Topic started by Guru (@ 129.49.80.172) on Sun Sep 29 07:09:39 EDT 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
Quality of film songs has gone down: Lyricists
Our Staff Reporter
Chennai, Sept 29:
Leading film lyricists who participated in the centenary celebrations of lyricist and poet Udumalai Narayanakavi organised by the Sahitya Akademi and Kavya Circle in the city yesterday were unanimous in their opinion that the quality of film songs has degenerated. While veteran lyricist Vali candidly remarked that films had nothing to do with aesthetics or arts and that it was purely a business, popular lyricist Vairamuthu blamed it on the changing times. However, poetess Thamarai provided some comfort to those seeking improvement in film songs when she said lyricists should not bow to the whims and fancies of producers and directors who expect abject verses from them. Thamarai said she declined to pen a song on fashion shows and beauty contests recently. Although she had earned a bad name by such acts, she had successfully avoided writing vulgar and obscene lines. Lyricists should have social responsibility as films and its songs have considerable impact on the people especially youth, she said in a soft but determined tone. Film industry was not purely a business and it had artistic value too, she observed. She hailed Narayanakavi as a poet who propagated rationalism and social reforms and vowed to follow in his footsteps.
Thamarai said all Tamil poets from Ilango who created the epic Silappadhikaran were emotionally attached to Cauvery. Cauvery is not only a river. It is our cultural symbol and the origin of of our civilisation. Poets should be in the forefront of an agitation to secure the release of Cauvery water, which is our right, Thamarai said.
Vairamuthu who spoke later said the deterioration of films songs was a reflection of the changing times. He speculated that he would have penned good songs with quality in both content and form if he was in the film industry four decades earlier. He came out with a revelation that the most popular lyricist Kannadasan had planned to take up journalism after he returned from US (where he died) suggesting that the most successful lyricist who reigned supreme in the Tamil celluloid world was not able to cope with the pressures of modern film industry.
Vairamuthu justified English words in Tamil songs saying that they were used only for humour and fun. Only Tamil words were used for serious situations, he said.
Unlike Vairamuthu who offered several excuses and tried to defend the lyricists, Vali who spoke earlier said film songs were penned for loaves and fishes. Those who claim that they are doing yeoman service to arts and literature by producing films are deceiving people. It is all defrauding the common man. I am in this field for more than 45 years and I know what is happening, he observed.
The other lyricist Muthulingam who also spoke, attributed the deplorable standard of film songs to the lack of Tamil literary knowledge among music directors, producers and directors. Apart from Ilayaraja who is well versed in Tamil literature, no music director understands simple Tamil words leave alone poetry, he remarked.
Muthulingam recalled the achievements of the Justice Party and the association of Narayanakavi with the Dravidian movement. Earlier, a book titled Udumalai Narayanakavi written by K Shanmugasundaram was released by Vali and the first copy was received by Lion V Balakrishnan. Muthulingam also released Udumala Narayana Kaviyin Paadalgal, a collection of Narayanakavis songs. Malayalam writer S Gitendranath delivered the introductory address.
http://www.newstodaynet.com/29sep/ld8.htm
Responses:
- Old responses
- From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.227)
on: Mon Sep 30 10:06:42 EDT 2002
BTW, I started a thread on 'How to set lyrics to tune ?" sometime ago. Except for Udhaya, our resident lyricist, surprisingly very few of our 'amateur composers' participated in it. So, I can understand why many people do not have appreciation for these sort of things. Believe me guys, tamil language/arts/culture is very very advanced..we are so fascinated with the materially successful western culture..we dont seem to care for good things in ours. We should all read about our history and heritage more than we do.
- From: Aalavandhan (@ 203.106.139.23)
on: Mon Sep 30 10:36:07 EDT 2002
yaaro, the originator of this thread is prone to instigate. He has no intention of carrying on a decent discussion. See http://www.newtfmpage.com/forum/7792.06.29.48.html
It is a pity that knowledegable people like OISG & Kiru are falling prey to this mischief.
- From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63)
on: Mon Sep 30 10:51:38 EDT 2002
Kiru -
>
These days, I am told, up and coming singers write tamizh lyrics in English and sing them. No wonder they (the songs) sound like anything but Tamizh!
(I can say this also about recent HFM singers.)
Language is the Uyirmoochu of any Culture. But when even the basics like Vallinam and Mellinam (is that like Shop-and-Save? nnu kaetta achcharyapadadheenga! Because Culture is a Commodity for many today) fall between the cracks (and cracking voices) and nobody gives a toss - what you are asking for is not just the moon, but the entire
galaxy and beyond!
- From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63)
on: Mon Sep 30 10:53:16 EDT 2002
>
This quote prefaced the above post - but for some reason did not paste (hope it does this time!)
- From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63)
on: Mon Sep 30 10:55:15 EDT 2002
OK - I guess I will have to type the quote (why is this not working??)
"...tamil language/arts/culture.....history and heritage more than we do."
