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23rd March 2014, 07:52 AM
#581
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
Continuing with the early Yesudas days; here is a ராகமாலிக composed by V. Daksinamoorthy (Swami) for the 1965 movie
kaavyamELA, sung by P. Leela & Yesudas. I am told that movie songs were composed in a different style (sequence) in the
"good old days"! The director decided where in the movie he wanted a song and what the song would be about. The lyricist
would then write the lines that would match the situation, and then came the music director who set the lines to appropriate tune(s).
It is my understanding that music was set to pre-written lyrics until the mid 1960s. Needless to say, a lot of those songs were
raagamaalikas! I remember Swami telling an interviewer that the only time he thought of the raaga(s) of a composition was
when others would compliment him for using this or that raaga! The arrival of Salilda and other North Indian musicians initiated the
process where lyrics were written to fit tunes/music that were already composed.
Coming back to today's song, here are Prem Nazir and Sheela serenading each other in Sahana, Shanmukhapriya, Kalyani, et al!
I had posted a different version of this song featuring (live) the "young" musicians P. Leela,
P.B. Sreenivas, K.J. Yesudas ("new kid on the block"), M.B. Sreenivasan and Swami himself.
Here is the link to that version:
youtube.com/watch?v=xCaLvV7oSGU
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23rd March 2014 07:52 AM
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24th March 2014, 09:32 AM
#582
Administrator
Diamond Hubber
RD, love the KJY voice and the song. Thanks!
The 5 singers version if of course a treasure. the PBS part
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24th March 2014, 09:59 AM
#583
Administrator
Diamond Hubber
I have been searching for the first line of this song, and finally found it in this thread itself.
Evergreen! Now we need RD to give us the details and the background (and meaning if possible) of the song
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25th March 2014, 12:08 AM
#584
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
RR: What a choice!... "அல்லியாம்பல் கடவில்..." is almost like an anthem for most Mallus! It has simple but sweet lyrics by P. Bhaskaran,
depicting young lovers in a rural central Kerala community; set to music by K.V. Job. Senior singer Udayabhanu was slated to sing the song,
but fell ill the week of the recording. Because of time compulsions, the movie makers wanted the song recorded right away. Yesudas who was
still the new kid on the block happened to be in the same studio. He was initially very reluctant to sing it because of respect for the senior singer.
Udayabhanu himself was reported to have telephoned Yesudas to ask him to record it. The rest, as they say, is history!
This song has transcended decades and generations, and I'm sure it will remain evergreen probably forever. This song used to be the most
popular song on college campuses year after year, decade after decade!
I will start working on the transliteration and the meaning part later.
K.V. Job was primarily a composer of songs for stage plays (drama) and has also directed music for a few movies. I haven't listened to most
of his compositions! For those interested, here is some info about him:
http://www.hindu.com/2003/10/06/stor...0606890400.htm
By the way, a 2009 Mammootty starrer (LOUD SPEAKER) had a scene where an elderly person reminisces his teenage love; how aampal poo
(ஆம்பல் பூ) reminds him of his childhood sweetheart... The conversation leads to the song alliyaambal kadavil, sung by Vijay Yesudas! Here it is:
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26th March 2014, 09:50 AM
#585
Administrator
Diamond Hubber
RD, interesting tidbits.. thanks! I wish MS was here. Must thank him for introducing this song to me. The first time I heard, the melody and the feel of the song (after he explained the meaning a bit) instantly hooked me in. I guess it's one of the few songs where everything worked perfectly!
Thanks god, vijay yesudas didn't spoil it in anyway. Actually a good effort.
Something funny: when I googled for this song, I often ended up 'alliyaambal Loud speaker song'. I thought the mallus call it a 'loud speaker song' since it's so famous..
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26th March 2014, 10:55 AM
#586
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
Originally Posted by
RR
I wish MS was here. Must thank him for introducing this song to me. The first time I heard, the melody and the feel of the song (after he explained the meaning a bit) instantly hooked me in. I guess it's one of the few songs where everything worked perfectly! Thanks god, vijay yesudas didn't spoil it in anyway. Actually a good effort.
