As We Feel Raaja

Nostalgic Re-Visit of Nostalgic Blog..!

2008-09-29T02:30:00.000-07:00

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Vicky has tagged me in his blog with the following questions or points to ponder..!

Since I had already recorded many such moments in this blog itself, it was easy for me to set the pointer and escape..

Thanks Vicky for making me record this post after a long gap..!

1) The moment that introduced you to Raaja...

Introduced to Song : “Machaana Paarthengala” song of Annakkili played left and right in loudspeakers in my village and in the Orchestras of local festival; as explained in earlier postings of my blog :

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/where-and-how-it-started.html

Introduced to his Performance : First time I saw the live performance of IR in the musical show in Ooty flower show and that’s my first introduction to IR as a person;

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/its-ooty-all-way.html

Introduced to his Thoughts : Later his letter(s) which introduced his other side of his musical thought processes and feelings!

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/first-letter-16-mar-1978.html

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/sequence-leading-to-second-letter-from.html

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/sequence-leading-to-third-letter-from_18.html

2) Name one occassion where Raaja's music directly/ indirectly influenced your life....

During my first visit to his house, where I saw him studying WCM books introduced the reality to me that music is not such simple thing as we are used to.. ie listen, enjoy and forget…!

My search on IR has really started from that moment and still now I could not fathom him !

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/moments-that-stood-still-part-1.html

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/moments-that-stood-still-part-2.html

http://isai-alias-raja.blogspot.com/2006/04/extended-dreamy-moments-sattam-en.html

3) Name a favorite song in each of the other 4 languages that immediately comes to your mind....

Telugu – Prema Yaathruluku - from Detective Naradha - excellent counter melody to the Old Gantashala song

Kannada – Kelisade Prema Vedha – from Gulabi - Just listen and cry…! What else one can do..!

Malayaalam – Thumbe Vaa – from Olangal – Nothing could beat this…!

Hindi – Aey Zindagi – from Sadma - Mother of all Songs…!

4) One song of Ilaiyaraaja that you consider rare and think a song that many people should have known but don't.....!

Undoubtedly…. “Vaanam Inge… Megam Enge” From Nenjil Aadum Poo Ondru…!

5) Raaja's number that you are hearing right now/ most recently heard..

"Priyathamaa Naa Hridhayama …" from Prema…!

Sing along with this song… (even I don’t know the meaning of this song..).. All the pains in the heart will come out and melt you away..!

Now the next thing to do for me is , I have to tag some people…and they are :

Dr Vijay Venkatraman, Vel Ramanan, Siva, KumarPalani, RajaSaranam
(CRV already tagged by Kamalnath, I think)

In fact all the other readers are also welcome to record their views on above points "AS THEY FEEL RAAJA...!"

Those who don’t have their own blog can record here in the Comment section.

Engum Niraindha.....!

2008-01-31T03:55:00.000-08:00

Though my association with PC started in late 80s, it was only a decade after that, in the late-90s I got introduced to the internet for the first time.

I learnt about the concepts of internet some time even before that, but it didn’t impress me or I thought that atleast in India nothing going to happen in this front.

Indeed I had remained a frog in the well not only w.r.t. internet but also w.r.t. my knowledge and expectations about a wonderful world of Hard Core IR fans which I never dreamt of existing!

Obviously, when encountered with internet first time (I shall thank Nisha, my colleague for introducing and teaching internet to me), my very first search word in internet was nothing but “Ilaiyaraaja”.

And I was clean bowled with the number of sites it offered! It was an amazing incredible magic!

Being an office PC, I was not able to search and read all those links. But I noticed certain sites like RaajaNGAHM etc. but could not read at that time.

Unfortunately, before the second chance to deal with internet, within few weeks, I had to leave that company.

Later joined another firm and reached some remote project site in Madhya Pradesh (and then to West Bengal).

Till mid-2003, I did not get any interconnect connections, and as such my flash introduction with internet remained that way only.

In the intervening period, with my struggle in the office life, I lost myself and my IR-thoughts simply vanished from me.

That was, practically, awfully, the most trying, dry-period of my life.

In 2003, destiny again favoured me and I got a PC of my own in my office and that also with internet with V-SAT connectivity.

When I resumed my search on the internet sites of IR related topics it was a beginning of a wonderful journey.

A few days of browsing of RaajaNGAHM, took me unbelievably to a new dream world.

The high quality technical articles, extensive database, lively discussion threads etc. of IR were quite amazing and realized that the people involved therein were real IR-fanatics and intellects of high calibres.

So I am not left alone in the world, rather I was only a drop in the ocean of IR-fans!

My happiness had no bound….! As if you have found ocean of people after a life time struggle of loneliness in an isolated island.

But, one thing disappointed me that it had gone into a non-active mode and one can no longer interact with anybody there.

Again I was at loss ! Where had gone those wonderful people?

However, within few days, I once again chanced upon the Yahoo-club of IR groups during some IR search! Oh what a nice feeling it evoked in me..!

Thanks to the founder Dr Vijay Venkatraman and his dedicated, sincere and no-nonsense approach, it remains one of the clean, principled group uniting thousands of IR fans.

From this group, I got introduced to many hard-core, high calibre IR-fans like Vijay, Vel, Vicky, CRVenky, Kalyan, Vishy, Vinu, Shiva, Shajahan, Kondu, Prashanth, Kumarpalani, Saikumar and many, many more.........

This community further introduced me to other groups and forums like Ilaiyaragam, Maestromagic, TFMpage, Dhool, then later on to Orkut etc etc.......

Suddenly, the world appeared to have widened a lot to me!

My IR-learning, knowledge and belief etc further strengthened with such exposures!

And I also wanted to do some-thing in return to them !

Generation Gap - Revisited !

2008-01-30T04:52:00.000-08:00

The IR-thoughts and emotions were occurring in all period of my life, in bits and parts, some were consolidated, some were forgotten, some were re-written with different perceptions due to the knowledge you have acquired by then.

As explained earlier, this post-1993 period is one such calm, consolidation period for me .

Whatever I have expressed in various blogs of mine and in various discussions forum now-a-days, would have roots in the refined analysis and storage happened in my mind at sub-conscious level, during those period.

I just look back the post-1976 period.

When IR entered and other MDs slowly were fading away, the entire old generation could not accept this new phenomenom and they liked to push-aside IR and his success.

Whereas, a new generation, like me, was totally swayed by a strong, haunting, musical mystery called IR, (even without knowing the intrinsic real value of the treasure), and going mad.

Thus the fighting lines were clearly drawn-up between generations. Just like now between IR and non-IR fans.

But then, the difference (when compared to the present generation) was, at that time, in the absence of internet and communication contacts, those generation differences were limited to close circles of family and friends with whom you lived.

With my growth from a high-school going boy, to a college youth to a working man, I gained my “strength” in getting my IR-share for listening songs in the “shared radio-time” and then in the shared “tape-recorder time” amongst my family and friends.

Looking back, some time my conscious pricks me, that I selfishly overwhelmed so many of family members, in snatching valuable radio-time and put them down in “IR Vs others” arguments etc.

It may be true that many of them voluntarily changed to IR sides with passage of time, but still it was a fact that, to me, IR had remained more than even the family members.

May be post-1993 period may be a curse on people like me who could not escape the “punishments” for those “mis-deeds”.

Now I face the same tune with my own next generation and I am on the receiving end! I only laugh at myself and enjoy.

Now, I am matured and mellowed ! I should not do what I did to my elders!

It is not that I didn’t like songs of others etc.

My wish list of songs would run into thousands and thousands in all languages and transcend all kinds of genres and MDs.

But after possessed by IR, my limitation of time and money could not allow me even to think of other songs, when all the time I was lagging even for my own IR requirement. Even now, the situation remains same.

IR was bestowing upon us, such un-imaginably huge quantum of high quality music, so that I could not/ need not even think of others!

It was somewhere in late 90’s I recorded my first cassette of other MD and that was of ARRahman and Maragatha Mani.

Now, this generation has grown up with songs of next generation MDs .

Even my children listen and appreciate only songs of other MDs..!

Certainly something there, which I conveniently overlook?

I realise that I cannot even argue or try to reason with them at this stage.!

I used to smile, when my younger daughter asks me, “why IR songs are so slow?”

I told these are called harmonized melodies…! I even tried to showcase some fast rhythmic songs of IR also. Do you know what they say…?

“Yeah, may be good if converted into a re-mix..!” I could not contain my laugh..!

I only have to wait for the time and I am having a lot of hope...!

This I realised when I plunged into the internet world and got connected with various forums and blogs and felt the magic IR has left even in the present next generation!

PoongKaatru Thirumbumaa !

2008-01-28T01:13:00.000-08:00

You can appreciate the fact, in those period, communications and sharing were not like it is now!

Now, the life saver in such situations is the internet, which connects the people geographically separated apart, and one can find abundant forums to discuss whatever you think are interesting and can easily associate with the like-minded people.

Over and above the absence of internet culture, the problems were within me also.

I was no doubt an introvert without many friends and further restrictions were to find the IR fanatics like me in distant places like Delhi.

So, whatever the IR-feelings, be it of happy or sad or depressive mood, all these had to be within my heart and mind.

Also, like many IR-fans of previous generation, even the limited releases of contemporary IR films of 90s were not making the impressions in me when compared to the 70s and 80s.

The reasons may be many.

So one natural solution was to look-back and enjoy!

This has been regularly happening in any history including classical music history like Classicism, Impressionism and again Neo-Classicism etc.

So I also indulged in “revivalism” (No doubt, the beauties of 90s are also revived in me a decade later, during 2000s! So never push aside any IR song at any time..!)

It was in this revival period, I started the “re-searching research” kind of listening to old IR songs (which were abundant in my collections).

Though the time availability was very much limited than before, (due to the routine, busy office and family schedules), but the passion was very high..!

You find so many new things- new dimensions, new perceptions etc of IR songs during such revival search.

Imagine, the following situations! (It might have happened to many of you also!)

Locate the “treasure” box in the loft or beneath the cot you sleep !

Get it and open it after dusting….!

You see many indexed cassettes with your glowing eyes ! All containing IR songs!

You take one cassette at random..!

Your mind races to the period of its recording.. ! the happenings around you in that period..!

All the songs in that particular same order starts playing loudly in your mind !

Suddenly get struck-up in a particular song or its BGM or certain phrases…!

Scratch your head and Curse yourself for the sin of forgetting an IR song..!
(it will send a chill in your spine...! Have I got Old.???)

And sudden flash occurs and the forgotten music phrase returns and starts where you left!

Look for another cassette…! Select best possible four or five cassettes ! For listening in your player in the next few days or weeks to come! In installments!

What a feeling it evokes…!

Also, while listening to those old cassettes one natural fear that struck me was that I was slowly loosing the quality of those old recordings..!

So, I found my own way of preserving those songs in new cassettes with meaningful compilations like ragam-wise, singer-wise, mood-wise, specialty-wise etc etc.

You won’t believe me, many years later when I visited Tamil Nadu and saw the IR sections in many music shops like Music world etc, the CDs, Cassettes available there were basically the same kind of compilations as I was doing and many of the song lists were unbelievably matching with my lists.

So it is not just great men think-alike, all IR fans and even many Companies who were thriving on IR were also undergoing the same feelings like me…!

By hindsight I could realize now that I was not the only person who struggled with memories, but I was one among many millions of IR fans…!

Vana Vaasam.....!

2008-01-25T05:04:00.000-08:00

Long Time No See……! Reasons are many..!

During my childhood, I have read the Ramayanam (Rajaji’s Chakravarthy Thirumagan, Tamil Version) umpteen number of times.

More you read, the more you get involved.

However, after a few times of initial readings, the moment the Chapters on Ram’s Vanavasam starts, my mind goes heavy and I simply close the book and discontinue reading further.

After few days, you cannot avoid the temptation and I resume the reading but straightaway jump to Chapters on Hanuman’s Lanka visit etc. Then this became the regular feature.

All of you are perplexed…. why I talk this aspect now here….??!

The analogy is similar here with IR’s case also.

Year 1993 and further, it’s a painful period for any IR fanatics.

Painful nostalgic period for me to describe and my mind wish to go blanks..!

Hence the embarrassing silence of this blog also!

Year 1993 and onwards also a kind of watershed in my personal life also. With marriage and new start of family life, compounded with work pressure and shifting of jobs every alternate year etc., the happenings of next one decade, neither I would like to recall nor I can forget.

