Megha / மேகா

Great posts everyone.  ippOthaan kaLai kattuthu. Got into the second song chellam konjum poovE.

Chellam Konjum PoovE - If you ask any musician who plays in any singer shows, he would express the amount of satisfaction he gets when playing Raja songs compared to playing any other music director songs. The main reason is the challenge they see in front of them and once they achieved the results they feel that pride having achieved something. All the improvisations which we are talking about is already composed for them handy. All the extended scope which are talking about is already provided to them. All they need is the skill to play those notes and impart life into it. This is one such composition where Maestro uniquely trained the musicians to get what he wanted. We can see that in the teasers. I still hear that unique and pronounced timber of double bass (from teaser) which cuts our nerves.

When listening to the song now that double-bass effect is little dumbed down, nevertheless guitar, double-bass and keyboard make his heavenly prelude. One of the best ever prelude. Yuvan starts off in a very pale and flat way could have been brighter and better, as the lyrics talks about his call to his lover (செல்லம் கொஞ்சும் பூவே கொஞ்சம் வாடா). No bhaavam in those lines at all. He even sounds off-key in anu-pallavi. During these lines; உன்னை கேட்டேன் உயிரை தந்தாய் Imagine how a lover will feel when he sings these lines. Very powerful lines, but absolutely no soul in his singing. Ramya again makes it up for his mistakes. Hear how she sings the first line of pallavi. So effortless in bringing the bhaavam and soul. I love the way Maestro ends the repeat pallavi (Ramya). Lot of syncopation in this song with respect to singing and rhythm patterns which makes it so special. The way Maestro connects the anu-pallavi to pallavi with extended drumming not only showcases the capability of the drummer, but also goes to proves in what all ways he does this connection differently every time. This one is a very rare moment.

The tune does not have a flowing structure, the discontinuity here and there adds to the surprise and sweetness. First two lines are little longer compared to the next two lines. Even the next two lines are sung as if they are four lines; so much break in the tune, but the last two lines are lengthier as Maestro thinks this will end the anu-pallavi in style, but could not, and adds those two gorgeous words தூங்கி பார்க்கலாமா at the last moment to bring it on his inimitable style. I love that finishing! So unpredictable! The lines are fine, especially I like the lines; உள்ளங்கையில் உன்னை அள்ளி தாடா, மேகம் மேகத்தோடு கொஞ்சி பேசும் ஓசை கேட்கலாமா, அந்த வெண்ணிலாவின் மடியில் காதல் கதைகள் கேட்கலாமா. Wonderful job by Pazhani Bharathi.

செல்லம் கொஞ்சும் பூவே கொஞ்சம் வாடா 
உள்ளங்கையில் உன்னை அள்ளி தாடா 
விண்மீன் கேட்டேன் வானம் தந்தாய்
உன்னை கேட்டேன் உயிரை தந்தாய்
மேகம் மேகத்தோடு கொஞ்சி பேசும் ஓசை கேட்கலாமா 
அந்த வெண்ணிலாவின் மடியில் காதல் கதைகள் கேட்கலாமா
தூங்கி பார்க்கலாமா...

Racy first interlude with terrific drumming again. Can't take my ears out of it. Second interlude is even more interesting. It is much slower compared to the first one. Is it electric guitar combined with backing acoustic guitar?  (or an organ?) What a soundscape it is giving! The mellow flute following it gives a contrasting mood only to pick up the racy charanam with thundering drums.

Maestro starts the charanam is as if it will never reach the pallavi agin. Till he slowly progresses to reach the line 'ஒரு கவிதை ஆனதென்ன நீ கவிஞன் ஆனதென்ன' we have no clue how is he going to finish and immediately he switches to anu-pallavi tune to complete it. The surprise element here is how each line slowly connects to each other and in turn also deviates from each other beautifully. Lyrically (first charanam) first four lines are ok, but he makes it up in the next four lines. Excellent imagination!

பூக்கள் உதிர்கின்ற நிழற்சாலையில் 
நெஞ்சம் உன்னோடு நீந்தும் 
காதல் பரிசாக மழை பூக்களை 
கைகள் உனக்காக ஏந்தும் 
என் கண்கள் பார்த்துக்கொண்டே நீ உளறும் உளறல் எல்லாம்  (Ramya didn't pronounce உளறும் உளறல் clearly)
ஒரு கவிதை ஆனதென்ன நீ கவிஞன் ஆனதென்ன 
எந்தன் காதல் தேவதை நீ உந்தன் சிறகில் என்னை மூடு 
எந்தன் மூச்சு குழலுக்குள்ளே வந்து இரவின் ராகம் பாடு 
என்னில் உன்னை தேடு…

Second charanam lyrics is way better than the first. The best lines I have heard recently is this one; இங்கு வீசும் காற்று எல்லாம் உந்தன் வாசம் வீச வேண்டும், வான வில்லின் வண்ணம் அள்ளி உந்தன் நெஞ்சில் பூச வேண்டும், கண்கள் கூச வேண்டும் Wow!

காலை பனி போல உன் ஞாபகம் 
என்னை சில்லென்று தீண்டும் 
ஹே மாலை வெய்யில் வந்து என் மார்பிலே 
உந்தன் விரல் கொண்டு சீண்டும் 
என் கனவின் அழகையெல்லாம் நீ அள்ளி வந்ததென்ன 
என் காதல் மொழிகளெல்லாம் நீ சொல்லி தந்ததென்ன (Yuvan missing La as usual)
இங்கு வீசும் காற்று எல்லாம் உந்தன் வாசம் வீச வேண்டும் 
வான வில்லின் வண்ணம் அள்ளி உந்தன் நெஞ்சில் பூச வேண்டும் 
கண்கள் கூச வேண்டும்...
Even when I write this, I hear the free-flowing extended drumming after 'கண்கள் கூச வேண்டும்…'

Energetic singing by Yuvan and Ramaya. They brought out the mood quite well, especially Ramya, as it is her home turf. What I most like about the song is there is no screaming like we hear nowadays especially when the song (charanam) ends. This screaming tends to put them into that proper pop idiom and loses out on the soul and the stamp of the composer. Here Maestro composes the last lines of charanams in higher octaves, but there is no screaming. The way he descends to கண்கள் கூச வேண்டும் and then the tune is closely followed by the extended drumming to (compensate for that high pitch) complete the charanam (drumming acts as the tune here to bridge to the pallavi) shows how Maestro cleverly takes the listener out of some alien territory and engages them into the path they can appreciate better. That's why he is different and way ahead from the rest. The song truly is a post-modern delight which speaks in detail about how a composition has every element of post-modernism without compromising or forgetting its roots saluting the yesteryear composers and the instruments they used which are slowly becoming extinct as we are moving into technology driven music, rather than human driven. Still needs more listen to get a full hang of it as this one requires more attention as Maestro plays the hide and seek game very well.