Re: Anything about IR found on the net - Vol 1

skr Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:04 pm

That young 18 yr old kid Gopal Shyamanthak is at it again - this time a detailed analysis on the memorable Kaatril Varum Geethame from Oru Naal Oru Kanavu.
He focusses on both the carnatic and western concepts and gives a very dynamatic purview of the composition.
http://www.shyamantak.com/kvg_review.html

app_engine Mon Aug 05, 2013 4:53 pm

BBC report on Dakshnimoorthy Swamigal

இளையராஜா, யேசுதாஸ் போன்றவர்களால் குரு ஸ்தானத்தில் வைத்து மதிக்கப்பட்டவர் இவர்.

app_engine Mon Aug 05, 2013 5:00 pm

dinamaNi on Dakshinamoorthy Swamigal

பல மலையாள திரைப்படங்களுக்கு இவரது இசையில் இசையமைப்பாளர் இளையராஜா கிடார் வாசித்துள்ளார்.

பின்னர் தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியிடம் சிறிது காலம் கர்நாடக இசை பயின்றார் இளையராஜா. அவரது மகள் பவதாரிணியும் இவரிடம் கர்நாடக இசை பயின்றவர்.

rajkumarc Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:18 pm

Rest in peace... Dakshinamoorthy was also seen in the video of IR's birthday celebration at IR's home. I guess IR had a more personal relationship with Swamigal.

+1 Drukenmunk on Nanda En Nila song, a recent discovery for me. Can any of you please PM me your favorite songs in Tamil that was scored by Swamigal? Didn't want to digress this thread.

Raaga_Suresh Wed Aug 07, 2013 7:26 am

/Disgression

Rajkumar,

You can check out the songs of 'Oru Udappu Kann Simittugiradhu'. They are nice.

BTW, here is my tribute to Dakshinamurthy Swami: http://sureshs65music.blogspot.in/2013/08/dakshnimurthy-swami.html

rajkumarc Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:43 pm

Thanks Sureshji.. I did read your tribute and was going to share here but you beat me to it. A really nice read and you have shared some wonderful songs there. Thanks.

dilbert Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:33 am

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

writeface Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:48 am

Thank you Dilbert for the share! Loved the jazzy piano-guitar improvisation in the 2nd interlude of Gum Sum

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1387067

Gokul

Raaga_Suresh Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:58 am

My post of 'neeraal udal kazhuvi' from 'Thandavakone'. Will re-start the 90s series in a day or two.

