Musical musings ...

Innum Konjam Neram

2019-09-18T23:26:00.001-04:00

Song: Innum Konjam Neram
Movie Name : Mariyan

Singers : Vijay Prakash & Shweta Mohan
Music Director : A R Rahman

My all time favorite song of Rahman is "Kannalane" from Bombay. This song would definitely be number 2 on my ARR favorite songs list. If there is a way to convert honey in to music, this is how it would probably sound. This has been my earworm many times but most recently due to watching C/O Kancharapalem movie which had BGM that reminded me of this song. Kudos to both singers although I am likely more partial to Vijay Prakash especially in this version sung at the concert (watch at link below). My favorite portion of the song is

Ithuvariakkum thaniyaaha en manasa

Alayavitta alayavitta..... alayavitaaye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BMHwbCrcbA

Ishtam, Manasulo

2018-03-12T16:34:00.001-04:00

Song: Ishtam, Manasulo
Movie Name : Good Bad Ugly

Singers : Harshavardhan, Harini
Music Director : Harshavardhan

Anything that reminds me of the bygone Vamsy-IR timeline is sure to find a spot on this blog. The songs are very delightful and composed/arranged rather well! They are definitely intentionally scored keeping 90s in mind and specifically having Vamsy's old songs as inspiration. If nothing, it made me recollect a dozen or so Vamsy's songs and just for that I love these two songs. The rhythm and synth arrangement in "Manasulo" especially in the first prelude are surely a hat-tip to Vamsy. Harshavardhan did a great job for most part singing, but it would have made the nostalgia trip that much more complete with SPB's vocals.

My favorite parts of the songs are

"Panikiraani veduru nenu murali laaga palikinaavn" in Ishtam

"Paridhi lenu premalo muligi telanaa.." in Manasulo

Sairat Zala Ji

2017-06-12T13:48:00.001-04:00

Song: Sairat Zala Ji
Movie Name : Sairat

Singers : Ajay Gogavale, Chinmayi Sripada
Music Director : Ajay-Atul

Once again, an album that I loved completely. I caught this movie on Netflix recently and got hooked on to the songs instantly due to great music and also good visuals that went with it. I was surprised at how a song that felt so "Tamil" in its structure seemed to fit well in this movie. There are so many instants where the music builds to a crescendo and this pattern repeats in the vocals where female vocals build up to a wonderful crescendo for the male vocals both in charanam and pallavi. It almost seems like the rhythm of the second interlude was meant for a scene involving a school drill practice which I found interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ-P5RR7r40

Meghale Tele Naalona

2017-06-09T10:28:00.001-04:00

Song: Meghale Tele Naalona
Movie Name : Fashion Designer S/O Ladies Tailor

Singers : Sai Charan, Sahiti Chaganti
Music Director : Mani Sharma

I cant recommend this album enough to all my fellow Vamsy music lovers. What I like the most about this album is that it is as much Vamsy as it is Mani Sharma. Coming to this particular song, my interest piqued as soon as I heard the sound of the telephone ring at the beginning of this song. The quirkiness in this song along with its melody make this my favorite songs in Vamsy's movies in the recent past. My favorite portions of this song are too many - the use of the telephone ring (in a couple of places), use of "ilaa maya chesi pothaava devudooo devudaa" as interlude, "parugulni aapi kaalame, kaburulni manatho cheppene" in the charanam to list a few.

Also, an acknowledgement to the awesome "Poochina Taaralu Poovulu gaa" song from Joker! Damn, that was a fine song!

Just for the music, I hope Mani Sharma and Vamsy collaborate again.

Inthalo

2015-11-20T13:55:00.001-05:00

Song: Inthalo Enni Enni Vinthalo
Movie Name : Karthikeya

Singers : Haricharan, Chinmayi Sripada
Music Director : Shekhar Chandra

I have been waking up to this song for the last couple of weeks or so. I keep singing this song on my roads and probably have been driving my wife nuts. As I was seeing this movie, this song hit me out of the blue and I couldn't wait for the movie to finish to listen to it again. The version sung by Chinmayi is more nuanced and I liked it more. Its refreshing when the current crop of MDs continue to pay attention to the charanam in addition to the pallavi. This song is sweet all the way through. The line "Alavaatulo porapaatlu ennenno" and its picturization will stay with me for a while. This song is so good that I have my next favorite from Illayaraja lined up in "Kanulu Kalanu Piliche" but I don't want to get over this song yet!

