:lol: Appo thavaritten, inime thavara maattenQuote:
Originally Posted by Plum
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:lol: Appo thavaritten, inime thavara maattenQuote:
Originally Posted by Plum
That's another wonderful song app. The whole 'Maane Maane' album is class.
Thanks Rakesh anna,
To be honest, I have seen many Hollywood "horror" flicks, and none of them gave me the creeps, but some how I get scared watching tamil horror movies ( Relating to spirits, ghosts alike) , recently I saw Kanchana and I am still recovering and to be honest with my "limited" knowledge I think the best horror movie in TFM was Prashanth's shock ( though a remake of RGV's Booth).
App anna
Thanks for info, I will try and watch the movie this week end along with my mate "Jack Daniels" . :lol2: :yessir:
// was Mike Mohan given an Anti Hero Role in 100vathu naal ??? //
Nooravadhu naal (besides Mouna Ragam, Rettai val kuruvi and maybe one or two other) is/was one of the few films, Mike Mohan had some chance of showing expressions on his face (other than, the 'swallowed a whole pumpkin at once' kind of look) - in all other films, he was never allowed to/didnt have a chance to 'act' - it was IR all the way!
First of all many thanks to raajarasigan, Querida and App for encouraging me to write about this wonderful composition. :D Here it is, but very long as usual. Read at your leisure. Not sure, if I met all your expectations. These are just my flow of thoughts about this wonder!
If there is a temple which remains in everyone's heart who is born in Tamil Nadu, that would be Thanjai Periya Koyil. Not just in terms of worship, but mainly in terms of workmanship and art. Once we are there, we can certainly feel the Great 'Raja Raja Chozhan' and his great kingdom's presence there in every step we make, every sculpture we touch and admire and every frame we look upon. Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan created the huge hunger in me to visit this gorgeous and gigantic structure (even though I once visited during my childhood, I didn't remember). I desperately wanted to visit again. I made it only after my college years.
Similarly, Neengal KEttavai urged me to visit another glorious, yet forgotten structure Gangai Konda Chozha Puram almost identical to Thanjai Periya Koyil built by The Great Rajendra Chozhan. But I got this rare opportunity to visit this temple and monumental structure only in 2003, luckily on the way to attend one of my friend's marriage. I immediately fell in love with it. Even though it is not well maintained like the former, it speaks tons and tons of spectacular and grandeur craftsman ship. I could not forget this temple whenever I recollect Neengal KEttavai and vice versa. I felt very hard to leave this temple as it is the lone survivor in that village. Many thanks to Balu Mahendra who wonderfully picturized 'Oh Vasantha Raja' in this very memorable place and introduced me to its beauty.
Starting with one of my most favorite TV shows of all time, 'Vikram Aur Betaal' starring handsome Arun Govil as King Vikramaditya (he was our favorite TV heroes those days :smile:). Betaal would tell 25 stories to the King and ask a question (puzzle) to him at the end of every story. If the king does not answer correctly, his head would be torn into thousand pieces. If he was correct, the Betaal would go back to his tree and hang there and it starts all over again for the next story.
We will take this composition in a similar fashion when Maestro asks us a question at the end of every significant portion of the song and we need to answer it correctly. :smile:
The sound which baffles us in the first 15 seconds is some thing very peculiar and never known even today and could not be created by any sound engineer. I always tend to think of Raavanan's (?) story who tears apart his nerve strings and tie it to veena and play. The sound is such that!. Such powerful imagination by Maestro. Guess what instruments have been employed to create such a mind blowing ambience. Just the bass guitar, veena and synthesizer providing some odd rhythm. Isn't it amazing?
Next 18 seconds, rhythm changes to some big march type drums, just like the pounding heart beats. Hear how Maestro improvises by providing a counter rhythm which is a small yet fast tribal beat pattern ably supporting the big drums, culminating with flute. But there is also a keyboard instrument which sound like a wind instrument (like magudi? to depict a snake crawling around) which gives a picture of uncertainty and restlessness. But he always has a question.(1) That's where Maestro stands eons ahead from others. I am just thinking how Balu Mahendra would have conveyed this situation to Maestro. Just a love duet in a temple/stream backdrop. But just that is enough for Maestro to get inspired, but seeing the visuals, I could not believe he might have just done that. Let's hear the song closely with visuals, so that we can understand the two legends at work.
- Why all this grand and rich orchestration is needed, that too for a love duet?
