Oct 14, 2004 07:31 PM
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(Updated Oct 14, 2004 07:31 PM)
Yesterday, I got a chance to hear a song from this album playing in the next room. It was refreshing to hear those songs after a long time, and then I played my own copy of the album in my player and started listening. No words to explain how great I felt about the music yesterday and that inspired me to write a review on this album.
A Piece of Info ?
In the year 2002, BBC Radio conducted a poll on World?s ten best songs. Among the ten, two songs are from Maniratnam movies, ?Rakkamma? song from ?Dhalapathi? composed by Illayaraja in fourth position and ?Chaiyya Chaiyya? song from ?Dil se? composed by A.R.Rahman in Ninth Position. This is evident of Maniratnam?s ability in extracting the best from the composers. Initially ?Rakkamma? song was in first position but later when the poll ended it finally landed in fourth position. One more song from India is ?Vande Matram? of A.R.Rahman in Seventh position. First I didn?t believe it but after surfing BBC Radio site I was surprised to see the poll results listing these three Indian songs.
?Dhalapathi? is a Tamil blockbuster movie released in 1989, it is the last movie in which Maniratnam and Illayaraja worked together. The movie starring Rajinikanth and Mamooty is another Gangster version from Maniratnam after Nayakan. The movie has got some extraordinary songs with lot of experimentation in each song. The album has got 7 immortal songs.
Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu Singer: S.P.B, Swarnalatha
This is a fun song for celebrating the success of the hero. SPB sings with lot of enthusiasm in varying pitches. The basic rhythm and beat of the song is extremely catchy and foot tapping. The song is a dictionary of fusion and a song with creativity at its maximum possible limit. The prelude and the interludes of the song has grand violin orchestrations and the best ever by Illayaraja like a symphony composition.
The most innovative thing about this song is the smooth transition from fast fun song to classical melody and the fugue of humming of Indian classical notes with Gana type singing of SPB. No wonder it is in fourth position on world?s top ten lists. ?Tu tu thu thu thu tara? song from the movie ?Bol Radha Bol? is the copied Hindi version of this song. But only the tune and beats are same, the orchestration is different.
Kattukullae Singers: S.P.B, K.J.Yesudas
This song brings together two legends of Indian film music SPB and K.J.Yesudas to sing together about friendship. Both of them have done full justice to the song. The experimentation in this song lies in the way the percussions are used and it has got one of the best usages of percussions ever. This song stands out for catchy beats and rhythms in the background and some thoughtful cum emotional lyrics about friendship.
Sundari Singer: S.P.B, S.Janaki
Though the song is supposed to be a love duet it has a theme in it. It is like newly married king of an empire leaves his wife alone to lead and fight in a war and the song emphasize on the emotions of separated love birds due to war. The song is a very slow melody excellently and emotionally rendered by SPB and S.Janaki. The song suddenly shifts to grand orchestrations with violins, percussions, band instruments and horns sounding like a background score for a war scene and returns back to melody.
There is no one in India to beat Illayaraja when it comes to orchestration. The interludes with orchestrations are out of the world compositions of IR at par with the background score for Hollywood war movies. A typical usage of brief flute at the end of each line makes the song more pleasant and diving to listen.
Putham Pudhu Singer: K.J.Yesudas, S.Janaki
This song doesn?t feature in the movie. But nonetheless it is a great melody again. A typical IR melody with usual table beats but it has something more; I couldn?t trace out what it is. A feel of pathos is attached to the song. The mild violin orchestration in the background is the soul of the song. K.J. Yesudas and Janaki are at their emotive best in this song.
Chinna Thayaval Singer: S.Janaki
It is a short and sweet soul stirring lullaby. It is the theme song of the movie. It is a mother?s lullaby for her lost child. Janaki pours her heart and soul in this song and almost brings tears in our eyes by her rendition. The tune is very simple but haunts you immediately. The solo violin piece is the soul of pathos in the song. This song will always be there in my ten best songs of Illayaraja list.
Margazhi than Singer: Chorus
It is again a brief fun folk song sung in a Tamil festival called ?Bogi?. With different percussion and flute sounds it has got a period feel. A foot tapping song with chorus singing the whole track.
Yamunai aatrilae Singer: Mithaali
It is a short and sweet classical number sung by Mithaali with right expressions. The situation is Radha longing for her beloved Krishna?s presence. The song has got an amazing prelude with two flutes layered in parallel. The first flute starts playing fast twisting classical notes and the second joins few seconds later playing a refreshing note based on raga Boobalam (Not Sure) and immediately both comes in playing common notes and then singer starts singing. Veena pieces added at right places enhance the emotions in the song.
After a long gap, I returned to Illayaraja melodies and the first album that I wanted to play is this one. All the songs are massive hits. Even though Maniratnam and A.R.Rahman pair rules Indian film music, I wish Maniratnam should again join hands with Illayaraja at least for one film and I am sure the outcome will be out of world.