Same is the case with my IR nostalgia also.

While the dream Symphony never came out, there was a declining trend in the number of IR films in TFM each year. That was an un-bearable vaccum.
With hindsight, I can safely guess that there could be a deliberate plan and attempt by none other than IR himself, to reach towards this situation, and could have started as early as in 1990 itself.

Because, till 90’s, IR was having such a tough schedule and normally booked for more than an year or two.

Hence, to get into a sudden slowdown situations, anything would have happened atleast an year or before than that.

It may be his passion for the creation of “meaningful” non-film albums, he would have started to put breaks on new films.

And in all probability, as a corollary, he would have prepared himself and the others for various measures including that of to transfer the mantle to his “heir” apparent, obviously Karthik in due course…!

It is quite natural, if you create a sudden vaccum, it will be filled by the surrounding pressure awaiting for such moments!

Be it the Directors or Producers or the Music Director waiting on the wings….!

What happened thereafter is history…!

IR might not have been the looser in the real sense and might not got affected with the TFM situations that followed, but the un-released Symphony anyway might have hurt his dream.

His perceptions thereafter, would have caused a cautious slow down in his own approach towards TFM in the years that followed.

Whatever happened, the IR fans world over, were the hard-hit by this sudden vaccum.

Naturally, in the absence of “New” one has to reach for “Old” to get solace.

That was what happened to all.... also to me….!

EngellAm ThEduvadhO !

2006-10-17T05:04:00.000-07:00

It was June 1993 at Delhi. “The Hindu” contained an article on IR.

I could realise that it was on the occasion of his 50th Birthday.

It was giving me the wonderful piece of information that IR has composed and got recorded “The Grand Symphony” at London by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and that news sent me for a roll!

I simply could not believe it, even though I used to dream for such news for a long time.

Then onwards any news on this topic I started watching keenly; and all the articles and news bits like John Scott visit to Chennai, the massive facilitations arranged to IR etc only enhanced my expectations and longing to hear that music as soon as possible.

But somehow, on the immediately following period, there were no news about the possible releases of cassettes/ records which worried me a lot.

It was that time, around October’93, all of a sudden, I got an opportunity to visit Sweden for a training programme from my company.

While any foreign tour would have set off some dreams and expectations in anybody, I was looking that in another angle.

That is “I am having a fair chance of getting the Symphony before others, if it is released during my stay there!”.

Dreams…! Wild Dreams !

It was a period of well over two months of November-December winter I spent in Stockholm. While as usual, any training or official work always take a backseat when compared to having a glimpse of the country of stay, atleast I remained focused on certain things..ie “whenever opportunity is there, search for music albums, particularly that of IR!”

Believe me, with so much enthusiasm I started searching whenever I entered any shopping mall there at Stockholm. I was truly amazed by the collections of Classical Music albums in any musical shops. (Now-a-days, we are also having Music World, Planet M etc. but in those decades, we didn’t have such exclusive music collections in one place).

All albums were alphabetically arranged by Composer’s name and no guess I could have rushed every time!

But the alphabet “I” always drew a blank.

Then I even searched for Asian or Indian music collections which again never existed.

It was a painful lesson to me that our Indian music, leave alone South Indian music, has not got its due share of attention, whatever you know or think about its richness and variety etc.

But atleast such searching gave me the chance to know and purchase a lot of WCM albums which remained a dream earlier. Particularly due to the forthcoming Christmas period, it was discount sales declared everywhere and classical music sections were one of the attractive sections.

Another peculiar thing I observed was that prices of cassettes were equal or costlier than CDs. Though I didn’t know much about the CDs in those period, I decided in favour of CD collections and went on purchasing and built-up my Bach and Mozart collections.

For the first timer like me in a foreign country, it always remained the fight between your dream ambition versus limited foreign exchange currency of those time.

We used to get our weekly allowances from our sponsor company. I controlled my personal spending as much as possible (being a “vegetarian” in all respect, there’s nothing you can spend money in such European countries) and whatever saving earned I put sizeable amount on CDs.

But, soon I had to put a halt for those purchases, when I heard my friends were planning for a Paris trip on their way back home with the saved money. Then it occurred to me that, why not I try for London, where I may continue to try getting the IR’s Symphony CD etc.

Then onwards, it was still rigorous savings I attempted. Parallel to that, herculean efforts went on with the embassies to get the Visa to London (even an African would get a visa easily in Europe, but not an Indian or Asian).

Finally, the Visa was confirmed, a month ahead of my planned visit. Then began the counting of days as well as counting my savings for London trip.

So when the training was over and when I arrived at London, it was last week of December.

Then came the shocking realization!

It was a virtual holidays for entire week in London and for that matter for the whole Europe.

The source whom I was depending for stay and other logistics (and also planned to take the help for searching the Studio where IR recorded etc.) had to go on leave, the rare leave he gets in an year.

Even though he made some arrangement for my stay etc it consumed more than 60% of my savings! So, I realized that I could do nothing now.

Anyhow, I spent the remaining money in some more CD purchases and in Oxford street Again whatever limited searches for IR Symphony in shops were not as fruitful as expected.

Finally signed off to London with a sigh and landed back homeland.

But then in 1994, I still sustained my hopes that, one day I would get that!

Slowly the facts emerged that it was never released and would never be available at all !

By hindsight, now I still believe that, IR has already given us more than that !

How To Name HIM - As I felt Raaja's HTNI

2006-09-18T04:15:00.000-07:00

During the period of my WCM learnings at Delhi only, IR's album "How to name it ?" also got released.

When I visited Salem for my holidays and asked for the new releases of IR I was given two cassettes one is "Punnagai Mannan" and another is "How To Name It".

But when I reached home and listened to it for the first time, I was totally stunned. You can't explain the feelings that was generated at that moment!

To be frank, initially, I could not fully recognise, the very purpose, objective and the content of this album. I am so happpy because, like in WCM, I also got an album full of orchestration and just orchestration.

I beleived that some revolutionary things has started in our part of music world also! But with years of listening and gathering of further knowledge during my WCM studies, I could realise the overall vision and purpose of IR.

And he has rightly asked us the question "How to Name it?"

I have shared some of feelings on two of the pieces in my other blog CSR-WCMLESSONS-2.BLOGSPOT.COM (Lesson-48 :IR the Wiser)

I am reproducing the same here in this blog also, to draw the attention of the IR fans.

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Please Listen from IR Album "How To Name It?" two numbers of pieces titled,“I Met Bach….” &“…. And We Had Talk…”.

Here IR has given a new look to the Bach’s Prelude in A-Major as well as Bourre in E-Minor.

(This prelude of Bach is available in the Ilaiyaragam file section also ! Please Click here and download the midi file part3emj.mid and the tab file Bourree In Em-00.tef In case you want tab software, download the exe file tabled32.exe ) .

In the prelude, what Bach has done 300 years ago is writing a composition for Violin piece in A-Major scale and is continuously modulating into various major and minor scales in a sequence….!
During such transition from one scale to another, if you look at Carnatic angle…., you can perceive a different rainbow of Carnatic Raagams !

So the brilliant IR has identified those transition zones and in order to highlight them he added one more Carnatic line to the existing Bach’s composition and Plays the both Western Bach (300 years ago) with Carnatic IR in synchronized fashion…!

IR's imagination is "Had Bach met Thiagaraja and both understood each others music and joined hand to create a New World of Music ...?!!"That's the theme of HTNI !

If you hear the Bach’s composition and then IR’s HTNI’s piece you will be so mesmerized….who is playing for whom…?

Is Bach is doing the background music for IR or IR is doing the background for Bach…?

Its with so much Perfect Balance between WCM and Carnatic…!And this is what to be called as fusion…!Which made this possible for IR…?

Imagine if he remained himself constrained to any one field, the net result is he would have remained a good disciplined fellow for that particualr field but we all would have been starved of certain GEMs !

His imagination and enthusiasm of bringing the best out of two by adding the advantages & flexibilities of both the field only made this possible!

He has been doing that right from Annakili…..!With "Potruvar Potralum...Thootruvar Thootralum...Pogattum Kannanukke...!" type of resolutary mind !

Imagine, one person is offering you the plate consist of gold ornaments….! Another person is offering the plate consists of full of diamonds…!Imagine both says you take only theirs and not others !

And I feel the wiser approach is to get both the gold and diamond and make a Diamond studded Gold ornament!The value and look and elegance….. everything is multiplied, rather than when they are seen as an individual !

But imagine if both the persons who offered the individual gold or diamond, now started criticizing that he spoilt the gold with diamond and vice versa….! Then its only loss of the person who losses both.

So to conclude the WCM Vs Carnatic perceptions, let me summarise like this….!·

-Carnatic gives the flexibility of Patterns but pose the constraints of their usage and shifting from one to another….!
- WCM has the constraint of Patterns but has flexibilities of usage or shifting from one to another…!

And the wiser sense tell that ……AVAIL ALL THE FLEXIBILITIES OF BOTH……rather than worrying about their constraints !

IR not only remained wiser……HE DISCOVERED…HE REGULARISED SUCH FUSION….HE INVENTED THE NEW SET OF UNWRITTEN RULES FOR SUCH FUSION IN DOING SO…..!

To recognize those things, one will need a century !

And to learn and follow that ……centuries and centuries are needed…!

Like the genius mathematician Ramanujam, he has written thousands of such Musical Theorems in short steps in each of his musical compositions…!

To solve and realize and prove and adopt them is for the next generation job….!

To perceive that we have to educate ourselves…. So that even if it is not possible for us to do, we can guide our next generation towards that !

And can see them attaining that with enjoyment and self-satisfaction !

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WCM Learnings - As I felt Raaja !

2006-09-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

WCM- What I learned ? What did I achieve after all those efforts ?

Million dollar questions!

Anyway certain associated trivia and my feelings, I wanted to share with you.

While learning harmony, without practical knowledge and familiarity of sounds of chords, its progression etc., still I used to try the exercises on Harmonisation of (SATB) parts.

In a way, I was like a deaf person composing music. (I used to hear that Beethoven in his last years was in that kind of situation; sorry for the wrong comparison, creation is a distant word, but even reading and writing I was not able to do; but with all humility I am only trying to say that I could feel what it would be for a deaf person to write a music!)

Somebody may say that my approach was wrong or impractical etc.

In fact one fellow in DSM told me that I am like the insect which sit on that musical page. Though felt sad, but still I pursued my wish.

And that was not a joke or so simple a job!

Still, there were some earnest attempts made by me to solve those exercises mathematically just like an idiotic computer in which some logics are fed.

I remember sometimes even days together I could not write harmonization of two lines or some 8 bars of notes satisfying those rules and regulations. Please beleive me, atleast I had the brain of an engineer, who passed out his degree. Still this was the situation! (Imagine, IR writes such hundreds of notes/bars in a matter of minutes with utmost perfection)

Similarly, even wherever I completed such exercise, I did not have the capability to play those multiple notes, so that I can realize what I have “created”.

I was just like a blind lady who wanted to see her just delivered baby!

But a few times, my teacher Ms Mitra while correcting the exercises, effortlessly played those phrases in the piano. That was the time I was in cloud nine!

It showered like a heavenly pieces of music and I could not believe myself, whether I have created them!

At the same time, there were moments, it was so jarring the notes, again it would lead you to utter dejections that whether I have learned something at all!

What I am trying to explain is that music shall come by way of “feeling”. That “feeling” shall come by way of experiences!

However, the fantastic experiences I gave to myself with WCM learnings, cleared me one basic thing.

That IR is not just a sudden one day wonder. It has not just come from heaven one day to him.

He had just toiled himself, hours and hours, days and days and years after years!

But the heavenly things or God-send things that could have happened to him are:

The Wish & Will he had for the Music in spite of his background,

Tough Mental fitness to achieve many things on music,

The willingness to learn anything on music at any time from anybody,

To transcend across civilizations and geography and time and to visualize & perceive the various musical systems and forms all over the world and bringing them together under one umbrella!

To implement such new fusion music form, without any fear or expectations, even in such remote world like our film music world!

Once I could realize that, I was virtually seized by the thoughts how many such treasures of songs he has created and showered on us every day, which we are not even having the wisdom to realize that!

Whether we appreciate or criticize, we were always on the wrong side, because, the real thing which IR might have wanted us to realize, enjoy, criticize etc that can never happens here !