The 15 seconds you can visualize that the heroine is in her own world thinking about her lover having some wild imagination on the erotic side. So the sounds in first 15 seconds indicate the tensile strength :wink: of her nerves and the fire she wants to put off. The hero is at a different place doing some exercise where he suddenly turns back to see if any one is following him. The moment his lover thinks of him, he feels that and his heart pounces like the big marching drums. This is where he loses the control (in fear) and gives up to her so that she can sneak into him. This is represented by the odd snake instrument crawling into this body, without his knowledge. The snake here represents the poison (of love and desire) which flows into him. Sheer, sheer audacious innovation!
Now Janaki starts off beautifully bringing in perfect mood of desire, exactly as the heroine imagines. This is where all the three brain child of the song, director, music director and the lyricist excel each other. Unusual lyrics for a heroine. She describes her lover as a 'honey soaked rose'. Adding to it, she mentions her lover's body is always her happiness (lover is the only happiness is different, lyricist does not mention that; point to note) and also describes that her lover was born only to quench her thirst. Ultimate eroticism, that too by a female.
2. All the three lines should have been ideally sung by a hero for his lover, but here it is other way round. Very very unusual. Why? (answered little later)
Classical pundits refer this song in a rare pentatonic raaga 'Srotaswini'. Choosing this unique raaga for his love duet is again unusual. Without him, I believe many would not have known about this raaga at all.
3. At the right moment when the pallavi starts he switches the percussion rhythm to mridangam. Again why?
(3) While in the prelude he has to bring out the mood and situation straightaway, in pallavi he has to support director's visuals/backdrop (when he briefed about the location). Since the backdrop is temple, mridangam which is synonymous to divinity is used appropriately for the location. Hear the bass guitar during pallavi, phenomenal stuff! One another prediction turned down beautifully. In the second line of pallavi, after 'Un Degam' , 'En Desam' , 'EnnaaLum' and 'Sandhosham' there is ample scope to introduce fillers between each word, which will glitter as ornament in the song, but to my surprise Maestro turned down my offer :smile: and wonderfully fills only with the percussion mridangam. The reason being the location itself. Maestro secretly says to me, 'All that glitters is not Gold!' Unpredictability is unpredictable!!
ஓ வசந்த ராஜா தேன் சுமந்த ரோஜா
உன் தேகம் என் தேசம் எந்நாளும் சந்தோஷம்
என் தாகங்கள் தீர்ந்திட நீ பிறந்தாயே
He brings the essence of the raga in the first interlude with divine veena, mridangam and flute. The finish of the interlude with each mridangam beat, punctuated and answered by classical violins is just stunning! Balu Mahendra quickly switches back and forth with capturing Archana's dancing posture and Banuchandar's close-ups for this wonderful chord progression using mridangam and violins. Again, all with the backbone of bass guitar. This gives the strength to all his compositions!
This is where I get lost into the song totally. SPB's soft and sweet vocals with perfect diction and what beautiful lines to describe the beauty of lover. 'Un Pinju paadhangal mann thottathaal indru sevvaanam pOlaachu'. Aha! BM aptly brings the setting red sky. Hear SPB laughing the second time when he sings 'ViN sorgame poi poi, en sorgam nee peNNe'. How he ends the last line 'Soodiya poocharam vaanvil thaano', especially the last word 'thaano'. Beautiful modulation there! And how effortless!! Crystal clear rendition!! :notworthy:
Usually melodies pick up their sweetness gradually and during charanam it will be felt maximum, but this is one song where can hear the sweetness right from the first note in pallavi. How to describe the sweetness and beauty of charanam tune. No rush, steady rhythm, only when needed punctuate the words to enhance its sweetness. For example, hear when SPB sings 'PaadhangaL' , it is 'Paa aadhangaL'. Again 'Poi Poi' little dip between these two poi's but there is no such dip in 'en sorgam nee peNNe'. All these little variations brings the much needed sweetness and life in the song. The last word 'thaano' ending with 'O' correctly connects to the first letter of 'O Vasantha Raja'.
Also the words here does not have any sexual desire except he just describes the beauty of his lover.
மென் பஞ்சு மேகங்கள் உன் பிஞ்சு பாதங்கள்
மண் தொட்டதால் இன்று செவ்வானம் போலாச்சு
விண் சொர்க்கமே பொய் பொய் என் சொர்க்கம் நீ பெண்ணே(2)
சூடிய பூச்சரம் வானவில் தானோ
Maestro continues with mridangam during pallavi after charanam with beautiful stream at the back. Mridangam sound here aptly describes the discontinuous flow of water as it has to battle through the rocks.
