ILaiyaraaja!
The name is etched in the hearts of millions of people-laymen and cognoscenti.
With his entry, the word Orchestration assumed a new meaning. Seamlessly blending all major forms, he makes us realise that Music is universal and Divine. Like a colossus, he strides and wields his magic wand mesmerising people across the globe.
This Blog is an attempt to explore his compositions in multiple languages, his background scores and his non-film albums.
Recently I was on a short vacation to a Hill station.What attracted me-more than the mountains, breathtaking views and the weather- the most were the flowers in different colours in the garden close to the place we stayed, and in two Botanical Gardens.
How beautiful are the flowers..How Fresh they look..Don't they teach a lesson or two to us-the morose human beings..
Today is the Birthday of the greatest living film music composer and what better way to celebrate than taking up a beautiful gem of his that literally breathes freshness?
It is ‘Madhu MalaragaLe’ from ‘Magane Magane’(1982).
It is a beautiful amalgam of sorts as we hear a folksy tune with western interludes in a carnatic ragam.
We feel the breezy air as the folk string instrument and the Bass Guitar welcome us.The breezy air now becomes effervescent as the Flute joins. The single violin followed by a group of violins give a gentle and feathery touch to the entire atmosphere.
The pallavi-that gives shades of Kalyani- is full of suspense.
First, the female voice and the male voice sing only the first part of their lines. ‘Madhu MalargaLe’-Female ‘Pudhu Rasanaiyil’-Male
Both give a tonge-in-cheek ‘la la la la’. The string that is juxtaposed between the lines add to the suspense.
Then, we get the answer.
At the same time, there is one more suspense-the Tala pattern.
The lines are rendered in 4 beats while the percussion is played very differently.Is it 7?or is it 5?We are confused just for a moment.
But finally, it turns out to be a 8-beat cycle with a division of 3, 2 and 3 with the last 3 being played in faster pace(mel kaalam). So, it is 1 2 3 1 2 (1 2 3 4 5 6)-the last one in the brackets being 1 2 3 in faster pace.
The third and the fourth line are again short and are soaked in melody.
The first part of the first interlude is in western style with the violins playing within a well defined grid.The Bass guitar and the lead guitar that appear now and then rather subtly add to the beauty.
Suddenly, the gait changes and the flute moves rather fleetingly.The reverberating percussion beats-that now follow the normal division of 4/4- are appealing and revealing.
The CharaNam is different with the first 2 lines repeated and the last line being very short.But it succeeds in giving a sparkling melody with sustained vibrancy.
The entire Pallavi being repeated before the second interlude is another innovation by the Maestro!
In the second interlude, the guitar and the vibrant bass guitar followed by the needle sharp flute give a very sublime feeling. The vivifying strings give a feathery touch.
The mesmerizing tone of Janaki and the rather rustic tone of Malaysia Vasudevan lend impetus to the marvel.
Let new flowers bloom .. Let the taste for good music and aesthetics grow ..
The spherical shaped white object was up in the air. Exuding a unique calmness, the pair of eyes followed the object with the timbre held high. The object finally reached its destination-the boundary line- without pitching anywhere in between. And that is it..History was re- written. India wins the Cricket World Cup after 28 years.
Though one can go on and on in their own style describing the victory and how it was made possible, to me, that last shot played with a calm demeanour with determination written all over typifies India’s campaign.
Calmness blended equally with Aggression.
Marriage between instinct and intelligence.
Right combination of leadership and management.
Comparisons are odious. People who do not realise-or pretend that they don’t- compare this victory with that of 1983 and some ‘old timers’ (read as cynics) have gone to the extent of saying ‘whatever it is, there is nothing to beat ‘that victory’ against the ‘Goliaths of Cricket’. Unfortunately, these great souls miss the wood for the trees.
I still remember that Saturday, the 25th day of June when we all rushed to a family friend’s house to watch the finals , only to see our Team being bundled out for a mere 183(1983 and 183-did anybody notice the coincidence?) in the 55th over(it was a 60 over contest those days!).We all reconciled to the fact that after all India was losing to the ‘superpower of cricket’ and India entering the finals itself was a great honour.
When the W.Indies began their run chase, the great Greenidge was bowled by Balwinder Sandhu and we thought ‘Ok..some consolation.Defeat not by 10 wkts-as some of us had predicted’. Enter the Master Blaster with a face full of nonchalance which bordered on arrogance. Chewing the Chiclet, he was sending the red cherry to all corners.Though I was a big fan of his, we decided to leave.
Almost one and half hours had passed by the time we reached our home. Something inside me kept saying that something dramatic was happening.As we neared our home, I heard people saying in Hindi ‘Bas..iska wicket lena hai..India jeet lega’.I rushed to the radio and switched on the BBC and what did I hear?The Windies tottering at 117/7 with Jeff Dujon-the last recognised batsman at the crease.