A touch of Nihilism has always been present in Indian though for ages but with a slight twist in the tale. After rejecting everything material with vehemence, the nihilist embraces the feet of the Lord with equal vehemence. Almost every Indian accepts this stance quite easily. Most of the 'Siddhar Padagall' belong to this category.
Raja has handled many such 'siddhar paadal' type songs in movie, the one which immediately springs to our mind is the 'appan enrum ammai enrum' song from 'Guna'. He takes a similar song in 'Thandavakone' but gives it a completely different treatment. The lyrics are typical 'siddhar padal' type lyrics, with the nihilistic aspects standing out. Raja creates a landscape which we can definitely call nihilistic but we before we go to analyze the song, let us have a look at the lyrics. Only then can you map the music to the lyrics and experience the chilling effect it creates. I give you the Tamil verses first, followed by my translation.
நீரால் உடல்கழுவி நித்தம்நித மூவேளை
சோறால் குடல்கழுவும் சோம்ப பிறவிமலை
சேறாம் இடர்கழுவ சேர்ந்தாயே அண்ணலடி
மாறாச் சுடர் தழுவவே.
Washing our body with water
and
washing our stomach
with food
three times a day
this lazy
mountain of flesh
to clean away
slush in its path
reached the feet of the Lord
to embrace the light
to its heart
நாறென வெள்லெலும்பை நன்கிணைத்து கட்டிவைத்து
நாறிடும் மூட்டைச் சதையொட்டி நீர்க்குருதிச்
சேரனதான எண்சான் உடம்பில் உன் நினைவே
சீருரும் தாமரை யாம்.
White bones
tied together tightly
with the smelly
skin draped
over it
For this body of mine
made of water
and blood
the thought of you
is like a lovely lotus
தொப்புள் கொடிபுடிச்சி தொத்திவந்த இப்பிறப்பு
எப்ப தொடக்கியதோ எப்போ தடங்கிடுமோ
செப்பவே யாரிருக்கா செப்பனிடா பாதையிலே
செப்பாமே போகுதே தப்பு.
Holding fast
to the umbilical cord
we were born
When did live start?
When will it end?
Who will answer our questions?
On unpaved roads
without answering our questions
the drums of death
beats on
எம்பாவக் கப்பலில் எங்கோ புறப்பட்டோம்
சம்சாரக் கடலில் சருகாய் இடர்ப்பட்டோம்
வெம்பினை காத்து வெரட்டுதே எம்மையே
தம்மபயம் எந்தருளை தா.
We started our journey somewhere
in this ship of sin
Upon the 'samsara sagara'
we are like a leaf
on a wave
A hot wind chases us
O Lord
protect us
with your grace
----
Now, hear the song :
http://www.raaga.com/player4/?id=308614&mode=100&rand=0.5181135351303965
Lyrics are by Raja & Muthulingam. Singing by Manika Vinayakam
This is a very very different song from Raja. It is difficult to make such a claim for Raja's songs because of the vast repertoire of his you will his you will always be able to link to some old song in which he has used such techniques. Whereas this song definitely uses techniques which he hadn't used earlier.
Another reason why I call this unique is because of the way it deviates from Raja's idea of music. Raja never uses music _only_ to create an atmosphere. For him, music must transcend creating just the ambiance and must go on to create an emotional connect. In this song, there is definitely an emotional connect but the background music's main aim is to create an ambiance of dread and menace. In that way, we can claim that this song is probably Raja's first where there is so much emphasis on creating an 'atmosphere'.
The atmosphere creation starts right from the word go. The synthesizer is used almost like a 'been', the instrument the snake charmers play, the drums come in randomly and the mandolin provides the exotic feel. As Manika Vinayakam keeps singing the words, the synthesizer works non-stop in the background and continues as Manika Vinayakam takes rest before starting the next stanza. His harsh voice works very well for this song and I am sure this is the best song he has sung in his career.
The imagery that Raja generates is one of 'Thandavakone', the dancing master, Lord Shiva. The 'been' sound and the choice of Punnagavarali as the ragam highlight this aspect. The tune is a mix of pathos and 'karunyam'. The background provides the nihilistic effect.
This is what I felt when I heard the song first. I posted about this in TFMPage forum:
"Just when I thought 'ennai pol' was amazing creativity comes this song. It is as if Raja wanted to do 'umbarkkat arase' again but not with the symphonic backing but with modern backing. The instrument is not something like we have heard from Raja earlier. He lets Manika Vinayagam sing the thogayara. (BTW this is not a song. Just recital of verses.) And then around him Raja paints an impressionistic landscape. A mandolin strum there, a few taps on the drums here, synth playing like a shenai, a constant drone accompanying the song. You not sure what sound will emerge the next second. If there is one amazing fusion, not the fusing we know of Raja but of a different variety, this is the one. I personally feel Manika Vinayagam was probably never tested this much and he passes the exam. The words are in pure Tamizh and it adds to the charm. A highly philosophical song."
And this is what I wrote a few days later:
"While I do love his 80s songs as any other Raja fan, I can confidently say that I will give away a few of the top 80s song for a couple of songs in 'Thandavakone'.

