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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: vijay (@ 129.252.26.121) on: Fri Jun 26 02:38:30 EDT 1998
  
  hai badri,
  it is not only kamal or rajni but even actors like prashanth or vijay.HH does not have simply that 'south indian' flavour in his voice.added to this is a lot of crap songs which he gets to sing these days under the likes of deva,which of course is not his fault.as srikanth had said it is difficult to make out whether he is singing a happy or sad song.'anbe anbe' could have very much been a sad song .
  
  SPB brings in his little laugh here and there,fluctuations in his voice,which adds to the liveliness of these songs.
  so to summarize the essential differences between SPB and HH are:
  
  1.SPB's versatility
  
  2.SPB's modulations of his voice
  
  3.SPB's ability to change his voice to suit a particular actor.
  
  and last, not to mention the great songs that SPB got from IR.
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ gatekeeper.oracle.co.uk) on: Fri Jun 26 06:40:02 EDT 1998
  
  I was discussing this topic with my fiancee(a drummer) and he classified HH's versatility in songs like Romeo Aatam Pottal, Kucchi kucchi raakkammaa, Kannil kannil-Mustafa, Kaloori saalai, Aval varuvaalaa, Madonna saayalaa nee, Laila
  laila, Kattaana ponnu, which in his opinion was new style Dappanguthu....(fast, dancable tracks). Now, In my opinion, these song was very effective and also fair hits. So, can class that as being versatile enough? If you see the types of songs he's done, they are varied, slow tracks to suit his voice, but fast ones that do the job too.....
  
  I also agree that SPB has done very much more, but I can't see why you guys are comparing them, as they are completely different, voice wise, time wise and style wise. I know that SPB fans are not happy that HH is bagging so many songs in films and is now the centre singer in a film(people will say a film's name and then say, the Hariharan song), but SPB, I HEARD IS CURRENTLY ILL and
  that's probably why they are using other singers, not just HH in his place.
  
  I'm not a fan of SPB's voice, but having seen him perform live, I can definitely see his hold on music, of all sorts. I feel that HH has to have
  proved time in time again in TFM before he can be compared with SPB. As mentioned, SPB's voice is a perfect match for Kamal, Rajini....just as TMS for
  Sivaji and KJJ for Sivakumar. Vijay, you are right, HH has a Northern tinge to his voice, true, but he emotes beautifully, the song Anbe Anbe is a sad song, Vijay, and he produces this emotion very well. The same with Ennai Thaalaata Varuvaalo, Vidukathaiyo, Uyire Uyire....HH replaces Unni in the Hindi versions of ARR albums and songs like Poovukkul and Ennavale sound brilliant, IMHO. More brikas and all that....
  
  Of course, the likes and dis-likes of voices comes from personal tastes, I love his voice, whilst many of you don't. When the thread "Hariharan - A class apart" was dicussed, these points didn't come out, but now, it's like the ARR-IR war, where people are fighting to interchange tastes....This has brought about many interesting facts, however, so it was well worth it.
  
  
• From: NaNbaN (@ 205.214.209.10) on: Fri Jun 26 16:49:49 EDT 1998
  
  I could not believe that HH voice, pronounciation and his 'North' flavour is criticized. Folks lets not undermine HH talent just because SPB or KJ is GREAT. SPB himself said
  that "uyire..uyire.." was sung very well and went onto say that he himself could have not done better. SPB is such as NICE character.
  
  As SPB fans we should try to emulate his way, not
  mudsling with HH fans.
  
  HH also has very high respect for SPB. HH said " I admire SPB for his VOCAL power". In another interview he said "SPB congratualted after hearing me singing in DD which was very encouraging for budding singer like me (1980)".
  The point is no rivalry between them. Then, Why between thier FANS like us. I feel its unneccesary.
  HH sang his first song in 1978 in HINDI. Its sad that he was not used in HINDI after that. And we should be proud that TFM brought such a nice talent to MUSIC. Lets take the credit for it. See how popular and busy he is
  HFM nowadays.
  
  
  Regarding HH pronounciation, I saw his interview in SunTV , Frankly his Tamil is better than me.
  I really mean it. Typical Brahmanal TAMIL accent. Even if it is wrong or BAD in some cases,lets not through tantrum at HIM. Everbody had trouble in pronounciation while singing even TMS had. Later they rectified it. Give HH some TIME and wait before concluding.
  
  And last problem, his MONOTONOUS voice. Everyone in thier FIELD try to build a career. Me think HH is trying to maintain his style of singing. Which ofcourse is not needed. When you look back SPB also tried to maintain a style in singing and had touches of PBS. Before he cut loose. Especially after joining hands with IR. I hope the same thing will happen with HH. Another thing is, MD's stamp him that he is good only for this type of song or ask him to render in same voice and style(which is ofcourse happening). I think only ARR has given him different songs like "Romeo attam pottal..". Everyone knows that it takes only one song to BREAK that jinx.
  Lets wait for the MD and the SONG.
  
  For example,look at Udit Narayanan pronounciation the song "kasumaylee Kasuvanthu...." his prnounciation has improved tremendously and unbelievably(May be KR took some care). If Udit Narayanan can do it.It shouldn't be difficult to do for HH. I noticed this after somebody noticed and brought to this forum. Lets do something like that.Lets not waste our time and others time.
  