Listen to this song here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZy8um0iY9s

Jagada Jagada Jagadam

2014-12-15T15:13:00.001-05:00

Song: Jagada Jadada Jagadam
Movie Name : Geethanjali

Singers : SP Balasubramaniam
Music Director : Illayaraja

In the recent week or so, I have convinced myself that this is one of SPB's greatest vocal performances ever! This song has long stretches requiring him to hold his breath, requires powerful enunciation of lyrics to show raw emotion/power, and then has high pitched singing.

Add to this, the fact that it was and still is an incredible adrenaline pumping song. The lyrics are energetic, inspiring and quite a mouthful! Yet, the tune is soulful, just like a rock song should be!

Raasave Unnai Nambi

2014-06-25T16:42:00.001-04:00

Song: Raasave Unnai Nambi
Movie Name : Muthal Mariyathai

Singers : S Janaki
Music Director : Illayaraja

As with every Illayaraja song that I have written about, I went through a phase of liking this song followed by just falling in love with it after some time! I think its because the first thing that I noticed in this song is the tune and the singing but eventually I pay attention to the orchestrization and the interludes which blows me away!

Janaki has an extraordinary talent to convey the emotion in the song through her voice. There are places where she is sad, afraid, happy and sometimes proud in this song. She displays all these emotions at different points in the song in a manner that perhaps no other singer can!

A word of mention for the lyricist Vairamuthu who won his first National Award for this movie. The ability to piece together a song with all of the variations in emotion is a tough ask. The lyrics are simple enough, for me to understand (even though its not my native language) but still convey so much emotion without being repetitive or generic.

And finally the best for the last - Illayaraja. Sometime, I listen to the interludes of a song and wonder why Raja wasted an awesome tune on the interludes. And why he chose that variation (sometimes even deviating from the main raga of the song) to get to the interlude. There is a simplicity to the interludes in this song, but not without Raja's magical touch. The interludes alone make your mind wander through a range of emotions. Again, how is it possible to do this within one song ? My other favorite portion in this song is the end of the charanam. It ends with a small gamakam which I absolutely love.

Ada manthayila ninnaalum nee veera paandi theru

That was in fact the first reason I liked this song and now it has become an earworm!

Current Earworms

2014-05-14T12:33:00.001-04:00

Song: Em Sandeham Ledu, Emiti Hadavidi

Movie Name : Oohalu Gusagusalade
Singers : Kalyani Malik, Sunitha & Deepu, Shravani
Music Director : Kalyani Malik

Kalyani returns with his style of music - very lightly instrumented focusing on lyrics while keeping melody intact. Bonus points for Shravani on Emiti Hadavidi for singing in a very casual way which is very catchy.

Song: Kandangi

Movie Name : Jilla
Singers : Vijay, Shreya Ghoshal
Music Director : D Imman

Discovery solely due to waking up in middle of nights for Dhanush and listening to songs on TV. Specifically stuck in my head after Uma made me listen to this song and watch the visuals. Whats not to like about this song ? My favorite part is

Chinna Chinna poiyyum pesara

Jillunu thaan soodum yethura..

Absolutely delightful.

Song: Boochade

Movie Name : Race Gurram
Singers : Shreya Ghoshal, Rahul Nambiar, Naveen
Music Director : Thaman SS

Instant favorite for Arjun too who perhaps listened it two times on two different days before starting to sing along and requesting me to play the "Boomchade song"

Vinmeen

2014-04-14T15:14:00.001-04:00

Song: Vinmeen

Movie Name : Thegidi
Singers : Abhay Jodhpurkar, Saindhavi Prakash
Music Director : Nivas Prasanna

This is another instantly likeable song which has a simple orchestrization, tune and rhythm backed by good singing from Abhay and Saindhavi. My favorite portion is the second stanza. The background chords and percussion seem to be a little more pronounced in the second stanza which adds to a wonderful effect. I am not sure quite why, but this song has been stuck in my head for the last couple of weeks.

