜில்லுன்னு பாடுவோ ... longing mood, :musicsmile:
the BEST


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4LUZmASUQM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDTwcogFH9Y

early Ilayaraja treasures are matchless!
AZHAGIYA KANNE......JANUMMA:musicsmile:

vinatha

[Sunil_M88]

Nee partha parvai (Hey ram) by Harmonize Projekt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRlGrO-xxmw)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRlGrO-xxmw


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRlGrO-xxmw

Harmonize Projekt featuring Kalyani, Harshitha, Pradeep & Keba. Produced by Sujith Unnithan for Rosebowl. Directed by Sumesh lal, Visual mix supervision Ajan, Edited by Sanath, Jobin, Sudheesh, Janson Paul, DOP Vipin Chandran, Camera by Sujith, Pradeesh, Mahesh, Art by Suresh, Lights Cameo.

[Plum]

http://thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00383&lang=en

Grouch, is this the song in Mudhal Vasantham(Ponni Nadhi) you were referring to? Doesnt sound like Raja at all. Most certainly not the 80s Raja. Intriguing as you said

[Sureshs65]

Listening to the title song of 'Karisakaatu Poove'. Lovely number. Infact all the numbers in this film are good.

[app_engine]

While watching kudhirai of Mr Azhagarsamy, I thought the 'kudhikkiRa' number sounded very similar to 'indha poovukkoru arasan poovarasan'...did anyone else get reminded of the poovarasan?

BTW, sweet movie :-)

[Plum]

On Aiagirisamys Horse, I am still trying to remember the second interlude - I have it heard before exactly as it is. The flute piece towars the end of the interlude is what I am referring to

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

I have only Janumma's version.

Janu, ஜில்லுன்னு பாடுவோ ... longing mood, :musicsmile:


Hi vinitha mam, அடிக்கடி நல்ல நல்ல பாட்டா போடுரீங்களேனு பாத்தா, உங்க இருப்பிடம் San Jose! (இப்பத்தான் பாத்தேன்) 2008ல அங்க வந்தபோது El Camino Real ஒரு முனையிலிருந்து மறுமுனை வரைக்கும் உருண்டேன்! இப்ப எப்ப்டி இருக்குன்னு தெரியல, ராஜா ரசிகர்கள் தான் இங்கே ரெம்ப ஜாஸ்தி, ரசிகைகள் கம்மி, அதுவும் நீங்க நல்ல ரசனையோட உள்ள அபூர்வ ரசிகை! பேரெல்லாம் Western Classical பேரா வெச்சிருக்கீங்க, உங்களுக்கு Music Theory நல்ல பரிச்சயமா!. தொடரட்டும் உங்க சேவை, வாழ்த்துக்கள்! :)

[app_engine]

El Camino Real ஒரு முனையிலிருந்து மறுமுனை வரைக்கும் உருண்டேன்!

இப்படியெல்லாம் சொல்லி இருக்குற ஒன்னு-ரெண்டு ரசிகைகளையும் பயமுறுத்துறது தான் உங்க உத்தேசமா? :-)

[baroque]

sakala,

yeah...just returned home driving by El camino real, Sunnyvale this lunch hr.:)

oh.. my name 'baroque'...
ellam my love for Raaja's music.

second interlude of chinna kannan azhaikiran.....janu's version, I love it.
CSR was telling me, it is Baroque style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSTulKnpD6c

Remember, Ilayaraja yahoo group CSR was posting WCM theory...
அவர் தான் கொஞ்சம் மூளைய வளத்துக்கோ என்று theory சொல்லி கொடுத்தா.

Whatever I know little.. ellam Vel, my brother-in-law, CSR, Kiru (he posts in tfmpage), Dhool boys JAZZ theories etc..உபயம்.:ty:

So.. right or wrong whatever I post here is their teachings, if I am wrong, Blame it on the teachers!:grin:

Usha is a girl.
I think thumburu is also a girl.
Usha(CSR's sister), thumburu etc.. know everything.


**************************************************

Let me post
MANJAL VEYIL MAALAIYITTA POOVE..........EARLY ILAYARAJA TREASURE

to all those guys for sharing their passion and educated me. :ty:
enjoy the polyphonic composition of Ilayaraja's

violin, guitar, flute, veena..... that was then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GchSIkLzEas


guitar , keyboard, female chorus.......this is now.... Nandhalala.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHTjCuDpl0k&feature=related


vinatha.

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

இப்படியெல்லாம் சொல்லி இருக்குற ஒன்னு-ரெண்டு ரசிகைகளையும் பயமுறுத்துறது தான் உங்க உத்தேசமா? :-)
ஒண்ணு இவங்க. அந்த ரெண்டாவது ரசிகை யாருன்னு சொன்னீஙன்னா அவங்க கிட்ட, இங்க உள்ள பெங்களூர் கமர்ஷியல் ஸ்ட்ரீட்டில் என்ன பண்ணேன்னு சொல்லிட்டு கெளம்பிடுவென் அம்புட்டுதேன்!

வினிதா மேடம், கொஞ்சம் தான் தெரியும்னு சொல்லிட்டு நிறைய தகவல்கள் சொல்ரீங்க, கலக்குங்க! அந்த தியரி பாடமெல்லாம் இப்பவும் யாஹூ குரூப்பில் விவாதிக்கிறார்களா?!?

[baroque]

I am VINATHA.

என் பெயர் வினதா :grin:

YAHOO ILAYARAJA GROUP FELLOWS ARE ELITE GUYS.
OF COURSE, THEY WILL BE ALASI EDUTHTHU ILAYARAJA SANGEETHAM :-D

come on....
in tfmpage, dhool forums too,
most of these guys are very well informed and passionate.

Kiru, Jai etc... posts are amazing.

B'lore, I have lived at Malleswaram too.

gorgeous sampige road....nostalgia

see the photos of nostalgic street.

391


392

Please tell us what you did at commercial street?

Hope it is juicy!:grin:


Back to Ilayaraja sangeetham...


