Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

Great Impact of ARR on Indian contemporary Music and IsaiGnani

Topic started by The Fan (@ spider-we053.proxy.aol.com) on Thu Nov 12 02:16:07 EST 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

By now we must appreciate the positive qualities of ARR's musical genre or style and interpretations. ARR has single handendly made film music and that too, Tamil film music one of the most favorite discussion topics anywhere. He reengineered or turned around the concept of film music in India and made it a pop culture. Though there is something left to be desired in his creativity, he has forever changed the landscape of Indian film music. Taking it to a different platform, he has escaped comparisons and stands at the heap of a new generation of musical presentation and thought. I feel glad that ARR happened at the right time to Indian films. Otherwise look what might have happened to Isaignani, who probably would've lost the inspiration to stay around. ARR's has woken up IR from his classical mode and made IR change mode to a trendy style, eg: KM and MVU, each filmy score of IR getting more experimental and in tune with current taste for music. In other words, I personally thank ARR for being the EYES AND EARS OF IR. New rhythms, extremely different melodic structures. etc.. In addition, ARR is gaining on to be the next icon of music in Indian film music, maybe not in Tamil film music, however. This is what we need. New persectives, a 360 degree difference in styles. In this thread, it will be beneficial to talk about how ARR brought in new things that made us wonder why didn't our other composers attempt this, so easy, so out there, why didn't they. And,difficult innovations that challenged even IR. This will discussion should be purely to discuss the impact of ARR's contributions and his impact on IR's creative styles.

---

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Srikanth (@ slip-32-101-16-24.il.us.ibm.net) on: Thu Nov 19 01:42:06 EST 1998
  
  Guys,
  Can anyone here come out with one good reason for IR's downfall. Why the Hell ARR went to the top (of Indian not kodambakkam alone). what made him so big, how was able to achive all the name and fame just in a span of 5 years.
  
  It is not luck or media hype or other filthy terms often used here, overlooking a genuine growth of a person. Every one knows the fact that there was something very new in his music, many here are not ready to accept it.
  Taking Vandicholai china razu - There are some songs in that which has very good beat patterns.
  Yes like IR has fanatics there are ARR fanatics. they will blindly say all his songs are good, it is there opinion. It is just like saying all IR songs are good. I heard all the songs of Dharma, Ponthotam etc.. just with an open heart to find something good in those so called music - alas nothing same old stuff infact it is below par. Cannot accept bad quality just because it is from Raja.
  
  Anakili, bhadrakali -- come on! say something in this decade atleast, we are going toward 21st, .Agreed, these are all good songs, but time changes, TFM has come a long way. Entire Indian music is now following TFM stds, no doubt ARR has big share in it.
  People as a mass needs a change, ARR provided that and filled some gaps which other failed to do so.
  
  I wish everyone here understands clearly the fact that ARR's growth does not bring down Raja's musical ability even by an micro inch. I think this the border line between Fan and a Fanatic.
  
  
  Srikanth (mmm...back in action)
  
  
• From: Nirupama (@ mut-53-0785.direct.ca) on: Thu Nov 19 01:49:51 EST 1998
  
  Pradeep:
  Why do I feel that you impose 'double standards' when judging IR & ARR? If ARR takes a long time to compose, that's his style, he wants to give the best. But if IR does it, it's the director's compulsion. So, what happened to some ARR albums like "Puthiya Mannargal", "Super Police", "Pavithra", or "Ottam" where there were only one or two notable songs. Why did he not pay enough attention to all the songs from these albums?
  
  From what I've heard of IR, he was never forced to take a long schedule to finish the albums. Why should they when they can get good quality music in less time? Of course it's not true that he didn't pay enough attention to all songs from the same album. Films like 'Payanangal Mudivathillai', 'Karagattakaran', 'Naan paadum paadal', 'Johnny', 'Azhage Unnai Aaradhikkiren', 'Nizhalgal' & 'Niram maradha pookal' are just a few movies that were released in the late 70s or early 80s with outstanding music. To see the variety of music he presented during a particular period is amazing. Without even watching the film you can probably feel the setting of the movie, the story line etc. by listening to the album. Can we say the same thing about ARR today?
  
  Pradeep, I can see that you like ARR's music a lot more than maybe IR's and that's perfectly alright. But the approach you're taking to show the difference (you really don't have to make a comparison to say he is good!!) between him and IR is somewhat confusing, & annoying (to be honest:-)) Maybe you're just interested in provoking IR fans:-))
  
  Like your statement about how people are able to appreciate/understand music better these days. This happened way back in the 70s or even before that in the period of Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy as well. People back then identified it as 'their' music or music which reflected their culture. What ARR has popularized now is the western & middle-eastern genres of music, and people are in a position to understand it better now because of 'globalization', or in other words media's influence. Another reason why the general public don't usually discuss about IR's music is because his style is more entrenched in classical music, western or carnatic. So, people like me who don't possess a great deal of knoweldge in classical music, can only enjoy the beauty of it, but may not be able to see all the intricate details behind the composition.
  