  By the same way, lets not separate North and south, Hindutani and Carnatic, Ghazals and khatcheri. I find it very diffcult to digest this kind of arguments. If north is doing for south,let us not be the same way.You don't become a donkey, when donkey kicks you.Enjoy the music, thats the whole idea. Ands lets welcome everybody to TFM.Even it is Micheal Jackson(lighter side).
  
  I hope i conveyed, what i felt. I would welcome to be proved wrong.
  
  Voiced,
  NaNbaN
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Ramesh Siva (@ 171-132-107.ipt.aol.com) on: Fri Jun 26 17:05:32 EDT 1998
  
  Hariharan is unique in his own way and SPB in his ow way. You cant compare them. I say they are equally excellent.
  
  
• From: P. Sundram (@ palo10.pacific.net.sg) on: Wed Jul 22 07:09:31 EDT 1998
  
  To all those critics who've been panning Hariharan's Tamil pronunciation, please note that this is a Tamilian who has lived almost all his life in Bombay and writes his Tamil lyrics in Hindi. Frankly, I have no problems with pronunciation. As Hariharan himself said in a recent TV (Sun TV, I think) interview, aired in Singapore, it would be unnatural to enunciate every word and letter, especially when singing love songs. There was a time when actors and actresses spoke "senthamizh" in movies. This has given way to a more realistic form of speech. This is why there is so much vernacular in Tamil songs today.
  I used to be an SPB fan; today I like Hariharan. I think they are both extremely talented singers with different styles. SPB's voice has gotten a little thicker with age. Hariharan is in his prime and his voice is better suited to today's younger actors. He has a lot of talent, which comes through in his ghazals and even in the Colonial Cousins album, but hasn't been fully exploited in Tamil songs. Do listen to his ghazals, please. Some of them have interesting Carnatic touches, which you won't find in the ghazals of Jagjit Singh, much less Anup Jalota or Pankaj Udhas.
  For more information on Hariharan, please log into:
  http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/3458
  
  
• From: shankar (@ webgate0.mot.com) on: Wed Jul 22 09:33:38 EDT 1998
  
  Sorry RameshSIva,I can't fully accept ur statement. I don't think SPB and HH are "equally" talented.
  Having a good voice , according to me, is god's grace (which is very well there with SPB,KJY and HH).
  How versatile u r , and how well u use ur voice is all that matters. In that sense, SPB surpasses even the great KJY.
  Just listen to Shankarabaranam! U won't believe (at least I didn't ) those beautiful carnatic songs (KVM) were rendered by a relatively new person who has not had a formal training in Carnatic music .
  Do listen to "unai paartha pinbu naan"(kaadal mannan). Nobody cud've done it better than balu.
  HH's rendering is stereotypical. He doesn't have the versatility of SPB.
  Nobody can emulate the way balu shows the emotions of the character he's singing for, except IR (IR's voice doesn't suit for many).
  The counter argument for this may be that HH is relatively new. Again u'll have to see , he's been singing gazals and classical music for quite a long time.
  Why can't he show variety in his songs like SPB, who's been doing it right from the day 1 (listen to "ayiram nilave vaa").
  It's also a known fact that Balu innovates.(The giggles while singing, for instance) U can see what the mood of the character is , by just listening to the song.HH has never done that so far (I expect him to do so, for he's the prospective successor of SPB which he doesn't deserves to be called at this stage)
  Also, it has become a practice for somebody who supports a new comer to say that fans of the veterans (here SPB) are "not happy" about HH bagging most of the songs.What I 'd like to say here is that Nobody can snatch the other person's market. If the MD is a sensible guy, he'll give songs to those singers whose voice wil suit the actor and the situation.
  There's nothing wrong in comparing 2 singers but the parameters we take to compare them should be reasonable.
  
  I'd like to make one point clear. If at all I claim myself a fan of somebody.It's ONLY IR.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.29.214) on: Wed Jul 22 12:12:36 EDT 1998
  
  hariharan's voice does not suit any of the younger actors. hariharan for murali is as atrocoious as hariharan for rajni.as shankar said HH spoils the songs with his dull voice. already today's tunes are lifeless.added to that if HH's voice is also lke that u just can't listen to songs anymore.
  
  
• From: Ramya (@ proxy-178.iap.bryant.webtv.net) on: Wed Jul 22 12:49:21 EDT 1998
  
  I definitely think Hariharan could be the next SPB. He has a great voice and he can sing to slow songs as well as fast ones. I think he pronounces tamil very well. I don't think we should critize HH for the way he sings.
  
  
• From: Kavitha (@ proxy-178.iap.bryant.webtv.net) on: Wed Jul 22 12:55:08 EDT 1998
  
  I think that HH is one of the greatest singers we have, and what makes this even better is that his mother tongue isn't even Tamil. Imagine how hard it will be if we tried to sing in another language. HH's pronouncation is just as good as any other singer, if not, it's atleast understandable. Some of you said that it's hard for you to distinguish between the happy and sad songs that he sings. I think it's pretty easy to tell them apart and also it all depends on how you look at it. If someone thinks a happy song is sad, then it's sad to them. I don't think we should criticize HH or any other singer just because we think that someone else is better than them. I think that HH is a superb singer!!!!
  
  

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