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Maestro Ilaiyaraja has to change style radically

Topic started by Nithin Sreedevan (@ nc.pr.mcs.net) on Tue Mar 3 19:42:34 EST 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Ilaiyaraja has to change style radically to be accepted by the growing City audience

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Nithin Sreedevan (@ nc.pr.mcs.net) on: Wed Mar 4 14:27:44 EST 1998
  
  Dear Vijay and Pinchi
  
  I have never been impressed with any of ARR' music including Roja. Only Minsara Kanavu, Iruvar and Ratchagan told me that this guy has matured, he is now here for good and will get Indian music to new heights for which Raja could only set the foundation, but not achieve anything really, because of the IDIOM he stuck to for 20 years. It is time RAJA changed his tunes, which are shorter, abrupt at times. Look at MK's all the songs, what melodies. There was not need for any interludes at all simply because the songs were unusual, soft and amazing tunes, which reminded me of the Sound of Music and far different and more pleasing than the Sound of Music. Unfortunately, my dear Ragadevan has not challenged the Sound of Music in its own Idiom. If you do not understand, what I mean by idiom, it simply means the structure or the construct that forms the basis of a melody. Raja's structure is of the old film song style, not the type you see Andrew Webber or Andy Williams or Rodgers Hammerstein or Frank Sinatra employed, which is the idiom of international music and now ARR has employed it for the first time ever in Indian Film Music.
  
  Raja can also do it, but he never wanted to as his construct was folk and classical, which have more notes and is highly intricate, melodius, requiring higher levels of energy. JAZZ is easier, light, soft and extremely modern, not classical at all.
  
  
• From: suresh (@ bluebird.qut.edu.au) on: Wed Mar 4 22:19:13 EST 1998
  
  nithin,
  you're asking something similar to asking sivaji to dance like prabhu deva just b'cos that's what todays teenyboppers want. is there something called an "universal idiom" in music that every MD has to follow? just b'cos jazz is fashionable to a section, does that make classical music & folk music stink? pandering to popular tastes is a job that anybody with a pulse on the new generation can do; it doesn't require great creativity or originality. all it requires is adaptability, that's it (why, even deva is as good as ARR in that respect). IRs greatness is that he refined the music tastes of countless people who had no exposure to classical western or such other forms of music; he was the one who opened the tamil music fans' minds to diff. styles of music - ARR is just treading on his path. he could reach even his stylish compositions (priya, johnny, "etho moham"..) to the farthest corners of the state; would u think ARR could do that with any of this offbeat songs. dont forget that IR came as a rustic villager from a dusty remote village that had no access to mass media, and created a revolution that stands the test of time. ARR grew and learnt in recording studios (his father was a MD), he belongs to this generation, and he's abreast with today's technology and adept at using them. he has the wide backing of media who think he's fashionable, and almost every leading film director of today (who've had their best hits from IR).. ARR is contemporary, can he be everlasting? let him make us listen to his music after its grown about 10 years old with the same anticipation and pleasure that we experienced the first time; let him reach his music to ramarajan's fans as well as abbas'.. that will establish him as a true master of the trade. do u think that day will ever come? IRs is the art of the creative, sublime & sensual, and that will always count in the long term. can any MD in India come up with a "how to name it" or "Nothing but wind" even while doing 40 movies a year?
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.29.214) on: Thu Mar 5 00:43:27 EST 1998
  
  well said,suresh
  
  vijay
  
  
• From: P.Dhanesh(Mass) (@ 206.103.12.229) on: Thu Mar 5 04:03:00 EST 1998
  
  I too agree with suresh. Why should IR change his style. His style is very unique. Even the most unpopular of his songs sound decent to me b'cos they are different from the common lot.
  Lets come to the quality of background music. IR is unparalleled in this field. ARR bkg music is worst of all. I think u must have seen "Indhiyan" , there is an arbit scream or rather cry as bkg music
  when kamal kills one of his victims, such a music does'nt give life to the scene, as a matter of fact it stands out alone and pains the listener to the core.
  as far as bkg music is concerned IR is the best even now, i saw "kathalukku mariathai". there was nothing special abt the movie except for the last scene, but again the bkg music was just too good. It makes you move with the movie.
  any comments..
  
  
• From: MSK (@ dhcp-877019741.qualcomm.com) on: Thu Mar 5 13:09:11 EST 1998
  
  Well Put Suresh. I cannot agree more on this.
  To further justify., IR in his peak has scored abt 52 films (in 1992) a year. BUt the point is QUALITy was never at danger. I have all listened to almost all of his 1992 songs.
  