Vijana Surabhi

2014-03-19T14:35:00.001-04:00

Song: Vijana Surabhi

Movie Name : Bachelor Party
Singers : Ramya Nambeesan
Music Director : Rahul Raj

I have a soft corner for multi-talented people (actors who can sing, singers who can act, music composers who can sing/play instruments etc). I feel that they enjoy different things and are not forcing their way through one single profession. Ramya Nambeesan does a very good job in keeping with the mystery in the tune for this song. The choice of raagam (is it Panthuvarali ?) is what sets the tone for this song and makes it instantly likeable. Even before we get to the song, there is the bass guitar in the beginning which appealed to me. Overall, a very haunting piece and a true earworm!

http://gaana.com/song/vijanasurabhi

Kalaya Nijama

2014-02-28T12:10:00.001-05:00

Song: Kalaya Nijama

Movie Name : Coolie No 1
Singers : Illayaraja, Suseela
Music Director : Illayaraja

About 8 seconds in to this song, Illayaraja creates a beautiful arrangement of strings, vocals and bass guitar that I find hard to describe. A reason why I am writing about these songs that are "old" is because of new technology and how it enables me to listen to songs in a different way. Back when cassette tapes and mediocre quality sound equipment in theaters were all we had, this song was a good but largely generic number for me. Today, when I listen to a good quality recording, the song has a completely different effect when other instruments jump out at me.

Bear with me on this long post. Take the prelude as an example. About 8 seconds in to the song, when I originally heard the song, all I could hear was the humming by female singers and the occasional violins. Now, when I listen to this song, the occasional violins are not occasional but are present all through that interlude. Same goes with the vocals, and did I mention the bass guitar ? The point is that you pick any one of these pieces and follow them through the interlude and you will find that they are amazing, they have a simple tune of their own. Forget the original picturization for a minute. What an awesome composition! And then I wonder about Illayaraja. Why the bass guitar ? Wouldnt it have been lost on 95% of people hearing the music back then on the sub par playback systems ? Forget them, how many people on the movie crew got it ? Then why does he add it ? The answer perhaps lies in the way he composes music - it is not through improvisation or incremental addition. It is composed as a whole. Imagine being in the head of Illayaraja and listening to these three pieces playing in synch in your head and writing down the notes to each one separately. For a person like me, THAT is unbelievable!

After listening to this song over and over again, I thought if I was being unfair to other composers. Did other composers also face a similar issue (of being handicapped with subpar playback equipment) ? I skipped to next random song in my playlist "Churake dil tera" from Main Khiladi Tu Anari by Anu Mallik - an awesome song that I will probably write about some day. I strained to listen to any other instruments that I didnt pick up earlier. There were none. The song was exactly as I remember it and I had picked up every instrument back then when I heard it. I was a little disappointed although happy at having listened to one of my childhood favorite songs.(I hope no one is crying foul at the unfair comparison. Firstly the next song was random, and secondly the movies themselves were probably equivalent in content)

Is this why they call Illayaraja ahead of his times ? He has pieces in his song that were not just for the average listener. There were hidden gems which I (and people like me) could not even pick apart till 20 years later. That, to me is dedication. He composed music as he saw it fit and didnt dumb it down because a movie named Coolie number 1 did not need sophistication. If you havent already, get your self some good headphones, get a good quality version of this song, and go discover Illayaraja. All over again!

Thendral Vanthu

2014-01-22T17:10:00.001-05:00

Song: Thendral Vanthu

Movie Name : Avatharam
Singers : Illayaraja
Music Director : Illayaraja

Why revisit this song after I have heard it so many times ? Because of this video of Nasser talking about this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJdb0j54RzU). When I heard this song after looking at this video, I heard an instrument in this song that I had never ever noticed before. About 20 seconds in to the song, still at the prelude, The chorus of female singers subsides but for a faint presence in the background. As Illayaraja starts humming the main tune, a violin joins in. Where did this violin come from ? I had not heard that before. I always feel that Illayaraja cheats me. He has an easter egg planted in songs that reveals itself after subsequent listenings.