I am amazed by 'neeraal udal kazhuvi'. When I first heard it, it did not sound like a Raja song. The orchestration was so very different, seemingly random that I was wondering where was the 'Raja touch'. I listened to it multiple times and slowly the reassuring hand of Raja emerged in the song. While the orchestration at one level seems random, it very tightly controlled and the whole orchestration creates a different mood altogether. Then the reciting of the poem itself. There you can clearly see Raja's hold. The way he has structured the tune, not letting any emotion go overboard, the way a tight leash is kept on the singer, the way he touches Punnaagavarali but never gets fully into the carnatic mode. Fantastic Raja.

People may wonder as to why I am so enamored with this song. I see this as something new and also something very difficult to achieve. The merger of say violins and flute for this would have been natural. But to come out with a new age synth based orchestration is quite challenging. I mean, for many such poems I have heard other music directors use synth based backing, but someone I never felt they gelled well. In this case it makes perfect sense. To give an analogy, it is like asking Raja Ravi Varma to paint a beautiful maiden and then asking Picasso or M F Hussain to do the background. You can imagine how that would. If you do that and yet make the picture seem as a single whole, then you would have achieved what Raja has achieved in this song.

To me, after a few more listening today, this is the standout album of this year."
I still maintain that 'Thandavakone' should rank as one of Raja's best album ever. This is creativity at its peak. Combining multiple emotions throughout a song is no easy easy task, especially when it has to do with spirituality on one side and rejection on the other.

app_engine Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:40 pm

Great writing, Sureshji!

enna oru flow!
the clap

app_engine Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:45 pm

Strongly negative article in a Srilankan mag

The darker side of the composer Isai Gnani Illaiyarajah has never been reported in the media.

app_engine Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:50 pm

Violin is a tough instrument, says Jyotsna Srikanth

I passed my exams through Royal College of Music London and then started playing for films. That was a big shift. I have played for more than 200 movies for directors like Ilayaraja. One more big adventure I indulged in those days was studying medicine. I am an MD in lab pathology.

app_engine Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:06 pm

One more report on Dhakshinamoorthy Swamigal

S.P. Muthuraman : Even after Ilaiyaraja shot to fame, he regularly visited VDS to learn the nuances. Once I had gone to Ilaiyaraja’s private recording studio to meet him and was taken aback to see VDS handling the mixer, while Ilaiyaraja conducted the orchestra. VDS explained that Ilaiyaraja was conducting the orchestra for his (VDS) film. They had a perfect guru-sishya relationship. VDS had composed music for my ‘Oru Oodhapoo Kan Chimitugirathu’ starring Kamalhasan and Sujatha and for ‘Oru Kovil Iru Deepangal,’ which had fresh faces. He could extract the best from every musician during his recordings. His dedication and involvement were matchless.

D22_Malar Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:27 pm

app_engine wrote: Strongly negative article in a Srilankan mag

''Ahhh... just what the world needs...one more loather!

Raaga_Suresh Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:47 pm

Thanks app.

Also check out the comment now. It is by an youngster who loves the Raja of 90s and 00s. He expresses himself very well there.

**V_S** Fri Aug 09, 2013 5:47 am

Suresh ji,
Excellent write-up with interesting analysis and title. noteworthy

Fantastic ending lines. You got me hooked to the song again with your write-up. As you might know, I don't listen to this verse (song) often fearing it will catch me like a wild fire. The impact it causes when listening is huge, mainly because it is pitch dark in its approach. To add more to the weirdness and dreary, the structure of the song is so unique and first of its kind; having no structure. Even with not much structure to it, as you said, the way he brings the raagam aspect into it is sure master class. How he blends one of the oldest appellation with the newest technology with not one sound or one note sticking out like a sore thumb, is again a supreme line of thought. Those random bell sounds, waxing and waning of udukkai sounds, magudi and mandolin only increases our visual thirst as he brings the whole environment before us.

Again to emphasize, Maestro breaks the rule in structure, only when the situation demands and also it is not a conscious effort, it happens that way, just like a siddhar singing this verse without any pre-meditated thought, it just flows out of him. When it happens this way, it sounds so natural and not contrived. That's why even with not much structure and deep melody, the song holds us for the entire duration, because the soul is captured in its entirety.

