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Malaysian Deepavali Show - RAJANNA RAJA THAAN - From Annakkili to Azhagi

Topic started by Manisekaran (@ 202.156.2.8) on Sun Nov 7 05:23:27 EST 2004.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Last year I did a show on Ilayaraja for Deepavali. IT was so great a hit that the ASTRO Private TV Station is repeating on 9 NOvember at 4.00 pm Malaysian time. This is called RAJANNA RAJATHAAN- covering 25 years of Raja's music contribution. From Annakkili to Azhagi. A great hit. If you can, pls do catch it. You can post your comments on the show here, and I'll respond to them.
Thanks.

Archive of the older songs: http://forumhub.lunarpages.com/hub/f13.html .
If you want to post comments on older songs, pls go to this archive. There you'll find the previous songs/episodes indexed as separate threads. Post your comments on the appropriate thread.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: RR (@ 202.156.2.8) on: Fri Dec 3 09:17:20 EST 2004
  
  senthilv: Wonderful analysis! siren observation was cool :) indeed the use of silence is great in this song. Clap-clap to Raja, and you for the insightful analysis!
  
  
• From: eden (@ 136.1.1.101) on: Fri Dec 3 09:58:07 EST 2004
  
  senthilv, excellent & enjoyable analysis...Though this film was a daring, pioneering venture and with good emotional content, in mere technical terms cannot be called `perfect' as there was room for lot of improvements. However, Raja's music? It was already close to perfection...polished...brilliant...IMHO.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 136.1.1.101) on: Fri Dec 3 10:46:33 EST 2004
  
  While `sendhoorappoovE' is the topper in 16 vayadhinilE, there are magical moments in the other numbers too...to cite a couple:
  
  1. The second interlude of `sevvanthippoo mudichcha chellakka hOi'...I don't remember the visual, however, there is a transition to strings (glimpse of Raja's ever-present inclination to move to classical, even when handling a pucca folk song)...kind of a trance like situation...makes one feel euphoric...midhappadhu pOndRa oru uNarvu...before you're brought back to earth by the `thandhana thAna' chorus...
  
  2. The slow SJ piece following the `chappAnikkum sabalam pArungO' in the manjakkuLichchu song...`azhagppA, azhagappA, Anazhagan neeyappA'...with no percussion but excellent guitar / piano (?) background...so melodious and lovely piece before starting off the folk drums again...
  
  There could be mistakes in the exact locations of these pieces as I haven't heard these songs for years...the flip side is their lasting power in one's memory! That's inexplicable since I'm no musician, don't play any instrument, not a singer...such is the impact of IR's music that an average radio listener dissects the song and stores in his memory for such a long a time...
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Fri Dec 3 15:08:31 EST 2004
  
  "This is pretty fundamental for any art. Set-up a pattern (regularity) and break it (irregular). In other word you can only break rules and add variety to piece if you set-up some regularity.
  "
  This is the surprise part, right ? Thanks for the lesson, Senthil (maybe you should introduce yourself here (parttime movie directing ?).
  
  "Raaja uses the silence to build tension, as a musical interval, create suspense"
  In this context, I should mention my favorite quote of Raaja - "I use music to CREATE silence".
  
  "glimpse of Raja's ever-present inclination to move to classical, even when handling a pucca folk song"
  Exactly Eden, watch for the 2 or 3 part counterpoints at the end of second interlude. Counterpoints/polyphonic sounds are the watermark to identify raaja's currency.
  
  Solaikkuyile seems like a nice classical/folk crossover. I did not know it was SPS till she sang thullum ragamE :-)
  
  
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.16.25.50) on: Fri Dec 3 17:29:15 EST 2004
  
  Solaikuyile and Adi PeNNE ponnoonjal are both stunners, songs that have a lot of soul in them, something thats been scarce in IR's creations these past 10-15 years. The guitar piece in one of the interludes merges so beautifully with the rest of the "folkish" part and mridhungam providing able support. Contrast this with the tiresome monotonous tabla usage one would hear from IR starting from late 80s onwards. Adi PeNNE had jaladharangam and a variety of other percussion instruments interplaying with one another throughout the song. The postlude is top-notch.
  
  
• From: Prabhudas (@ 143.104.179.230) on: Fri Dec 3 18:21:41 EST 2004
  
  Senthilv. nice write up with great analysis again.
  
  The second interlude's music appears very briefly with mild variation as a back ground score just before the song actually begins in the movie visually depicting the two character's elation and joy
  
  Vijay while u mentioned, "adi Pennae Ponnonjal aadum", true it is a pleasure listening to this one of the ultimate "postlude", are there any similar attempts by IR with those kind of extraordinary "postludes",
  
  IMHO, one of the greatest songs ( way... way...ahead of it times ) depicting a teenage girl's inner experience.
  
  also does anyone ever find a decent CD of Mullum Malarum ?, I have the so called original released by HMV ( pathetic) with horrible recording
  
  
  
• From: Surya (@ 69.0.18.15) on: Fri Dec 3 18:34:42 EST 2004
  
  Is SPS singing thuLLum rAgamE or thuLLum rAgavE? Everytime I listen to this song, I keep asking this question to myself. Is it just me?
  
  
• From: manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Sat Dec 4 01:34:17 EST 2004
  
  Dear Friends,
  
  My computer crashed. Please carry on discussing. I shall catch up soon. The subject is vast enrough for contiunous discussions.
  
  mani
  
  
• From: RR (@ 202.156.2.8) on: Sat Dec 4 02:19:04 EST 2004
  
  One more song till Mr.Mani is back.
  
  adi penne - http://newtfmpage.com/cgi-bin/song.pl?id=mani-8.4
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Sat Dec 4 03:48:57 EST 2004
  
  
  Dear Friends,
  
  I have lost everything in my PC- TROJAN had entered and eaten up 10 hears of hard work!
  I am on leave. Came to office to type out to continue my posting.
  
