திரையிசைத்திலகம் கே.வி.மகாதேவன் அவர்கள் - #45 மாசி மாசக் கடைசியிலே (பல்லாண்டு வாழ்க)

Sorry for butting in without a useful contribution but this happened today

Swathi Kiranam was on air. And wife's comment "pAttellAm romba mokkaiyA irukkE, oru jeevanE illa. Swathi muthyam Saagara Sangamam Sindhu bhairavillAm epdi musicnAlayE pAkkaRA mAdhiri irundhudhu"
For the record, she has no idea of who composed which of these movies.

I do like Swathi kiranam songs but after she pointed out, I also realised there is a distinct mediocrity about them, a comforting mediocrity but mediocrity nevertheless.

I have always felt that about mAmA songs - very rarely one finds a thiruvilayaadal, idhayakamalam, vaazhkai padagu, kandhan karunai which brim with jeevan
mAma's songs for devar-mgr are the ultimate definition of mediocrity

App - idhayam kamalam one of his best. Malargal is no doubt awesome but think largely inspired by chand phir nikla/rasik balma, dont you think?

plum wrote:App - idhayam kamalam one of his best. Malargal is no doubt awesome but think largely inspired by chand phir nikla/rasik balma, dont you think?

நமக்கு இந்தி அறிவு குறைவுங்களே

Any link to those songs please?

app_engine wrote:

plum wrote:App - idhayam kamalam one of his best. Malargal is no doubt awesome but think largely inspired by chand phir nikla/rasik balma, dont you think?

நமக்கு இந்தி அறிவு குறைவுங்களே

Any link to those songs please?

Chand Phir Nikla:


SD da.
Rasik Balma:

Shankar Jaikishan.

nanRi DM, for the youtubes!

Both are beautiful songs, and yes these were possibly in the back of KVM's mind when he tune smith-ed malargaL nanaindhana.

Munk - meendum oru muRai - It's Sachinda or simply Dada. SDda is so unwieldy and he was never called that, too.

plum wrote:Munk - meendum oru muRai - It's Sachinda or simply Dada. SDda is so unwieldy and he was never called that, too.

Oh ok. Kamal SDda nu sonna nyAbagam. Thought you were joking the first time  sonnadhu pureela  inimE thavarAdhu.

#24 தோள் கண்டேன் தோளே கண்டேன்
(இதயக்கமலம்)

A simple PBS solo, with humming by PS interspersed. 

I am not a big fan of this song but has to acknowledge that there're hundreds of fans for this and it had been ever present on radio

Nevertheless, there's some nice word play by Kavingar, in the second saraNam - with the day names matched to female aspects (திங்கள் = female herself,  செவ்வாய் = the corresponding body part, வெள்ளி = whatever sparkling fluid that comes out of it     May be this refers to the punnagai of the smile queen  ). 

Also, one has easily see that some evergreen uvamaigaL ( வாள் for விழி and மேகம் for கூந்தல்) are getting deployed in the song.

However, I cannot decipher what are those "தோளிலிரு கிளிகள்" ? 

Can someone please help this tubelight?

Here are the lyrics and the youtube:

தோள் கண்டேன் தோளே கண்டேன்
தோளிலிரு கிளிகள் கண்டேன்
வாள் கண்டேன் வாளே கண்டேன்
வட்டமிடும் விழிகள் கண்டேன்

கட்டாத மேகம் கட்டி வந்த கூந்தல்
எட்டாத நிலவு எட்டி வந்த போது 
எட்டி வந்த போது தோள் கண்டேன் தோளே கண்டேன்

செண்டு வண்ணச் சிட்டு
சின்ன முல்லை மொட்டு
குங்குமப் பொட்டு 
கொஞ்சும் நெஞ்சைத் தொட்டு
கொஞ்சும் நெஞ்சைத் தொட்டுத்தொட்டு

தேடி வந்த திங்கள் 
திங்களில் செவ்வாய்
செவ்வாயின் வெள்ளி 
சேர்த்தெடுத்தேன் அள்ளி
சேர்த்தெடுத்தேன் அள்ளி அள்ளி

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x9hJk8cVnY

#25 என்னதான் ரகசியமோ இதயத்திலே
(இதயக்கமலம்)

Most listings on the internet for this movie do not include this song (while they carefully catalog the SJ song mELaththa mellaththattu mAmA, which was unknown to me).