If you cant view the video, here is the summary. Nasser ventured in to direction with Avatharam movie. (He was 37 years old at that time and Illayaraja was 52 yrs old and well established by then - not mentioned in the video). Nasser mentions that he finished the movie before Illayaraja did any work on this movie. He showed the movie to Illayaraja who was impressed and was willing to work on it even before talking to the producers about remuneration. After watching rushes of the movie, Illayaraja asked Nasser to come to his recording studio. Illayaraja was prepared with the right situations for songs even before Nasser mentioned anything, just based on one viewing.

While Nasser waited patiently, Illayaraja scribbled notes (which Nasser later learnt were the notes for the song - Thendral Vanthu). When Illayaraja first mentioned the tune to Nasser, he was disappointed. He mentions in the video that he realized at that point how ignorant he was. He couldnt say whether he liked the music or not, because he had no reasons for either. He mentioned to Illayaraja that the movie is at a fast pace at this point and he would hence like the tempo to be picked up. Nasser also humbly mentions that he realizes he is out of depth while saying this. Illayaraja asked him to return later in the evening. When Nasser returned, he felt like he entered a lavish wedding. Seeing the orchestra made him feel that he was getting his money's worth. Again, Nasser alludes to the fact that he had no depth in music. He did not know what to ask of Illayaraja, and what he should expect. When Illayaraja played the interlude for him, Nasser mentions that he cried. He was amazed at how Illayaraja could create a composition this intricate at such a speed, scribbling notes on paper at a feverish pace.

You can imagine what Nasser would have experienced, if you see this clever edit of this video --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoVhrKGjKT4&t=10m12s (credit to original uploader satz satish).

Baahubali - Devasena introduction trailer

2013-11-20T11:26:00.001-05:00

Song: Baahubali - Devasena introduction trailer
Movie Name : Baahubali

Singers : Chorus

Music Director : M M Keeravani

It is not often that the background music in a trailer catches your attention. Keeravani is perhaps one of the best, when it comes to re-recording and background music. The music in this trailer, which I have been listening to repeatedly is one that conveys courage and grandiose with just a tinge of sadness at the same time. It is hard to review instrumental pieces without appearing to be too carried away. Without any lyrics, the onus is purely on the instruments and vocals to convey emotion. Keeravani uses horns for the introduction, drums to build the energy, while using vocals to convey emotions. What a fantastic piece! The trailer just has two shots of Anushka from the movie, the music synchronizes perfectly to build momentum before her final look is revealed.

Your move Illayaraja. I can only wonder what he will deliver for Rudramadevi movie that has the same Anushka in a title role.

Special Mentions: Can't help thinking about "Sri Rama lera" from SriRamarajyam and "Ruth aa gayi re" from 1947 Earth after listening to this music.

Link to trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_DZe2ZrrcY

Zariya

2013-08-28T14:07:00.001-04:00

Song: Zariya
Movie Name : Coke Studio India Season 3 - Episode 1
Singers : Farah Siraj, Ani Choying Drolma

Music Director : A R Rahman

If you have not heard about Coke Studio yet, then please do yourself a BIG favour and check out the channel on youtube. Zariya is a fantastic song that embodies what Rahman has mastered in the recent years - collaboration with artists and bringing world music to India. The combination of Jordanian singing and Buddhist chants seems like an odd choice at the beginning, but give it a listen and tell me if you haven't come out of this experience with a different opinion. In addition to being a great listen, the song is also a powerhouse of talent. Apart from the obvious stardom of Rahman and Sivamani on drums, you have the phenomenal Mohini Dey on bass guitar (with a small solo in between), two incredible lead singers and an enthusiastic and talented group of chorus singers. The song also has a pretty good video of the recording that captures the infectious energy of the group

Listen on saavn.com

http://www.saavn.com/s/#!/p/song/hindi/Coke_Studio_@_MTV_Season_3:_Episode_1/Zariya/QBxadgJicHE

Violin Song

2013-07-24T13:38:00.001-04:00

Song: Violin Song
Movie Name : Iddaramayilatho
Singers : David Simon, Anitha
Music Director : Devisri Prasad

Perhaps the biggest drawback of this song, is the expectactions that come with naming a song as "Violin Song". Once you get past that, this is an exciting number that belongs largely to the fusion category. Devi excels at adding melody to fast paced numbers, and this plays to his strengths when Anitha joins the vocals in that low-pitch voice with intriguing lyrics. David Simon (who is this guy ??!) suits this song very well and is an example of the attitude that is important when a song is sung (along with the ability to maintain a pitch and rhythm).

