Pick of the week: 1 Mar to 5 Aug 2006

Pick #244

http://raretfm.mayyam.com/stream/pow06/maari_uv.rm


Song: maari mazhai
Film: uzhavan
Singers: Sujatha, Shahul Hameed
Lyrics: Vaali
Music: ARRahman

After the torrential rains TN received this season, I'm sure our uzhavars will be praying for less rain and more sunshine . A lengthy kodai will be in top of their wish list. But according to latest predictions TN should have a wet kodai.
Lets hope the new year and pongal will bring more joy and prosperity everywhere.

Wish you all a very Happy pongal.

Pick #245

http://raretfm.mayyam.com/stream/pow06/vaazhndhal_st.rm


Song: vaazhndhaal unnodu
Film: Savithri
Singer: Vani Jairam
Lyrics: kaNNadasan
Music: MSViswanathan

Thanks to NeelD for this wonderful song(I have been hunting for this a long time). He writes:

************************************************** ***

"Savithiri" was released in the year 1980. The heroine Savithiri
(played by Menaka) is married off to a man much older than her. This
man was already an adult and carried Savithiri in his arms when she was
a just a little child growing up. But due to poverty and family
circumstances Savithiri's parents have her marry this man who is now in
his fifties. She is trying very hard to accept her marriage to this
man. The keyword is "trying". Because she is still struggling with her
emotions and feelings due to this unmatched and unconsummated marriage.


VJ so skillfully expresses the disappointment of the heroine. She does
not overdo the melancholy because the heroine is making herself excuses
to accept her fate. In the song she mentions the example of Sita's
vanavaasam along with Rama. She talks about how every human being's
life is, predestined. Then she says how her marriage makes her parents
happy.

VJ throws in a frustrated and sarcastic laughter when she gets
philosophical to tell herself that contentment and acceptance will
bring one happiness and that happiness comes from within.

idhuvE sugam enRu eNNivittAl pOdhum
adhuvE sugamAi vidum
inbamO thunbamO veLiyinil illai
idhayathil uruvAi vidum

The laughter follows the above lines.

Do not miss the microvibrations at the end of the line

gangaiyil yamunaiyil pudhu veLLam varumpOdhu
kAdugaL sezikkinRana ........

and the short and swift aalaapanai at the end of the charanams.

Savithiri's situation is similar to that of the heroine who sings
"ennuLLil enggO" in "Rosaappu Ravikkaikaari". But the song situations
are different. "ennuLLil engO" is when the heroine is struggling with
her physical attraction for the other man in her life.

She shows restraint... "ponggi niRka thanggi niRka", but still enjoys
the feeling... "AnAl adhuvum Anandham".

"vAzndhAl unnOdu" is when the heroine is trying to accept her marriage
telling herself excuses.

VJ clearly brings out the difference in the song situations in her
performance. VJ expresses the yearning, lust and the secretive joy in
her voice in the song "ennuLLil". But she expresses the disappointment,
frustration and the burying of the normal biological urges in
"vAzhndhAl unnOdu".

Both songs executed with perfect feeling and expression and at the same
time with technical mastery. What an amazing singer!

"ennuLLil engO" was written by Gangai Amaran and music composed by IR.
"vAzndhAl unnOdu" was by Kannadasan and music composed by MSV.

************************************************** **

Since so much is written about 'en uLLil' i thought i will also add that song as a bonus. This is one of the best song of IR and definitely VJ's best. I believe that neither of them could repeat this magic again.
You can listen to 'en uLLil' here:

http://raretfm.mayyam.com/stream/pow06/enullil_rr.rm

Why does no one make such movies or songs anymore? Where are those risk taking directors ? Will Tamil films ever come out of the current teenage,cleavage fixation?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ramki

VJ so skillfully expresses the disappointment of the heroine. She does not overdo the melancholy because the heroine is making herself excuses to accept her fate.

