Sunday, April 16, 2006

13. Dr. Rajkumar & Ilaiyaraaja combination

I want to make this week a Dr. Rajkumar special, with the passing of a Legend of the Indian cinema. Maestro was very close with him, as a budding music director, when working as assistant under GK Venkatesh (GKV was a famous Kannada MD and the MD for many of Rajkumar movies). They had a so close relationship that when Rajkumar was kidnapped by Veerappan, Ilaiyaraaja had been mentioned in the press as stating that he is willing to even sacrifice his life for getting him back from Veerappan.

Following details are found in Maestro’s interview to Kalyan (Kannada film lyricist).

“GKV has scored music for Sampathige Savaal. Ilaiyaraaja was his assistant. PB Srinivas was supposed to have sung for Dr Rajkumar in that movie. But GKV’s assistant didn’t prefer the song ‘yare koogadale, oore horadali’ to be sung by PB Srinivas. He had told his guru GKV about this. Then they both discussed and decided that it should be sung by Dr Rajkumar only. That laid the base for Dr Rajkumar to become one of the best playback singers in Kannada field. Are you surprised that the credit for this should go to Ilaiyaraaja? But then, that is history.

Once a song was to be sung by PB Srinivas. That film was Sampathige Savaal. I told GKV ‘anna, this song would be very soft if sung by PB Srinivas. It would be nice to have this in a bold and bright voice.’

He asked who can sing it then. ‘Shall we ask Muthuraj to sing?’ I asked. Muthuraj means Dr Rajkumar sir. I asked GKV if he could sing. ‘hey, he has worked in the drama company, he can sing excellently even without a mike. He is the best choice, let us have this sung by him.’ I was very happy. He asked ‘but why PB Srinivas should not sing this?’ I said PB Srinivas is singing all the songs in the movie. I feel this song will come out nice if sung by PB Srinivas.

He said ‘if Muthuraj said ok, I don’t have any objection.’ Next scene, Dr Rajkumar has come to the recording theatre. As per situation, I had to teach him the song. GKV used to forget the tune often. I used to remind him ‘anna, this is not like this, like that’ etc. He said ‘then you yourself shall tech this song to Dr Rajkumar.’ He was a senior artist. I was a small boy. He just looked at me, I couldn’t go a step near him. He was a great soul and had a charisma. With mutual rapport between us, the recording went on well. ‘yare koogadale, oore horadali, ninna nimmadhige bhanga illa’ – this song was picturised on Dr Rajkumar, sitting on a buffalo and singing. You all know how well it clicked. It started the practice of his singing in his films. There is another evergreen song in my heart ‘thamma manuvu indhu nandhayithu’.”

Today, I am presenting three songs from Nee Nanna Gellalaare.

Anuraga Enaaythu:

This is a pathos-mixed romance song. Dr. Rajkumar has a very unique voice, well utilized by Maestro.


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Jeeva Hoovagide:

A beautiful duet with a nice female chorus. The prelude humming reminds me of Engengo sellum song from Pattakathi Bhairavan.


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Music Magazine has analysed this song very well here.
http://www.themusicmagazine.com/drrajlegends.html

Rajkumar has been the leading hero in Kannada cinema for five decades, but he emerged as a singer only mid-way in his career, when he sang the energetic and wildly popular Yaare koogadali in the 1974 film Sampatthige Sawal. Legends presents this song in Volume 1.

Ilaiyaraja made the music for one Rajkumar film, Nee Nanna Gellalaare, and Legends features two songs from it -- Anuraga enaaythu and Jeeva hoovayithu. Both are notable for their unorthodox tunes and interludes. In the second song, Ilaiyaraja gets Rajkumar to sing on parallel tracks and achieves a warm, fugue-like effect, with the voices beginning at unexpected points and overlapping one another like waves.

Nanna Neenu Gellalare:

The situation here is a song competition between hero and heroine. Maestro has used Shrutibhedam concept, with various ragas.


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This excerpt is from an article by Chaya Rao in www.raaja.com, which will help you to understand the song very well.

“A song in Kannada called Nanna neenu Gellalare (Movie - Nee Nanna Gellalare), he has used this range for the Shruthibhedham. It fits very well to the mood of the song. The subject in the song is that the hero and the heroine are competing with each other, arguing who amongst them has higher music knowledge. The song starts in Hindola and stays that way. In the second interlude the singers (S. Janaki & Dr. Rajkumar) start the swara alapanas.

S. Janaki Starts this sanchara - Sa Ga2 Ma1 Ga2 (Pure Hindola),
Dr.Rajkumar Replies - Pa Ni2 Sa1. Ni2 (Pure Shuddha Dhanyasi),

It goes on like this -

S. Janaki : Sa Ga2 Ma1 Dha1
Dr. Rajkumar: Pa Ni2 Sa Ga2 S
Janaki : Sa Ga2 Ga2 Ma1 Ma1 Dha1 Dha1 Sa Ni2 Ni2 Ni2
Dr.Rajkumar: Pa Ni2 Ni2 Sa Sa Ga2 Ga2 Pa Ma1 Ma1 Ma1
S. Janaki : Ga2 Ma1 Dha1 Ni2 Ni2 Sa Ni2 Dha1
Dr.Rajkumar : Ni2 Sa Ga2 Ma1 Ma1 .Pa Ma1 Ga2
and it goes on and on.

