Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

Harris Jeyaraj: the most overhyped artist in the history of TFM?

Topic started by Vijay (@ 212.219.189.4) on Sat Dec 1 14:39:37 EST 2001.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I have to say that, in my opinion, this guy - Harris Jeyaraj - is probably the most overhyped music director in the history of TFM. It's irritating at times when people call him "the next A R Rahman", a "phenomenon", a "talented" young music director, etc., etc., as if the music directors before him weren't any of these things. The media is making it sound as if he is the most exciting thing to happen to music ever! His website, which was presumably designed at least partly by him, says he is "redefining" music. He says he wants to do something "different" as if all music directors before him were idiots. I'm tired of this!
"Behind the calm and serene face lies the spirit to venture into the unearthed mystery of music." - www.galatta.com. Are they going over the top or what?! This guy is nothing compared to the greats before him! His "Vaseegaraa" number has to be THE MOST OVERHYPED song ever in the history of TFM. I think it was the eroticism of the visuals of that song that made it so popular, not the music.

In reality, this guy is just a sophisticated version of Deva.

Someone in this forum asked the following question: "who are we to criticise music directors like Harris Jeyaraj, etc., etc.? Can we compose music like them?" I agree that is a good point. But definitely we do not claim to be "redefining musik" when we don't have the talent. Harris Jeyaraj is definitely more talented than I am, but he is not a phenomenon. I think he is too overhyped.

If anyone needed proof that, good marketing is more important than real talent nowadays, Harris Jeyaraj's phenomenal commercial success - I have to agree that, considering his mediocre (compared to the true greats, not to everyday simple music fans like myself) abilities, he is phenomenally successful - is your proof.

Another thing that is annoying is the way he uses A R Rahman's name to give himself a "trendy, sophisticated" image. He not only keeps saying that his most unforgettable moments were the days he spent with A R Rahman (in order to remind everyone that he used to work with the real Isai Puyal), he also copies his hairstyle, his music (his themes, his orchestration, etc., etc.) and does everything he can to give himself an image of a young, sophisticated guy. Okay, many of A R Rahman's albums were also quite heavily publicised, but A R Rahman himself was never given an image as a sophisticated musician (although he really is). Rahman, even if he was publicised so heavily, deserved all the publicity he gets as he always delivers, in fact he almost always exceeds expectations. Rahman is a true genius. Another thing to be mentioned is that he used to work with M S Vishwanathan, but when he first came to work in the industry on his own, he didn't make a fuss about it. And Rahman is a modest guy. He doesn't call himself Isai Puyal (that was a nickname given to him by his fans), and he doesn't claim to be redefining music. He didn't copy anyone's hairstyle or style of music or anything.

Even Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja, sons of another true genius (Ilayaraja) didn't use his name to give themselves an image. They have said that they will try to be as different as possible from their father in their music, and they really are working differently. They may not be as talented as their father, but they don't call themselves the "lightings of musik" or the "princes", etc.

Harris Jeyaraj - "the lightning of musik"? Well, actually he is little more than a firework compared to the sun - a little bit of light, but only visible in the absence of the sun and it goes out very soon. I accept that he more talented than fellows like me. But we don't make a fuss about ourselves.

---

Responses:

• From: Mohd. (@ 194.170.1.130) on: Sat Dec 1 15:10:28 EST 2001
  
  I fully agree with u without any hesitation but let us of his oncoming films.
  
  Mohd.
  
  
• From: Mohd. (@ 194.170.1.130) on: Sat Dec 1 15:11:53 EST 2001
  
  Vijay
  Let us see of his oncoming films.
  
  Mohd
  
  
• From: musicfan (@ 128.173.36.145) on: Sat Dec 1 15:57:24 EST 2001
  
  Well,
  I for one do not think he is overhyped.
  When u can give ARR a chance,nothing wrong with giving HJ a chance.Maybe he is not as good as ARR.That is true.But then it would be stupid to deny he has talent.Maybe not a prodigy..but talent..he sure has.
  He has given a few good songs..Vaseegara..was good.So were quite a few in 12B.A couple in Majnu.He isnt all that bad..
  The one problem I find in him and all young music directors is that, in the aim of promoting new singers, they give chance to folks who hav good voice but an AWFUL diction.Its such a horror listening to such songs.ARR, HJ,YSR all of them are at fault.Starting with ARR who promoted Sukhwinder and Udit to Harris Jayaraj's selection in 12B, Samantha Edwards or somebosy, tamil is killed time and again by these singers.
  That according to me is the issue in hand.
  IF that isnt, well HJ isnt too bad !
  
  
• From: kk (@ 198.4.92.5) on: Sat Dec 1 16:31:53 EST 2001
  
  Ok, whatever. DOes HJ wholy responsible for the hype? Producers and others make publicity as much as possible. Added to that there were few good songs.
  
  
• From: Vijay (@ 212.219.189.4) on: Sat Dec 1 16:59:24 EST 2001
  
  Well as I said, Musicfan, I am not denying that Harris Jeyaraj has a talent. But look at the things that the media and most TFM fans are saying about him "lightning of musik, redefining musik", etc. Compare that with what they say about Vidyasagar or Yuvan Shankar Raja (these are the people he should be compared to, in my opinion, not A R Rahman or Ilayaraja). And compare the commerical success of his music with that of Yuvan Shankar Raja, Vidyasagar, etc. If there is no difference in their abilities, then there should be no difference in the reception they got from TFM fans, but that is not the case. Harris Jeyaraj is more popular because of the image given to him by the media.
  You agreed that Harris Jeyaraj may be talented but he is not a prodigy. That's what I am also saying here. It gets on my nerves when people say that he is the next great talent. Even Venkat Babu said something like that the other day.
  Another thing is that in the past, albums have been overhyped (even for the true greats like Ilayaraja and A R Rahman), but Harris Jeyaraj takes it a step further and hypes individual songs! There seems to be a lot of hype about his "Poovae vaai paesum boadhu..." song. Melodious, but nothing great compared to work by the true greats of TFM. The "Vaseegara" song was such a huge hit, but what was it about the song that fans liked so much? In my opinion, "Sollaamal" from "Dheena" was just as melodious as, or maybe even more melodious than that song. Also "Un samayal arayil..." from "Dhil" (despite the silly lyrics) was really nice (By the way, I am not saying that Yuvan Shankar Raja and Vidyasagar are among the greats). But songs like these do not get much notice because they are not "marketed". This is what I don't like - "marketing" being given more importance than quality, and I seriously mean that, because music is one thing that I really love, and I can't take it when a just-above-average piece of work is projected as something extraordinary. Do you guys understand what I am saying here?
  If Harris Jeyaraj had come in like A R Rahman did, without too much fanfare, and then TFM fans started to like him (as they did with the three greats of TFM: M S Vishwanathan, Ilayaraja and A R Rahman, and as they also did with the guy who is probably - I stress probably - the quietest in the TFM scene, but not one of the greats - Vidyasagar), then that would be quite acceptable. But clearly, in Harris Jeyaraj's case, there is too much hype - more hype than quality. If quality could match hype, well then, no problems!
  
  
• From: Vijay (@ 212.219.189.4) on: Sat Dec 1 17:03:06 EST 2001
  
  By the way, there might be space for a dangerous (potentiall explosive) misunderstanding here, so I have to make a clarification here: Venkat Babu (or is his name Venkat Prabhu? I think I've got the name wrong)said that Harris Jeyaraj was a great new talent; he did not do I am doing, i.e. criticise Harris Jeyaraj.
  
  
• From: musicfan (@ 128.173.35.218) on: Sat Dec 1 21:37:56 EST 2001
  
  vijay
  point taken.
  i guess its how we all like to talk about a new music director.
  for one, i prefer waiting for a MD to release atleast 5-10 movies beefore I can pass a comment on him.Simply because,there are and have been a lot of one or few film wonders.
  Till now,HJ has not been too bad.But let him compose for 10 movies and most importantly, non-urban themes and serious movies.
  I believe going by todays standards, its the easiest to score music for a teenager movie.
  get about 15 singers who have no clue of tamil.
  Give them lyrics that dont make sense. Then tune them in a way that the voice gets droned by the instrumentation.Voila..u hav the right mix !
  lets see HJ attemps at different scenarios.Lets them tell what he is really made of.
  But I do agree, he is as of now NOT to be compared with ARR or Ilayaraja.They r in a league of their own..having proved their worth time and again.Let HJ do that..and we shall move him to such a league.
  
  
• From: anjali (@ 64.0.99.137) on: Sat Dec 1 22:20:57 EST 2001
  
  His rates are outrageous i heard. Hes charging almost as much as ARR. What do you guys think of that?
  
  
• From: muruga (@ 161.139.102.70) on: Sat Dec 1 23:24:25 EST 2001
  
  haris jeyaraj duplicates arr's styles(hair )because arr is his role model!!!!!!
  
  
• From: Vijay (@ 212.219.189.4) on: Sun Dec 2 04:09:31 EST 2001
  
  Yes, I agree with you Musicfan. Let's wait for a few more films, say, about 5-7 more films from him.
  Anjali, yes I've heard that he charges Rs.70,00,000 per film. And that means producers are obviously quite happy to pay him that amount, as they know the film will run just because of his name in the credits. That shows the state of the TFM fans. Of course, some of his music is good, and it definitely deserves apprecation, but I don't think he's worth Rs.70,00,000 as an artist. That may be his commercial value, but compare that with Yuvan Shankar Raja (reportedly Rs.23,00,000, which I feel is slightly too high for Yuvan) and Vidyasagar (reportedly Rs.25,00,000, and which again in my opinion is slightly too high). I don't know what to say.
  
  
• From: vasanth (@ 61.11.81.91) on: Sun Dec 2 05:40:39 EST 2001
  
  HAI FRIEND'S,
  Please don't squeeze your heads too much because producers and marketers are cleverer than us.today Harris music is selling hot than any of the MD's,so that they r happy to pay him that much.if it sells for u then u too will be paid,may be more than that.so,please stop writing all this nonsense about him.since he is the man who proves his potential in all his albums after ARR.
  u have said early that yuven and vidhya sagar r having as much as potential of HJ,but they have not yet proved in the audio sales compared to harris not only in india but through out the world.today,with his credit pictures r selling.this has not happened to any of the MD's
  except Illiaraja in the past.
  
  
• From: WhyNot (@ 203.24.100.133) on: Sun Dec 2 06:06:43 EST 2001
  
  I'm not too worried about what this guy is paid. It's a self-correcting system and if this guy doesn't deliver, obviously he's pay is going to go down unless he wants to be jobless. And vice-versa.
  But it does sound annoying to hear crap like 'redefining music'. I understand Vijay's sentiments. Like they say still waters run deep and empty vessels make the most noise. (Nirai kudam neer thalumbaathu). ARR or IR i'm sure didn't walk around talking crap like tat after 3 albums. In fact they still dont go saying things like tat even now. Humility won't hurt this guy. But maybe, it's all part of marketing.
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments