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KAVIYARASU KANNADASAN

Topic started by On behalf of Sankar (@ 210.186.51.129) on Mon Dec 30 07:11:34 EST 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Kaaviyathayin Illaya magan
Kadhal Pengalin Perun thalaivan
Paamara jaadiyil thani manidan – naan
Padaippadhanal yen per Iraivan

Naan Manida jaadiyai aati vaipen – avar
Maandu vital adhai paadi vaipen
NAAN NIRANDARAM AANAVAN AZHIVADILAI
ENDA NILAYILUM ENAKKU MARANAM ILLAI

These are the great lines of Kaviyarasu Kannadasan in the movie Ratha Thilakam where he acts in the movie singing these lines. ( Song.. Oru Koopayilae yen kudiyiruppu)

What a visionary he was ? Indeed, he is NIRANDARAMAANAVAN.

I share some of my observations about Kavingyar. I want all the fans of HIM to join this discussion and add more quality material in praise of his great works.
This is the only way we pay tributes to this GENIUS.
WILL WE EVER GET BACK A KAVINGYAR LIKE KANNADASAN ??

Read the complete opening post here.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: puvanes (@ 161.142.100.87) on: Tue May 27 22:23:06 EDT 2003
  
  aaru maname aaru
  intha aaNdavan kattaLai aaru
  
  aaRu maname aaRu
  intha aaNdavan kattaLai aaRu
  
  which one is tha correct lyrics is it aaru = saanthamadaithal or aaRu = 6..can anybody explain these lyrics by kannadasan
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Sun Jun 1 00:43:08 EDT 2003
  
  puvanes: first line means 'calm down heart calm down!' kattaLai has several meanings -order,commandment,endowment,offering(pooja) etc.
  He probably means that there are six commandments by God. KattaLai is also used for pujas by some Murugan temples like Palani. The song actually gives six commandments in the succeeding lines.
  
  
• From: Raj (@ 206.97.63.112) on: Sun Jun 1 00:46:43 EDT 2003
  
  puvanes: The first line may also be interpreted as ' Six heart six', like telling your heart that there are six commandments.
  
  
• From: R.Mahendra Raj (@ ) on: Thu Jun 19 05:05:56 EDT 2003
  
  Hi folks! Back again after a hectic schedule. Nice to know that the thread is still bubbling with activity.
  
  Please allow me to comment on the "Aaru manamae aaru" song. As mentioned in my earlier posting this song was themed after Swami Vivekananda's teachings. Kaviarasar realised that not many of the ordinary folks were opportuned to read about Swami Vivekananda's teachings hence this song.
  
  For the record, kaviarasar had dutifully simplified the works of great philosophers and spiritualists for the benefit of ordinary folks. He loved to share such valuable pieces with those who are illiterate or semi-illeterate.
  
  In the film you can see Shivaji in Swami Vivekananda's attire for one shot. The producer of this film, veteran actor PS Veerappa, being a Muruga devotee decided to superimpose this scene with Murugan temples. This is why there are confusions as to whether the 6 commandments mentioned in this song was by Lord Muruga or otherwise.
  
  The beauty of this song is that the essence of Swami Vivekananda's teachings were compacted into 6 couplets in simple Tamil for the layman to understand.
  
  See you again folks!
  
  
• From: puvanes (@ 161.142.100.87) on: Thu Jun 19 07:06:06 EDT 2003
  
  thanks for the comeback, Raj
  
  
• From: RR (@ 203.199.213.3) on: Thu Jun 19 22:21:44 EDT 2003
  
  Raj. What a "thoughtful" comeback.! One more anecdote involving KB-KD-MSV (i hope it is not a repeat!) MSV said in a recent interview that the song "Angum Ingum" in Avargal was composed in less than 30 min in front of a full house which had gathered to attend a concert in honour of KD's birthday sometime in the 70's. MSv also
  said he taught SPB the song right there who then sang it with the orchestra and the song was recorded the next morning.
  RR
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.2.102) on: Fri Jun 20 03:16:29 EDT 2003
  
  RR, the whole episode is news to me. This is one song which is permanently etched in my mind. The music is really unique. I remember trying to get a copy of this song through the usual vinyl record or cassette but was unsuccessful. Even the local radio station seemed to have lost this song! Of course, I managed to get it much later. Anyway, thanks for evoking my memory on this song.
  
