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Yesudas attacks ARR's version of Vandhe mataram

Topic started by Anand Mahadevan (@ tnt01-abe-119.fast.net) on Tue Oct 6 21:02:25 EDT 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

http://www.tamilcinema.com/cinenews/news/cinenews.htm

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: dhan (@ dajal.legato.com) on: Wed Oct 7 15:37:41 EDT 1998
  
  In some other interview(dont know where I saw it) KJY in defence of his tamil ucharippu, squarely pointed to ARR's singing of vandaeeeee Maatharam"...that makes me to think KJY indeed pointing to ARR directly.
  
  As far as ARR VM concerned, come on guys give a break. Here's a guy in twenties has stood up and sung bravely VM in front of the whole nation. tell me guys, how many of us(the mass) think about VM these days. whetever could be the quality of the song, but ARR made the entire nation to situp and remember VM song once again. As Srikkant says its a fine contribution from TFM. As far as the pop style concerned, thats the way to reach young guys. The instrumental piece of Bakim C Chatterjee's original has been played as such in VM album, is that caught fire with the young generation??? I am proud that VM has happened and I'm not ashamed to say in this forum(mostly IR driven) VM indeed aroused patriotism in me, it's not defintely trash as claimed here!
  
  
• From: PK (@ node1.allegiance.net) on: Wed Oct 7 15:49:36 EDT 1998
  
  Whatever said and done, I think that these national songs need to be given their due amount of respect, and should not be changed in any way. For that matter, do you think people would accept if someone comes up with a new music for Jana Gana Mana....' No way. i think the peopel of India as a mass would have opposed that. LIke Srinath has pointed out earlier, If the lyrics of ARR's VM are not the same as the original song written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee(or was it Rabindranath Tagore) then Arr has all the rights to give his own music to those lyrics and he should not change the music for the original lyrics in any form
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ gate3.ca.us.ibm.com) on: Wed Oct 7 16:10:14 EDT 1998
  
  Oh God ! Please spare me !
  
  dhan:
  When I spoke about selective patriotism, it covered both extremes. Our generation cannot even begin to understand the sacrifice and dedication of the freedom fighters. A 'brave' youth in his twenties, shouting Vande Mataram in Jeans with a hippy hairstyle and an open shirt is about as far away from patriotism as could possibly be.
  
  Please don't let your appreciation for ARR color your comments. That album was and will always be recognized as the largest 'selling' Indian pop album of its time - not as a patriotism inducing agent. If you are wondering why the media is claiming that VM has caught fire with the younger generation - welcome to the world of advertising !
  
  Wasn't it Sony who produced the album ? Who produced the Uppu Sathyagraham ? One Mr.Gaendi, eh ? How many of you even remembered Oct. 2nd ? Brave youth, I believe....bunkum.
  
  
• From: Srinivas (@ scproxy3.sc.intel.com) on: Wed Oct 7 16:30:28 EDT 1998
  
  Srinath,
  I am in total agreement with you over this bumkum patriotism.
  ARR and Bharat Bala only suceeded in converting patriotism into a marketable commodity in the whole exercise (of course with help from Sony).
  The timing was also perfect right on the eve of the 50th anniversary of independence.
  
  Also none of the lyrics mentions anything about the sacrifices made and the lives lost in our freedom struggle. Maybe it is just a celebration of freedom, including among other things the freedom to make pseudo-patriotic songs :-))
  
  
• From: PK (@ node1.allegiance.net) on: Wed Oct 7 17:22:34 EDT 1998
  
  Srinath:
  I think you hit the bulls eye when you said:
  
  "A 'brave' youth in his twenties, shouting Vande Mataram in Jeans with a hippy hairstyle and an open shirt is about as far away from patriotism as could possibly be. "
  
  And also as Srinivas has pointed out probably since the timing for the album was the eve of the 50th independence day and the song similar to the original Vande Mataram, people gave the album an addition adjective that it is a patriotic album and it should induce patriotism in the youth of the country. IMHO, ARR and Bharat Bala have only succeded in using the garb of patriotism, to commercially market their album.
  
