Gangai Amaran - excellent lyricist for IR - 100 special picks of this combo

One significant album whose vinyl cover pic is missing from the musicalaya website is panneer pushpangaL. (At the minimum, my eyes could not spot it - if someone else can identify this somewhere in that website, please post the link )

Though the wiki page says all pAdalkaL were written by GA, I didn't want to base my post totally on a wiki article. (Many wiki articles contain countless errors.) So, googled around for the vinyl cover - without any success. Finally, decided to watch the movie, hoping to catch the names of lyricists on the title credits. youtube has it in parts

Fortunately, since there's only one lyricist in the titles, we can happily credit all the songs to him

It appears GA was associated in a number of ways to that film, not simply as a lyricist only! The very first title slide shows "கங்கை அமரன் வழங்கும் (or அளிக்கும்)" - meaning he either produced it or financed it.  

The other interesting thing that caught my eye in the titles is Vani (Kamalahasan) as the costume designer I thought she did that job only for Kamal's movies...It's possible that Kamal was some kind of consultant to this movie (smell the Santhana Bharathy connection).

Well, in continuation of our female solos (yearning or otherwise), let's host one of the most successful songs written by GA in his career - 'Anandha rAgam kEtkum kAlam'! This must be UR's biggest hit after poongathavE (which was possibly her first film song). Both were instant hits when arrived and are fondly remembered right to this day! rAgA experts classify 'Anandha rAgam' to be based on simhEndra madhyamam . The song can also boast of some terrific WCM string arrangements by rAsA.

The pAdal varikaL totally align with the thuLLal melody and orchestration (as usual, there's this rAgam / thALam / bhAvam words ) :

பல்லவி

ஆனந்த ராகம் கேட்கும் காலம்
கீழ் வானிலே ஒளி தான் தோன்றுதே
ஆயிரம் ஆசையில் உன் நெஞ்சம் பாடாதோ

சரணம் 1

துள்ளி வரும் உள்ளங்களில் தூது வந்து தென்றல் சொல்ல
தோன்றும் எங்கும் இன்பத்தின் ஆனந்தத்தாளங்களே
வெள்ளிமலைக்கோலங்களை அள்ளிக்கொண்ட மேகங்களை
காணும் நெஞ்சில் பொங்கட்டும் சந்தத்தின் பாவங்களே
கள்ளம் இன்றி உள்ளங்கள் துள்ளி எழ
கட்டிக்கொண்ட எண்ணங்கள் மெல்ல விழ
ராகங்கள் பாட தாளங்கள் போட வானெங்கும் போகாதோ

சரணம் 2

வண்ண வண்ண எண்ணங்களும் வந்துவிழும் உள்ளங்களும்
வானின் மீது ஊர்வலம் போகின்ற காலங்களே
சின்ன சின்ன மின்னல்களும் சிந்தனையின் பின்னல்களும்
சேரும்போது தோன்றிடும் ஆயிரம் கோலங்களே
இன்று முதல் இன்பங்கள் பொங்கி வரும்
இந்தமனம் எங்கெங்கும் சென்று வரும்
காவிய ராகம் காற்றினில் கேட்கும் காலங்கள் ஆரம்பம்

The song received a Hindi avatar in 2006 when RGV remade his Telugu Shiva...rAsA retained the orchestration pretty much the same but unfortunately changed it to a duet IMHO, it would have been lovelier as a Shreya Goshal solo!

thiraippAdal link:

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2657'&lang=en

youtube (Shanthi Krishna / Suresh) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNiOQt1FF48

Well, we've reached a mini landmark with this post...of reaching the 25th hit song penned by GA under rAsA's music! A lovely SPB-SJ number from panneer pushpangaL!

poonthaLirAda

Let me once again copy-paste what jaiganesh wrote about this song once upon a time :

jaiganesh wrote:

poonthaLir aada...
It struck me in the end of the second interlude. If there is one song to bear all the Ilaiyaraaja stamps of his 80s phase - it has to be this one.
prelude with a catchy counterpoints and harmony - Check
chorus doing a counterpoint and singing out a melody that is heavenly - Check
majestic violins with sections playing different melody - Check.
Ok - lets do the same with vocal counterpoints from lead singers - Check.
Rakshasa singers SPB adn SJ - having their saamrajyam in the song - Check.
Some electronica and different melody for the interludes - Check.
Lets pause the entire thing for a while and create an effect - check.
some awesome lyrics - check.

Only thing missing is a single carnatic violin and an aaalaap by raaja or TVG.
I think everything else is almost covered.
It seemed like some1 asked Raaja "whats new in your music" and Raaja did the song to simply tell them ' TAKE THAT'.
The ultimate benefactor was P.Vasu and Santhana bharathy!!!
This is one song I want to listen before I die or loose my sense of hearing...

It's nice to see jai acknowledging GA as "some awesome lyrics"

BTW, my post in the SPB-IR thread on this song is HERE

pAdal varikaL (GA can do collar thookkifying, but there's this keyword "rAgam" ):

பல்லவி

பூந்தளிராட பொன்மலர் சூட
சிந்தும் பனி வாடைக் காற்றில்
கொஞ்சும் இரு காதல் நெஞ்சம்
பாடும் புது ராகங்கள் இனி நாடும் சுபகாலங்கள்

சரணம் 1

காதலை ஏற்றும் காலையின் காற்றும்
நீரைத் தொட்டுப் பாடும் பாட்டும் காதில் பட்டதே
வாலிப நாளில் வாசனைப் பூவின்
வாடை பட்டு வாடும் நெஞ்சில் எண்ணம் சுட்டதே
கோடிகள் ஆசை கூடிய போது
கூடும் நெஞ்சிலே கோலம் இட்டதே
தேடிடுதே தென் காற்றின் ராகம்

