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

[AravindMano]

Okay - Chandrabimbaththin is an instant winner. Will wait for others to catch up and discuss.

[Sunil_M88]

Okay - Chandrabimbaththin is an instant winner. Will wait for others to catch up and discuss.

+1, This song has everything. The first interlude is so calm an serene and on the contrary the second interlude consists of powerful drums. However, I love the synth carnatic gamakas in the pallavis, this did it for me IR has outdone himself here on the experimental arrangements.

On initial hearings my order of liking is

Chandrabimbathin

Chengathir Kaiyum - Somehow I feel this is going to be a dark horse. Chithra ji

Amruthamayi Abhayamai - The electric guitar portions in the both interludes sounds very similar to Raajas own second interlude from Kuthikkira kuthikkira

Aavani Thumbi - Thoush Shreya mam has done a commendable job here the song has nothing new to offer.

[Sunil_M88]

Ok I take it back, my pick of the album is Chengathir Kaiyum

[Sureshs65]

Raja, Malayalam, Female solo. In Tamil cinema slang, 'tappaa ponadhaa charitrame illai'. The Chitra solo is stupendous, what a melody and Chitra is extraordinarily sweet. A melody for ages. The Shreya song is lovely as well. Now on to listen to the other two songs.

Ofcourse my expectations are opposite that of Aravind Mano. After 'Thandavakone' and 'Ramarajyam' my expectations have gone up and the first two songs satisfy these expectations.

[Querida]

Just listening now...Chengathir Kaiyum is hands down my favourite...so good to hear Chitra's voice....

I wonder if I'll be verbally stoned in Hub...but never found Shreya's songs wow..."Aavani Thumbi" has beautiful bgm but voice is not anything unexpected...

Chandrabimbathin...like bgm most...especially the beats...

Amruthamayi Abhayamai...guitar is a treat...sweet, delicate interludes...have to give HH's honey soaked voice due credit...thank goodness HH is reeled in when he sings for an album and not left to his own over-aggravating-exaggerating that he does in live performances...

[Plum]

Querida - not stoning and all. I am issuing a shoot-at-sight order with immediate effect. Unga nalla neram katchi thondargal yaarum unga oorula illainu nenaikkaren

[Sureshs65]

Querida,

Don't worry. I am also with you to take the bullets Yes, while I do like Shreya's voice I am also yet to find it wow. Somehow she sings to be pleasing to the ears and many a times doesn't touch the heart. Maybe because it is that she doesn't really understand the language in which she sings or maybe it is the fact that not many look to emotional connect in songs. (I am sure Plum will come back with 'kannil paarvai'. Other than that there isn't much ) That is why she sound so good in Ponnar Shankar for all songs are very generic songs. I had a similar discussion with Vel a few days back in a different forum and he holds the same view point. So Plum, there is already a 'katchi' ready here

[skr]

Amrithamaayi - Sneha Veedu (Malayalam)

Raaja unleashes a stunner of a Kalyani in Sathyan's latest Malayalam venture Sneha Veedu.
The song begins with a gentle guitar strumming , paving the way for Hariharan to take over who begins with a small Aalap and then follows by singing Amrithamayi Abhayamai..

The 1st interlude is very mellifluos with the guitar playing a soothing tune with the Piano providing ample support at the background.

The Annu Pallavi portions go one stop further adding to the melodic content , simply love the lines when Hariharan sings Chimmi Chimmi where the notes go Sa Ga , Ri Ma , Ga Pa ,Ma Da , Ma Ni Da Sa Ni Ri Sa ..

The portion after that is a beatiful synth based interlude after which Hariharan continues singing the Charanam..

Raja's Kalyani always has that magical stamp associated with it and this one definitely lives up to the billing ..

Yet another honey soaked melody in Kalyani , not to be missed ..

[Sureshs65]

Here is my review of 'Sneha Veedu'.

Sathyan is on record stating that he always demands melodies from Raja. And Raja delivers perfectly for Sathyan. The Raja-Sathyan has a certain sound associated with it. The whole idea of this combination is to keep things at a low key and melody being the predomination factor in all the songs. There is nothing bombastic when it comes to this combination. Sathyan makes low key family melodramas and Raja ensures his music is in keeping with the requirement of the movie. Emotional content in the movie and the music is always high but Sathyan rarely shouts loud. Raja too ensures that nothing is over done. So if you are a lover of melodies and like your music to have some amount of emotion in it, then you have no choice but to fall in love with the Sathyan - Raja pair.