  U know how many ARR has composed( including the Blue bin stuff)in all his 6 years of TFM career. hardly 40 movies.!!!! This speaks volume of who is versatile...
  
  
• From: Ravy (@ ww-te01.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Mar 7 18:16:47 EST 1998
  
  Scoring 52 films a year doesn't make one versatile. Prolific.
  
  In spite of being a die-hard IR fan, I had to concede that IR was not at his best in 92.
  
  
• From: Madhan (@ 202.41.117.3) on: Sat Mar 7 23:33:34 EST 1998
  
  Friends,
  
  I have not listened to "Ratchagan" yet - but, what is thing about changing style - one song " Asai adhigam vechhu" from Marupadiyum in 1992-93 swept away the success of Roja songs - this song was the rage all over T>Nadu, then ( this is not to say that Roja was bad,but when everybody startted claiming that IR was out then, he produced this song and sealed everyone's lips - that is what i call competence) - so, IR will conquer in his own inimatable style - donot worry.
  
  
  
• From: k.r.ravi (@ 29.birmingham-04.al.dial-access.att.net) on: Sun Mar 8 08:01:41 EST 1998
  
  Suresh , you said it well. If ILAYARAAJA should change his style, then he is no more ILAYARAAJA.ILAYARAAJA, has his own style, thats hard/impossible to imitate. Got it. His music binds you with your land . Well, i was listening to some of his golden collection , oh Boy, i just wanted to take a ticket back home. I think already i 've said something regarding this in another thread. We, keep expecting ILAYARAAJA to do lot of thing. He has already done so many styles and experiments like jazz, classical(Western and carnatic), folk, intstrumental, etc. And many permutation and combination of the above styles. So, just imagine has anybody else done anything like that. Ecerybody else is just restricted to one or two modes thats all. Well , lastly i didnt expect this from nithin.
  
  
• From: N.GANESH (@ 202.54.37.18) on: Sun Mar 8 08:58:44 EST 1998
  
  suresh,
  i completely agree with u.if IR were to change his style then IR will no longer be IR.nithin,i could not understand the essence of ur topic.see,IR has had his innings very successfully in jazz(kalaignan,enakkul oruvan),carnatic(payanangal mudivadhillai,sindhu bhairavai,sagara sangamam,rudra veena,moghamull and so many ..),western (johnny,anjali,punnagai mannan,priya ,dhalapathi)folk( that is raja's main forte).but U can hardlee count on ARR'S contribution in these areas.even today we can hear to hajjar songs of IR but can ARR's tunes stand so long.definitely not.ARR is a music director but ILLAYARAJA IS A COMPOSER(CREATOR)
  pudhu raagam padaippadhalae illayaraja iraivan dhan
  
  
• From: N.GANESH (@ 202.54.37.18) on: Sun Mar 8 08:59:27 EST 1998
  
  suresh,
  i completely agree with u.if IR were to change his style then IR will no longer be IR.nithin,i could not understand the essence of ur topic.see,IR has had his innings very successfully in jazz(kalaignan,enakkul oruvan),carnatic(payanangal mudivadhillai,sindhu bhairavai,sagara sangamam,rudra veena,moghamull and so many ..),western (johnny,anjali,punnagai mannan,priya ,dhalapathi)folk( that is raja's main forte).but U can hardlee count on ARR'S contribution in these areas.even today we can hear to hajjar songs of IR but can ARR's tunes stand so long.definitely not.ARR is a music director but ILLAYARAJA IS A COMPOSER(CREATOR)
  pudhu raagam padaippadhalae illayaraja iraivan dhan
  
  
• From: Swami (@ gamma2.uta.edu) on: Sun Mar 8 17:22:02 EST 1998
  
  Hai,
  I went to "Kathalukku Mariyathai", on Fri in Dallas and I don't have words to express the way in which the BG was scored. Esp., the first scene where Vijay and shalini meet, wow what a composition he has given. 'Ennai thalata varuvaloo' was astounding to seee on the screeen.....hey man he's unbeleivable.
  
  

  Let others change their styles and let IR remain is own.

  
  
  -Swami.
  
  
• From: swami (@ gamma2.uta.edu) on: Sun Mar 8 17:24:01 EST 1998
  
  ai,
  I went to "Kathalukku Mariyathai", on Fri in Dallas and I don't have words to express the way in which
  the BG was scored. Esp., the first scene where Vijay and shalini meet, wow what a composition he has given. 'Ennai thalata varuvaloo' was astounding to seee on the screeen.....hey man he's unbeleivable.
  
  

  Let others change their styles and let IR remain on his own.

  
  
  -Swami.
  
  

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