Within a few minutes, he was bowled by the player with indomitable spirit whose name was Mohinder Amarnath . The battery of pace bowlers who would send shivers down the spine of all the batsmen were now struggling to face the military medium pace of Amarnath and Binny.Finally, the inevitable happened.Holding leg before to Amarnath!It was all over..India, the underdogs who were least expected to win even two matches in the tournament when it kicked off on the 9th of June were crowned the champions.
The idea behind writing all this is not to make any comparison but just to relive the moments so that the present generation gets to know how it would have felt to the millions of Indians 28 years ago.
That victory was unique. The Captain led from the front scripting a victory from the jaws of defeat against a minnow nation Zimbabwe in the Group stages and running some 30 meters to catch the ball hit by the irrepressible Richards. At the same time, it was a Team effort with a bunch of youngsters and all-rounders chipping in with useful contributions and performing when it mattered the most.
But let us also not forget that the 2011 victory is unique too. The Team had to play with the Sword of Damocles hanging above its head. They started as favourites-unlike the 1983 team- and it is not easy to keep the momentum going with the millions of ‘fans’(who would very easily turn foes the moment India starts losing) following them and the statistics and records stacked against them(no home team had won the World cup playing in its own soil in the previous 9 editions). The team had to get past the big teams in the knock out stages with its’ famed’ bowling attack and above average fielding skills.
Therefore, let us avoid comparisons and enjoy the moment giving full credit to both ‘Kapil’s Devils’ and ‘Mahe’s Men'.
It is a week now but the entire Nation is still celebrating. India is now the World Champions.But this does not mean that we will be the champions forever.It does not mean that we will continue to win all matches henceforth .Let us accept this fact and celebrate.
On this great occasion, let me dedicate a rare gem to the Indian team.This song typifies the Indian Team and is apt for the occasion.
It is ‘KaalangaL MazhaikkalangaL’(Idhayaththil oru idam-1980).
Most of the Maestro’s songs never fail to give us goose bumps. But there are some songs that give us goose bumps throughout.’KaalangaL..’ surely falls under this category.
The opening itself is soaked in melody.
The rich stringed instrument-ubiquitous in his early years compositions- set the tone. The satin smooth flute jumps with joy and the guitar bows its head in appreciation.
Mohanam in full flow-reminding us of the opening partnership between Sachin and Sehwag. Musically vibrant!
The Pallavi in the sweet voice of Janaki and the majestic voice of Malaysia Vasudevan is salubrious and evokes memories of the cover drive of Sachin.The last line –‘KalaimaangaL PookkaL’- where the alien note is mixed is like the Upar Cut of Sehwag.
The String continues its journey with the Bass guitar when the flute nonchalantly plays a note.This sets a stream of melody gushing from the sluice gates.It flows like a Yuvi ondrive.The serene guitar enters the fray now like Dhoni and it has a calming effect.
The first CharaNam glissades with the flute dancing in between the lines.Aural treat just like how a Raina innings is a visual treat.
The meticulously arranged violins in the second interlude reminds us of Gambhir while the dexterous flute played with vigour symbolises Kohli’s determination.
The intense first part in the second CharaNam is like a Zaheer’s Yorker while the fluid second part is like the carom ball of Ashwin.
The wonderful lyrics of the greatest poet of Tamizh Cinema-Kannadasan and the translucent music of the greatest composer of Indian Cinema music make it a perfect blend of poetry and music.. just like Team India..
I heard a real life story recently in a Lec-Dem at the Music Academy.
It might sound strange but it is true.
This happened long back-say 80 years ago- when stage plays drew a lot of audience. Those days, music dominated the plays and it was mandatory for a drama artiste to have singing ability.People would throng the Halls just to listen to the artistes and they hardly cared if there was any ‘acting’ at all (even story for that matter!).
It seems one day the Hero went on and on in Kamboji ragam and the audience was spell bound. After the scene was over, the Hero rushed to the Green room where his friend was sitting and asked him ‘Pacha.. Please do me a favour. Tell me what ragam I sang now’.
The ‘friend’ was Shri.T.S.Parthasarathy, erstwhile Secretary of the Madras Music Academy and the Hero was Shri.S.G.Kittapa, known for his golden voice(many people now know his wife better. She was none other than Smt.K.B.SundarambaL).
This incident throws up a lot of questions-prominent one being ‘How can somebody sing a pure classical raga with gusto and aplomb without knowing the name of the ragam?’
Now, read the second line of this post again-It might sound strange but it is true.
I have seen many people with ‘KeLvi Gnanam’ render very tough sangatis with consummate ease but if one asks them the swaras of the sangati or the ‘eduppu’ or for that matter any technical question, blank expression will be the reply.
