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Vani Jayaram's songs

Topic started by avvaiyar (@ 203.116.61.132) on Wed Jan 27 02:29:28 EST 1999.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I'm a new visitor to this website. I couldn't see anyone discussing about Vani Jayaram's songs.
Let me start this one.(It had been there previously pls. forgive me!)

"Ezhu swarangalukkul ethanai paadal..
Ithaya surangathul ethanai kelvi...
Vaazhum manitharukkul ethanai salanam.."

Wow! Beautiful voice!

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VaniJayaram.com - A site that has lots of info and songs of VJ.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Thu Jun 5 04:23:34 EDT 2003
  
  SNSM Lakshmi vida middle-class Tamil woman perfect portrayal irukka enna?
  
  "arrogance,self pity & headstrong qualities "- JK thru Laskhmi showed the transformation from self-pity to head strong to arrogance in the charcter.But the tinge of never-dying woman-vulnerability was still evident whenever she meets Srikanth.
  
  AR had strong characters moving around each trying to over power another.There wasn t a coherent movie.
  
  
• From: Prabhu (@ 203.199.143.149) on: Thu Jun 5 08:00:09 EDT 2003
  
  Digress from the current flow.....
  Sarvanan, thanks a lot for that wonderful write-up! Its one of the best biographies I ever saw...I am gonna collect all ur writings so that I can savour them again while going on long journeys!
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.30.219) on: Thu Jun 5 09:22:50 EDT 2003
  
  Vengayam -
  
  The list/annotations were to elucidate my rationale for choosing the four. You don't have to agree or subscribe. We are all affected in different ways by different films. It all depends on what we bring to the film (our own personal "baggage") - and as a result, what the film brings to us is inexorably refracted through this prism.
  
  OISG -
  
  I was affected by the prose of SNSM, but the politics of JKs vision was entrenched in patriarchy and sexism.
  A victim/survivor of rape is knocked around by her mother, her uncle and her medieval community. She puts up with all of this, and abides by the dictates of those around her. Then, one day, taking a taunt to heart, she embarks on the journey to "know" the man who assaulted her. She discovers that he is domestic, ordinary and quite unremarkable. Defying every rape-victim psychological prognosis in the book, she wants to be accepted and (and here's the bizzare logic) what's more - she wants to "belong" to the perpetrator - for she sees his "humanity" (???), and wishes he would love her back!!
  
  Sure she's a middle-class, tamil woman cum rape victim - but imagined by a man. Not that that's a limitation - but one has to account for the masculist imagination and its biases. JK never does. Not to be left out, and in race to prove that women can also write about sexual assault victims who learn to love the aggressor, Anuradha Ramanan raised the ante (or should that be anti?) with Sirai. Moral of the story: Let me live in your house, soon I'll make a home in your heart, or through my virtue show you that you can make home in mine!
  
  Aval Oru was pseudo-radical and more about rhetoric than realism. But that's always been KB's brand of facile activism.
  
  This is my take. And I wouldn't be surprised it is mine alone. :-)
  
  (On this note: Why is that any indian woman who is confident, ambitious, and can think for herself in a man's world - almost, always - tagged as "arrogant, pitiable and (full of) head strong qualities? The same ambition, confidence and intelligence in a man is celebrated as "driven, successful, and something to emulate."
  
  Our vocabulary gives away our political and partiarchal (sub)conscious so so easily! :-)
  
  Saravanan -
  
  Do you recall the film name and line of the IR-VJ duet. I remember Neel D posted this song in "files" in the egroup...but I don't believe it is available at the website. Any pointers?
  
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.2.7) on: Thu Jun 5 10:31:27 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks all!
  
  CV-Yes, Mahendran worked for a while as Assistant Editor of Thuglaq.
  
  I wanted to write much more on JM, but restricted myself deliberately, as it was getting too long.
  
  Mahendran came to MGR’s attention, when MGR visited Azhagappa College in the aftermath of Nadodi Mannan. Mahendran spoke criticising Tamil cinema as a whole, with pointed references to Nadodi Mannan. Those assembled thought MGR would get annoyed, but MGR gave him a letter of appreciation instead!
  
  Later, he worked for a magazine called Ina Muzhakkam, which was edited by CP Sitrarasu. MGR recognised him in a Press Meet and after talking to him, took him under his fold. He asked Mahendran to prepare a screenplay for Ponniyin Selvan. Mahendran completed it within a month, but MGR shelved the plan later. Mahendran worked as Assistant Director in Kanchi Thalaivan.
  
