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Rajasaranam, I will do so, vera yenna panna mudiyum.
Yenakku very idea of TIS-USA has been given some cds and ontop of it they have secured the copy rt through some other source is bothering me! Recognition for hardwork is IMPORTANT!!
Don't they care??
Yes, I am taking a break from this issue which I can't resolve!! Dr.Shankar, Thanks a lot for everything you have done!! Love, vinu.
Ilayaraja’s bestseller CD makes losses
- By B. Kolappan Deccan Chronicle, Chennai.
Chennai, Oct. 23: Music maestro Ilayaraja’s CD Thiruvasagam, a Shiva-worship oratorio done with Budapest Symphony Orchestra, has made history of sorts in Tamil Nadu by recording the highest sales in recent times, even overtaking the hugely popular music track of superstar Rajnikant’s latest hit Chandramukhi.
Ironically, the producer of the CD, Tamil Maiyam, an organisation founded by a Catholic priest, Father Jagath Gaspar Raj, has not benefited at all. Lapses in marketing have led to losses of about Rs 62 lakhs for the organisation. "The distributor, Well Gate, told us that it has sold 35,000 CDs and 25,000 cassettes of the album. I was able to mobilise around Rs 44 lakhs through sponsorship and sales in the US. But the amount is nowhere near the total cost of the production, which is Rs 1.06 crore. As far as we are concerned, it is a successful project that ended up giving us losses," said Father Gaspar Raj.
Many stores in Chennai said they did not get adequate stocks and credit was not allowed. Credit is normally allowed in the music business. However, anticipating good sales, marketing strategy was based on a no-credit policy. This led to a shortage when the demand was really hot. "Normally, the distributors supply their products on credit. In the case of Thiruvasagam, we had to pay up first to get the CDs and cassettes. This is unheard of in the music business," said G.P. Sharma of the Saraswathi Stores, one of the biggest music stores in Chennai that is owned by AVM.
Other shop-owners said delays in the release of cassettes also led to losses. "People in rural areas prefer cassettes to CDs and the company was unable to supply enough cassettes in time," said an official associated with the project.
Market sources said Ilayaraja’s popularity, coupled with the pre-release media hype, ensured the success of Thiruvasagam. "At least 40 per cent of the credit should go to the media," said a musicologist.
Written by famous Shaivite saint Manickavasagar in the 8th century, Thiruvasagam has been a great favourite among Tamils as a rendition of total surrender to Lord Shiva. Ilayaraja accomplished his "lifetime ambition" of composing music for the bhakti masterpiece.
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What this article missed to tell you was this....
1. That IR wanted a marketing outfit totally under his control....who will do what he wants them to do...including cooking up of accounts to Tamil Mayyam. That is obvious from the sales nos they have thrown out.
2. And the company chosen by him...Welgate Audio...owned by one Mr. Varghese.......
Who is this man, you know? One of the biggest pirates of the Kerala Film Industry.....completely banned by all the industry trade associations in Kerala...that no one from the industry should do business with him in any capacity. Hence he shifted his base to Chennai. Has paid a huge sum of money to IR for his multi lingual movie TTLS........
It is obvious he does not know how the music industry works. Otherwise so many retailers and distributors in the trade would not have been so upset with him in this Tis distribution. Who else will ask the distris and retailers to pay in advance and take delivery when the industry practice is to the opposite?
But then IR was always interested in his short term monetary gains than any long term goals.
Forget all those talk of "I want every one to contribute to this project like the building of temples by the Kings in olden days.......I am not in this for money ...I could have done it myself if I wanted..bla bla.......
And also the gradoise goals of building this music school there and tsunami relief here.........all a big joke for the uninitiated. Certainly not for people who have known this man and his personal character.
He is a good musician. But certainly not a good human being.
So folks, don't pounce on me. Just because you have closed your eyes......the truth will not go away. It is already dark.
and pray, Bala Ramasamy, what is the source for your opinions? Personal Character, eh? Neenga enna pakkathula irundhu paarthengala ellathaiyum? Appadi paarthirundha, dhairyam irundhaa, spit out publicly the reasons why you think so - defamation suit-appadinnu oru vishayam irukku theriyuma?
"Who else will ask the distris and retailers to pay in advance and take delivery when the industry practice is to the opposite? "
If industry practice is so, why did they agree to make an exception in this case. Why, they went to the negotiation table with a willing suspension of brains, eh?
app_engine sonna maadhiri, "tso..tso..aiyo paavam!"
rajdes, normally I would not take posts like the one above seriously. But we have reports of Wellgate being favored by IR for distribution rights. And now we know Wellgate is also the producer of TTLS, which means they have had an opportunity to pay IR for his services, albeit in a different context. So I see a 'prima facie' case for a 'conflict of interest' situation here. Before you jump into conclusion about my intentions here, please note I am a fan of IR's music based on the number of posts and even an article on these pages here.
Just like I helped Tamil Mayyam and TIS-USA to bring out TIS in my own small way. I feel, I am obliged now to help them address this issue even legally if it does not get resolved amicably !!!
kiru, you dont have to bring in the IR fan angle - I am not going to rip you for daring to question IR's motives and in any cae I am not arguing that IR is a saint and he can do no wrong :-) - all I am looking for is some logic and sense in the way you put the allgation. If IR has been in the wrong, whoever wants to put it here, please have the guts to say so openly with facts and details - I can take your allegation because there is some logic in the way you argue. Throwing allegations, inuendos , personal attacks on IR just based on one's personal hate for him ,is not acceptable. Infact, I can see that you(kiru) are able see it impassionately and present a logical reason why you believe what you believe. That is not the case with the previous post - that post was personal hate translated to english words.
Besides, again , I repeat - industry practice, convention ellaam I wont accept - if people havent made a proper business agreement, and they are suffering because of that, then I can only echo app_engine's "aiyo paavam". Grown-ups have to take care of themselves.If IR has taken advantage of the lack of agreement and used it to his benefit(which, I remind you, has not yet been posted here even as an allegation - forget as a fact or story) , it is not that such a scenario wasnt predicted here. Friendship vera, fandom vera, business vera. Ippadi ellam nadnandhjirundhaal, Idhai purindhu kooladavargalukku, idhu oru lesson, paadam appadinnu dhaan ennala solla mudiyum. Trust me, I have learnt it the hard way - that is why I am able to put it in such cruel words.
"He is a good musician. But certainly not a good human being.
"
and idhellam romba over - to conclude this based on an unsubstantiated allegation ... oh well this is a public forum and I suppose it is Bala's prerogative to post this as his opinion - but I have every right to ridicule this because forget substantiating an allegation, the allegation itself hasnt been made here openly and unambiguously.
vijayr, are you implying that IR
a)is trying to take advantage of TIS in whatever manner? Do you have irrefutable information regarding this?
b)is in the wrong viz a viz this issue that has raised?
Or you simply want to poke fun at blind belief in him? If so, why leave an open-ended statement that could defame IR? If not so, do you believe that "blind fanatics irukkura varaikkum IR-kku kavalai illai. So he WILL take advantage of it."? If so, why do you believe so? I think these questions need an answer - bashing IR fanatics cannot, will not and should not be a valid reason for bashing IR.
Reposting this since I want an answer to this - do you guys have some information which 'incriminates' IR which you are holding back? If so, why would you not share it?
If you dont have such information, why would you tacitly or otherwise defame IR?
I, for one, will have nothing but contempt for the inuendos until they become allegations atleast, let alone becoming established facts.
Last 10 pages padichathum enna thOnuthunnA........
ActualA enna nadandhathunnu theriyalai....
AnA ennavO nadandhirukkunnu mattum theriyuthu....
Legends never talk, they just deliver. At times they may see things in a different perspective.
Have been an active browser of this forum but posted since ages.
I have to thank whatever service TISK did to delivering Thiruvasagam for fans like me in USA.I pray almighty to relieve him of any monetary debts but definitely by doing this service for all the fans he has grown leaps and bounds from the spiritual perspective.
For a change I would like to share something good about TIS.My 5year old and 2&1/2 old wants to listen to TIS all the time. They danced along with other girls in that age group a couple of weeks ago in one of the Tamil Sangam functions for Muthu Natrchamam Poo Malai Thooki and it was very well received. There were lot of opinions about IR''s music in TIS but all I can say that is, if it is captivating kids, then it will last forever and go with the History. So far with my selected American colleques whom I gifted the CD also felt that this is a very simple, unique music which expresses the emotions in a subtle way. I stopped thinking long time ago about how much name and fame which IR got or will get with this Album because I believe strongly that his name will be etched in History for presenting this one and only kind of Unique Album.
Sorry for the long post.
rajdes, my post was a reaction to TISK's past and present posts regarding this issue(this is not the first time he is posting about this) and some of the subsequent comments. You are entitled to your opinions, whatever it may be on this issue. You have to address your further queries to TIS-USA or TM on this.