How many of you have seen/heard pure folk songs sung by the people in the village? To trained ears, it might sound Ananda Bhairavi(with or without the Kakali Nishadam), Sri Ragam(without the ‘pa dha ni pa’ usage), or Nadanamkriya or Neelambari.But try and say these names to the villagers and see what happens..They would only look at us with innocence.
Which brings us to a very basic question. Is it necessary for a singer to know the intricacies of music?
It is of course a debatable issue and my objective is not to get into any debate now.
All I can say is that while a classical music singer must know the intricacies of music, it is not necessary for a cine music singer to get into too much of details.
This does not mean that the cine music or light music singers need not have knowledge. It certainly helps if the singer is knowledgeable and one can give a lot of examples.At the same time, there have also been singers who were not classically trained but still were able to make a big mark in Tamizh Film Music. One of the classic examples is Malaysia Vasudevan.
It is a fact that he had little knowledge in classical music. It is also a fact that he was not endowed with a great voice. But what he had were determination, and dedication. These qualities more than made up for what he lacked and took him to great heights.
Though his mother tongue was Malayalam, he was more inclined towards Tamizh language and Tamizh films. With an eye on acting, he came to Madras from Malaysia during the late ‘60s and also acted in a movie called ‘Raththa Pei’.But destiny took him to singing.
Many think that his singing career in movies started only after 1976.But he had sung some songs before that (including the popular ‘Indhiya naadu en naadu’ in ‘Bharata Vilas’).
However, the fact remains that it was only after that great year 1976 that people started recognizing him. It was ILaiyaraaja who recognized the immense talent and the potential of Vasudevan. He made him sing in his third movie BadraKaaLi. He also made him sing in movies like ‘URavadum Nenjam’ and ‘ThuNai IruppaL Meenakshi’.But the biggest breakthrough came about in ’16 Vayathinile’ and there was no looking back after that(how and why he sang in this movie was discussed long back in this community!).
‘Kizhakke Pogum Rail’ revealed a new dimension of Malaysia Vasudevan. For the first time, he rendered songs based purely on carnatic ragas(though the ‘Harichandran Drama song’ in ‘ThuNai IruppaL Meenakshi’ was also in based on carnatic ragas, it did not have the‘sangatis’).The two songs-‘MalargaLe NaadaswarangaL’(Hamsadhwani) and ‘Kovil MaNi Osai’(Suddha Saveri) proved that he was adept in this genre too.
But my personal favourite in this genre is ‘MalargaLile Aardhanai’(Karumbu Vil) which is purely based on Keeravani.
He has also sung in Hindolam(Aananda Thaen Katru-MaNipur Maamiyar), Lalita(Madana Moha Roopa Sundari-Indru Poi NaaLai Vaa)- both in C.S.Jayaraman’s style.
His Laya grasp came to fore in ‘Endrendrum Aanandame’(Kadal meengaL).
And how can one forget his ‘Aasai KiLiye’(Thambikku Endha Ooru) in Aarabhi and ‘Vaazhvinil un ninaival’(Pattanam Pogalam Vaa) in Charukesi?
The year 1981 saw one more dimension-ability to sing very softly.
It was a like a pleasant summer breeze.
In fact, I can go on and on discussing the various genres (many have already been discussed/will continue to be discussed in this Blog)..
But who else except Raaja sir could have even imagined giving such wonderful songs to him.
“I studied in one music school.. and all I know is only this school as far as music is concerned. The school is called as ‘ILaiyaraaja music school’ “. This remark of Yugendran on TV a couple of years back puts in a nutshell the respect, awe and love the singer and his family has for the Maestro and his music.
Malaysia Vasudevan was a jolly good fellow who believed in enjoying life to its brim and that is why, he was able to bring out the emotions so well..
Today, let us see a very rare song of his which is a ‘jolly song’ with a folk flavour.
It is ‘Ye en aasai vaazhai kurutthe..’ from ‘Aayiram Vaasal Idayam’(1979).
The prelude is resonant with the chorus voices wooing us. The invigorating percussion in typical folk instruments is enticing and makes us sway and vibrate to the beats.
The Pallavi has an effervescent air with Malaysia Vasudevan joined by the two female singers(Shailaja and Sasirekha).
We see the sustained vibrancy in the first interlude. The folk string instruments and the accordion move with palpable joy while the vocals with the subtle bass guitar vivify the atmosphere.
The lines in the two CharaNams are meaty, colourful, tender and gorgeous.
In the second interlude, the meticulously arranged chorus voices and the pithy flute make it a lilting experience.
What is very special about this song is the pleasant feeling and it is immaculately captured by Malaysia Vasudevan.
We need not ask him ‘Nee ippo enge irukke..’(where are you..) Don’t we all know that he is present in all his songs?
