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Can hariharan be considered an able successor of SPB ?

Topic started by vijay (@ 129.252.29.219) on Wed Jun 10 19:08:42 EDT 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

With hariharan getting to sing a song in almost every film including films done by IR there is a popular notion that he might be the next SPB.But my doubt is whether he would create the same impact that SPB had in the last twenty years, or would he fade away soon? also is he capable and versatile enough
of holding the top spot in TFM ?awaiting your opinions.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ sf-dnpql-035.compuserve.net) on: Wed Jul 22 15:59:47 EDT 1998
  
  HH is a good singer. PERIOD. Not a great singer like SPB or TMS or Mohammad Rafi. The subtle beauty in SPBs singing is his sensitivity to the flow of melody which requires a tremendous perception. His versatility is just a result of this perception. Please do not commit the fallacy of comparing a good singer and a great singer.You have got to listen to SPBs non-filmi albums and his old telugu and kannada hits and the songs he has sungs for MSV to get a feel of this man's innovative genius( IR never allowed him to improvise. I know this as I have seen some recordings. Moreover IRs tunes (though raga based do not have lengthy meters for a singer sufficiently involved in delivering the song)
  
  
• From: Venkat (@ lpcat102.oardc.ohio-state.edu) on: Wed Jul 22 16:07:59 EDT 1998
  
  Guys, stop comparing the great SPB with 6national awards and 32000 songs to Hariharan. As someone pointed it, Hariharan is good but SPB is great. You can use all superlatives to describe is voice. Also SPB is a good actor. Man, that guy is an all-rounder. Pretty soon I might see him as a director.
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ gatekeeper.oracle.co.uk) on: Thu Jul 23 06:37:03 EDT 1998
  
  Kavitha: Hariharan is a Tamilian, although brought up in the North, he's from Palgat, the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. When he speaks Tamil, it's proper and I feel he gives the lyrics a slight accented mis-pronounciation, for style, like Suresh Peters.....I However, I love his Golden voice, singing style, ghazals e.t.c. and place him in a class of his own.....However, I'd never compare his and SPB, as SPB is a phenomenon in himself and a self make contribution to Indian Music, whether it be TFM, MFM, HFM....
  
  
• From: Ajay (@ msrc10.msrc.temple.edu) on: Thu Jul 23 11:52:22 EDT 1998
  
  Hi folks. Just want to get you thinking that though SPB may be the best, some of HH's songs could never've been done by him. Eg: Telephone mani pol, Babylona et al.
  What say?
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ gatekeeper.oracle.co.uk) on: Thu Jul 23 12:06:55 EDT 1998
  
  Ajay: Absolutely.....Even Romeo Aatam was quite a unique one....
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.29.214) on: Thu Jul 23 13:03:12 EDT 1998
  
  ajay, i disagree completely.on what basis are u saying that SPB could not have done it? is it just because the song was a hit with HH? SPB can reach high pitches whereas HH struggled and would have also sung the song in a more lively manner.
  
  
• From: Kavitha (@ proxy-161.iap.bryant.webtv.net) on: Thu Jul 23 14:12:28 EDT 1998
  
  Geetha: I admit that SPB is a great singer, i am just saying that HH is good too. Just because some of us think that SPB is better, we can't say that HH isn't good..because he is!!!!:)
  
  
• From: Kalanjiyam (@ proxy.qatar.net.qa) on: Thu Jul 23 14:44:01 EDT 1998
  
  Ajayji,
  There is a correction in your statement.
  
  some of HH's songs could never've been done by him. Eg: Telephone mani pol
  should be read as
  ALL of HH's songs could've been done by him. Eg: Telephone mani pol. (the song which shows HH straining in higher octaves and another good eg is "Vennilave". where in penne.. he destroyed the total mood of the song. If he can't sing in E scale he should have told ARR to reduce the pitch. Poor HH.
  Thanks Ajay ji...for raising the statement
  
  Ungal nanban
  
  Kalanjiyam
  
  
• From: nalini (@ 169.144.84.64) on: Thu Jul 23 15:26:16 EDT 1998
  
  Given any film song, I think SPB and Hariharan are capable of singing it equally well. Of course, the respective fans are going to like their idol's version better!
  
  One of the reasons I think it is unfair to compare these two singers is that while Hariharan's talents extend beyond film music to ghazals, pop fusion and light classical ("Visaal"), these areas remain unattempted by SPB. I may be wrong, but it seems to me film music is not Hariharan's tour de force - composing and singing ghazals are probably still his first love.
  
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ gatekeeper.oracle.co.uk) on: Fri Jul 24 05:49:16 EDT 1998
  
  Kavitha: I think you are NEW here, I'm one of Hari's very big fans and not a fan of SPB at all(I admire him but don't like SPB's style or voice)....read the old responses of this thread to find out....also read the one about Hari's pronounciation, you'll see how much I adore Hari....
  
  I was just CORRECTING that fact that you were under the impression that Hari is not Tamil while he actually is.....Take a look at his Web site to find out his history.....
  