After which Dr. Rajkumar sings the Mohana swaras (Sa Ri2 Ga3 Pa Dha2 Sa) - Hindola equivalent (Dha1 Ni2 Sa Ga2 Ma1 Dha1), Madhyamavathi Swaras (Sa Ri2 Ma1 Pa Ni2 Sa) - Hindola equivalent (Ni2 Sa Ga2 Ma1 Dha Ni2), then Hindola swaras, followed by Suddha Saveri (Sa1 Ri2 Ma1 pa Dha2 Sa) - Hindola equivalent (Ga2 Ma1 Dha1 Ni2 Sa Ga2) and finishes with Suddha Dhanyasi Swaras. Brilliant composition! who else but Raaja can do something this good!. "


Monday, April 10, 2006

12. Composer Partnerships

This week’s choices are some of Maestro’s work with other music directors.

Annai illai: Sri Ramana Naadha Amudham (MS Viswanathan)

Beautiful melody typical of Mellisar Mannar in praise of Sri Ramana Maharishi. Maestro’s voice and children’s chorus lift it to different heights.

http://www.filefactory.com/?aa4288


Natpu natpu: Unnai Saran Adaindhen (SP Balasubramaniam)

Rare treat of three doyens singing together. Lets celebrate the comraderie of 3 stalwarts – MSV, Raja and SPB. Though music is by SPB, lot of MSV influence is there. The lyrics also praises friendship.

http://www.filefactory.com/?52f13a


Neela lohitha: Kaveri (1998) (Malayalam)


This is again Maestro’s partnership with Sri V Dhakshinamurthy Swamigal, a renowned MD in Malayalam. The song is set in Amruthavarshini ragam and sung by Balamurali Krishna. The BGMs of the movie are amazing.

http://www.filefactory.com/?2d12c5


Vandhara vazha vekkum: Singara Chennai (Karthik Raja)

Maestro sings nostalgic about Chennai and how it fulfills everybody’s hope in life. A fun filled song.

http://www.filefactory.com/?347709


This Mortal Coil: India 24 Hours (Maestro Ilaiyaraaja)

“‘punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi jananí jathare sayanam” Raja sings from Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhajagovindam. (meaning: Born again, dead again and back again to the womb of the mother). The flute piece and the chorus ‘ram naam satya hare’ at the end is mysterious and whispers something about the secrets of life. The visuals (available in VCD) show the burning of dead bodies (both claimed and orphaned) in the Holy Ganges, Banares.
Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam Punarapi Janane Jathare Shayanam,
Idam Samsare Bahu Dustare, Krupaya Pare Pahi Murare

http://www.filefactory.com/?40e30e

Sunday, April 02, 2006

11. Pleasant raagas

I wanted to highlight two of the pleasant/happy ragas this time – Brindavana Saranga and Ananda Bhairavi. Raja has used Brindavana Saranga to represent the mental happiness and Ananda Bhairavi for functions like marriage, valaikappu, thalattu, etc. I understand there is only one note difference between these two ragas on arohanam, avarohanam is the same. Within these parameters, he has given us many, many memorable songs. Surprisingly, all are in female voice.

First, let us hear Brindavana Saranga.

Konjum kuyil pattu – Kanna unai thedugiren
The two female voices (one Bhava) is awesome with their harmonious singing. Classical instrumentation.

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=4d5be339544abd601b2c1247

Manathil ore oru – En purushanthan Enakku mattum dhan
I discovered this song also only recently. Sung by P.Susheela. Very lilting tune, epecially the pallavi.

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=27f08add538f7d9ce567201f

Poongatre theendadhe - Kunguma chimizh
I don’t remember the film and situation. In many places, Tabla tarang and shenai will give you goose pimples.

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=a3dc5b9d8cd6bdd36d6989d1

There are few other good song in this raga – Kannukkulle vandha eeram enna from Manidhanin marupakkam. Beautiful orchestration. And then, Thanga nilavukkul nilavondru from Rikshaw Mama, with a nice chorus with classical arrangements.


Next comes Ananda Bhairavi.

Chittu pole – Iniya uravu poothadhu
This is obviously a valaikappu song, before completion of pregnancy. The rhythm in the beginning of 2nd interlude fascinated me very much. Nice chorus. “Than potta thottathil poo pootha santhosham” – great lines! Raga name is also there in the lyrics.

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=4e8d5436390b122f9eb4f935

Parthale theriyadho – Sri Raghavendrar
I think this song didn’t feature in the movie. The saint’s wife gets mocked by her friends after her consummation. Manorama and chorus have sung this song. I think gottu vadhyam is used in many places, which is mainly used for sad situations.

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=62bd7c2f38e543b17b19949c

Ananda Bhairavi in BGMs:


Ananda Bhairavi was used very aptly for the following situations in the movie background score.

1. Scene: Seetha Kalyanam – Movie: Rajarishi
When Lord Rama breaks the bow, this music follows, to signify finalizing of Rama’s marriage with Seetha. Just brings the scene in front of our eyes.

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=0ec0e418e78435ab40412d0e


2. Scene: Wife enters her husband’s house, Movie: Ammal kovil kizhakkale
Radha deserts her father and comes to stay with Vijayakanth. All his friends are surprised at her sudden entry. Very nicely done, underscoring the comedy element in the proceedings.

http://www.filefactory.com/get/f.php?f=70d3b3a7286cc7b45b7141d6


Nobdoy attempted to guess last week’s mini quiz. The answers are here: All the movies were produced by yesteryear movie personalities.

a) Pudhiya Ragam – Jayachitra
b) Pudhiya Swarangal – Vijayan (of Uthiripookkal fame)
c) Nee Sirithal Deepavali – Malaysia Vasudevan
d) Kannukku Mai Ezhudhu – Late P. Bhanumathi (she also produced Periyamma)
e) Krishnan Vandhan – Thengai Sreenivasan (this movie had couple of beautiful songs, I don’t have them)

For all these movies, Maestro helped them his best by contributing beautiful songs and receiving no / lesser remuneration. His magnanimity is truly marvellous.