Anything about IR found on the net - Vol 2

I doubt my idli maavu entrepreneur friend likes Ir only because of how Tamil it is. There have been others who have made very Tamil music. But IR's music has the emotions we go through in their raw and uncanny form without the filmi sugarcoating and hence we, in spite of ourselves, identify with the music. IR is an artist and not just an entertainer.

crimson king wrote:I do wish he had made many more instrumental albums. 

This is also one of my regrets. It's still not too late though. 

Regarding the point of his Indo-western fusion and the difficulty of emulating it you made earlier, reminds me of the panel discussion on Indiannness and the arts in the recent NDTV "25 greatest living Indians" program,. Zubin Mehta said something to the effect of "Dil Hindustani hai, but the music I conduct and interpret has been written and performed by Europeans for the last few hundred years and unfortunately there is nothing Indian I can inject in it". Evidently, he hasn't heard of one, Mr. Ilayaraja   . Ok, possibly such fusion wouldn't be well received by the elitist, classical snobs in Europe or America, but my point is more that "It is not impossible".

I do agree with what he said. As a conductor he has no leeway to alter the DNA of the composition. I respect his achievements but his role is ultimately much more limited than Ilayaraja. Er, if his career didn't appeal to the peculiar indian sentiment of doting on Indians who get famous abroad, I wonder how many interviews he could have given to indian media. Ilayaraja has the training and learning but goes with his instinct. That takes a lot of conviction; nobody could have told him he was right and a lot many would have told him he was wrong.

crimson king wrote:

jaiganesh wrote:

kiru wrote:

crimson king wrote:...much to ARR's chagrin, people still listen to his songs.

Where and how did you get this impression ? (Note, I also think, ARR is annoyed that IR 'just wouldn't go away'.. a guy who likes to mess with computers and electronics now shows up in all interviews with a piano and writing notes !!!)

more than 'wouldnt go away' - it is the sadness of having to 'act and behave like a Maestro' that must be most uncomfortable to this new age anarchic rule breaker..
Otherwise, I personally dont like the angle of questioning one MD about another MD while fully knowing that it is uncommfortable. Just imagine what IR would have
replied to a similar question? "Idhu ungal thalai vidhi, yaar enna ketkiraargal endru aaraayvadhu en velai illai" kind of response . which is fine - just that it shows how irritated he must feel as a composer to answer such 'comparison' questions..

Irritated maybe but that would at least be more of an honest response.  IR openly admitted in the GVM interview that he does not know why the audience likes his music and he cannot control his music.  By becoming so anxious about what public likes, ARR has more or less stooped down to the level of the likes of Rohit Shetty/Prabhu Deva mass market hitmakers.  The whole idea that you can control public tastes and you know what they like sounds deluded to me.

I actually found ARR's answers very intriguing. The interviewer said "Ulagathil moolaimudukkellAm unga kodi katti parakkadhu (humbug), Aana grAmangalla innum Raja pAttu thAn kEtkirArgal." So why is ARR so bothered about what pAmarans in rural TN listen to unless he recognizes that the first part of the interviewers's question is BS?

But overall, I am not that bothered by his delusion or arrogance.Other great composers have made statements in a similar vein at various times. It is more the desperate attempt by the media and fans to continue to foist (the virtue of?) humility on him that is amusing.

crimson king wrote:I do agree with what he said. As a conductor he has no leeway to alter the DNA of the composition. I respect his achievements but his role is ultimately much more limited than Ilayaraja. Er, if his career didn't appeal to the peculiar indian sentiment of doting on Indians who get famous abroad, I wonder how many interviews he could have given to indian media. Ilayaraja has the training and learning but goes with his instinct. That takes a lot of conviction; nobody could have told him he was right and a lot many would have told him he was wrong.

His role IS quite limited. Honestly, I don't understand why conductors are put on such a pedestal. Of course, they are scholarly, erudite and have a great sense of aesthetics, but ultimately they are not creators and only interpret others' works and I feel, great that Zubin Mehta might be in what he does, he doesn't deserve to be on that list, as don't many others. Just my personal opinion.

fring151 wrote:

crimson king wrote:I do wish he had made many more instrumental albums. 

This is also one of my regrets. It's still not too late though. 

