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Great Impact of ARR on Indian contemporary Music and IsaiGnani

Topic started by The Fan (@ spider-we053.proxy.aol.com) on Thu Nov 12 02:16:07 EST 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

By now we must appreciate the positive qualities of ARR's musical genre or style and interpretations. ARR has single handendly made film music and that too, Tamil film music one of the most favorite discussion topics anywhere. He reengineered or turned around the concept of film music in India and made it a pop culture. Though there is something left to be desired in his creativity, he has forever changed the landscape of Indian film music. Taking it to a different platform, he has escaped comparisons and stands at the heap of a new generation of musical presentation and thought. I feel glad that ARR happened at the right time to Indian films. Otherwise look what might have happened to Isaignani, who probably would've lost the inspiration to stay around. ARR's has woken up IR from his classical mode and made IR change mode to a trendy style, eg: KM and MVU, each filmy score of IR getting more experimental and in tune with current taste for music. In other words, I personally thank ARR for being the EYES AND EARS OF IR. New rhythms, extremely different melodic structures. etc.. In addition, ARR is gaining on to be the next icon of music in Indian film music, maybe not in Tamil film music, however. This is what we need. New persectives, a 360 degree difference in styles. In this thread, it will be beneficial to talk about how ARR brought in new things that made us wonder why didn't our other composers attempt this, so easy, so out there, why didn't they. And,difficult innovations that challenged even IR. This will discussion should be purely to discuss the impact of ARR's contributions and his impact on IR's creative styles.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Sat Nov 14 05:49:38 EST 1998
  
  no doubt IR is the best. but we need new blood in TFM. just as IR provided it at a time when MSV-TKR were sticking to their style, and no one else was on the scene, so did ARR come when IR was reigning supreme, and getting bored at it.
  ARR is a composer with a lot of talent and needs inspiration to come with great scores.
  love birds, mr romeo poanra kuppai padangalukku avar nalla music kodukka vaendum enru ethirpaarppathu unfairt on our part.
  IR is a genius, which is why he could give great music for trash films like ninaivellam nitya and kokkarakko.
  
  
• From: Observer (@ spider-tf073.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Nov 14 10:55:29 EST 1998
  
  ARR is certaily not the new blood that TFM needs today , IMO. His songs wear synthetic smell in most of his compositions until recently with excessive use of cumputerized cut and pastes. The only decent ablum of in the recent years is 'Dil Se' . IMO, he should stick to usage of technology only for improvising his recordings. He once again seem to have used excessive cut and pastes of old tunes in the album DSKR. IMO, vidyasagar is a good competitor in contemporary TFM. But, the producers are so far relying on DEVA (bitter truth!) for hit music (by whatever means). IMO, the producers must go to people like vidyasagar or any other new talents for quality in TFM. ARR had his chance, but not yet qualified to be compared with IR of 80s or MSV of 60's , IMO.
  
  
• From: N.C. Ramakrishna (@ 170-108-115.ipt.aol.com) on: Sat Nov 14 12:56:25 EST 1998
  
  Initially when I heard ARR for movies like Roja, Puthiya mugam, Duet, Karuthamma, Thiruda Thiruda, Kizhakku seemayile, I really wondered about the capabilty of ARR. He was amazing. There is no doubt that he is best among the new crop of MD's after IR. He has some positive points as well as negative points.
  
  What I feel is that comparison between ARR and IR doesn't make any sense. Both are completely different. ARR is like IR to MSV. IR was great but we cant ignore MSV and tell he was not great.In his time he was great. He made people to enjoy his music than anybody did. Later IR proved himself as genius by giving great music and consistent in his creativity etc., for more than 20 yrs.
  
  Even telling ARR is genius and greater than IR is too early. His different style of presenting a song, rich orchestisation, techniques of bringing out various kinds of music to a single stage, sound fusion and mixing are his qualities which made him stand apart from others and get out of IR's cloud and have his own image in Music industry. Thats the reason why he is known in the industry. These are just qualities of a MD. With this he cant be genius great etc.,
  
  He should be consisitent. Just after six years in Film music, he is repeating his own tunes, his style of functioning creats doubt about his consistency. Also a small doubt that has he exhausted already. He should prove that he is capable of doing all these. He should not create even faint doubt in peoples mind that he is copying from different sources which is in debate nowadays.
  
  ARR is definetely one who can be next IR to TFM. Hope he takes care of his negatives and be one more IR who can command for next 15-20 years and gives his best to TFM.
  
  
  
• From: Nithin Sreedevan (@ chf-il3-217.ix.netcom.com) on: Sat Nov 14 14:37:03 EST 1998
  
  I am not sure if the discussion is once again about ARR and IR, who is better. The thread says ARR's positive impact on Indian Film scene and what he did to change IR boredom.
  
  I was recently hearing INDIA 24 HOURS and wondered how did IR change his style so dramatically. You hear this album and you can see the slow and deliberate pace in the themes. It is just an amazing album, i think its success can be linked to ARR's influence. IR's music is very fast paced and complex, whereas ARR brought a style like you have never before heard anywhere except in Ghazals. The slow, lingering and steady pace of rhythm and melody.
  