  Hariharan Fan Club
  http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/3458/
  
  Nalini: You're absolutely right, the only thing I can add is, as SPB said, "Hariharan is God's gift to Tamil Music, with his Golden voice".
  
  To add a bit more to this thread, I feel that we can't compare these two singers, as SPB has a Huge All India repatoire, while Hari is in the limelight now and is still increasing his....They are similar in age, so only time will tell, as to who will linger in people's hearts.....Look at KJJ, he was a storm in TFM a few years ago, while now, he's being given 'ASIRIRI' songs and Unni is given preference....They are both of similar background and KJJ is now concentration on Carnatic and MFM.....
  
  
• From: Shankar (@ webgate0.mot.com) on: Fri Jul 24 09:03:13 EDT 1998
  
  Geetha,
  KJY has always been in MFM right from the beginning and he's basically a carnatic singer and has been releasing albums every now and then (even when he was a "storm"). It's not that Unni is given preference over KJY.It's b cos of his inavailability.(KJY has shifted to the US if u don't know).
  The only aspect where he's not >= SPB is versatility.
  
  Nalini,
  Ur statement that "hariharan's talent extends beyond tamil music" is what makes me support SPB.
  If he's equal to SPB in talent why can't he go to a higher pitch which the other guy (Balu) , who has no formal training in carnatic music,cud go with ease!!
  
  Again, I listen to and like both of them
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ gatekeeper.oracle.co.uk) on: Fri Jul 24 11:03:26 EDT 1998
  
  Shankar: Thanks for that, I forgot that he's totally re-located....His MFM work is great, but very different to what he's given in Tamil....It's more Carnatic based, over there....I thought that this was why he was either refusing songs or that MD's were giving Unni, a Junior singer KJJ type songs....I guess Unni charges less too?!?!? You're also right about the versitility aspect.
  
  
• From: Ravi (@ envy.cs.umass.edu) on: Fri Jul 24 11:28:55 EDT 1998
  
  Geetha: To say at this point in his career that only time will tell whether SPB will be remembered seems to smack of prejudice :-) (the HCIRF variety). He has done more than enough that even if he doesn't sing another song, he will certainly be a permanent fixture in any TFM hall of fame.
  SPB made his debut in 1966. So I am not sure whether HH and he are of the same age group.
  
  
• From: Ravi (@ envy.cs.umass.edu) on: Fri Jul 24 11:32:07 EDT 1998
  
  Geetha, Shankar: How about a KJY vs. Unni thread? :). (BTW KJY's place in MFM has been taken over by M. G. Shreekumar. App. KJY is not int. in singing that much anymore.)
  
  
• From: nalini (@ 169.144.84.64) on: Fri Jul 24 12:54:33 EDT 1998
  
  Shankar: Yes I do agree that SPB reaches the high notes with ease. However, I've noticed that, with the exception of a few, Hindustani vocalists have a tendency to restrain their voice when reaching for the high pitch - voice modulation is different. I sometimes wonder if that is why it sounds like they are straining. In any case, even if that one note is a problem for Hari, I feel he more than compensates with what he does with the other notes :-)
  
  
• From: Veera Akkoor (@ 1cust153.tnt2.det1.da.uu.net) on: Fri Jul 24 21:06:02 EDT 1998
  
  Guys Soodana seithi,
  
  I heard the song "Meethadha oru veenai" from Poothotham. I could not see any modulation in the so called voice of Hariharan. In the second background my god his voice was awful. A great tune by IR but too much of orchestrations. Usage of drums dominating it was a great scope for HH but he did a poor job. Though the song may be a hit I would consider a so so song for the maestro. I felt the song "Thalaye kuniyum Thamaraiye" by the inimitable Balu as outstanding song.
  
  Please do not compare HH with a music university called BALU. Who said IR did not give modulation to Balu.
  Quote"HH is a good singer. PERIOD. Not a great singer like SPB or TMS or Mohammad Rafi. The subtle beauty in SPBs singing is his sensitivity to the flow of melody which requires a tremendous perception. His versatility is just a result of this perception. Please do not commit the fallacy of comparing a good singer and a great singer.You have got to listen to SPBs non-filmi albums and his old telugu and kannada hits and the songs he has sungs for MSV to get a feel of this man's innovative genius( IR never allowed him to improvise. I know this as I have seen some recordings. Moreover IRs tunes (though raga based do not have lengthy meters for a singer sufficiently involved in delivering the song)
  by Sriram Lakshman.
  
  Enna sir, Baluvin IR songs ketadilaya?
  
  Eg: Ilaya nila,Pothi vacha malligai, Manguyile pooguyile. SPB has indeed sung songs like Vaan nila under MSV but I cannot accept IR did not give him chances to exhibit his talent.
  
  Any one on my side?
  
  Thanks
  
  Veera Akkoor.
  
  
  
• From: Anuj Vaidya (@ ehdup-a2-13.rmt.net.pitt.edu) on: Sat Jul 25 10:11:03 EDT 1998
  
  I am thinking this discussion is pointless. So there's Hariharan on one side, and SPB on the other. But really they're both on the same side - because Michael Jackson is on the other.
  
  Ave Michael!
  
  

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