சரணம் 2

பூமலர் தூவும் பூமரம் நாளும்
போதை கொண்டு பூமி தன்னைப் பூஜை செய்யுதே
பூவிரலாலும் பொன்னிதழாலும்
பூவை எண்ணம் காதல் என்னும் இன்பம் பெய்யுதே
பூமழை தூவும் வெண்ணிற மேகம்
பொன்னை அள்ளுதே வண்ணம் நெய்யுதே
ஏங்கிடுதே என் ஆசை எண்ணம்

thiraippAdal link:
http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2659'&lang=en

youtube (nice visuals, don't miss):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crO9G1iUzGI

#26 - kOdai kAlakkARRE (panneer pushpagaL again)

One of the best ever numbers sung by MV. A guitar sweetie

I can't help but bring the NEPV launch concert once again From 0:57:00, Gautam brings the guitarist to stage (who pays obeisance to IR prior to his stunts), telling that he'll be pleased if IR renders at least the pallavi of some 5 songs which are his favourites...and the first one is "kOdai kAlakkAtRE"

It's quite interesting to note that IR remembers the song's situation in the movie (should have been good enough to get that recall value as IR had composed literally thousands of songs and not all could possibly be recalled that way)! Jaya TV cameraman proves to be smart here as he captures Santhanabharathy - one of the fim's directors - humming along

The most interesting part comes at the end of rAsA's singing when he asks Premji to certify him if he had sung it correctly And Premji is overjoyed (so is his brother Venkat Prabhu who had a few successful movies as director recently - both these are sons of Gangai Amaran who penned the song and was possibly the movie's producer...It's not difficult to see that these fellows are so happy to be in the limelight momentarily in their periyappA's function)

BTW, kOdai kAlakkARRu is not necessarily always pleasant in the plains. While it could be so soothing in the evening after a hot summer day on occasions, it could also prove to be "அனல் காற்று" at times and extremely intolerable. (safer to write this phrase in Thamizh ) OTOH, it's definitely ALWAYS pleasant in Ooty - WOW, one can simply feel it on the face during a neelagiri summer, so lovely and enjoyable! As the movie's setting is in the malaikaLin arasi, it's quite fitting and very appropriate

The pAdal varikaL are as enjoyable as the music, MV's lovely voice and the summer wind of Ooty! Look at them :

பல்லவி

கோடைகாலக் காற்றே குளிர் தென்றல் பாடும் பாட்டே
மனம் தேடும் சுவையோடு தினம்தோறும் இசை பாடு
அதைக் கேட்கும் நெஞ்சமே சுகம் கோடி காணட்டும்
இவைகள் இளமாலைப் பூக்களே புது சோலைப் பூக்களே

சரணம் 1

வானில் போகும் மேகம் இங்கே யாரைத் தேடுதோ
வாசம் வீசும் பூவின் ராகம் யாரைப் பாடுதோ
தன் உணர்வுகளை மெல்லிசையாக
நம் உறவுகளை வந்து கூடாதோ
இது நாளும் கூடட்டும் சுகம் தேடி ஆடட்டும்
இவைகள் இளமாலைப் பூக்களே புது சோலைப் பூக்களே

சரணம் 2

ஏதோ ஒன்றைத் தேடும் நெஞ்சம் இங்கே கண்டதே
ஏங்கும் கண்ணில் தோன்றும் இன்பம் இங்கே என்றதே
பெண் மலையருவி பன்னீர் தூவி பொன் மலை அழகின்
சுகம் ஏற்காதோ இவை யாவும் பாடங்கள் இனிதான வேதங்கள்
இவைகள் இளமாலைப் பூக்களே புது சோலைப் பூக்களே

thiraippAdal has listed this song (which even shows as "playing") but no audio is heard There must be a snag and I don't know how to communicate to them to fix it...

youtube (while "paLich" versions are available for the other two numbers from this movie, couldn't find a similar one for kOdai kAlakkAtRE ):
(As of June 2016, those paLich versions are gone - so all are looking similar on youtube )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypcPeZMlVn4

#27 thamthana namdhana thALam varum (pudhiya vArppugaL)

Though I was personally sure that this has to be a GA song (thALam varum, rAgam varum, bhAvam varum, kanavukaL etc., simply too many keywords of his lingo ), many websites / blogs that write about this song have confused me quite a bit. Some say Kavingar Kannadasan and even write eloquent praises to him. Some others credit the song with Muthulingam (perhaps the blogger got convinced that GA cannot write such a song).

The vinyl cover at musicalaya shows this one as GA but not very convincingly While it clearly credits 'vAn mEghangaLE' to kavingar and 'idhayam pOguthE' to Muthulingam (those two songs in one side of the disk), it's kind of unclear for the other side of the disk that has 'thamthana' & thiruvizhA kooththu. It does list GA for the side but not explicitly say both songs are by him. Typically it's that way but I wanted to be doubly sure.

So, watched the movie's titles on einthusan.com if that could give a clue. It simply lists all three names as pAdal AsiriyarkaL, not specifying who wrote which song. So, me initiated another search at google for images that landed me on a recent INRECO label in this interesting blog link, that confirms GA as the lyricist of this lovely song! :

http://rajalyricists.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/10/

That's quite an interesting blog I should say, trying to list the names of pAdal AsiriyarkaL for rAsA albums Good service to kavingarkaL, thodarattum avarkaLadhu naRpaNi!

Now, this song - WOW what a lovely one (can't help but exclaim even after 1000's of listens - right from the time of the arrival, this song never fails to amaze me, thrill me, get me soaring etc)!

With this exercise, I'm also dumbfounded at the way words come and sit in the lovely melody - no unnecessary doubling of words, stretching of syllables etc - what a terrific musical kavingar this Amar Singh is! This one is enough to challenge all the big names in the TFM history!

Though Jency and Vasantha did a commendable job singing the torrent of words, one has to strain the ears to catch some words. I was trying to fix the errors / typos etc of one version of the pAdal varikaL I could get from the web and I must say it took me too many listens to identify some words.