Answer to second question.
(2) During the repeat pallavi after first charanam, the heroine was successful in captivating her love and automatically he sings the same lines which was expected to be sung by a male as I described earlier (during first pallavi). So here Maestro answers my question as to why these lines were given for a female. As and when the song progresses, he turns up every stone and solves every puzzle.
Maestro suddenly switches from the classic charanam and classical interlude to brisk western style in second interlude. Another point to note is, only during the ludes, Maestro gives scope for lovers to dance (as directed by BM?) The rest melody is such that, it has to be felt, rather than dance and forget. The balance is beautifully maintained by Maestro. The bass tracks in second interlude is just amazing! Piano and violins on top of the bass track gives a sophisticated feel. Changes the track in between for a short dance. Again just wonderful!
4. When I was about to think that he will again take mridangam in charanam, as the back drop is temple again, he completely teases me and continues with western rhythms in second charanam. Why? (answered little later). He gives me no chance to predict. The puzzle is getting bigger and bigger!
You can clearly hear the bass tracks now unlike the first charanam where mridangam itself was dominating as expected.
The lady in love craving for desire again. Class, Class singing by SJ. :notworthy: Some extra-ordinary lyrics.
ஆராதனை நேரம் ஆலாபனை ராகம்
அலைபாயுதே தாகம் அனலாகுதே மோகம்
என் மேகமே வா வா இதழ் நீரைத் தூவு (2) (wow! beautiful!)
மன்மத கோவிலில் பாலபிஷேகம் (wicked line that is!)
Pulamaipithan :notworthy:
During the repeat of pallavi, Maestro switches the percussion back to mridangam. Hear how SJ sings 'O Vasantha Raja' especially the 'Raja', lovely. Same way, SPB finishes in style elongating 'ThEn' sweetly. We miss your singing so much. A Big void in playback singing :( I just listen to the last pallavi many times to quench my thirst in this ever famine melody area of today! Finally they both hum 'O' together which solves the last puzzle of love.
(4) No answer, this time, my head is torn into thousand pieces :wink:. Not sure if the above 3 answers were also correct.
Locations; Gangaikonda Chozha Puram temple, the streams, some outstanding lyrics all enhance the mood of the song to another level.
A classic composition which starts off in a tribal way (prelude), marches towards folk (pallavi), and gets hold of Indian classical on its way (1st interlude and charanams) and grabs contemporary western format (2nd interlude and charanam rhythm arrangements) before getting back to our root which is folk again. Just in one composition we see a beautiful progression of genres blended cleverly and organically to give a melody of highest order. As I always say, there is no such one song in any Maestro's composition.
The mridangam usage is of supreme class where he changes its rhythm pattern during pallavi and charanam keeping the same 4/4 time signature. Mridangam sounds folk during pallavi as he increases the beats during the break between the words, and keeps it steady during the words. Mridangam sounds completely classical during first charanam. Not just that, at every note Maestro keeps a mystery and raises our expectation. As and when needed, he solves those puzzles in his own unique way. The time the mystery is solved is also unexpected. Just like a ocean, we cannot estimate it, all we get is to deep dive and get some valuable pearls and rejoice for a life time.
A Mystery Composition to be crack opened by Maestro alone! A song of a lifetime!
Is it not apt to describe our Dearest Maestro as 'ஓ வசந்த ராஜா தேன் சுமந்த ரோஜா'?
PS: Please pour in your thoughts and questions about this mystery composition.
Great Write up V_S.
But one small nitpick. Oh Vasantha Raja was by Pulamai Pithan and not Vairamuthu. Kanavu kaanum vaazhkai and Pillai Nila were the songs written by Vairamuthu.
Regards
AhA, what a lovely description for the sweet song!
kalakkeetteenga!
mikka nanRi, V_S-ji!
hmm..maybe I should see the video of this song (have not seen the movie). I have taken quite a lot of pictures of GKC. More than 15yrs ago. Fascinated by the sculptures as well as by my new Canon SLR camera :-) ..
This song was sung by a good looking guy and girl when I was in school a few times. They used to sing it so well.. We guys thought something must be going on between them.. or maybe we were all just jealous of this guy :-)
(Murail, are you sure it is pulamipiththan ?.. it has all the marks of VM on it )
Splendid writeup V_S :clap: :clap: :clap: You described almost every second of the song with your exquisite writing and the whole song played in my mind by just reading your post. As you said, a song for the lifetime. IR, SPB, SJ - :notworthy: