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Malaysian Deepavali Show - RAJANNA RAJA THAAN - From Annakkili to Azhagi

Topic started by Manisekaran (@ 202.156.2.8) on Sun Nov 7 05:23:27 EST 2004.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Last year I did a show on Ilayaraja for Deepavali. IT was so great a hit that the ASTRO Private TV Station is repeating on 9 NOvember at 4.00 pm Malaysian time. This is called RAJANNA RAJATHAAN- covering 25 years of Raja's music contribution. From Annakkili to Azhagi. A great hit. If you can, pls do catch it. You can post your comments on the show here, and I'll respond to them.
Thanks.

Archive of the older songs: http://forumhub.lunarpages.com/hub/f13.html .
If you want to post comments on older songs, pls go to this archive. There you'll find the previous songs/episodes indexed as separate threads. Post your comments on the appropriate thread.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Bala (@ 68.38.80.142) on: Sat Dec 4 23:21:40 EST 2004
  
  Mani Sir
  
  Thanks for the details on Priya.
  Small Digression from the songs:
  
  I believe 'Priya' was the first tamil movie songs under 'Increo' Label. (My guess is the first movie for IR away from HMV label, does not know if EMI/ODEON is a different lable and if any IR songs came in that label). What was the background in going with Inreco? Many greatest IR hits like Johnny, Uthiripookal, Azhage Unnai.., Nenjathai killadhe, Guru, Ullasa Paravaigal came under this label. TR's early hits and SG's Neeya also came in this label if I remember correctly. I believe INRECO sells these songs now and they are now in Carnatic?Devotional labels?
  
  Can you throw some light on this.
  
  IN 1979/80, I believe IR signed a 7 or 8 film contract with MIL (POLYDOR). A 2 page advertisment came in SCREEN (my elder sisters/brothers were ardent Hindi fans and thus we used to buy this Friday magazine coming in newspaper format). Alaiagal Oyvathillai, Kadal Meengal, Aradhanai, Paneer Pushpangal and others came in this label. I believe Kozhi Koovuthu, Tick Tick Tick, Kadhal Oviyum, Raam Lakshman also came in this label but not sure..
  
  Mani Sir/RR/Ramki/Saravanan, anyone can throw some light on this....
  
  As we all know Anadha Raagam was the first movie under ECHO and then till Chinna Thambi, IR's songs came under that label...
  
  He then had Raja label, moved to AVM and then came back to HMV and then I lost track and IR lost touch...
  
  Actually I would like to collect the 8 labels of Polydor, but unfortunately I see no website selling them...
  
  SOrry for the digression
  
  Bala
  
  
  
  
• From: senthilv.com (@ 69.148.83.116) on: Sun Dec 5 12:58:53 EST 2004
  
  Thanx Manisekaran. This is definitely a turning point in Raaja's career.
  
  I was always puzzled by the unbalanced stereo recording in Priya. I reckon it would have been even better if it not was done hastily like you mentioned. Where they running against time?
  
  Anyway, Priya is one my all time fav albums. IMO, the film song situation has nothing great going for it except that they were really selling the Singapore craze, its location and unique cross cultural love. I guess that was enough for Raaja. This is one of those albums where he threw in lot effort on his own to come up with great songs.
  
  Digression: Priya BGM score for the chase scene where Rajini saves his future lover is a terrific piece. SP Muthuraman did good job in directing a cliche situation and Raaja elevated the SPM's scene to great heights. For me, this was the first education in Raaja's BGM methods. I sort of understood what Raaja was trying to do for the first time! :) In later films, he's score became very sophisticated and difficult to figure out. So, if you’re interested in knowing Raaja's techniques. Please do watch this scene couple of times....It is actually very enjoyable.
  
  RR, eden & Kiru:
  
  Thanks again for the encouraging words.
  
  Kiru, yes, I'm a filmmaker...not partime but fulltime! ;) you can check out my website http://senthilv.com A new site is in works and it's not upto date. I'm extremely busy preparing for a new film.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.51.134.219) on: Sun Dec 5 20:28:19 EST 2004
  
  RR, the vocal portion itself is similiar if you noticed. Just hum the tune of opening lines the guy is singing, just the tempo is slower, the tune is almost ditto. This is more of a lift than an inspiration!, atleast the pallavi, IMO
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.51.134.219) on: Sun Dec 5 20:34:04 EST 2004
  
  In his first 5 years IR seems to have been inspired in a few songs by a variety of sources, both Indian and Western. Endha poovilum vaasam undu, aaha vandhiruchchu, ennadi meenatchi, kan malargaLin azhaipidhazh etc. are all examples. Dharisanam kidaikaadha..the opening line of this song is almost ditto to saamaja varagamana.
  The extent of inspiration is minimal, usually just the opening line or two but nevertheless noticeable. This might have been due to the inclination to sound different and modern(like BoneyM) at that time. Later after he had established a stronghold on the market, his inspirations seem to have gone down.
  