I agree. One of the few occasions where the lyrics, the tune, the singing, the situation in the movie, and the listeners' sentiments vibrated at the same frequency and "everything worked perfectly"! Very simple words intertwined in a very colloquial but romantic style instead of the highly sophisticated lyrics of those days, set to music by a relatively unknown music director; but something about the finished product hit a nerve on the listening public! By the way, I miss Murali (MS) too. The last I heard, he was in Australia. I have a feeling that he will be reading this! Murali, we want you back; and this is a good thread for you to get rebooted and restarted!
I remember watching a video of KJY and Vijay singing this song together live on stage. I will post it if and when I can find it.
Originally Posted by
RR
Something funny: when I googled for this song, I often ended up 'alliyaambal Loud speaker song'. I thought the mallus call it a 'loud speaker song' since it's so famous..
Very interesting, and really funny! Oh, those Mallus!
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28th March 2014, 06:45 PM
#587
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
This is a collection of Youtube videos of most, if not all, of the songs from the movie GAANAM.
Do not miss the two versions (Yesudas/Janaki and Yesudas) of "aalaapanam aalaapanam...",
Dakshinamoorthy Swami's masterpiece!
http://www.malayalachalachithram.com...ngs.php?m=1329
Thanks to "Malayalachalachithram" for uploading the songs.
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29th March 2014, 08:50 AM
#588
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
RR and others:
I do not remember detais regarding the movie GAANAM; not even the names of the characters (other than Ambareesh’s role of Aravindakshan). Based on what I can recall, I have prepared the following scenario. By the way, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the events or sequences described!
Aravindakshan is a young Harijan boy who was somehow “different” from the rest of the kids, showing no interest in the chores and duties that he and others in his community were “supposed” to be doing. He would spend hours outdoors, listening to the chirping of birds, the rhyming of the river and the natural (jala) tharangam created by rain drops falling on the leaves. His parents have given up on him as a hopeless case!
One day, a Carnatic guru from the higher caste sees young Aravindakshan sitting near a brook listening to the water drops. He was surprised to see how musically inclined the young kid was. He decided to take the boy under his wings and teach him music...
Those were the days of untouchability, and the higher caste community couldn’t accept a Harijan boy being taught Carnatic music in one of their households. The community objects and threatens the Guru, but he does not relent. He is excommunicated with his family.
Aravindakshan grows up (Ambareesh) and becomes a great singer. He meets another singer from the higher caste (Lakshmi), and they become attracted to each other...
Aravindakhan is known to have a big ego. Instigated by a few people who don't like him, Lakshmi plays a trick on him during a concert just to tease him; but he takes it as a personal insult. He fights with her and stays away. Shortly thereafter, the Guru dies. The higher caste community refuses to arrange or participate in his funeral, and Aravindakshan and the Harijans in the village have to conduct the ceremony themselves...
Poornima is left alone with nobody for support. Aravindakshan feels obliged to take care of her, and eventually they get married. This causes an upheaval in Lakshmi's life...
Aravindakshan and Poornima have a son who grows up to be a trouble maker (Shanavas, who is actor Prem Nazir’s son), disrespecting his father and classical music, listening to only rock music. Aravindakshan’s dreams of making his son a musical prodigy come down with a crash. The son runs away from home. Aravindakshan is under a lot of stress, and he gradually loses his voice. He leaves for Guruvayur temple and spends his days there praying to regain his voice. Lakshmi comes to know about this. She visits the temple and tries to convince Aravindakshan that he should return to the village. After a lot of arguments, he agrees. They return home; and suddenly they hear someone singing Aravindakshan’s favourite song “aalaapanam"...
He runs upstairs to see his son singing it. He can’t believe what he sees; and tries (struggles) to sing with him… and slowly regains his voice! They sing the song together...
I am pretty sure that it was Lakshmi who convinced the boy to to correct his ways and then taught him classical music.
The End!
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29th March 2014, 10:26 PM
#589
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
I think I forgot to mention in the above post that the little girl sitting next to the Guru and young Aravindakshan during "adri sudhavara..." is the Guru's daughter, who grows up to become a beautiful woman (Poornima).
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31st March 2014, 09:16 AM
#590
Administrator
Diamond Hubber
RD,
I almost visualized the whole movie, and relived it. Wonderful! How nice it will be, if people could post such video-textual summaries of good movies.
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