Re: Megha / மேகா

RaajaDivine Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:51 am

I do not agree that Raaja's music has evolved. In my opinion, it has not even changed in any dramatic way - and I love this fact. What has changed is the quality of the recording/mixing (in some of his higher budget albums) and the 'sound' of the Hungarian instrument players - musicians tend to bring their own sound because of their playing style, instrument tuning, etc. - believe it or not.
His 'modern' versions of his old songs for Balki, for instance, are just dumbed-down versions with limited musical content in the interludes. And as amazing as the 'Jeevane' song was, it is still a subset of his 'Anjali anjali' song. A subset with a different flavor - but a subset nonetheless. 'Naan ointhu ointhu pogum podhum unnai theduven' phrase from Jeevane is almost a replica of 'NilAvai pola Adi va' from Anjali. Listen to Anjali's 2nd interlude and tell me if that composer needed any more 'evolving'. And there was a sad version of the song that sounded so dramatically different and elicited such a different emotional response - that kind of genius doesn't need any more evolving.
He just caters to the needs of the script, his notions of what the director/producer/audience wants or is capable of digesting/appreciating. Of course, since he doesn't think his music into existence, his output quality varies considerably from song to another and one album to another. I am perfectly fine with that since the pros of his approach far, far outweigh the cons. Even his unremarkable songs don't do me any harm unlike a lot of crap that passes on as 'music' these days.

crimson king Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:16 pm

Um, getting back to the present, I finally got to hear the album on CD. The recording is indeed excellent (but this was evident even in streaming). But I still couldn't solve the mystery of the missing flute layers in Mugilo pallavi which was audible in the teaser. And I heard the album on earphones so I doubt if it is actually buried somewhere deep down in the mix. Is it only in the movie mix or some such thing or was it sniped at the last minute? The CD package is better than NEP which felt like a cost cutting initiative by Sony. Of course, Megha DOES cost a princely Rs.30 more than NEP.

Speaking of the CD price, I would appreciate if the courier had been packed better by whomsoever was handling the logistics for this. I have received CDs direct from bands thousands of miles away in America...bands that struggle to subsist. And yet the CD was more securely packed so that it would get to me in one piece whereas this one was simply plonked into a green envelope bearing the name of Professional Courier. rotfl2

Er, nothing against IR, just wish whoever is handling it on his behalf would do a more professional job. Just order something from flipkart and see the difference. I understand it would cost a bit more to do all that for somebody who is not as such involved in the online retail business and even a rupee more is a no no in the maximum quality at minimum price mentality of India. But I would personally be prepared to shell out a few more ten rupee notes if that's all it took to make me rest assured that my package would not get damaged in transit.

fring151 Sat Sep 07, 2013 7:18 pm

crimson king wrote:EDIT: I have got the quote now. Here's the interview:
"
I ask him this new feel his music has started evoking. After Kaadhalukku Mariyadhai, Raaja seems to have evolved a more pop oriented rhythm format and the beauty is that it is mild and blends with his usual composing format and orchestration. He agrees and attentively watches every word I say. I'm put on the defensive. But, moments later he says, his songs will have a fresh feel."

http://ilayarajaa.blogspot.in/2009/02/interview-with-ilayaraja.html

From that interview:

I ask Raaja about the experience of working with the Hungarian musicians. Did he compose some new music for a new album? Did the hungarian musicians play any instrumental music composed by him ?

`Athellam illai. Padathukku rerecording pannom.Chumma irundappa avangaluukkaaga vaasikka rendu movement compose pannen. Adu avungalukku romba pudichirundadu. Anubavichu vaasichaanga.'

Innaadhu? rendu movements-aa?? How many more such incidental "movements" has he composed and keeps hidden from the general public. How many unreleased songs? When will we ever get to hear these?

fring151 Sat Sep 07, 2013 7:41 pm

crimson king wrote:Um, getting back to the present, I finally got to hear the album on CD. The recording is indeed excellent (but this was evident even in streaming). But I still couldn't solve the mystery of the missing flute layers in Mugilo pallavi which was audible in the teaser. And I heard the album on earphones so I doubt if it is actually buried somewhere deep down in the mix. Is it only in the movie mix or some such thing or was it sniped at the last minute? The CD package is better than NEP which felt like a cost cutting initiative by Sony. Of course, Megha DOES cost a princely Rs.30 more than NEP.

