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Why Ilayaraja's Music Does Not Appeal to the Younger Generation

Topic started by Gowri (@ 161.142.100.86) on Tue Mar 19 01:02:59 EST 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I have always wondered this.
If age factor is the issue, how is it that Deva who should be the in the same age group, is able to command quite a following?
Please do not insult the yonger generation by refering to deteriorating music taste.

Although there are some youngsters who prefer Ilayaraja, the number is very small.
Most youngsters prefer ARR, Deva, HJ, SAR, Vidhyasagar, etc.

Generally Ilayaraja's genre of music do not seem to hold the younger crowd. Why do you think this is?

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: hihi:-) (@ 128.111.113.76) on: Tue Mar 19 13:32:39 EST 2002
  
  and you wont get any ovulation :-)))))))))))
  
  
• From: magix (@ 203.199.231.112) on: Wed Mar 20 00:14:38 EST 2002
  
  hihi:-) ..
  ithu thaane kozhuppu endrathu! :)
  
  
• From: twilight_zone (@ 202.88.152.159) on: Wed Mar 20 00:49:59 EST 2002
  
  suresh, ...like i mentioned a week back, u & saran have good knack in stringing words to put forth ur thoughts." :-). Regarding urban youth, & youthful heroes, u r right there. Let me put it this way. In ARR's case, the target segment is clearly defined. It is "youth". Ninty percent of ARR's song focus on either of the three emotions/situations. a)happy youth b) sad youth c)youth in love. In IR's case, "youth" happens to be one of the segments. And the "emotions/situations" set is very broad based. Naturally, u shud find higher proportion of youth attracted to ARR's music.
  
  
• From: Gowri (@ 61.6.38.132) on: Wed Mar 20 01:06:23 EST 2002
  
  I don't know why HCIRF's need to bash anyone who criticises Ilayaraja. It is a pity that, unable to challenge the point put forth, they bash the person making the point. Appuram kumbaloadu govinda paada, koodave oru koottam vanthidum.
  Anyway, let me ignore the personal bashings.
  
  If Ilayaraja is not doing any youth oriented movies, then the next question to ask would be, why?
  Is it because no one feels he can do that genre of music? Or that simply he cannot attract the youth of today?
  
  It remains an undisputed fact that Ilayaraja is bending backwards trying to remain relevant.
  His recent statement about "copied songs," songs bragging about himself are all signs of fearing irrelevance.
  The most quoted "ennai thaatta varuvaala" is not only synthetic but carries Hariharan's voice as well. :)
  
  As for KR and YSR, I was very sure that the HCIRFs will quote them, so I intentionally left them out. :)
  Anyway, for all YSR is worth, his style is more ARR than IR! :)
  
  
• From: KSS (@ 24.126.149.245) on: Wed Mar 20 01:51:50 EST 2002
  
  I think the reason that IR's music doesn't appeal to the younger generation as much is that his music is more restrained and less glamorous (of course, the current quality of his output doesnt even come close to what we are used to him doing prior to 1993 on a regular basis). In the 80's when glamour was not as big part of Tamil society as now (at least not to current levels), he was a success because people actually had the time to "stop and smell the roses" (of course there was a severe lack of competition). Now times have changed and unless someone "hears" the "big sound" they don't really "listen". Also, globalization has seriously affected our perception of our own culture. To be globally successful among kids requires something more trendy and something that the youngsters will be considered "cool" for having listened to. Imagine kids feeling "cool" about showing off IR's music to their friends. Doesn't sound like a very good possibility, does it ? Also, the point is that Ilaiyaraaja's music, though wonderful, is largely very local. IR's sphere of influence was therefore largely restricted to the South. Also, he refused to do things to impress the wider audience and went his merry way in creation and in the process gave us gems that perhaps only tamilians and south indians will ever be lucky to know. As someone rightly pointed out. "He is a creative person who attached himself to the commercial world". (I am really happy to be a tamilian for the simple reason that if I wasn't a south indian, I might not have not have known his music as much.). Just my two cents.
  
  
• From: RV (@ 202.126.148.35) on: Wed Mar 20 01:54:05 EST 2002
  
  BECAUSE STILL HE WASHING THE OLD VESSELS.
  
  
• From: KSS (@ 24.126.149.245) on: Wed Mar 20 01:58:01 EST 2002
  
  Oh ... and one more point. To be close to the youngsters, songs have to be dance oriented. I wouldnt call Ilaiyaraaja's music dance oriented music.
  
  
• From: twilight_zone (@ 202.88.152.159) on: Wed Mar 20 02:00:09 EST 2002
  
  Regarding urban youth, & youthful heroes, u r right there. Let me put it this way. In ARR's case, the target segment is clearly defined. It is "youth". Ninty percent of ARR's song focus on either of the three emotions/situations. a)happy youth b) sad youth c)youth in love. In IR's case, "youth" happens to be one of the segments. And the "emotions/situations" set is very broad based. Naturally, u shud find higher proportion of youth attracted to ARR's music.
  
  
• From: twilight_zone (@ 202.88.152.159) on: Wed Mar 20 02:03:30 EST 2002
  
  better now? :-)
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 64.166.87.230) on: Wed Mar 20 02:06:55 EST 2002
  
  As usual Gowri is on the offensive on the wrong person for the wrong reasons. Let me ask this, what is the purpose of this thread ? Do you want to know whether young people really like IRs songs ? Or if they dont like what is the reason ? If you are not interested in knowing the answer to both and are only interested in driving home an opinion that IR cannot attract the younger generation and want to pronounce that this is his shortcoming please make merry here. If not please, have the humility to treat this forum really as a discussion forum and invite/encourage people to share their views on IR's or ARR's music. It is puerile to turn this forum to a street corner platform to shout your biased opinions from.
  