Including dhool.com, the website that included 3 songs from this movie among its SOTD series, fails to list this song.

I'm still not sure if the song is actually from that album - having not watched the movie. However, the song is included here under the movie because of the three references on the web :

1. A hub thread that talks about Ravichandran lists this among idhayakkamalam songs (and so is a blog that has the lyrics)

2. Tamil wiki of the movie

3. The youtube of the song :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0sdmE7TM34



While I'm not sure about the song-movie combo, I'm very familiar with the song because of listening to this 100's of times on radio  That way, a song very popular among TN radio listeners, without question!

Here are the lyrics, where kavingar attempts to capture the "feelings" of a woman (the authenticity of them has to be confirmed by only girls    Well, to be specific - the 1960's TN girls - as the sentiments may not exactly match those of today's females  )

என்னதான் ரகசியமோ இதயத்திலே 
நினைத்தால் எனக்கே சிரிப்பு வரும் சமயத்திலே

விழி பார்க்கச் சொன்னாலும் மனம் பேசச் சொல்லாது 
மனம் பேசச் சொன்னாலும் வாய் வார்த்தை வராது 
அச்சம் பாதி ஆசை பாதி பெண் படும் பாடு 
நினைத்தால் எனக்கே சிரிப்பு வரும் சமயத்திலே

மலர்ப்பஞ்சணை மேலே உடல் பள்ளி கொள்ளாது 
அது பள்ளி கொண்டாலும் துயில் கொள்ள விடாது 
ஒரு நேரம் கூட ஆசை நெஞ்சம் அமைதி கொள்ளாது 
அமைதி கொள்ளாது நினைத்தால் எனக்கே சிரிப்பு வரும் சமயத்திலே

பேரழகிருந்தென்ன ஓர் ரசிகன் இல்லாமல் 
தேன் நிறைந்திருந்தென்ன பொன் வண்டு வராமல் 
என்ன பெண்மை என்ன மென்மை இன்பம் இல்லாமல் 
நினைத்தால் எனக்கே சிரிப்பு வரும் சமயத்திலே

முதல் இரவு வந்ததும் இன்ப உறவு வந்ததும் 
நீ அருகில் வந்ததும் நான் உருகி நின்றதும் 
என் கன்னத்தின் மேல் கோலம் போட்டுத் துடிக்க வைத்ததும்
துடிக்க வைத்ததும் நினைத்தால் எனக்கே சிரிப்பு வரும் சமயத்திலே 

BTW, while the singing by PS is quite sweet in this song (as in the other sweeties of this album), she murders the word சிரிப்பு as சிருப்பு each time!




Quite rare but quite significant miss!

BTW, there a four saraNams and they have two melodies alternating

Idhayakamalam.. MSV endru ninaithu irundhen......

Pogum idam ellam nanaum varuven...  Gavanika vaikira Guitar......... love it..........

Makkalai petra maharasi.. inum 3 paatu irukae app.. adhai sollalaiyae.....



en paati .... nalla padam idhu.. parunu solli.. partha padam........  padam parthadhum.. paatu ellam pidithadhu..........

Vandhadhu yarunu unaku theiryuma  -  Bhanumathi..........   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG3LrbSRpsk

Sonna pecha kaekanam

adhaiyum idhaiyum ennikittu angitu ingitu pathukittu............ lovely renditiion from Bhanumathi....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey7dOdD8sBs

Mana para maadu katti.... lovely lyric............


