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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.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: shreenivas (@ ppp75-140.pppcal.vsnl.net.in) on: Fri Nov 20 12:45:11 EST 1998
  
  I would agree that ARR can influence IR the next day he comes out with his song that does not use any synthesized music but with pleasing melody and simple but ingeneous orchestration. just for example, take 'Pachamalai Poovu' from Kizhakku vazal. There is not even a single note in any track (though there are only few tracks in the song). A simple beat, a flute, I some times feel even the number of violins played in the strings sections is neither one staff more nore one staff less. This is just a sample. If a listener liking a song the very first time he/she hears it is any measure for the musical acheivement, then , every one likes ARR songs only after listening to it many times whereas, the first time you listen to IR songs it somehow registers in the back of your mind.
  
  
• From: easwaran hariharan (@ carefree.proxy.lucent.com) on: Fri Nov 20 13:33:18 EST 1998
  
  Folks, As usual, even this thread has been converted into IR/ARR debate. Srikanth, I understand, what you are trying to say,
  but I feel, who are little louder, and may be, because of that , you are losing to get the message across, but again IMO. When
  you said, there is no big deal, if IR writes music notes, as there are so many people in west also can do. To answer that, IR fans
  could say, ( no one said that so far), Is it not true?, that there are people in west, who can do mucb better than what ARR can
  do best - sound quality, mixing and other stuff. I just wanted to point out that this argument has no winners, no losers either.
  Coming to the ARR impact on IFM, greatest of all of them, IMO, he brought back lot of people to TFM, who were deeply
  immersed in western pop music , people for whom IR music meant nothing. Also he kept the current young generation
  interested in TFM, otherwise with all the new MTV/open culture, we could have lost them from TFM easily, for ever. It may be
  worthwhile to note that, there is no other MD in TFM before ARR, who were influenced by westen pop music. We know
  MSV/TKR did some occasional nos like ( vanda nall mudhal, velli kinnamthan), and few more nos by IR, inspried from pop
  songs, but unlike hindi music, there were no big influence in music over all. But ARR is the first MD in TFM, who like the
  generation in 80s, tried to explore western pop music and ended up heavily influenced by. But he never stopped his inspiration
  in music alone, he also tries to bring the western pop work culture also to TFM. He completely understood the importance of
  promotion, marketing and quality. In fact he is like the legendary pop music producer Alan Parson ( one of his favorite too). He
  gives importance to every aspect of the music, as a normal western pop music producer does, and tries his best to use different
  singers, like various performers in pop music. In the whole indian film industry, this work culture is very new and this is probably
  the biggest impact of all them. He completely changed the meaning of film composer to some extent, though sadly there is no
  immediate followers for his work culture, but hopefully, we will be seeing lot of them coming in near future.
  
  e.hari
  
  
• From: MPR (@ 206-6-56.ipt.aol.com) on: Fri Nov 20 15:15:58 EST 1998
  
  Guys,
  
  There are couple of things influenced
  Ilaiyaraaja's work after ARR's entry:
  
  One is the extensive use of synthesizers
  and the other is you should listen to
  Ilaiyaraaja's recent albums couple of
  times more to get the same feeling you
  felt in the first hearing of IR's 80s
  songs. I recently happened to listen
  Ilaiyaraaja's albums 'thalaimuRai',
  'dEsiya gEEtham', 'manam virumbuthE unnai'
  and 'thodarum'. In the first listening,
  they sounded very normal and seemed like
  nothing is new in them. But except 'thodarum',
  they are really good after 4 or 5 listenings.
  I think this is true to all of Raaja's latest
  albums. People who don't like them now will
  realize that they are indeed good after some
  years, I am sure about this.
  
  Does anybody know how MSV was doing when
  Raaja was rising? I hope Raaja is doing
  much better in coming back business than
  MSV did.
  
  
• From: kiruba (@ surfec011.sybase.com) on: Sat Nov 21 01:07:36 EST 1998
  
  Well said, Easwaran Hariharan, ARR definitely has kept our people listening to Indian music than letting them desert Indian Music for western pop/rock.
  
  IRs is forte is basically Western/Indian Classical fusion. He will surely have an audience for his music. Especially, people from non-metro centres and classical music listeners.
  
  Its time in India we recognised diversity in music. I think we have to encourage people like ARR. I really would like him to develop his own style/genre.
  
  Though IR might be using synthesisers after ARR I want to point out he has been using synth drums since Agni Natchathram as far as I know.
  