Still, there's a confusion on one word of the first line of the second saraNam. Jency sings it first, without chorus harmony in the background and I hear the word as 'malar' in the following line:

சிந்தனை அம்புகள் எய்தது  என்னிடம் வந்துவிழ மலர் சிந்தியெழ

However, when Vasantha repeats it with chorus humming in the background, I defintiely cannot hear it as மலர் but it sounds like some other word (may be kayal but that would be meaningless in that position)! I don't know why rAsA (and BR / GA) allowed such clarity issue there

Regardless, it's wonderful poetry as you can see for yourself:

பல்லவி

தம்தன நம்தன தாளம் வரும் புது ராகம் வரும் பல பாவம் வரும்
அதில் சந்தன மல்லிகை வாசம் வரும்
மணமாலை வரும் சுபவேளை வரும்
மணநாள் திருநாள் புதுநாள் உனை அழைத்தது

சரணம் 1

சில்லென மெல்லிய தென்றலும் வந்திசை சொல்லியது சுவை அள்ளியது
மனம் நில்லெனச் சொல்லியும் துள்ளியது
பெண்மனம் பூவிலும் மெல்லியது தவிக்கும் நினைவோ எனைக்கிள்ளியது
மல்லிகை முல்லையில் பஞ்சணையோ மன்னவன் தந்தது நெஞ்சணையோ
மின்னிய மின்னலும் கன்னியின் எண்ணங்களோ இனிக்கனவுகள் தொடர்ந்திட

சரணம் 2

சிந்தனை அம்புகள் எய்தது  என்னிடம் வந்துவிழ மலர் சிந்தியெழ
மனம் மன்னவன் உன்னடி வந்து தொழ
சிந்திய பூமலர் சிந்திவிழ அலைபோல் உணர்வோ தினம் முந்தியெழ
அந்தியில் வந்தது சந்திரனோ சந்திரன் போல் ஒரு இந்திரனோ
முந்திய நாளினில் எந்தனின் முன்பலனோ துணை சுகம் தர சுவை பெற


thiraippAdal links do not play today - either a technical issue or may be finally running into copyright issues

youtube link (the infamous beginning of 'veLLai udai dEvathaikaL' in BR's picturizations I think...haven't watched this movie so far, should watch sometime when kids not around as this must be an adult themed film)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QixSF2OUiek

nanRi V_Sji, for the appreciation!

Like I keep telling, it may be worthwhile to look at ANY IR song that had keywords such as rAgam, thALam, bhAvam, pallavi, kanavukaL etc during the pre-1990 time period as to who really the lyricist was

We may be probably thinking it was by Vairamuthu or another "acclaimed" lyricist -discounting GA as a nAttuppuRappAttukkAran (or dappAnguththu song writer)...actually today's song happened to be one such in my books...

#28 andhi varum nEram vandhathoru rAgam (mundhAnai mudichchu)

This is probably one song where GA got "influenced" by his junior, Kavingar Vairamuthu

Like I mentioned in my previous post, this one automatically got categorized as a VM song in my books all these days. Never even thought otherwise - because of the "dhAgam" keyword ('EdhEdhO mOgam - iniththeerAdhO dhAgam' sounds quite close to the first line of another famous song VM wrote during the same year...ironically, for a GA directed movie 'kOzhi koovuthu' )

Well, as the disk cover of 'mundhAnai mudichchu' clearly indicates, there was no VM at all for this blockbuster movie! GA wrote this lovely song which incidentally contains his 'rAgam' keyword in the pallavi (besides the two notorious mukkal munagal songs of the album - vA, vA, vAththiyArE vA & kaNNath thoRakkaNum sAmy)

Sweet song nicely sung by the celebrated SPB-SJ pair! Quite fitting for us to have a song from KBR's biggest hit in career right next to the 'thamthana namdhana' song which was from his first movie as hero On both occasions, we can see the smart lyricist GA in company with him!

My post on this song from the SPB-IR series is HERE

V_Sji followed up that post with a phenomenal writing on the song. I would like to reproduce it here :

V_Sji wrote:

Anthi varum Neram - What a transformation by SPB and SJ from the earlier one. But can never watch this song. Butchered by KBR by extreme means. But wherever we touch the song, it is so sweet. You can take your ears away even for a second. So very engrossing song. Tune chanceless. Very crisp, cute, sharp and precise song. No wavering business. The charanams again is breath-taking with those chorus. We cannot identify just one place and say it is beautiful, every second is beautiful. Still just to compare the singing, I am touching my favorite lines by SPB and SJ.

SJ's 'ithazhil our Olai ezhuthum inba veLai'. Hear how she polishes the 'Olai' word with those beautiful sangathis.
When SPB's turns comes in 'iLamai ennum sOlai muzhuthum inba veenai haa…aaan. Hear the word 'Solai'. He has totally outdone SJ here. No chance there. And how he ends with that 'haaa….aaan' humming. Whoever girl, classmates, elder classmates I know of that time were very crazy of his singing, especially these lines. They were invariably kissing him. I can't describe that feeling they had. Only one legend in singing.

Second interlude. Avvalavum Marijuana bodhai. Scintillating stuff by thalaivar.

Similarly, second charanam. Here SPB starts the line 'aNaithaal devalOgam arugE vanthu sErum'. Not much for SPB here. Now it's time for SJ to prove in the next line, especially the ending. SJ starts with 'ninaithaal ingu yaavum inimai yendru koodum'. But Maestro gives SPB again a turn to finish the line (not sure why) with sweety sweety 'mmm…'. humming. And could not imagine SJ there, that perfectly done by SPB. We were hypnotized again.