  
• From: PK (@ node1.allegiance.net) on: Wed Oct 7 17:24:14 EDT 1998
  
  by the way, I think we are all digressing from the original topic, as to why KJY made such a blatant attack on ARR's VM!!!!!
  
  Let's get back to that topic.
  
  
• From: dhan (@ dajal.legato.com) on: Wed Oct 7 17:35:13 EDT 1998
  
  Srinath,
  
  I agree with you that there is a lot of marketing jingoism with VM, but we al know that without marketing nothing sells in India. But ARR did spent around 3 months(he could have defintely made a film album in that time, and made 10 million easily) and released an album towards something meaningful. I do understand the hindi/urdu songs in VM, but Vairamuthu's lyrics were really good.
  ofcourse it's not in the same vein as "Indiya naadu enn veedu, indhian enbadhu enn moochu" but it's a lot simpler and less ornamental meant for today's youth.
  
  How many of you even remembered Oct. 2nd ?
  
  My point is simple. I appreciate the fact the fact someone of us was not ashamed to sing VM when most of us never felt fashionable to utter the word. He tried whereas the musical brahmas have never even thought about it. If Bhavadharani and Ranjit barrot are releasing albums on VM(may be far better than ARR's VM)but then it's because the path has been shown by ARR.
  
  
  
• From: Srinivas (@ scproxy3.sc.intel.com) on: Wed Oct 7 17:55:22 EDT 1998
  
  Dhan :
  I do not understand your stmt
  "someone of us was not ashamed to sing VM when most of us never felt fashionable to utter the word".
  
  I for one DEFINITELY would not let any warped notions of fashion influence my reverence towards any of our national songs.
  
  Why shoould it be considered fashionable/ unfashionable to sing a National song? Patriotism has nothing to do with fashion (IMHO). I do not have to scream "Vande Mataram" at the top of my voice to be considered patriotic! To me being Indian is in the way I live- it has got nothing to do with what fashions I wear or what songs I listen to. I remain unconvinced that VM was motivated out of patriotic interests.
  
  Srinivas
  
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ socks13d.raleigh.ibm.com) on: Wed Oct 7 18:15:59 EDT 1998
  
  dhan:
  Why do I feel ARR made more than 10 million ( in cash or kind/popularity ) by actually not taking up any movie assignments and opting for VM ?
  
  Though I appreciate your positive take on ARR's motives, it would be an insult to my intelligence to subscribe to that notion in whole or even part.
  
  
• From: Thomas (@ nb24ppp111.cac.psu.edu) on: Wed Oct 7 21:27:31 EDT 1998
  
  Lata's voice may or maynot sound beautiful as it did years ago, but that's open to critisism. However, my point was that he is in no position to tell India's 'Queen of Melody' when to stop singing. He maybe a gifted singer, but that's all he is, just another singer. Not the all knowing authority in music!
  
  
• From: NOV (@ 202.184.134.10) on: Wed Oct 7 22:06:50 EDT 1998
  
  My Opinion:
  
  It is one thing for us, as paying consumers, to criticise artistes, but something else altogether for an artiste to condemn another fellow artiste. It would appear to most people as the green-eyed monster.
  
  Not that it has not happened before - we have seen it in the likes of TMS, LRE, etc.
  
  And those who spare their comments, such as SP Bala, always will remain respected in our eyes.
  
  
• From: Ramakrishna (@ spider-we011.proxy.aol.com) on: Wed Oct 7 22:46:35 EDT 1998
  
  I dont see anything wrong in KJY statements. But I dont know whether he has the right to pass that judgement or not
  
  I also see ARR's effort on VM is nothing more than a product which he could market well by perfect timing. There are some songs which are meant to be song the same way they are meant to. They should not be tampered.
  
  Whether he did or didnt sign any movie to do this album is ARR's problem. May be he might have got more than what he gets for a film to do this album, who knows?
  