Regarding the point of his Indo-western fusion and the difficulty of emulating it you made earlier, reminds me of the panel discussion on Indiannness and the arts in the recent NDTV "25 greatest living Indians" program,. Zubin Mehta said something to the effect of "Dil Hindustani hai, but the music I conduct and interpret has been written and performed by Europeans for the last few hundred years and unfortunately there is nothing Indian I can inject in it". Evidently, he hasn't heard of one, Mr. Ilayaraja   . Ok, possibly such fusion wouldn't be well received by the elitist, classical snobs in Europe or America, but my point is more that "It is not impossible".

He has. In fact, I have read Zubin Mehta say he was baffled listening to How to name it and Nothing but wind and that IR in his mind is a genius.

it's not the arrogance by itself that I am interested in but this peculiar brand of "I know what the people like" delusion. No, you don't, you are not God. Even more intriguing is that it is invariably mass entertainers who believe in this delusion.

wow, didn't know that about zubin mehta. Thanks for sharing.

crimson king wrote:wow, didn't know that about zubin mehta. Thanks for sharing.

His exact quote:

http://www.tfmpage.com/forum/11296.01.19.19.html

"I was bewildered after listening to his 'nothing but wind' and 'how to name it'. He belongs to the 21st century and perhaps beyond."

Sometime back some one (Bala (Karthik) ?)  corrected me that Zubin Mehta does not know IR. Even I had his exact quote as my signature, but later removed it. There is always another version 
Here is the link: http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/27/stories/2005122707082000.htm

V_S wrote:Sometime back some one (Bala (Karthik) ?)  corrected me that Zubin Mehta does not know IR. Even I had his exact quote as my signature, but later removed it. There is always another version 
Here is the link: http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/27/stories/2005122707082000.htm

aah. Thanks. Was going by this version all along as it was all over the net in multiple sites   

Drunkenmunk wrote:

V_S wrote:Sometime back some one (Bala (Karthik) ?)  corrected me that Zubin Mehta does not know IR. Even I had his exact quote as my signature, but later removed it. There is always another version 
Here is the link: http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/27/stories/2005122707082000.htm

aah. Thanks. Was going by this version all along as it was all over the net in multiple sites   

I remembered reading that Hindu article earlier and didn't know about the other quote till today. So I think it is safe to conclude someone probably made it up since google doesn't throw up any reliable references.

Edit: Seeing that the quote dates from much earlier, another possibility is that he DID say those words about HTNI and NBW, but didn't necessarily remember the name of the composer or listen to those albums much after, so the Hindu reporter mentioning IR didn't ring a bell. Either way, the quote is of dubious authenticity...

IR should do this , IR Should do that....All easily said

IR is ready to do albums. Remember the coimbatore BE WITH ME SHOW -  he said he is ready to do a bharathiyar album. How can he produce it? He needs money to do it. Let us assume he puts money and makes an album, how many of us will buy it?

Balu wrote:IR should do this , IR Should do that....All easily said

IR is ready to do albums. Remember the coimbatore BE WITH ME SHOW -  he said he is ready to do a bharathiyar album. How can he produce it? He needs money to do it. Let us assume he puts money and makes an album, how many of us will buy it?

That's a good point. In the west, orchestral works by contemporary composers are usually commissioned by the orchestra or sponsored by wealthy patrons and the cost is recovered by live performances or record sales. I am not saying there is a huge market for such works, but this is how it works AFAIK. So I concede it is difficult for IR to produce orchestral works which is why the whole process of recording TiS was such a struggle. He could however always produce something of smaller scale like the Onayum Attukuttiyum BGM, but as we have seen, the response has not been particularly encouraging.

Balu wrote:IR should do this , IR Should do that....All easily said

IR is ready to do albums. Remember the coimbatore BE WITH ME SHOW -  he said he is ready to do a bharathiyar album. How can he produce it? He needs money to do it. Let us assume he puts money and makes an album, how many of us will buy it?

You have taken it to heart.   I am not blaming Ilayaraja for not making more instrumental albums. All I am saying is more such albums would have helped showcase the universality of his music rather than being understood as only a South Indian phenomenon.

V_S wrote:The best response to the recent kumudham interview

Sounds like ARR has suddenly become a cheapie

From Oscar / Hollywood & kuRaindha patcham bollywood - Rajinikanth levels, he is now down to kumudam interviews and talking about TN kukkirAma level acceptance

I saw on youtube that he is going to the SS4 show tomorrow - nalla poruththam

In any case, that "siNdu mudidhal" must be kumudam kaingaryam.

