Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[KV]

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from rangamani's comments section...

"I say, a good Tarantino-esque idea to cleanse Thamizh Film Music, would be to lock HJ and Thaman in the same room and tell them that the survivor from their duel will be left alive.
Thaman reduces HJ to pulp and then gets shot as he walks out."



//

[senthilv.com]

எனக்கு ஒரு விதத்தில் இது நல்லதாகவே பட்டது. உதாரணத்திற்கு ராஜாவின் பேச்சைச் சொல்லலாம். மொழியை விட இசையே பெரியது. பெயரை திருப்பி சொன்னால் பொருள் கொடுக்குமா? ஆனால் இசையை திருப்பி வாசித்தாலும் பொருள் கொடுக்கும். சுரங்களை முன்னதாகவும், பின்னதாகவும் சொல்லிக் காண்பிக்கிறார். இந்தக் கூத்தையெல்லாம் எப்படி மொழிக் காதலன் கமல் பார்த்துக் கொண்டு இருப்பார்? (கமல் அதையும் சகித்துக் கொண்டே இருப்பார் என்பது வேறு விஷயம்!). இந்த வறட்டு கெளரவம், கர்வம் (மொழியெல்லாம் தூசு! இசைதான் டாப்பு என்ற சித்தாந்தம்) ராஜாவுக்கு பல வருடங்களாக உண்டு. அவ்வப்போது வெவ்வேறு வடிவங்களில், வார்த்தைகளில் வெளிவந்து கொண்டே இருக்கும் அவரது உரைகளில்.

Raja has every right to have an opinion and express it just like you have one. He gave couple of valid points and has cited other points on several occasion to support his opinion that music could touch human psyche bit deeper than lyrics. You have given no such points to support your assertion but have taken the liberty to accuse him of false pride and arrogance. The loose talk is on your side, just pointing out the irony.

It would be better to discuss his ideas and opinions without out-rightly dismissing it. His music is the product of his ideas and opinions. They give us insight and helps appreciate music more.

Raja never says the lyrics can be bad or his music is better than lyrics. He would take Kannadasan's lyrics anytime compared to the music from the current crop of film musicians. You are confusing between quality of lyrics with its secondary nature in music as a whole. Since lot of people have this same opinion as you, let me throw my two cents to support Raja's opinion.


1. Our ears has the capability to process wider spectrum of sound than one could produce with our mouth. This is because our ability to speak is a recent phenomenon but our ability to hear evolved millions of years ago. Language is a subset of sound and so is music, but the range of sound in music is larger than the range of sound in a language. And our ears are capable of tuning into these range that is beyond language.

2. Music predates language and can still be expressed and produce deep emotions without any lyrics. Preference for lyrics is a conditioned behavior not an intrinsic human behavior.


3. Language itself is a collection of sound built upon rules and has an inbuilt music in it. You could look at poerty as a recognition of this inherent music patterns in language that could be used express an idea. Rap music is one example of this relation.

3. Children learn pitch and tone before they learn language. They also learn language by recognizing the musicality in it. A child doesn't sleep to lyrics in the lullaby but by the music in it. You replace it with any lyrics it will still fall asleep.

4. Animals respond to music and some actually make it as in the case of various birds species. Our literature has compared sweet music to music that Kuyil makes. I remember, Raja once remarked in a interview that a dog's howling has the same musical nature as in vidwan's singing. Of course his real insight was twisted and misquoted. (btw, "Good, bad and ugly" theme hook was an musical replication of a dog howling in the opening shot of the movie and inspired rest of the song)

5. Finally, just like Raja said, music can keep you in absolute attention just like in meditation. You tune out, you lose it completely. Music is the closest, one can get to meditation. It also the easiest and quickest way one can get to the non-dual state that so many spiritual and religious figures seek and most humans unconsciously desire. Just three right notes can take you to that zone.

Raja is a polymath. The man oozes knowledge and experience. To dismiss him and his talk is our loss. He can never be right on everything but at least we should explore his ideas, discuss and expand our understanding of music and life itself.

[San_K]

good post senthilv

[SoftSword]

ada yaenpaa ellaarum ivlo periya postsa eludhureenga...
atleast maela oru subject line podunga... purinjukkurom..

[KlamRoyA]

SS...

same peeling here...

[SoftSword]

sandhaanam in kalakalappu: avlo periya comedy illa idhu...

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

Raja says that its only music which is great than writing, on a function where his books are released! Isn't this adakkam which actually exceeds the kollywood-humility standards set by hubbers?!?

[KlamRoyA]

sandhaanam in kalakalappu: avlo periya comedy illa idhu...

SS.. athu avlo periya comedy ilanu enakku theriyum..
aana athu sila paer sonna sirippu kuppunu vanthidum...

[SoftSword]

VTV, actually speaking, i did not write that in a comic tone... seriousa dhaan sonen... but ur reaction to that post would make people to interpret like i was making fun of them, which was not actually the case..

free vidunga..

[kalnayak]

Thats Tamil website says:"Maestro Ilayaraja's song to be aired in London olympics opening ceremony". See the link:
http://tamil.oneindia.in/news/2012/0...cs-156052.html