It does not stop there. Here comes lot of big kisses for SPB, 'aha ithu maargazhi maadham ammaadiyo mun pani veesum'. Hear how he sings 'Ammaadiyo'. He just laughs, no he doesn't, I am wrong. He smiles and laughs. Again I am wrong. he laughs and smiles. No, again I am wrong. He laughs, smiles and sings too. I will never get this.

It's an open challenge if any singer can do this. All singing awards can just go to dump, if they are not given to this piece and this singer.

pAdal varikaL:

பல்லவி

அந்திவரும் நேரம் வந்ததொரு ராகம்
ஏதேதோ மோகம் இனித்தீராதோ தாகம்

சரணம் 1

மந்திரங்கள் ஒலித்தது மங்கை உடல் சிலிர்த்தது
சங்கமத்தின் சுகம் நினைத்து
சிந்துக்கவி பிறந்தது சிந்தனைகள் பறந்தது
சந்தனத்து உடல் அணைத்து

இதழில் ஒரு ஒலை எழுதும் இன்ப வேளை
இளமை என்னும் சோலை முழுதும் இன்ப லீலை
நீராடுது மாந்தளிர் தேகம் போராடுது காதலின் வேகம்
என்றென்றும் ஆனந்த யோகம்

சரணம் 2

இன்பத்துக்கு முகவுரை என்றும் இல்லை முடிவுரை
நீயிருக்க ஏது குறை
பாதம் முதல் தலை வரை பார்த்து நின்ற தலைவரை
பாட வந்தேன் நூறு முறை

அணைத்தால் தேவலோகம்  அருகே வந்து சேரும்
நினைத்தால் இங்கு யாவும் இனிமை என்று கூறும்
ஆஹா இது மார்கழி மாதம் அம்மாடியோ முன்பனி வீசும்
சூடேற்றும் பூமுல்லை வாசம்


youtube (there're some funny dialogs prior to the start of the song which is obviously a kanavu scene):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n343R7zfvzE

#29 manjaL veyil mAlaiyitta poovE (naNdu, Uma Ramanan solo)

Let me shift gears to go back to a song from another Mahendran movie, naNdu. It's quite interesting to note that all the three initial hit songs of singer Uma Ramanan got penned by GA. (poongathavE, Ananda rAgam and this one). While the naNdu song was not as big a hit as the other two, it got played pretty regularly on the radio those days and was a personal favourite! (Trivia - the more popular song of this film - the lovely 'aLLiththandha bhoomi annai allavA' by MV - got penned by Madhukkoor Kannan who wrote a few songs those days in Mahendran directed movies.)

Looking at the pAdal varikaL, I found the first line so sweet and it immediately got indelibly etched in my mind - right at the time of my first listen of the song! (Unfortunately, I never hunted around those days to find out who the lyricist was All that mattered then was it was a sweet rAsA song with a lovely pallavi line!)

"மஞ்சள் வெயில் மாலையிட்ட பூவே" - what a beautiful image it creates in one's mind. While the song is about a beautiful child, it doesn't really matter what it refers to as flower - a literal poo or a child or a female, one gets stunned thinking about the lovely rays of sunset lighting and adorning the object!

Like many ordinary people, I'm a great lover of sunsets! (Well, as a phenomenon, I love sunrise as much too but sunsets are far more prettier on the eyes! )  That the word மாலை gets used in Thamizh for both evening and adornment slightly spices up and adds to the enjoyment! Unless one watches the movie, can't say what kind of a situation was given to the kavingar and composer bringing up such a lovely imagination as a song!

This blog post has some appreciative words for this song:

http://moonramkonam.com/nandu-film-song-manjal-veyil-malaiyita-poove/

அஸ்வினியைப் பார்க்கும் போது பள்ளி நாட்களில் உமாரமணன் அவர்களின் லைவ் பாடல் கச்சேரிக்குப் போயிருந்த நினைவு வருகிறது. அஸ்வினியே பாடுகிறார் போல, இருவரும் ஏதோ சகோதரிகள் போன்ற தோற்றம். இவர் போலவே மெல்லியவராய் , சாந்தமும் அழகும் ஒரு சேரத்தவழும் முகம். கொஞ்சமும் ஆடாமல் அசையாமல் ஒரு பதுமையைப் போல் பாடினார். குரல் தான் எவ்வளவு இனிமை? அடடா..

பொன்னின் தோற்றமும், பூவின் வாசமும் ,ஒன்றிணைந்த தேகமோ?

பிள்ளை மொழி அமுதமோ? பிஞ்சு முகம் குமுதமோ? என்று உருகும் போது உடம்பெல்லாம் இப்பவும் புல்லரிக்கிறது..இசையின் , வரிகளின் , குரலின் மகத்துவம் அப்படி..

pAdal varikaL in my format here:

பல்லவி

மஞ்சள் வெயில் மாலையிட்ட பூவே
உன் வண்ணம் உந்தன் எண்ணம் நெஞ்சின் இன்பம்

சரணம் 1

பொன்னின் தோற்றமும் பூவின் வாசமும் ஒன்றிணைந்த தேகமோ?
பிள்ளை மொழி அமுதமோ? பிஞ்சு முகம் குமுதமோ?
பூமுகம் என் இதயம் முழுதும் பூவிதழ் என் நினைவைத் தழுவும்
நெஞ்சில் கொஞ்சும்!

சரணம் 2

மேகம் நீர் தரும் பூமி சீர் தரும் தெய்வம் நல்ல பேர் தரும்
இன்பப்புனல் ஓடிடும் இன்னிசைகள் பாடிடும்
வாழ்வெல்லாம் நம் உறவின் நலங்கள்
நாளெல்லாம் உன் நினைவின் சுகங்கள்
வாழும் நாளும்!

youtube:

#30 seer koNdu vA veN mEgamE (nAn pAdum pAdal)

I was wondering whether there had been a mistake in the LP cover credits for nAn pAdum pAdal as it has Valee's name against machchAna vachchukkadai (GA sung that number) and GA's name against this song. Have they swapped it by mistake? Possibly not - for two reasons (yes, agree this is quite silly reasoning )

1. Valee is perfectly capable of writing such double meaning kuppai ("ErappoottaNum neerappAychchanum sondhamuLLa kANi irundhA" reminds one of his famous katta vaNdi katta vaNdi lines "Erappootti uzhuvAn avan neerappAchchi viduvAn maththa nEram mAdu kanna mEchchiduvAn")

2. 'seer koNdu vA' has a GA keyword 'rAgam' (sree rAgam onRu nee pAdu kaNNE)

These silly reasonings apart, one can definitely trust EchO records. Most blogs / websites too credit GA with the lovely SPB-SJ number.