  14. HEI PAADAL ONRU and other songs of PRIYA
  
  
  The SPT Film PRIYA (1979)happened to be a turning point in the musical career of Ilayaraja. That was the first film to have introduced the stereophonic sound system in entire India. In Bombay there was already a form of stereo system. But was not in its true form. They used to record into mono system and convert into stereo system.
  
  In any mono system there would be three tracks- one for voice, one for instruments and the third for rhythms. A true stereophonic system should consist of 8 tracks and 16 channels which Ilayaraja introduced in his 31st movie PRIYA
  
  
  Raja had all along wanted to introduce stereo system in the first movie itself to create a tremendous impact. But his voice was still a distant thunder then. He was waiting for the opportune moment to make his intenstions known. The moment came when SP Muthuraman was making the film PRIYA. Ilayaraja expressed his wish to introduce the stereo system, to which Muthuraman immediately consented, not even giving second thoughts to the extra expenses that it may entail. Muthuraman was already comfortable cashing on Raja’s musical strength. So Raja went ahead. In act Raja was hasty. It so happened that at that time singer Jesudass had imported some stereo system for his own use. The singer was installing the system in Arunasalam studio, but again was not completed on time. Ilayaraja spoke to Jesudass and got the system transferred to Bharani studio. There the installation was done in a hasty manner and five songs were recorded.he employed the Boney M technique in the recording of the songs. Perhaps the song Darling Darling reflects this. Raja himself said that in one song he had used 115 instruments. I do not know which was the song. The songs were pressed in Germany and cut in Calcutta. In 1979 there was no pressing facility in India. Jesudass who cooperated with Raja never took a single paisa for rendering the assistance. One could always reflect on the best of the gems that Raja made Jesudass to sing in later years. Thendral vanthu ennai Thodum, Enthan nenjill Neengatha Thenral Neethaana are just two of the many I could think of.
  
  The songs of PRIYA :
  1. Akkarai Seemai Azhaginile ManamAada Kandene by Jesudass
  2. Darling Darling Dalring I love You by P Suseela
  3. Enn Uyir Neethaane by Jesudass and Jency
  4. Oh Priya by Jesudass
  5. He Padal Onru- Jesudass and S. Janaki
  
  CONTINUES...
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Sat Dec 4 03:49:57 EST 2004
  
  
  DIGRESSION:
  As soon as the songs were recorded, the crew rushed to Malaysia for shooting. My close friend Chandrakantham took me to receive them. I agreed to go with the hope of meeting up with Panchu Arunasalam to extract every bit of information on Raja. I was introduced to SP Muthuraman in the Kuala Lumpur Airport. Karu Karthik, another malaysain friend was also there. We then adjourned to the VIP waiting lounge while waiting for the crew and stars to fly in from Singapore. During that one hour SP Muthuraman spoke many great things of Raja. I shall empty them at the appropriate time. Suffice to say the SP. Muthurman saw Raja as a new gift the Tamilnadu. An hour later Rajni Kanth, Sri Devi, Panchu Arunaslam came touched down. I was introduced to Rajni who shook had very warmly with me. 16 vayathinile had just completed its run in Malaysia and I mentioned to Rajni on this great movie. He was only too happy to learn of this. Panchu Arunasalam was introduced to me. Unfortunately he was “floating” in his own world and my hope of interviewing him on pre and post Annakkili days was dashed!. We took all of them into a luxury coach to drop them in a hotel. Coincidentally I was seated next to Sri Devi. She enquired on the impat of 16 vayathinile. I motioned the revival of Paavadai and Thavani and girls being teased as “Mayilu.” She laughted her heart out and admitted the same being the case in India. I was invited for the shooting on the following day. The song was Hei Paadal Onru raagam Onru. I had picked up other appointments, and that still remains a sore point for me, as soon as learning of the brilliant song wedded to the good shooting.
  
  
  BACK TO SUBJECT
  
  Following the introduction of stereo system in PRIYA, Raja was able to experiment more in the field of cine music. He gave more and more of what cine fans had never tasted. That was a turning pint in the career of the MAESTRO. More and more gems bearing unheard of novelty were introduced. Stereo enabled Raja to bring in still greater victories. From folk music he scaled into most modern western music. We were able to see a different Raja altogether! The next song in store will prove this point without any shadow of doubt!
  
  Listen to 'hey paadal ondru'

  Have a nice weekend!

  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.51.134.219) on: Sat Dec 4 17:57:20 EST 2004
  
  Mani, sorry to hear about the virus. Make sure you have the anti-virus software with latest updates(like Zonealarm) and other spy killer software in your PC for added protection. Good writeup for the priya song.
  
  Incidentally the song akkarai seemai from the movie seems to have been heavily inspired(the pallavi) from a song by a group called the Kites. This was mentioned recently by someone here in DF. The tune for the pallavi is almost ditto as that of the original which was a bit disappointing.
  
  "Is SPS singing thuLLum rAgamE or thuLLum rAgavE? Everytime I listen to this song, I keep asking this question to myself. Is it just me?"
  
  Surya, same here. First time blues for SPS I think, or maybe she just had a cold :-)
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.51.134.219) on: Sat Dec 4 18:00:02 EST 2004
  
  actually the song name is "Kites" Here is the link
  http://www.iespana.es/i2fs2/Kites-SimonDupree.rm
  
  
  
  
• From: RR (@ 218.186.183.230) on: Sat Dec 4 22:26:29 EST 2004
  
  vijay: there's some resemblance (especially to the strings that immly follow the pallavi), but not to the extent of copied/inspired I think.
  
  

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