Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

Positive things about Raja's Music, in today's Scenario:-

1. He is more popular now, surely, than mid 90s 2000s
2. Today, there are more Singing Competition shows in TV and naturally more Raja Songs. The toughness of those songs are realized today by younger generation. There are some dedicated shows for him, in Jaya/Kalaigner TV. Music Channels kinda cannot run without his music!
3. FM Radios have openly agreed that Raja is the Compulsory Filler of most of the Quality Airtime. After 9/10 PM every night, its almost One and Only Raja!
4. Internet - There is more discussion in forums, twitter, facebook etc
5. Excellent blogs which musically analyze Raja's work, written mostly by experts
6. Availability of Rare Raja Songs is much better, 1st thanks goes to youtube! Thiraipaadal.com shud be Next. Can we say almost ALL of his works are available??
7. Today, Awareness of the toughness in "Composing as a Profession" is much better even for laymen and thus, Raja's Greatness is very well understood.
8. Easy availability of Raja collectible CDs DVDs (illegal, though!) and also the Player costs are way less so we hear Raja songs(mostly 80s classics) more in Mofesul Bus, Rural Tea shops etc. Many Rural themed movies has his popular songs running in background.
9. For whatever reason, his birthday is much widely celebrated in media, in recent years, than before.
10. Shows like "Endrenrum Raja" Dubai/Italy shows, HTNI NBW Concerts keep Raja's works alive within wide spectrum including GenX GenY Audience. Jaya TV kku oru Thankful Salute

Most of the Popular older gen artists are completely retired much before. Aging artists like Kamal/Rajini are Completely "in" market and no way be considered Retired. Raja is kind of In between! The kind of Popularity, and in a way, even enmity by anti-raja camp, is somewhat high! His past work is ever popular and that's something which almost no older-gen artist's past work is like! Can we say Nobody's past work is as popular as his?! At same time, he is duly getting current offers too and they do what is expected to, (though we expect more ) and what's surprising is, few young-gen directors too go to Raja, and the Icing on Cake, is Gautam's NEPV

(Was thinking to write this for many days, kindly correct any mistake! )

[Sureshs65]

Well written Sakala. The difference between actors and creators like Raja is that for actors some else uses his/her imagination and creates roles / dialogues etc. Whereas the music director or a novelist will have to keep creating new things all the while. But overall I agree with what you have written.

[Madhanraj]

Well Said SKVVR. Good observation and nice write up....

[thumburu]

Splendid post by Kiru on the phenomenally beautiful mind of IR and senthilv.com on painstakingly elaborating IR's views on music vis a vis lyrics. Even a classical keerthanai comprises of non lyrical components for more than 50 percent, starting from the Alaap and interspersed with kaarvai, chittaswarams, kalpanaswarams, thaniAvarthanams etc . When a subject matter expert like IR opines about his subject, I will give due weightage to that rather than some layman's superficial opinion with all his pride and prejudices intact.
I don't deny that in film music, lyeics from talented Vairamurhu or Thamarai not onlt set the context for the scene but enhNCE THE SONG TO A GREAT EXTENT. Having said that , "omahazeeya" of Tamilpadam is my most fav number from lasr year's pick esp with that velvet kuralone Hariharan.

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

Pencils inc. Krithika Ravishankar's photo.



"THE MAESTRO"

Used:
-Bristol board (Smooth).
-2H,3B and 8b pencils for drawing.
-Charcoal powder, ear buds(Q-tips) and blending stumps for blending.
-White ink and mechanical pencil for detailing.

Duration - 1 week.

[senthilv.com]

மேலேயுள்ள செந்தில் என்பவரின் பதிவு... படிக்கும்போதே தூக்கம் வரக் கூடிய ஒன்றாக இருக்கிறது.

I know how hard it is to make someone sleepy. Especially an intellectual adult in this current day and age. Thanks for the kind note but I seriously doubt that my words have the same impact as a lullaby. So I will have to refuse the compliment.

ok, jokes aside, you are asking an artist to confirm to a stand definition of song by a critic when an artist's sole preoccupation is to break that definition. An artist's creative soul is his unique point of view and approach. Take that away you will get a bad imitator.

Does it ever make you wonder, that may be, the quest for Raja to make music go deeper than words might be one of the factor in Raja doing stand out background music in films? His musical ability helps a film reach deeper level, where words cannot be used to convey the emotion in the scene. This is what sets him apart from others.