  
• From: Srikanth (@ slip-32-101-16-24.il.us.ibm.net) on: Thu Nov 19 01:50:35 EST 1998
  
  Oops..Missed out:
  One more thing on Arr, he has introduced many singers -- I hear many asking So what! -
  but the key is he boldy introduced them in his first few movies. No one will dare to experiment with new singers. Any "kathukuti" MD will prefer top singers to save thier #ss
  
  Srikanth
  
  
• From: Srinivasan (@ global25.citicorp.com) on: Thu Nov 19 05:01:57 EST 1998
  
  Seems like the topic is not like comparing "apple with an apple". My opinion about ARR is he's an "electronic MD" using a suite of synthesizers etc., If you talk about the MUSIC in it.. it's very less. IR on the other hand uses natural instruments to produce the music. The musical value is there so that one can say it's western or carnatic or ther form. So IR's products can be recognisd as a particular music and the innovativeness can be appreciated. ARR's approach is "mix and match" and we get "triggered" if a particular combination works out. ARR too is not concentrating too much on the quality of the recordings nowadays. Listen to his earlier albums like "thiruda thiruda" "gentleman and the latest JEANS and Dil Se. In spite of the Digital technology advancement there is no considerable increase in the quality. I don't think we should compare the MDs of different generations. Why don't we start a thread comparing TR PAPPA and MSV or SM.subbiah Naidu with VISW+Ramamurthy ...
  
  
• From: UV (@ webgate0.mot.com) on: Thu Nov 19 06:52:41 EST 1998
  
  IMO, the great difference betn these 2 guys (IR and arr) is that Raja is CREATIVE and arr is INNOVATIVE.Hope the diff is clear.
  I don't claim that raja isn't innovative (no one can be as innovative as raja)and arr not creative (he sometimes is)....
  
  
  
• From: ram (@ 206.103.12.118) on: Thu Nov 19 09:45:01 EST 1998
  
  Dear ARR
  
  Thank God, some of the talented MDs like R.D.Burman are not alive now. Otherwise, even for their original music you people would have termed it as ARR's impact etc.
  
  Great(?) Impact on Indian Contemporary Music!!! How can you use such a generalised term? ICM is not just your so called film songs alone.
  
  If you guys want to belittle IR, please go ahead. He does not require any more certificates from any one of us when people like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Hariprasad Chaurasia (and many more) had already given their credits for IR in various occasions.
  But don't ridicule the entire Indian Music World!
  
  
  
• From: ram (@ 206.103.12.118) on: Thu Nov 19 09:52:15 EST 1998
  
  Sorry, I missed out the word Fans,
  
  Dear ARR Fans,
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ ss07.nc.us.ibm.com) on: Thu Nov 19 11:26:36 EST 1998
  
  ram:
  I consider myself the 'hardest', 'corest' 'IRest', 'fannest' (did I leave out any superlatives?!!! ). But even I can't deny the fact that ARR has made a very big impact on Indian Contemporary Music. I don't think it is good for music in general, though it is good by itself. If it is the comparisions that worry you, IR's impact may not have been as big, but was certainly much better, atleast IMO.
  
  A small digression - last night I was listening to 'Poongatru' from Moondram Pirai. I felt pained that the man who composed a song like this was being belittled - by simply comparing him with others. Like Srikanth says, I too don't like to give credit to IR when it is not due (especially where his new albums are concerned, including KM). But I feel the heights reached by IR as regards music cannot be scaled by anyone else. So ARR fans, please don't be disappointed by the amount of support that IR receives here in the DF - it is not even sufficient, let alone exaggerated. But again, I agree that that support should never be shown in the form of ARR baiting.
  
  
• From: N.C.Ramakrishna (@ 169-250-215.ipt.aol.com) on: Thu Nov 19 13:23:53 EST 1998
  
  Srikanth
  
  Please check out the ARR chat in Rediff. You can understand why ARR has introduced many new singers. I think it is not something he has done of his own, but he is forced to.
  
  I will reproduce same below
  
  thirudathiruda (Mon Aug 17 1998 13:1 IST)
  Mr Rehman, why is it that you don't use S P Bala in any of your songs anymore??
  
  
  A R Rahman (Mon Aug 17 1998 13:4 IST)
  Raju: Ranjit Barot has composed Vande Mataram 2 for Bharatbala...
  Thiruda Thiruda: S P Bala sung for me in Taal. He is concentrating on acting and, since we record instantaneously and due to shooting pressue, one is forced to use other singers because of SP's non-availability. He has a very good voice.
  
  Thanks
  
  
• From: Nitin (@ moff351-18.lib.berkeley.edu) on: Thu Nov 19 15:55:37 EST 1998
  
  To Srinivasan:
  
  Ya, right.......... Sure.
  
  Kannalane(Bombay)
  
  Uyrium Niye(Pavitra)
  
  Khili Chandni(Indira)
  
  Envitha Tothaatil(Gentleman)
  
  Naramugaye(Iruvar)
  
  &
  
  Yenmil Vizhunda(May Madham)
  
  ......which are some of the best ARR compositions are "electronic"(according to you), right?:))
  
  
• From: Dev Mannemela (@ tide77.microsoft.com) on: Thu Nov 19 15:59:12 EST 1998
  
  N.C.Ramakrishna,
  
  You have to read a little between the lines there :-)
  
  How can SPB sing every song in every telugu movie and quite a lot of songs in tamil (until very recently..), if he is so busy acting ??
  
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments