Jun 23, 2005 04:08 PM
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(Updated Jun 23, 2005 04:20 PM)
Maestro Illayaraja doing a concert is very rare these days; such a rare thing happened recently but not in India, it was for a Music Festival in Italy. And special thanks to Agilan of Agimusic for releasing this audio CD of the live recording of the concert. The album has got 14 songs that are performed live. The songs that Illayaraja has selected for this concert are highly debatable. The songs that are performed in this concert will hardly find a place in any one’s list of IR’s all time best (again subjective) but yet the way it has been delivered with lot of improvisations makes it is a great experience to hear it unplugged with a live orchestra. So many singers on their concerts do some funny things on stage to hide their mistakes and call them as improvisations. I strongly recommend those singers to hear this concert to know what improvisation means.
New Versions
Though the songs don’t sound as it is in the original it is more enjoyable in its new avatar. Most of the songs have fresh new interludes mostly with great Solo Violins and haunting flute pieces. The rhythm section of the songs too sounds different. But in spite of all these differences, I enjoyed the songs and that proves how great compositions they are. Illayaraja’s compositions and its beauty lay on the main melody which is its soul and no matter how the body changes i.e., the orchestration, interludes and the rhythms changes the beauty of the soul remains intact. Most of the time the vocal parts of the song are accompanied by the Solo Violin playing the same notes and I don’t know why it is performed like that may be to make the audience realize the beauty of the melody in the song which is sung in a language alien to them. Though it enhances some of the songs like “Illangathu” and “Mayil Pola”, the pitch of Preeti Uttam’s voice in “Suno Oh!” and the violin mixes and we are not able to hear the lyrics clearly.
Melody and Devotional Numbers
The concert starts with a prayer song Ayakalaigal sung by Illayaraja with lot of ghammukas introduced in the words to make it sound more divine and classical Indian. Then follows the song called Pavanaguru and I have been addicted to this core classical number since I heard it for the first time in “Mella Thiradhadhu Kadhavu”. Madhu does a great job in rendering this song. Then follows a Hindi number Suno oh! which starts with a haunting flute piece and the melody flows with ease and along with Preeti Uttam’s mellifluous voice, the song sounds too sweet. Bhavatharini’s national award winning number Mayil Pola is the next and she does a fabulous job by sticking to the original while rendering the number. With Janani, Illayaraja takes us to a spiritual world and stirs our soul by singing with his unique unstrained voice.
Music Journey
Then comes a unique piece titled “Music Journey” in which Illayaraja demonstrates how natural folk music has affected the Indian film music and also the lives of the Indians. He starts by giving samples for a lullaby wherein he quotes his own master piece “Kanna Kalaimanae” but to my disappointment sung in Hindi by Uttam Singh. It would have been better if Madhu had sung the Tamil version of the song. Then he gives samples of non-film songs that Indians sing on various occasions like playing Kabadi, falling in love, harvesting and longing for reciprocation. And finally this piece comes to an end with “En ullil” song which Chinmayi sings with adequate longing feel in her voice. And next comes one of the most popular melodies of Illayaraja in recent times, “Illangathu veesuthey”. Madhu and Chinmayi sing this number. The live fresh flute pieces in this song are still lingering in my mind.
Instrumentals
The album is worth buying just for two orchestral pieces viz., Three in One and Mood Kapi. “Three in One” is a piece composed in just three notes and in the introduction Illayaraja himself explains about this and sings the entire piece. It is an out of the world experience to hear the orchestra playing this piece unplugged and more fascinating thing is that there is hardly any deviation from what IR sung and what is played by the orchestra so much that he even sung the layers in it. Flute, violins and the bass in the background all together takes us to a different world. Same can be said about “Mood Kapi” piece which is a mind blowing melody. Illayaraja proves that he is the king in India when it comes to orchestration and arrangements. Just listen how many variations are introduced in the raga by the orchestration in this 8 min piece.
Finally, Foot Tapping Numbers
After devotional and melodious numbers, Illayaraja opts for some fast rhythm based numbers to create euphoria among the audience and thus comes a new version of Asaiaya Kathula and Veetukku Veetukku songs. “Asaiya Kaathula” thought without out that captivating sound in the beats grabs your attention by the new interludes and also by the chorus singing the whole song. “Veetukku” song is a marriage of Tamil folk and western classical music. Nobody in the world would have thought of such a brilliant inspired track, Mozart’s Symphony No.25 is brilliantly adapted for this Tamil folk number and that too the first few lines and the new violin piece added in between each line which was not in the original gives a open hint to the original from which it is inspired. The song proceeds in a usual way but ends with unusually with a surprise. The ending of the song has 3 - 4 minutes long vocal rhythm and percussions which according to my count undergoes an unimaginable 20 variations continuously one after the other like an avalanche. It is another out of the world composition from Illayaraja. Just listen to the response of the audience for this piece, you will be moved to tears. And finally, the album ends with Illayaraja rendering a devotional number ''Maatacha''.
On the whole, this treasure from Italy is a must buy for all Illayaraja fans.