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjFrsLIuZZo

UshakkA,

maNappARai mAdu katti already got posted about (by V_Sji) in the first page:
https://ilayaraja.forumms.net/t207-25#18003

As for other two songs are concerned, as I mentioned in the outset, this is a "masAlA" thread

Means, if the song is familiar to me, then it's a hit and gets included

Those that do not ring a bell (in my mind) are not cared about

#26 மயக்கும் மாலைப்பொழுதே நீ போ போ 
(கூண்டுக்கிளி - குலேபகாவலி)

This song is an interesting case study by T Soundar in his rAgam articles, to showcase how IR brought uniqueness / respect to MD etc.

I've posted his mOhanam article link in the idhayakkamalam song's post, which is this one .

The portion that caught my eye (and eventually led me to this song) is this :

சில சமயம் விஸ்வநாதன் ராமமூர்த்தி , கே.வீ .மகாதேவன் , R.கோவர்த்தனம் , வேதா ,GK வெங்கடேஷ் இன்னும் பிற இசைய்மைப்பாளர்களின் பாடல்கள் இன்னார் தான் இசையமைத்தார்கள் என்று கண்டு பிடிக்க முடியாதளவு இருப்பதையும் அவதானிக்கலாம்.

KVமகாதேவன் இசையமைத்த ”மயக்கும் மாலை பொழுதே நீ போ போ ..” என்ற குலேபகாவலி திரைப்படப் பாடலை உதாரணம் கூறலாம். ராமண்ணா இயக்கத்தில் வெளியான ” கூண்டுக்கிளி ” படத்திற்காக KVமகாதேவன் அவர்களால் இசையமைக்கப்பட்ட இந்தப் பாடலை , தன்னுடைய மற்றொரு படமான குலேபகாவலி யில் பயன்படுத்திக் கொண்டார். குலேபகாவளிக்கு இசையமைத்தவர்கள் விஸ்வநாதன் ராமமூர்த்தி இரட்டையர்கள்.

இன்றுவரை இந்தப் பாடலை இசையமைத்தவர்கள் மெல்லிசை மன்னர்களே என்று வானொலிகள் சொல்லிக் கொண்டிருக்கின்றன.பின்னர் 1960 களில் தனித் தன்மை புலப்பட்டாலும் அதிலும் குறிப்பிடத்தக்க வித்தியாசங்கள் குறைந்த அளவிலேயே வெளிப்பட்டன.நடிகர்களின் பெயர்களை வைத்து அடையாளம் காட்டபட்ட அளவிற்கு இசையமைப்பாளர்களின் படைப்புக்கள் என்று பரந்து பட்ட மக்கள் மத்தியில் புகழ் பெறவில்லை.

ஆனால் இந்தக் குறையை நிவர்த்தி செய்தது இளையராஜாவின் இசையே.அவருடைய பாடல்களைப் பாடும் எந்த பாடகரோ பாடகியோ, அல்லது  நடிகரோ யாராக இருந்தாலும் அங்கே இளையராஜா இசை என்றே அறியப்படும்..அந்த அளவுக்கு அவரது இசை அவரை அடையாளம் காட்டி இருக்கிறது.

I wanted to make sure the above claim is correct and did more googling around - which led me to our familiar place, dhool.com

Please look at this SOTD post:
http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/187.html

There is an interesting discussion between Sriram Lakshman and Manisegaran, on who is the composer for this song. The other songs in this film were composed by Visvanathan-Ramamoorthy. SL mentions that this song was composed by KVM for T.R.Ramanna before this movie was conceived. It seems the song was used in this movie even without VR's consent. 

And the dhool post referred to the tfmpage link, obviously:
http://www.tfmpage.com/forum/17288.11820.22.02.30.html

I'm giving below the conversation that took place in that thread for the sOmbERees who don't want to browse thru the thread:

First, SL simply says the song was by KVM, in a Creativity of KVM thread :

From: Sriram Lakshman (@ ifmxlenx.na.informix.com) on: Wed Jan 13 17:11:50 EST 1999

Interestingly, PBS was not used too much by KVM, probably because he seldom scored the music for a Gemini Ganesan movie. AM Raja too was not used all that much . The only song that comes to mind is "Mayakkum Maalai Pozhuthe Nee po po" in Kulebagaavali. 