From that day, I decided within myself, that, I shall reach out and do my small part, to make the people realize what HE is!

After so many years its happening through these forums and blogs!

I hope I am doing that! However small or effective that may be!

Andha Naal Nyaabagam !

2006-08-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Just for your viewing pleasure, I have added the following photo in my old postings related to First Visit to IR house in 1978.

This is the tape recorder and the house I was describing there in that posting (I hope this shall be of his Santhome house)

Thanks to the person who sent this to me now and also to unknown gentleman who owns it.

Blog to continue soon and sorry for the delay.

CSR

Memories of DSM : Part-2

2006-08-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

The Wonderland of WCM learning!

No doubt it was a struggle, but those practical learnings gave me a lot of happiest moments also when I succeed in playing those small bits and pieces!

Believe me, all I am talking about was very small songs only of Grade-1 and 2 level stuff, like learning about the melody line, the chord supports, combination of these in each hands, the staccato type songs, the counterpoint example, the different form of music like minuet, bourree etc etc!

However, it also opened my eyes that I cannot cross that ocean. Even 24 hours a day practice would not have been sufficient, whereas, I was only having a borrowed half-an hour per day.

But I utilized all the other available time in my control for the theory learning, and thus within the very first year I could finish upto Grade-4 level exercise books.

This encouraged Ms Mitra to recommend me straight away for level-4 theory exam of Associated Board.

When I finished that, again double jump to Grade-6 exam. Till that it was always 90 plus marks!

But the Grade-7 and Grade-8 (final) preparations took some considerable time and efforts of mine, having to do a lot of study stuff on form of music, history, etc etc and above all the Harmony theory. There I struggled a lot and exam was also not easy walk-over. Still with 70 plus I had to remain satisfied!

So in nutshell, for three and half years, it was a roller coaster ride from Grade-1 scratch to Grade-8 final on theory side!

And Nil show on practical side!

[It was a great anamoly and funny thing to happen and nobody would have been allowed like this in the DSM history. Somehow luck favoured in my pursuit, that's all I can say.

Honestly, even I would not have recommend anybody to do that, as theory and practical must go hand in hand!]

But finally when Mitra planned to put me on Grade-3 practical directly, I was already enough exhausted and enough frightened about practical exams.

That was further compounded by my office situation with threats looming about likely transfer to Himachal.

Finally when Penny shifted her job and her house was vacated, the whole dream episode came to a logical end!

Those practical (though left in half-way, and now in the final self-analysis, convinced me that, these were not worthy claiming), and the theory learnings still taught me a lot!

Learning never begins or ends ! It’s there with us all the time.

Only point is certain things we consciously, systematically do and other things unconsciously go on inside, within us, as and when we see or encounter!

Anybody who even blindly following IR songs and involved deeply for years, can easily be claimed to have already acquired many of these basic knowledge of WCM, though un-consciously.

You don’t know the terms all right, but you have already felt that and have registered in your mind and got it mixed in your blood.

What you are trying to do with such learnings is to systematically unravel it, assimilate it and consolidate the “skills” acquired.

Simple to say, but when you unravel mystery of IR, you end up awe-struck!

Singing a poem on moon is one thing, but if you travel in a spaceship and land on a moon and see around the universe, what you will feel is something beyond words!

This is what I felt about IR, during and after my learning of WCM.

Its simple, but not simple;

Its Small, but not Small;

You jump of joy of seeing it, but you cry of not getting it….!

It has started, but it goes on, it expands and expands….!

Think of the example of “Sevili” character from the film “Mudhal Mariyaadhai” who goes on running and running to reach and touch the horizon and gasping for breath..!

Through out the learning period, my position was like that !

When you thought of unfolding Raaja, he is again at a distant with his size further growing exponentially!

May be exactly the same thing IR might have also felt when he learned the WCM and Carnatic systematically and realized/felt the new opportunity of expanded infinite scope available before him when one wants to do the fusion of best of both world of WCM and CCM!

It is really the BIG.. BIG…BIG….. picture!

Memories of Delhi School of Music Period : Part-1

2006-08-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

When I joined the Delhi School of Music (DSM), after depositing the first fees for the quarter, I was introduced to my teacher, Ms M Mitra.

An old Bengali lady, looked like a typical school teacher. Again that skeptical look and “OK-What-to-do-I-have-to-teach-you” approach, I could feel that!

After mutual discussion, I was allotted Saturday morning one single sitting of two hours from 7-30 to 9-30 am as the class session.

One good thing about DSM was, each class session, only one student for one teacher in one big room.

I was given one Bombay address from where I had to get through postal delivery some practical and theory books for Grade-1, which I got in a few weeks time.

It was then I learned about the perspective of the lessons and syllabus ahead.

Just for the benefit of readers, I am giving that following information/details.

The DSM is affiliated to Associated Board of Royal School of Music, London and all the syllabus and exams were to be followed as per their system.

Every six month, the exams are conducted all over the world. The papers set at ABRSM is distributed in all these exam centres and the written papers are sent to London for correction and results declared.

For practical exams, musical experts from ABRSM, London also visits on the exam date and allot marks based on the performance of the student.

At the “School” level, there are Eight Grades to be approached systematically alongwith the theory and practical exams.

Based on the progress of the students in the class room, the teacher and the Director of DSM select the students for appearing in the appropriate exams.

After Grade-8 of school level, further diploma, college, research level of music courses are continuing.

(Later I learnt that in UK, the two famous old Universities are Oxford and Cambridge. While Trinity School/College of Music is associated with Oxford University, the Royal School/college of Music is associated with Cambridge University. In case of Royal School/College of Music, The Queen is normally the Patron and hence the name “Royal” is associated with that.

As we know, IR attended the course of Trinity School of Music and got the gold medal in Grade-8 for Guitar practicals.)

I was totally astonished to know these details. I never thought of such a rigid, systematic approach with exams etc to be encountered by me when I joined the school.

My aim was simple, viz. I shall know what is WCM, so that I can understand and appreciate IR music well. Thats all ! Very narrow minded I was !

Anyway, having entered the fray, I shall utilize this wonderful opportunity.

Thus it started!

After attending a few initial classes, I realized that I was in a soup!

Though earlier I had some knowledge of harmonium and keyboard, I was able to play any single line melody with one hand. But, the real piano playing demanded two hands playing.

Even for Grade-1 level, even the nursery rhyme type of small four line songs etc, (which I started like a child), demanded high attention and practice to play with both hands!

Also, when you are an amateur player, you never bother about timing beats etc, and feel happy to play anything with any timing, with any mistakes etc and just enjoy yourself. But when it comes to learning, everything else matters.

More important thing is reading your notes, understanding and grasping what it is, then your fingers shall move to the corresponding position, play the notes, and play only for the duration required and keep on moving! For two hand two different notes, different duration etc etc! At a time synchronization of mind, eyes, hands etc are required!

It was hell!

Not only to me also to my teacher Ms Mitra! The way she gets angry and frowns and shouts, you suddenly feel like Tom and Jerry situation, with all your nerves and mind getting rigid and you feel like a small mouse!

At the age of 25, those were different experiences!

Really, my aim started shifting from learning the music as a hobby to “how to satisfy this old lady and survive the two hours of class every week?”

That means very vigorous practicing at evening hours at Karol Bagh Penny’s house.

But there also, you were having limitations of time and visitors distraction etc [how much I remained a “siva-poojai-karadi” in their daily routines is another moot point!] Anyhow, I had to do that!
Not only practicing for a particular class, but also to practice lessons ahead so that atleast my first time show will be “tolerable” to Ms Mitra!

Then it was really like “Avvai Shanmugi” (Chachi 420) running for me !

Start from Nehru Place office by 6 PM, 7 pm reach Karol Bagh, get freshen up, start running to Penny’s house and reach by 7-20 to 7-30, practice for 30 to 45 minutes, by the time dinner time starts, get out of the house and go to hotel, have food and reach back room by 9-30 pm etc!
Now I can laugh at, then it was not like that!

Poor Mitra had to suffer a lot with tension, and I used to mug-up the lines and played as-if-I-am reading from note book! That also she checked and suddenly will start from in-between-lines of the song!

Oh God, it was really a nightmare! Anyway, all these continued and I survived.

But one thing, I was very comfortable and Mitra also could not find any fault with me, that was my successful homework and easy show on “theory” portion of the music.

You see, at the age 25, if an “Engineering Graduate” attempted what a 5 year old can do, it must be easy, isn’t it!

The "Theory" lessons remained my USP !

I could use that for my survival and progress! Very fast progress indeed!

Nalla Manam Vaazhga !

2006-08-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

"Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you."

A few weeks passed since then.

Though resigned to fate and put back all my efforts to receding memory, I had the pinch that I could not do that what I wanted!

I could not recall, how it happened that I shared these problems with one of my office colleagues Mr SG Iyer.

Here I have to explain my Karol Bagh story a little bit for continuity purpose. Our NHPC office was in Nehru Place at that time and I used to travel in the DTC point-to-point bus from Karol Bagh daily. Mr Iyer who was working in the personnel department as Deputy Manager then, also used to travel with me often in that bus.

In the evening or morning trips, usually, I was the one who normally accommodate the fellow standing passengers in my seat making the 2 member seat for three members. That needs a special technique to sit in a half seat and still I can comfortably sleeping the one hour or so journey to Karol Bagh!

Old memories never die!

It was during one such occasions, that, I might have shared my musical search and failures to Mr Iyer.

But to my astonishment, he said that he knew one another NHPC colleague in Karolbagh, in whose house he had seen an upright piano (a compact vertical shape piano version)!

Her name was Penny, a Goan Christian, who was also working in NHPC’s Personnel department and occasional traveler in my DTC bus. That was sufficient for me to surrender totally to him requesting him to introduce me to her.

That also happened soon.

When I met her and made my request telling the background, she was so gracious in accepting my request and asked me to come to her house so that the modalities can be discussed with her parents.

Mrs and Mr Williams, aged parents of Penny, were living in a normal rented house, which was just 10 to 15 minutes walk from my place. The piano was housed in an adjacent room to the main drawing hall, which is normally their dining room.

I asked for time slot daily between 7 to 8 PM in the evening, after my returning from office. They have agreed to that. With tears in my eyes, I conveyed my gratitude to them.

Once the piano arrangement is made, my school admission was made easy and I joined the school, in the immediate period, hope that was last quarter of 1985! Till 1989, I could continue that classes and school. I will write those experiences soon.

Certain things are part of your destiny.

How come one think of a far away land which you never though you will land up for a job, and one family who has not even seen you ever in your life, agree to your request of such musical requirement ?!!

I have no answers till date.

But, in my life, I owe them a lot !

No doubt they had to undergo some troubles also, due to this arrangement. Their evening privacy time to meet and discuss with their friends and relatives had some disturbances, with me practicing piano inside their house.

Daily when I tapped the door in the evening, they had to open the door and some time they postponed their visits just to accommodate me! Such instances were many! Nearly three years I could continue with such arrangement!

At a later stage, when Penny joined Maruti Udyog and shifted, that facility came to an end!

But by then, I had already completed my theory exams upto the 8th grade! Even though I could not fulfill my dreams of practicals, the way I wanted, but I could do a long distant travel with WCM theory learnings, just because of them!

Penny and Family !

I dedicate all my musical knowledge I had, to you three! Wherever you are, I pray that all the best and fortunes are bestowed on you all so that you can always share them, the way you shared with me during those period!

Delhi School of Music! The Close Encounter!

2006-08-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

Delhi School of Music!

A lot of efforts like locating the phone numbers and then getting the addresses, nearly two week-end days spent in locating the address itself etc. forms the trivial information.

But when located the building No 8, Nyaya Marg, Chankyapuri, Delhi and I entered, it’s a dream like feeling.

The serene and calm atmosphere of its location, in Chanakyapuri, the sounds emanating from various class rooms in the form of piano, guitar etc, I was totally taken to a different world.

After waiting in the lounge and seeing various notice board information etc, I could gather some ideas about the school.

Its basically an elite school for the elite, particularly, cater to the foreigners/diplomats living in the Chankyapuri area of Delhi and the real Classical music lovers of Delhi society.

Visiting scholars/dignitaries and experts of WCM often found the Delhi School of Music as the basic cultural link in India.

Now, I was totally become conscious and fall into inferiority complex with questions like can I enter this school and can I have any qualifications to enter this premises?

