Music lovers of yore have made many a collection before. Of their favorite actors, music directors or films of a certain genre or age. As a film music lover, I have many including my favorite film songs, my favorite Kamal songs and even mix of hindi and tamil songs. But of all my collections the one that is ever so special to me is this one - Stunning Songs with Shocking Faces!
I present here this collection that I have painstakingly put together with a lot of thought and perspiration. Before you read on, thanks to youtube for making so life interesting that I can present this to you in the form of my words and the actual song, with full video (without which, this collection would really have no meaning). And most important of all - DISCLAIMER - I mean no disrespect to any of the human beings who featured as heros in these songs but honesty being a virtue I treat above all, these guys had no place in the movies.
Most of these are Ilayaraja songs, trust middle class Madras in the 1980s to provide this crazy conundrum. But even as you read through this, do spend time to listen to these GEMS. Believe me, each of these songs is one that I have listened to all day long on repeat mode. IMPORTANT: When you get to the links, right click on them and open them in a new window.
1. I really have to start with this one becuase not only was it featured in the movie I least expected it to be in, Anbulla Rajanikant, but when I saw this song for the first time, I was really - SHOCKED! And hence the title of this collection. A fine tune indeed, with a subtle rythm and sublime violin bits. Start your journey with Vintage Ilayaraja.
Then Poove Poove Vaa, Anbulla Rajanikant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOq_dcN8j6Q
2. We call these heros one-film wonders and I simply cannot understand how directors were able to cast such characters in their films. May be the title of the film justified such a selection, after all it was titled Kokkarakko ("that's not even a word", my son would say). The song however is another soft and fine melody. Notice how there is a certain pace to the song but that pace is generated not by solid drum beats but a super-speed tabla. Wow indeed! Enjoy another nice one.
Geetham Sangeetham, Kokkarakko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDTSRf_m1DU
3. Trust a director like Bharathiraja to try new things, new subjects and of course new faces. Rumour has it that he met this man in a shop in Madurai and decided to cast him in his next film. Honestly, this hero did not do badly either. He did go on to get some hits, though not as much as the heroine, who is sheer talent incarnate. The film, Mann Vasanai, was a super hit, a landmark film of sorts and the song is a real stunner indeed. Starting with a magnificient violin bit and going on to be one of the most soothing songs I have ever heard in the tamil language, the effect of this song is so calming on the mind. Pay attention to the ghamakas of SPB and Janaki towards the end of the charanams. This song is a classic.
Pothi Vecha Malligai Mottu, Mann Vasanai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Vko5DAOlE
4. This film rocked the music world - Kathal Oviyam. And it does even today in the homes of die-hard Ilayaraja fans from Chennai to California. It was a typical melodrama of the 1980s and had that Nenjai Kasakki Puzhiyum quality about it. Honestly the hero was not too bad in the context. A blind man in an obscure village deep-down south should expect to bear that quality but just given that cinema is all that glitters and is glossy, he did fall short. I did not know which song to present from this one because each song in this film is a beauty but I present here my favorite one which bears a quality that I simply love. Lazy, non-chalant but supremely elegant. Easily, Ilayaraja at his best...
Nadiyil Aadum Poovanam, Kadhal Oviyam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiuSzCwgrT4&feature=PlayList&p=5B4FD3D91C5ECF83&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=2
5. I don't know much about this film - Pagalil Oru Iravu. About the hero, the lesser said the better. But this song is MAGIC. It has a magnetic quality about it. The soft strains of melody seep into your system and move you from within. Listen to this song with eyes closed and the music plugged into your ears and you will know exactly what I am talking about. Wah, Raja!
Ilamaienum Poongatru, Pagalil Oru Iravu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD9a3qyWUBY
6. Another Ilayaraja, Bharathiraja combination. But this film, Mudhal Mariyadhai, also had the larger than life Sivaji Ganesan in the most understated role of his life, yet one his best performances ever. Every song from this movie was a stunner but to retain the soul of this collection, I have to chose the one with the sorry face in it. This song is a rustic charmer and has in it the raw power of love, that can surely tear you heart out. So much power in fact that I have been sitting here at the Philadelphia airport, listening to this song over and over again for the last 3 hours. So much power indeed, that I did not even realise that I actually missed my flight which was due to leave at 705 PM, thinking it was late and had not arrived yet. Experience this power for yourself, even as I rebook myself on the 910 PM US Airways Express to Rochester, New York ...