I'm surprised to see that Manisekaran sir, supposedly a KVM expert, replies back stating that the song was by V-R :

From: Manisekaran (@ 202.188.1.83) on: Thu Jan 14 05:49:53 EST 1999

Mayakkum Malai puzhuthe ne po po is by Viswanathan Ramamurthy. 

Then SL reasserts that this was indeed by KVM :

From: Sriram Lakshman (@ ifmxlenx.na.informix.com) on: Thu Jan 14 10:46:56 EST 1999

Mani, 
"Mayakkum Maalai" had been composed by KVM for TR Ramanna even before "Kulebagaavali" was concieved. This song was brought into the movie even without VR's consent. As I had mentioned in my previous posting, the rest of the songs were composed by VR.

Manisekaran is still suspicious about this claim and posts the contents of his 78 rpm arakku record:

From: Manisekaran (@ 202.188.1.83) on: Fri Jan 15 06:14:11 EST 1999

Dear Sriram Lakshman 
I am in no way a store house please-just look at the corrections made by others on my inputs. 

I have been collecting a few thousand songs in audio cassettes and records from 1975 from several record studios around the world, mainly from Malaysia, Tamilnadu, Singapore. I have met a number of singers and Music Directors, and I share them from time to time in the appropraite threads. My interiview with KVM was lengthy, and I am not able to relate all here. 

Its news to learn that Mayakkum Malai was composed by KVM. The 78rpm record (Record number 65283)that I have mention the following details: 
Singers-Am Raja & Jikki 
Lyrics- Vinthan 
Music-Visvanathan Ramamurthy 

Finally, SL has to give another conclusive proof :

From: Sriram Lakshman (@ ifmxlenx.na.informix.com) on: Fri Jan 15 10:49:21 EST 1999

Mani, 
I had met MSV at his Santhome High road residence in '97 when I mentioned to him that a great melody like "Mayakkum.." could have been given to PBS instead of AMRaja. He revealed to me that KVM had composed the song. 

I have never ever read KVM's interview . Therefore atleast konchamavathu ezhuthungalen. Atleast the gist of it.

From: Manisekaran (@ bat-48-135.tm.net.my) on: Sat Jan 16 02:19:33 EST 1999

Sriram 

TRRamana used KVM in the initial days, and later when both he and his sister TR Rajakumary produced films under the banner of RR Films, they started to use VR. So MSV must be right in saying that KVM had composed that particular song

So, SUBHAM

BTW, unfortunately, a lot of websites continue to proclaim this song - which is the only song people like me typically recall from the MGR superhit movie gulEbagAvali - as a V-R song. The movie titles, while acknowledging GKV as "sangeetha direction" V-R's assistant, are simply silent on this great song by KVM. Similarly, the only lyricist credited is Thanjai Ramaiah Dass and he is credited with this song by many websites too 

Look at the movie's youtube : 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWyXgBtfEkY

This is yet another attempt to inform people of the original scorer of the evergreen number. Interestingly, we're not alone in crediting this song to KVM. In one of the youtubes of this song, few commenters say the same there :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5gdub7urew

Unfortunately, the better quality youtube does not credit properly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEjnj-ukgFE


In any case, this is another of our many efforts to propagating ACCURACY

Here are the pAdal varigaL, possibly by Vinthan (or Ramaiah Dass - this part is not very clear BTW):

மயக்கும் மாலைப்பொழுதே நீ போ!போ!
இனிக்கும் இன்ப இரவே நீ வா வா!
இன்னலைத் தீர்க்க வா!