Speaking of the CD price, I would appreciate if the courier had been packed better by whomsoever was handling the logistics for this. I have received CDs direct from bands thousands of miles away in America...bands that struggle to subsist. And yet the CD was more securely packed so that it would get to me in one piece whereas this one was simply plonked into a green envelope bearing the name of Professional Courier. Er, nothing against IR, just wish whoever is handling it on his behalf would do a more professional job. Just order something from flipkart and see the difference. I understand it would cost a bit more to do all that for somebody who is not as such involved in the online retail business and even a rupee more is a no no in the maximum quality at minimum price mentality of India. But I would personally be prepared to shell out a few more ten rupee notes if that's all it took to make me rest assured that my package would not get damaged in transit.

Regarding the absconding flute, I can only imagine that it emerges somewhere in the background score. Otherwise we have to assume it was snipped for some inexplicable reason, since it sounded rather good in the teaser.

Why am I not surprised about the shipping quality? I think Ilayathalam is managed by a bunch of incompetent buffoons. And it is presented as Raja's official website. Embarassed

raja4ever Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:19 am

crimson king wrote:Um, getting back to the present, I finally got to hear the album on CD. The recording is indeed excellent (but this was evident even in streaming). But I still couldn't solve the mystery of the missing flute layers in Mugilo pallavi which was audible in the teaser. And I heard the album on earphones so I doubt if it is actually buried somewhere deep down in the mix. Is it only in the movie mix or some such thing or was it sniped at the last minute? The CD package is better than NEP which felt like a cost cutting initiative by Sony. Of course, Megha DOES cost a princely Rs.30 more than NEP.

Speaking of the CD price, I would appreciate if the courier had been packed better by whomsoever was handling the logistics for this. I have received CDs direct from bands thousands of miles away in America...bands that struggle to subsist. And yet the CD was more securely packed so that it would get to me in one piece whereas this one was simply plonked into a green envelope bearing the name of Professional Courier. Er, nothing against IR, just wish whoever is handling it on his behalf would do a more professional job. Just order something from flipkart and see the difference. I understand it would cost a bit more to do all that for somebody who is not as such involved in the online retail business and even a rupee more is a no no in the maximum quality at minimum price mentality of India. But I would personally be prepared to shell out a few more ten rupee notes if that's all it took to make me rest assured that my package would not get damaged in transit.

Crimson.. looks like the missing flute is bothering you... Smile

It is there.. buried with other instruments. I'm waiting for the DVD and would like to explore these songs once more. The songs are encoded differently on the DVD. Fortunately the main vocal is in a separate channel. Unfortunately, the lead instruments are also merged in the same track as the vocal. Either way, I will be exploring the songs to see if we there area surprises... Rest assured that everyone will get to hear it as well..

crimson king Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:33 am

Nah, just curious as to how something that was so clear in the teaser has disappeared in the album. I have since heard it on my 5.1 system but couldn't pick it up there either. It doesn't matter to me now, I have internalised the version 'without' the flute and this is the song I know now. Very Happy

crimson king Sun Sep 08, 2013 12:31 pm

Initially I found it difficult to get through Jeevane even though it's a good composition...mainly because it just immediately reminded me of so many such pathos numbers sung by IR. I could almost predict how the song would pan out, down to the good old 'aaaa' chorus in the second interlude. OK, he wouldn't have used such a rock tone for guitar (2nd interlude) earlier in this type of song. But it's gradually won me over. That makes it three great songs. I guess this could sort of be compared to Anand/Uyarndha Ullam/Soorasamharam type of scores. Couple or more great songs, not necessarily absolute-top-of-the-shelf stuff like Agni Nathchathram/Ninaivellam Nithya/Mouna Raagam etc but still solid. Not bad at all after so many films over the years.