As usual, let me plug in the link of my post on the song in the SPB-IR series HERE! If you haven't read this one before, please don't miss

Also, read along for some more posts there until you reach this observation by Nerd :

Nerd wrote:

On the mukkombu thingi, didnt want to spoil your experiences and the imagery etched in your mind but could not resist. It was actually quite decent when I used to go there often in the mid-late 90s. But when I went there in late 2005 (one of my bestest friends lives in Pettavaaithalai) I can not believe what a mess that place was. Enga paaththaalum kuppai, pazhaiya iththuppOna slides for the kids, naduvila periya saakkadai, paththaadhadhukku kaadhalargaL imsai vera. And that still remains as the *only* suttrulaa/pozhuthupokku sthalam for Trichyites. The new mayorammaa (yaaraaga irundhaalum) has promised that it will change

But the iyarkal maruthanila azhagu is still there if you make an attempt and take one of those exquisite ottraiyadi paadhais a good 5-10 Kms away from Mukkombu. The 5 KM radius surronding Mukkombu has already been urbanized (Trichy rangekku). And yes the railway gate you talked about, still there and you certainly can hear the same old 'paLam/vaaLappalam/rasthaali/poovampalam/malaippalam' even today.

The pAdal varikaL that remind me of the marudha nilam :

பல்லவி

சீர் கொண்டு வா வெண் மேகமே
இது இனிய வசந்த காலம்
இலைகளில் இளமை துளிரும் கோலம்
இதுவே இனி என்றும் நிரந்தரம்

சரணம் 1

ஸ்ரீராகம் ஒன்று நீ பாடு கண்ணே
செவ்வாயில் தேனை நீ ஊட்டும் முன்னே
ஆலாபனை ஆராதனை
கையும் கையும் சேரும் காதல் கல்யாணம்
காமன் போகும் தேரில் காதல் ஊர்கோலம்

சரணம் 2

தீண்டாத போது என் தேகம் வாட
நீ தீண்டும் போது இன்பங்கள் கூட
என்னென்பதோ ஏன் என்பதோ
ஆடும் நேரம் பார்த்து ஆசை கூடாதோ
அங்கம் எங்கும் இன்பம் மேடை போடாதோ
youtube (has all the fun elements...ambi chEchi dance, sivamaindhar romance ) :

#31 inRaikku Enindha AnandhamE (vaidhEgi kAthirundhAL, PJ/VJ)

Lovely, lovely song!

Of course, surprise for me to learn that GA wrote this one (nanRi musicalaya website for hosting this vinyl cover! Two months back, I wouldn't have even imagined attaching GA's name to many of the songs that are getting posted in this thread and this song is definitely one among them!)

The pallavi lines beautifully set the tone of mirth and delight that engulfs the girl! ("இன்றைக்கு ஏனிந்த ஆனந்தமே, இன்பத்தில் ஆடுது என் மனமே") The terrific RS-IR-GA combo works out a nice situation, dancy song set in semi-classical style and pAdal varikaL that complement in an interesting manner! JC excels and VJ manages to (unusually) thrill the listener

This song once again showcases GA's terrific ability to comb together words beautifully for a fast-running and complex melody - somewhat similar to thamthana namthana song. I want more of THIS kind of songs from rAsA - sweet melody, fast pace, enjoyable orchestration and beautiful words riding along comfortably!

BR should stop lamenting about IR-VM combo anymore but continue to encourage rAsA to work with his younger bro on one album with every song of semi-classical genre! Have poetic lines, kuzhal veeNai mirudhangam and such sweet instruments for some lilting melodies - there will definitely be an audience for it, IMHO!

A nice blog post on the songs of VK (with more written on inRaikku Enindha AnandhamE):

http://www.saravanakumaran.com/2009/07/blog-post_29.html

என் விருப்ப எண்களில் ஒன்றாக இருக்கும் இந்த பாடல் ஜெயச்சந்திரன், வாணிஜெயராம் பாடிய "இன்றைக்கு ஏனிந்த ஆனந்தமே..இன்பத்திலாடுது என் மனமே.." ஆபோகி என்ற ராகத்தில் ராஜா அமைத்த இந்த பாடல் அப்பட்டமாக மன குதூகலத்தை பிரதிபலிக்கும் ஒன்று. கங்கை அமரன் எழுதிய பாடல்களில் இது குறிப்பிட்டு சொல்லும்படியான ஒன்று. பாடல் இசை துவங்குவதற்கு முன்பாக ஒரு நீண்ட ஆலாபனையுடன் தொடங்கும். பாடல் முழுக்க வீணை அற்புதமாக கையாளப்பட்டிருக்கும். வாணிக்காகவே அமைத்தது போன்ற வேகமான ஸ்வரவரிசைகள் வேறு பாடலை பிரமாதப்படுத்தியிருக்கும்.

என்றேனும் நீங்கள், வெகுநாட்கள் எதிர்நோக்கியிருந்த விஷயம் கைகூடப்பெற்று ஆனால் உடனடியாக பகிர்ந்துகொள்ள அருகில் யாருமில்லாத நிலை ஏற்பட்டிருக்கிறதா? அப்போது தவிப்பு கலந்த குதூகலத்தின் உச்சமாய் உங்களுக்குள் ஒரு இசை நிகழுமே.. அதுதான் இது..