  
• From: RR (@ 192.122.134.249) on: Sun Dec 5 21:23:39 EST 2004
  
  vijay: I agree on 'endha poovilum vaasam undu'. Ditto.
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Sun Dec 5 21:43:09 EST 2004
  
  Dear Friends,
  I received an email from a silent reader.
  Learning of my computer crash, he came forward to provide some financial assistance towards securing my PC against virus. I am indeed moved by such gestures. I have told him to donate the money for the Cause of God or for some educational purpose.
  
  I think my greatest achievement is to have earned sincere friends from this forum.
  
  I thought I should share someting that has moved my heart.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: MumbaiRamki (@ 63.186.18.171) on: Sun Dec 5 22:35:50 EST 2004
  
  Manisekhrana sir ,
  Can you please ask that good souled person to donate for thiruvasagam in SYmphony project !!!
  
  
• From: RR (@ 202.156.2.8) on: Mon Dec 6 08:30:42 EST 2004
  
  akkarai seemai - http://newtfmpage.com/cgi-bin/song.pl?id=mani-14.2
  darling - http://newtfmpage.com/cgi-bin/song.pl?id=mani-14.3
  ennuyir neethane - http://newtfmpage.com/cgi-bin/song.pl?id=mani-14.4
  sri raamanin - http://newtfmpage.com/cgi-bin/song.pl?id=mani-14.5
  
  
• From: eden (@ 136.1.1.33) on: Mon Dec 6 10:18:35 EST 2004
  
  -darling,darling inspired from BoneyM
  -akkarai cheemai azhaginilE from Kites(?)
  -srirAmanin slightly inspired from an old hindi Mohd Rafi song (my classmate used to sing that in college, which also had O priya...aaa...ahahaha...)
  
  Looks like Priya is definitely a rush-rush album for Raja with more tilt on recording technique / technology than on creativity (much like most of today's MD's)...
  
  `hEy pAdal ondRu' is nevertheless a great song, an all-time classic, absolutely original (IOKS' favourite and they could not pick on any original source BTW)-KJY/SJ in their best elements. My only problem was a mono-vacuum tube radio those days which will not receive some of the stereo phonic tracks and the song will be different each time IOKS transmits:-))
  
  I have `ennuyir nee thAnE' on a CD (red color Inreco collection) which is great, by way of `sound' too! This is again a lovely song (how come Jency gets all those stunners from IR...), probably another original...
  
  Mani sir, (with a sigh), neenga romba koduthu vachavar:-))
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 68.16.25.50) on: Mon Dec 6 13:04:53 EST 2004
  
  Yeh paadal Ondru is a good song with interesting rhythm usage. Probably the first instance of Kapi(not to be read as "copy" :-) ) in IR's music?
  
  
• From: eden (@ 136.1.1.33) on: Mon Dec 6 13:20:40 EST 2004
  
  Priya - the movie was quite stupid..another Sujatha story wasted on screen...(Rajni is supposed to be Ganesh which may be tolerable. But the actor in the role of Vasanth? My goodness...The producer / director or someone had something against Sujatha, for sure! Lest they wouldn't have made such a bad choice and distortion of the storyline as well)...
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Mon Dec 6 13:44:05 EST 2004
  
  Priya, is definitely rushed when it comes to recording. At one point, you can hear the 'delay/echo' even before the singer sings. I dont know how they managed that !!! There are similar stereo songs, with the vocals or strings panned to the left or right. Sounds weird.
  I am not a fan of Priya's songs (inspite of many KJY songs- my fav singer), even though the movie and songs where quite a hit at that time.
  
  BTW, I think Sujatha's stories make for better reading than on screen.
  
  
• From: Surya (@ 69.177.140.153) on: Mon Dec 6 17:58:30 EST 2004
  
  vijay: I'm so glad that its not just me... :)
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Mon Dec 6 20:21:19 EST 2004
  
  15. INTHA MINMINIKKU KANNIL ORU
  From 1976, by and large Ilayaraja was portraying himself as an invincible composer of folk tunes. It is not that he could not excel in Western tunes and melodies. It so happened that he was given village based subjects. Off and on he was still providing glimpses of western orchestration and music as and when situation demanded.
  