Let me now proceed to review the songs.

1. 'Chengathir Kaiyum' (Chitra) : Easily the best of the album or is it? That confusion is the greatest success of this album. The initial rhythmic pattern of the tune reminds you of the 'Sound of Music' song 'These are a few of my favorite things'. It is almost as if Raja took that rhythmic structure and built the pallavi. The violins following the tune in the charanam enhance the feeling of 'Favorite things'. As usual the charanam keeps pouring more melody into your ears. The interludes are nice and in keeping with the softness of the song. Loved the second interlude especially. The way Raja alternates between Chitra and the chorus in the charanam gives extra energy to the song. The tune, orchestration, interludes, everything is very much the modern Raja whom we have heard in movies like 'Gayam -2'. And Chitra chechi. Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that she is the best singer in India now? If you have, please listen to this song and get your doubt cleared. If you still have a doubt after hearing the song, please get your ears cleared

'Aavanithumbi' (Shreya Ghoshal) : What a pallavi. And Shreya's voice adds sweetness to the song. A lovely first interlude with violins, synth and guitar. The charanam as usual starts in a way you wouldn't expect and as usual raises the melodic quotient and you are completely satiated. Raja joins the charanam with pallavi in a nice way by getting the chorus to join in. A wonderful and melodious second interlude. The song drips honey. Worth just for the pallavi alone. If it was a couple of films back, Manjari would have probably got a chance to sing this song.

'Chandrabimbathin' (Rahul Nambiyar, Shweta) : The initial 'ya ya' dampened my spirits but those tabla taps raised the spirit. And when Rahul did a minuscule alapana before starting the song I was truly excited. The rhythm for the pallavi is so differently structured. So is it for the charanam. This song has the 'Malayalam song' stamped on it. The song which will most easily attract the 'I want something new everytime' crowd. The second charanam is drums driven, probably due to something happening on the screen so you may feel a bit of a disconnect. Rahul sings well and Shweta is sweet. I am very impressed with her singing. In this song Raja sort of shows us that if you want a new look and feel, I can give it to you. The melody is very catchy as well. So I will sort of disagree with Queria and say that I love the melody as well as the arrangements in this song. As I can see, this is the song which will easily catch up with the youth crowd. Like me

'Amruthamayi' (Hariharan version & Rahul Nambiyar version) : The gentle guitar strums open the song then joined by a gentler piano. Just hear the way Raja makes the guitar and piano play as Hariharan starts the pallavi. When Raja tunes in Kalyani he can do no wrong. (Actually in any ragam ) One more top class Kalyani based number. The piano plays some lovely phrases in the first interlude. I like the way the tune moves in the charanam and the guitar which comes in once in a while. Assume the 'Ponnar Shankar' song 'kannai padithen' played at a slower speed. You will get this song. The second interlude has the synthesizer playing with some effects which is not as great as the piano (or keyboard). Overall a top class song. To be put in low volume late in the night so as to aid you to get sleep. Only that the melody is so good that you will end up listening to this song in a loop till it is dawn. So beware. Hariharan, whose voice is not oft heard in Malayalam songs, brings in the required freshness. Rahul Namibyar in his version also does full justice to the song. And being a Malayalee, is able to emote as required.

Overall, one of the bests of Sathyan Raja combination. If you looked at the pattern in the last few of their movies, you will notice like one slow duet, one melody supported vigorously by the rhythm and one rhythm based song ('kezhakku mala kammalitta). In this album Sathyan eschews this rhythm based song and asks Raja only for melodies. And as listeners we are indeed blessed.

I will finally put it this way: If you liked songs like 'punnara poo' and sivamalli poove' you will love the Chitra and Shreya songs. If you love songs with emotional content like 'endhu paranjalum' you will love the Harharan / Rahul solo and if you love a duet like 'mandaara poo' you will love the Rahul-Shweta duet. If you are like me, you will love everything

[sivasub]

Here is my review of 'Sneha Veedu'.

The initial rhythmic pattern of the tune reminds you of the 'Sound of Music' song 'These are a few of my favorite things'. It is almost as if Raja took that rhythmic structure and built the pallavi. The violins following the tune in the charanam enhance the feeling of 'Favorite things'.

I haven't heard these songs yet. But the instant you said it sounded like 'These are a few of my...', it struck me that there are two songs - one each in Telugu and Tamil that gives me that impression as well. 'Teeyani danimma' from Nireekshana and the prelude from 'Maniye mani kuyile' from Nadodi Thendral.