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P. Susheela Vs. Lata Mangeshkar

Topic started by Neels (@ ppp3-121.bom.vsnl.net.in) on Fri May 8 10:35:41 EDT 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I strongly feel that in spite of ruling the South Indian Cinema for so many decades, Susheela hasn't got the recognition she deserves...
In fact Susheela and S Janaki did to South Indian Music what Lata and Asha did for Hindi films... and yet, they haven't got their dues..
Forget nation-wide recognition (Read: Hindi Film Industry), even the music companies are not doing anything about it.. HMV for instance in Hindi has over the years come out with so many combinations of the "Golden Oldies" like Lata sings for Madan Mohan, Lata with Kishore, with such ans such artist,,, that the list seems endless.
Is it because the "Southies" can not market themselves???
Is there anyone out there listening???

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Murali Sankar (@ ncr1.ece.sc.edu) on: Sat Jan 9 02:41:06 EST 1999
  
  I find in my personal observation that it is PS whose voice does not "pierce" through yhe ears whaen one hears a song in a walkman. I find many of SJ songs literally doing the one I described. In the high ptched songs I feel that PS has done a more respectable job than SJ. This can be inferred if one hears the song "Isaiyarasi" Ramaswamy Gireesan's site.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.25.56) on: Sat Jan 9 02:42:58 EST 1999
  
  ayya murali sankar,
  this is PS Vs Lata and not PS Vs SJ :))
  
  
• From: Murali Sankar (@ ncr1.ece.sc.edu) on: Sat Jan 9 15:23:57 EST 1999
  
  I perfectly understand your lament, vijay. I was just indiacting how I admire PS. There is no separate thread at present running for admiring PS :)))
  
  
• From: Shanmugam Murugappan (@ 208.236.83.26) on: Mon Jan 11 16:15:20 EST 1999
  
  Karthi,
  
  You are right. But, the younger generation, seemed to have forgotten PS. I was speaking with some of my friends (all my juniors) and one of them gave a blatant statement that, "LM is the greatest. One singer who I can think can come any nearer to her in TFM, or for that matter whole of India, is SJ. But, she too is not that versatile as LM.". I told him about PS and her old songs and also made him hear some old PS melodies. But, that guy maintained his stand and others in the room were also all praises for LM and SJ while calling PS voice as "old and not gold". I was disappointed because, though I am a great fan of Chitra, I feel that PS is one of the greatest singers from India, comparable to the likes of LM, AB, SJ, et al, or even better. I agree, opinions differ. But, what made me very worried was that these people feel that PS is not that much great as some people claim her to be and she is a very ordinary singer. I feel that some audio companies should do a collection of PS melodies and market them well, so that this great singer will not be totally erased from people's (or shall I say, the younger generation) memories.
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ ifmxlenx.na.informix.com) on: Mon Jan 11 18:02:42 EST 1999
  
  One major advantage Lata had over the rest (ie PS,SJ etc) was that she was the first of her kind ie a good voice with universal appeal. When she stepped in, HFM was undergoing a revolution with Pankaj Mullick, RC Boral, Ghulam Haider etc on the way out and CRamachandra, Naushad, Husenlal Bhagathram were ushering in a new era with songs covering the complete gamut of moods and situations like Rock & Roll, Classical, Semi-classical, light love duet etc. Lata did ample justice to all that was thrown her way. Therefore she remains the first lady singer to make waves nationwide and thus displaced the not so melodious Ameerbhai Karnatki, SHamshad Begum et all. She also perfected the technique of singing for films with her mike sense and breath control before anybody else. The fact therefore remains that she was the "Manaseega guru" for PS and SJ and it is the way of the world that a pioneer is always placed at the highest pedestal.... and the rest are treated as lesser mortals....so unfortunate. This, coupled with the HFM reach is the reason for her unsurpassed popularity.
  
  
  
  
• From: Vaasu (@ gup-077-dpm2.cia-g.com) on: Mon Jan 11 20:30:46 EST 1999
  
  Hi Guys
  
  A different perspective;-)
  
  To someone who hears Hindi songs but listens
  to Tamil songs(only)like most SI's, its like apples(PS) and oranges(LM).
  
  When i listen to PS sing 'paaveenthar
  Bharathi Dasan's "thamizukkum amuthendru
  peer,antha thamiz inba thamiz engkaL uyirkku
  neer",...[from panjchavarNakiLi]
  
  i've been teary eyed' many a times :-()
  
  The voice is so 'soul soothing'; i really
  doubt anyone can bring that feeling to a
  Tamil's heart,even if he understands Hindi..
  
  So who cares about recognition;whoever
  that never had a chance to listen to PS,
  they are the ultimate loosers ;-(
  
  thx
  
  
  
  
  
• From: karthi (@ lab3.theatrium.net) on: Mon Jan 11 22:33:28 EST 1999
  
  Hi Shan!
  
  Just ignore them!
  
  You know how the proverb goes....
  
  "Kazhudhaikku Theriyumaa Karpoora Vaasanai"
  
  So, it's mere waste of time and energy to make the blind see the truth or the deaf listen to pure music (which is PS voice).
  
  Any one with a sense of appreciation for perfect rendition, and good taste for melody and, a keen ear for quality voice will accept PS is the best. Those who do not have any of these are just not fit even to listen to PS let alone make comments.
  
  I challenge openly all those who refuse to recognize PS voice that they will fail utterly (and hence bitterly) if they are to prove their claim, let's say, to a group of distinguished and renowned critics and musicians collected from all over the world!
  