PACHAMALAI POOVU NEE ......KIZHAKKU VAASAL

இளையராஜா's folk composition
ஸ்ரீ.பாலா adores the heroine (புல்லாங்குழல் , கிடார் counterpoint )

பச்சைமலை பூவு.... charming , adorable கார்த்திக் :swinghead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvJvY15CJ1Q

vinatha

[Plum]

Well, I'd still want to know about PS and VJ version of Kanden Engum - SJ should be enough as Baroque says, especially since Teacheramma isn't exactly a right-fit for the song, and the PS version is only a rumour I have heard so far but I am greedy if IR had different arrangements for the other version(s).

T

[Plum]

Last song to catch my fancy:
vurukulayi godavari from Abhilasha.
Abhilasha, I have always neglected as a poor cousin of Challenge, what with Yendamuri, Chiranjeevi and the director(whose name I forget) combining yet again.

It doesn't help that the primary memory I took away on first watch were, well, Radhika in tights, Silk-Smitha-ish thigh-cut skirts pop-dancing away with the unruly mop-ped Chirugaaru, with his trademark (weird for non-fans, genius for fans) dancing moves.

Radhika - for all her general acting talent - isn't really my idea of a glamorous pop-star, a role she simulated again for Kannan vandhu paadugindran, thereby spoiling the song for me.

Therefore, I suppose I can be excused for mentally mapping Abhilasha as that album with Chiru-with-his-gymnastic-tricks "banti chamanti" and Radhika-prancing-for "vela paala ledhu"(in tamil SPS crooned this tune as "aadai kondu aadum" for some other movie - not, I think, a remake of this one).

When you assume like that, it is only natural that you end up as what they say happens to you and me when we assume.

So, then, this song shoots like a meteor into my life recently. I have heard it before - just not paid enough attention.
It is a grand number, with wind instruments ruling the roost raising images of wind-surfing on a placid river. One true test of Raja songs for eternal life is what we in this parts have put together as "escalating melody". I am not sure who coined it(I fancy it might have been myself) but it describes the song perfectly.
The grand wind-instrument opening leads to SPB, joyfully, as he only can, crooning the opening lines with mirth and excitement. As Janaki joins with a fitting riposte, SPB moves into heart-warming territory with "...shruti telupe murali", Janaki returns that with interest in "chigurakku...siri muvva ravali".
So far so good. Like a Fed-Nadal point, robust exchanges. Then SPB delivers the knock-out punch with an intoxicating, dreamy "rasa mayam jagathi".

But the real matter lies in the saranams. As I mentioned, it is here that the escalating melody shows up. It is one of those SPB-only-possible moments, as the tune, like a Anil Kumble floater, takes very minor twists and turns, and each turn holding a very subtle emotion. It is far tougher, as countless batsmen from the 90s will agree, to face up to such minor variations than with the big-turning, clearly demarcated emotional roller-coasters.

Thus goes SPB
naa pEdha hridayam // Robust declaration, but a typical lover-ish self-pitying reference to "my poor heart"
nee prema nilayam // "is your playground for Love". Moon-struck offer. The tune is same as previous line but you have to show a shift in the emotion
nAdhaina brathukE E nAdO nIdhainadhi // The subtle breaks SPB uses to punctuate this sentence are breathtaking - nA...dhainA brathukE..pause..E nAdO... is sheer genius at work. ("My life became yours ere long")
neevanna manushE I nAdu nAdhainadhi // Wonder, and joy at the culmination of the love and togetherness.

And here again, SPB has a knock-out punch to finish the stanza:
oka gundE AbhilAshA
padhi mandhikki brathukainadhi.

I just cannot get enough of the last two lines as SPB packs so much into them - I am infact, so broken down in emotion and sheer amazement at the art, that I would need the help of those reading this to listen to the song and help me list down what all SPB covered in those two lines. (suresh, raagas - pls help with links)

Intriguing lines, too. Until now, it is a personal ballad speaking of their love. These lines really raise my curiosity?
oka gundE AbhilAshA
padhi mandhikki brathukainadhi.
- "One heart's desire gave life to 10 people"

Why would it, I mean? Is he referring to the living made by sundal-wallahs, bribe-taking policemen, cinema halls selling tickets etc as among the 10 people who make a living from a heart's desire, as they do benefit from lovers' desire to be together?

Nah! More likely a reference to the film's theme, I guess. Raagas/suresh can throw more light.
Abhilasha is about a young lawyer, trying to highlight a loophole in the law, in a bid to legislate it out of the law-book. He arranges a fake murder, planning, reasonably enough, that he'll go through the legal rigmarole, and eventually, reveal all in the film's climax, thereby exposing the loopholes in the law. Only, the fake murder turns out to be anything but fake and he is forced to be on the run.

Would those lines, then, refer to the hero's desire to abolish this loop-hole in the law, which presumably, would benefit atleast 10 people?
Not really sure, and not really sure why such a sentiment makes its way to a love-duet.

Such, then, are the pleasures of Raja-triggered nostalgia, thought-coordination, and musings.

I'll leave you without a link(which will surely materialise soon if I know my suresh/raagas well enough as I presume I do) but with SPB, bringing his full hand of magic tricks, lapping my ears with wave after wave of the addictive, escalating melody

[groucho070]

Appapa Tittikkum (Japanil Kalyanaraman, yes it's terrible film, but I like it Plum. Accept it!).

Superb jazz number, twanging bass line, blaring trumpets, SPB's Raja-styled scatting. Song that I'd use if I were to make an action movie, and during a chase/shooting scenes.

[Plum]

Well, you like weird stuff, grouch. So, I am not suprised.

But the song of the movie is the contemplative, intoxicating "kaadhal un leelaiya", which I guess wasnt picturised

[groucho070]

Chinna Poo Chinna Poo?

[Plum]

http://thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00383&lang=en

Grouch, is this the song in Mudhal Vasantham(Ponni Nadhi) you were referring to? Doesnt sound like Raja at all. Most certainly not the 80s Raja. Intriguing as you said
grouch, while you are here, can you answer this also?