The only answer, I was having at that time was : if I can understand IR and his music, certainly I can learn all these ! If IR with his background from village etc can do some wonders like that on WCM, can I not even learn and understand atleast what WCM is ?

I must do that come what may be !

I met the Secretary of the school and talked about admission details. With a skeptical look she asked me to wait and see the Director of the school.

After few hours waiting I could see the Director, Mr Palamkote, an old gentleman and backbone of that school.

Having understood my request for admission, he was polite and blunt in answering, saying that basically they take children of small ages for entry level classes!

I was totally flattened and my entire ego and self respect came down crumbling! How much I have lost already!

He felt, and of course right also, that, it will be difficult for an adult to start a course and also, working class people certainly will not give importance and only will result in drop outs.

After much persuasion and assuring him about my determinations to study WCM and efforts to find this school etc, he told about the fee structures etc.

However put a basic condition that I must find a piano first for outside class practicing! Only after that I shall approach him again for the admission matter!

Because, with fabulous Rs 250 plus / class kind of fees, with only two to three hours in a week, it is the duty of the student to practice themselves and come prepared for the class, otherwise, the whole exercise will be wasteful! That also true!

Now where to find a piano? Already knew about the expensive piano rates, who will have such piano and who will even hire that and how much it will cost me and can I afford to that alongwith those fabulous school fees?

With utter dejection I came out of the school!

Delhi Days - In Search of WCM Studies!

2006-07-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

A few months after I reasonably settled at Delhi, I started my search for the WCM related information.

I don’t know the reason, but somehow in my mind there was an association of thoughts that WCM means one need to learn piano.

Initially I started looking for some musical instrument shops and some book shops. But generally, the book shops search drew a blank and the instrument shops I visited were mainly selling the North Indian instruments like Sitar, tabla etc and a few shops were having some kind of guitars also.

When I enquired for some classical guitars and piano kind of instruments, I was directed to one shop at Connaught Place called “Marquees”. At the immediate next opportunity of week end or so, I visited this shop.

Initially, for quite sometime, I did not have the courage to enter the shop and was looking through the window panes from outside only. I was amazed to see the pianos displayed there!

Finally with so much temptation, I entered the shop and just had a look around. Frankly speaking I didn’t have any close knowledge about pianos except seeing Shivaji playing it in Tamil Films with his nerves dancing in his forehead!

Least I knew about them were the types, origins or prices of pianos! So I casually enquired the price of those pianos!

The shop fellow gave me a sarcastic look which downgraded me even before he uttered anything!

Having asked the question, he countered me with his question that in what range or which make I was looking for!

So clean bowled! Fortunately I didn't answered that question or guessed something!

I just surrendered and managed the show by saying that one of my friends wanted me to collect the details etc! When he explained the make, imported country and the price range etc, I was totally finished!

The prices were running into lakhs of rupees!

I realized that I was after some mirage and my Rs 2000 salary life was not going to take me anywhere near WCM learning!

Still I asked about some place which teaches piano and WCM etc as a part of my data collection (of course for my friend you know!)

There, first time, I got the name of “Delhi School of Music”.

1985-Delhi Memories !

2006-07-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

Upto the previous postings, the topics and the contents were as I planned earlier, to share with all of you through this blog.

But the present one and onwards, regarding my Delhi life and IR feelings, frankly speaking, I was in dilemma, “what to say big about that all these?”

Indeed, I saw a lot of articles and sharing of feelings by my fellow IR fans who are away from their homeland, all expressed one solid thing i.e. about the carrying of IR memories and songs with them wherever they went which makes them alive in their mind all time, wherever they are and whatever situation they are !

How true these feelings are!

In fact, during one of the Thiruvasagam related interviews IR also expressed his emotional moments when one of his fans, who was away in farther land, told about his own feelings that how IR is considered as above even family members in such situation!

My feelings were / are no different than that!

When I read all these I also become nostalgic! Present postings are results of such nostalgic recollections only. I hope readers will understand my feelings and certainly don’t consider these postings (on IR moments) as an autobiography.

My aim is to make people who read this, can compare their situation also with that of mine!

They may also be attempting all these, which I attempted, and find a solace, happiness, some determination to pursue IR dreams which I cannot complete!

---------------------

When I left for Delhi in February 1985, I had nothing to carry, except the thoughts and feelings of my family and of course IR!

When you travel for a distant land of unfamiliar demographic background, what remain in you is only emptiness! Everything you decide to face “as-and-when-it-arise” basis! Particularly, in those period when PC and email were not dreamt of you are left alone and removed from your past world!

So what to say, except reminding myself the song “Idhayam Pogudhe…..!”

But after landing at Delhi, by God’s grace, certain fortunate unexpected things happened to me, when it was least expected!

My first boss was from TamilNadu, which gave me some comfort at Office situation.

Again, when I was standing on a street looking for a room to stay in Karol Bagh, I met my ex-school mate (after he left my school more than a decade ago!) In fact he identified me, and he introduced with another friend who is also from my school and my village!

What else one need! I took immediate decision to stay in Karol Bagh itself, in a dormitary type of arrangement next to my friend’s place!

Within few weeks, when I was returning to my room after office, while crossing my friends house, the first Tamil song I heard at Delhi came from inside his house!

The shrill sound of a new voice at full throat “Andha Nilava thaan naan kayila pudichen..!” I just died in that moment!

I just stood in the road stunningly and started listening with rapt attention and tears flowing in my eyes! While the violin pieces confirmed that’s indeed from IR, I got further confirmation with IR’s voice itself that followed! The new voice I came to know as Chitra later, even though I didn’t like that initially, as I was so used to Janaki and others!

My friend who saw me standing outside his house, got surprised and took me inside. The song was coming from another room where his other friends were staying. And soon I got introduced to his other friends also, all of them were working in Telecom department like him. A normal tape recorder with the new arrivals of cassettes on that particular day, gave me the oxygen I needed most!

Then onwards, that place found me most of the time of my weekends and holidays! Though they were not the typical IR fans, but their collection contained reasonable IR cassettes!

Though, I could realize that I am like a parasite sticking to them, for “certain” matters I was ( and had to be) beyond all those “reasons & feelings”!

In fact they were so kind and I could develop reasonable friendships with them also (strategically)! But I never disclosed my IR fanaticism to them!

Slowly, this arrangement helped me in certain other things also! I was introduced to Theatres at Delhi (like Kamal, Liberty etc) which screened once in a while Tamil films !

I still remember the emotionally choked moments when I first hear the title music of “Kaaki Chattai”, the very first film I saw in Delhi’s Kamal theatre ( a Kamal film in Kamal theatre!).

Later on the list grew more with Mouna Ragam, Sindhu Bairavi etc etc. Years later, I even became the member of the Delhi Tamil Film society.

Similarly, for the video shows arranged on holidays by these friends (sometime covering marathon two days also) I was also invited and I could continue to see IR films, as and when those were released ! As already explained earlier, I used to record the re-recordings of these films.

In short, what I could realize that, "I am not going to be deprived of my IR links, thoughts and memories etc, even at this far away land! "

But I was not going to be content with just the IR films and videos and cassettes!

I have to do something more, that’s about my dream of learning WCM ! To understand more about IR!

Without clear cut method or approach, I still continued to try to collect some information on such feasibility of learning WCM at Delhi!

That day also came soon!

Autographed Moment

2006-07-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

Nyaana Thangame - Epilogue

2006-07-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

For Twenty two years this treasure remained within me.

Now I have given them further lease of life by this sharing. Hope people understand and abide by the sincereity, trust and purpose of this sharing by me!

Its just like, embedding the time capsules as much as possible in various locations of the world for future generation to get and learn and decide!

To learn and perceive about this wonderful composer, human computer, a perfectionist, self-demanding, and above all the simple human soul!

Even in those times, It was heard that IR recorded all the songs of "Mundhanai Mudichu" in one day!

He used to go on round-robin fashion in various floors of recording theatres and within two days completing the re-recordings of more than 4 to 5 films awaiting the festival releases two to three days ahead !

In spite of that, for an un-heard film of unknown artists, he was making such rigorous efforts and put his heart out for this "Nyaana Thangame" song !

As I explained earlier, I didnt know the film name as "Raja Gopuram". After that day, I used to have constant watch on all his musical releases to find this song! Months later I got the casette and heard this song.

Frankly speaking, I was not satisfied with the ouput quality of this song in the cassette. I could find a lot more "details" missing and not reaching my ears!

I know this was there ! I know that was there. Where they have gone ??

Thus, the reality struck within me and the learnings I had from these are:

Whatever we normally hear and perceive is not the ultimate !

Something still best of best has already happened and might have been missing to reach us!

If I am so stunned and happy with any IR song whose recording details I never knew, certainly some more absolutely beautiful things are still hidden inside !

Same way. every song that has not reached you or not so impressive to you in comparison with other songs, doesn't mean that it lacks technicality, sincerity or substance!

According to me there is no such thing as Good Song or Bad Song of IR !

There are only songs which you heard often (voluntarily or cumpulsorily) or song which you could not hear often (again voluntarily or other reasons). That's all !

Other associated trivias with Nyaana Thangame which I can add:

I remember to have given a request letter to IR (during the usual morning visit to his house) for an harmonium. (May look like a childish request now, but I never had any inhibition in asking that then! )

Also, I gave a sheet containing the pencil outline sketch of his portrait ( drawn by me based on one of the Kalki cover page) and requested for an autograph.

While smilingly, he signed the autograph on the sketch, the other request, as anticipated, remained with him with no reply.

May be, his permission to record the proceedings of the song, a consolation grant to me on that day!

But that indeed resulted in a great treasure which I can never forget in my life!

------------------------------

After this recordings, I could not visit him again (till 1987) as fate has decided other things for me.

Within few months from this fateful visit, fortunately (or unfortunately?! ) , I had a successful test and interview in one of the Central Public Sector undertakings (NHPC) and I had to move to Delhi by February 1985.

Saying Good Bye to TamilNadu was a painful decision but situation demanded that!

My long stint at Delhi, had memorable experiences which emerged due to my IR attachment!

Like the first IR song heard at Delhi, my first IR film seen at Delhi theatre, recording IR songs in cassettes during the "once-in-a-year" visits to TN, above all my initiation to WCM (theory) learnings all happened here !

Hope to record them in this blog soon !

Nyaana Thangame - Part-6 - Audio Clips No 20 to 26

2006-06-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

(Continued.......from Part-5)

So the Full Track is ready and Actual Voice recording to start…!

By this time, the lyrics written in beautiful hand writing in bold big letters reached the hands of IR.

He reads and reads…and absorbs the song entirely with its due emotions in his back of mind !

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pallavi :

Nyaana Thangame … …. Nyaana Thangame
En paattai kelamma …… Nyaana Thangamme

Maram Onnu Nattu Vachen Nyaana Thangame
Kanneeril Thanner vitten Nyaana Thangame
Maram Eno Pazhudhaa Pochu Nyaana Thangame
Kodi Vandhu Thunaiyaa Aacchu Nyaana Thangame (Nyaana Thangame…)

Charanam-1:

Kizhinjaalum Saaya Chelai Vilakkukku Thiri yagum
Aruthaalum Korap pullu Azhagaana Paayaagum
Manusha Jaadhi Nyaayam mattum Veru Veru
Sumathangi dhaan Mannil Saanjaa thanguvadharu
Thanni ulla varaikkum kokku irukkum
Kulam vathi ponaa kokku parakkum
Uravellam pagal mosam
Adi podi ellaam vehsam (Nyaana Thangame….)

Charanam-2 :

Kalangaadhe Nyaana Penne Kanneerum yEnamma
Naadaanda Mangammavum Un pola Pennamma
Annaalil thaan Kannagi pola un kadhai aachu
Karaiyeri thaan kendaigal rendum pogudhippodhu
Oorukkulle inge yaarum illaiyo
Indha Mazhai penjum eeram illaiyo
Thalaraadhe Thalumbadhe
Edhir kaalam Nee dhan Penne (Nyaana Thangame…….)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The balance AudiClips are given below :

File-20-RA / File-20-MP3

File-21-RA / File-21-MP3

File-22-RA / File-22-MP3

File-23-RA / File-23-MP3

File-24-RA / File-24-MP3

File-25-RA / File-25-MP3

File-26-RA / File-26-MP3

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clip-20 : IR starts his Rehearsals for recording!