  We cant inject into the coming generation, these modified versions of songs as original Vandemataram. We dont get patriotism in just shouting VM. Can we imagine Jana Gana Mana sung in a different way? Can we imagine Suprabatham sung in a pop style.
  
  If ARR is more patriatic, why dont he write and sing something which generates patriotism. Why should he use songs like VM which is somebody else's property!!!
  
  why he has to tamper the song which is meant to be sacred?
  
  
• From: Bib (@ webgate0.mot.com) on: Thu Oct 8 01:00:33 EDT 1998
  
  dhan,
  "Ayyayyo Alamelu" from Deva (movie name) aroused patriotism in me next to ARRs VM ;-))
  
  
• From: karthik (@ 207.78.88.252) on: Thu Oct 8 09:45:59 EDT 1998
  
  Mr. Ramakrishna, you are making a frivilous argument. Who told you that "vande matharam" is someone else's property? It is our national song and we have every right to use it(even commercially). If you cant appreciate suprabatham in pop, thats your problem.
  
  
• From: Srikanth (@ proxy1.dpn.deere.com) on: Thu Oct 8 10:00:52 EDT 1998
  
  Hi
  Mr.Ramakrishna - I dont get what you are saying.
  Every Indian has the right to use VM.
  It is like Bharathiyars work, I can compose tunes for his songs and do an album without asking anyone. (BTW:I am working on one right now)
  
  KJY always passes comments on fellow musicians, if he had sung in the album he would kept his mouth shut. Please Ignore the comment. There are better critics in India than KJY, most of them have accecpted it. Have anyone see the song with the video, it adds more value to the song.
  Here music has the back seat -
  1. National Sprit
  2. Video
  3. Song
  .
  .
  .100 ARR's long haired funny looking Face.
  
  "We cant inject into the coming generation, these modified versions of songs as original vandemataram" - the so called young Generation did not know about VM before the album was released. Also we need something new after 50 years, it is like renovating a house to give a mordern look.
  
  FYI: Arr has not altered the VM tune, it is the same. Has more BGM scores for the original song.
  
  Musically it is perfect, no doubt it.
  
  Srikanth
  
  
  
  
• From: Srikanth (@ proxy1.dpn.deere.com) on: Thu Oct 8 10:01:06 EDT 1998
  
  Hi
  Mr.Ramakrishna - I dont get what you are saying.
  Every Indian has the right to use VM.
  It is like Bharathiyars work, I can compose tunes for his songs and do an album without asking anyone. (BTW:I am working on one right now)
  
  KJY always passes comments on fellow musicians, if he had sung in the album he would kept his mouth shut. Please Ignore the comment. There are better critics in India than KJY, most of them have accecpted it. Have anyone see the song with the video, it adds more value to the song.
  Here music has the back seat -
  1. National Sprit
  2. Video
  3. Song
  .
  .
  .100 ARR's long haired funny looking Face.
  
  "We cant inject into the coming generation, these modified versions of songs as original vandemataram" - the so called young Generation did not know about VM before the album was released. Also we need something new after 50 years, it is like renovating a house to give a mordern look.
  
  FYI: Arr has not altered the VM tune, it is the same. Has more BGM scores for the original song.
  
  Musically it is perfect, no doubt about it.
  
  Srikanth
  
  
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ gatekeeper.oracle.co.uk) on: Thu Oct 8 13:16:55 EDT 1998
  
  Wasn't the original Vandhe Matharam in Desh too? It's know as a Ragam that induces patriotism in oneself....I don't understand the KJJ Ragam connotations, what can he be talking about and why is he doing it so long after the release of the album? What about other people's attempts of the same thing? What has he got against rahman, who has flown his down from Florida on several occasions to sing for him, unlike most other MD's who have 'forgotten' him?
  
  I've been spending a lot of time with A.Sivamani, ARR's drummer. I'll ask him if he knows of any animosity between KJJ and ARR......I feel that this reporter is probably exaggerating a lot.....
  
  

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