Includes a Master piece ..... Review on Oru Naal Oru Kanavu Songs

The combination of Illayaraja and Fazil has always been a great treat for music lovers and they have been blockbusters too. Though their previous movie “Kannukul Nilavu” was a failure at the box office, it had great music from the Maestro but the same can’t be said about the music of the “Oru Naal Oru Kanavu” in which IR and Fazil join hands after a long gap. Again as I said for “Adu Oru Kana Kalam” it is not a bad album at all but when we think of the previous efforts from this combo, it is not up to the mark. Yet, I would say this album is worth buying and the music will become a hit for sure. Am I confusing you, let me proceed the review with two perspectives, one is my first impression on the album as I was with very high expectations initially and the other after multiple listening with no expectations.

Initially I hated this album very much due to high expectations and my review would have been like as it follows if I would have posted it immediately after listening to the album twice.

The album has 8 songs and the lyrics are penned by Vaali and Palani Bharathi. To start with, Illayaraja has gone to synth and electronic stuff instead of his trade mark live orchestra and that is a major disappointment due to which we get to hear lot of forgettable pieces in the interludes where IR usually places cute, sweet and hummable mini symphonies in his each and every song.

I don’t know why Illayaraja has gone for Sonu Nigam for so many songs in this album? Though he tries his best to perfect the diction, his voice culture doesn’t suit well for the Tamil song. The western and Indian classical fusion in Enna Pattu is nowhere near his “Ninnukori”. Kajuraho is almost the same as the famous “Roja Poonthotam” number from Kannukul Nilavu. Illaimaikor is another passable number with same IR ish jazzy stuff and has nothing new to offer.Konjam Thira though a nice melody is less impressive without IR’s orchestrations and also the charanam part of the song reminds many other IR numbers. Ponnukoru is a situational number. You can just skip this track without thinking twice.

But after two days, I took the CD again and started listening and what a miracle I found all the songs melodious and pleasant this time. I think this is the first time I am hearing an Illayaraja album which grows only after a couple of listening which is both good and bad.

The album has 8 songs and the lyrics are penned by Vaali and Palani Bharathi. To start with, though Illayaraja has gone fully to synth and electronic stuff instead of his trade mark orchestration, there is a catchy element in all those interludes and as it is used in good proportions, it sounds good. Though there are no symphonies, we get to hear mini synthphonies this time from IR in each and every song.

I don’t why Illayaraja has gone for Sonu, he seems to be the current favorite of IR but Sonu proves why he is so. He has tried his level best to pronounce the words correctly (far far better than Udit) and has succeeded in it, even he has tried rendering south Indian classical swaras perfectly in Enna Pattu song. In spite of the rhythm and the interludes sounding exactly like “Roja Poonthottam” song, one cannot skip the melody in Kajuraho which is rare these days. The freshness in the rendition of Hariharan and Shreya Ghosal is savior of the song along with the melody. Konjam Thira is the second best melody in the album. The usual flute accompanying the vocals at the end of each line is too good though we have heard this piece many times before. Sonu and Shreya again forms best pair for duets in Tamil too as they are in Hindi. Illamaikor is again a happy peppy number. I like the humming the goes in the background all through the song especially the humming that ends each line accompanying the main vocal. ThoughPonnukitta song is less captivating it is an interesting fusion of Baila and Tamil folk. The song takes a melodious shift towards the end, may be the situation demands.

I intentionally missed to talk about one song in the review so far, because it is way beyond all other numbers, a Maestro’s masterpiece of this year. The song is Kaatril Varum Geethamae. The lyrics are penned by Vaali. This song though reminds many of Illayaraja’s yesteryear classics, it still sounds soothing and refreshing and I suggest one to listen to it when you wake up in the early morning and it would be the most pleasant and perfect way to start your day. This song is an example as how it would sound if everything like voices, melody and lyrics fall in perfect synch with the mood of the song. The simplicity of the tune based on a classical raga and its melody will just haunt you.

The song comes in three versions and all the three versions are different in their own way and you will not skip any of the versions. The main version has lot of singers Bhavatharini, Shreya Ghosal, Harihrana, Sadhana Sargam and Illayaraja himself giving their best. The lyrics by Vaali are brilliant (comparing a happy family with music) and it makes the song even more pleasant to listen to. The second version sung by Illayaraja starts impressively with a conversation between Illayaraja and Vaali while they were composing the song. Though I suspect the reality of the conversation, it is interesting to listen to them discussing to deliver something very beautiful as this song. The third is a kind of subtle remixed version of the song with electronic beats accompanying the tabla. This version is sung by Bhavatharini and Shreya Ghosal.

Overall it is a must buy album for all IR fans just for “Kaatril Varum Geethamae”.