  In the previous year (1976) KB produced 'Moondru Mudichu' which also had an unique song i.e. "Aadi velli". It had some firsts of its kind in Tamil literary arrangement by kaviarasar. As I am not literature-savvy could Manisegaran or anyone else elaborate on it?
  
  Looking back into all the KB-MSV-Kannadhasan combination it is evident that this team took pains to incorporate something new from their respective professions in all their films.
  
  Btw, a Tamil weekly titled 'Rani' has a serial running on Kamraj. The last two or three weeks had full coverage on kaviaraar's relationship with this statesman. I am glad that whatever posted here especially on the songs by kaviarasar invloving Kamraj was re-affirmed in the articles.
  
  See you shortly folks!
  
  
• From: RR (@ 203.199.213.4) on: Fri Jun 20 03:47:54 EDT 2003
  
  Raj: If I may elaborate a bit more on the incident, apparently when KB picked up the mike
  to speak in praise of KD, he remarked that he had been trying to get KD and MSV together for several days in vain and that he wanted a song
  urgently. He then asked the audience whether the
  concert can begin after the song is composed and the audience roared in approval eager to view the rare event. And then KD and MSV went on stage to compose the song. No doubt, a unique song composed in a unique setting!!
  RR
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.2.102) on: Fri Jun 20 05:58:12 EDT 2003
  
  RR, probably this incident culminated in KB getting MSV and kaviarasar together in celluloid form for the "Chippi irukkuthu Muthum irukkuthu" ('Varumayin Niram Sigappu' 1980).
  
  RR, again this bit is total news to me and others. The audience was a lucky lot to have witnessed such a rare performance by the maestros.
  
  The nearest analogue I could draw to the above situation was when an ex-broadcaster with Radio Malaysia who went to the studios with kaviarasar in Madras (as guest of kaviarasar) and witnessed the story-situation-song-music for the film 'Avargal' (1977). This guy brought along his cassette recorder and discreetly recorded the live event. When he returned to Malaysia he arranged with one of the broadcasters to have it aired for a special programme. Of course, it was edited for broadcasting worthiness. We had the rare opportunity to experience the goings-on behind the scenes of the story-song situation.
  
  See you again folks!
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ 195.188.191.86) on: Fri Jun 20 11:34:18 EDT 2003
  
  Mahendraraj, is it possible to get hold of a recording of this program ? Asai athigam thAn....irunthAlum.....
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 203.106.163.104) on: Mon Jun 23 03:39:10 EDT 2003
  
  Sriram. I am afraid that it will not be possible as the event took place in the mid-seventies. The personnel concerned have either retired or left the service.
  
  Btw, just to remind you folks, tomorrow (June 24, 2003) will be our kaviarasar's 76th birthday anniversary.
  
  Will be back shortly, folks.
  
  
• From: skanda (@ 203.196.148.194) on: Tue Jun 24 04:31:02 EDT 2003
  
  KL Radio paid rich tribute to Kaviarsar today
  by playing only his songs all day long today
  [June 24, 2003].
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.0.175) on: Tue Jun 24 04:41:37 EDT 2003
  
  Hi folks!
  
  The deejay of the local government radio station contacted me today and requested with urgency some tidbits on kaviarasar for her live programme this afternoon featuring kaviarasar's 66th birthday anniversar. I obliged and she did'nt leave me at that but implored me to give a live commentary over the telephone which I did also.
  
  The three-hour live programme saw many callers giving their inputs too. It just shows that the great kaviarasar's legacy still lives and will continue to live.
  
  Back again folks!
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.1.67) on: Wed Jun 25 05:55:00 EDT 2003
  
  Hi, folks!
  
  Yesterday I came across this news that TMS attempted suicide. An artiste on the threshold of completing a century of life attempting suicide?
  
