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Sujatha and Chitra, who is better?

Topic started by Murali Sankar/Swarapriyan (@ 129.252.23.229) on Fri Sep 11 15:23:51 EDT 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Of late Sujatha seems to figure in a number of songs of TFM like "Poovukkul Nuzhiandirukkum","Minnaram Maanathu (from Guru)", "Meetadha Oru veenai". She seems to be the pick of the directors now. It is likely that many of us know that she was introduced to IR by KJ and was extensively used in the early phases of IR himself (when she was juvenile). some examples - "Kaadhal Oviyam Kandaen Kanavo", "Kaalaippaniyil". In this thread i would like to invite arguemnts about the quality of these singers.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Jay Narayansamy (@ 1cust87.tnt2.har1.da.uu.net) on: Wed Feb 2 20:26:28 EST 2000
  
  Murali Shankar/Swarapriyan : I think "Meetatha Oru Veenai" singer is Mahalakshmi?
  
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.150) on: Wed Feb 2 22:39:29 EST 2000
  
  Sujatha is better when rendering melodies following WCM pattern, IMO! KSC scores in every other variety, and obviously, her singing makes more emotional impact on a listener! (Sujatha's `niRam pirithu' is a recent testimony to her excellent rendering of WCM based melodies)
  
  
• From: rameshb (@ athm-216-216-xxx-7.home.net) on: Wed Feb 2 23:34:39 EST 2000
  
  i don't understand what is meant by WCM based melodies and how does it impact the singing qualities of a singer?
  
  Both singers are equally alluring but chitra has a pronounciation glitch at times with 'ra' , sings it as 'Ra'. Chitra goes overboard at times in high pitch as virtually shouts, example unnodu vAzhAtha vAzhvenna vAzhvu Sujatha is well balanced in rendering bouncy, pacy and melodies .
  
  
• From: rameshb (@ athm-216-216-xxx-7.home.net) on: Wed Feb 2 23:36:12 EST 2000
  
  correction:
  bouncy, pacy and melodies should read as
  bouncy tunes as well as melodies
  
  
• From: aruvi (@ dhaka15.slip.yorku.ca) on: Thu Feb 3 21:54:59 EST 2000
  
  Rameshb
  Where in that song did you find that 'shouting'? I would like to know because in the hundred times that I have listened to that song, I did not find it. Please verify.....
  
  
  
• From: Sriram (@ pm584-42.dialip.mich.net) on: Thu Feb 3 22:51:41 EST 2000
  
  Listen to 'Hai Jaana' and the high pitch rendition of Sujatha. Fantastic.
  
  
• From: hari (@ 77user249.ctinets.com) on: Sat Apr 1 05:06:04 EST 2000
  
  no doubt that chitra is better than sujatha while hearin the songs of them.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.54.71.130) on: Sat Apr 1 07:33:13 EST 2000
  
  I think Sujatha had `breathing sound' issue in the `niRam piriththu' song..(I can hear audibly in my system)..some earlier post says she does not have much of that problem...(could be that the song has tough variations?)
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ ) on: Wed Nov 29 12:25:54 EST 2000
  
  couple of weeks b4 there was an interview with chitra on suntv (star show programme). she was as ever modest, pleasant, always smiling but her voice.. I was totally shocked to see her struggling to sing in high pitch and the voice has become shaky and worn out..this is not the voice of chitra i have been listening to for past 15 yrs.
  Is age catching up with her voice or was the interview conducted on a bad day?Let us wish and hope it is the second
  
  
• From: aruvi (@ 154.20.75.95) on: Wed Nov 29 13:18:42 EST 2000
  
  Ramki,
  The interview was conducted on a bad day.
  
  
• From: SL (@ 207.82.165.100) on: Wed Nov 29 14:23:14 EST 2000
  
  AyyOooooo Aruvi, yeppO paaththaalumaaa?
  
  
• From: aruvi (@ 154.20.75.137) on: Wed Nov 29 15:45:20 EST 2000
  
  A pretty good audio interview conducted by Musicurry....check it out
  
  http://www.musicurry.com/tamil/inter0012_chitra.html
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ 64.244.40.35) on: Thu Nov 30 15:48:35 EST 2000
  
  
  
  Thanks for the link Aruvi. Any idea who the interviewer is?She was highly irritating. WOuld have appreciated more if the interview had been in any of our indian language than in english.
  
