Maestro Ilaiyaraja New Albums 2011 - Hello Jaihind / Sri Rama Rajyam

Very nice, short and sweet review Suresh ji! And interesting views about PS by Plum, KV and App. PS is definitely one of IR best in recent times. Even if other music directors will be able to compose few songs like in PS (as App told), you have to credit only IR for this as he is the one who gave on-job training to them for the past several years (few decades). :)Just imagining how they would have even compose like him when IR was not at all in TFM (MDs like Ajay-Atul which we talked about earlier).

<App wrote>
Thanks to their thorough study of "prior-era-IR-templates" and also having adapted reasonably well, the remaining 3 songs can be done by any MD of today. And, theirs may even sound better
</App wrote>

I don't think anyone could come with such a tune as Raja did for remaining songs (except Kodi kotti koduthalum). They might sound better solely because of good arrangements and sound/recording quality, but the soul which is the depth in the tune, I don't think anyone could come up. Also that complex and grand orchestration. No way!

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Originally Posted by V_S

Very nice, short and sweet review Suresh ji! And interesting views about PS by Plum, KV and App. PS is definitely one of IR best in recent times. Even if other music directors will be able to compose few songs like in PS (as App told), you have to credit only IR for this as he is the one who gave on-job training to them for the past several years (few decades). :)Just imagining how they would have even compose like him when IR was not at all in TFM (MDs like Ajay-Atul which we talked about earlier).

<App wrote>
Thanks to their thorough study of "prior-era-IR-templates" and also having adapted reasonably well, the remaining 3 songs can be done by any MD of today. And, theirs may even sound better
</App wrote>

I don't think anyone could come with such a tune as Raja did for remaining songs (except Kodi kotti koduthalum). They might sound better solely because of good arrangements and sound/recording quality, but the soul which is the depth in the tune, I don't think anyone could come up. Also that complex and grand orchestration. No way!

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I agree with you mostly .. but App also has a point. For eg. thEdi vandha dEvathaiyE is a pure popular format song..ofcourse discerning listeners like you might think that the tune is better than another MD..not sure many can discern this difference ..even my immediate impression was .. wow..if this had been in an urban/yuppie format.. it is the muqqala/muqqabula hit type of song.. So in a way I believe some current MDs (say ARR) can give equally good popular format songs like IR ..yes their recording/arrangements are better..(I dont think this takes way anything from IR..he has some unique skills which are very difficult to be challenged)

Thanks kiru for your response. I agree many will not go for tune nowadays as today's concentration is mainly on sound clarity, arrangements and most of all 'immediate catch' (in the starting lines) for a song to qualify to be popular.

Since you brought up uniqueness about Raja's musical output and why such a song cannot be composed by other MDs. Just wanted to share my thoughts.

'Thedi vantha' is a good candidate. Yes if you listen to this song for the first time, it sounds very simple. But I would say it is a big experimentation by Raja in recent times. The way tune (melody) flows seems very simple, but uneven and very natural (not forced). This simple structure might tempt most MD's today that we can do it. But there comes the trump card. As Vel said, it is a beautiful Gowri Manohari (I didn't know about the raagam aspect until Vel told us) to classical lovers, a perfect folk song for folk lovers (any listener in fact) and peppy orchestration for today's music lovers. If you lose one of them you lost it to Raja. Since he has not compromised any genre here.

Even I was little skeptical when I first posted about the humming in the second interlude as it did not fit Raja's characteristic. But luckily it ended there within few seconds. But with today's compositional (don't know if we can call it composition) trend, this feature would have dominated in the tune itself and/or in the arrangement (leave alone that second interlude) and we would have lost its folk soul, leaning towards contemporary western (folk may be?) thereby losing to classical Gowri Manohari and thereby losing our indian nativity. Definitely the song would have been more popular by doing so as per today's trend, if that is the ultimate goal. But for me, it would be just another song. I cannot enjoy a song which is a pure contemporary western song (in main melody of course) in our indian languages, which I can listen directly to them.

This tightrope-walking is something Raja has done with enormous ease to just ensure his stamp is not compromised. That's why I feel it is difficult to do such a song.

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Originally Posted by app_engine

P-S:
Thanks to their thorough study of "prior-era-IR-templates" and also having adapted reasonably well, the remaining 3 songs can be done by any MD of today. And, theirs may even sound better :wink:

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kodi kotti - may be.....but kannai padithaen, and thedi vandha - tough to imagine any one (vidyasagar can try may be) dishing out such free flowing melodies that are built on classical structures..... and using that classical base in the best optimal proportion - neither too heavy nor tooo light.......just right....thats where he is the king ! the RAAJA!

as V_S said, the trump card is the midas touch of the classical music.....blessing the behags and the gowrimanoharis with his magical wand....setting these ragas free from their bondage and liberating them to freely express myriad expressions ranging from pathos to love to any sentiment you can imagine.....and reaching them to the masses! Blessed to have Raja with us !

Kannai Padithen is heavenly. One of the sweetest number especially the tune from IR in recent times. what a flow :notworthy:

I would agree with V_S and Vel on this one. 'kodi kotti' is nothing to talk about but 'kannai padithen' is superb in its free flowing gait. I definitely don't think any other MD can keep up this pace throughout the song. I love the interludes. So if you are looking at the complete song, no way others could have done this. I feel the same about 'thedi vandha devadhaye' as well. Yes, someone can point out to songs like 'thee pidikka thee pidika' in Yuvan's music and say that those erotic songs have become big hits but musically 'thedi vandha' is unique Raja.

ஆஹா, நான் சும்மா ஒரு பேச்சுக்கு சொன்னா ("என்கரேஜ் அடுத்த ஜென்") எல்லாரும் அதை சீரியஸா ஆராய்ச்சி பண்றீங்களே :-)

Well, that gave out a wealth of rAgA and other highlights of IR's recent compositions, so good trigger, I can raise my collar in front of Plum :wink:

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Originally Posted by vel

kodi kotti - may be.....but kannai padithaen, and thedi vandha - tough to imagine any one (vidyasagar can try may be) dishing out such free flowing melodies that are built on classical structures..... and using that classical base in the best optimal proportion - neither too heavy nor tooo light.......just right....thats where he is the king ! the RAAJA!

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kodi kotti koduthaalum post lude - maththa MDs - konjam kashtam .. illai illai.. rombave kashtam.
Andha postlude endha patternlayum fit aagaadhu.

thanks V_S and Vel.. very educational.. I guess this adherence to the raagam for the whole song is what gives IR songs a continuity and character throughout..