While Emy is getting ready with the minus-voice tracks for the actual song recording, IR is checking the Lyrics and rehearses the words with tunes and matches each other !

Also, he formulates his way of expressions and modulation of lyrical lines.

Clip-21 : IR records the Pallavi lines!

IR is checking Pallavi lines with his own way of expressions, which has a little bit of roughness and more folkish, or like some elderly old village fellow!

(IR’s expressions somehow sounded like “Oorengum Mazhaiyaachu…” viruthams in the beginning of prelude of Krishnachander-Janaki song “Poovadai Kaatru..” to me).

May be according to IR, the situation of the present film (Raaja Gopuram) demanded that kind of expressions.

But he seeks the opinion of the Director whether it is OK and later changes to smooth normal one.

See the range of difference he exhibits in his voice instantly.

He straight away get into the Take mode and instruct Emy and Pallavi got recorded.

Clip-22 : IR Rehearse and record First Charanam!

Same grueling takes and re-takes of step-by-step improvisation from Pallavi to first charanam etc.

Nobody is available in the studio except Emy and myself in console and IR in his Singer glass chamber !

It goes on and on! Nearly two hours or so passed.

Why at all IR like MD has to put himself into such strict rigorous exercises ?

Clip-23 : Pallavi+First Charanam+Second Charanam

Now hear the take of full song !

Meanwhile, all my batteries of tape recorder getting drained out, the battery level indicator becomed feeble…! I was only praying for the best and continuing my recording !

You can visualize my position !

Quality of Remaining audio clips will further bother you ! Anyway continue….!

Clip-24 : Again Fine tuning his expressions in Charanam

Never say No spirit of IR is something amazing !

In the lines of Charanams, “sumaithaangi dhaan mannnil saanjaa ….” and “Annaalil dhaan Kannagi pola…” he desires some gamakams in his expressions would be better.

He practices to himself, how it should have been!

So he will again change those two lines in the charanams and will go for another repeats!

Clip-25 : Re-Take for Fine tuning Charanams

He asks for Emy to again repeat those two lines of Charanams and synchronise his corrections.

Emy locates from the recorded take, the lines wanted by IR and just like we erase and re-write in our Word file, IR & Emy corrects the paricular written track for a few words!

Re-take done with corrections and checked.

Clip-26 : Final Okayed Version at Studio

Atlast, by night eight o’clock or so the session was completed.

This is the final version which was cleared on that day!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A song has born ! For disappearing into time & space !

Whether my blog & postings will give a re-birth ?

And will this song get its dues ?

Do the readers of this blog will have to do something ?

Am I greedy ?

Am I doing something wrong by posting this here ?

Let the time answers those queries !

Nyaana Thangame - Part-5 - Audio Clips No 11 to 19

2006-06-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

(Continued .......from Part-4...)

Link for the Audio Clips 11 to 19 given here:

MP3 files / Real Audio Files :

File-11-MP3 / File-11-RA

File-12-MP3 / File-12-RA

File-13-MP3 / File-13-RA

File-14-MP3 / File-14-RA

File-15-MP3 / File-15-RA

File-16-MP3 / File-16-RA

File-17-MP3 / File-17-RA

File-18-MP3 / File-18-RA

File-19-MP3 / File-19-RA

Comments/Notes for the above clips :

Clip-11 : Re-Take from Prelude – Full Song tried as Track

Some more progresss…!

Having listened to so many times the individual rehearsals, now you can easily comprehend the whole song by yourself. Which you may find very satisfactory! Not for IR..!

Clip-12 : Suggestion for Change in Thaala nadai in Pallavi also

Discussion on the change in Thaala Nadai in the Pallavi lines after third line as well as before repetition of Pallavi lines!

Also, somebody on his own tries some beautiful rhythmic addition with his guitar in the Pallavi … just like that..!

IR notes that and comes to know that is by none other than Sadhaanand..(Son of famous erstwhile music director Sudarshanam) He asks Sadhaa to continue that…! Ni Sa Sa…ting-tong-tong… in the Pallavi!

Clip-13 : Change in Thaala nadai in Pallavi Rehearsed

Now the thaala nadai and Guitar improvisation suggestion (tha-thak-thaaa…) is added with percussion rhythm also and rehearsed.

Clip-14 : Full Song Take

Changed thaala nadai and Guitar improvisation effected.

Full song Take is done

(Note the dilrooba improvisation in the second interlude done earlier, is missing now somehow)

Clip-15 : Complete Song Re-take

The complete track song is now ready..! Almost Ready…! ??????

Clip-16 : One More Improvisation-Triangle

Most of the players have left the hall, as take is almost over…! After hearing the recorded track fully, IR feels the 2nd interlude Guitar-Dilrooba duet needs some fillings.. Triangle sound in between the Guitar phrases will be nice. So he asks for the triangle and its player.
But some unexpected problems start….!

Clip-17 : Complete Song Minus Voice Track checked by Emy & IR

Now your Master set is ready without Voice track…(like Karaoke..) ! Sundarrajan has done h is job!

Thank you Sundararajan….!

You can hear the 2nd interlude very clearly without the percussion!

Clip-18 : Guitar-Triangle-Dilrooba Re-take !

Triangle player rehearses after checking the Shruthi of Triangle….!

While recording takes for triangle it was realised by Emy and IR that Dilrooba track got erased erroneously!

So when IR wanted to add the triangle, Dilrooba portion was not able to be retrieved in the minus-track situations. Controlling his emotions, IR asks for the dilrooba to be played and recorded again.

So Dilrooba player was again called inside the hall and one more time got recorded alongwith Guitar-Triangle combination.

Such critical situations do happen! But without compromising IR again demands patiently and gets what he wants!

Clip-19 : Dilrooba-Triangle recorded and Checked

Atlast the 2nd interlude in entirety is over…!

So the Full Track is ready and Actual Voice recording to start…!

Nyaana Thangame - Part-4 - Audio Clips No 6 to 10

2006-06-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Nyaana Thangame (Continued from Part-3.....)

The links for the Audio Clips 6 to 10 are below:

MP3 Versions

File-o6-MP3

File-07-MP3

File-08-MP3

File-09-MP3

File-10-MP3

Real Audio Versions

File-o6-RA

File-07-RA

File-08-RA

File-09-RA

File-10-RA

My notes/comments for the above given below:

Clip-6 : Getting Ready for Take

IR gives instruction to Viji regarding keyboard fill-up…!

Then some clarifications from guitarists regarding chords whether E & F or E-minor & F, which he approves and say "very good..!"

IR decides to start the Takes…!

Orders for traditional ritual, Coconut breaking… Getting reply that somebody has gone for procuring Coconut…!

So everybody to wait..!

In the mean time, IR again tries to improvise and orders Sundararajan to change the Charanam ending with cut in the flow and to continue….!

And tabla also follows this cut-start technique! Sample format played by the players are approved with IR saying to start with cut at first "Samam" (first beat of a bar) itself….!

Meanwhile, more than Director and Producer IR starts worrying about an important situation with Mimicry, for which some specialist is required which is not arranged by the concerned…!

He reminds the Director about the status, and get reply that it will be arranged next day…!

IR instruct Sundararajan not to sing last one line before the Pallavi ends and interlude starts..!

[This is essential for actual voice recording (to be sung by IR later) for which track of Sundara rajan needs to be erased or superimposed… so that no leftover/overlap of the track singer portion happens, in case actual singer cut shorts or adjust his portion…

You can follow this modification in the track of Sundararajan singing hereafterwards…!]

Again the Producer and his Son (teen aged boy!) arrives and introduced to IR .

Again they were also reminded by IR about the seriousness of the mimicry situations..!

IR is more than a Composer / MD. He goes to the extent of fulfilling any Director/Producer would have wanted or should have taken care off!

It was again proved to me later in another re-recording (Paasap Paravaigal) witnessed by me 4 years later!

Clip-7 : Actual Take Starts

All instruments openings checked…

Special effects at Start got into rigorous take and re-takes….!

All the thunders, wind etc created in the keyboards by Viji, Also, he fills up in between in another key board..!

With two hands he handles arrays of keyboards at a time… which are pre-set for specific Tones! A treat to watch..!

As the Track having this special effects is concentrated at the recording console now, it appears that all other instruments like Shenoy etc are suppressed..!

But others are also equally getting recorded well in other tracks..!

Whole Prelude is getting recorded as take!

Clip-8 : Journey from Prelude to Pallavi to Part of First Interlude

Now, to proceed step-by-step from prelude and onwards…!

IR gives instruction to Viji regarding special effects adjustment…!

Note that Sundarajan does not sing the last line of Pallavi before the interlude starts as instructed by IR earlier.

IR instructs the improvisation (trill kind of effect) in interlude humming “Araari ro oh oh oh….”

Clip-9 : Re-take from beginning to Complete First Interlude

Re-take continues.

Note now in the present version of Pallavi lines getting tried, there is no cut-and-continue technique in tabla rhythm (as was instructed for the Charanam endings by IR).

Later this portion also IR will change for the Pallavi tabla rhythm like he did for the Charanams.

Clip-10 : Re-take from beginning to Complete First Interlude

As worried by some distortions, instructions was given to Viji by IR regarding the tonal effect of keyboard tone that comes in the end of First interlude….!

Adjustment of Volume and Echo effects to the pre-set tones…!

Checking with Emy, the Sound engineer !

Adjustments at both Keyboard level (by Viji) and Console level (by Emy) checked & re-checked!

Everything electronics! Perfection matters and demanded and got by IR!

Nyaana Thangame - Part-3 - Audio Clips No 1 to 5

2006-06-26T05:14:00.000-07:00

Here we go ! ( Continued from Part-2.....)

But with a word of utmost Caution ! Rather my sincere request to all !

This exercise is basically to demonstrate the hardwork and sincerity involved by IR and his team-members (the real jewels) in creating a song, which many of you might have not got the opportunity to know!

All the Copyrights and related ownerships rights etc etc rests with the concerned owner of the songs and creator, composer etc etc as the case may be!

This is only provided for the individual listening pleasure only and not for making any copies or propagating with commercial purposes! I sincerely request all the readers to obey the related law of the lands!

Click Below for the audio clips (in RA or MP3 as per your requirement):

Clip-1: Rehearsal of First Interlude

Click Here for File-01-Mp3

or

Click Here for File-01-RA

As Sundararajan, usually the Master Teacher of the voice portions to Solo singers and Chorus singers, teaches and rehearse the humming by the lady voice in the first interlude.

Flute piece follows

Clip-2: Second Interlude Rehearsal

Click Here for File-02-Mp3

or

Click Here for File-02-RA

IR requests Dilrooba rehearsal. Sundararajan teaches from the hall in front of Dilrooba inst, and IR from console requests the gamakam improvisation! Da-Dada-Dan….. Da-Dada-Dan… …..

(please note this wonderful improvisation done by IR in Dilrooba which was followed in rehearsal, but by the time, final take was completed after some 3 hours, this was lost…..!!!)

Again IR checks with Sadhaa of Guitar portion of the fill-up and the Guitar portion that covers the Shadjam to Upper Octave shadjam… Sa-SA’ SA’ SA’ da da daaaaaa….. and improvises that !

Clip-3: Second Interlude Rehearsal Continues …!

Click Here for File-03-Mp3

or

Click Here for File-03-RA

Here Dilrooba+Sadhaa’s Guitar Rehearsal Continues…. Lead Guitar melody is repeated by Flute also. Then Guitar ends its Melody line..

But please watch carefully, the guitar ending is plain initially and IR finds something can be filled up, and so he will ask Viji, the key board player to fill up, which he instantly adds…!

And IR asks Sundarajan to continue the outline track and also tell him that between charanam 8 bars Pallavi…. Also remind him of “Ga Ma Paaa….”

Clip-4: Getting Ready for Track recording

Click Here for File-04-MP3

or

Click Here for File-04-RA

Every player tries their instruments openings…Special effects also getting ready etc…

Clip-5: Track Recording – overall rehearsal

Click Here for File-05-Mp3

or

Click Here for File-05-RA

Here for the first time you hear the glimpse of whole song in its track form!

Sundararajan starts his Thaanae Thandhaane rehearsals….!

My sincere tributes this beautiful person, who was following IR like a shadow; He expired recently!

Listen to the excellent bass guitar and xylophones, which you cannot hear in the actual released song to this level of clarity!