பன்னீர் தெளிக்கப் பனி பெய்யுமே
பசும்புல் படுக்கப் பாய் போடுமே 

பாலூட்டும் நிலவு தேனூட்டுமே
பாடும் தென்றல் தாலாட்டுமே
கொன்றை மலர்கள் அன்பினாலே
போடும் போர்வை தன்னாலே

கனியிதழ் காதல் பசி தீர்க்குமே
காண்போம் பேரின்பமே
வானிலும் ஏது வாழ்விது போலே
வசந்தமே இனி எந்நாளும்

Very sweet number sung by the husband-wife pair (AM Raja / Jikki enRa G Krishnaveni)

(BTW, I want to know if MSV had ever "revealed" this fact on the numerous TV shows that he had been part of!
 Some ARR fanatic claimed that until SJ/MSV "revealed", he didn't know ooru sanam melody was by him.
OTOH, did MSV reveal this info about 'mayakkum mAlaippozhudhE nee pO pO' only privately to Sriram Lakshmanan?  It looks like that to me. Or, has he ever talked about his on TV?)

RajiniRams has informed based on a book that the lyricist was indeed Vinthan!
(and not Thanjai Ramaiah Dass as told by the movie titles or some websites):

https://twitter.com/rajinirams/status/542041323377659904




I've also asked him if the book says anything about KVM (as told by TKR in that function referred)...

Let us see

Plum says in twitter that this was a well-known thingy...possibly it was that way for the gulEbagAvali / kooNdukkiLi generation

However, based on the SL / Manisekaran discussion, by 70's such info got forgotten. Unfortunately, the movie titles or vinyl credits do not seem to do any justice to KVM  So are many of today's websites that base their crediting purely based on what is on titles. A classic case of composer losing his child to someone because some idiotic producer / director didn't feel the need to credit properly.

It is pretty much a similar case with Manivannan during 80's when he indiscriminately used songs "made and never-released" across his quickie projects. 

He missed crediting IR for the 'oru kAdhal enbadhu' song in chinnathambi periyathambi & many of us were kept wondering (pEru GA, soundO IR, how can it be)...until GA opened out on TV.

One big difference exists between "oru kAdhal enbadhu" and "mayakkum mAlaippozhudhE nee pO pO", however, as noted by Nerd on twitter

That, even common people can identify the OKE song as one by IR

With the kind of trademark arrangements / orch, rAsA puts his signature indelibly, even when the producer-director failed to credit him on titles / disk!

That is the power of IR - unlike ANY OTHER IFM COMPOSER! 

Which is why many kept referring to that song simply as a rAsA song on tfmpage and other websites (e.g. tamilwire) just like that (even before GA opened out on TV). 

That cannot be said about the kooNdukkiLi - gulEbagAvali song

Actually, all those years when I heard the song on radio, never even connected it with MGR or gulEbagAvali. (I've watched the movie during school days, in the school campus but don't recall anything. Rare for a MGR movie of those days. Even from a kuppai kudiyirundha kOvil movie, I remember some scenes. It's possible I slept when watching gulEbagAvali. Also, don't recall ANY OTHER SONG from that movie).

Honestly, prior to this T Sounder post, I never cared to check the MD of the song
(Automatically took for granted that it was some pre-KVM / pre-MSV "OLD" MD   Such as Chalapathi Rao, Aswaththama, Rajeswar Rao, GR kinds ; that it is credited to V-R itself is news to me)...

BTW, RajiniRams had replied on twitter that the book does not mention anything about "TKR mentioning KVM as composer"

So, I ended the conversation wondering if ever MSV-TKR made appreciative remarks on KVM in public...

(Of course, it is not necessary that they do that...after all, it was / is a competitive field. How often we hear Coke CEO praise Pepsi CEO or product....or vice versa?)