It is sad that this movie has not yet seen its light of the day. Mad

Raaga_Suresh Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:54 am

V_S,

You are very right. This album is addictive. Once I start listening to these songs, I can't stop.

kiru Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:19 pm

D22_Malar wrote:
app_engine wrote: Strongly negative article in a Srilankan mag

''Ahhh... just what the world needs...one more loather!

I dont know who is at fault. TIS had left a bad taste in me. Sometimes, when I think about it, it even distracts me from enjoying the album, even though I consider that to be IR's greatest music in his career. Oh well, our cup is never full. We need to enjoy whatever is in it, I guess.

app_engine Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:39 pm

T.சௌந்தரின் அடுத்த கட்டுரை : ஹம்சானந்தி

1980 களிலிருந்து ஹம்சானந்தி ராகத்தில் பல இனிமையான பாடல்களைத் தந்த பெருமை இசைஞானி இளையராஜாவைச் சேரும்.பெரும்பாலான இசையமைப்பாளர்கள் அதிகம் பயன்படுத்தாத ராகங்களில் ஒன்றாக இந்த ராகம் இருந்த நிலையில் அதனை ஒரு சவாலாக ஏற்று தனது இசைத்தடத்தை வெற்றிகரமாகப் பதித்து சென்ற இசையில் பேராசைக்காரன் இளையராஜா.

மிகப்பெரிய இசைமேதைகள் எல்லாம் பயன்படுத்தத் தயங்கிய ஒரு ராகத்தை அதிகமாக பயன்படுத்தியது மட்டுமல்ல, ” வேறு ஒரு இசையின் நலன்களைக் கொண்டே , இன்னொரு இசையின் நலங்களை ,அதன் செல்வங்களை வெளிப்படுத்துவது என்பது எல்லோருக்கும் இசைவதில்லை” என்ற கூற்றை மாற்றி தன்னால் முடியும் என்று நிலைநாட்டியவர் இளையராஜா.மேலைத்தேய இசை நுணுக்கங்களை அனாயாசமாக நமது ராகங்களில் இணைவாக பொருத்திய மேதமை என்றென்றும் வியக்க வைப்பதாகும்.அவரது இசையை ரசிக்கும் சாதாரண ரசிகர்களுக்கு எளிமையாகவும் , விஷயமறிந்தவர்களுக்கு ஆச்சரியம் தரும் வகையில் இந்த ராகத்தில் பாடல்களை பொலிவுறத் தந்த பெருமை இளையராசாவையே சேரும் இது வெறும் புகழ்ச்சியில்லை.

**V_S** Mon Aug 12, 2013 7:26 pm

Thanks App ji for this article. Good read. When he quoted one or two compositions from others, with Raja it's great to see the amount of compositions he did (even if is not the complete list) all with pristine quality when heard today.

Highlight is subbudu's comment. Very Happy

உண்மையில் அவன் ராகதேவன் தான்யா : அவனைப்போல் கல்யாணியையும் ,ஹம்ச்சனந்தியையும் இவ்விதம் கும்பாபிசேக்கம் செய்தவன் யாருமில்லை ” புகழ்ந்தார்.

app_engine Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:32 pm

a fanboy blog, but so what, nice to read Smile

தமிழ் அல்லாத சூழல், இந்தியா என்றாலே பாலிவுட் என்று மட்டுமே அறிந்திருக்கும் சராசரியான ஐரோப்பியச் சூழல், எனது கைபேசி ஒலிக்கிறது. குறைந்தது 5 பேராவது, திரும்பிப்பார்க்கிறார்கள், மூன்று பேராவது இது என்ன இசை, யார் இசைத்தது, எனக் கேட்கின்றார்கள்... ஒருவராவது இதனின் எம்பி3 வடிவத்தை எனக்கு அனுப்புகின்றாய எனக் கேட்பதுண்டு.... ஸ்வீடன், போலாந்து, பின்லாந்து தற்பொழுது இத்தாலி எனத் தொடருகின்றது... அது, பல்லவி அனுப்ல்லவி என்ற கன்னடப் படத்தில் இளையராஜாவால் போடப்பட்ட சின்ன இசைத்துணுக்கு...