Also, follow the tabla rhythm, which is plain and simple throughout…. including the Pallavi to first interlude interface as well as Charanam-Pallavi interfaces.

IR later changes the tabla-dafla rhythms in these interfaces with specific instructions…..!

So Listen carefully….!

Raaja Gopuram - Nyaana Thangame - Part-2

2006-06-26T03:56:00.000-07:00

(Continued from Part-1.....)

Data of Song:

Period : September (?) 1984, Afternoon Session
Studio : Prasad

Song Recorded: Nyaana Thangame
Film : Raaja Gopuram

Sung by : Ilaiyaraaja
Lyrics by : Not known

Situation in film : Not known

Raagam : Maayaa Maalava Gowla

Instruments used : Keyboards (Viji), Lead Guitar (Sadhaa), Bass Guitar, Rhythm Guitars, Shenoy (Subaan), Dilrooba, Mandolins, Flute (Sudhaakar), other Rhythms like Xylophones, triangles, etc and group of Percussions-mainly tabla, and folkish dafla etc.

Voices : Sundararajan for track and a lady is humming in interlude! Then IR sings the actual song

(Initial approx 20 audio clips, explains the track recording that went on, and later IR starts singing the actual song!)

At Recording Console : Emy, the sound engineer and IR.

(myself standing all the time in the corner of that console room where one of two tall big speakers was standing, and I was inches away from the speaker, the sound of which was mind, heart and body blowing !

After that listening, no music systems in this world will give you that quality of listenings!

Of course, my poor tape-recorder could not absorb that much sound, like famous Salangai Oli Kamal’s camera, as he says! That' may be another reason for the poor audio quality)

Scheme of the Song

Just small brief about the Scheme of the Song :

The Prelude starts with the stormy, windy, thundering special effects, then the shenoy straight away plunges you with a deep gloomy mood, the ending of which is supported by the folkish mandolins-uklee type instruments

The Pallavi is the catchy and effective tune and tabla-dafla duo rhythms supported by beautiful bass guitar & echoing xylophone rhythms.

The first interlude starts with melodic humming of “Aarari Aari Aaro” by a lady, followed by melancholic flute pieces and ended with flute-mandolin duet.

Charanam continues the theme of the song effectively covering all the ranges of the raagam, again supported by the bass guitar, xylophone combination faithfully following the entire charanam in the background

The shortened pallavi is repeated

The 2nd interlude starts with Guitar-Dilrooba duet, which will unnerve you with its melancholic melody, followed by Lead Guitar melody with Keyboard fill-ups.

The Charanam again repeated followed by the full Pallavi recitation.

Scheme of Recording :

The Scheme of Recording is as follows:

Initial rehearsals of Preludes, Pallavi, Interludes, charanam,Voice parts etc

Then the track recording starts with individual instruments checking, special effects checking, again prelude, interludes etc

Then the actual Take starts.

Improvisation in each steps tirelessly, effortlessly continue as per the instantaneous instructions from IR.

Takes after takes to consolidate each of the section continues, and finally track recording is over.

By this time the Lyrics arrive and IR starts rehearsing for the lyrics part matching his tune.

Some confusion, mix-ups of voice track plus instrument is realized and again corrections done.

Then IR starts his takes of the actual songs, Pallavi, Charanam-1 and 2 etc.

Again Improvistaion in his own expressions of songs, Modulations of voice etc.

And the recording ends !

The approximately 70 minutes of the tape recording represents the actual 6 hours plus time spent on this song including the various breaks, tapes synchs and replays etc.

Finally the film and song both went unnoticed.

But not anymore with you people who listen this 70 minutes of 70 MB audio files now, and will remember the same for another 70 years !

Since, initially I was in the recording hall as usual, I COULD NOT RECORD SOME OF THE INITIAL PORTIONS. In fact I never had the faintest idea that I will record that.

But fortunately on that day I had the recording set. And I made that Instant Decision !

Later I derived the courage and entered the console room and asked the permission of IR to be there, which he nodded with his approval.

Again after spending some more minutes, I asked permission to record the proceedings there which he approved with hesitation.

(Like the story of Camel which asked for the space for its tail in the tent...and then occupied entire tent!)

So, the first clip starts with rehearsal of humming in the first interlude ! Though some portion was lost initially, Better Late than Never !

All other trivia, I will write later then and there, as listening to the recordings is more important now !

Here we go !

( To be Continued.... in Part-3 )

Raaja Gopuram - Nyaana Thangame - Part-1

2006-06-26T03:28:00.000-07:00

Raja Gopuram……!

Just the name itself, brings the majestic Srirangam Raja Gopuram in our mind.

Whenever I had the opportunity to visit the Srirangam Temple, I used to stand near that Gopura Vaasal and read the names written who donated wherein name of IR is written as the one who donated for the 7th floor.

And with pride I used to recollect, that my donation of Rs 20, (the very first note of from my very first salary) is also part of that donation!

When I joined PWD in 1983, there were a lot of news items that IR conducts a lot of live musical shows in various towns for collection of the donation towards that temple. So I decided to donate from my very first salary I earned in my life!

I sent an Indian Postal Money Order for Rs 20, which was signed by Mrs Jeevaa Ilaiyaraaja and I got that receipt with me. In fact that was starting point for my collection of IR address and the subsequent visits to IR later !

But Raaja Gopuram has another special meaning to me!

After the title song of Nalla Naal, the next real Nalla Naal of life happened when I had the opportunity to witness the song recording of “Nyaana Thangame” from the film "Raaja Gopuram" ….!

That was an amazing experience which I could not forget through out my life !

That’s so because, I could record the most of the proceedings of that five to six hours of wonderful moments (of course with the permission of IR)!

That cassettes I never shared with anybody earlier for the past 20 years, (except that some two years back, I presented a copy of that to Dr Vijay, founder president of IR-Yahoo group).

Now, I am going to share that with all of you now through this blog !

After a long logistics related struggle, the present arrangement is made with the help of valuable help of CRV and Siva to whom I always remain grateful!

With myself remaining at West Bengal, the cassette traveled from Hosur (Shankar-Usha) to Arcot (Ramkumar) to Muscat (Venky) and then MP3 conversion at amazing speed and excellent parsing into small files and titling by Venky and again to USA (Siva) and now hosted in RA and MP3 forms by Siva in his site for your listening pleasure!

(I have justified my long gaps in between postings!!!)

For many of you, the poor audio quality will be causing concern, but please bear with me and we have to be content with that as the 20 year old treasure on a few ten rupees cassettes recorded with a mono handy tape recorder, and the subsequent copy makings to keep preserving the contents etc cannot promise you more than this !

But still I can promise that the contents are real treasures in educating many of us who have not got the opportunity of witnessing such recordings and the grueling efforts involved in a song creation!

Kindly use the headphones to listen to many of the in-audible things and try to listen as many times as possible !

You wont believe me, even after 20 years and repeated hearings, when I hear this even now, I could get something new in each time listening!

On my part, I try to provide the explanations in the form of hints for each of this audio clips to the extent possible, which will keep the interest in you growing!

There are 27 audio files totaling to about 70 MB (in MP3 formats).

In order to make it a smooth happenings I prefer to publish these audio clips in installments on each day by limiting each postings with 3 to 4 audio clips with my hints.

Please bear with me for this installment releases !

(continued.... in next Part-2)

Song Recording ! Nalla Naal Title Song !

2006-06-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

(Those who are fed up with the long gap in between my writing, and want to beat me, has to read the last sentence of this postng and shall be able to forgive me, I hope !)

Last week I was fortunate enough to accidentally "discover" the safely kept single page which was torn and separated from the office diary of 1984 which shows me the particulars something like this:

Date : 26-June-1984
Time : 3:00 PM
Venue : Prasad Studio
Occasion : “Nalla Naal” song recording

This page contained the autograph of Mr Sudhakar, the flute expert in IR’s group.

Mostly, to remember the details of this autograph, I might have entered the above particulars and that incidentally helped me now to recall the above particulars.

Otherwise I am struggling to recollect the other associated details. Because, the song recorded on that day had left in me a strong impression in my memory rather than other trivial things, which were by this time appeared to me a repetitive of what I witnessed previously.

If I remember correct, this time when I met IR in his residence in the early morning, I made a shaashtaanga namaskaram and handed over a ‘big’ packet of “kungumam” which I received on the previous day as a prasaadam from the temple at Palacode.

My prayer to God on the previous day to meet him was ‘sanctioned’ and made into a reality.

I could not remember what went wrong with me in the morning session and how & why I entered the wrong recording hall!

But when I entered, I witnessed the re-recording of MSV for the film “Sirai”.

(I hope this happened during this visit only, I have to check up whether Nalla Naal and Sirai released on the same day!

Still I continued inside that hall and during break time I tried to find out the details of IR recordings).

Anyhow, I could see a “huge’ difference between both the re-recordings of IR and MSV. Those details are out of scope of the present topic of the blog and for obvious reasons I am not discussing them here!

But what was so impressive to me till to date was that happened outside the studio on the corridor where both MSV and IR meet each other.

The “veshti madicha kattiya, gambeeramaana” senior King, MSV, and the “baya bakthi” IR exchanging pleasantries!

They were the two utterly simple people with utmost mutual respects for each others! A wonderful scene to witness!

So, whenever I used to hear the mud-slinging in the forums etc about MSV vs IR, I used to remember this scene.

Somehow, around lunch time, I got the right hall, and when I entered the studio lounge, and had to wait for the existing recording works were over, I could hear the “powerful” re-recording music which already going on inside the hall.

At the same time, in another nearby room, I could hear the songs “Othayile Pen kudhirai” and “Hoon Hoon, Venaam Venaam” both repeatedly getting played as if some editing and checking works were going on.

As usual I never had any idea of the film of these songs for quite a couple of weeks, till I heard that in some other shop and came to know that these were from “Nalla Naal”.

But to my disappointment when the recording session was over and when I wanted to enter the hall, I came to know that it was already lunch break.

So I had to wait till 3 PM.

When the afternoon session started, again this time also I could remain in the main hall only (not in the console room).

I could see Vaali and IR sitting together there in the console room.

This time it was the song recording, and I felt I was lucky since last time I saw the re-recording of a film and this time a song recording.

The song was “Nalla naalai nambi iru” and IR himself sang that.

But what I witnessed for the first time was the track recording. Earlier, I never had the idea that music tracks and the voice tracks are being done separately.

The entire song was first recorded with the Violin playing the voice track portion (played by Narasimhan) and then IR replacing them later with his voice.

I could guess, that should be the title song. It was a very nice and soothing song which will make you melt away!

It was in minor scale/Abheri and in 7/8 taalam, just like the counter part “kaalidaasan kannadaasan” song.

With a beautiful opening of Shenoy in prelude and in the interludes excellent keyboard phrases and fast paced arpeggios, beautiful flute pieces by Sudhaakar,

And if I am correct, some “asareeri” type humming was there in the interlude which was sung by Mr Saibaba (son of legendary actor Baalaiyya), who was the regular, rhythm-guitar player with IR!

Yet it was so simple and captivating. What to say, it just swayed me !

This time I saw Mr Purushottaman, the drummer, fondly called as “Puru” was conducting the rehearsal and takes after the initial composing by IR.

Again, it was a wonderful divine experience, to see a “creation” going on in an utterly silence & disciplined environment.

The way Viji was playing the two keyboards simultaneously and the flow was amazing!

First time, I saw the instrument “Santoor”, which was played in the interludes !

I may be slightly wrong in the lyrics, but the pallavi of the song was something like this :

Nalla Naalai Nambi Iru
Nenje nee dhan konjam Poru
Neram Kaalam maari vidum
Thenral unnai thedi varum
Soorai-kaatril Paadhai maarum Odam
Thendral vandhaal karai vandhu sErum…….

In those period of struggling and worries to get a good job and various happenings in my personal life, somehow this lyrics was so mesmerizing and left a lasting impression in me and I felt that song was just written for me for that moment.

Anybody who listens to this song will feel that vibrations!

Unfortunately I could never listen to this song after that! Till now!

Hope somebody will get me that some day!

After a few months of that song recording, I once again got the opportunity of hearing to IR’s song recording….!

This time you will also "hear" that…..! Thanks to CRV !

Yet, one more time, wait please !

Recording of Re-recordings!

2006-06-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

After that life-time-happening of witnessing re-recording, that also of IR, for a few weeks I was in different state of mind!