  It was Venu Chettiyar who took him to Muktha Srinivasan who wanted a story for his next film. Mahendran narrated a story, which took shape as Niraikudam, with dialogues by Cho. When he saw the completed film, a disgusted Mahendran said openly that his story had been completely destroyed beyond recognition. Cho admired his honesty and offered the job of assistant editor in Thuglaq. Mahendran considers his three years at Thuglaq as the ‘Golden Period’ of his life.
  
  Then came his drama ‘Irandil Ondru’ which was staged by Senthamarai. (Mahendran remembers the late Senthamarai with gratitude. Senthamarai would take him home without any warning and ask his wife Lakshmi to give Mahendran food. Lakshmi would give to Mahendran whatever she had kept for herself to eat. Mahendran showed his gratitude by naming the heroines of Thanga Pathakkam and Uthiri Pookal as ‘Lakshmi’)
  
  Sivaji liked IO so much that he wanted to make a film of it, and the rest, as they say, is history.
  Mahendran later wrote the script for Rishimoolam as well.
  
  OISG, I don’t know about Thaiyalkaaran, but I remember Mahendran being associated with a film called Oor Panchayathu,stg. Pandiyarajan & Mahalakshmi.I have a feeling music was by SPB, though I am not sure.
  
  Naaz: I guess you are talking about ‘Vizhiyae nalama unnai naan kettkiren’- it is from Dhoorathu Pachai. But it was by GA-VJ. Of course, IR was the MD. I don’t recall any IR-VJ duet in Tamizh.
  
  YVS Mani- Glad to see you in these parts again :-) Welcome!
  I don’t remember seeing the other songs of KOK or SNT anywhere on the net.
  
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.30.219) on: Thu Jun 5 10:48:24 EDT 2003
  
  Saravanan -
  
  I am sure you are right. I'll drop a line in the egroup and see if Neel D has a definitvie answer. Thanks.
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.30.219) on: Fri Jun 6 09:28:50 EDT 2003
  
  Saravanan -
  
  Not that you could ever be not right :-)
  Your details regarding the Dhooraththu Pachchai were bull's eye. Neel D has uploaded the song in the egroup files after I dropped him a line yesterday.
  
  Why did IR not sing a duet with VJ ( he has with PS, SJ, SPS, UR, Chitra...) Any interesting theories?
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.2.7) on: Fri Jun 6 12:41:33 EDT 2003
  
  This week's Sangeetha Sagaram recap:
  
  As usual the programme began with the same snippets that I had mentioned last week-
  
  Then KC got down to business. He asked her about the legends PS and SJ, who along with VJ, formed the trio of great female voices in mfm. Vani interrupted him with with the addition ‘Eswarima’---KC agreed and added LRE’s name too.
  
  Vani proclaimed that she enjoyed an excellent relationship with all her co-singers.
  
  KC asked her about PS. Vani related an interesting incident:
  
  One day she had recorded a film duet with KJY in Bharani studio. It was under the baton of Soolamangalam Sisters. Having finished the song, she returned home. In the afternoon, she received an urgent summons to return to Bharani to record a solo. Vani was surprised, for she was not previously told that she had to sing a solo as well. Further enquiries revealed that the solo was to have been sung by PS, but as PS was engaged in a recording for Ramesh Naidu which was getting delayed, she could not make it to Bharani in time. Hence the summons.
  
  Here, Vani said that she had some principles. Hence she immediately called PS’s residence. PS wasn’t in, but her husband was. VJ explained the situation. PS’s husband told her that there was no problem, and VJ could sing the song. Yet, only a ‘Go ahead” from PS herself would satisfy Vani. Finally PS was contacted and she laughed and asked ‘What’s this, Vani”!!, and Vani went to Bharani and sang the song with a clear conscience.
  
  (Though Vani did not mention the film, I guess it was Appothey Sonneney Kettiya- 1979, which had music by Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi. While I know the KJY-VJ duet well- it goes ‘Ellam avan sithathu’ – a lovely song, I do not at all recall the solo that she sang in the place of PS…)
  
  When asked about the songs of PS that she liked, Vani replied that she had enjoyed PS songs even while in college. Vani then sang the pallavi of the immortal PS song ‘Aalaya maniyin osaiyai naan kettaen’- Exquiste!
  