  If ARR is POP then IR is 'Adult Comtemporary' hmmm I am growing old :-)
  
  
• From: kiruba (@ surfec011.sybase.com) on: Sat Nov 21 01:18:36 EST 1998
  
  I just read Srinath's post. Yes, I do beleive IRs 90s music is not as good as 80's music. Sometime back I was listening to Mouna Ragam and Payanangal Mudivathillai. Man ..the orchestration/harmony etc is fantastic. I think IR is cutting down on orchestration I think. He is probably thinking people are getting bored of it. but I miss it man..
  
  Like you said people like IR are hard to come by. ARR will surely see good competition soon. It seems a digital studio can be had for just $10000 US. Once copyright laws are made tight it India we will see a mushrooming of albums/charts and ofcourse reduced taxes on polycarbonate/CD.
  
  I am really proud to say IR and I were born in the same soil. Right now I wouldn't go that far about ARR.
  
  
• From: Observer (@ spider-wc052.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Nov 21 09:19:26 EST 1998
  
  Hi ,
  
  "IR cutting down on orchestration". NO! This is NOT IMO. This is a fact which should be accepted by all , after listening to GURU(malayalam). The kind of orchestration that is structured in couple of songs in that album were just uncomparable to those of 80's. But the other albums in Tamil in the 90's are not as good as the ones from 80's (this i have stated many times), this is IMO! The sad story is that his music has become stale in the 90's with very few exceptions , IMO.
  
  
• From: easwaran hariharan (@ 172-193-78.ipt.aol.com) on: Sat Nov 21 13:32:20 EST 1998
  
  kiruba,
  You are right, when you said IR had cut down his orchestrations. But it is not something bad. I think people no more have patience and time to sit and appreciate those things any more. e.hari
  
  e.hari
  
  
• From: easwaran hariharan (@ 172-193-78.ipt.aol.com) on: Sat Nov 21 13:39:37 EST 1998
  
  MPR,
  I think MSV was in equal terms with IR up to
  end of 70s. Even when AVM came back to
  making films, they made two films, pokkiri raja and muratu kalai, with MSV and IR doing music
  respectively. MSV was not definetely no 1, but he was doing ok up to that point. But after that he vanished, except few loyal producers like muktha films using them. His comeback in mid 80s, thru nilave malare and other films were breif BTW, I am not sure whether we can say, IR is attempting a come back, as I think, he is not completely out of the market, the way MSV was.
  
  e.hari
  
  
• From: kiruba (@ surfec011.sybase.com) on: Sat Nov 21 14:36:13 EST 1998
  
  Observer,
  I have listened to Poonthottam,Annan, Senthooram, KM etc and I surely feel orchestration has been cut down.
  
  Hari,
  I dont think this is a good idea. IR should continue to do in his own style. Now that people have better audio systems if he uses a big orchestra it will sound grand. This is probably the detrimental effect of ARR on TFM. I have a purist approach to music. I want to hear real instruments. This is what serious music listeners appreciate. I have explained the diff. between real instruments and synths - the harmonics. Ofcourse, real instruments have to be recorded thru microphones.
  
  Its a pity now that people think using synths is cool !!! I really would like our friends to check out http://www.soundstage.com and http://www.audioreview.com and see what people talk in the msg boards.
  
  I also suggest reading 'What to listen for in Music' -by Aaron Copland.
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Observer (@ spider-tr024.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Nov 21 22:50:37 EST 1998
  
  Kiruba,
  
  the films you have mentioned are good examples of stale music , IMO. I too hate synth but it is supposedly the state of art. Why not IR use his strengths in orchestration and use good recording means to give some stuff like GURU in Tamil Films? If any impact that ARR would have made on contemporary music, it can only be the technological improvements! DEVA has proved it in his recent albums like piriyamudan and kannethire thondrinal. Whether his stuff is original or not , he certainly delivering the best ones.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.28.65) on: Sun Nov 22 16:10:51 EST 1998
  
  the only influence that ARR might have had on IR is a negative one, which is the extensive use of synth in the interludes making the music sound
  lifeless.
  i sometimes wonder whether KR is doing the interludes for IR's songs these days since KR is jobless literally, thereby making a mess of IR's songs.
  
  regarding ARR's influence on deva.. well, the man has a biggg list of people from whom he can get 'influenced' so i don't think he cares that much about ARR. when phil collins, bob marley, ofra haza, murray head etc. etc. are there, who cares about ARR?
  
  

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