Ankahee

2013-06-06T13:53:00.001-04:00

Song: Ankahee

Movie Name : Lootera
Singers : Amitabh Bhattacharya

Music Director : Amit Trivedi

"Kya kabhi savera

Laata hai andhera ?

Sookhi siyahi
Deti hai gawaahi"

The fact that this song stood out against the backdrop of two new released from Rahman (Mariyan and Raanjhnaa) in the recent past, should hopefully give you enough curiousity to listen to this song at least a couple of times. Lyricist and singer Amitabh Bhattacharya sings this melodious song against the canvas of canvas of familiar instruments. The song is slow without being cloying, breezy without being shallow, deep without being overbearing. Its a fine delicate balance, and it helps that the minimal orchestrization makes it sound like someone singing at a light music competition with a guitar in hand. Enough words, go listen to it!

Sri Rama lera

2013-04-11T14:58:00.001-04:00

Song: Sri Rama lera

Movie Name : SriRama Rajyam
Singers : Shreya Ghoshal, Ramu
Music Director : Ilayaraja

Happy to back with another Ilayaraja song. This song was my second favorite of this album (after Jagadanandakaraka) initially. But the wonderful rhythm, that second interlude and the feeling of emptiness in this song made me love this song! The song made a deeper impact when I saw this movie and the way the song made its way organically in to a scene. As I wish for Ilayaraja to retire with grace, its movies like this that I wish to see more of.

Now excuse me while I go sing Anthi Mazhai

2013-02-12T13:07:00.001-05:00

Song: Naa pedavilo
Movie Name : Moksha
Singers : Geetha Madhuri
Music Director : Vijay Kurakula

After teasing with those small music samples in A Film by Aravind, and Nanadanavanam 120 kms (followed by a string of medicore compositions in a few movies), I have been waiting for Vijay Kurakula's next "good" composition. Moksha is a very good album and it looks like Vijay's forte lies in this horror/thriller genre. This song is my favorite in this album, sung beautifully by Geetha Madhuri. Vijay shows a lot of promise in this album and it seems like the right director can extract wonderful and different music from him. Here's hoping we will see more of him.

Listen to a sample of Naa Pedavilo at 7digital's website

http://www.7digital.com/shop/34/release/1444661/item/15938401/play

Recent favorites

2013-01-07T14:24:00.001-05:00

Song: Meghallo
Movie Name : SVSC
Singers : Sri Ramachandra, Karthik
Music Director : Mickey J Meyer

All the songs in this movie are good, and pretty "safe" numbers. This song in particular is the pairing of two good singers, and has a bit of Meyer's style and a conventional marriage song. I like it for the festive sound

Song: Nenjukulle
Movie Name : Kadal
Singers : Shaktisree Gopalan
Music Director : A R Rehman

Whether its due to its early release, or due to its own strength, this is the standout song from Kadal. the Mani Ratnam-Rehman combination is going to raise expectations, and this album delivers for most part. The singer is a good find.

Song: Aaha Kadhal
Movie Name : Moondru Per Moondru Kadhal
Singers : Nandini Erikar
Music Director : Yuvan Shankar Raja

Yuvan stops sounding like Yuvan in this song, and delivers a completely unpredicted song. The singer is another fabulous find, the song is extremely catchy from the first listen. For those looking for the Yuvan strokes, wait for the interludes. Wow!

Song: Reppalapai
Movie Name : Dhamarukam
Singers : Hariharan, Chitra
Music Director : Devisri Prasad

One of the few recent tracks of DSP that stood out for me. I think the innovative use of Dhamarukam beat in the charanam was what did it for me.

Song: Mella Pookkudhe
Movie Name : Puthagam
Singers : Belle Raj, Deepa Miriam
Music Director : James Vasanth

We have been waiting for yet another combination of James Vasanth, Deepa Miriam and Belle Raj since "Kangal Irandal". Nothing will ever beat that classic, but this is a really good song.