[groucho070]

Is that Ponni Nathi? AthAne ketten. It's an odd one out. You say doesn't sound like Raja at all? I say sounds like late 70s Raja. Alongside, Anbukku Nan Adimai time Bala's voice. My theory is, tossed out recording that Raja dug back for Mudhal Vasantham.

[app_engine]

poongARRu puthidhAnadhu & poovE poochchooda vA on the drive this morning (http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?9375-Ganagandharvan-K-J-Yesudas&p=722759&viewfull=1#post722759)

[raagas]

Plum,

Interesting write up on Urakalai Godavari: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYYChWqULbY

You were bang on about the film's story and trust me, it is one of the brilliant films made at that time. It is also one of those films where Chiranjeevi acted with sincerity towards the character and not as a slave to the mass audience (as later films were). So in the film, Hero meets the Heroine through her Uncle, who is a very big lawyer and Chiranjeevi(advocate) is like an Ekalavya sishya to heroine's uncle. The heroine is naturally impressed with the hero's sincere charms and his conviction to achieve his goal. So in a way, the hero found his partner in his journey towards his goal.

Abhilasha (~ Desire) was/is a mixed bag for me. No matter how many people rave about Banti Chamanti, I never got to like that song, because of shrieky pitches. The songs that i love are Urakalai Godavari and Vela Paala Ledhu. Vela Paala Ledu deserves a huge post - lets leave it for now.

Urakalai Godavari is a fine melody. Brilliant instrumentation too! Listen to the cascading 2nd interlude and it is all magic. The song also has wonderful lyrics. Genius of Veturi at work there! and if there is one line that has a mixed impact of geniuses of both IR and Veturi, it is "Rasamayam Jagathi". Lyrically - it nails the emotion. Musically, it is an odd(by metre,comparing with preceeding lines) and yet convincingly composed line.

Coming to "Oka Gunde Abhilaasha.. padhi mandhiki brathukainadhi" line - it is a philosophical masterstroke by Veturi. I think Vetrui indeed used it to reflect the hero's character. See the lines "Naa Peda hridhayam" (my poor heart) - has both connotations. One - my poor heart and in a way, by the choice of words, it also reflects the social status of the hero. And while the subsequent lines talk about they exchanging their lives/personalities(neevu anna manishey ee naadu naadhi ayinadhi = That which are you...has now become mine) , in love... Veturi also reminds that a part of his personality is consumed by this desire (abhilasha) and since he found the heroine also... through his journey towards that desire - it has now become a part of her... and what can it now lead to - "Oka Gunde Abhilasha.. padhi mandhiki brathukainadhi" (The desire of a heart is now to bestow life upon few people).
Well written.. and brilliantly composed song.

The number of brilliantly written songs, in Ilaiyaraaja compositions in Telugu - are actually few. I mean, out of 100 good songs, I would say about 20-25 would have had good lyrics and the credit goes to Veturi and Sirivennela (i dont know if Rajasri wrote original songs but he wrote for dubbed versions and he was good too). This song is one among them!

[Plum]

raagas, thanks for the detailed post.
Yes, this is a good time to highlight good Telugu lyricists - especially since they dont have enough limelight as the Vairamuthus and Javed Akthars.

I propose you take IR telugu songs - as they are of interest to us in this forum - and highlight good lyrics as a series. off my head, I can pop out atleast 10 songs that can be dissected right away:
1. Laali Laali - Swathi Muthyam
2. Siva Poojakku - Swarna Kamalam
3. Om Namasivaya/ - Saagara Sangamam - specifically, this kind of "devotional" is a rare specimen elsewhere. Atleast after the days of Kannadasan in Tamil, we dont have this type of lyrics.
4. Vedam Anuvanuvuna/Nadha Vinodamu - Saagara Sangamam. Really, dubbing constraints conceded, still the dubbed version in tamil was a hack-job
6. Thakita Thathimi - not heavy on meaning but my favourite concept - lyrics bouncing smoothly of the tune. Heavenly!
7. Manasu Palike - what a beety! It deserves a discussion
8. Andhele Ravamidhi & Akasamlo Aashala Harivillu - Swarna Kamalam - again, top favourites of mine.

I notice I have quoted all K.Viswanath movies. The man perhaps had an input given the consistency across decades in lyrics in his music

The 10th one would be 'ninna choosinA" from Chinnabbayi, again KV, but a minor KV movie.

[Plum]

We could do it as a colloboration between you, me and Suresh -if you think you dont have enough bandwidth to do it. Why I suggest this instead of taking it up myself is that I cannot do full justice myself although I fancy I can chip-in quite significantly if you start it off...

[raagas]

Plum,

K.Vishwanath is one film-maker who gave equal importance to lyrics.

Infact, even K.Balachander gave high importance to lyrics, in films like Rudra Veena (Sirivennela's flights to Veturi's ilk). His "Tarali raada thane vasantham" wraps up the whole damn philosophy of "service to mankind is service to god" effectively in each and every line. Every line in that song is a gem i must say. I mean, what can we say if he writes:

Tarali raada tane vasantam (does not the spring come...)
Tana dariki raani vanaala kosam (for the gardens that cannot travel to it..)
Gaganaala daaka ala saagakunte (if the waves do not stretch to the sky..
Meghala ragam ila cheruthunda (will the songs of clouds reach here..?)

The lines express the situation in the film in such a simple way... bloody genius!

I love the lines:

Prati madi ni lepe prabhaata ragam (the morning raaga that awakens every mind..)
Pade pade chupe pradhaana margam (the path that always points to destinations...)
Edi sontam kosam kaadanu sandesham (the message that says that there is nothing that can be owned by oneself..)
Panche guname pote prapanchame shoonyam (the world will be a naught or zero, if we lose the virtue of sharing...)
Idi teliyani manugada kadha dishanerugani gamanamu kada (the living which is not aware of this... is equal to a journey without a sense of direction).

I think he just nailed the whole philosophy of living...