  Imagine if ARR did not bring in his slower pace, then IR would've been still gunning for the fast numbers and his sometimes unrhtymatic beats. INDIA 24 HOURS COULD'VE BEEN only possible with ARR's great influence on IR. It is easily the best non-filmi album ever and I can call it new age style for foreign listeners. For me INDIA 24 HOURS is India exactly in musical terms, extremely spiritual experience and rich in traditional sounds.
  
  IR has taken the place of RAVI SHANKAR is being the composer of choice in INDIA. Otherwise, we would have had to continue listening to RAVI SHANKAR monotonous presentation.
  
  Again, the credit of the new IR goes to ARR totally and i am sure this young man will go long ways to help true music lovers to enjoy the depth and spirituality of Indian Music, which is what we need as we see the computer information age disconnecting people all over the world from the culture and traditions.
  
  Long Live IR and ARR and even KR,if he can do something new like ARR.
  
  
• From: Pradeep Ananth (@ slip129-37-160-167.on.ca.ibm.net) on: Sun Nov 15 13:13:53 EST 1998
  
  Guys
  The most important element that ARR brought into TFM was professionalism. He made sure that each and every song in his albums had the same amount of attention. Not only did he concentrate on the tunes, he polished it, refined it a million times and wanted only the best to come out for the public's years. On the other hand IR was just a simple genius who relied on the beauty of his tunes. Tamil cinema as such was unprofessional when IR was at his peak with flashes of brilliance but mostly it was all mediocre stuff. But ARR came into TFM in an era when the filmdom was thinking more professionally and mega-budget movies were the "in-thing". So thats where I think is the fundamental difference in the thought planes of IR and ARR.
  
  
• From: sriks (@ dynamic34.pm03.san-jose.best.com) on: Sun Nov 15 14:57:30 EST 1998
  
  well said, Pradeep.
  
  ARR definitely has brought professionalism into TFM. Not only that, his music doesn't have any barriers. I feel IR music is purely south indian (though it has lot of western influence). It's a different matter that his tunes were copied by Anand-Milind and somewhat by Jatin-Lalit to make it big in HFM. ARR's music, on it's own, has been accpeted by all over India. That's great for a south indian. He (along with others) has made the Hindi Film Industry to look towards TFM for music (others for stories, ideas etc.).
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ spider-wn022.proxy.aol.com) on: Sun Nov 15 21:04:38 EST 1998
  
  IMO, the greatest contribution of ARR to TFM was to remove an aura that surrounded it in IR's regime. ARR simplified it, removing all traces of mystique and in its place filled in simpler, basic structures that could be understood and reproduced by everybody. ARR changed TFM from an art form to a career, and yes, in that sense he induced professionalism in it.
  
  Let me concur with Pradeep Ananth here for a while...
  
  Where IR and his contemporaries showed flashes of brilliance, ARR standardised his styles and brought about a consistence in quality. He was also responsible for bringing a universality to music in general and from a personal standpoint, where North Indians used to smirk at us calling us Madrasis, they now take us seriously and even feel a little envious sometimes ! But ARR's music has also ensured that every MD with little talent is given a his place in the Sun. Now music is no longer the elixir of geniuses, it has become every common man's drinking water. No longer shall people feel intimidated by personalities like IR and MSV.
  
  ARR has also seen to the resurgence of modern day classicists like Shankar and Mani Ratnam. Not only has he established his style of music, he has also helped sustain the presence of these creative movie makers. From the days of IR when a movie had its songs packed and ready to go in a week's time, ARR has now ensured that no matter what the output, every care shall be taken to see that every single note is heard with absolute clarity, even if it takes longer than usual to create them. No more half-hearted numbers. If MDs want to establish themselves, they have to slog it out - they cannot expect their genius to come through everytime.
  
  ARR's music by itself ensures that the movies will have a particular sheen to them. No more "Engaatha, ongaatha" stuff. No more pan-cake faced 'dowser paandis'. No more simplistic folk scenes. Every shot will scream out its sophistication and glamour. Every story will relate to modern day standards of Jeans, Coke and Pizzas. No more ridiculous lungis and dark skinned heroes. No more rustic songs in IR's hoarse voice. ARR has indeed been the prime factor in making singer's sing with realistic polish rather than forced emotions.
  
  Pradeep Ananth and sriks:
  IR's 'simple genius' and ARR's 'utter professionalism' exist only in our minds. They have not been classified by any standard, because such standards don't exist. Under such circumstances, while making observations, we must explicitly show that we are only making observations and are not passing judgements. The most common way to do it would be to use a 'IMO (In My Opinion)' somewhere in your posting.
  
  Others:
  Before you think that I am really praising ARR, not once did I say his contributions were good for TFM in any way.
  
  No, I am NOT trying to turn this into another ARR vs IR fight. I just choose to make my own observations rather than pass off-hand and callous remarks like Pradeep Ananth and sriks.
  
  
• From: Swami (@ 129.107.8.141) on: Sun Nov 15 21:43:37 EST 1998
  
  Srinath,
  
  Every story will relate to modern day standards of Jeans, Coke and Pizzas.
  
  This constitutes hardly 5% of India. (a fancy world)
  
  
  
  No more ridiculous lungis and dark skinned heroes.
  
  This is the true India man. Go and ask a farmer in a remote village. He won't by any means know what a jean is. So there is nothing wroong in potraying the truth, rather than trying to show which would never ever happen (like the college they showed in Kadhal Desam).
  
  >Swami
  
  -Swami.
  
  

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