For record :

MSV openly says KVM is his favourite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-3Yh385IPA&t=2388s

Not surprising at all. When MSV can praise some composers who came 2 generations after him why would he not do the same with KVM, who I guess, had also helped him in his initial years? Vairamuthu in a recent youtube video recalled an incident where he had approached MSV and told him (intentionally with an attempt to provoke) that he thought KVM was the better composer to which MSV had said "obviously, yes" and mentioned kadavuL manidhanaaga pirakka vendum as one of his favorities and explained why the song was a terrific composition

counterpoint wrote:Not surprising at all. When MSV can praise some composers who came 2 generations after him why would he not do the same with KVM, who I guess, had also helped him in his initial years? Vairamuthu in a recent youtube video recalled an incident where he had approached MSV and told him (intentionally with an attempt to provoke) that he thought KVM was the better composer to which MSV had said "obviously, yes" and mentioned kadavuL manidhanaaga pirakka vendum as one of his favorities and explained why the song was a terrific composition

idhaye VM MSV'ta pOi "I am better than Kannadasan nu sollirukkaNum." MSV koNNE pOtruppAr 

Drunkenmunk wrote:
idhaye VM MSV'ta pOi "I am better than Kannadasan nu sollirukkaNum." MSV koNNE pOtruppAr 

Ha ha yes. I guess VM wouldn't even try that with MSV.

Another old instance I remember reading of MSV paying his tribute is where he supposedly mentioned that he had thought of something along the lines of kalyani for his maadhavi ponmayilaaL song, but after hearing KVM's Mannavan vandhaanadi he had lost all hopes of composing something new in kalyaani and switched to karaharapriya instead

#27 பசுமை நிறைந்த நினைவுகளே (இரத்தத்திலகம்)

Farewell song (well, not for this thread  )

Possibly anyone who did their schooling in 70's & 80's can certify that this song was a de facto requirement / standard for farewell occasions then. 

With autographs getting signed, addresses getting collected, tears being shed...Oh, those were really memorable occasions. (Especially for someone who grew up inside a school campus )

I'm not sure if such singing / songs are still in vogue - in this internet based social networking kind of era.  However, one cannot easily dismiss that old world charm this song brings to the mind!

Of course, Kavingar gets more credit in this number as his simple words - especially the terrific first line - captured the situation so emphatically! KVM had the opportunity to lend a sweet melody to those lines which then got beautiful rendering by the TMS-PS pair.

A personal favourite!

பசுமை நிறைந்த நினைவுகளே
பாடித் திரிந்த பறவைகளே
பழகிக் களித்த தோழர்களே
பறந்து செல்கின்றோம் நாம் பறந்து செல்கின்றோம்

குரங்குகள் போலே மரங்களின் மேலே தாவித்திரிந்தோமே
குயில்களைப் போலே இரவும் பகலும் கூவித்திரிந்தோமே
வரவில்லாமல் செலவுகள் செய்து மகிழ்ந்திருந்தோமே
வாழ்க்கைத் துன்பம் அறிந்திடாமல் வாழ்ந்து வந்தோமே 
நாமே வாழ்ந்து வந்தோமே

எந்த ஊரில் எந்த நாட்டில் என்று காண்போமோ
எந்த அழகை எந்த விழியில் கொண்டு செல்வோமோ
இந்த நாளை வந்த நாளில் மறந்து போவோமோ
இல்லம் கண்டு பள்ளி கொண்டு மயங்கி நிற்போமோ
என்றும் மயங்கி நிற்போமோ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FXUPnu1bJs

Please note - the above song / movie is from the year 1963 ; but was the standard for school farewells in 70's / 80's as mentioned in the post.

Terrific song. Invokes such nostalgia. I think in this present day facebook era the value of nostalgia itself is fading.
Rathathilagam, to me, is also memorable for the English play enactment(Othello) by Sivaji ad Savithri

While no other song can be called a big hit from this movie, I do remember listening to the 'pOgAdhE pOgAdhE en kaNavA' & 'nava rAththiri siva rAththiri' songs on radio every now and then.

Since both weren't big enough, I'm not featuring them here

However, listening to the பசுமை நிறைந்த நினைவுகளே song after a long time triggered off a lot of activities in my brain.

Which was possibly the reason I woke up at an unusual 4 AM today and was all of a sudden reminded of my onnAm class teacher and her family

While those are mostly personal memories and may not warrant sharing in a forum thread, I have an agenda for them and will have to post here!