Of course, I was a sort of “possessed” by the “re-recording devils" for quite some time.

Then onwards, whatever film I saw, I could imagine what would have happened in such re-recordings. I could, to some reasonable extent, anticipate when a BGM can start or end !

Of course, IR always deceives your expectations, real master thinker he is!
In fact, for obvious reasons, I could not share those experiences with others in my surroundings. Also, that was not the age of internet, blogs and Yahoo Clubs!

My only fellow soul-mate for such matters, ie Shankar was also at some distance and as usual busy with his TVS works!

The way many such things got buried within me, all are coming now only out in his blog! More than two decades after!

One related things happened after that was my efforts on IR-BGM recordings !

Though a digression, I wanted to share that with all of you!

During that period, I could lay my hand on a second-hand Sanyo mono-record player handset! This I started using extensively on my experimental re-recording capturing from Cinema theatres!

Those were thrilling, frustrating, yet rewarding experiences!

At that period of time, in 1984, at least myself, could not have believed that, future will be of Video Cassettes, VCD, DVD etc etc!

So with the enthusiasm of protecting and capturing IR’s BGM, I resorted to recording of BGMs from cine theatres itself.

I was an Engineer, salary earning, respectable fellow! But, whatever the high class ticket I purchased, I went to the front bench of the theatre and occupied the first few rows, with the handy tape recorder whcihc I concelaed in my pant pocket!

Another consideration was “investment” in purchasing of cassettes; after realising the limitations of such recordings, and the bulk cassettes requirements, I decided to purchase the ordinary (ten rupee) cassettes only.

Many a time, I saw the same film more than a couple of times, to gain some insight about the re-recordings, and then during 3rd or 4th visit, I used to record.

A couple of films like Mella Pesungal, Komberi Mookkan, Neruppukkul Eeram, Thambikku Endha Ooru etc. I recorded in that way, in the cine theatres of my native Tharamangalam.

Changing tapes, batteries etc. in between, pressing pause buttons on and off at appropriate time (all in the dark), viewing a giant sized image on the screen few yards away, hushing away with folded hands the cigerette & soft drink selling boys (who look curiously what I was doing, and purposely would raise his tone of selling knowing that it is getting recorded)…!

All those wonderful experiences I had, during those primitive way of capturing IR BGMs, one may not get now while recording BGMs using Computers and softwares!

Later, at Delhi, between 1985 to 1990s, during the “video cassettes” era also, whenever such screening of IR films arranged amongst our bachelor friends, I used to borrow some body’s tape recorder, and sat in the “front row” near the speakers of the TV (to the discomfort of friends and myself), and used to record for films like Punnagai Mannan, Mella Thirandhadhu kadhavu, Mouna Raagam, Mudhal Mariyadhai, etc.

Again the qualities of audio part of such videos were ranging from poor to average ! But still I continued my efforts!

Slowly, it occurred to me that, films and technology have reached the common man in his house itself, and anything is possible in future!

With that I gradually stopped the practice of (poor quality) recording of BGMs.

At those period, most of the time, as a lone pursuer, I was considered a ‘mad’ fellow by many of my friends. (In fact that was justified because, many thought I was sincerely recording the dialogues of films, but when they heard, it was other way around, all dialogues cut and only music was on the tape!)

Now, when I see the craze and the big gang of followers for even BGMs of IR, and the methodical, acquisitions and archiving of such wealth of IR in many forums and clubs, like MaestroMagic, I feel really happy! I express my sincere gratitude to all of them!

Anyway, my “Soorakkottai Singakutty” inspirations have traveled a lot of distance in space and time, along with me!

Then, it was the experiences of song recordings I witnessed in 1984s, which I must share with you!

Hope, you don’t mind waiting! Worth waiting!

Recording of Title Music of Soorakkottai Singakutty - Part-3

2006-06-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

The afternoon session continued with the re-recordings of the same film.

Before new screening started, clips of the re-recordings of morning session was screened just to have re-look what the final product is!

At this time, I had the pinch!

Because, I could sense, what appeared and remained a terrific stand-alone music in the morning, now got merged with the dialogues also, and I felt that, music is taking slightly a back seat! The majestic mind-and-ear-blowing sound of brass and percussions looked somewhat throttled now!

As a hard-core musical fan of IR, that was not acceptable to me! Just now, I heard the best part of it, and now itself, even in the primary Source theatre itself, it looks/hears somewhat subdued !

If so, what will happen when the another tracks of special effects (like dishyum–dishyum, ah- ooh , aah etc) are added, and again further distortion during Master print to Copies and finally when it lands in our theatre, what we are hearing will not even be 60% !

Really, a crushing depression set inside me at that moment!

Anyway, that’s part of the game! I wondered, even as a layman, I could feel like this, what would be the thinking of IR-like creator- experts!

For how many years he is sustaining all these non-senses and still keeping his spirit of creativity at its highest !

After that, a few more small clippings were screened and re-recordings completed in fast paced manner.

Then came the screening of titles of the film.

Again as a collage of some scenes, some title cards, some blank-fill-ups (which is to adjust the timing or some other titles to be written later etc), the basic canvas was ready and screened.

It was really lifeless to see such visuals without any sound and music, as we witnessed there!

But the Master had other things running inside his mind.

Within few minutes after the screen went blank and lights were on, he went on his writing mode! All the people started copying in their notebook.
This time the rehearsal and screening went side by side!

When the music joined the title being projected, I was simply awe-struck !

What I saw few minutes ago as just mere titles or some visuals, now with music, it conveyed some meaning, some emotions, some pre-determined sections etc within those titles also!

The parts, he made now me to feel were:

Initially, a few introductory slides like the Name of Productions, Presenters etc first in English and then in Tamil, form the first section of the title cards.
Secondly, the impact of the Name of the Hero, heroines and then other main actors are indicated. Here naturally, it needed the punch in the form of music also!
Then came all the other titles of actors, assistants etc.
Then next level of title cards show the Main technicians like, Cinematographer, Editor, Music Director etc etc.
Then finally came the climax titles of Producer and the Director!

Kindly believe me, the music he created in minutes, just like that, had all these sections and punches and rhythm changes etc etc all were exactly fitting the in and out of these title cards!

Many of these, were directly or indirectly related to the various re-recordings he was doing in the fore noon session as well as some of the songs that were part of that film!

Particularly, all of a sudden, for a specific portion of the titles, he changed the previously composed music and told the key board player and the drummer “Viji & Puru play that Tempo”. (I have to write a separate posting on all these wonderful people there !)

I didn’t know what these code languages were, but they immediately switched over to a fantastic speedy mode of music, which would have made anybody to dance automatically anything.

The sound and clarity in a recording hall, you will never never ever get it anywhere outside at any time, whatever sound system you may have !

Later, I realized that this piece of tempo was part of the song “Onnum Theriyaadha Paappa” from the same film !

It was an instant decision and change but fit the titles like anything!

Then started the rigorous process of takes and re-takes. The whole title music process started around 4-30 PM or so in the evening and went on till 7 PM in the night !

Thus, it took around more than 2 to 3 hours to finish a 5 to 7 minutes piece of film titles!

There were other things were also rolling in that hall in between which made me also to roll and jolt!

Being the final stage of any film making, by the time of title music re-recording started, many VIPs started coming and occupying the recording theatre in the console room!

Actor Prabhu was one main VIP whom I remember now. Then another gentleman, who started moving here and there in the recording hall itself was Shri Gangai Amaran.

In fact he took up a guitar and started playing along with the rhythm guitar section also for some time!

The GA , known to me are through the journals, and also the jovial comperer of any IR live orchestra, who was famous for his “kadi-jokes” etc.

So when he saw a stranger like me inside the hall with a surprised look, I just smiled and kept quite. But after some time, during the break, I saw him talking to some security/ assistant type of people and enquiring about me in sign language.

Now I got trembled ! So, the ultimate has come!

It was a pity, that if I could be allowed for a few more minutes, I could see that title music recording also full.

That inevitable thing anyway happened !

When, after the break, the next level rehearsal/take started, and IR was inside the hall, I saw somebody was just approaching me. In a quite hushing tone he asked me to vacate the hall.

From where I got the strength I didn’t know ! Since I had to lose nothing further, I just told him that I was admitted by IR, and on his permission only I am continuing there !

Now that fellow got into some dilemma and went back. Again I saw him approaching IR itself this time !

My blood started flowing in such pressure and I could hear my heart’s beat myself ! Not only that the fear of humiliation of getting evacuated, but the guilty feeling that I have became another distraction in IR’s concentrated working, both haunted me!

When the security assistant whispered something in IR’s ears, even without seeing me, IR waved his head and said something to that fellow!

So, now I have to know the IR’s reaction through the action of this fellow! But God’s grace, or its IR’s grace, that fellow just disappeared from the scene.

In the next moment of break, he just approached and asked to take some chair provided there in another corner, and be seated there rather standing there which may distract others !

So after nearly 10 hours of inside the studio I got regularised and watched the remaining title recordings peacefully!

Finally, IR asked the team to play Sa-Pa-Sa and thus came the ending! IR as usual vanished !

And I am slowly picking my bags and other things and started walking out of hall !

The hungry stomach started pinching me, but I was just humming the title tempo music and started walking out of the studio on the Vada Palani road!

The Day ended ! Not those Memories !

Birthday Wishes!

2006-06-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

To

Ilaiyaraaja !

Whose Music Is Beyond Anything One Can Imagine Under This Universe!

Many Many Happy Returns Of The Day!
Happy Birthday!

on behalf of all his fans!

CSR

Re-recording of Soorakkottai Singakutty - Part-2

2006-06-01T00:26:00.000-07:00

It was a pleasant shock to me !

For any first timer it will look like a magic!

They call it rehearsals, but you can see that as more than prefect for a final take !

You see, none of them talked with each other. Yet the communication was full and perfection to the core!

Whom shall I praise ?

The hands that waved magic or the brain that created ?

Or the artists who understand the brain-wave of IR even without talking?

Or the skills of the artists who gave that complicated output to the utmost perfection in single go?

Entharo Mahaanu Baavulu ! Antharikku Vandhanamu!

It's pity, they call it rehearsals! And further go on trying to improvise that ! It was an amazing attempt to attain perfection!

Within few minutes I understood that, what is going on is a section-wise checking.

First violin, then the brass, then the rhythm etc individually tried for the composed piece! Though it looks nice individually, you can not understand what is there in store as a whole.

While doing that, IR individually pointed out to the concerned, wherever he wanted, some changes, corrections, improvements etc. Again these are some few words/terminology which I cannot understand, sometime even some hand signs, that’s all, the communication is over! Keyboard, guitar, flute section etc, were not even checked initially !

Then the screening started ! Now, came the shock of my life !

When IR waved his hands to the orchestral team, at appropriate time, each of the individual/group of instruments came in, joined the others and went silence whenever required as per the communication of the Master Conductor, IR!

Synchronous to the Core!

And thus formed the re-recording which fit into the screened film,
with their due emotions,

matching the dialogues,
matching each movement of the fighting scenes,
the sudden silence [as IR cleverly anticipates that any of his music in this section of film will be a waste (like rolling of heavy vessels, sounds of heavy vehicles chasing etc. as usually happens in typical film sets of typical fighting scenes!)],
extend the flute alaapanai, or extend the violin notes at same level etc, when the change of scenes and shots taking place !

Everything fit to the perfection and the recording is over and the screen goes blank !

This is what the so called rehearsal!

Again there is a controlled break and artists disappear from the hall for some time. And IR got into the Console room and sat in front of it with the Sound Engineer!

When the team re-assembles, this time the Conductor is somebody different!

Initially, all the sound levels of individual instruments track by track checked.

Then the same screening starts and everything flows as usual.

But when you are seeing everything going perfectly, suddenly, the whole thing is coming to screeching halt!

I realised later that, since I was inside the hall, some the instructions which are flowing from console room I was not able to listen but it was reaching the Conductor through his headphone and so, as per the instructions of IR, he cuts short the conducting and halt is made.

Again it started, and this time the progress was a little bit more and again it was halted forcibly!

Later I realized, these were the processes of what they call as “Takes”, and each time some improvisation is made as per the requirement of the recording engineer as well as the music director and the perfection is built step-by-step!

