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Apart from Ilayaraja who is well versed in Tamil literature, no music director understands simple Tamil words leave alone poetry

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

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: WN (@ 203.24.100.132) on: Tue Oct 1 04:44:45 EDT 2002
  
  kiru:
  
  I have no doubts on IR's strength in Tamil.
  
  But now, please answer this question (pls be straightforward):
  
  Do u agree with Muthulingam that
  "Apart from Ilayaraja who is well versed in Tamil literature, no music director understands simple Tamil words leave alone poetry.."?
  In simpler words, do u agree with Muthulingam that all other MDs (I mean EVERY single Tamil MD apart from IR) cannot understand simple Tamil words?
  
  Please just tell me Yes/No. I am not looking for any essay type answers.
  Thank you in advance.
  I just want to know your opinion, bcos u r one of the few people in tis forum tat I respect.
  
  
• From: Guru (@ 129.49.149.179) on: Tue Oct 1 07:12:39 EDT 2002
  
  Yes, Muthulingam is right....yendhaan indha threada aarambicheno...
  
  Guru
  
  
• From: Guru (@ 129.49.149.179) on: Tue Oct 1 07:14:05 EDT 2002
  
  can ur eastern mozart compose tunes for silapadhigaaram?....no way..ozhunga poi cell fonekku tune poda sollunga.....
  
  of course..IR can do for tamil scriptures..he has proven it in many circumstances
  
  
• From: Aalavandhan (@ 203.106.139.51) on: Tue Oct 1 07:52:53 EDT 2002
  
  ARR need not prove anything any more, least of all to people like you!
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Tue Oct 1 08:30:45 EDT 2002
  
  Guru
  
  "Poruzhunthedutha Arayel nedugodi vaaral enbana pol marithu kai kaata" - Silapadhikaram
  
  Let me do the Nedugodi s job for you if you want to enter the thread.
  
  
• From: Padmanaban (@ 144.16.64.4) on: Tue Oct 1 09:31:07 EDT 2002
  
  Hi all.. an interesting topic to discuss.. I agree with what Muthulingam has said. IR has penned some of his own songs, which, I am sure would be very very hard for most of the current MD's.. And, some of his songs like `Idhayam oru koil' have great lyrics. Those songs have come from his heart..
  
  
• From: To Mr.Vengayam from :-) (@ 67.241.76.73) on: Tue Oct 1 09:59:38 EDT 2002
  
  Folk songs and theurkoothu both are part of our tamil culture (dont fool around karnatic sangeetham and bharatha nAtiyam are only tamil culutre!!) which generally have a high toes sexual expressions in it. It cant be ignored.Thangar bachan also has expressed the same thoughts when he was asked about 'kuruvi kodiancha koya pazam' The notable writer veli rangarajan's recent essay is also talking all about this. http://www.thinnai.com/ar0421021.html
  
  You guys dont have any problems with 'kAviya sex' and 'koyil siRpangaL'? In this aspect, As native real kalaigan what IR does is perfectly all right. As far as 'nila kAyuthu' is concerned the problem is with vAli, if Kannadasan had written, It would have been the best 'kAma thirai isai'.(I like the current version though!) IR's these kind of songs generally could be categorized ' folkish kAma songs' whereas 'O podu' doest have any place in it which is nothing but "vulgar."
  
  
• From: Lord LabakuDas (@ 12.162.224.5) on: Tue Oct 1 10:00:06 EDT 2002
  
  WN,
  Am i in that "few people" list?:-)
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Tue Oct 1 15:00:21 EDT 2002
  
  OISG..please dont get me wrong. I replied to you (not retorted :) mainly because you are well-versed in carnatic music and in tamil literature. It is just not you, many people fail to make the connection between our poetry & music. Most of my post dwells on this than on a personality like IR. I just took this opportunity to talk about this connection (between poetry and music). Please dont lose focus on the issue - it is not about IR's love for tamil literature, it is about how much he knows about tamil grammar/literature. I dont want to digress into the discussion about the bad lyrics he has composed for - that was a separate thread and I had no interest in participating in it.
  
  
  WN, I am flattered by your respect !! I guess Muthulingam is exaggerating or maybe even indulging in some sycophancy. But this should not deter us from seeing this strength that is very desirable in a MD for tamil music. Like some other poster mentions IR, is a good lyrics writer too. So there should not be any doubt about his tamil skills. Recently, in azhagi, he wrote, un kuthama ..en kuththama. yeah..yeah..it is not cool..but it is a genuine musical expression devoid of any attitude/pretense of sophistication.
  
  s0 - do a search on the net for 'tholkAppiyam'. You will find interesting things. There is also a book/paper 'tholkappiyathil isaik kurippugal'. You would be surprised there are counterpoint techniques mentioned in our literature which might predate WCM counterpoint. (this is talked about in the context of yAzh and kuzhal, there were yAzhs tuned for specific rAgams). BTW, sa ri ga ma pa da ni, swara notes were not used in tamil country. Only thanana ... You can see this how our music directors give out the sandham to the lyricists. IR demonstrates these things in his songs now and then. IR also makes the singers sing the notes, so that people can identify the rAgams..especially when he is switching/changing scales.
  
  
• From: Jeera (@ 206.175.176.2) on: Tue Oct 1 16:13:32 EDT 2002
  
  "Apart from Ilayaraja who is well versed in Tamil literature, no music director understands simple Tamil words leave alone poetry.."?
  In simpler words, do u agree with Muthulingam that all other MDs (I mean EVERY single Tamil MD apart from IR) cannot understand simple Tamil words?
  
  Eppadiingae Theriyum!. I am sure most of the people who write here have not met, let alone talk to any MD (Hopefully muthulingam has!!).
  
  Anyway, there is one sure way to find out. OISG ezhuthiya "Poruzhunthedutha Arayel nedugodi vaaral enbana pol marithu kai kaata" - Silapadhikaram, ella MD'kittaeyum solli yaaru Atharkku Artham Solarangannu paakalam. NOM :-)
  
  
• From: s0 (@ 163.181.250.2) on: Tue Oct 1 17:30:38 EDT 2002
  
  thanks, kiru.
  
  I guess Muthulingam's exaggerated quote should be taken as a lament against the deplorable state of Tamil as a whole in current TF, rather than a deriding remark against just the MDs. Of course, in a medium involving collective creative inputs, he cannot place the blame on just one person.
  
  
• From: cosmician (@ 194.170.127.161) on: Wed Oct 2 00:02:56 EDT 2002
  
  I liked the "Enkuthama Unkuthama" song. Did IR also write the "Marattha vachaven, thani oothuvaan" song...it was a real solace in 1990 which was a turning point in my life !
  
  
• From: Awe (@ 65.69.56.238) on: Wed Oct 2 01:57:58 EDT 2002
  
  Illayaraja is pretty good in Tamil. No doubts about that. His pronounces tamil with such clarity. Even while singing the way he prononces is a real treat. Listen to Janani Janani song. No "pisiru".. suthamana kural. suthamana tamizh.
  He has sung real good song himself before SPB sings that. His involvment with lyrics is commendable. Is it true "Janani Janani" song was written by IR. The lyrics are exceptioinally good. If it is true it would be all in all IR Music, singer, Lyricist.. Great song.
  
  
• From: Awe (@ 65.69.56.238) on: Wed Oct 2 01:58:59 EDT 2002
  
  http://www.minvarthagam.com/lyrics/Lyrics-Detail.asp?SongID=487
  
  I think it is by IR. To write this you need to know tamil more than just talking in tamil.
  
  

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