Andha Nilavathaan, Mudhal Mariyadhai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Qv8-wRmEI
7. There has to be an exception for everything so I present here the only non-Ilayaraja song. Though not from my favorite composer, this one is sung by my favorite tamil film singer of current times - Karthik. The film is called Anbu and the first time I heard this song, I flipped. It is a sharp contrast to the other songs I have presented here, with a nice pace, music heavily orchestrated with modern instruments and a element of sheer cheer. But the problem is, I heard this song first (may be I did not know about youtube at that time). And then one fateful day, I saw this song. For the first and last time. This song is a double-whammy, both the hero and the heroine are horrendous. My sincere suggestion is to just listen to this song on Raaga.com or someplace but for the brave of heart who insist, here is the link. Please, at least close your eyes and let your ears be treated. Karthik rocks!
Aval Yaar Aval, Anbu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXw3QAdI3XY
It is 845 PM and my flight should be leaving here in another 25 minutes so I will go now and let you go too. I hope I inspired you to make some strange collections like this one and at the same time, I hope you enjoyed the songs I love and cherish so much.
If you have similar songs that you think you can add to this collection, please comment on this piece or email me at lakshminarayan.balasubramaniam@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Tamil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tamil. Show all posts
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Apple and The White Fence!
How many of you parents remember the story of Tom Sawyer? It is one story I read in my childhood that never left my mind. And it is also one of the very first stories that I told my child.
I don't even remember how old he was but one night he came to me and said, "Tell me a Story". My first reaction to this was, "Wait Kanna, Amma will come and tell you a story". I was tired and it had been my wife's job to do all the reading and storytelling. But tonight was a different story and tired as I might I have been, my little fellow was determined it had to be me doing the storytelling.
I did not have to think much because Tom Sawyer was kinda my HERO from my childhood days so that's obviously the first name that came to mind. And so, sleepy me started off on this journey with Tom Sawyer and how he was a naughty and lazy fellow. I slowly went on to how he was so naughty that his mom gave him a punishment on a fine saturday morning and asked him to paint the fence white.
Very soon I was into how his friends came along and how Tom tricked his friends into painting the fence for him while they still ended up parting with all the wonderful things that they brought along. OK, timeout, I know all of you parents have already read Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer, so what's this all about? Is this some kind of trick?
No, not really. But the twist in the tale is that I was telling this kadhai in tamil. Picture this. "Indha Tom irundhaan illai Tomu?". And so on. At some point, the only things I remembered the friends had to trade were the apple and the marbles, but I kind of let my imagination run wild and started saying balloon and chocolate and anything else that came to my mind. More so, I started adding things that my son liked like toy trains.
I had gone through a whole bunch of stuff and my exhaustion wasn't getting any better. The time had come for this story to end but my son was so excited about this story that he wanted more and he wasn't feeling a bit sleepy himself. I was soon running out of things that Tom Sawyer's friends brought him that day and at some point, I paused to think of what else I could say and that's all I knew.
The next thing I knew was I woke up the next morning to see my son and wife, happily asleep next to me. No, this is not tamil cinema style and it was not a dream. I thought about the previous night and how I weaved this Tom Sawyerin Attagasangal to my son and it put a smile on my face. Sure enough, I had a great day.
If anyone of you reading this has not read Tom Sawyer, it's still not too late. It's a great read. And for those of who you know the story, try telling it to your child in your mother tongue. I am sure you will enjoy the experience as much as your child does.
Happy Storytelling!
I don't even remember how old he was but one night he came to me and said, "Tell me a Story". My first reaction to this was, "Wait Kanna, Amma will come and tell you a story". I was tired and it had been my wife's job to do all the reading and storytelling. But tonight was a different story and tired as I might I have been, my little fellow was determined it had to be me doing the storytelling.
I did not have to think much because Tom Sawyer was kinda my HERO from my childhood days so that's obviously the first name that came to mind. And so, sleepy me started off on this journey with Tom Sawyer and how he was a naughty and lazy fellow. I slowly went on to how he was so naughty that his mom gave him a punishment on a fine saturday morning and asked him to paint the fence white.
Very soon I was into how his friends came along and how Tom tricked his friends into painting the fence for him while they still ended up parting with all the wonderful things that they brought along. OK, timeout, I know all of you parents have already read Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer, so what's this all about? Is this some kind of trick?
No, not really. But the twist in the tale is that I was telling this kadhai in tamil. Picture this. "Indha Tom irundhaan illai Tomu?". And so on. At some point, the only things I remembered the friends had to trade were the apple and the marbles, but I kind of let my imagination run wild and started saying balloon and chocolate and anything else that came to my mind. More so, I started adding things that my son liked like toy trains.
