Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[Plum]

Been away for a week. I find it necessary to clarify some misconceptions before moving on.
1) rajarammsgi's "ivaraiyum thorathittingaLA" is a gross misrepresentation. From the tone and context, I presume he is pointing to the supposed fanatics here who have chased away mohanraja etc. However, the "ivaraiyum" in this context is misleading. Because, the only others who have been chased away recently are myself and V_S. And WE HAVENT BEEN CHASED AWAY BY THE SO CALLED FANATICS HERE but very much their antagonists.
2) To Softie's point, no I am not doing this out of character. I, in my arrogance as ever, have deemed that this forum is no longer of the overall quality of discussion required for me to participate and hence I am walking away. In saying this, I recognise that I am ignoring some wonderful individual posters like suresh, jai, git, kv, V_S, App, Nerd, wiz, P_R etc but the balance recently has been such that this part has become minority and a majority is a mind numbing, commonplace thinking majority that dominates in the real world too. Contrary to Suresh' claim, until recently, the balance was not so lopsided. So, softie, Plum is being arrogant as ever. Nothing out of character. In particular, outside the IR forum, this degradation is pronounced. Perhaps, the sports section still has some decent discussions going but that is not enough carrot for me.

3) IN short, like equa says artla democracy velaikkavaadhu. Likewise, democracy has become too much of a luxury to offer to a majority of posters here in my opinion. They dont simply deserve it. I recognise that the moderators have a different philosophy and have complete respect for the way they have conducted this forum, including banning me briefly, which I think was justified - and to clarify, it was for repeatedly questionin them publicly, which I now recognise was an ill-conceived thing to do. But, and this is important, their moderation philosophy of theirs is only ironically contributing to the reduction in quality of discussions in this forum. This is my opinion. It is possible for miscreants to apply NOV's signature, and drag down the quality of discussion, and then claim victory and these are the ones predominant in HUB now.

4) If and when this balance changes, I might be attracted again to post here. Until then, thanks to all the named and unnamed posters who have given me a lot of pleasure for over 14 years now in this forum. This was a great place to be. Hope it becomes a great place to be again in future.

Thanks in particular to the moderators RR, NOV, P_R and LM who have been even handed, fair and tolerant even of my stretching their limits of patience. They have done well - I just wish them more worthy participatns in future than they have now. They deserve better.
Goodbye and thanks for all the fish!

[kid-glove]

Good luck with the other good persuasions in life. Do visit when you're utterly bored. If not by posts, do PM, keep in touch (not in a dry real-life way, but in a more exciting virtual sense). I look forward to your thoughts. You will be utterly missed here.

[kid-glove]

I understand a lot of what you are saying, but I find discussions here to be pointless and immesurably shrinked in context of larger things. I might have sounded darn serious before. But things have changed. They found a giant sized tumor in my rectum.

[venkkiram]

Been away for a week. I find it necessary to clarify some misconceptions before moving on.
1) rajarammsgi's "ivaraiyum thorathittingaLA" is a gross misrepresentation. From the tone and context, I presume he is pointing to the supposed fanatics here who have chased away mohanraja etc. However, the "ivaraiyum" in this context is misleading. Because, the only others who have been chased away recently are myself and V_S. And WE HAVENT BEEN CHASED AWAY BY THE SO CALLED FANATICS HERE but very much their antagonists.

I guess rajarammsgi's statement includes mottai dhasan too. rajarammsgi can confirm.

[mohanraja]

பொதுவாக ராஜாவின் ரசிகர்களில் அவரைப் பற்றிய தேடலில் உச்சம் அடைந்த பிறகு அவர் மீதான சமீபத்திய குற்றசாட்டுகள் குறைகள் பற்றி அக்கறை கொள்பவர்கள் மிகக் குறைவு. அந்த மனிதனின் திறமைக்கு இது சான்று எடுத்துக்கொள்ளலாம். அதே போல் பல தரப்பு ரசிகர்கள் உண்டு. ஸ்பீல்பெர்க் படங்களுக்கு இன்றும் ஜான் வில்லியம்ஸ் இசை அமைப்பதும் பல வருடங்களாக மிகச் சிறப்பாக என்னியோ மோரிகோன் இசை அமைத்து வருவதையும் போல் ராஜாவும் வளமான தனது இசைப் பாணியுடன் இசை அமைக்க வேண்டும். அவரை இன்றைய திரையுலகம் இன்னும் நன்றாகப் பயன்படுத்திக் கொள்ளவேண்டும் என்ற எளிய ஆனால் பேராசையைக் கொண்ட பாமர இசை ரசிகர்களில் நானும் ஒருவன். எனவே இன்னும் புதிதாக தெரிந்து கொள்ள இருக்கிறதா என்று 'சிலருக்கு எரிச்சலூட்டும்' இந்தத் திரிக்கு பல வருடங்களாக வருகிறேன்.
உங்களிடம் இருந்து இன்னும் செய்திகள் எதிர்பார்த்து தான் இன்றும் வந்தேன். ராஜா தான் என் வாழ்க்கையில் புதிய நண்பர்கள் பலரைத் தந்தார் என்பதால் ..எனக்கு இதுவும் ஒரு அனுபவம் தான்.