  I reinstate:
  
  PS' VOICE IS THE BEST VOICE IN THE WORLD.
  
  In retrospect, I doubt if those who you've talked to, have thoroughly listened to their so called favourites i.e., Latha or Janaki, either!
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ 129.252.28.20) on: Tue Jan 12 01:05:16 EST 1999
  
  Enna karthi sir, neengalum Mahendran sir maadhiri statement vida aarambichuttenga :))
  
  
• From: Shanmugam Murugappan (@ 208.236.83.16) on: Tue Jan 12 16:47:23 EST 1999
  
  
  Karthi,
  
  > PS' VOICE IS THE BEST VOICE IN THE WORLD.
  
  I will join you in your claim. I felt very happy when Chithra was called the "newest nightingale" after "Sindhu Bhairavi" and she was compared with PS and SJ. That is a great honour to my favourite singer.
  
  The people with whom I was talking were more interested in Hindi songs than Thamizh songs. It was their opinion, I agree. But, I was disappointed and worried when they said that PS' voice lacks "iLamai" after hearing to "unnai kaanaadha kannum kannalla" and "malarndhum malaraadha". Adhukku appuram, neenga sonna maadhiridhaan. "kazhudhaikku theriyumaa karpoora vaasanai" appadinnu poittaen.
  
  
• From: karthi (@ lab3.theatrium.net) on: Tue Jan 12 22:07:36 EST 1999
  
  Hallo Velaiyaththavan, sorry unga per theriyala.
  
  I just didn't make a statement. I meant it all. See, I am not a person to try to change people's opinion, after all, every one has his or her own beliefs and likes.
  
  You could claim Lata is the best or SJ is the best, that's your wish. But you are not supposed to make comments which are contrary to facts or popular beliefs. By 'popular beliefs' I mean 'Podhu Jana Abipraayam'. Mr.Podhujanam can not be blind or foolish. Had he been then PS would have sunk into darkness. But she didn't. She was in fact the melody queen of South India. She has won innumerable awards and honors. She was the heart throb of the music world for decades. These are not what I say out of my imagination. These are facts which every informed South Indian knows and this is history.
  
  Now you should weigh the implications before making comments like 'her voice is old and not gold', 'she's not versatile', 'her voice is not youthful'. That was why I got worked up.
  
  I can enjoy and admire any beautiful song. Since I have this sense of appreciation for art and artists (so are we all, I mean you and me and everyone in this forum), I can claim I am an artist. And you see artists are generally highly emotional, they are always ready to burst their feelings. That was one such moment. That's it.
  
  BTW, Mr.Mahendran enna statement vittaar?
  
  
• From: Velaiyaththavan (@ ncr1.ece.sc.edu) on: Wed Jan 13 02:52:04 EST 1999
  
  I meant "IR is ...IR is ..." type. Take it as a jestful gesture. I wrote that only to add enthu and not to hurt. I am an admirer of PS too.
  
  
• From: Neels (@ 202.54.125.176) on: Wed Jan 13 03:11:16 EST 1999
  
  We all know that PS has not sung many songs under IR (for whatever reasons, he always preferred SJ)
  But, have you noticed that every single song PS sung for him have been memorable numbers? Not a single song can be labelled as an 'also-ran'. Consider these songs:
  
  1. Sondam Illai Bhandam Illai (Annakkili)
  2. En Mannavan En Kaadalan (Chittukkuruvi)
  3. Kannan Oru Kaikkuzhandai (Bhadra Kaali)
  4. Manjal Nilaavukku (Mudal Iravu?)
  5. Amudhe Tamizhe (Kovil Pura)
  6. Oh Thendrale (Nenjathai Killade)
  7. Paada Vandado Gaanam (Ilamai Kalangal)
  8. Seer kondu sendravan Yaar endu solladi Thozhi (Enakkul Oruvan)
  9. Kaali Daasan Kanna Daasan (Soorakkottai Chingakutti)
  10. Kaalai Thendral (Uyarnda Ullam)
  ...
  ...
  ...
  They have all been great songs. Probably IR was 'selective' about giving some of his best numbers to her. (Let's give him the benefit of the doubt:))
  
  
  Neels
  
  
• From: Shanmugam Murugappan (@ 208.236.83.26) on: Wed Jan 13 14:15:41 EST 1999
  
  Neels,
  
  In addition to your list of great numbers :
  
  1) muthu mani maalai - Chinna Gounder
  2) karpoora bommai - Keladi Kanmani
  3) aadum neram - Soora Samharam
  4) andhi mazhai - Nayagan
  5) One song from the film "Chinnathayee"
  6) One song from the film "Karpoora Mullai"
  7) poopookkum maasam - Varusham 16
  
  IR had great respect for PS and vice versa.
  
  
• From: Shanmugam Murugappan (@ 208.236.83.26) on: Wed Jan 13 16:12:45 EST 1999
  
  Hi,
  
  To continue with the previous posting, inspite of all the respect that IR had for PS, he preferred SJ mostly due to various reasons as discussed in various other threads - the most fitting of them being that IR himself being a trend setter promoted another singer who can modulate her voice better in such a way that it can suit the situation and tempo of the song more than the actress and SJ was his right choice. Still, IR continued to give chances to PS and also introduced great singers like Chithra
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ ifmxlenx.na.informix.com) on: Wed Jan 13 16:50:10 EST 1999
  
  Karthi...Aaha!!!!! UNarchi Pizhambaaga maarivitteere. Will call you up sometime during this week.
  
  

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