The young Music Director who took the Tamizh Film world by storm was in the recording studio when he was told that the veteran Film Director wanted to see him to book for his next project.He was astonished.
The astonishment was because the Film Director had until then worked with a very senior music director for many movies.
Episode No.2:
The same Music Director-after having worked with the Film Maker for one movie that was a smash hit- gets a call from the Film maker .This time the Film maker wants a song( that the music director had composed and recorded for some other Director) to be given to him.
Episode No.3:
The Film maker-Music Director combo has worked very well for two movies(both silver jubilee hits in 3 languages!).The Film maker wants to book him for third movie but the Music Director now politely refuses.
No prizes for guessing the Music Director.
But if you are wondering who the Film maker was, let me tell you that it was none other than the great Sridhar!
The song he wanted(episode 2) was ‘ManjaL Nilavukku Indru Ore Sugam’ from the movie ‘Mudhal iravu’-the speciality being the train background throughout the song. Of course , he could not get that song since it was already given to somebody else.
After the polite refusal(episode no.3), the pair went on to work for many more movies and almost all the songs are great.
Coming to think of it, I have discussed 4 songs from this combo(a ‘privilege’ not enjoyed by any other film maker!)in my other blog Ragaranjani(rajamanjari.blogspot.com)
Sridhar ‘s first film was ‘KalyaNa Parisu’ in late ‘50s.
What was unique was the way he conceived the shots. His different camera angles won him accolades.
Never averse to new techniques, this gentleman also introduced new faces.Some of his introductions include Muthuraman, Jayalalitha, VenniRa Aadai Nirmala, Vennira Aadai Moorthy-just to name a few.
His themes were bold and though they bordered on ‘sentiments’(one of the many banes of tamizh cinema!), his presentation and the treatment were different.
His ‘Nenjil Oru Aalayam’ was shot in a single set. The movie also had a O’Henry type ending.
His ‘Kaadalikka Neramillai’ is still considered to be one of the best comedies ever made in tamizh cinema.
His ‘Sivantha ManN’ was the first ever tamizh movie to be shot in foreign locations.
There are many things one could write about this legend but three things need special mention.
One- his sense of aesthetics. Two- his taste for music. Three-His Love for 'Love'
In short, he was a Romantic who enjoyed life to the brim.
Therefore, I have decided to dedicate this Feb14th post to this great legend.
As already mentioned,he had a very good ear and music in his movies would always be great.
It is not surprising that he was a great fan of the Maestro's and the association that started with ‘ILamai OonjalaadugiRathu’(1978) lasted till his last movie ‘Thanthu Vitten Ennai’(1992).
The song that I present today epitomises and symbolises the gentleman himself.
It is ‘Azhage Unnai Aaradanai SeigiRen’(from ‘Azhage Unnai AaradikkiRen’-1979).
The song lasts just a little above 2 min.Is it not a fact that all beautiful things lasts only a little while?
It starts with the Bell sound followed by the beautiful guitar.
The melodious voice of Jayachandran takes over and we are transported to a different world.
The interlude has the western flute and whistle(!).
It is simple and at the same time dexterous.
It is piercingly sharp and at the same time velvety.
It is mesmerising and intoxicating.
It radiates soothing light!
Beauty at its best.. Beauty that is to be appreciated and worshipped.
And this what the late Sridhar was doing throughout his life. And this is what the emperor of music has been doing in the last 35 years..
Oh..Beautiful Music..we worship you!! Oh..Beautiful Love.. we worship you!!
One of the many misconceptions about Raaja is that he is averse to encouraging new talents. People who have been following him religiously know there is not an iota of truth in this too.
He introduced a lot of new singers like Deepan Chakravarthy, T.K.S.KalaivaaNan, Krishnachandran, Unni Menon, Jency, Sujata, Chitra..(this list is a huge one..).
His spotting and encouraging new talents did not stop just with singers. He has (and continues to) encourage young and new Directors. But what should be of particular interest is his introducing new lyricists.
There are many and I do not want to list them here. M.G.Vallabhan was one of them.
M.G.Vallabhan started his career as a journalist going on to become the Editor of a Film Magazine when the opportunity came knocking. Selvaraj, a very close of friend of Raaja and who until then was only writing stories for movies (AnnakkiLi was his story) decided to wield the megaphone. He introduced Vallabhan to Raaja.
Soon, they were together in the composing room when Raaja sang a tune in pure Madhyamavati-the tune that was earlier decided for 16 Vayathinile- and Vallabhan started writing ‘Solaikuyile.. Kaalaikathire’.
The song became a huge hit along with ‘Saamakkozhi’ and ‘Oram po’(which were written by Gangai Amaran).
Vallabhan had a style of his own and his love for tamizh language and nature clearly reflected in his songs.
Vallabhan wrote more songs for Raaja in the year 1979..This includes songs from ‘Karumbu vil’, ‘Aayiram vaasal idhayam’etc., He also wrote the Malayalam song ‘Gnaan gnaan paadaNum’ in PoonthaLir.
Vallabhan also directed a movie called ‘Thai Pongal’.
Today’s rare gem is also from this movie.
The song is ‘Pani Vizhum poo nilavil..’
It is a lullaby and gives us some very special feelings.
The prelude itself carries an air of serenity with the sweet bells, soothing flute and the soulful strings.
The lucid Pallavi in the voice of Malaysia Vasudevan and Shailaja makes us sway. We see the musical mastery in the ‘podi sangatis’. Mention must also be made of the simple but beautiful words. ‘VaLarvai tamizh pol nee’ (you will grow up like the language of Tamizh).
The flute in the first interlude lingers tenderly while the violins give the beauteous shades of a lullaby.
The CharaNam is dotted with fine phrases like ‘maarbinil un abhinayam’ ‘maan vizhi sol kavi nayam’ (your gestures are as wonderful and expressive as the poetic beauty of the eyes of the deer!).
The tune of the last two lines-where it touches the higher octave and land safely and exquisitely-melts our hearts.
The second interlude is a stunner. The Guitar shows its face for the first time with a winsome smile. It is sweet, soft and sedulous.We see a mélange of colours in a matter of seconds. The flute that follows the strings flows like a lucent stream. There is a touch of melancholy as well..
’Thaai madi un uraividam’ ‘vaan mathi pon thirumugam’ (Mother’s lap is where you lie you little one whose face is like the moon..) says the second CharaNam.
The song itself shimmers like the flowery moon as we lie on the lap of the composer..
This is how one can ‘describe’ Bharati.One can of course keep writing pages and pages about the greatness of his poems but those 2 words define who Bharati is(pl. note I am not saying ‘was’). Songs on and for: India Tamizh Nadu Freedom Freedon movement Freedom fighters and leaders Major revolutions in other countries Devotional Philosophy Children Society Women (with brains) Nature Kannan songs Paanchaali Sabatam(a small but very important portion from Mahabharata) Kuyil Paattu Autobiography (in poetic form).
Tell me now if he is not Multi-Dimensional….
What is to be noted is that there are not just few songs in the aforementioned subjects. And most importantly, each and every poem is great and can be cherished by one and all irrespective of the time.
There lies the greatness of the person!!
My salutes to the Mahakavi on his 128th Birthday..
The rare gem of today is a rather short song.
Though it is short, it does convey a lot of meanings, and is contemporarily relevant.
Bharati was a rebel and hated stereotypes and conservatism. One of the major things he wanted to change was the status of women in the society.
He coined a new word ‘PudhumaipeN’(New Woman) and described her attributes.
Today’s gem is taken from the 7th stanza of his poem.
It is ‘Nimirntha Nannadai’ from the film ‘Etthanai KoNam Etthanai Parvai’(1984).
Set aptly in Mohanam by the Maestro, the song enters one’s soul.
The plain ‘Nimirntha’, ‘gamakam’ at ‘Ner koNda Parvai’, the aalap after ‘Iruppathaal’ the sangati for ‘Semmai Maadhar’….who else but Raaja can show such a magic in a matter of seconds?
Malaysia Vasudevan does full justice with his flawless rendering and perfect diction. How beautifully he pronounces 'ற' in ‘திறம்பு’!Is there any singer in Tamizh now who can do this?
The meaning of the song is:
‘With an upright gait, straightforward look, fearless ideals, proud with great knowledge and wisdom, a woman never goes wrong nor does she falter..’
The key words to be noted here are ‘நிமிர்ந்த’(upright), ‘நேர்கொண்ட பார்வை’(straightforward look), ‘அஞ்சாத’(fearless) and ‘செருக்கு’(pride).
We all know that women have been branded as inferior since ages and are supposed to possess four qualities ‘அச்சம்’(fear) ‘மடம்’(dependence) ‘நாணம்’(shyness) ‘பயிர்ப்பு’(tolerance).
Bharati breaks these so called attributes with just a single stroke of his pen. He goes one step further and says ‘ஞானச் செருக்கு’(pride of knowledge).
Mind you.. This was written nearly 100 years back.. And how relevant it is even now!
In one of his other poems, he is supposed to have challenged ‘Yama’, the Lord of Death by saying ‘Hey..you..Come near my feet.. I shall stamp you’ -காலா!உனை நான் சிறு புல்லென மதிக்கிறேன்.என்றன் காலருகே வாடா!சற்றே உனை மிதிக்கிறேன்!!
Yes..it shows his fearlessness.. But I feel it also challenges ‘Time’ (‘Kaalam’ in tamizh also means Time).
