Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[venkkiram]

ராஜா பலதரப்பட்ட இசைவகைகளை திறம்பட செய்திருக்கிறார், செய்து வருகிறார். ரசிகர்களுக்கு விதவிதமான இசை விருப்பங்கள். சிலர் மௌனராகம், அக்னி நட்சத்திரம் போன்ற பாடல்களை, சிலர் கரகாட்டக்காரன், காசி, முதல் மரியாதை போன்ற பாடல்களை, சிலர் சிந்துபைரவி, மோகமுள் போன்ற பாடல்களை விரும்பி கேட்குறாங்க. சிலர் "ஆகச் சிறந்த" எண்பதுகளின் பாணியில் ராஜா மீண்டும் செய்யனும்னு விரும்புறாங்க. விரும்புவதில் தவறில்லையே! ஒவ்வொரு விரலும் ஒவ்வொரு விதம். Softsword! இதுல எதுக்கு நீங்க ரசிகர்களின் மீது ஆதங்கப்படனும்னு தெரியல.

[SoftSword]

venkkiram!

ரசிகர்களின் விருப்பங்களையும் எதிர்பார்ப்புகளையும் நான் எங்கே விமர்சித்தேன்?
எவ்வித வாதங்கள் என்னை ஆதங்கப்படச் செய்கின்றன என்பதை குறிப்பிட்டு எழுதியிருக்கிறேனே...

[raja_fan]

Well...
1. IF it is true that Yuvan is helping Raja in this album, it is very much reasonable and expected that even hardcore IR fans to suspect the outcome. This does not mean that we do not have faith on his genius etc.
If Yuvan is going to help his father, there is a chance that we wrill get only petromax
[ I am a IR fan and do not respect Yuvan just because he is the son of IR ]

2. Even if Yuvan is out of the scene, it is completely false to say IR gives equal importance to all films in his hand.
He definitely has worked harder for some directors like Sreedhar, KB and Maniratnam etc. You might say they inspire him with the narration. Yes, but that is not the only reason. We know how IR thrusted "Thendral vandhu..." tune over Nasser ( Nasser loved the song, we also love the song, but ultimately it was not the director's choice ). IR would never have done this with Mani or KB. I am not able to point out the reasons for this..but IR is not same with all films. That I am sure.

3. IR in his peak period valued money also. In the eighties, people in film circles used to say "If you are ready to be liberal in paying Ilaiyaraaja, the quality of the songs will be different". Probably he uses the money for better orchestration or recording etc. Or it might be as trivial as "better service for higher fees" . He would have worked for free to some directors, but they are exceptions.
Now with Gowtham Menon and Ko's producers, money would not be an issue. His London visit itself proves this.
We can hope IR to come out shining in this album ( forgetting Yuvan for the moment ), but if the album is not up to the market's expectations, then the blame would be squarely on IR..There is no point in blaming the young generation, their tastes etc.

[K]

Interesting one.

[San_K]

We can hope IR to come out shining in this album ( forgetting Yuvan for the moment ), but if the album is not up to the market's expectations, then the blame would be squarely on IR..There is no point in blaming the young generation, their tastes etc.

IppovE ready aagitteengala . While I agree with most of your points, I beg to differ in the above point. Why blame? mathatha plum vanthu solluvaru

Just a small example. You appreciated Dhoni album well but dhoni music is not well received by public (failuire in terms of business/popular). Now will you blame IR?

[San_K]

Sanjeevi,

exceptions cannot be examples.

I thinks some others said the reverse angle with different tone.

those were the ones he outsourced and so was the outcome... but with NEPV everyone knows the project is yearning for an IR musical and he has accepted it heartfully. apram inga yaen andha doubtu?

Just my point

[V_S]

If IR is thrusting his music over to directors we have to note that either he should be a new comer or he does not have much musical ideas. May be the director has lot of ideas (with respect to the film overall), but musically he cannot tell this music will suit for his film, except to oblige, even though it is his own film and dream. Nasser said in clearly his own words that was the communication between a gyani and gyanasoonyam. But if you see any other new comers for example Suka in Padithurai, we heard some new rare raagas, definitely he would have listened to him. Same way Sathyan. For him he composed 25 tunes for his first film, but only 5 were selected by Sathyan. We cannot blindly say, he thrusts his musical ideas to every new director.