He further writes:

Bratukuna leni shruti kaladaa .. (is the sruthi of art non existent in life?)
yeda sadi lo ne laya leda (is there not a laya in the throbbing of the heart?)
Ye kala(dream) kaina ye kala(art) kaina (For whatever dream, for whatever art-form) - killer liner.. usage of Kala, dream & kala, art (pronunciation is different)
jeevita rangam vedika kaada (is not life a big stage...?)
Prajaa dhanam kani kalaavilasam (The flourishing of any art that doesnt amass the wealth of ignited minds)
Ye prayojanam leni vrudha vikasam (is equal to a useless and futile exercise)
Koose koila pothe kaalam aaginda (did the seasons stop changing, when a koel left them?)
Paare yere paade maro padam raada (dont the new words flow when the old ones flow away...)
Muraliki gala swaramula kala pedavini vidi palakadu kada (even the art of swaras beheld by a flute, will not flow out without human lips)

One needs to be an intellectual to write like that. And must say, Ilaiyaraaja also justified the lyrics with equal aplomb. He composed a very simple tune, with less complexities woven in it. This is one of those songs where the musical ideas do not dominate the lyrical worth of the song and both play out well in equal measure.. or should i say, infact, that lyrics come out highlighted more than musical ideas. And it is good that Ilaiyaraaja allowed that!

Sivapoojaku chigurinchina from Swarna kamalam is also wonderfully written song. A brief analysis of its lyrics at http://musicmavericks.blogspot.com/2007/09/ode-to-art-by-sirivennela.html

[Plum]

Raagas, brilliant start. If you allow me, I'll probably re-work your post and start the series. Oh yes, I was supposed to mention Tarali Raada - it is one of the best, and I have always wondered at the brilliance of its lyrics viz-a-viz the movie's (not just situation but) theme and philosophy. In other threads, I have spoken about Rudra Veena vs Unnal Mudiyum Thambi and why I prefer the former and quoted a few other reasons. The lyrics in Telugu are yet another reason for the preference.

The underlying theme is humanitarianism vs Art is Supreme.
As you observed, to bring out that philosophy in lyrics must have been achievement enough.
But what we have here is a perfect bigamy of the tune with the lyrical meaning as well as the lyrical flourish(which is the term I am coining now for the cocnept I have been boring everyone with - lyrics bouncing smoothly off the tune. From now on, this will be the term I use).

:salute:

[Plum]

Although I was one of the regular Tamil folks making fun of "Golty" before I stepped "north of Poovirundhavalli"(as app put it), years of exposure to Telugu have made me turn 180 degrees, and assume the Bharathiyar position - sundara telunginil pattisaithu.

Really, chaps who limit their thinking about Telugu to "-lu" jokes - you guys are missing a lot. It is one of the most beautiful, lyrical, musical langauges that ever existed. I am blessed enough to get out of my prejudice and taste the nectar that it is...

[Plum]

Let me take tarali raada.

Tarali raada tane vasantam
Tana dariki raani vanaala kosam
Gaganaala daaka ala saagakunte
Meghala ragam ila cheruthunda

vennele deepam kondaridA?
-----------------------------
ellaru lEni sallani gaali
andhari kOsam
andhun kaadaa?
Prati madi ni lepe prabhaata ragam
Pade pade chupe pradhaana margam
Edi sontam kosam kaadanu sandesham
Panche guname pote prapanchame shoonyam
Idi teliyani manugada kadha dishanerugani gamanamu kada


Bratukuna leni shruti kaladaa ..
yeda sadi lo ne laya leda (is th
Ye kala(dream) kaina ye kala(art) kaina
jeevita rangam vedika kaada (is not life a big stage...?)
Prajaa dhanam kani kalaavilasam
Ye prayojanam leni vrudha vikasam
Koose koila pothe kaalam aaginda
Paare yere paade maro padam raada
Muraliki gala swaramula kala
pedavini vidi palakadu kada

raagas/sures - can you fill in the blanks/mistakes so I can opick this up tomorrow

[V_S]

Plum and raagas,
Wonderful, awesome, superb posts :notworthy: I hate myself not knowing telugu to appreciate it's lyrical beauty by Vetturi sundararama murthy, Sirivennela sitarama sastry and many others. Your translation helped me a lot. Thanks for that.

I would prefer these treasure posts and your analysis be carried out in separate thread. Please continue your service, very very interesting!

[jaiganes]

superb stuff Plumgaaru and raagas..
Someone please educate me on sumam prathi sumam's subtleties too..
Cant get enough of this song in the past 2 days..
the entire song has been made only for SPB

[Sureshs65]

Plum and raagas,

Lovely start. Given my current tight situation I am not sure how much I can contribute but will surely put in my best whenever I can. Till then do keep the flag flying :)

[rajkumarc]

Great start Plum and Raagas :clap: Thoroughly enjoyed your insights on Urakalai Godavari. Very much looking forward to your posts on more Telugu gems.

[rajkumarc]

Listening to Maayakannadi after a while. Ulagile Azhagi on the loop. Completely blown away by the prelude, what a majestic start and to end it with that soft guitar piece, superb stuff. The orchestration is just brilliant throughout with nice IR touches in various places. Lovely song and wonderfully rendered by Vijay Yesudas & Nandita.

[Plum]

kuLiradikkkudhadi jagaNa magaNa jam....

Not sure if it was intended to be funny but it made me laugh as I heard it. Not the intended reaction possibly. But it was weirdly satisfying in a way.

[Plum]

Jagadaanandha dharaka ringing in the ears...
Rama Rajyam ochE varakku Akali rAjyam mA hrudayAlalO!

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiKcrwaxT7c

slight resemblance to 'Aayiram Malargale'

[Plum]

Aagaym Bhoomi (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00567&lang=en) from Saamanthippoo

App always talks about his disdain for unna Nan nenachEn as derived from pattu vanna selaikaari. And one more Radhiga-Rajesh Song of Sangar Ganes too.
This song seems to be in the same template too.

Wht is the chronological order?

