RIP Mellisai mannar MSV

Legend MSV passed away today morning...

Nenjam niraiya dhukkam.... sogam.. Kannir Anjali.......... Uravinarai izhandha varutham.......... RIP.............

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sn2cqs

https://twitter.com/_Drunkenmunk/status/620845141650116608

DM Avargale!  Beautiful fitting tribute for MSV!

இறப்பு எவ்வளவு பெரிய எதிரி


மெல்லிசை மன்னர் குடும்பத்தினருக்கு ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கல்கள்!

#இசைக்கு_இறப்பில்லை

#My_top_fav
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBuAD62LTxA

varalARu

Most of the information is repeated on a variety of websites / pages...

Some are obviously exaggerated (300 instruments for engE nimmadhi, for e.g. - they used to tell 120, now it became 300). Fortunately, this website does not seem to throw the "1200" number (which vikatan website does)...

rAsA paying homage to MSV

IR wrote:
திராவிட இயக்கங்கள் தமிழ்நாட்டில் பெருமளவு வளர்வதற்கு காரணம் அண்ணா எம்.எஸ்.வி. அவர்கள் அமைத்துத்தந்த பாடல்கள்தான். ’’எங்கள் திராவிடப்பொன்னாடே’’, ‘’அச்சம் என்பது மடமையடா’’ என்று அப்பாடல்களை சொல்லிக்கொண்டே போகலாம். திராவிட இயக்கங்கள் வேரூன்றி வளர்வதற்கு காரணமும் அண்ணா எம்.எஸ்.வி, கண்ணதாசனுடன் அமைத்துத்தந்த பாடல்கள்தான்.

Hindu paper adds 500 to vikatan number

Forever a part of the Tamil psyche, MSV composed music for over 1,700 films and has worked with four CMs — NTR, MGR, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa.

RIP and deep condolences. Too many favorite songs to list. The man and his music will be etched in memory forever.

I love his voice as well. His unique and sometimes haunting renditons makes those songs memorable for me - Sollathaan Ninaikiren, Kandathai Sollugiren, Erikanal Kaattil.

app_engine wrote: Hindu paper adds 500 to vikatan number

Forever a part of the Tamil psyche, MSV composed music for over 1,700 films and has worked with four CMs — NTR, MGR, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa.

Spoke to a sub-editor who's a good friend. She says they got the number from his official biography (which has IR's forward)  Indian Express today put the number at 1,200. Their count of 500 films solo'vaa is right. But with TKR, they pin the number at 750. Massive overshoot. There was not more than 100 films with TKR. 40 dubbed films and some 40 private albums. Overall count in his official website stands at 711. Which is prolific for a composer from an era when films were less/year. He worked with TKR for 13 yrs from 1952-65. 750/13 = 57 films on average every year in the early 50s when it is highly doubtful whether the whole industry came up with that many films.

Anyway, curated 20 more favorite songs and storified them here: https://t.co/FGF26UKbT5

Somehow I get the feeling that I might not feel this loss as much. Why? For one MSV has'nt been active in a  long time.But the more important reason and one articulated well by Kamalhaasan in his tribute is that MSV has already blended and become a part of Tamil cinema and cultural history. He is  a permanent reference point for all future composers. A legend. His presence is all around. I'll "mourn" by listening to my extensive collection of his songs tonight

Regarding MSV's films count, IMO, even if he had stopped composing in 1970 and had done only 200 soundtracks till that point he would have still left at least 300-500 classic songs to cherish. So lets not bang our heads over trivialities like these at this point. For those times, considering the number of films which were made, he was quite prolific, more so than most other composers of his era. And by prolific I dont mean just the quantity of songs, but also the creativity that went into them as well the consistency.

Since awards failed to get dignified by being denied to him,the least TN govt could do (if not the Indian govt.) is to institute an award named after him and give it to promising young composers every year.

My condolences. A legend passes away. But he will be alive in our minds and ears always. Kamal as quoted by counterpoint is appropriate. He has become part of our art/music culture even if some young one do not even know who the composer was (like songs/poetry of yesteryears with Author Unknown). A soft spoken personality in an era of political and film heavyweights (MGR, Kannadhasan) he left his mark purely by dint of his artistic contribution.

Good tribute by a musician I respect - Ramesh Vinayagam
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/ramesh-vinayakam-remembers-msv/article7429649.ece

Bringing it here from another thread.

 have started a series to analyse MSV's music and contribution to Tamil Film Industry. Interested people may read it here: http://sureshs65music.blogspot.in/2015/07/msv-his-music-and-his-times.html

Something I wrote today, this wrt how Raaja extended and enriched MSV's legacy in his own way bearing his genius: https://raajasongadaykeepsboredomaway.wordpress.com/2015/07/23/141-legacy/

The second part: http://t.co/nITLEUNJ2I

Good writeups from both of you. More informed than the average tributes that flood the print media

Vikatan pictures from the ennuLLil MSV program by IR

Looks like they wanted to show most pictures with Rajini...

Something I scribbled from yesterday's concert I attended:

https://raajasongadaykeepsboredomaway.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/142-avarullil-msv/

DM -  Lovely write up  . Thanks for sharing this so quickly. Took me to the concert hall.

DM

Great writing. Very honest personal view of the event. 

 

Beautifully written.

Also noted that IR did cover mostly MSV-TKR songs.  Hmmm...

Thanks all. Needs no repetition here. But folks who say concert sucked; vevaram paththala. Prominent musical personalities who say so; severe negative bias. So keep calm and watch on tv and enjoy. But a few anecdotes bear recounting here. Forgot/didn't want to discuss on blog.

1. Nilave Ennidam Nerungaadhe. Song gets over and Raaja announces there is no ghazal like this in TFM and goes one step further to add there is no other ghazal in TFM. Same Raaja who's given a Vaana Mazhai Pole and a Raasaave Unna Naan Ennithaan. இந்த மனுஷன் அடக்கத்துக்கு ஒரு அளவில்லாம இருக்கு. I certainly did not enjoy him demeaning his own legacy in front of MSV that way. But humility police பல்ல புடுங்குங்க சார்.

2. Recounts MSV's legacy by saying he got slapped by Udumalai Narayana Kavi in front of a whole orchestra for having Ghantasala sing the wrong Tamil in Ulage Mayam (well known anecdote). A lesser known anecdote followed. MSV gets slapped a second time when Sandow Chinnappa Thevar books him for Vettaikaaran (1964), for the first time moving outside KVM, and gives him an advance. He places it in front of his mother. Gets a tight slap from her. "அடேய். கேவீஎம் ஆரானு? நீ கஷ்டப்பட்டப்போ கோரஸ்ல உன்ன சேர்த்து ரெண்டு ரூவா சம்பளம் குடுத்து ஒனக்கு பிச்ச போட்டவர். அவர் படத்த ப்ரொட்யூசர் தரார்னா நீ வாங்குவியா? போயி திருப்பி குடு." Vettaikaaran went to KVM.

IR also recounted in another context (much before this anecdote) on how he turned Sridhar away after Azhage Unnai Aradhikkiren telling us he threw the director who threw MSV away. It is clear that this man models his legacy/approach to predecessors' legacies on MSV's. He is THAT devoted. Old school, yes. But what is to not like here? Anyone who questions his intent or the way he executed it on stage are extremely naive or extremely devious.