[irir123]

comeon guys - lets bring the focus back to music - but for music, none of would even be here in the first place!



'Thunder rolls' by country music artist Garth Brook - the opening (prelude ?) chords sound somewhat similar to the prelude of 'senthoorappoove' from' 16 vayathinile' - perhaps a good example of how IR has integrated western classical music chords system into tamil/indian folk and still make the WCM chords sound folkish and vice-versa! that i think is what we call the IR genre!

and also, in anticipation of NEPV, efforts are on to get as much exposure in the jazz/pop music world for the same - doing my best to get the groundwork/foundation laid - already the reviewers of IR's music in the jazz and film music sites here in the US have been alerted to NEPV having instrumental pieces (they made it very clear that they will not review albums that dont have soundtracks like they do here in Hollywood) - so fingers crossed!

a movie and music journal (specialising exclusively on how music is composed for moving images) has replied (so far) in the positive abt reviewing IR's works for HEY RAM, NAYAGAN, PAZHASSI RAAJA and NANDALALA - personally, am excited coz, this journal is not one of those read only by music faculty makkals - this journal is read by music faculty as well as regular composers in the classical mould and in the film industry! long for the day, when one Mr. John Williams will raise his eyebrows after reading abt IR's 'wagnerian' trumpet in HEY RAM!

[Sureshs65]

irir123,

Superb. This is what was required here. Something to do to promote Raja to a larger audience. I know your passion well and I am very certain that you will succeed. Needless to say, any help from my side, feel free to ask.

The reviews of the 'Solla Solla', 'Fire Star' and the Chitra album were also very nice. It is good that these people are looking at Raja's music as 'alternate music' and are able to decompose the music as per their taste and still like it, though Raja predominantly composed for a Tamil audience and their sensibilities. Thalaivar lateA vandhaalum, unga maadhiri aatkalaala latestA varuvaaru.

[irir123]

Sureshs65 - nandri hai!

aanaa, intha GVM yaen NEPV patthi onnumey sollaama ipdi imsai paduthaaraaru ??

if by any remote chance, if he ends up dropping this - some of us might become 'thuravis'! no response from SONY, or GVM on their respective tweets, no announcements either!

but he is promptly announcing new projects!!

as it is, NEPV's shoot was 50% plus done when he even approached IR, right ?? plus, does this film need SFX like Viswaroopam ?? why so much time for post-production ? and even then, why this delay and silence abt the audio release ?

[irir123]

anticipation buildup kooda, appappa yedhavadhu release panna vendaam (however annoying they might be) ?!

[jaiganes]

I agree with Venki to a certain extent. I find Rita to have done a very decent job of 'kaathiruppen'. (I don't know why Baradwaj Rangan didn't like the voice!!!) And the song in 'Mayilu' is quite well done by her. Her urban style does come through in the 'Mayilu' song, which probably Janaki would have nailed perfectly, but to be fair Rita isn't too bad. And isn't she the one who 'unnai patri sonnal'? Again a job well done. Ofcourse, if you are comparing with legends like PS, SJ or KSC, then they may not reach those standards. But if you remove the comparison from you mind, she has been a decent job. So let us give credit to that.

I have had my problems with Tippu's voice in many songs and also his singing style but what he did in 'SreeRamaRajyam' was amazing. 'kalaya nijama' is something no one can complain about. I mean, in an album dominated by SPB and Shreya, Tippu's song stands on its own equivalent to any other song and his singing cannot be faulted here. He does a good job in the 'Thandavakone' and the 'Ayyan' song as well. I somehow don't like much of the youth / kuthu songs he did but surprising like his sings in songs which are more emotional in nature. I know that Jai has likened him to a modern day Malaysia Vasudevan, if I am not mistaken.

For me Thippu sealed his place in Raja's studio with "idhu varai naan oru pazhaya manidhan" in konji pesalaam (anyone care to remember - including raaja's advisors on public speech and humility?) . true he has been given some pedestrian tunes and awkward situations by raaja - but that doesnt make him a bad singer. first of all ppl ought to come out of the "nostalgia" about chitra-spb-sj-mv-ps days. because raaja has moved on and many here need to move on - if it is to a different composer - it is OK - instead of "ennaathaa paadi ennaatha kaettu".