**V_S** Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:31 pm

This thread is on fire. Thanks a lot for excellent contributions from every one. noteworthy

As I am still behind in reading the last few pages, the depth of discussion is something very intriguing and laudable. the clap

Please continue, will try to post my views soon.

jaiganesh Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:42 am

crimson king wrote:Initially I found it difficult to get through Jeevane even though it's a good composition...mainly because it just immediately reminded me of so many such pathos numbers sung by IR. I could almost predict how the song would pan out, down to the good old 'aaaa' chorus in the second interlude. OK, he wouldn't have used such a rock tone for guitar (2nd interlude) earlier in this type of song. But it's gradually won me over. That makes it three great songs. I guess this could sort of be compared to Anand/Uyarndha Ullam/Soorasamharam type of scores. Couple or more great songs, not necessarily absolute-top-of-the-shelf stuff like Agni Nathchathram/Ninaivellam Nithya/Mouna Raagam etc but still solid. Not bad at all after so many films over the years.

It is a typical pathos song - yet - given the choice of musicians at hand - he doesnt go for full sweeping cello and violin based score and brings in the electric guitar to really drive home the 'blues' - nailing it for an urban melancholy mood. It is innovation while being truly respectful to the situation and stereotype the song is molded in.

crimson king Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:22 am

Yes, I also feel the electric guitar part was probably written to emphasise the urban settings. Plus there are also some riffs even during the vocals but very understated and pushed to the background.

Raaga_Suresh Mon Sep 09, 2013 5:17 pm

crimson king wrote:Couple or more great songs, not necessarily absolute-top-of-the-shelf stuff like Agni Nathchathram/Ninaivellam Nithya/Mouna Raagam etc but still solid. Not bad at all after so many films over the years.

Quite a condescending statement. Raja does not require such left handed compliments. The fact is that we use our ignorance of music to be in a condescending state. That's the real joke. It will be good if we write what we feel and leave out such back of the hand compliments.

crimson king Mon Sep 09, 2013 5:53 pm

You completely missed the drift, didn't you? When I said not bad at all after so many films, it obviously means something unbelievable. You can choose to give me a little benefit of doubt or continue to take offence but I see nothing wrong in what I wrote. I do not think anybody else has maintained that level after so many films so it's an unconditional compliment. If even compliments are scrutinized so much, perhaps it will be difficult even for Raja fans to pay compliments. And then don't complain about the lost/traitor fans. Such over sensitivity gets in the way.

app_engine Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:22 pm

Even after the "dating" thingy of the old hubber itwofs Karthik, I typically check his reviews for rAsA albums. That way, I read his mEghA review and immediately forgotten. Typically, I don't revisit (to read comments / discussions etc). Last year, I did read the comments section for NEPV.

Recently, plum tweeted about a reference to our Sureshji in the comments section that made me indulge in there for a few minutes :
http://itwofs.com/milliblog/2013/08/25/megha-music-review-tamil-ilayaraja/

I'm reproducing the referenced discussion here:

jonathan : Iam a new british fan of Mr.Ilayraj. I chanced upon this blog while trying to read about him and interesting deliberations indeed. I attended his concert at O2 due to an Indian friend and loved many of his compositions rendered in the concert. Looks a terrific talent. Some reviewers call him God. Looks he is held in high esteem by many Indians. Would like to explore more of him. Also got CD of his new film which has a nice soothing feel to it along with complicated but admirable orchestrations. Looks many people are not in agreement with the blogger for his comments. Lets respect individual views, personally loved the album. Best wishes to all. Lovely composer indeed!

sj>jonathan:
Sorry to hijack this blog. I read this review I find it more accurate to what I felt when listening to songs. http://onlyraja.wordpress.com/...

sagar>sj:
Thats a good blog. Thanks for sharing the link. The author savours the maestro's music and brings outs the nitty-gritties beautifully.

milliblog>sj:
That's by Suresh and I love reading his reviews of Raja's albums, despite the obvious and explicit bias. It's perhaps the bias that helps him bring out a lot of facets that only fans would notice... some of them I agree and some I don't (as always).