Let me put together my thoughts and present here first. Afterwards, I'll share the reason / agenda in the protected forum section

Coming from a "no kindergarden / straight to onnAngLAss" kind of village / time period, Thayamma (what a lovely name, mother-mother) was my AnA AvannA teacher

Like my parents, both she and her husband were teachers in the same school and stayed in the same campus. Similar in # of children too (4) with a minor difference, 3 girls and one boy. During childhood, I didn't know that it made so much of difference in some communities.

That it put so much stress on the parents and making them work harder, to save money for the "forthcoming wedding expenses for 3 girls".

In any case, the teacher perfectly fit the description of "கொத்தவரங்கா போல ஒடம்பு". Add grey hair, paridhAba spectacles and a permanently worried look in the face. Fortunately, I don't remember noticing all these features when she was actually my class teacher but only after some years I did see her that way!

Her hubby tried his hand in many things in pursuit of money and was a loser all the time. (e.g. tried lorry service, it met with an accident and all the money gone). He was the reason for my dad ever going to court (surety - guarantor - co-signor business) that taught me the danger of pledging on behalf of another at a very young age. (Interestingly, that didn't make me hard - of going to the other extreme! To this day I follow my dad and fortunately none had put me in trouble  ).

Well, one bad day, the man lost his life to an accident! While the compensation from the vehicle owner / insurance covered for some of his loans, the lady was now given the burden of settling all four children. Though the boy, the second among them, had an education to be a physical edu teacher, he didn't get any job and thus ended up running a tea shop / hotel in the village.  (For those who are familiar with my umpteen number of "tea-shop" references in forum posts, this fellow was one main source of music for us between 77-81 with the original vinyls of iLamai oo, kallukkuL ee and the likes).


As memories drift back, my mind sees him behind the copper boiler - hidden behind the steam for most of the time or fighting with the charcoal that gets stuffed into it, busy busy for most part of the day, making tea or serving the home-made idly / chutney / rice / sambar and such stuff to customers!

That idly-chutney reference takes me to their home, where I used to frequent during my school days. Mainly to meet and "race" with his younger sister (#3, he had a pAvam elder sis , #1 and another kadaikkutty sis, #4), who was a couple of years older than me! She was an extremely fast runner (winning most of the girls' races at school) and we younger boys were no match for her! Also, she had a lot of story books to give us to read and thus was always a favorite akkA. 

Now this akkA's after school activities included a LOT OF WORK. It was the same case with her elder sister, younger sister and mother. They had to grind using Attukkal (no mechanized grinder those days) for the "hotel". Day after day. Also, cook in the early morning before school. Hard work! (So much physical work - that even though her face was one of the most beautiful from my school day memories of any girl, she was also possibly the leanest ones ever seen. involuntarily I've heard village women -who did their arattai with my mom- talking about her as to why she didn't "age-attend" even until late teens. I don't know if she ever did)

That was not all - the family needed to do more work, to accumulate their funds. And they had taken up additional work - "work-from-home" for the small match factory in our village (which was also owned by the school management). 

It was a typical vocation for poor families in the village. (Though not in the scale of places around Sivakasi). They get packs of wooden sticks (would-be-matches) and will have to arrange them on wooden jigs called "chakkai & kattai". 

The girls used to be extremely fast in arranging the sticks. On occasions, I tried to do the same at their home and used to be terribly slow - because of many reasons - lack of skill / inexperience / disinterest etc. OTOH, they were committed / busy / hard-working, all the time.

Well, unfortunately, I don't know what happened to all of them  

After I joined college, most of my time was spent in hostel and the visits to the village were brief with no socializing with them. And once I joined a job, totally no connection. (I'll have ask my mom what happened to them, when I call next).

Well, this HARD WORKING family was in my mind this morning. Easily a good example of 'வேர்வை சிந்த உழைத்தல்"!

End of my பசுமை நிறைந்த நினைவுகள் here - now I need to move to the agenda in the other section!