app_engine Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:18 pm

Drunkenmunk, meeNdum meeNdum vA

Woah Raaja Woah!

app_engine Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:51 pm

Saw this fantastic twitlonger by rozavasanth today (posted months ago by him).

After listing most of the trash thrown at rAsA, he concludes :

...
இன்னமும் ஏகபலது உண்டு. இப்போதைக்கு இவ்வளவுதான் நினைவுக்கு வந்தது.

இதற்கெல்லாம் விரிவான பதில் சொல்வதும், விமர்சன பூர்வமாக அணுகுவதும் சாத்தியம். ஆனால் அதுவல்ல விவேகமான அணுகுமுறை. நாம் கேட்க வேண்டியது, உலகின் எந்த மூலையிலாவது, எந்த சமுகத்திலாவது ஈடு இணையற்ற தங்களின் மேதையை பற்றி இப்படி பேசி கேட்க முடியுமா? அப்படி இளையராஜாவை விட தமிழகம் தந்த மேதை என்று வேறு யாராவது இருக்கிறார்களா? இந்திய அளவில் யாருடனும் ஒப்பிட முடியாத ஒரு மேதையை, அதுவும் எந்த வாய்ப்பும் வசதியும் அற்ற, இளையராஜா என்று ஒருவர் பிறந்திருக்காவிட்டால் ஏனையோர் கேள்விப்பட்டிருக்க வாய்ப்பில்லாத ஒரு கிராமத்தில், ஒரு ஒடுக்கப்பட்ட சமூகத்தில் பிறந்து, தமிழகம் முழுக்க அலைந்து, கடின உழைப்பில் முன்னேறி, பட்டினி கிடந்து, வாய்ப்புக்காக காத்திருந்து, வாய்ப்பு வந்த பின் பிரபஞ்ச கூத்தாடிய (இதை எழுதும் போது கண்ணீர் வருகிறது) ஒருவனை வெறும் வம்புகளாலும், வசைகளாலும் எதிர்கொள்ளும் சமூகம் உருப்பட ஏதேனும் துளி சாத்தியம் உள்ளதா? உள்வாங்க முடியாத விஷயத்தை, அளவிட முடியாததை, ஒரு சட்டகத்தில் புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியாததை பற்றி இவ்வளவு தன்னம்பிக்கையுடன் சின்னதனமாக விமர்சனங்களால் அணுகும் ஒரு சமூகம், தன்னை பற்றி மற்றவர்களின் முன்முடிவுகள் குறித்து கழிவிரக்கம் கொள்வதில் ஏதேனும் நியாயம் உள்ளதா?

WOW!

fring151 Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:21 pm

Saw this fantastic twitlonger by rozavasanth today (posted months ago by him).

It is always amusing when people criticizing Raja shoot themselves in the foot by inserting lol stuff like "அவருக்கு கர்நாடக இசை ஒழுங்காக தெரியாது", " தான் ஜாதி பற்றிய உணர்வு இல்லாதவர்", or things which have zero factual basis like "அவரது பல பாடல்களுக்கு உண்மையில் இசையமைத்ததே ரஹ்மான்தான்." and then there are points truly bordering on the bizarre " பூணூல் அணியாவிட்டாலும் நரம்பையே பூணுலாக கொண்டவர்." If I remember right, these points were on the blog of the friend of a person who recently provided some wholesome, albeit short lived entertainment on our forum. Great minds think alike, indeed!

skr Thu Aug 15, 2013 11:54 am

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