Gangai Amaran, The Lyricist_Composer

[Oldposts]

Topic started by outsider (@ 203.91.150.145) on Thu Sep 12 07:13:56 EDT 2002.


Tamil film music industry is fortunate that in
it, dominance of one person did not mean the complet exclusion of others. The creativity and
quality of Illai Raaja made him the most important
and dominant MD from the late 70's to, at least
the mid 80's. Fortunately the stalwarts of the
earlier period M.S. Vishwanaathan and Shankar-Ganesh (sorry to the S-G detractors) continued churning out quality songs in
the period of Illai Raaja dominance. So in the
late 70's to early 80's TFM had the good fortune of having the services of three MD's of high
caliber -- IR, SG, and MSV. In the early 80's
another good MD, Gangai Amaran, emerged.
After this "prelude" I come to the topic at
hand, i.e., the musical talents of GA. I will not list the songs they composed, for there
are many who can do it better than me.

[Oldposts]

R. Sundar,
I am anxiously waiting for your interview of
Gangai Amaran.
When did you interview him?
Do you have the record of this interview or will you narrate it as a memoire?

[Oldposts]

Rgpm Sundar, when will you post the interview?

[Oldposts]

Dear outsider,

Thanx for the response. You have opened GA thread. In fact my meeting with GA was not exactly for an interview but a casual talk with the MD for a TV prog. sometime in 1995 in which I supplied the material for the interview. I will post the matter in bits as it will be too tedious to put it in one strike. IMO, GA is a very prolific composer and had a stamp of his own and on hearing some of his tunes I had even wondered that this man by no means second to his illustrious brother but matches him. And on speaking to him one would definitely admire his down-to-earth approach and modest. Very pragmatic approach,plain-speaking, outspoken and a simple person. His very first film Karai kadantha oruthi has some lilting numbers..I was very much fascinated by Odathula thanneeru pennoruthi kanneeru odam poyi ooru seruma (SJ), Naangu mathangal ulaginil vasantha kalangal(VJ), Sonnathu palikkuthu paaru (MV-VJ) to mention a few. You see none of these songs resembled any of his brother's tune and they were unique. Still lingering in me. The rest....

[Oldposts]

Friends,

GA's first film was 'karai kadantha oruthi' (KuRaththi renamed as oruthi after strong protests from the narikuRavar community). My friends and I were very naive college students and used to think that IR must have helped his younger brother with some tunes to bring him up! It took us several years to mature and appreciate that GA is a good composer in his own right and being a man with fierce self respect, he would not have approached his brother for help!(Nor would IR have encouraged this!)

'karai kadantha..' had another song
'pacha mala pakkaththula kuRaththee! Oun pakkathula maappiLLaya niRuththi, karugamaNi thaali koduththom! oun kai pidicha maappiLLakku onniya koduthom!'

'Vidukathai onRu! Thodarkathai onRu!' from 'oru vidukathai oru thodarkathai'
Almost all songs from Vazhvey mayam, especially, 'Neela vaana Odaiyil neendhuginRa veNNilaa'

Let me recall some more and write!

[Oldposts]

CV -
Bhagyaraj picks up on the common assumption (in a lighter vein) of GA stealing IRs scores and passing it off as his own, in the opening credits of Mouna Geethangal." Two cartoonish figures with GA and IR heads are seen in the recording studio - with GA running off with some score-sheets - and I think everyone in the audience knew what was being spoofed.

Gangai Amaran's score for Sattam was well received:
Ammamma Saranam Saranam and Oru Nanbanin Kadhai Idhu were hits from that film (which, incidentally was a K. Balaje remake of the hindi Dostana - starring Amitabh and Shatrugan.)

[Oldposts]

2 good songs of GA:

(1) vaa vaa en veeNaiye
(2) mazaiyin thuLiyil (chinnathambi periyathambi)

[Oldposts]

a few other good melodies from GA are "neela vaana odayil", "vandhanam en vandhanam" , "suttum vizhi chudar thaan kannamma" (sung by PS, a great song), "gnyabagam illayo" , "isaikavo nam kalyaana raagam"(very good tune).

[Oldposts]

Enna Sugamo Idhu Thodum Sugam (KJY = don't know film name - what a fantastic number, unheard of
Kasturi Maan Onru (Sankarlal)
But, Thedinen Ilamai Sugam Thedinen (Sankarlal - inspired from Neon Lights of Kraftwerk)

I think Gangai Amaran seemed more inspired by Sankar Ganesh type melody and rhythm's.

But, Kasturi Maan is an exotic number.

GA is an allrounder and definitely one of the best contributors to modern tamil cullture pop or classical.

[Oldposts]

hi