Unusual observations on Raja's orchestration

A clear musical line on the sand


‘Kannil Theriyum Kathaigal’ is a film released in 1980 and there are several composers who scored for the film. KV Mahadevan, GK Venkatesh, Shankar Ganesh and a new composer called Ilayaraja. Most Raja fans showcase the song, ‘Naan Oru Ponoviyam Kandaen’ as one of the rare gems of Raja. Nothing unusual about it. There are so many such rare melodies of Raja in that decade.


Let’s step back and review some of Raja’s comments about the first 5 years of his career. He mentioned that he was trying to adapt to the industry and struggled initially as he had to comply with the MSV/KVM/GKV/SG styles that were prevalent at that time. He even went on to say how he reluctantly composed background scores in those days, till he got a foothold.




This song (‘Naan Oru Ponoviyam Kandaen’) is sang by SPB, Janaki and Susheela. Set to Mohanam, Raja does something very boldly that nobody has done before. While being in the company of KVM, GKV and SG, he composes a song, where he adheres to the old format as well as introduces his elements into the orchestration. It is sort of announcing to the world, how the old gives way to the new. He immensely respects his seniors but wants to embrace and change the listener. This song has chorus elements that dates back to ‘Pasamalar’ days where MSV-TKR composed ‘Vaaraayo thozhi’, traditional Mohanam elements in the song.
However, listen to the second interlude between 2:41 and 3:18 (smack in the middle of the track!) and observe what happens:

• ·    Between 2:41 and 2:50, it is a simple call and response between the violins and the sitar. The violins are in arpeggio and this format is traditionally used in film music before his time. This is stage ‘compliance’
  
• ·     Between 2:51 and 3:18, Raja shows why he is a maestro. The violin arpeggio continues in the background and Raja embellishes it with the chorus in the foreground. His message: Mohanam is fine, but look at the counterpoint of the Western violins in arpeggio with the Mohanam in the foreground. That’s my new dimension! This is stage ‘defiance’!
  

I am sure, there are a few more songs during this time, where he clearly established his signature backed by his strong music theory background and Western musical training.  I liked this song in particular, as he worked with his seniors in this film, and was bold enough to demonstrate that he is different.  I will write about another such attempt at this time, ‘Alaigale Vaa Avarudan’ later. Very few composers embrace their predecessors so well, while they pave a new path. Most composers today don’t have a solid understanding of Raja, let alone demonstrating how they can deviate from his world with authority.

Megam Karukkaiyile - Vaidehi KaathirundhaaL (1984 Tamil)

We have heard this song of Raja and Uma a thousand times. So did I. However, I observed something this morning that I overlooked all these years. 



This is in all the pallavis:

Review of Modern Love Chennai


I will attempt to talk about the top tracks of Raja in this album. There are tracks of others in this album, which I will not bother to review.


Nenjil Oru Minnal – This is a slow guitar melody with some nice chord arrangement. Raja’s singing is with ease and does not show his age at all. There are some very brilliant harmony parts which is a stamp of his music. One must highlight his perfect diction and how he shows emphasis on words according to the rhythm. Top marks for Raja the composer and singer! #2


Thee Inbame – This is sung by Chris Stanley, not sure, who this is. The style is more of a slow Rock and roll and I like the drumming and the strings in the orchestration.


Paavi Nenje – This is sung by Raja, the jazz singer. There are a few tracks where Raja has brought out his love for Miles Davis or Louis Armstrong, more of the later. The horns and in particular the sax play in this song is a departure from his typical film music. To reinvent his music and himself at 80 is something that very few musicians have done. Even Armstrong in his later years continued to perform but did not change his style so drastically at such an old age (he died at 70). This is truly transformative music. Raja’s attention to the drumming style shows how much he has imbibed from Ferenc Nemeth (BSO). Singers who sing at night bars must take notice of this old man! #4


Aanaal – This is sung by Ananya Bhat. Absolutely the top song of the album in my view. She sings with absolute ease and that emotes as though she is a free bird with no boundaries. While most credit for her singing belongs to her, I am at awe at how Raja trained her to sing this way. She is definitely a great singer who just arrived. At times, she switches to opera mode and at others casually shifts to lower registers. Not an easy song to sing – the only parallel I can think of is ‘Edeya Baagilu’ from Suryakanthi (Kannada). Even Edeya Baagilu did not have such vocal variations. #1
Kaala  Visai This is sung by Shivani Panneerselvam. Absolutely delightful melody that grows on you. Like Nenjil Oru Minnal, it is a guitar melody with some nice drumming. Shivani does sing very well.
Sooriyan Thondrudhu Saamatthilae This is sung by Priya Mali. This is a typical Raja melody that is controlled by the Jazz drumming. What I notice in this song is the way the lyrics are written to match the drumming. Typically, we called it melody based rhythm with its tabla cousin. Now, Raja takes his old experiment to the Jazz rhythmic world.  The experiment works definitely. Very unusual melody driven by the drumming. A liberal dose of harmony thrown into the Jazz composition. #3
 
Thendral – This is sung by Raja. This track did not make me sit up as the orchestration as well as the tune is very familiar to us. The only new thing I observed is the transition between the charanam and the Pallavi that is atypical with a nice syncopation thrown in that is very difficult to execute.


Thaen Mazhaiyo – This is sung by Shivani Panneerselvam. I am no fan of breathing sounds in professionally recorded music. That distracts me.


Endrum Endhan - This is sung by Priya Mali. This is a beautiful lullaby that comes very easy to Raja. Priya does sing very well. Very short though. #5


Kaamaththup-Paal – This is an instrumental track. Set to a simple march rhythm, it is composed with flute, horns, violins. It has the elements of a symphonic movement, but plays with the order. Raja starts this off with a slow movement and moves to a minuet, and the final one resembles an allegro. This is #1 among instrument tracks.
Kannil Pattu Nenjai Thotta Minnal - This is an instrumental track. This is a simple melody dominated by violins which sounds more like a film score.
 Goodbye – This is an instrument track. This begins as a solo piano track. This is the longest track in the album.  The piano plays the main melody of the track for the first 45 secs. This is followed by a harmonic arrangement with the bass, guitar and drums filling in before the saxophone takes over (1:04 to 1:37) to play its melody. You can consider this to be the charanam and the piano returns to play the pallavi. The piano is now accompanied by the guitar and the bass. From 1:54 to 2:18, it is the second charanam and has the same melodic content as the first. Time to move on and the sax hands it off the violins to play the rest of the charanam. It even has a connector back to the solo piano getting back to the Pallavi. Raja reminds everybody that every song is composed like this by him. The sax parts, the violin parts or the piano parts are filled by humans in most of his work. This whole structure of the composition till 3 minutes is replicated again to mimic a typical film song. This is the #2 instrument track of the album.
 Uncertainty of the future – A simple keys melody followed by violins that we have heard in OAK/Appa type scores.
 I heard the album today and I am writing a review of a score after hearing it on the day of my hearing after OAK in 2013. Every composer must take notice (not just Indian) how to reinvent himself/herself and adapt with the times.  I originally had a research project on Ferenc Nemeth and Raja collaboration since it began in 2012 with NEPV. This album brings out his newly acquired Jazz rhythms that he mentioned about learning from Franco.
This album is a blast!

Thanks for the write up.  Always enjoyed your review