Whatever, it helped expose the real ARR inside (self-attention-seeking-while-pasappifying-as-ellappugazhum-to-iRaivan), which is good.

However, stooping to SS4 levels shows some cracks in his marketing savvy nature. Much be too many failures / especially string of failures by MR and such factors that make him feel uncomfortable recently.

In any case, fact of the matter is ARR hadn't scored for any "hit film - TF " in 2011,12,13 - three years in a row - and must be worried if his place is taken by the bunch of newbees...bringing rAsA must be attempt to hide his successors from public view

Comedy fellows

பிரேம்ஜி ராசா மாதிரி வேஷம் போட்டு விளம்பரம் தேடல்

BR uLaRal once again

Why this fellow keeps talking nonsense?

Hilarious stuff, supposedly by rAsA

பசித்தால் தின்றுவிட்டு
களைத்தால் தூக்கம் போட்டுவிட்டு
உடல் தினவெடுத்தால் காமத்தை தணித்துக்கொண்டுவிட்டு
துன்பம் வந்தால் தாங்க முடியாது
தெய்வங்களென்று நாம் எண்ணிக் கொண்டிருப்பவற்றிடம்
கொஞ்ச நேரம் அழுது முறையிடுவதற்கு பெயர்தான்
பக்தி. வாழ்க வாழ்க.

யாருக்கு யார் எழுதுவது? இளையராஜா. கவிதா பப்ளிகேஷன் இரண்டாம் பதிப்பு நவம்பர் 2010. பக்கம் 505-507

Bad news: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news-interviews/Music-maestro-Ilayaraja-suffers-heart-attack/articleshow/27791087.cms

Condition stable.

I hope he recovers...

kamalaakarsh wrote:Bad news: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news-interviews/Music-maestro-Ilayaraja-suffers-heart-attack/articleshow/27791087.cms

Condition stable.

I hope he recovers...

Surprised, since he looks fit as a fiddle. But you never know beyond an age, do you   .

fring151 wrote:

kamalaakarsh wrote:Bad news: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news-interviews/Music-maestro-Ilayaraja-suffers-heart-attack/articleshow/27791087.cms

Condition stable.

I hope he recovers...

Surprised, since he looks fit as a fiddle. But you never know beyond an age, do you   .

Nenju vali ellAm rumor. He had high fever (102 F) with cold after a visit to Ramanashrama. In Apollo for treatment and regular yearly check up. Man is nearing 71 and I guess people need to give him this much. Confirmation: https://m.facebook.com/alex.raja.311/posts/629113780480503 This person, Alex Raja, got in touch with Karthik Raaja, I hear from another FB page. Authentic source.

What is worst is some people in some page were asking "appo avar Malaysia tour enna maadhiri?" thirundhaadha jenmangaL.

Ah good to know. ThirundhAdha jenmangaL for sure.

Drunkenmunk wrote:Big FM seems to be run by Raaja fans. They have a program from 11 AM to 2 PM called Raajadhi Raaja which has only Raaja songs. Of course, their catchment of songs seems to be from 1976 to early 90s. Would like them to explore more of the new age Raaja but their apparent apprehension seems understandable. And yeah, Raaja still dominates the radio for most part and that is not restricted to Gold and Rainbow, the AIR managed radio stations.

I have been driving around a lot in the afternoon (listening to the radio) the last few days and I can corroborate your observation. Re: later works, I have heard Ilangathu veesudhe, Ennai ThAlAtta varuvAlo, thendral vandhu theendum podhu, Ennule ennule, Saindhu Saindhu and Thaavi Thaavi (!!) so far. This was not all on Big FM btw, which indeed seems to be managed by IRFs. The RAjadhi RAja program even features a decent number of ads in between which suggests it is quite popular.

fring151 wrote:Ah good to know. ThirundhAdha jenmangaL for sure.

A few sources say mild heart attack (Venkat Prabhu) and Hindu and NDTV carried the news. A person managing Raaja's FB page said that he confirmed and that IR did complain of mild chest pain. Heart attack ellAm speculation IMO but they say condition is currently stable and there's nothing to worry.