  KC then asked her about SJ. VJ replied with a beaming smile that she knew SJ even before she (Vani) became a playback singer. She recalled that as a schoolgirl, she used to sing light music songs for AIR (Here she revealed that she has sung in one such programme under the baton of the great G Ramanathan). And in the course of such programmes, she had occasion to become close to SJ. So much so, that she requested SJ to take her to watch a film song being recorded, and SJ readily obliged her by taking her to Vijaya Studios to watch ‘Radhayai penn parka Kannan vandhaan” being recorded- Here VJ sang a few lines of this enchanting SJ stunner, and KC looked on in unconcealed bliss—VJ then simply said “She (SJ) is my friend” –and that spoke volumes-
  
  (BTW, this song ‘Radhayai penn paarkka Kannan vandhaan’ is from the film Namma Kuzhanthaigal-1970, and fetched SJ her first TN Govt. State Award for the Best Female Playback Singer)
  
  KC then asked her about the male playback singers with whom she had sung. Vani started off by mentioning TMS, with whom she sang her first Tamil song to come out- she mentioned the film’s name Veetukku Vandha Marumagal. (The song is ‘Oridam Unnidam, en thevaiyai naan ketppathu veryaaridam’)
  
  She then spoke about PBS, and said that she sang a lot of songs with him in Kannada.
  She said that even recently at a function, she heard PBS sing ‘Manithan enbavan deivam aagalaam’ – Here KC and VJ both sang a few lines from that classic Sumaithaangi song, KC could not go so high as Vani in ‘Vaari vaari vazhangum pothu’ though!
  
  KC mentioned that Vani had sung with generations of singers ranging from Mohammed Rafi to Mano. Vani acknowledged this fact with a humble nod. KC then, with great modesty, brought to her attention that he himself had the fortune of singing a few songs with VJ. VJ responded by a warm compliment “You are such a good singer”- she said!
  
  KC brought to her recall, a duet that they had sung under the baton of Arjunan for the film Mahabali, and both sang the pallavi of the melodious song- it goes ‘Sowgandhigangal vidannu’ –VJ couldn’t recall some lines, but hummed along with KC, and an excellent song it is—
  Vani said at the end ‘This is what I told you---how I miss such tunes these days”- how wistful she sounded—
  
  Improper planning, I think, for there was again a repeat of KC’s questions regarding her non-film albums, and VJ’s responses. Not that I am complaining- who would, when they get to hear ‘Kaise keh jaavoon’ with that spellbinding ‘Arre roke dagaraiya’ again!
  
  Some singers sang some enthralling Vani songs- a duet ‘Thummal pookkoodal thottil chalattam’ (I couldn’t catch the lines exactly) was wonderful. ‘Thiraiyum theeravum’ (from the film Aval Viswasthayaayirum- my friend’s info) and ‘Saptha swarangalodum sorga pravagini’ were the other songs sung in today’s episode.
  
  The fitting finale was Vani singing ‘Seemandha Rekhayil chandanam chaarthiya’ (My friend tells me it is from the film Aasirvaadham)- a mellifluous song that has incredible high notes, and amazing low points too- and Vani was like a bird that soars high with abandon- touching the very heaven, and swooping down to the earth with nonchalant ease.
  
  The pony-tailed violinist (he had grown a stubble this time) is fast becoming an ardent VJ fan- this time too he was lost in admiration—
  
  This week’s images- Vani with Kushwant Singh- Vani receiving an award from MGR- and the narrator who said ‘Though she might not have received any State award, Vani remains enshrined forever in the hearts of the Malayalis’----
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.30.219) on: Fri Jun 6 13:20:09 EDT 2003
  
  Saravanan -
  
  Your detailed, note-by-note recounting of the TV show makes me feel like I should see all these episodes (of all artistes so far) - like, NOW! :-) Thanks again.
  
  Why doesn't newtfmpage appoint qualified posters from this fora (and various geographies) to cover and write (intelligently) about these programmes? Short, lengthy, and comprehensive summaries/reviews about music/music shows/films/TV programmes involving singers/MDs would be welcomed and read by all...
  What's more, newtfmpage/portal could become a good resource for interesting/exciting and informed coverage for everybody that CARES about good music, culture and the arts.
  
  Would such an idea fly, flop or fizzle?
  
  

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