Dinner at Eight - Maestro's Evening Classics

By evening classics, I would like to clarify that these songs should neither be bedtime songs or twilight compositions. Then how could we distinguish songs at night time and the songs in the evening after the sunset? These are the songs which we would like to listen when we are having dinner (7pm-9pm) or these songs should bring us that moment whenever we listen to them, or the tune, singing, lyrics or orchestration might remind us of this time. It can be nostalgic that we might have listened to this song first time during this time duration. There could be songs which are pictured during this time. Is it difficult? I wanted to start this thread for a very long time, but I doubted if there are many numbers in this category. With Maestro and expert fans like you, I should never be in doubt. Please share your songs which you feel it would be apt for the evening with reasons. Let us not restrict this thread only to thamizh songs, be it any language, this should be interesting what Maestro has given us during this time. Only request is to go little chronologically. So let us start with 70s as of now.

Whenever I hear this song, I can't hide my memories going back to late 70s when there was no TV in my house as well as in my Grandmother's house. We used to go to our grandmother's house during annual vacation. Always mother's side grand parents are more special compared to father's side. Their neighbors were having TV. Our grand parents used to live in 2nd floor. One of their neighbor's hall window was facing straight to our pooja room window. My grandmother would call them (from our pooja room) and request them to tilt their TV to face our pooja room so that we all can watch the TV (see how 'sogusu' our grand mother was? LOL). They would happily do so. All this would happen during our dinner time. Also during those doordharshan days, we see TV mainly during dinner time (after we bought TV), as all good programs like movies, oLiyum Oliyum, Chitrahaar all happen during this time only. So If I have watched any movies or movie songs during late to early 80s mostly it would be during this time. I would even assume all the B/W songs I have listened was only during this time. This time is very special to me as we all would gather in that small pooja room to have a glimpse of TV programs while even having dinner.

Bhadrakaali is one among that film where I still have fond memories of watching those songs from my neighbor's window. This song is a rage when it was released as my amma, chithi, athai, periyamma all used to sing this song fluently. Sivakumar was hot favorite among young women those days. Poor Rani Chandra who died during this film shoot in an accident was another main reason this film was loved by one and all. She looked beautiful. What a 'bramaanda' kuthu song in 'tam-bram' slang! Only IR possible for such an audacity. Very apt song during dinner time, as I remember my younger cousins and sisters used to just open their mouth in awe watching this song, while a handful of meal would be forced into their mouth. Such a vibrating and cracking composition, but I can never associate any other time for this song other than dinner time. Also you can see a light glowing in the background in the room, which denotes it is evening time, but not close to bed time. If you hear the dialogue just before the song starts, she will ask him if he wants milk, which also denotes he has just finished dinner and reading the newspaper. All this tell me that this song belongs to the evening.

Would like you to listen to this Thygaraja Kriti 'Toli NEnu Jeyu Pooja PalamE ilaagE' in Kokiladwani raagam.
http://www.raagabox.com/search/?m=2&searchterm=Toli+Nenu+Jeyu+Kokiladwani+Adi

Why am I asking you to hear to this song. There is a reason.

I heard this song long time back, courtesy Doordharshan and AIR. Whenever we hear this song, even any small stress will be released immediately. A real stress buster of a song. All because of two legends, not ILaiyaraaja, but V K Ramasamy and TMS. What an actor and comedian! What a singer!

The programme host asks VKR to start his kutchEri. Since his side-kicks didn't come, VKR expresses that he cannot sing. So he can proceed with that cinema songs with another troupe. Organizer refuses saying that once the audience listen to cinema songs, they would not listen to carnatic songs after that. So he insists VKR to sing having people from cinema troupe as his assistants. VKR says he is going to sing thyagaraja kritis, so those side-kicks won't help him. Organizer forces him that there is no other option as audience are already getting restless.

TMS starts the above Toli NEnu Jeyu Pooja PalamE ilaagE with Maestro pitching in phaser guitar as a prelude with bass guitar giving that punch! Acoustic drums, trumpets, synthesizer kicks in as 'side-kick' for this brilliant kriti. Audacity to extremes! Maesro goes to rock-'n'-roll mode in the interlude. TMS expressing 'naNNa maatinduttEn' makes us laugh with VKR's trademark sarcasm. By that time, VKR's side-kicks arrive and take turns now. ThEngai Srinivasan is one of the audience. Maestro switches to KalyaNi raagam and TMS pitches perfectly. TMS' kekanuma?. Audience were not ready to listen to Kalyani. VKR says, 'ippO thaane suthaama KalyaaNi'ya methuva thottu thooki mEla vachchirukkEn' (just now I have pitched high on kalyani). ThEngaai retorts, 'mudhalla kalyaaNi'ya keezha erakki viduyya, yaarukku vEnum kalyaaNi?' (first drop that kalyaaNi, who wants that kalyaaNi?). VKR reverts,'KalyaaNi is not a women, it is a raagam'. Now 'VeNNira Aadai' Murthy (one of the audience) reverts 'enagaLukku kalyaaNiyum vEndaam, kOmathiyum vEndaam', yaadOnkki baarath paadi tholaiyya'. VKR says, he does not know cinema songs. Thengai says 'cinema paattu theriyaatha bhagavathar ellaam oru bhaagavatharaayaa'. VKR after much hesitation starts 'Kabhi Kabhi' (from the hindi film Kabhi Kabhi) as he recently heard this song somewhere.