Interesting to note that the blogger gives due credit to GA This song should easily make into the best of VJ's career in TFM (definitely among the top few she sang for rAsA!)

pAdal varikaL:

பல்லவி
இன்றைக்கு ஏனிந்த ஆனந்தமே?
இன்பத்திலாடுது என் மனமே!
கனவுகளின் சுயம்வரமோ? கண்திறந்தால் சுகம் வருமோ?

சரணம் 1
பூங்குயில் சொன்னது காதலின் மந்திரம் பூமகள் காதினிலே
பூவினைத்தூவிய பாயினில் பெண்மனம் பூத்திடும் வேளையிலே
நாயகன் கைதொடவும் வந்த நாணத்தைப் பெண் விடவும்
மஞ்சத்திலே கொஞ்சக்கொஞ்ச மங்கை உடல் கெஞ்சக்கெஞ்ச
சுகங்கள் சுவைக்கும் இரண்டு விழிகளில்

சரணம் 2
மாவிலைத்தோரணம் ஆடிய காரணம் தேவியின் திருமணமோ?
ஆலிலையோ தொட ஆளில்லையோ அதில் ஆடிடும் என் மனமோ?
காதலின் பல்லவியோ அதில் நான் அனுபல்லவியோ?
அங்கத்திலே ஏழு ஸ்வரம் இன்பத்திலே நூறு வரம்
மிதந்து மறந்து மகிழ்ந்த நெஞ்சத்தில்

youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt39-PsFz-E

#32 vAn meedhilE adhikAlai nEra rAgam (rAgangaL mARuvadhillai, SJ & kuzhuvinar)

The movie's title as well as the pallavi of the song both have our GA's keyword - "rAgam"

Interestingly, this is a morning song and once again GA is brought in to write, like 'putham pudhukkAlai' of alaigaL Oyvathillai. If the AO song was for thangachchi, this one was for akkA. (kshamikkaNam - puththam pudhukkAlai was for aniyaththi & vAn meedhilE was for chEchchi).

From the vinyl covers and other movie credits, one may recall that the director of this movie, Sirumugai Ravi, was also involved in payaNangaL mudivadhillai in some capacity. That one had a "night" song (iLaya nilA) by Vairamuthu and the next "illai" venture involving Sirumugai Ravi, i.e. this one, has a morning song by GA. This is another kind of a parallel (i.e. similar to BR employing VM for nizhalgaL evening song followed by GA doing a morning song for AO.)

Very happy song - all ingradients by rAsA viz. melody, orch, chorus, interludes exhibit that feel and GA nicely complements with some optimistic lines! ("நினைவுகள் போலே வாழும் நாள் வரும்" & "நினைத்தது யாவும் வந்து கூடுமே").

Unfortunately, the portions around this song were the only optimistic / positive parts in an otherwise depressing / boring movie. Songs were popular while the movie ran out of theater pretty quickly and I had the misfortune of watching it within that short span Well, though the 'ராசா படத்தைக் கண்ண மூடிக்கிட்டே பாக்கலாம்' thingy was applicable, we left the theater grumbling!

pAdal varikaL:

பல்லவி

வான் மீதிலே அதிகாலை நேர ராகம்
நான் பாடினேன் மனதோடு இன்ப நேரம்
காற்றினிலே கனவினிலே நாளும் ஆனந்தம்
காணுவதோ இனிமைகளே பாவை என் நெஞ்சம்தான் பாடும்

சரணம் 1

வாசல்தோறும் பல ஆசை தோன்றிடும்
வாழ்வுதோறும் வரும் பாதை மாறிடும்
நினைவுகள் போலே வாழும் நாள் வரும்

என்றென்றும் இனிமை என்றே நினைத்திரு நெஞ்சே
இன்பங்கள் உறவு என்றே தொடர்ந்திரு நெஞ்சே
இருக்கும் வரைக்கும் அமைதி கிடைக்கும்

சரணம் 2

தேவை யாவும் நலமாகும் நேரமே
தேடும் யாவும் உனைச் சேரும் காலமே
நினைத்தது யாவும் வந்து கூடுமே

ஏதேதோ கனவுகளை என் மனம் காணும்
எங்கெங்கோ நினைவுகளில் ஊர்வலம் போகும்
இளைய பருவம் நினைத்து மகிழ


youtube:

(look at Ambi chEchchi's wigs There's this villainy, young Prabhu)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBPENj0q_Iw

nanRi V_Sji & groucho!

If you've noticed, I try to get the possibly-best-available-quality youtubes for these songs in each post. (Most songs have multiple youtube versions and some are of horrible video quality).

Please correct wherever possible if a better youtube link is available (HD / HQ etc)!

Also, please point out any grammatical blunders / spell errors etc and I will correct them immediately.

The reason is to refine these posts to some minimum standard (i.e. presentable to non-forum public). And, I would like to tweet the thread link (after reaching at least 50 songs if not 100) to the family members of GA (or to GA himself if he has some web presence).

nammAl Ana oru siRiya sEvai to rAsA's iLaval

Also, I've already decided that 'sheNbagamE sheNbagamE, thenpothigai sandhanamE' will be the #50 song

(Sorry, no democracy this time )

#33 malarkaLilE ArAdhanai (karumbi vil, MV/SJ)

From a personal viewpoint (i.e. to me), movie songs are primarily concerned with music. Other considerations come after that - i.e. relating to the movie theme / situation, having appreciable poetry / thathuvams / theme / not having irritable words etc.

Such a viewpoint is possibly shaped and molded by the strong impact of IR during my growing-up days. (He came strongly into the scene when I was not a teen yet and then reigned for decades. Thus his genius pushed me into considering movie songs with such preferential attitude. Had I been born 10 years before, it would have possibly been primarily iyal and not isai, because of Kavingar Kannadasan).

