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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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Neel's VJ Songs

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.234) on: Sun Mar 16 06:53:43 EST 2003
  
  Naaz- that was enlightening. Hope you continue soon. Please explain the distinction between Shaayari and Gazal. Also what exactly is a Qawali?
  
  
• From: rk (@ 210.187.11.122) on: Sun Mar 16 12:38:22 EST 2003
  
  D.Yoganand was worked with Sivaji in 20 movies.
  kaveri
  tangaikkaga
  thai
  krahapiravesam
  general chakravarthy
  justice gobinath
  nan vazhavaipen
  yemanukku yeman
  oorukkoru pillai
  vaa kanna vaa
  sumangali
  sarithira nayagan
  i don't remember the movies.somebody please try to complete it.
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.28.203) on: Sun Mar 16 14:36:09 EST 2003
  
  Saravanan -
  Thank you for the encouragement. I will do my best to address your questions. But - Kaumudi has to keep his word first...a deal is a deal, right K? :-)
  
  
• From: Kaumudi (@ 136.142.20.121) on: Mon Mar 17 00:11:50 EST 2003
  
  And a deal is definitely a deal!!
  After an amazing amount of time spent on fixing my computer and upon threats from Naaz:-) , here I come with a translation.
  
  The song I have chosen for this time is “Poojalu chaeya poolu theccanu” from the movie Pooja. This movie had wonderful music composed by Rajan-Nagendra. The music was a huge hit in those days as I recall my mother talking about it several years ago. This movie had most of its songs sung by SPB and Vanijayaram (probably one of the few telugu movies which had Vani as the main/only singer). The song itself was an original composition by the same music duo in Kannada called “Poojisalende hoogala thande” from the movie Eradu Kanasu. The original version had Janaki in it. Now while both these songs have the same tune, they are still different in some aspects in that Janaki and Vani impart their emotions differently. Imagine the bliss of people like me (and Saravanan??) when you listen to the same tune sung by two of your most favorite female singers!! The song itself is one masterpiece of a tune. So catchy, melodious and addictive it is, that sometimes I tend to sing this song in a public gathering even it is meant for a female to sing.
  
  I think the movie had Vanisri and Ramakrishna in the cast and this song was picturized, I believe, on Vanisri as more or less an intro song.
  
  VJ’s mature vocals suit the tone of this song. She sings it with fervour just as she does with every song she sings.
  
  One of the less fortunate music composer duo which had very talented people yet who weren’t as famous as they should have been was Rajan-Nagendra. They were popular in the Kannada cinema, and later became quite popular in the Telugu cinema. I am not sure if they had anything to do with Tamil movies (our walking encyclopedia, Saravanan sir, should let us know if he knows anything). They had some very good movies in telugu. Their music was purely melodic and very touching akin to Ramesh Naidu, Salil Chowdhury, OPNayyar kind of music. Pooja was a super hit with all of its songs playing all over Vividh Bharathi and AIR Hyderabad.
  
  To the actual song:
  The song starts of with a lovely, pleasant alaapana by Vani which basically describes the mood/tone of the song in a subtle fashion. The song is constantly supported by the sitar. For some reason, sitar sounds very Carnaticish in this song. In the midst of the typical South Indian music arrangement and Vani’s vocals, the sitar lost its North Indian touch. Anyway, I am digressing too much…….
  
  Poojalu chaeya poolu theccanu, nee gudi munde nilichanu
  Thiyyaraa thalupulanu Raama, iyyaraa dharsanamu raama.
  
  Vanisri is talking in plain terms with her god, Raama. She feels that she had come all the way with her flowers in the basket to worship Rama, and here he is with his doors closed. So she says, hey Rama, I have come to worship you with some flowers and I am standing right at the entrance of your temple. Please open the doors and let me have a darshan of yours.
  
  Thoorupu lona thelathelavare
  Bangaru velugu ningini chere
  Tholikiranaala……….aaaaaaa
  Tholikiranaala haarathi velige
  Inkaa jaagela swami,
  Iyyaraa darisanamu Raama
  
  Then next see how she persuades her lord and tries to convince him in opening the doors. She says, the golden bright sunlight is showing up in the east and signaling the beginning of a new day. The golden rays of the sun are like the “Haarathi” to you, inspite of a haarathi already been given to you, why do you delay in giving your darisanam? Come on please open the doors.
  
  Listen to Vani’s light gamakam-filled alaapana after tholikiranaala. Look at how seemingly easily she traverses up and down without a single note of apasruthi. Very enchanting, to me atleast. Also, one note I wish to make, although people might think I am getting too picky. In the word “jaagela”, the “jaa” is not the typical “jaa: in say Raja, Jannal etc.. This jaa is special to telugu in that the pronunciation is actually a cross between a typical “ja” and “sa”. Now, this is not care of by even people who speak telugu as their native language. Look at how careful she is in order that she sounds native!!! I feel very impresses and awe-struck when non-Telugus take so much care in handling these songs. Chitra and these days Sujatha again belong to that category. At the risk of sounding clichéd, “Those were different days when no compromise was accepted!!!”
  
  Deevinchevo kopinchevo
  Chenthaku cherchi laalinchevo
  Nee padha sannidhi naa paliti pennindhi
  Ninne nammithiraa swami
  Iyyara darisanamu Raama
  
  I don’t know if you will bless me or curse me. Or if you will take me (like a child) into your arms and sing me a lullaby. But I can tell you one thing – my place of rest is your lotus-feet. Swami Raama, I put my entire trust and belief in you, please give me your darshan.
  