{SN23: Exactly Neel. VJ did a fantastic job like Kaththi(knife) mEl nadappadhu pOla. Konjam perumoochu vitta kooda, SJ style vandhu vidum; in addition, the sanctity of her feel will get lost. Fabulous effort by VJ}

VJ throws in a frustrated and sarcastic laughter when she gets
philosophical to tell herself that contentment and acceptance will
bring one happiness and that happiness comes from within.

{SN23: I always wait for this laughter whenever I hear this song. Ennavo thalai vidhi, pOittu pOgattum-nu solra maadhiri... such a great expression}

idhuvE sugam enRu eNNivittAl pOdhum
adhuvE sugamAi vidum
inbamO thunbamO veLiyinil illai
idhayathil uruvAi vidum

{SN23: Neel, if I had been in Kannadasan's place, I would written the lyrics as
"idhuvE vazh(u) enRu eNNivittAl pOdhum
adhuvE nalamaai vidum"

I am not able to digest as why the yound lady character is being forced to accept this life as Sugam. Idhu thaan en vazhkkai endru she could have consoled her... No Kannadasan... sorry.}

Why does no one make such movies or songs anymore? Where are those risk taking directors ? Will Tamil films ever come out of the current teenage,cleavage fixation?
{SN23: same feeling here. Indha Tamizh thirai pada ulagai ini nimirtha mudiyaadhu :-(}

---

Thanks a ton Ramki/Neel for this wonderful pongal parisu :-)

another good pick, ramki ( of course thanks always to Neel D).
in vazhanthaal, VJin kuralil oru vitha gambeeram irukkum, she has decided to live that life pola.
In ennulil, VJin kuralil antha characterkku Erpa oru vitha thadumattram irukkum. (therinthum thavaru seigirom enbathu pola). This is my opinion.

Dear Neel and Ramki,
Thanks for these nice songs!!!

Neel - thanks for the story of Savithri!!

With Love,
Usha Sankar.

Thanks to Neel D and Ramki for featuring these fine examples of songs and singing from TFM. Both songs rely exclusively on voice, and VJ traverses the emotions of resignation and yearning with equal command and nuance. The compositions themselves are a touchstone for what TFM used to be in a time not so long ago. It has become banal to mourn the loss.

Contentment has to be sought within, so Kannadasan says, but what of the contentment that comes from listening to his words composed with piety and sung with grace and poignancy? Isn't that from without? The heart has to share credit with the eyes and ears, it is not all a joy from just beating and staying alive. It is that vital breath of beauty that these songs hold in them.
And so how ironic it is then when we say "That just takes my breath away!" That's contentment in a nutshell, and to borrow SN23s metaphor, a knife that cuts both ways.

These two did. Again.

I have been reading this column in tfmpage with interest for quite sometime.When I listen to some of these songs it brings back old memories when radio was the main source of entertainment and I used to be hooked on to ilangai oliparappu kootuthaapanam.Very nice songs ,hearing after a long time.keep it up.
I am hearing 'vaazhndhaal unnodu'after such a long time.Thanks very much.there is another nice song 'Savithri'Mazhai kaalamum pani kaalamum sung by Jayachandran & VJ,which is also quite good.

Ramki, thanks very much for presenting the song.

SN23/yvsmani/tvsankar/Naaz/jmahesh, you are welcome.

SN23,
You alternative lines are nice. May be Kannadasan used "sugam" because the common expression is "ungalai kattikittu enna sugaththai kanden?".

Ramki,
Tamil films are too caught up in noisy music, skin exposure, etc. That is what kids like these days. The industry has successfully dummified a generation.
While someone like Cheran can take risks repeatedly and still be successful, why not others?

thanks to Neel and Ramki for this wonderful VJ song.I haven't watched this movie but can get an idea of the story from Neel's writing. VJ brings out the emotions very well as if she herself is the character in that movie.. Nowadays, we don't find too many singers and songs like this that stay in our memory for ever.

Thank you everyone. I wish my every selection could initiate such discussions :)