[app_engine]

App always talks about his disdain for unna Nan nenachEn as derived from pattu vanna selaikaari.

I don't remember talking about this connection :confused:

BTW, Samanthippoo MD is MV :-)

Also, 'nAn onna nenachchEn' (kaNNil theriyum kathaikaL) by S-G predates 'pattu vaNNachchElaikkAri' of IR (engEyO kEtta kural) and I don't see much similarity.

If anything, I get irritated when I hear 'pattu vaNNa rOsAvam pAththa kaNNu moodAthAm' (S-G, kannipparuvaththilE) which got heavily inspired by 'uchchi vahundheduththu' of rAsA...and I've mentioned this quite a few times.

[Plum]

Ah yes that's the one App. I got confused sorry. I vaguely remembered saamanthippoo as MV but thiraipaadal said IR.

[Plum]

This song(aagayam bhoomi) also reminds one of thirumaalin thirumaarbil by MSV

[AravindMano]

konjam thiRa konjam thiRa kaNNE - oru nAL oru kanavu. Haunting. Melody thy name is Raja. :notworthy: :notworthy:

Shreya G ku one muahhhhhhhh!

[app_engine]

uttAlakkadi (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2161'&lang=en)from MDM on loop for the last couple of days on car.

I can't have enough of it yet. Actually, this morning I had a "engine-off-parking-lot-high-volume-blast" of this number, thoroughly enjoying SPB and the drums exclusively :thumbsup:

Any male singer who wants to do cine playback has to FIRST listen to this song, IMVSO! ennenna variations :shock: In the saraNam a few lines are repeated, obviously these are sung with some difference the second time - but with what difference :shock: The best thing is the last syllable of last word in each line where he adds a mild 'garjanai' - superb! Ofcourse, the hurried 'appA' after the kattil line is the top most!

(Since it will be ages before this song gets posted in the SPB-IR thread, brought it here :wink: )

[groucho070]

The hava nagila part is surely a bizzare choice, being Jewish folk song (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hava_Nagila) and all. But I guess if you can have English songs going Govinda Jeya Jeya (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqncFetwku0) ithu okay.

[Plum]

I have reason to believe Fiddler in The Roof may have something to do with the Jewish connection. John Williams, IR's English-movie watching during the 60s being the connection

[groucho070]

I see. Haven't watched the movie. Being Bond fan, I tend to view his sound (jazzy, brassy) more John Barry, hence my suggestion that he composes for a Bond film (Vikram-la pArthOm, but athu veru vishayam).

[Plum]

Well, mine is not a surmise, Grouch. I have seen him talking specifically about John Williams, and the influence of Hollywood biggies and their BGM in the 60s.

My memory goes vague at this point but I suspect I have actually heard the man talking about Fiddler in the Roof specifically and the Jewish revelry song.

[layman10]

'Mukkana' A kuravan/kurathi song, which incidentally falls in En uchi mandaila surrunguthu, territory. Shows many supposedly wierd song of Raja can be reworked to a mass appeal kuthu song.

http://download2.tamilwire.com/songs/__P_T_By_Movies/Pullakuttikaran/Mukkana%20-%20TamilWire.com.mp3

[Sureshs65]

In between listening to 'Thandavakone' and "Sreeramarajyam', managed to hear the Kannada album, "Hare Rama Hare Krishna". Slowly the songs are making an impact on me. The Jesudas song is good but I still feel Raja adjusted the tune keeping in mind Jesudas's current voice limitation. The title song is terrific, so is 'Angel Angel'. "Kampany" is a super kutthu paatu.

[groucho070]

Well, mine is not a surmise, Grouch. I have seen him talking specifically about John Williams, and the influence of Hollywood biggies and their BGM in the 60s. AhAAA....John Williams prominent Anathu 70s-la, definitely an influential figure everywhere.

But sixties-la Barry and Henry Mancini pOnrOr jazz genre use panni kalakittirunthAngga. That explains his affinity for jazzy numbers.

[Plum]

FITR was definitely 60s no? 67-69 I suppose. John Williams is supposed to be a huge influence - avarE sonnAr. I guess he became prominent in the 70s just like our man.

70s have been great for the world, no, grouch? adhuvum 1973...

[groucho070]

Awesome decade. Awesome year. For both Hollywood and TFI.

FOTR ("on" not "in", enikkum ithe prashnam) - 1971, two years before the greatest year ever arrived. Check out this credentials I swiped from wiki, "Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards.[1] With 45 Academy Award nominations, Williams is, together with composer Alfred Newman, the second most nominated person, after Walt Disney."

Definitely a big influence for the composers all around the world. Though a contemporary, nice of IR to mention him.

[Sureshs65]

Listening to 'Vietnam Colony' now. Ofcourse, 'kaiyil veenai' was a well know song. Jai had later recommended a couple of other songs but somehow I missed listening to them then. Now I am hearing them and wonder how I missed them earlier. Especially since I have seen the movie!! I only remember the Mano solo!! Anyway, the Sivaranjani based 'margazhi maasam' is an absolute WIN. What a tune. And add to that the awesomeness of 'yenakku ulladhellam'. In both the songs Swarnalatha shines. What a singer she was!! Do go and listen to these songs once again. It is worth it, I tell you.

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00731&lang=en

[kingvj]

'Mukkana' A kuravan/kurathi song, which incidentally falls in En uchi mandaila surrunguthu, territory. Shows many supposedly wierd song of Raja can be reworked to a mass appeal kuthu song.

http://download2.tamilwire.com/songs/__P_T_By_Movies/Pullakuttikaran/Mukkana%20-%20TamilWire.com.mp3

Deva is the MD for this one. There is one more song in the movie which became hit ' Metti metti velli metti' by SJ, picturized on Parthiban and Oorvasi. I had the misfortune of watching this movie in theater when it was released. :-(

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4LUZmASUQM
What a Gem :D

[thumburu]

The night is still pregnant with the floral fragrance of the rain drops and the adolescents’ infatuation threatens to tear away the thin veil of innocence. The Guitar God who only knows all these too well decides to rescue from the embarrassing predicament. He doles out few pearls from his sacred guitar and thus waving his magic wand, the queen of seductress and a new kid on the block start "poovaadai kaatru vandhu aadai theendume" . Now its the same night rife with flashing neon bulbs from the disc and the prince of keys belting out "No Money No Honey da" for the know-all :)

[V_S]

thumburu,
Beautiful poem for one of Maestro's lilting duet. Amazingly written! :clap:
I already read this around 20 times.

