Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[krish244]

A guy named Vivek says he worked with IR on "Ponnar Sankar" background score!

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/film-musi...81-60-123.html

"...In ‘Ponnar Shankar’, an epic film penned by Karunanidhi and directed by Thiagarajan, Vivek did the background score with the maestro,� Ilayaraja. “It was the first time that Ilayaraja did music for a film along with somebody else,” claimed Vivek..."

thanks,

Krishnan

[sureshmehcnit]

CivilA thAnE pOikittirukku Ramki? Ivangallaam irukkattum, namma rendu pErum Karthikeyan BGM paththi oru thread pOttu pEsikkuvuOmA? Ulagathuleye namma rendu pEru mattumE pEsa koodiya subject adhu

Yennayum saethukkanga.. actually next post KR bgm dhaan

sample this http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfil...i/Guess-KR.mp3 Enna padam theriyudhaa?

[MumbaiRamki]

Yennayum saethukkanga.. actually next post KR bgm dhaan

sample this http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfil...i/Guess-KR.mp3 Enna padam theriyudhaa?

Should be Dumm Dumm Dumm - just before interval ?

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

Another strength of Rahman is - he understands the structure of current BGM and songs in America/Europe very well and plays well within the framework.

You mean to say rahman's ALL/MOST films confirm with this World movie/Hollywood structure?!? If not, why do you say this?

Going by my miniscule knowledge of music and the comments from western reviewers of IR's music, I think he is more of a non-conformist. His structure of songs and maybe BGMs might be different from the American/European contemporary works. This is my guess, that he might have trouble appealing to the West and winning any awards. I do know the Hungarian musicians called him "hollywood kind". Maybe I am wrong and one day IR will win an Oscar and we can have much more heated debates

If you say Rahman and IR's style are different (which you already said, and which everybody knows and agrees) then it is OK. But, why do you say
1. Rahman understands some standard which you say exist in global movies and his music conforms that
2. Raja is a non conformist? Raja's music is generally quoted as most natural and apt and most tailor-fit with the scene. his BGM is being quoted as indirect force to help the audience acquire the intended feeling easily. nowadays in audio launces, ppl are showing scenes with sound muted and then with his BGM. I don't understand when you say him as non conformist. What does he doesn't conform to?!?

There are instances which showed that its only a matter of not listening, when it comes to North, if they are played some IR songs/BGM which they never had a direct chance to hear, they are surely liking it. That apart, Almost all of the South states agree and listen to IR even today. both his Songs and BGM.

Some body said Raja doesn't need even good actors, his title and end credits have become very popular, where no actors are seen. Agreed but its not that way. That is one instance, infact that is NOT BGM. That can be called Theme Music. In Mouna Raagam, he uses a theme all over the movie, both in title, end and in between scenes. He made it fit well, in all cases. And there are cases where he compliments excellent performances on screen, with his BGM so that whole scene and its experience is elevated to some high level. there are also instances where the performance is not remarkable but still the scene impacts and works mainly becos of his BGM. That is not something we are finding much with other MDs, given whatever standard they follow Indian or European or American or Atlantic.

[Bala (Karthik)]

!!
My point about suresh's post was this
1. If you want to compare their BGMs (approach, teknikki, effectiveness) and make value judgments, then their body of work is more than enough to go ahead and just do it. One does not need to wait for a remade movie to compare with everything else supposed to be equal, only to realize midway that ALL things are not equal (of course it's not going to be the same right?)
2. I have a problem (sorry for being such a pulithi AH, seriously) with write-ups which attempt to deconstruct music without getting technical enough on one hand and not make a point about perceived differences in approach, quality and impact on the other hand. I personally find it (such "objectivity" without theory) tedious. As in registering every stroke is fine but then what does one take away from that? Is there a conscious or unconscious restraint to go further?
3. I may be wrong but I'm afraid sometimes we over analyze and impose our readings
4. Both movies are not worth the shte

[Bala (Karthik)]

By the by, speaking about cars, doors, may I remind that Swamigal has scored even for a car - cult and iconic, I'll add!

[Bala (Karthik)]

The obsession with being Specific, context etc etc - what was specific about "Mozart I love you" in Geethaanjali? Or the temple robbery in Guna?
It just transcends the films

[Bala (Karthik)]

@Rahman's BGM - Oscar, I think it's the rhythm which captivated the west (at least I find his rhythms more captivating than melody, string section motifs etc in BGMs)

BTB, I think JTYJN illustrates Kiru's point...

[kiru]

Maddy - . Actually, ivlo dhooram vandhachu - let me express my opinion. I personally think BGM is not a natural passion for Rahman. His passion and stated mission was to change the paradigm of popular music in TN/India. I think Films are just a medium for that ambition for him. With Raja, I think for all his protestations about film music shackling him, it is when presented with emotions in very specific context that his creativity flies high (I.em) bgm is a natural passion for him. As such, Rahman has been more celebrated for what he is and what he wanted to be - I think he has been very very blessed that way. Raja and his BGM skills that define him are celebrated only in TN. I also believe that Rahman might even have been annoyed initially with BGM duties. His later works see him getting better in BGM - imo atleast. I think if it is possible to quit movies and work through Albums alone that can express his vison of what popular music should be unfettered by pesky directorial vison, Rahman might even quit movies.

I cannot agree more with this assessment. Rahman leveraged his song/melody skills for the BGM in Slumdog Millionaire. If he had done any WCM style arrangements he would have lost out to some WCM heavyweights in Hollywood.

[kiru]

SKV, I dont think I can answer you conclusively/definitively (as I am not qualified enough). But my guess is .. a majority of IR's film songs follow a WCM style structure and style to it. But normally songs are melody laid out on a rhythm (not just Rahman or anybody or geography in particular). IR's prelude's, interludes are interesting genre bending introductions to popular film music. For that matter, I think indian "film music" is a genre by itself and IR's music falls into this category and innovates on top. Rahman, in his own words, follows "World Music" genre, which I think is basically focussed on introducing ethnic sounds/patterns on a western song/rhythm framework. For eg. hip hop beats were used in Slumdog but the melody was indian.Again, there would be exceptions in each composers's work and I might be generalizing a bit here. All for understanding each composer's style/focus rather than to pull them down in anyway.