So, TFM is isai, nAdakam and then iyal for me, in that order

No wonder I didn't concern myself with actively identifying the lyricist during 70's / 80's /90's at all when my choices had been shaping up and taste buds had been getting trained Looks like that is the choice of majority of people from my gen too (as that gen typically considers rAsA as the biggest thing that happened to TN in the last decades of the previous century).

Which is why I'll have to retroactively look at some songs in this thread and try to appreciate / give some due to the song writer Those days, I wasn't even concerned with the words of this 'malarkaLilE ArAdhanai'. My mind was jumping from prelude to melody to percussion to interludes / accompaniments etc during each listen. This song used to be a regular on radio and elsewhere those days. Occasionally, I focussed on the voice quality / sangathi packing etc of the singer as well Words / lines - who cared then for IR songs?

Well, I do care now "மாலை நேரம் மயங்கும் நேரம்" sounds so sweet and caressing as I listen to the song now (though the primary idea came from an earlier song, reportedly loved by IR, the evergreen "மாலைப்பொழுதின் மயக்கத்திலே"! It's possible that line too got inspired from prior literature). Also, the வேதனை rhyming with ஆராதனை sounds quite brilliant and musical! GA can definitely be very proud about this song's lovely pallavi! Some websites credit M G Vallaban to this song but the disk cover clearly indicates GA (also corroborated by raaga.com).

I'll have to mention MV here - he was at his peak during this period - what lovely singing and nicely supporting / almost matching SJ who is awesome as usual! Per SukA, this is a keeravANi

pAdal varikaL:

பல்லவி

மலர்களிலே ஆராதனை
மாலை நேரம் மயங்கும் நேரம்
மனங்களிலே காதலின் வேதனை

சரணம் 1

பொங்கும் தாபம் பூம்புனல் வேகம் போதையில் வாடுது
அங்கம் எங்கும் ஆசையின் ராகம் இன்னிசை பாடுது
மடியிது தான் மலரணைகள் மயங்கும் நேரம் விடியாதோ
மலர்க்கணை தொடுக்காதோ

சரணம் 2

பார்வை ஒன்றும் ஒவ்வொரு வேதம் படித்திடக் கூறுது
பாவை எண்ணம் பனி விழும் நேரம் தலைவனைச்சேருது
ரதி மடியின் ரகசியங்கள் ரசித்தேன் லயித்தேன் நெடுநேரம்
ரசனைகள் முடியாதது

thiraippAdal seems to work (again):

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1591'&lang=en

youtube:

நன்றி, உஷா சேச்சி!

The next one for today is a similar "radio only hit" number, from 1980

#34 nee illAtha pOthu (iLamikkOlam, MV-Sujatha)

I remember reading a post about this song recently in one of our threads - but couldn't locate it quickly

Looks like our individual posts (or even threads) don't get picked up that easily by the search engines. OTOH, (even) the Thamizh phrase "நீ இல்லாத போது" gives close to a million results in google search Must be a very favourite phrase for all love stories / love poems etc

In many ways, the first line is quite endearing. Most people (or pets or things or places or relationships) are yearned for mainly in the absence. "Missing you" is a very common phrase in English and other languages too. That way, regardless of whether GA got this from popular usage or vice versa, this is another of his pAdal vari that has tons of re-use

As mentioned in my previous post, this number was a regular on IOKS and thrilled me those days. (Two KJY songs from this album were very popular too - Sridevi en vAzhvil aruL seyya vA & vachcha pArvai theerAdhadi machchAn kuRi mArAdhadi). From the 1980 context, this song had some "retro feel" - reminding one of 60's songs in the melody / singing departments. rAsA's orchestration, however, was quite state-of-the-art! Sujatha, who used to be KJY's team singer for stage shows (right from her school days I think), did a decent job with MV.

While the pallavi has catchy lines depicting yearning / reunion of the lovers, the saraNam portion sweetly captures the intimacy of them. Let's look at them:

பல்லவி

நீ இல்லாத போது
ஏங்கும் நெஞ்சம் சொல்லாத கதை நூறு
அது நில்லாத புது ஆறு
உன்னோடு தான் திருமணம்
உறவினில் நறுமணம் உண்டாக வழி கூறு

சரணம் 1

முதன்முதலில் தொடும் வரை தினம் நான் எங்கோ
விரல் நுனிகள் படும்வரை விழி தான் தூங்க
காவியம் பாடும் காதல் பூங்காற்று
மனம் சேர்ந்ததே ஒரு சாதனை
மகிழ்ந்தேன் தினமும் கண்ணே

சரணம் 2

எது வரையில் சுகம் என அதை நான் காண்பேன்
இதழ் முழுவதும் சுவை என அதை நான் சேர்வேன்
ஏங்கிடும் போது எண்ணம் தானாட
இருமேனியில் ஒரு பாவனை
இருந்தால் தொடரும் இனிமை

thiraippAdal: http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1090'&lang=en

youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdq1qPkAZO4

#35 vAdAdha rOsAppoo nAn onnu pAththEn (SPB singing in grAmaththu aththiyAyam)

RudraiyAh's second movie after 'avaL appadiththAn' was this "GA" and all the songs got penned by GA

While two of the songs will have to be featured later, i.e. under 'themmAngu selections' (the sweet "Aththu mEttula' & the terrific 'oodhakkAththu veesayilE'), we'll capture the other two in the first part!

Actually I don't have to stretch myself today for this song -it had been written about in the SPB-IR thread (I need not stretch for the next one either - as I should be able to dig out V_Sji's post on the Sasireka song ) What was written earlier can be seen HERE !