[Querida]

Listening to "Magudi" album...randomly came upon it...seems the best way to find gems...the unexpected treat is always so much more sweeter

"Neelakuyilae" is the gem of the album IMO..it sounds similar to another song...sad how I come upon this realization but never the song it sounds similar too...:???:
The staccato part in the first interlude is unexpected since the rest of the bgm flows without interruption...
The second interlude is a violin lover's paradise...

Thinamum Kalyanam...with the song opening after the bitter drenched words spoken it was a little odd to hear such a lilting birdsong music follow before again the words are resung...as if to emphasize the innocence lost with the contrast of the music and the frustration of the character's plight...
first interlude belongs to the flute...a soothing element to the otherwise apathetic situation...the shivering synth chimes that follow again lead us back to the melancholic theme with the flute replying sorrowfully..

En Machan - a frolicking folk song with MV and ?? doesn't say...

Karatoram Moongil Kaadu - such charm...like glimpsing into a small instance of purely improvised singing rather than a skillfully composed song

it starts with the calling flute asking you to follow it until you hear the Maestro's soft voice...
I like the humming that follows certain lines:

kaattach chuththi vandu parakkudhu-ehe-ehe-ehe-ehe...

nee-ee-ee-ee-ee...thottha pudikum with the bell accentuating his words in the background

the sounds of cattle and wooden drum sounds following
seemayilae saedhi sonnaa
inga vandhu paesudhillae

even with the uyyaaraa uyyaaraa uyyaaraa uyyaa
...he starts it before it goes into a female chorus

the next part is my fave with IR speaking to a crying baby...
summaa aen ma pottu kuzhandhaya pottu
adichittrukkae paavam adhu paar azhuvudhu (spoken to a lady who has just scolded her baby)
nee azhaadha da kannaavaa daa (to the crying enfant)

(spoken in sing-song fashion...so sweet)
annan adichchaa akkaa irukkaa
azhuvaadhae....
akkaa adichchaa aththai irukkaa
azhuvaadhae....
aththai adichchaa ammaa irukkaa
azhuvaadhae...

andha ammaavae adichipputtaannu
azhuvuriyaa kannaa kavalappadaadha raa (spoken again)

en paattu irukku azhuvaadhae
adhu kaettu urangu pozhudhodae...leads back into the song, and infant's crying stops :) too cute..


http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00330&lang=en

[kingvj]

Wow... what a song... :bow: :bow: Can't thank you enough Querida for introducing me to this song.

Any such discoveries of gems just makes you wonder how many more are there.. this makes it very special for me because it's sung by IR. The video has some wonderful pictures of IR.

How on earth did I miss this song all my life...! I must have heard this in my child hood..! I could connect to this song immediately...! Just made my day...!

[Sureshs65]

Introduced to this song by fellow hubber 'eagle' on twitter (Nowadays he doesn't turn up here), slowly this has become one of my favorites. Thiraipaadal only has Raja version. The Swarnalatha version is nice as well.

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2224'&lang=en

[jaiganes]

wow what a coincidence..
months ago .. San_k (is it sanjeevi?) introduced me to this song (Sivaji - Prabhu - Ramayan - Deepika movie).
Fell in love with this song - pure emotional bliss.
Two nights back used this tune to put my new born to sleep (only for 40 mins though).. the tune is sheer emotional magic that Raaja alone can pluck out of his hat.. (phrases like Raja only possible are too short to attribute to a genius like him). will stay with me forever..

[app_engine]

This CD (don't know where it came from) that contains MMKR / MDM / mounam sammadhan has been running for weeks on the car...

MMKR songs this morning, ennA oru variety appA...

-pEru vachchAlum vaikkAmappOnAlum malli vAsam
-kadha kELu kadha kELu
-ram bam bam Arambam
-siva rAththiree thookkam Edhu
-sundari neeyum sundaran gnAnum

Interestingly there's no 'Adippattam' song, thankfully :wink:

[vithagan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4LUZmASUQM
What a Gem :D

Romba naal aachu indha paatta kaettu.. thanks for reminding:)

[Sureshs65]

Jai,

Yes, San_K is indeed Sanjeevi. If it was only a month or two ago, probably Sanjeevi too got it from 'eagle' (@kavi_rt) on twitter. I put it up on twitter and already a few people, including equanimus, have proclaimed their love for this song. Both Raja and Swarnalatha renditions are good.

[irir123]

now that Balaiah(N Balakrishna)'s SHRI RAMARAJYAM with score by IR is creating music sales records in AP, here is a gem from IR for Balaiah from the early 1990s !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Unio5KqzYM

i think it is a 'dharmavathi' track

another Paul Mauriatish interlude ridden classic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-onnG7U9QUQ&feature=related

and a string/opulent orchestra driven track - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTtKiiHew4o

be forewarned, the videos are not for the weak-hearted! just listen !

[Querida]

Romba naal aachu indha paatta kaettu.. thanks for reminding:)

Never heard this before......sweet opening really grabs you with it's softness...great rushing/gushing beginning to 1st interlude...voices are so smooth, intimate and seamless ...lyrics fit just so into that breathless back and forth between the singers....must have been difficult to pull off...but who better to do it :thumbsup:

[irir123]

This CD (don't know where it came from) that contains MMKR / MDM / mounam sammadhan has been running for weeks on the car...

MMKR songs this morning, ennA oru variety appA...