Prasad>milliblog
Isn't every reviewer biased in some way or the other. Some are explicit and some or not. For example, movie/songs review in any Tamil TV channel comes with its own bias. You very nicely called your bias as "your universe" in http://j.mp/milliblog-3mam

milliblog>Prasad
Possibly, bot the question is how would one ascertain bias? What about your own bias coming in the way of ascertaining another person's bias? No, I'm not joking
One way would be to look at history - history of that person's utterances with which you can make a pattern and hence, a bias.
Suresh's history would be apparent, if you check his tweets or his blog posts - a strong bias towards Ilayaraja. Not that it is wrong - he's just a very involved fan of Raja. If I were to see him being not-so-charitable to a Raja album, or a series of albums, then that would bring the factor of being actually interested in music of a man than the man himself. I don't know if he has this in his tweet/blog history, though.
As for my bias, or the lack of it - this blog with reviews from 2005 is proof enough for people to dig through and judge.

Raghu>milliblog:
There is no answer for this.
May be he (suresh) enjoys Raja's music unlike any other stuff. Then he doesn't have to write about others. Or may be he is unnecessarily over-analyizing Raja's music.
May be you are trying to be fair to everybody (like in democracy) in your blog because you think that is oneway to show that you are unbiased.
I can't even find fault with people who think Raja is god. Because history shows that we created GODs out of humans (sai baba, Rama, Krishna and etc). As time went on they became more mythical. Maybe Raja devotees (not fans) see something that you and me cannot (or not capable to) see (yet ).
At the end someone's opinion (including mine as well) could always be treated as biased.

milliblog>Raghu:
One small logical fallacy there - in 2nd para: If I was trying to be fair to all, wouldn't I be writing positive about every album?
Agree about the state of lack of bias being a nebulous topic - it can never be proven unless the person questioning is clear about his own stand.

Raghu>milliblog:
If you write positive about everybody, then you are not fair to readers of your blog. :-)..
Also being fair doesn't always have to be in the positive spectrum of the things.

milliblog>Raghu:
Assuming the readers of this blog are fans of at least one composer, writing positive is perhaps the most optimum route to be 'fair' to all. Except of course, myself.
So, obviously, I don't write for anybody - I just write for myself - more like notes for myself to remember what was good in an album and what was not. Here, as I said earlier, bias can only be ascertained if it can corroborated by historical pattern, not just one single review.

Prasad>milliblog:
Bias doesn't have to be related to a person, in this case, a music director. It could be based on certain kind of music/sounds or certain voices or even certain instruments/instrumentation. That bias comes through many years of positive exposure to it. This happens not just in music, but in all aspects of life. This bias will show in what one likes/dislikes. That is why we say "my opinion" or "my choice". It is not wrong to have a bias. Every person has his own biases, that is what makes life enjoyable, otherwise it would be monotonous.
My previous post was not to accuse you of bias (sorry!!) . It is to highlight that every one is biased and it is natural to be biased.

milliblog>Prasad:
Prasad, I fully believe in your last line, that everyone is biased and it is natural and need not be seen as a negative. That's precisely why I engage in discussions here in comments (my favorite part of MIlliblog) to learn others' perpsectives and improve mine!

BTW, our fellow forumer Drunkenmunk recently made itwofs Karthik "CONFESS" that he cannot understand the rAgA jargon (i.e. arrangements of swaras that make up the rAgA pattern) Laughing

That is, after arguing with him about rAgA of a song Laughing

nallA irukkattum!