The word 'Rare' is generally used when we come across something unusual.
But we all know that Raaja's music itself is unusual and therefore is rare.
In this blog, I have been trying to analyse his unknown compositions. Unknown to many in the present generation.
The danger in any analysis is that it tends to get subjective.
For example, for people who grew up with his music right from AnnakkiLi, not many songs can be called as rare.
Therefore, let us take an objective view.
Moreover, a song cannot be classified as rare just because it is old.
While 'Machanai paartheengaLa' and 'AnnakkiLi Unnai Theduthe'(Janaki version) are not rare despite being 32 years old, the TMS version of 'AnnakkiLi Unnai..' can be classified as rare.
Just ask these simple questions:
1.Is this song being aired by any Radio/TV channels at least once in a while?
2.Are many people aware of this song?
If the answer to both the questions is 'yes', then it is not rare irrespective of the year of release.
If it is 'no', then it obviously deserves a place in this Blog.
I started this Blog 2 years back and have been on a journey since then..
And what a journey it has been!
A journey that took me back to the days I listened to these songs for the first time as boy.. to the days where my transistor radio would be playing the songs with me doing my home work.. to days where I would be all alone on the terrace gazing at the stars with my ‘lover’ very close to my ears(now, don’t jump to any conclusions.. people who know me well know what I call as my first ‘love’).
Almost all the songs discussed by me belong to the period mentioned in the previous paragraph.
And most of the songs have been inside me all this while waiting for an opportunity to jump out and show their smiling faces to the world.
They come out depending on the place, time and most importantly my mood. For example, when I was travelling in Tanjore in Feb 2009 , my i –pod was playing ‘MaharaNi unai thedi’(Aayiram Vaasal Idhayam) when the bus was plying close the Palace.The result?
A post on the 28th of Feb!
At times there would be some unexplained reasons too.
But what I am going to narrate now is something unique.
One day my friend Govindarajan called me up and asked me the name of a movie of a particular song that goes like ‘Kanna..Vaa’.He said it was sung by Janaki and Jayachandran. My brain immediately thought of ‘Kanna Vaa Kavithai solla va’.But it is a Janaki solo and as far as I knew there was no Jayachandran in that. I asked him to send the song but he found it very difficult to trace it in his I pod since all files were jumbled and the nomenclature given as per the whims and fancies of the people who uploaded (in the site).
After about a week on a busy Friday morning, he called me again and played the song from his phone. Though it was not clear, it did ring a bell.. I asked him to mail the song which he did the following day. The moment I heard it, I knew that I know the song. But frankly speaking I could not place the name of the movie. After racking my brain(that already has only a little stuff), I finally remembered that it is from a movie called ‘MalargaL NanaiginRana’(1983) and that it used to be played by AIR those days.
I wondered how it got missed out from my little brain all these years.
I have had the experience of people requesting me to write about a song they like.
I have had the experience of people asking me the name of the movie of a familiar song (that is familiar to me).
I have had the experience of people saying they were listening to the song(s) for the first time when I play the song(s) or write about the song(s).(as i write this, I get a call from one of my friends who has fallen in love with 'Engengo Sellum',the song which was sent by me about 2 weeks back and says he is addicted to it!)
But this was the first time that a person-that too a close friend of mine- made me rediscover a gem.
That is the Power of ILaiyaraaja!
Now, let us look at the song.
Raaja’s Mohanams are always special. Right from ‘Kannan oru kaikuzhanthai’, he has been giving special treatment to his Mohanams. He has fondled it like a child, has romanced with it like a lover, has been very strict with it like a father and has friendly banters with it like a friend.
‘Kanna Vaa’ is no exception.Even when he mixes the other ‘ga’ and makes it sound like Shivaranajani, Mohanam looks as beautiful as ever.
The prelude itself is very interesting.
We hear the santoor followed by the shrill flute and this is enough to give us an image of flowers nodding their heads and swaying in happiness.
The weighty and the sprightly violins that follow hold our hands and take us inside the musical garden. The shrill flute and the exotic santoor play with each other in pure Mohanam showing us the cuckoo and other birds perched on the trees.
Does the prelude (especially the violins section) remind you of the prelude of ‘KaNmaNi nee vara Kaathirunthaen’?
‘KanmaNi..’ is based on Malayamarutam while ‘Kanna..’ is based on Mohanam-ragas that have no direct relation.
However, the variants of ‘ga’ ‘pa’ and ‘dha’ are common for both and the Meastro brilliantly uses these swaras to make Malayamarutam sound like Mohanam (and vice versa)!
Incredible Innovation!
The Pallavi in the voice of Janaki is reposeful. The alien note in the third line gives a kind of poignancy and pulls the strings of our hearts.
The violins in the beginning of the first interlude are as tender as the breeze. The flute and the santoor ride on romance.
The CharaNams are steeped in melody.
The structure is interesting too with the first charaNam rendered by Jayachandran, the second charaNam rendered by Janaki while the third charaNam alternates between the two.
The second interlude has the violins wending their way through. It is sheer magic after that with the Shivaranjani peeping in as the flute and santoor crisscross each other.It is lie a musical rainbow!
The third interlude unfurls another beauty.
It begins with the chorus that gives an aural imagery. The Horns and violins now enter with a flourish soaking us briefly in Western Classical Music. The lilting violins now play in folk style sustaining the glory and evoking sweet memories.
It was Horace Walpole who coined the word ‘serendipity’ in his work ‘The Three Princes of Serendip’ and it means making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which one is not in quest of..
I would term this discovery of the song is somewhat serendipitous.. But my quest continues..
Recently, in the much touted, much publicized and much hyped World Tamizh meet(செம்மொழி மாநாடு ), a lady ‘poet’ (poetess sounds chauvinistic to me) while reading out her ‘poem’ said tamil(தமில்) for Tamizh (தமிழ்), aval(அவல்) for avaL (அவள்), panam(பனம்) for paNam (பணம்).To top it all, the gentleman who was the Head of the gathering- who calls himself as ‘Kavi perarasar’- while introducing her said 'தமிழ் இவரது பாட்டன் வீட்டு சொத்து (Tamizh is her grandfather’s wealth) referring to her lineage.
Can there be a greater insult to the language?
But this is not an isolated case. Tune in to any satellite channel. Listen to the anchors. Watch any new tamizh movie. Listen how the actors pronounce the words. Listen to the present day songs.Forget even the North Indian singers. Look how the ‘so called Tamizh singers pronounce the words .Cold blooded murder!
At times, one feels a law has to be enacted and the offenders punished very strictly. They must be put behind the bars and an intense training on pronunciation must be given. Their release date will purely depend on their ability to grasp what is taught and their seriousness in implementing it. But there is a serious problem here. As things stand, I feel at least 70%-80% of the Tamizh population does not pronounce the letters properly. This being the case, will there be enough space in the prisons? And even if there is space, do we have enough people to teach the huge crowd?
Point to ponder!!
Today’s rare gem is a very interesting song. Nearly 3 decades back, Raaja sir had envisaged this situation and composed a song as a parody. Malysia Vasudevan, known for his clear diction sang it admirably well. I know how difficult it is for a person who is attached to the language religiously to murder that language.
The song also takes a dig at self-styled moralists who banned songs at their will. The second charanam makes specific reference to the 2 songs that were banned.
Another speciality of the song is the Thyagraja Bhagawathar style of orchestration.
Without any further delay, let me tell you that the song is ‘Vaalvinil un ninaivaal’ from Pattanam pogalam vaa(1981).
We hear the ripples of melody from the jalatharangam followed by the energetic violins. The saxophone follows in the ‘old’ style rather sarcastically. The Raga Charukesi looks at us with glee.
Malaysia Vasudevan starts the ‘murder’ with pin point accuracy. The pause for almost one cycle gives an opportunity for the mridangam to dance with joy.
The first interlude follows the Bhagawathar pattern.But what is admirable is the fact that though it has that old flavour, one can also easily make out the ‘Raaja style’.Isn’t this one of his many strengths?
The CharNams are designed very interestingly. If one forgets the funny voice and the pronunciation, it can easily be called as a pure classical song!
The second interlude gathers momentum with the violins and the Tabla Tarang giving a swirl of patterns. It is graceful and at the same time is very sharp. The tender saxophone and the captivating flute exude brilliance.
As already mentioned, the second charaNam is full of sarcasm. The niraval swarams at ‘Oram po..’ give us loads of laughter. If only the ‘authorities’ who banned the songs were to listen to this, they would squirm in their seats with their conscience constantly pricking them all over.
The ‘kolluthe’ line typifies the present day Tamizh.
This song is dedicated to all the murderers of Tamizh language with a fervent plea to learn the language properly!
Otherwise Tamizh would turn back to them and say ‘Vaazhvinil un ninaivaal azhugindren..’(I am crying!!).
‘He kept listening to ‘Neeyum naanum kanna..’(Gouravam) continuously for 4 - 5 times. When an assistant director asked him the reason, it seems he said ‘TMS has given so much of life to the song.Don’t I have to bring out those emotions when move my lips and act?’
That is Sivaji Ganesan for you..
Mind you, this happened in the year 1973 after 2 decades of his entry into cinema. He set an example to all the artistes in film world with his dedication, devotion, discipline and eye for detail.
Today is the 82nd birthday of the legend.
I have written a lot about this genius -and the similarities between him and Raaja- on the 1st of 2009.Today, I shall narrate just one small incident before moving on to the rare gem.
During the shoot of ‘Mudhal Mariyathai’, there was one particular shot -of his tasting the ‘Fish kozhambu’- when the entire unit was stunned and even the EE Bharatiraja (EE-Ever Emotional) forgot to say ‘cut’ at the end of the shot. It seems Bharatiraja went to Sivaji, held his hands and started crying.
The relationship between ILaiyaraaja and Sivaji and the mutual admiration have also been narrated by me earlier in this Blog.
The Sivaji-Raaja combination has always been special and people who know my all time favourite song know the reason for my saying this.
Today’s rare gem is unique too.
It is unique because of the very unusual combination of singers-TMS and Shailaja.As far as I know, this is the only song in this combination.
The song is ‘Muththamizh Charame’ from Vetrikku Oruvan(1980).
I have said this many times.
I always wonder as to how Raaja conceives a tune, writes notes for the orchestra and arranges the instruments and all these in a matter of minutes.
The Hero is shy, reserved and docile in the first half of the movie.He expresses his love to the Heroine and (as usual) the song starts.
This is the situation. Or at least this is how the director would have explained it.
Now listen to the prelude.
The violins play crisply for some 15 seconds and then a funny sound to depict the ‘sober’ Hero.The sound continues and is joined by the violins this time playing very differently. It gathers further momentum with the piano like sound playing with harmonious precision. The tender flute joins the party and it is romance all over..
The melody packed Pallavi follows with the same romantic flavour.
The beginning of the first interlude gives a jazzy feel with the sharp piano sound and the exquisite trumpets. The violins then invite the diaphanous flute. It bends gracefully, twirls and echoes evocatively.
The prelude is rounded off with the ‘funny sound’.
The CharaNams are beautifully layered with the first two lines exuding soft radiance, the third line moving with verve and the following lines careening us gently.
The second interlude sees the romance between strings and the wind instruments. The violins which by now have gathered momentum moves sprightly and the charming trumpets match their speed. In the second half, the tender saxophone moves with poise along with the violins.
There is a sudden deviation and we see the impeccably deep violins and a very different electronic instrument take us to an entirely new world.
A Brave new world of divine music and divine acting..
It is amazing to know how a particular thing acquires different names depending on the quality/character/circumstance.
Take the seven basic notes for example. Same notes used in different contexts give a totally different flavour. Though my intention is not to get too technical, the notes ‘pa’ ‘dha ‘ and ‘Sa’ are present in both Mohana Ragam and Kamboji Ragam. However, we call the same combination by different names depending on how they are rendered.
Examples galore..
In Tamizh language, the wind has many names.
If it blows from the east, it is ‘KoNdal’ (கொண்டல் ). If it blows from the west, it is ‘Kodai’(கோடை). If it is from the north, it is ‘Vaadai’ (வாடை) and when it blows from the south, it is 'Thendral'(தென்றல்).
A hurricane is called as ‘SooRai’ (சூறை) while a snowy breeze is known by the name ‘Oodai’(ஊதை ).
Out of these, 'Oodai' is supposed to be sensual and therefore the union while ‘Vaadai’ kindles the Viraha feeling.
Today’s rare gem is a wonderful mix of both these qualities.
It is ‘Oodai Kaaththu Veesaiyile’ from ‘Gramaththu Athyayam’(1980).
The entire song is an example of how folk tunes can be brilliantly used in films (of course he is a master in this!).
The song starts without a prelude with the melodious voice of Jayachandran. A very simple folk instrument accompanies the voice.We are transported to a beautiful village as Janaki now takes over.
The first interlude is a wonderful combination of folk and western as instruments vie with one another.If the sharp percussion sound gives the rustic flavour, the electronic instruments give the western contours without in anyway spoiling the mood of the song.The interlude ends with a mesmerizing piece.
The charanams are as tender as the ‘Oodai’ and as innocent as the ‘Thendral’.The way the female voice takes over in ‘Naan Ennaththai Seyya..’in the first charanam and ‘Adhai Solladi Pulla’ in the second interlude is wonderful.
The second interlude is a kind of ‘question/answer session’. The playful question and answer takes place between the electronic and bass guitar in the beginning and the flute in the end. In between, we have the santoor acting as the referee.
This is my most favourite interlude and I cannot help now swaying whenever I listen to this.
The third interlude is again different. The Santoor is sensual while the graceful flute is nostalgic and evokes viraha. ‘Oodai’ and ‘Vaadai’.
I am a person with varied interests.
Music is my breath and though I like all kinds of music, I am enamoured of the variety and the depth of Indian Classical music.As far as Film music is concerned, I love Old songs and ILaiyaraaja-whom I consider as one of the best composers in the world- is my favourite composer.
I love travelling and meeting new people . A lover of nature, I prefer those long walks.