  
• From: i think (@ 65.57.15.149) on: Wed Mar 20 02:20:27 EST 2002
  
  it is simple. there is a lot of music in a 4 minute song. it is too rich and too energy consuming. you need as much energy as IR put in to compose his songs.
  
  then, the shriekiness of the female singers and the orchestration or recording unfortunately.
  
  IR also does not focus on projecting the rhythm, though he is the most innovative rhythm maker.
  
  Basically, IR does not go by market demands, but by his own creative needs. That was true of the era before ARR.
  
  ARR is like MBA in Wine. Too much already done, no takers for old stuff, new audience, new techniques required. more like a marketing guy more than a composer.
  
  We do not have any composer for the next decade or next generation, if at all, only HJ shows a level of simplicity and sophistication. KR and YSR are also complex composers like Dad.
  
  
• From: twilight_zone (@ 202.88.152.159) on: Wed Mar 20 02:39:08 EST 2002
  
  "i think"...u have a point there. IR's songs (from the time he entered to till his latest KAASI or AZAGHI) are too complex. His experimentations have baffled experts while another common listner might overlook the same song.(other day, self happened to see a thread where ppl were discussing so much complex issues abt the seemingly simple song "pudhu maapillaikku" from abborva sahodhararghal.)ARR on the other hand likes to keep it very simple, and "rythm" is a strong USP for his songs. And given the hectic (!) life youth live today, a simple tune with good rythm is more than they expect from a 4 minute song. :-)
  
  
• From: kozhuppu (@ 64.40.59.117) on: Wed Mar 20 02:43:26 EST 2002
  
  prasavam parkuravara innum kannum? annaen seekiram vanthu prasavam parunga....... please
  
  
• From: Chennu (@ 203.199.205.25) on: Wed Mar 20 02:49:42 EST 2002
  
  Is ARR still in TFM?
  
  
• From: Gowri (@ 161.142.100.86) on: Wed Mar 20 03:02:38 EST 2002
  
  Sippikkul muthu maathiri irukkuthu KSS's post.
  Congratulations! Well thought of and written objectively.
  
  This is much better than screaming hoarse without offering any opinion.
  
  My opinion may be biased, different, crazy whatever. But at least it is an opinion and I guess that is what this DF is all about.
  By the way, from most of the posts made since yesterday, it is clear that there is no violent objections to my opinion, which by itself says a lot.
  
  
• From: suresh (@ 202.88.155.34) on: Wed Mar 20 03:05:50 EST 2002
  
  Knock it off, Gowri! You're a pastmaster at coming up with absurd threads/postulates and when their objectivity is challenged, take cover behind the
  "hey, HCIRF" call. I don't think I need to prove anything that disproves such a tag to you (will spare people your tired cliche of "go back to previous threads"!).
  
  In your world, you have to paint everything you see of IR in black & white. If your knowledge of TFM and music is deeper than such superfluous statements, well, surprise us!
  
  If I were to match your senility, I could offhand think of a 10 vaucous threads to counter you. But then, I shall leave such 'objective' tasks to your counterparts on the other side!
  
  1) Why is ARR not doing a rural-based movie?
  2) Can an ARR score guarantee a hit for a movie with carnatic-music theme?
  3) Why is ARR hesitant to work with small banners?
  4) Why does ARR shun unilingual movies?
  5) Can ARR score a musical hit for a Ramarajan or Rajkiran movie?
  6) Why doesn't ARR's music appeal to the rural masses?
  7) Can ARR compete with Deva in "Gaana songs"?
  8) Can ARR produce as many hit songs with the same raaga as SAR?
  9) Can ARR produce a superhit album in a day?
  10) Did ARR have a hit to equal "Chocklet" and "Shahjahan" in the last year?
  
  Why don't you, and similar others, stop such futile exercises aimed at garnering attention (and some excitement in a bored-as-hell life?) and tiring the heck out of others? Please....
  
  
• From: SAmbava (@ 172.180.51.106) on: Wed Mar 20 03:17:13 EST 2002
  
  I think, what an absurd suggestion to say that HJ will be MD that is remembered into the next generation. ARR will be remembered but HJ will just be a distant memory due to his recycling of ARR and lack of originality. KR too falls into this group as he is mainly recycles his fathers music or just copies it. YSR is the only MD who has a balance of ARR and IR style. This can be seen by his range of albums from Thulluvadho Ilamai at one end to Poovellam Ketupaar in the middle balance and to Nandha at the other end.!
  
  
• From: SAmbavam (@ 172.180.51.106) on: Wed Mar 20 03:17:48 EST 2002
  
  I think, what an absurd suggestion to say that HJ will be MD that is remembered into the next generation. ARR will be remembered but HJ will just be a distant memory due to his recycling of ARR and lack of originality. KR too falls into this group as he is mainly recycles his fathers music or just copies it. YSR is the only MD who has a balance of ARR and IR style. This can be seen by his range of albums from Thulluvadho Ilamai at one end to Poovellam Ketupaar in the middle balance and to Nandha at the other end.!
  
  
• From: kozhuppu (@ 210.214.4.36) on: Wed Mar 20 04:04:27 EST 2002
  
  Say if a new, big banner movie of today's release has `mArugO mArugo mArugayE' of vetRi vizha (with some young hero /ine jumping around) WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OR NOTES BUT MAY BE WITH DIGITAL RECORDING, I'm 100% sure even today's youth will dance to it...(what is your next thread Gowriamma, is it `Why IR is not attractive to Simran while Kamal who's about his age makes merry with her'?:-))
  
  

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