  I was expecting chitra to mention aruvis name when asked about her unique fan(s)-she disappointed me:)
  
  
• From: SL (@ 207.82.165.154) on: Thu Nov 30 16:36:04 EST 2000
  
  Ramki :)))
  
  
• From: peeps (@ 202.54.13.6) on: Fri Dec 1 06:17:03 EST 2000
  
  in my opinion chitras voice is the sweetest in tfm....its a great feeling to hear yedhetho ennam valarthaen and ninnnukori varnam
  
  
• From: aruvi (@ 154.20.99.23) on: Fri Dec 1 23:12:20 EST 2000
  
  Rams,
  Actually, in a way it was better because then more people can listen to the interview. Had it been in just one language, then most people won't understand. But anyhow, the second half was more tamilish....
  
  And sorry that you were disappointed....but she doesn't know me.....
  
  
• From: Murali mohan (@ 192.68.44.33) on: Mon Dec 4 07:38:05 EST 2000
  
  Chitra certainly is one of our best female singers ever and stands up to be counted among such greats as LataM, Asha, PS and SJ. She is the sweetest singer in TFM today.And no, I never felt thet she shouts in high pitches. She is marvellous in high pitched singing and few , if any , can be compared to her in this department.But her major drawback seems to be that her inhalation is quite audible. Also , she can sound rather monotonous and dull sometimes.Sujatha, from what I have heard ,has a very melodious voice but not quite as sweet as Chitra's.Also, Sujatha sounds more sophisticated in her vocalising.
  
  
• From: L Prassanna (@ 193.56.241.19) on: Wed Dec 6 09:02:03 EST 2000
  
  hmmmm,
  to my mind, Janaki is the best !!
  
  
• From: Dorai (@ 216.217.47.130) on: Wed Dec 6 15:26:11 EST 2000
  
  Janaki is undoubtedly the best female playback singer in my opinion. Chitra is the next best.
  
  
• From: Trend (@ 216.68.113.233) on: Wed Dec 6 15:44:57 EST 2000
  
  Chitra has proved to be the most versatile barring oomph songs.Janaki doesn't sound so good in some songs.Janaki gave more hits though.
  Probably IR thought female playback singer and Janaki are synonyms.
  
  
• From: Dorai (@ 216.217.47.130) on: Thu Dec 7 12:01:15 EST 2000
  
  Trend,
  Janaki is indeed the best female playback singer. Tell me who else has the versatality and range that Janaki has?.
  
  
• From: G. Kuppusamy (@ 156.153.255.130) on: Fri Dec 8 02:37:19 EST 2000
  
  yes dorai i too agree with the versatality part of janaki...sometimes i wonder even Lata Mangeshkar or P. Susheela or Asha Bhosle had exhibited such versatility in songs (nothing to undermine LM or PS or AB...just to show SJ's versatality thats all). The bhaavam of a song is aptly exhibited by SJ than most of the playback singers in india.
  
  But dorai, have u heard SJ singing in high pitched songs like Aanandha Raagam from Panneer Pushpangal and other similar stuffs? That time SJ's voice will sound bit awkward imho. Her voice does not fit to such songs. It is this juncture Chitra, Swarnalatha, Sujatha score over SJ. If you carefully observe IR gave such songs to Uma Ramanan and to not SJ. Also its very difficult to claim that SJ's voice is a sweet voice.
  
  coming back to the thread, imho its very difficult to say who is better, chitra or sujatha. as a layman, i wud give 51-49 to chitra-sujatha only for the voice. i don't have classical knowledge so i cant predict the superiority of either. but im proud of them.
  
  
• From: G. Kuppusamy (@ 156.153.255.130) on: Fri Dec 8 02:45:03 EST 2000
  
  Trend i beg to differ in one point regd. what u said "Probably IR thought female playback singer and Janaki are synonyms.".
  
  As i felt above, its SJ who is far ahead of expressing Bhaavam of a song which is a vital thing in a song of a cine situation. So Probably IR thought female playback singer to express bhaavam of a song very aptly needing more modulation for the song and Janaki are synonyms.
  
  more numbers from SJ in IR scoring movies is bcos of such requirements in the songs and is bcos of the story of movies of those era.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.22.221) on: Fri Dec 8 03:02:31 EST 2000
  
  Kuppusamy,
  anadha raagam was sung by uma ramanan and not SJ
  
  
• From: G. Kuppusamy (@ 156.153.255.130) on: Fri Dec 8 04:01:15 EST 2000
  
  yes vijay, i was also mentioning the same...aananda raagam was sung by UR and NOT by SJ. my point was have u heard SJ singing such high pitched (or whatever it is) songs?
  