  We had seen that Raja had all along wanted to use stereo in his songs. He started to build up the equipments in stages. When Jesudass came to Malaysia for the first time in 1977, we met him at TV Malaysia, where he talked great of the YAMAHA amplifiers from Japan. He had just purchased it from Singapore. Raja must have heard of that. When Raja came to Malaysia in 1977, he stayed with my friend Ganapathi. His arrival and departure was not made public as he had come to purchase some electronic equipment for his recording studio. He wished not to meet anyone. From Malaysia he went over to Singapore to buy computer equipments in order to be ahead of others in music. All these were used full in SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL.
  
  PRIYA was certainly a rush job. Raja could have done better. But then the location was overseas and so the rush could not have been avoided.
  
  Bharathiraja and Ilayaraja had teamed up to produce some of the most \wonderful village based subjects. 16 Vayathinile and Kizhakke Pogum Rayil were mega hits. 16 Vayathinile was a silver jubilee hit, while Kizhakke Poguym Rayil ran for 52 weeks or one full year. Both Ilayaraja and Bharathiraja were uncrowned kings in their own sphere of work- Ilayaraja for music and Bharathiraja for the production and direction of these movies.
  
  These two movies, coupled with earlier mega hits earned for Ilayaraja the fame and name of “Gramathuraja.” He came to be called Gramathuraja for a short span of time. It was around this time that some form of challenge was thrown upon Ilayaraja, and by extension upon Bharathiraja as well. There was a talk- both subtle and open that these two associates could only excel in churning village-based films containing village based songs. IN other world it was clearly implied that they were not capable of going for western themes. They took this challenge. These two close friends once again put their heart and soul together to address the queries of their critics. Bharathiraja immediately started to work on a diametrically opposite theme, modelled along Richard Burton’s “Blue Beard.” It was a thriller movie- K.G.R. Productions SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL. There was no touché of village breeze at all. I had explained that Ilayaraja had just started to employ stereophonic system into Tamil in just the previous film PRIYA- the 31st movie. SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL happened to be the 32nd movie for him. So this was anther chance for Ilayaraja to prove that he was a versatile composer. This time he took his own time to compose. Background music is extremely important for any thriller movie. Raja was simply superb, especially at the scene when the cat goes after Sri Devi, and the decomposed corpse surfaces during a heavy downpour! I could not believe a Pannaipuram Raja excelling in a Chennaipuram theme- only that well. In Malaysia the movie was an instant hit! This film boasts of two songs- NINAIVO ORU PARAVAI by KLamal and S. Janaki, and of course INTHA MINMINIKKU KANNIL ORU MINNAL VANTHATHU. It was said Raja had used heavy orchestration in the songs.
  
  CONTINUES...
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Mon Dec 6 20:22:24 EST 2004
  
  The second song INTHA MINMINIKKU is taken for discussion. This song was sung by Malaysia Vasudevan and S. Janaki- the same team that had all along identified itself with village based songs. Now Ilayaraja used the same pair to sing western based song. And true enough they excelled not only in singing the song, but also in the way they sang it. We are made to understand that that was the first full scale western melody that Ilayaraja gave with the usage of stereo system. In the film there is dialogue in the song, but when listened to in vinyl record it was simply unbelievably mesmerising. One thing became very clear. Ilayaraja had gone fully western in this song. The film ran very well. The critics were silenced once and forever.
  
  While the PRIYA songs were composed and recorded in haste, this particular song was carefully imagined and composed keeping in mind the challenge thrown upon both the Rajas.
  
  
  Indha minminikku kannil oru minnal vandhadhu
  adi pennae azhagu kannae
  kaadhal raajaanga paravai
  thaedum anandha uravai
  sorgam un kanniley
  
  
  thoattathiley pala pookkal undu
  nee thaanae en sigappu rojaa
  malarunnai pariththida thudikkiraen
  la la...
  thadaiyenna aruginil irukkiraen
  la la...
  
  
  I think the humming and the laughter of S. Janaki add an ecstatic feeling to the song. Of course he night club dancer swiging away is a good setting to creat the desired mood for the song. While PRIYA was the movie where Raja had introduced stereo, it is said that Raja went full scale western in background music and songs in SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL
  
  Tamilnadu Government selected Bharathiraja as the best Director and Kamal as the best actor for this film that made it to the silver jubilee. So Bharathiraja and Ilayaraja proved that they could provide Silver jubilee hits for both village and urban themes- using both folk and western tunes.
  
  Listen to 'indha minminikku'

  (In a related matter, the first full scale western song that Ilayaraja himself sings comes from the movie THAIPONGAL- KANMALARGALIN AZHAIPPITHAL.)
  

  
  

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