  This incident invoked my memory to a news report wayback in January 1986 where TMS was down in Malaysia for a group musical concert. I reproduce below in verbatim of the news report of the English daily:-
  
  "South Indian playback singer T.M. Sounderarajan broke down and cried half-way through a song at a concert hall in Seremban on Monday.
  
  Many in the audience wept too.
  
  The song 'my heart bleeds every time I see you weep' from the film 'Vietnam Veedu' tells the sad story of a man who devoted his life providing for his children - only to receive ingratitude in return.
  
  "The song got to me because it was also the story of my life and I began to sob uncontrollably", he said. He completed the song amidst sobs.
  
  According to Sounderarajan or TMS as he is popularly known, his first wife could never understand his passion for singing: neither did she understand his work schedule. They quarelled frequently and eventually she left him.
  
  His 11-year old son, who wanted to become his secretary, died of jaundice. His two other sons, for whom TMS had plans for a college education and brides from reputable families, threw education to the winds and married two girls - without telling him - out of his caste and religion.
  
  Two years ago when he was away on a singing engagement, one of his three daughters who was admitted for appendicitis surgery, died of heart failure.
  
  "I was thoroughly dejected after that. I have made so many people happy with my singing but why was fate so cruel to me? All I wanted out of life was a happy family and married life but the events that took place left in me, only a bitterness about life.
  
  "I had seen such tragedies only in films, I had sung about them. In my 40-year career, I had also sung some great songs about values in life, the family unit, tradition and love. As it turned out, I was never to experience love..only heartache.." he said, his voice breaking.
  
  He has since remarried a woman 30 years younger.
  
  Talking about the Tamil music industry only adds salt to his wounds. Today's Tamil music frustrates him.
  
  "There's too much infusion of Western music", he says. "Many of the songs I sang are classics today because of the strength of the music and lyrics...people could relate to them.
  
  "Today's songs are full of gasping and panting sounds, squeals and inane lyrics. Not only that, gone are the days of strong male or female voices; today's Tamil singers have voices which are neither here nor there. but the sad truth is people nowadays want to listen to such songs and music directors are merely responding to their demands" he said.
  
  As a result of change in the music industry, TMS is slowly fading out. in the last five years, his singing assignments have dwindled.
  
  He speaks somewhat bitterly about it: "I helped make stars out of rival-actors Sivaji Ganesan and M.G. Ramachandran. Today, they are powerful people but they have forgotten me", he laments.
  
  For years, he said, Sivaji fans would throw cowdung at MGR posters while MGR fans would do the same with Sivaji posters. All that stopped when both actors had to act together in a film and TMS had to provide the playback voice.
  
  While other South Indian playback singers have, in expanding their horizons, sung in other languages, TMS has only sung in Tamil refusing to sing in any other language.
  
  "I regard my voice as a God-given talent meant to bring happiness to people with my singing. I cannot make capital out of that", he said.
  
  How does he propse to bring good old music and lyrics back into the Tamil music industry?
  
  "It's in the hands of the people. If everyone walks out of a cinema hall for a smoke or fresh air when a badly composed song fills the screen and then come back into the cinema after the song has ended, music directors will have to sit up and take note. Then, they will start composing good music and the art in Tamil songs will come alive again", he said.
  
  One hopes TMS lives to see that day. "
  
  Well folks, it is nearly two decades since the above incident and for him to attempt suicide at this ripe old age gives rise to several theories.
  
  Of course, he has since denied of the so-called suicide attempt but then the above news story hints otherwise. One can also observe that it is typical of TMS to take credit for the popular songs. What I despise was he did not give credit to kaviarasar for the song "Un kannil neer vazhinthaal" (although the opening lines were by Bharathiyar.)
  
  On to you folks for your comments.
  
  
• From: raja m (@ 24.44.133.72) on: Wed Jun 25 06:54:04 EDT 2003
  
  Mahendra Raj:
  
  I used to live very close to TMS's house in Mandaveli - TMS used to visit the milkbooth (Aavin) to pick up milk in the afternoons - friendly and pleasant to all his neighbours, I was there when his daughter died..
  
  Hope things will get better for him.
  
  Reminds me of the movie Sunset Boulevard.
  
  

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