A Lady and the Violin

2013-01-04T11:23:00.001-05:00

Song: Ayyayayoo Aananthamey/A Lady and the Violin
Movie Name : Kumki
Singers : Haricharan/Aditi Paul
Music Director : D Imman

The best find of my trip to India. I heard this song during a taxi ride in Chennai and was instantly hooked to this song, especially after I heard the line "Nooru kodi vanavail maari maari seruthe" ! The base tune in this song is so good that I remembered it after just one listen. Today when I listen to it again, I have goosebumps. The male and female versions have their own charm. The male version has a more intriguing feel due to the percussion sounds, but the song undoubtedly belongs to Haricharan and his golden voice! D Imman reserves some of the best parts for the charanams where this song moves from a good song to a great song!

Karigipoyaano

2012-12-03T15:40:00.001-05:00

withwithSong: Karigipoyaanu
Movie Name : Marana Mrudangam
Singers : SPB, Susheela
Music Director : Illayaraja
I heard this song after a lot of time and got goosebumps immediately. What a fantastic composition! I think right from the prelude, as soon as the flute bit ends leading to the synth intro, the song mesmerizes me. If that wasnt enough, wait till the end of the first line "Karigipoyaanu karpoora veena laa.." which is followed again by the synth notes that add the mysterious touch to the song. the king of melody that he is, Illayaraja follows this theme beautifully in to the charanams with captivating interludes. If I had one complaint about this song, it would be that SPB's parts in this song seem a little low-pitched, but with Susheela's voice and talent, this is an unforgettable number!

Vaanam Mella

2012-09-07T16:09:00.001-04:00

Song: Vaanam Mella
Movie Name : Neethane En Ponvasantham
Singers : Illayaraja, Bala Shende
Music Director : Illayaraja
It is a happy coincidence that my return to this blog is with another song from Illayaraja sung by Illayaraja. Vaanam Mella brings back such pleasant memories of "Thendral Vanthu" from Avatharam. I am mostly glad that Illayaraja chose to do one more song in this genre (if I might call it a genre). This was the instantly like-able number for me in this movie and it looks like Illayaraja's voice is growing on me in the recent past. It seems like he is at ease singing this song yet hitting all the right nuances that make this song enjoyable. I am sure I will get over this song after a few listens to this album (and pick up another song from the movie), but right now this is the moment to enjoy Raaja's return to mainstream cinema.

Thaavi thaavi

2012-02-01T21:40:00.001-05:00

Song: Thaavi thaavi
Movie Name : Dhoni
Singers : Illayaraja
Music Director : Illayaraja

This song is yet another brilliant addition to the list of Illayaraja's brilliant compositions. What is special about this song for me, is the added value that Illayaraja's vocals bring to this song. There is a lot of simplicity in Illayaraja's voice but at the same time his voice adds a lot of nuances to this song, which might have otherwise been lost. My favorite part of this song is the end of each charanam, where Illayaraja adds his trademark magical touch and restates that he is still the master of the game!

Kannazhaga

2012-01-21T12:03:00.001-05:00

Song: Kannazhaga
Movie Name : Moonu
Singers : Dhanush, Shruti Hassan
Music Director : Anirudh

Right from the beginning as Shruti Hassan transitions from

kannazhaga..kaalazhaga. pon azhaga..pen aazhaga

engeyo thedi sellum viral azhaga, you know that this song is something special.

Anirudh proves that he is not a one-song wonder in this album with some soulful music. Kannazhaga belongs to Shruti Hassan and the dreamy music arrangements. Even with the sad overtones and Dhanush's vocals, this song manages to make a clear impact.

Bhare Naina

2011-10-05T11:28:00.001-04:00

Song: Bhare Naina
Movie Name : Ra.One
Singers : Nandini Shrikar, Vishal and Shekhar
Music Director : Vishal and Shekhar

After the dust settled down on "Chammak Challo" and "Criminal" from Ra.One, this is the song that made me sit up and take notice. Vishal and Shekhar have had a good run in the recent years and they made use of a good opportunity with Ra.One. "Bhare Naina" is exactly the kind of innovative music that you can get excited about. A delicate balance of classical singing against a rock background, this fusion works due to Nandini's voice and Vishal-Shekhar's excellent instrumentation.