All new directors only have an ambition that IR should score for their movie. That's the confidence they still have which is even greater than their own confidence about the movie. Here Nasser was a new comer that time and IR had already crossed almost 20 years in the industry. So, even I believe for Mani's first film, IR would have thrusted his music, no blame there. Once that director sticks with him and Raja comes to know about his subjects and his musical sense, he slowly starts listening to them. That gells well. Same goes to KB, BR, Sathyan and many others. Even though KB might have done sindhu bhairavi with Raja as his first film, Raja already knew about his films and the music in his films. May be same holds true to GVM. Also KB was a senior, so he has to listen to his musical ideas. No harm in that.

Definitely these kind of directors come up with some excellent situation, which gets its deserved treatment. He never went to London for Dhoni or Mouna Raagam for recording songs or background score. I agree, there many may not afford (financially) to all his requests. But that does not mean that he take special interest in some and not in others. I cannot agree to it at all. All music emanates from his brain only once for everyone. It is just that some take it as it is and some are not convinced where he gets another tune. Even if that thrusted Nasser's 'Thendral Vandhu' and KB's non-thrusted Marimari ninne are same for him. Otherwise Nasser would not have fallen to his feet after listening to it and cried, which we conveniently forget. Only we differentiate and classify his music (based on our liking/tastes), not him.

if the album is not up to the market's expectations, then the blame would be squarely on IR..There is no point in blaming the young generation, their tastes etc.

Pesunga sir pesunga. He is not running this race at all. Only we think like that and want him to run towards it. This soundtrack will be the dearest one like every other Maestro's soundtrack, it is up to us to celebrate or ignore.

[SoftSword]

Interesting one.

oru nari kulla nari dhaan...
kola veri kola veri de..

edhugai kooda sariyaa varudhae...

[San_K]

Definitely these kind of directors come up with some excellent situation, which gets its deserved treatment. He never went to London for Dhoni or Mouna Raagam for recording songs or background score. I agree, there many may not afford (financially) to all his requests. But that does not mean that he take special interest in some and not in others. I cannot agree to it at all.

Once he said (in a TV at Hey Ram (BGM) special program before Hey Ram release) "Kamalukku music value theriyuthu.... athanaala hungery poi selavu panni record pannom...". Idhu pathi enna solreenga V_S. Ipadi ellam avara seeraatinaal (ofcourse he got very less what he deserves) raajavuku Motivation/interest konjamaavathu athigamaa varaathaa?

Also he told about MD to MD telepathy in ARR felicitation programme. So, can we take like he is telepathing now with ARR or HJ (adikka varaatheenga), the previous MDs of GVM.

Ithanala enna solla varreennaa, avaru idhula spl interest (konjundu) edukka chance irukku

[V_S]

San_K,
Good point. I think I already mentioned about this in my earlier post.

Once that director sticks with him and Raja comes to know about his subjects and his musical sense, he slowly starts listening to them. That gells well.

This was exactly what happened with Kamal. I never denied that some situations/directors impress him more than many others. But since some directors/situations are special/impressive, he never alters/corrects the tune for the sake of it (to make it rich), unless the director is unhappy. That was my point. First time right philosophy! That is why karagattakaaran songs which he scored in 45 minutes is no way less than Hey Ram/Guru's orchestral score (which was recorded outside). Same holds true for both the film BGMs too. But again for Kamal's Virumaandi or Mahanadhi, he never went to hungary or London. Appo, during Virummaandi/Mahanadhi, Kamal didn't know musical values/ideas or IR didn't know about Kamal's musical ideas? I don't think so. That means was he not impressed with Mahanadhi or Virumaandi story or situation? If not, why didn't he go to Hungary?. It is his intinct which works correctly the first time every time.

I don't know if I have anwsered your question, but those were my thoughts.