  
• From: Kutty (@ 202.9.182.53) on: Fri Dec 8 14:09:34 EST 2000
  
  Every singer, I agree, may have some plus or minus points.Most of the singers discussed here have more good points and little bad points.But chithra's one point is really unique-her great adaptability to sing in various languages. She has, by this time, sung in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada,Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Punjabi and Baduga. One really has to admit her competence when she orients herself to the ways of that language.Her new albums in Hindi-Piya Basanthi and Sun set point remind us of the Latha Mangeshkar of fifties and sixtees.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.27.22) on: Fri Dec 8 17:44:02 EST 2000
  
  OK, Kuppuswamy U confused me with the way u wrote that statement. I got it now.
  
  Kupuswamy, some songs of SJ where she sings high-pitched and comes out clear enough..
  
  1. sendhoora poove (charanams)
  2. chinna chinna vannakuyil
  3. adi aathaadi ila manasu etc.
  
  Her voice itself is shrill which gives u the impression that she struggles in higher octaves bit its not so.
  
  
• From: Meerakrishnamurthy (@ 205.227.43.12) on: Fri Dec 8 21:12:35 EST 2000
  
  In my opinion SJ is always best.Her kannada songs are always memorable and still fresh.Chitra's voice is good, but I think her voice is coming through her nose.Her kannada songs are boring and her main minus point is no breath control,can't bear her buss buss voice.I can't believe that Chitra is better than SJ in high pitch songs.Please listen SJ's kannada songs then decide who is best.Long live SJ (The Melody Queen)
  
  Regards
  Meera.
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ ) on: Tue Apr 17 14:54:34 EDT 2001
  
  Chitras duet with shrinivas 'dekhte dekhte' in new hindi film 'paagalpan' is one her best in recent times. The MD is Raju singh(never heard of him b4). The songs are quite good.
  But both chitra and shrinivas should refine their hindi Pronunciation(there are 2 duets by this pair in this album)
  
  
• From: uthams (@ 216.34.170.251) on: Tue Apr 17 15:59:59 EDT 2001
  
  All singers are good.
  
  Uma ramanan is also a nice singer. The way she pronounces tamil is so good.
  Enna sugamana ulagm(karjanai)
  Ananda raagam (Panneer pushpangal)
  
  Vani jeyaram!! Another wonderful singer.
  Malligai en mannan mayangum
  Naane Naana yaro dana
  Ezhu swarankalakkul
  Anbu megame ingu odivaa
  Kurinji malaril
  
  What about swarnalatha. her malayil yaro song is melodious.
  
  Jensi (deiveega raagam, kadal oviyam, ayiram malargale)
  sasi rekha ( vizhiyil vizundu)
  
  You cannot compare them .. like you compare music directors. All have gifted voices.
  
  
• From: Uthams (@ 216.34.170.251) on: Tue Apr 17 16:16:47 EDT 2001
  
  I think i disagree with some people who say Janaki cannot sing sweet songs. She has sung.
  
  Nadam en jeevane.. from kadal oviyam
  Siru ponmani asaiyum.. from Kallukkul eeram
  Ennathil etho.. from Kallukkul eeram
  Ooru sanam.. from Mella thirandadu kadavu
  Putham pudu kalai.. from Alaigal oivathillai
  Oru kanam Oru yugamaga.. from Nadodi thendral
  Rasave unna nambi.. Mudal mariyadai
  Pothi vacha malligai.. Man vaasanai
  
  I guess when it comes to folk songs.. SJ is unbeatable. One and the only one.
  
  
  and a lot more. But this song would be as good if it has been sung by others also. I argue the theory IR sidelined SJ when it comes to melodies, because she doesn't have a sweet voice. But singers like Uma ramanan, Swarnalatha
  pronounce better than others.
  
  
• From: Antony (@ ) on: Mon Aug 20 23:03:05 EDT 2001
  
  In my opinion S. Janaki is very capable singer. Her voice is still unbeatable. The next best is defintely without a doubt Chitra. Sujatha will come in third followed by Harini. All are unique in their own way.
  
  

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