  Now this is a very simple song. Absolutely no profound lyrics or anything of that sort. Very down-to-earth piece and layman-friendly. And that is precisely one the reasons this song was so popular. And what makes this song outstanding is the vocals. Vani gives beauty to this lovely melody. And this is one of her favorites in Telugu. You always see her singing this song in all her telugu concerts. This song is a pleasure to listen to.
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.232) on: Mon Mar 17 01:21:29 EST 2003
  
  Kaumudi, thanks for that great translation and detailed analysis of this lovely song. Hope you continue on a regular basis!
  
  Reg. Rajan-Nagendra, they couldn't make any headway in Tamizh. Kamal's first film for Singeetham Srinivasa Rao is said to be a Telugu film- I forget the name-(it had 2 words and both beginning with'S')-it had Kamal in a dual role, with Jayasudha and Roja Ramani, I think. Music was by Rajan-Nagendra. This film was dubbed in Tamizh as 'Iru Nilavugal' and some great songs by R-N: 'Thoda varavo thondaravo' -SPB-SJ (I have heard the same song in Kannada as well''Nagunaguthaa nee naguve'), 'Ananadam athu ennada'-SPB were songs that became hits. R-N 's direct Tamizh film was 'Veetukku Veedu Vasappadi'-1979, which was a remake of the Telugu hit-Intinti Ramayanam. One of SJ's best solos of that time was from VVV- 'Aadal paadal kaathal enbathu appodhu'. Other songs from VVV were 'Thogai kaiyil regai suththam'-SPB-SJ, 'Veetukku veedu vasappadi'-SPB-PS and an amazing drama song bringing out the havoc caused by liquor, which SJ sang for Manorama!
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.87.28.203) on: Mon Mar 17 10:31:18 EST 2003
  
  Kaumudi -
  
  Thank you! I was wondering with a sense of suspense which song you'd choose to translate...and I am very happy with the choice! It is a really good composition by RN. And now with your notes, it is sure to become more meaningful. Language and Meaning are so much part of aesthetic pleasure, that a lot is lost when that "comprehensive" moment is not there. Translations, although only approximations, are still a torch into linguistic darkness. Please do keep us educated with such briefings - it is always a pleasure!
  
  There is an absolute find on the VJ webpage today. A rare VJ thumri from the film Pakeezah.
  The music for the film was by Naushad/Ghulam Mohammed. Ghulam Mohammed passed away during the making of the film (having completed the feature track) and Naushad stepped in to add and polish the background score. Pakeezah, given that it was about "kothas" and "kothawalis" made great use of female voices in the form of songs heard in the background during a scene. Parveen Sultana, Rajkumari and VJ have three beautiful classical interludes (all about 3 mins) which were not included in the mainstream release of the soundtrack after the film was declared a bonafide hit. These tracks are only available on the original LP. The later versions feature only the Lata / Rafi songs, and occasionally the Rajkumari track.
  Hence, this VJ track is an absolute find!
  
  To take a slight detour from the "Ghazal" episode, let me share with you what I know about the "Thumri" style of singing. Coincidentally, the "thumri" is the closest Hindustani light classical music gets to resembling the "ghazal." In fact, in contemporary singing of the ghazal, the influence of the "thumri" is obvious to those familiar with both genres of singing.
  
  If the "Thumri" were a Rasa, it would be Sringara.
  Eroticism and Romantic longing are the heart and heartbeat of the "Thumri." As a style of singing, it came into being in the later Mughal years, and was a improvisation of the folk traditions that existed in and around Brij. Brij is the place of all the Krishna Leelais in northern mythology.
  "Thumri" the word, comes from "Thumak" which meaning to "stomp" delicately. The onamaetopia is not a coincidence.
  
  As a Hindustani Light Classical style of singing, the Thumri offers the artiste acres of flexibility to explore the "longing" or "despair" through voice. Hence, the singing is replete with "meends" and "taans". In the hands of a virtuoso singer the Thumri glows with all the colour of romance,desire, and regret (these are also the predominant subjects of the ghazal!).
  
  "Mora Sajan Souten Ghar Jaaye, Ab Mai Kaise Kahoon?"
  
  My man visits his mistress, but how do I say anything to him?
  
  "Jab Mai Poochun, Kachu Woh Na Bole,
  Jhooti Kasme Kahen, Haah,
  Ab Mai Kaise Kahoon?"
  
  When I do ask, he is silent
  And then he makes these false promises
  
  Now, how do I say anything to him?
  
  
  That's all there is. Just three lines. But the expression and mood of the singer/singing which makes those lines sparkle.
  
  The raga is Pahadi. Within this tranquil and serene scale VJ manages to convey a torpor of feelings.
  The "taan" midway in the 2.30 mins, is a marvel of artistry. "Jab Mai Poochun" The work on "Jab" is both native and authentic (Begum Akhtar would have approved!!) and the ambiguous "Haan" which mixes misgivings, possessiveness and a knowing maturity is the sign of a singer who not only knows the genre, but is also familiar with its soul.
  When words, emotions, and voice meld with consummate ease and expertise, the listener is transported "into" the moment. With Mora Sajan, VJ accomplishes this task, with all the grace and beauty of a swan at the centre Lake Thumri.
  
  
• From: Kaumudi (@ 136.142.153.250) on: Mon Mar 17 10:37:46 EST 2003
  
  Saravanan
  That movie is Sommokadidi Soakokadidi. Excellent comedy, keeps you stuck to the screen. And lovely melodies (atleast 4 out of 5 were hit songs in those days). These songs are real jumpy. Anytime you listen to them, you are bound to enliven your spirits. Intinti Ramayanam was another good offering from R-N. Sad that R-N couldn't carve out a name for themselves in Tamil.
  
  

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