-pEru vachchAlum vaikkAmappOnAlum malli vAsam
-kadha kELu kadha kELu
-ram bam bam Arambam
-siva rAththiree thookkam Edhu
-sundari neeyum sundaran gnAnum

Interestingly there's no 'Adippattam' song, thankfully :wink:

yenna, ippidi sollliputteeha ? 'adipattam' is a beautifully peppy folk number! a classic in its own way!

[Plum]

3 Songs whose singers I havent ever managed to find out in recent playlist
1. Enna Varam Vendum - Nandhavana Theru
2. Poongatrilae Kaalai - Lovely from Paattu Paadavaa, whose director BR Vijayalakshmi cinematographed 22 films, 21 out of which had IR
3. Manadase Hakkiyagi from Nammora Mandhaara Hoove - whole of internet says it is Chitra, while the voice has no snAnaprApthi with Chitra

[Sureshs65]

Plum,

The comment in this youtube link says the song (Manadase Hakki) is sung by Manjula Gururaj: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPBhd4RSAkc

[Plum]

Manjula - the one who sang unnai thaane thanjam endru?

[Sureshs65]

Not sure about the Manjula Plum. I must also say that my tape credits say it is Chitra :) Though as you say, the voice is nowhere close to being Chitra's.

[V_S]

Another Rajasekhar movie 'Eetti' (1985), which got drowned by his own (Raja's) Tsunami. Starring 'Captain' Vijayakanth and Viji. Remember seeing the posters in Chennai. Some great melodies there.

'Kaattuvazhi karugamani' by none other than S Janaki. Brilliant and soothing melody yet piercing like a Eetti. The chorus and the flute interludes will keep you in trance. My pick.

Another brilliant one is 'Paduttha Uranguthillai' by MV and VJ. Lazy singing my MV. Some great guitar, trumpet, shenoi and flute work with amazing rhythm arrangements.

If these songs would have been released today with clear recording quality, it would have been a big hit, deserved to be heard in good quality.

http://thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00127&lang=en

[V_S]

Another Tsunami case, this time it is 'En Selvame' again 1985. I was searching for one song for years and I got it.

'Anbe Theivam Endre Sonnaare' by Radhika. The tune has christian feel to it, but the song is about Muruga and Vinayaka. Mischievous Raja :lol: Some wonderful guitar work at the background.

One more drowned melody, 'Kaalam Neram Kaninthuvarum' by MV and SJ. Vintage Raja interludes.

1985, what an year for IR! Sindhu Bhairavi, Sri Raghavendrar, Aan Paavam, Idaya Koyil, Geethanjali, Kaaki Chattai, Poove Poochoodava, Pagal Nilavu, Padikkaathavan, Sippikkul muthu, Thendrale Ennai Thodu phew! Lot lot more.

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00140

[thumburu]

Enna samayalo is a fine dine when compared to samayal paadame “aathu saapaadu”
Enna samalo has appeal , has all the rough edges of samayal paadame smoothened out and sounds polished with refined orch, SPB in peak form and Chitra to top THEM all. She interleaves the swaras of Kalyani “da ni sa ri ni ri da ni ri ni da ma ga ri ga ri ” is like a delicious garnish on a feast spread
Oh but my heart goes with samayal paadame. It innocently retains that Brahminical ethos with it without any caste agnostic hang-ups. with kamal-KB’s merparvai , all these controv references are ironed out in “ENNA SAMAYALO”
:aathu sothai thinnu thinnu marathu ponadhe” becomes
“anni samayal thindru thindru aluthu ponadhe”

[groucho070]

Five hours drive for what usually takes 2 and a half. Tiring, but Raja's gems kept me company. Sang out aloud to keep me awake (wife found out I was making up lyrics, maranthupOchu for many songs :razz:). Raja mattum illanA, I don't know how I would have handled the bad traffic. Ilayaraja :bow:

[venkkiram]

Five hours drive for what usually takes 2 and a half. Tiring, but Raja's gems kept me company. Sang out aloud to keep me awake (wife found out I was making up lyrics, maranthupOchu for many songs :razz:). Raja mattum illanA, I don't know how I would have handled the bad traffic. Ilayaraja :bow: இதே நிலைமை எனக்கும் ஏற்பட்டிருக்கிறது. அப்போதெல்லாம் மெலடிப் பாடல்கள் தொகுப்புக்களையெல்லாம் தூர வைத்துவிட்டு டப்பாங்குத்துக்களுக்கு மாறிவிடுவேன். பொதுவாக எம்மனசு தங்கம்..,சிங்காரி சரக்கு நம்ம சரக்கு..அண்ணாத்தே ஆடுறார்..நாகூர் பக்கத்துல... இப்படிப் பட்ட துள்ளல் பாடல்கள் சோர்வை, தூக்கத்தை கொஞ்சம் நேரம் தள்ளிப்போட வல்லவை.

[Plum]

Grouse, with due respect, same can be said for VIJAY HITS by a person born in the 90s. Idhellaam don't add value/recognition to a composer illaiyA? I don't mean to say you care about that. You were just expressing your absorption of and the part of Raja's music in your life.
But more I live, more I see such praises being used in a completely different context which devalues the spirit of such praise in my eyes

[groucho070]

Oh boy...well you know what I meant. No, he's not a Red Bull for tired drivers. The absorption, as you mentioned, goes beyond aural pleasure. You still get the, "eppadithAn intha manusan ippadiyellam compose pannirukkaru..." thing going on in your mind when you rediscover the classics, or find something new.

If I just want to be awake and aware, I might as well put in my heavy metal collection. Kathu kiliya ketkalAmE.

[Plum]

No, I am talking about devalue of praise by reuse where people don't understand the depth of feeling where it was used and reuse it just because it sounds good.
Sometimes, this leads to hilarious write-ups

Refer Kamal thread where the word modesty was misused for Rahul Bose thereby throwing him in particularly embarassing light

[groucho070]

Yeah, I saw. Poor bugger :lol:

[KV]

Naan kAdhalil pudhu pAdagan (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1981','SNGIRR1980','SNGIR R1982'&lang=en)- Manthira Punnagai.
I'm wondering if the male singers went on a strike demanding a 'Kannan vandhu pAdugindrAn' like male solo and IR said, "seri, indha.. iththa pudi".
An absolute jazzy delight.

[skr]

Jeeeezzzzzz What a jazzzzzzzzz ..

[skr]

Another 1st time listen of a Maestro song and im completely bowled hook , line and sincer
Paadivaa Thendrale - Mudivalla Arambam (1984)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hql23fSsTb0

[V_S]

Super songs KV and skr. Naan kaadhalil puthu paadagan. :thumbsup: How he magically inserts classical violin to this jazzy delight. Accidently watched the video. If you want to watch the song where one the most popular pair that time, Suresh and Nadiya dancing, (too funny to see those steps now :lol:)here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0du9OAk-1D0

I listened to the playlist you linked. Pavazha Malligai is another gem by MV and Chitra apart from popular title song.

Paadiva thendrale is another guitar delight. Extremely brilliant and rocking guitar. Another P Jayachandran delight.

While watching these songs, it led me to two extremely rare numbers from the film Inimai Idho Idho (1983). RajsMed (youtube) has uploaded these two extremely rare songs video too. Hats off to his passion and dedication!

Vanjikodi Poovaanathu - S Janaki. Rocking guitar and trumpet for pucca folk song. SJ's singing in top gear in drunken mood. What a singing! Could not come of it now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xV3yIFNY6Y

Allivacha Malligaye - Krishnachandar and P Susheela. Trademark Raja melody!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obImx-Cqw0s

[Sureshs65]

'Naan Yerikarai Mel Irundhu' : http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0518'&lang=en

The more I listen to Swarnalatha, the more my respect for her grows. Superb singer.

[visvan1970]

KV Sir,give me your Mail ID..I will send this song..This is a song which completely hypnotised me.
This song is not available anywhere on the net. FYI this song was discovered by a Raja fan in an 1983 LP record at an old music store in Coimbatore and converted it to MP3.
does anybody has any info in which LP did this song find a place. Dont think it came in the films original lp.shld have been released later in combo with some other movie. So can somebody shed more light on this.rgds.visu

[skr]

Vandhaale Allipoo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T_-KwWylNuM

[app_engine]

I'm not sure whether they intended or it's the alcohol problem, but I seem to notice for the first time slEdai biz in eLangAththu veesuthE esa pOlappEsuthE (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2729'&lang=en) of pithA magan.

There are a few terms that were regularly used for dupple meaning by student / bachelor folks that are in this song in inappropriate places :roll:

pAvam ShreyA G :oops:

I don't care for the male singer anyways who is the most irritating aspect of this song and responsible for making the picturization almost better a rAsA composition for the first time in history!

[venkkiram]

I don't care for the male singer anyways who is the most irritating aspect of this song and responsible for making the picturization almost better a rAsA composition for the first time in history! ஏன் இப்படி ஒரு எண்ண ஓட்டம்?

[app_engine]

Venkkiram sir,

The youtube seems to have no Shreya voice at all - excellent and triumphs over rAsA, IMO, for the first time in history :


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLs6aScg0S4&feature=related

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

நில்லாத வெண்ணிலா நில்லு நில்லு என் காதலி (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs=%27SNGIRR0030%27&lang=en) - rare song from prashanth movie aanazhagan. female singer wrongly marked as uma ramanan, while it is Swarnalatha.

what a great miss :( இன்னும் என்னென்ன புதையல் எல்லாம் இருக்கோ! திறந்து பார்க்க கூடிய கோவில் புதையல் என்றால் அது ராஜாவின் இசை தான்

[rajkumarc]

Listened to two super sweet songs from Oru Yaatra Mozhi - Thai Maavin Thanalil and Ponveyile. What a tune and what an orchestration, love them equally, end result - unable to move on to any other song this evening :smile:

[KV]

SKV, nillAdha vennila was written about in the IR magical duets thread, lovely song indeed. Swarna, what an expressive, soulful voice, RIP.

Rajkumarc, same pinch! Was listening to OYM couple of days back. The song that haunts me each time in this album is eri thanal kAtril... masterly rendered by the two legends. Each version is magical in its own way - the naturally melancholic tone and inherent soul in Raja's voice versus the coarse tone, raw emotions, impeccable technical control in MSV's rendition; the native tounge adding that extra bit of spice in nailing the 'gna' sounds spot on. All playback singers, two steps back, pay obiesance.

[Sureshs65]

rajkumar, KV,

'Oru Yathra Mozhi' is one more of those tapes which I don't take out until I am sure I have enough time to play it multiple times :) My fav is the Jeyachandran solo, the title song. Such a melancholic song using synth!!! Just amazing.

[KV]

Salanga sattham kEkudhadi (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2951'&lang=en) (pudhu nellu pudhu pAttu)
'Good things come in small packages'mbAngale, here's a fine example.

[skr]

A Lesson in WCM ..
Heard this just now and im spellbounded
Kelviyum Naane Badhilum Naane Title Score
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p10aBN9Em10

[V_S]

skr,
Thank you very much for sharing this rare clip. Never heard this. See there are still many such unearthed Maestro music for you, just like a gold mine.

[San_K]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn8jFQ-F_Kw&feature=related

Awesome song. Totally new to me. S Janaki :notworthy:

Katti Vachukko Enthan Anbu Manasa paattu automatica mindla varudhu.

[rajkumarc]

Thanks a lot skr for sharing the spellbinding title score of Kelviyum Naane Bathillum Naane.

[Sureshs65]

'Sneha Veedu' in my house, car and while walking. That is the only update I have. Heard from AravindMano on twitter that in his case the songs keep playing even when he is asleep, it seems. This from a guy who initially didn't have a great opinion about the songs :lol:

[AravindMano]

:lol: Did that last night also Ji. This was the discussion point during lunch now, Roomie explaining in horror to everyone that he keeps hearing malayalam songs all through the night from the other room :P

[AravindMano]

200 pages :clap:

[KV]

Same here'nga. Especially Avanithumbi. Smitten by this girl :oops:. Chellam, I louu you da!