Maestro and TMS really excels here by adding lot of chittaswaram and switches to mridangam and violins. TMS is at enormous ease when he switches from the starting raagam KOkiladhwani to Kalyani and transforming Kabhi Kabhi into classical context, while his assistants mimic 'kabhi kabhi' as 'kaapi kaapi'. So hilarious! Maestro might have been hyper when composing this gem and TMS also when singing this song. Extremely creative mind. You have to hear how TMS pronounces 'Ni-Ga-Ri' swaram as 'nikkara nee ukkaaru nee'. Suddenly Maestro goes from classical to kuthu within seconds at the end. If you ask me, I would rate this as the best of TMS-IR combination. This is our family song and I remember my grand parents whenever I listen to this song, especially a dinner time song.

Kabhi Kabhi from Avar EnakkE Sondham. Hilarious to the core! Hope you enjoy!

Another Sivakumar song, this time with Sujatha. Just the starting veena and flute can lift us from tedium and enjoy the bright evening, after any difficult day. While the lyrics (by Panchu Arunachalam) is uplifting, flute and veena retains the mood during the ludes. Perfect visuals, as wife sings and plays veena indirectly asking her husband to forget the bad past and enjoy the present moment. Neighbors get attracted to her singing. Some relatives are visiting her house. Very nice environment for the song. Can't ask for a better tune and a better singer to tune us into it. Vibrant Kaapi raagam. I always find P Susheela a perfect foil for Sujatha. Perfect example of how to sing a song and bring positive vibrations in those small twists and turns. Whenever I listen to this song, positive vibe just gushes through me, despite the gushes of happy tears, thinking of how Maestro has composed it. Sweet lilting tune!

வாழ்க்கை என்றால் அதில் நாலும் உண்டு
அந்த வட்டத்திலே ஒரு திட்டமுண்டு
வளர்ந்தாலும் குறைந்தாலும்
நிலவுண்டு ஒளி வீசும் 
அதை காணும் பலம் வேண்டும் 
விளையாடும் மனம் வேண்டும் 
சுகமோ ஆயிரம் 
உறவோ காவியம் 



Dinner is served!

I still remember seeing this movie on an evening show (even at that tender age). One of the first movies I still remember everything about the movie and everyone around me. I even remember watching this movie in a 'balcony', the first time ever. I even felt the smell of cinema hall when I entered the theatre (I hope everyone would have experienced that unique smell of cinema hall), may be that "air-conditioned" smell. I remember the first time I sat in a separate seat and the seat went inside when I was above to sit. Somehow managed to sit during the entire movie. Sometime even stood. Evening show movies are quite special as the crowd will be more. Another unique aspect is when we enter the theatre, there still will be little sunlight, but once we are out of the theatre, it becomes dark, just like a magic. It will look like all the crowd in the town suddenly disappeared. It seems we passed the entire day inside the theatre. Have you experienced this?

I didn't want and mean to hijack App's thread of P Susheela's songs, but incidentally this song too is her song. I am listing this song only with respect to evening classics. There are numerous other perspectives for this song which App might cover. This song is strongly associated with that evening time, not just because I watched this as an evening show, the way it was taken, yes see the visuals. Many times, this song was shown in doordharshan which also happens during that time. During my later years, this composition grew up on me and sat inside me and unwilling to come out and I will also not allow to let it out. Glorious singing by PS touching the deepest emotions (what a singing!), memorable tune, bass and lead guitar freaking out, the trumpets in the interlude, signature Kamal dance and expressions, ever generous Sripriya, haunting humming by SPB, terrific and glamorous lyrics by Kaviyarasar Kannadasan all make it an enchanting evening classic which I can never forget!. Hope you too!.

orE idam nirantharam - sattam en kayyil


Lyrics here:
http://www.dhool.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3309

Another great song of 70s which invokes the evening feel in me is KiNNaththil ThEn Vadiththu. Based in Vakulabharanam raagam with middle-eastern arrangements. I heard this raagam is more suited to sad songs because of the flat notes in it, but as usual Maestro breaks that and gives a romancing duet. We can also hear a tinge of sadness in the song, as Jayachitra is only dreaming about him. We know the end anyway. Since Maestro knows ahead while composing, he must have given that hint. These are all given and how much he has injected and elevated our skills. Even then many don't know the value of this composer. One of the most mesmerizing songs by Maestro. While KJY's gliding sangathis gives the dizziness, S Janaki moody rendering brings the desire. That humming before 'naanum Or dhraakshai rasam naayagan unthan vasam' says it all.

This one was one of the most discussed film by my family and relatives during my kid days, especially when the song was playing in doordharshan. Kamal and Rajini together. There were great fights on who was better in that film. We were not permitted to see this film as it was 'A' certified I think.



ஆணிப்பொன் கட்டில் உண்டு கட்டில் மேல் மெத்தை உண்டு 
மெத்தை மேல் வித்தை உண்டு வித்தைக்கோர் தத்தை உண்டு 
தத்தைக்கோர் முத்தம் உண்டு முத்தங்கள் நித்தம் உண்டு 

Lyrics by Vaali sir, easy words but what a flow and rhyming in the words and sits perfectly to the sandham. Most of all, he brings the mood of the song perfectly.

We used to have lot of fun listening/watching this song, especially during our dinner time. One of Rajini's best performance in this film. Sad that Padapat Jayalakshmi is no more, but that pair was so perfect in the film. Since the song talks about the lot of food items (as she is always fond of eating) starting with 'meen kozhambu', Maestro has chosen a sharp voice of Vani Jayaram to suit the sharpness in tastes, I suppose. Maestro has carried the song in a very unconventional way. The song does not have any conventional structure as whenever we think of food items, our list and the adjectives keeps on increasing not in any particular order. Same way the tune just flows out of her heart, as she thinks about a food item. Beautiful!. A great appetizer of a song as we hear the various food items. Two main instruments complement the tune; morsing and ghatam, that's it. Very relaxing song to share with our dinner time. The song that never dies.