I had gone through a whole bunch of stuff and my exhaustion wasn't getting any better. The time had come for this story to end but my son was so excited about this story that he wanted more and he wasn't feeling a bit sleepy himself. I was soon running out of things that Tom Sawyer's friends brought him that day and at some point, I paused to think of what else I could say and that's all I knew.
The next thing I knew was I woke up the next morning to see my son and wife, happily asleep next to me. No, this is not tamil cinema style and it was not a dream. I thought about the previous night and how I weaved this Tom Sawyerin Attagasangal to my son and it put a smile on my face. Sure enough, I had a great day.
If anyone of you reading this has not read Tom Sawyer, it's still not too late. It's a great read. And for those of who you know the story, try telling it to your child in your mother tongue. I am sure you will enjoy the experience as much as your child does.
Happy Storytelling!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Chumma, Just Like That
If you speak the language that is native to the South Indian state of Tamilnadu, you know what I am talking about (correcta?) Back home, we call this Tongue-lish (it must have been Tam-glish, illai?)
Incidentally, the Tonge-lish language has a lot of oxymorons (just like this title maadhiri). It starts with the funny professor who says, "Yen Pa, Why"? And goes on to the rickshawala who asks you to sit in the Nadoo center, just so he can maintain a balance. There are lot more such oxymorons. But aana, I am not able to remember them right now. Seri OK, let us come to the point.
There are these people who say, "Chumma, Just Like That". They will call you at your home and if you ask them what the matter is, they will say, "Nothing. I called Chumma, Just Like That". There are children who will doodle on pristine white walls with their jumbo crayons and when you ask them why they did it, will innocently say, "Chumma, Just Like That".
There are people who go for a walk Chumma, Just Like That. And then there is the proverbial wife who returns from an entire day of shopping with the most meaningless stuff spilling out of her bags and when you ask her why she bought all that stuff, she will say, "Chumma, Just Like That". Your blood pressure will rise Chumma, Just Like That!!!
The problem is one can't take all this Chumma, Just Like That. Becuase the caller who calls Chumma, Just Like That will invariably call on a Sunday afternoon when you are trying to get that much desired cat nap. The landlord of your rented house will not spare you Chumma, Just Like That when he comes in for his quarterly inspection. When you finally vacate the house because you are moving into your own new flat, you will find that the house advance you paid him would have reduced by half Chumma, Just Like that.
The one who took a walk Chumma, Just Like That would be the one person you dint want to run into and good luck if you resent your wife's purchase sense, she will return to the same set of shops the next day and will exchange everything she bought for something more expensive. It will only want to make you say, "Aiyo. Not Like That".
To those of you who managed to stay with me until this, I want to say, "Romba Thanks", becuase when I started writing this article, I did not even believe i could write this far, forget it getting published or you clicking on this.
In fact, I wrote it Chumma, Just Like That.
P.S. This is an original post published on msn.co.in on May 29, 2008
Incidentally, the Tonge-lish language has a lot of oxymorons (just like this title maadhiri). It starts with the funny professor who says, "Yen Pa, Why"? And goes on to the rickshawala who asks you to sit in the Nadoo center, just so he can maintain a balance. There are lot more such oxymorons. But aana, I am not able to remember them right now. Seri OK, let us come to the point.
There are these people who say, "Chumma, Just Like That". They will call you at your home and if you ask them what the matter is, they will say, "Nothing. I called Chumma, Just Like That". There are children who will doodle on pristine white walls with their jumbo crayons and when you ask them why they did it, will innocently say, "Chumma, Just Like That".
There are people who go for a walk Chumma, Just Like That. And then there is the proverbial wife who returns from an entire day of shopping with the most meaningless stuff spilling out of her bags and when you ask her why she bought all that stuff, she will say, "Chumma, Just Like That". Your blood pressure will rise Chumma, Just Like That!!!
The problem is one can't take all this Chumma, Just Like That. Becuase the caller who calls Chumma, Just Like That will invariably call on a Sunday afternoon when you are trying to get that much desired cat nap. The landlord of your rented house will not spare you Chumma, Just Like That when he comes in for his quarterly inspection. When you finally vacate the house because you are moving into your own new flat, you will find that the house advance you paid him would have reduced by half Chumma, Just Like that.
The one who took a walk Chumma, Just Like That would be the one person you dint want to run into and good luck if you resent your wife's purchase sense, she will return to the same set of shops the next day and will exchange everything she bought for something more expensive. It will only want to make you say, "Aiyo. Not Like That".
To those of you who managed to stay with me until this, I want to say, "Romba Thanks", becuase when I started writing this article, I did not even believe i could write this far, forget it getting published or you clicking on this.
In fact, I wrote it Chumma, Just Like That.
P.S. This is an original post published on msn.co.in on May 29, 2008
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