In that post, I compared this song to 'pon mAnaththEdi nAnum poovOdu vandhEn' that was MD-ed by GA. I didn't know at that time that GA was pAdal Asiriyar for 'vAdAdha rOsAppoo'. After sitting in the composing session with aNNan, he possibly got inspired to do a similar song (like how he did 'vandhanam' of vAzhvE mAyam after sitting in the composing sessions of rAjA pArvai ) In any case, I did regret that the movie was such a terrible flop that the song didn't get due recognition (i.e. was just a 'radio-only-hit').

This is one more from 'sOgappAttu' selections penned by GA. Though his typical reference of a poo is in the pallavi (rOsAppoo), this one is not some odd one (like the non-existent sendhoorappoo or other novelties caught by him such as kotha mallippoo, poovarasam poo etc). It's the lovely rOsAppoo that had been part and parcel of poems & lovers from time immemorial! Such a beautiful flower that possibly inspired sayings like 'thing of beauty is a joy for ever', that kind of gets translated into 'vAdAdha' in this song. (I don't know, the rOsAppoo referred here could be a 'poovai' because the song describes the rose of singing a sOgappAttu).

The saranam has a somewhat unusual format of first line repeating but second line not repeating

பல்லவி

வாடாத ரோசாப்பூ நான் ஒண்ணு பாத்தேன்
பாடாத சோகத்தோட பாட்டும் பாடக்கேட்டேன்

சரணம் 1

காத்தாடி போலாடும் பெண்ணோட சிறு நெஞ்சு
கையோட சேர்த்தாச்சு ஏதோ ஒண்ணு ஆச்சு
காத்தாடி போலாடும் பெண்ணோட சிறு நெஞ்சு
முடிவேதும் தெரியாம மோகம் தப்பிப்போச்சு
அம்மாடி, அம்மாடி ஊர் எல்லாம் போலி வேசம்
ஆனாலும் பரிதாபம் ஏதோ பாவம்

சரணம் 2

காத்தோட போயாச்சு என்னோட பாரம்
ஆத்தோட போயாச்சு என் காலநேரம்
காத்தோட போயாச்சு என்னோட பாரம்
காவேரி நீர் மேலே கன்னி போட்ட கோலம்
அம்மாடி, அம்மாடி கூத்தாடி ஆடும் ஆட்டம்
எல்லாமே தப்பாச்சு ஏங்கும் நேரம்

thiraippAdal :

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0955'&lang=en

youtube:

nanRi rajkumarc, for your appreciation!

GA definitely deserves more than the usual attention that IRFs give him, per my recent realization.

I have so far been uncovering only one area - hit songs that he wrote for IR which were not (necessarily) "janaranjaga themmAngu" numbers.

He had other specializations too - which we'll visit in course of time, like

a) themmAngu gems written under IR's music (may get into this territory post #50, will easily last for another 50+ numbers)

b) songs written by him for MDs other than IR (will not dwell too much upon it - the forum being IR-centric, but will try to highlight the famous ones in a few posts)

c) GA's career as singer (mostly IR composed songs in this section)

d) GA's career as MD (limited discussion again, but will highlight the famous ones)

e) GA's career as movie writer / director (most had IR's fantastic songs & BGM IIRC)

f) His other specialities (stage programs etc), I'll need a lot of help from other forum members to detail these Will also google to get youtubes and other resources available.



Looks like total 1 year project!

#36 poovE, idhu poojaikkAlamE (grAmaththu athyAyam, BSS)

As mentioned in a prior post, this song had been posted about in the "forgotten singers" thread by V_Sji - please don't miss that post !

The word 'poovE' - either alone or with a prefix had been in pallavi of TF songs every now and then. Just around the same time, another song had the same 'poovE' first word and our village tea shop used to play that PJ-SJ duet often. That movie's name was 'malargaLilE avaL malligai' (title picked from evergreen song by kavingar - 'kAlangaLil avaL vasantham'). The pallavi first line was 'poovE, malligaippoovE, nenjil bOdhai ERudhadi'. Full of malar / poo - orE naRumaNam. That disk had another song - a SPB/MV duet 'nAnum neeyum inRu iLaingan, nALai indha ulakin thalaivvan' that had thAzhakkozhuppu and loved by the tea shop guy, got played often. Per dhool Saravanan that unreleased movie was perhaps GA's first MD assignment

He later MD-ed 'malargaLE malarungaL' with a couple of hit numbers (isaikkavO nam kalyANA rAgam & PS singing "suttum vizhichchudar dhAn kaNNammA"). Later when GA got a chance to direct his first movie produced by his brother, kOzhi koovudhu, sure enough there was another 'poovE, iLaiya poovE' song! All these flower connections besides the already discussed sendhoorappoo, poongathavE, kotha mallippoo etc. There's no question about GA being surrounded by a lot of "flowers" in his initial career

This BSS number was possibly written first & then melody set for the same (aka "pAttukku mettu"), as the pallavi's melody progression is somewhat unusual among IR-GA combo songs.


பல்லவி

பூவே இது பூஜைக்காலமே இளம் பூவை ராகமே
மனம் தாவி வந்த தாகம் தீர்க்க நாளும் வேண்டுமே
நாளும் உன்னை நினைத்து நினைத்து தவித்துத்தவித்து ஏங்கும் உள்ளம் பாடாதோ?
வாழை என வளர்ந்து வளர்ந்து தினமும் துடிப்பதோ?

சரணம் 1

சலங்கைத்தாளமே எந்தன் காதில் கேட்குமோ? குயிலே!
வாழை, மாவிலை, மஞ்சள் வாசம் தோன்றுமோ?
பனி வாடைக்காற்று வீசும்போது பாவை மேனி வாடுதே!

சரணம் 2

கண்ணை மூடியும் மனம் தூங்கவில்லையே! நெஞ்சே!
கண்ணன் ஞாபகம் உன்னில் நீங்கவில்லையே!
திரு மாலை சேர்ந்த தேவி ஏக்கம் தீர வேண்டியேங்குதே

thiraippAdal : http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0954'&lang=en

youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ir8ibeKIA