app_engine Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:25 pm

Anyways, in the place where learned men like Jeyamohan and Maniratnam praise one notorious "Shaji" as a "music reviewer", itwofs Karthik - regardless of his rAgA ignorance - is definitely more than adequate to do music "reviews" Wink

kiru Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:28 pm

@crimson king - may be you did not mean it in a condescending manner. You do seem to have lots of knowledge in music, but have you wondered who the other posters are in this forum ? How long have they been analyzing Raja's music ? What is their musical background ? When you for a moment assumetsts. But I dont necessarily get into fisticuffs with them. In an essense, many of these are just perspectives.
You can use this forum to improvize your communication skills. Your posts are valuable, please dont get offended and think we are all Raja worshippers and cannot take criticism. We just respect him, whatever be his faults because of the volume of the work and the heights he has reached. He is a genuine artist and like any good sportsman he does fail, at times. Again, please keep posting.
(BTW, I like your melody&rhythm, and melody-harmony analyses - I like these kind of conceptual analyses. Even though some might think it is generalizing, I indulge in it as well. But I do think there were quite a bit of rhythm in the 80s, all driven by basslines. Sometimes, I feel IR dethroned MSV through rhythm, just like Rahman used the drum machine/loops against IR).

kiru Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:36 pm

Re: itwofs Karthik - He has come a long way in reviewing and the success has made him more confident. He is proud of his 'unbiased' nature and ability to appreciate music from any body. Well and good. If reviewing music, makes you so confident and proud, what would creating music for 30-40 years, say even with moderate success, do to your psyche ? :-) Not to mention sold out concerts and fans mobbing you and willing to die for your music !!!!

Raaga_Suresh Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:50 pm

crimson king wrote:You completely missed the drift, didn't you? When I said not bad at all after so many films, it obviously means something unbelievable. You can choose to give me a little benefit of doubt or continue to take offence but I see nothing wrong in what I wrote. I do not think anybody else has maintained that level after so many films so it's an unconditional compliment. If even compliments are scrutinized so much, perhaps it will be difficult even for Raja fans to pay compliments. And then don't complain about the lost/traitor fans. Such over sensitivity gets in the way.

I didn't miss the drift. On the contrary I got it quite well. I am sorry but 'not bad' is not the same as 'something unbelievable'. And when 'not bad' follows 'it is not a masterpiece', I think the meaning is obvious. And I did not find the post as a compliment. Rather as I said it was more a backhanded compliment. I would give you the benefit of doubt but as kiru says, maybe you should be more precise in your language so that there is no ambiguity.

Over sensitivity may mean this forum losing a member, not Raja losing a fan. For once someone has bitten into his music and turned into a fan, there is no way he will reject Raja's music.

crimson king Tue Sep 10, 2013 4:11 am

Raaga_Suresh wrote:
I didn't miss the drift. On the contrary I got it quite well. I am sorry but 'not bad' is not the same as 'something unbelievable'. And when 'not bad' follows 'it is not a masterpiece', I think the meaning is obvious. And I did not find the post as a compliment. Rather as I said it was more a backhanded compliment. I would give you the benefit of doubt but as kiru says, maybe you should be more precise in your language so that there is no ambiguity.

Over sensitivity may mean this forum losing a member, not Raja losing a fan. For once someone has bitten into his music and turned into a fan, there is no way he will reject Raja's music.

Oh really? You don't set much store for reading in context, do you? Pl read the full thing: guess this could be compared to Anand/Uyarndha Ullam/Soorasamharam types of scores. Couple or more great songs, not necessarily absolute top-of-the-drawer stuff like Agni Natchatiram/Ninaivellam Nithya/Mouna Raagam etc but still solid. Not bad after so many films over the years.

Anand has Thodhadha Taalam, Uyarndha Ullam has Enge En Jeevane/Vanthal Mahalaxmiye, Soorasamharam has Naan Enbadhu/Neelakuyile. If I rate Megha in THAT bracket for a score written over 25 years since then, I think the meaning is pretty clear. Yes, I do not rate it in the Agni Natchatiram bracket and that is a very justifiable opinion. Not one of the Agni Natchatiram songs can be compared to the level of Enna Vendum or Chellam Konjum.