Anyway, Raja didn't say music is greater than lyrics. He just said music can go and impact psyche where lyrics may not be able to enter. That's probably why we say "Music is beyond language and culture" Raja himself has said a song should either convey a message or a feeling or go hand in hand. When the message is more important he puts focus on lyrics and pulls back elaborate music arrangements and keeps it simple (like Kanmani Anbodu song) When the feeling is more important he uses musical ideas to the maximum to make the audience feel that emotion (like Sundari Kannal Sethi) Even in elaborate arrangements he would pull back orchestration at some points to give power to the words and sometimes add music layers to make certain words stand out. (Like the simple flute piece right before the word kuyil to sweeten it's effect in Kuyil pattu song from Enn Raasavin Manasile)

மொழிகளே இல்லாமல் முழுக்க முழுக்க பின்னணி இசை அல்லது இசை ஆல்பங்கள் செய்யும் தொழிலில் ராஜா ஈடுபட்டிருந்தால் அவரின் இத்தகைய பேச்சை மதிக்க வேண்டியதுதான். ஆனால், கருப்பு வெள்ளை காலம் தொட்டு டிஜிட்டல் காலமான இன்று வரை உச்சப் பாடல்கள் எனப் பட்டியல் இடும் பலவற்றில் பாடல் வரிகள் சிறப்பாகவே அமைந்திருக்கிறது. அப்படிப்பட்ட ஒரு நிலையில் இதுபோன்ற ஒருசார்பான கருத்தை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள இயலவில்லை. இது ஒரு வகையில் மூளைச்சலவை செய்யும் யுக்தி. எனக்கு கண்ணதாசன் பாரம்பரியமும் வேண்டும். ராஜாவின் பாரம்பரியமும் வேண்டும்.

I can't help but smile. Every film has only 20-25 mins of songs. The average background music(instrumental) in a film is at least 40 to 60 mins of music. And on top, he has done instrumental music albums like HTNI, NBW etc.. It invalidates your arguments.

Also, why would we need background music if everything can be conveyed by actions, dialogues and songs? Because words and music attack different faculty of our brain and psyche. They may be processed by same ears but experience wise they are as different as sight and sound. Lyrics in a film song can make us self-aware, if it is music alone, it slips right into our subconscious mind and our heart. If it is not an hindrance in films, every BGM would have been tuned with lyrics.

Raja sees music at a very abstract level. It is a skill and a talent. Chastising him for that would be really funny.

btw, I would agree Raja is in the business of brain-washing you and going straight to your heart with music. And I'm sticking with the bizzzz... of making you sleepy. Cheers.

Senthil.

[SoftSword]

once again senthil

[venkkiram]

செந்தில்.. மறுபடியும்! ஒன்னே ஒண்ணு சொல்லி முடிச்சிக்கிறேன். எனக்கு நல்ல வரிகள் அமைந்த பாடல்கள் மிகவும் பிடிக்கும். அதோடு நல்ல இசை அமைந்தால் கரும்பு தின்னக் கூலியா? கருப்பு வெள்ளை காலத்தில் கோலோச்சிய இசையமைப்பாளர்கள், ராஜா - ரஹ்மான் என்ற நீண்ட சங்கிலியில் சிறப்பான, காலத்தால் அழியாத எண்ணற்ற பாடல்களில் பெரும்பாலானவற்றில் பாடல் வரிகள்தான் (சிறப்பான மற்றும் எளிமையான) எனக்கு முதன்முதலாக தெரிகிறது. ஒவ்வொரு பாடல்களையும் ஒவ்வொரு தீவுகளாக வைத்துக்கொண்டால் அதன் வரிகள்தான் கலங்கரை விளக்கம். காட்சிகளுக்கு பக்கபலமாக தொடர்கிற பின்னணி இசை என்ற விஷயத்திற்கே நான் போகவில்லை. அதில் ராஜா எப்படிப்பட்டவர் என்பதில் நான் எந்தப் புரிதலில் இதுவரை இருக்கிறேனோ அதையேத்தான் உங்களது விளக்க உரையும் ஊர்ஜிதப்படுத்துகிறது.

[venkkiram]

I can't help but smile. Every film has only 20-25 mins of songs. The average background music(instrumental) in a film is at least 40 to 60 mins of music. And on top, he has done instrumental music albums like HTNI, NBW etc.. It invalidates your arguments.

இசைப்பாடல்கள் என ஒன்று நம் படங்களில் இல்லாமலில் இருந்திருந்தால் இந்த அளவு ஆழமாகவும் அகலமாகவும் ரசிகர்கள் நமது இசையமைப்பளர்களை சுற்றி வருவார்கள் என்பது சந்தேகமே. நீங்க சொல்ற பாடல்கள் மற்றும் காட்சிகளுக்கான பின்னணி இசை என்ற விகிதாச்சாரம் தெரிந்த விஷயம் தான். ஆனால் நாமெல்லாம் படங்களை தூக்கி சுமப்பதில்லையே எப்போதும்! ஒரு பாடல் ஒருவனை அவன் வாழ்நாளில் எவ்வளவு காலங்களுக்கு ஆட்கொண்டு வருகிறது என்பதை கணக்கிட்டால் நகைக்க மாட்டீர்கள் என நினைக்கிறேன். நான் தனிமரம் அல்ல. பெருந்தோப்பு! வனம்!

[ajaybaskar]

Awesome posts,Senthil. Keep it up..