This is the quote from Kiru that I was referring to.
- From: meluvit (@ 204.27.156.146)
on: Mon Sep 30 11:17:31 EDT 2002
i have read it somewhere that PS write the tamizh songs in telugu and sings.She did know the difference between la and zha.May be, the music directors did bother abt the language those days.but nowdays people only like tamizhish songs and listens to soukiyangal parvaillai...hfm people reason out that singers like VJ,KJY are not popular there 'cos of their accent...yaravathu thamizha kolai panninakooda namakonnumillai yen???
- From: s0 (@ 163.181.250.2)
on: Mon Sep 30 12:11:14 EDT 2002
Kiru : excellent post. would really love to hear more from you on this topic.
it is a pity that knowledge of Tamil culture & history is rare. All actors "Solla marandha kadhai" can read/write/speak tamil. Idha oru news item-a sollaraanga!!! Shame on Tamil makkal!
(as an aside, I'm ashamed to say that I am just starting to learn more of history & heritage. any pointers from you??)
- From: yaaro (@ 195.93.50.7)
on: Mon Sep 30 12:27:57 EDT 2002
http://www.forumhub.com/tnhistory/
something about having butter in your hand and searching for ghee...
sO,this should help.
- From: s0 (@ 163.181.250.2)
on: Mon Sep 30 14:29:50 EDT 2002
yaaro, thanks for the link. I was lead to it from the compilation of Manisekaran's posts, especially the one about the Dravidian Movement. I read the entire thread, (including some nice posts by kiru, again).
I've been through the forum, but I found it too amateurish, unreliable, highly opinionated and in some cases, much worse than our IR-ARR clashes. Anyway, it is too difficult to search for specific info, there being no index/table of contents kind-of thing. A book, for example, is much better than reading opinionated statements from people who are not experts in that area.
- From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63)
on: Mon Sep 30 14:42:14 EDT 2002
s0-
If you want to begin with a literary introduction (what is language if not literature, huh?) please check out a book titled:
"Tamizh Ilakkiya Varalaru" (I forget the author(s)/editor(s) names) - but it is a comprehensive "history" compedium which should set you off on the right path. I believe, if my memory serves me right, there is also an extensive bibliography at the end of the text.
- From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63)
on: Mon Sep 30 14:45:02 EDT 2002
addendum to above:
s0 - The book I've suggested also incorporates "social/contextual history" while charting the growth of the literary tamizh language.
- From: s0 (@ 163.181.250.2)
on: Mon Sep 30 16:02:44 EDT 2002
Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread:)
a discussion related to my digression: http://forumhub.com/tnhistory/18244.01.38.37.html
Starting at : http://forumhub.com/tnhistory/8101.18244.01.38.37.html
Naaz, thanks. Kanchana (in the above link) talks about the same book by Mu. Varadarajan.
- From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63)
on: Mon Sep 30 17:10:18 EDT 2002
s0 -
Two is better than One? I still think TIV is a good place to begin. Your call, though. :-)
- From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152)
on: Tue Oct 1 01:09:03 EDT 2002
Kiru s retort has picturised me to be a Tamizh ina drohi.
Our main problem is we contiune to look for the wrong things at wrong places.
RK,IR idam aanmeegam alochanigal
Charu Nivedita idamiriunthu isai patri karuthugal
Arasiyal vadhigal idamirinthu Ezhmai patri karuthugal
Rambha vidamirinthu Gandhiji patri ketpathu
Kushbu vidamimirinthu Cricketing tips ketpathu
Muthulingathidam yaar Tamizh vallunar ena ketpathu
..a celebrity in one field gets automatic right to comment t about everything under the sun in TN.His followers trying to evaluate things based on that comment;it s a sorry state of affairs.
IR is a good music director.Thats a crown.You dont try to put additional feathers on that.It would sure to look out of place.IR s love for the great Tamil literature has nothing to do with his good music.Many songs with stupid lyrics he has carried them thru his musical prowess.
If he has so much of passion for the tamil literature then "Nethu rathiri yamma" and the thousands of "Rasa Rosa" songs would not have happened.NOM.
- From: cosmician (@ 194.170.127.161)
on: Tue Oct 1 04:28:49 EDT 2002
The title of the thread could have been less one-sided and more suited to the event...IMO
- From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.67)
on: Tue Oct 1 04:44:04 EDT 2002
Well said OISG ! Add Oram po & Vaadi en kappa kazhangu to the list. But IR's job is not to develop Tamil literature so however repulsive I find the above songs to be they had a place in the context of the film & hence they found the place. No complaints about that. IR is an extremely talented music director who has accomplished a great deal. Accepted .
But for IR "no music director understands simple Tamil words leave alone poetry" Inge inge thaan idikkuthu. Ippadi Gooja pottu enna agaapokirathu, "avan sollran ivan isaikkiran athu satham naa satham sangeetham naa sangeetham" (sic(k)!)
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