If it is not clear, you also have the option of seeking a clarification before jumping on the opportunity to take offence. Why is that so hard, man? If you cannot understand something, you can very well ask me to make myself clear. If you did however understand, you ought to have understood what exactly I meant because I know what I intended to convey (which in any case I have clarified in the next post). So to simply jump on my choice of words serves no purpose. Even if I gladly accept the opportunity to improve my communication skills, it is not going to happen in this way. Yes, I have used an indirect expression and I don't see anything wrong with it. English is full of those. I repeat, if the meaning is not clear, pl ask and clarify.

And please, who exactly is being condescending? What gives you the right to conjoin me in the "we" and comment on musical ignorance? Now where have I said anything personal about forum members anywhere in the forum? I think I am being far more civil and far less condescending than you are, if anything. I don't need your certificate, man. I am an IR fan, have been for a very long time. My point was that if you jump on FANS in this way when they are trying to say something positive about his work without giving them even the slightest benefit of doubt, they would not like to discuss anything with you. So then don't ask where the fans have gone when his next project fructifies. They are there somewhere, but they would rather not talk about it if this is what that entails.

crimson king Tue Sep 10, 2013 4:16 am

kiru wrote:@crimson king - may be you did not mean it in a condescending manner. You do seem to have lots of knowledge in music, but have you wondered who the other posters are in this forum ? How long have they been analyzing Raja's music ? What is their musical background ? When you for a moment assumetsts. But I dont necessarily get into fisticuffs with them. In an essense, many of these are just perspectives.
You can use this forum to improvize your communication skills. Your posts are valuable, please dont get offended and think we are all Raja worshippers and cannot take criticism. We just respect him, whatever be his faults because of the volume of the work and the heights he has reached. He is a genuine artist and like any good sportsman he does fail, at times. Again, please keep posting.

I have not said anything about my or anybody else's knowledge of music and I am not interested in myself or anyone bragging about it, to say the least. All I ask is a little benefit of doubt. I am a fan, but don't make me genuflect to prove it as I will not do that. Fandom is in the heart of every person, not in mere words. Words do not and should not matter. I was not in the least interested in getting into fisticuffs with anyone. I expressed a sentiment that I thought spoke of IR in a superlative way and have found the reaction bewildering to say the least. I do not like having to defend a positive statement on IR in an IR forum, it is an absurd situation.

Drunkenmunk Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:08 am

app_engine wrote:Even after the "dating" thingy of the old hubber itwofs Karthik, I typically check his reviews for rAsA albums. That way, I read his mEghA review and immediately forgotten. Typically, I don't revisit (to read comments / discussions etc). Last year, I did read the comments section for NEPV.

Recently, plum tweeted about a reference to our Sureshji in the comments section that made me indulge in there for a few minutes

A couple of quick pointers here. He did raise a very valid point that a "Charulatha Mani should not get a raga wrong while he may get it wrong". Fair enough and that a Raaja and an Embaar Kannan themselves pointed out the fallacy in Charulatha Mani's (and other experts who wrongly claim so) understanding is for Mrs. Mani to reflect. That said, what was weirdly funny was him asking me not to bring in any swaras to discuss why this isn't X raga but Y raga. This is akin to me asking you to explain how a veNpA is written but asking you not to talk about the rules that go into writing a veNpA because I wouldn't understand them. When something you seek comes from a source, one would expect a certain humility to accept whatever that comes your way or an effort to understand what is being presented. It is here that a lot of discerning fans have problems with his blog off late. His views are his views. But it comes coated with a certain arrogance that is nauseating. It is ok to not be a genius in understanding every musical nuance. If a Rajendra Kumar (ragamanjari), Raaga_Suresh or a Ravinat point that my understanding of an IR composition lacks nuance or is incorrect (as some of it indeed was), I would accept it. It is when you claim ignorance yet refuse to come down from a perch that things become a little tricky.

Secondly, his blog which started off with a lot of novelty and difference, has off late devolved to seek hits. His reviews are out within a day of the album releasing (sometimes in hours). An ARR fan friend (must take special talent to not be regarded highly as a critic from any discerning fan) made a point that his blogs are written with an aim to garner a certain number of hits per week and per month. If that is not met, an attention seeking post is put out. It started with a post on the "10 worst songs of ARR" and went to list some of his genuinely good songs (which were in the list for their poor picturization and Vadivelu's caricatures on screen. Dude seriously?!). Recently, it was a "why did IR change the tune of a Poongatru to Ae Zindagi from Moondram Pirai to Sadma" that ended up answering nothing and was an exercise in silliness (also had a point that he never thought Kanne Kalaimaane was a great song). In the garb of being neutral to cater to every audience, the blog loses focus (of course, a case for a neutral critic can be made but not by his silly definition that to be a neutral fan of a composer, a paradox in itself, one has to dislike a few works of that composer. It is also entirely possible to make a case here that he did not like Suresh's blog getting mentioned and that did indeed hijack his post. Too much of a stretch and a hypothesis and can be rightly dismissed but methinks that is a possibility). He may dislike a tune and say it as much and no one would judge his rasanai as it is subjective and differs for each of us but coating it with words like "outdated" only comes across as poor articulation. This makes it hard to take him seriously as a music critic.

crimson king Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:57 pm

^^^ How are you acquainted with Rajendra Kumar, by the way...if you don't mind my asking.

Drunkenmunk Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:01 pm

crimson king wrote:^^^ How are you acquainted with Rajendra Kumar, by the way...if you don't mind my asking.

Circles, blogs and social media. Not met him yet. You know him? Smile

crimson king Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:04 pm

Drunkenmunk wrote:
crimson king wrote:^^^ How are you acquainted with Rajendra Kumar, by the way...if you don't mind my asking.
Circles, blogs and social media. Not met him yet. You know him?

I know him through orkut. Have spoken very briefly twice on phone. We nearly met a few years back in Chennai but by the time he re connected with me, I was already back in Mumbai. Invites me every year to his Geetanjali celebration and every year I have to opt out with a heavy heart as my schedule never permits. The only reason I still maintain the orkut account is for that community.

Drunkenmunk Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:20 pm

crimson king wrote:
Drunkenmunk wrote:
crimson king wrote:^^^ How are you acquainted with Rajendra Kumar, by the way...if you don't mind my asking.
Circles, blogs and social media. Not met him yet. You know him?
I know him through orkut. Have spoken very briefly twice on phone. We nearly met a few years back in Chennai but by the time he re connected with me, I was already back in Mumbai. Invites me every year to his Geetanjali celebration and every year I have to opt out with a heavy heart as my schedule never permits. The only reason I still maintain the orkut account is for that community.

Yes he did invite me through mail to his orkut community. Never was in Orkut so hesitant to create an account just for that. He did mention his Geetanjali too. Would like to attend one of these days if I get to Chennai and the event happens.

RaajaDivine Wed Sep 11, 2013 10:14 pm

I just wanted to do a quick post about the 'Enna Vendum' song.
I have been coming back to this song more frequently than when I started listening to the album. It is certainly groovy and has an element to it that you feel like 'biting into', like a smooth candy bar with straight edges. And speaking of straight edges, the entire song does not use violins (as far as I can tell) and even the wind-instruments, when used, play notes with discrete transitions like a square wave. The groovy beat reinforces this effect and so do the frequent pauses both in the singing and the back-up instrumentals.
I might just pardon Karthik's 'flat' singing because of the overall theme of the song - to produce melody and harmony even with square/flat notes.

And a quick note about the 'new' sound in Raaja's albums. I think it is mostly from what Raaja is leaving out from than what he has added in his repertoire. I feel he is consciously leaving out not only indian classical instruments like veena, shehnai, tabla, mridangam, etc., he is also avoiding indian classical 'gamakkams' in the compositions. He is still using complex western classical gamakkams especially with wind-instruments (like the one where he corrects the instrument player in the teaser video). The easy-flowing complex gamakkams, be it indian or western in nature, are what I feel separates Raaja from other 'composers'. This is also the reason I feel a lot of ARR's songs sound like nursery rhymes with simplistic notes transitions. Of course, the trick is to make the complex gamakkams sound natural and free-flowing - and Raaja accomplishes this time and time again!

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