Many of us are in professional career and we also follow a lot of quality assurance plan! But I will tell you, the things that are going in any field of film technologies, in no way inferior in the efforts of assuring that quality one can dream of! We the film viewers are not aware/ conscious of such efforts and whatever we see as the final product make our harsh comments on that!

IR in that way has disciplined the music field a lot and introduced utmost professionalism to the core!

Once upon a time, one has to demand and get that, and now it’s a part of the package and what you do is further improvising !

In that regard, the whole lot of TFM and for that matter, the whole Indian film industry including Hindi, who are professionally engaging all our technical facilities, are indebted for ever to IR!

Some of you, who might have seen the climax of “Soorakkottai Singakkutty” may not agree with my above views and these may look like I am hyping or glorifying IR.

But the fact is, the efforts went on are real and absolutely truthful, and what is to be seen is, irrespective of the film, IR gives his best!

During that forenoon session, two more portions of films also completed with re-recording, which are again the fighting sequence.

You wont believe me, IR amazingly fit the re-recordings of two different portions of the Climax fighting scenes to these two portions and they were excellently fitting!

Many of us watching the movie may not be realising that the pieces are same unless, you record the audio separately and listen to that ! This trend I saw later in many of the other BGMs !

Then the whole group dispersed for lunch break.

And I stuck to the same hall ! Till the crew returned by 3PM or so!

When IR took his usual central hall position, he surveyed around the hall with his eyes. When his sight fall on me, it stopped with some kind of surprise!

He asked in a controlled tone and with sign language “Sappitaacha??” With utter emotions bursting inside me, without distrurbing the silence of that hall, with sign language, I told my first lie to IR, “Yes!”

In that few seconds exchange of unspoken words, all my disappointments of that day early morning vanished away in moments!

IR the Man, never changes!

First Re-recording Witnessed - Part-1

2006-05-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

In fact, when I was witnessing the re-recording, I didn’t know about the name of the film. It was only in the late evening, as a last piece of recording, the title music was getting recorded; and at that time, I came to know the film name as "Soorakkottai Singakutty"

Many of you might have seen the films Raaja Paarvai, Nizhalgal etc in which the typical recording hall and other arrangements were shown.

Let me recall the one I witnessed on that day.

It’s a rectangular type of small hall, on one side the projecting room and console room is situated and opposite to that is the medium size screen.

Rectangular glasses are seen on the sides of the side-walls, which show us there are small rooms behind that hall, from where the people can “see” what is happening in the hall and vice versa! These rooms are mainly meant for the singers and the chorus team and some time certain groups of instruments are played from there also!

In the hall other than centre portion, some isolated groups of instruments are housed with the chairs and instrument/note stands arranged for the specific instrumentalists!

Generally what I remember to have seen are the sections of Keyboards, Lead and Rhythm guitars, Percussion instruments, Violin (Strings) groups, Flutes (Woodwind) groups etc are accommodated in the hall, all of them generally can easily face the screen as well as the central area.

As I could guess from my logical sense, most of these instruments in that hall are either directly connected through cable to the console or instruments that will make gentle or mild sound and can co-exist without disturbing the other. Main singing voices and choral voices are accommodated in the individual glass rooms for more clarity.

Some of you might have guessed now and felt the shortcomings of being in the main recording hall. i.e.

You Can Only Hear Some Partial Music that are going on from that hall!

It’s so because, keyboard, Guitar type of instruments when the cable is connected in them, immediately they are muted and the sound can be heard only in the console room.

Similarly, voices behind the glass room also directly goes to the console and again you can’t hear them if you are in the hall!

So, it’s the violins, flutes and the rhythms that are what reaching you directly, whose sounds are picked up by powerful microphones fitted near them.

But don’t worry; at the time of rehearsal all the instruments are available for you to hear!

Now the central portion is obviously meant for IR with his Harmonium and the chair for him.

When I entered the hall, most of the arrangements were ready, but the people were not there except the boys who arrange them and connecting and checking the cable, the crew which was checking the film clips to be screened etc. I had taken refugee near the area where the Keyboards and guitars were kept.

Slowly people started entering the room and took their positions. They are the people of so jovial and blast and enjoy nature and all the things that go with them cannot be explained! You may feel as if you are in a College class room, before the period starts!

But suddenly everything went off and a forced silence crept in, which I could not believe or understand why, what happened to them!

Then I realized that IR has just entered! The discipline you witness there is unprecedented!

He took his seat and immediately the hall lights were dimmed and the screening started!

Firstly, the selected film clipping started rolling without any kind of sound! It was a totally new experience, as if you are viewing a movie in a TV after pressing the mute button!

If you have VCD/DVD player try that! See a particular significant portion of the movie without the sound and then again with sound! You will realize what the sound and music means to a film!

As I could guess, the portion is that from the Climax. A few emotional scenes between Vijayakumari (VK) and Prabhu both tied to pillars and villain and gang laughing and witnessing the drama. After full throated emotional outburst of VK, Prabhu break open the shackles with the whole pillar coming down and there starts the fighting for about 10 minutes with police & others finally arriving and the film to end!

So many time such scenes are scene in films, but this time I was seeing them without any sort of sound in a mini-screen and of us witnessing them in utter silence except a few comic scenes in fighting (including VK’s emotional outburst moment) when some smiles and gentle laugh came from some of the people !

I also saw a lot of markings of circles and cross marks in the corner of the film appearing and dis-appearing ! After this climax scene, a few more clippings from the same film was also screened ! With all bits and pieces, you cannot make it out what the film is or what its actual story!

Once this cycle is over, once the again screening process started after re-rolling the films in the projector!

This time I could hear all the dialogues at the appropriate place. Now it made a little more sense to me! But again there were no other music or any kind of sounds like fighting sounds, dashing etc! Again you feel very awkward to see a whole lot of fighting scene in such a silence atmosphere! You will simply loose interest to watch any film in such conditions!

Once the complete screening is over, the light went on full, and feeble whispering noises of small conversations started in the hall, with people getting up and many moving out of the hall !

I was totally puzzled, what is happening there!

We start with a climax, and also without any sound and after that all people getting up and go out and the hall returned to utter silence!

But to my surprise, IR didn’t go out, rather now he took some notebook kept on his harmonium and took his pencil and started writing something making the harmonium as his desk!

He was in such a deep thinking and went on writing as if he was possessed by something!

A few handful of artists, went near him with their notepad pencil etc and some took the chairs and sat near him and others stood surrounding him, as if a steno is standing and ready to take dictation!

I was not having the guts to go near and see what he is writing but just keep on watching the process of his writing and others standing over and looking over his neck and copying what he is writing.

This process went on for some 15 to 20 minutes! He finished his writing and the others were still continuing copying!

A few doubts among others and some exchanges of words and the process are over!

And now, even IR and his remaining gang got up and went out of the hall!

What is happening and where is the music and where is the recording?

Shall I also go out and see? But I didn’t do that as I believed that if I leave the hall, I may not get back into the hall once again!

So what? I instructed to myself “Stick to your place and just wait for the things to happen!”

And when people re-assembled after this break, every one of them had their portion of sheets ready in front of them and few tried them and that’s the fist time I heard some musical sound on that day! Again it didn’t make any sense to me!

But after a few minutes, again the silence gripped the hall.

Then IR entered and went to the centre of the hall and put his headphone on his head. After a few tense moments among the players in that hall, he turned towards the violin group and started waving his hands and thus came the Magic!

Magic of music! Created by God of Music!

What to say, one can die at that instant moment!

My purpose of Birth was already over on that day!

Visits of 1983-84 - Part-2

2006-05-26T03:50:00.000-07:00

The car vanished away !

His assistants were waiting for me to leave so that they can close the door.

A shattered body, with all its soul and brain refusing to function further, was standing still there. By nature, and as per my normal way of thinking, I should have told myself to catch the next bus and return.

But not so, in the case of IR related matters! Any difficulties, any humiliations not to matter much, because its worth to attempt all possibilities before accepting the failure !

I must be a different man now, think something and act somehow, come what may be, I shall attempt! I became a different man then suddenly.

I just asked for the details with the people there, what is meant by “Studio” as IR told, and where it is situated and how to go.

Fortunately, they were very helpful and I could realize that I must go to Vada Palani area and make further attempts there!

Where there is a will, there is a way!

I just got out of the house, and though I was hungry, now the time is only to do something else!

So just walked to the nearest bus stand, and after enquiring got into the town bus for Vada Palani.

While traveling, I saw the huge hoardings of cine posters containing IR’s face etc. on both sides of the road, and got into the deep thinking “Can I make it today?”

Very soon, I was shaken up by the conductor asking me get down and then I realized that this place is so near to T-Nagar.

Again after enquiries with the passerby, I walked towards the studio.

That was AVM’s studio, which was quite some distance from the bus stand, where I got down wrongly!

It was around 7-15 or so, when I was near the main gate of the studio, again there were certain worries and hesitations within me cropped up, whether I will be thrown out ! (as usually shown in films etc.).

But, with some courage and determination, I just walked inside, without bothering for those gatekeepers etc. To my surprise nobody asked anything.

I felt, unlike main film personalities, like hero and heroines, during that early hours of a day, security people were not much worried for other techincal people's entry and exit! Later I realized, at that early hours, all these things may be some routine for them.

After walking a quite long road within that area (which many of you might have seen in films), I reached near the actual building where the recording theatre was situated.

Here also, with the same blind gate-crashing I got inside the buildings. It was a lounge kind of thing, from where doors to various rooms and recording hall etc were situated.

I waited a few moments there, thinking that IR will arrive there after some time. But I saw people were getting in and out often in a particular room. Whose doors were remain closed.

With some courage, when I peeped through the small glass panel located in the door, I was astonished to see IR and his few selected crew members who were already on some kind of composing job, though I could not hear what is going on inside that closed room !

Slowly, the realization dawn on me that IR was rushing in the morning for his composing job only!

I started feeling highly guilty, that I had interrupted him while he was getting into the car in that morning! How much concentration and mood control etc are required for a composer and creator, and such interventions would certainly be hampering anybody!

Like any ordinary person would have imagined about a music director (as per the hearsay and usual articles of magazines etc), I also thought in that way, and got into deep thoughts of how to minimize my intervention and at the same time shall see those recordings etc.

Remember, still I was on the lounge area only and it was around 7-45. I also saw some people were coming and going through other door also. After few moments, I gate crashed, one last time, into other double door system, alongwith somebody who was just entering that.

I realized that I have landed in the re-recording hall and what was awaiting me there was the re-recording of some film!

The air-conditioned environment, the silence, and other set-up there sent a chill in me!

First and foremost thing for me to do was to quickly settle in some corner safely, without attracting other’s attention, and I exactly did that!

And got myself stuck in that hall throughout that day ! No food, No water ! Till Night !

But remained there ! As I was amply rewarded otherwise of my efforts!

My first lesson of re-recording fundas, I got on that day !

That of “SoorakkOttai Singakutty !”

Second Series of Visits of 1983-84 - Part-1

2006-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

While settling at PWD, Palacode, I could realize that I can not settle there for a long time!

The discomforts of a government job, particularly like PWD, are obvious, and thus my struggle to shift from the job started in full swing.

This necessitated a lot of applications and writing exams of various companies, public sector and central government organization etc.

This made me a frequent visitor to Bangalore and of course to Chennai also as these were standard exam centres located South. In the last quarter of 1983 and the next year, this process continued

Chennai visits had in fact a hidden agenda, and no marks to guess that !

Yes, Chennai visit means darshan of IR, and all exams, interviews are secondary. (Now, you can conclude, why I was going on writing exams without success for more than 2 years ! I had to !)

This second series of visits during 1983 & 84 were characteristically, totally different from my first visit of 1978 ! For obvious reasons, of course !

While my memory fails to recollect exact sequence of happenings, date and time etc. I am having a collage of colorful memories overlapping with each other.

But certain things were common in all these visits!

First and foremost thing is, I could never had a free one-to-one discussion at all with him, even though I might have spent hours in the recording hall and in the console room!

It’s totally a divine experience, which makes you dumb! May be like Kamal in film Guna ?!

Its usually the night bus to Chennai from Dharmapuri. With a lot of expectations of next day which may be in store for you, and the usual discomforts of night bus journey, you can't have the sleep!

By morning 4-30, with sleepy, burning eyes, you are in Broadway, Ratan Bazar bus stop. You wait for nearly one hour for the first town bus and reach T-Nagar by 5-45 or so.

Get freshen up and have coffee (breakfast will not be ready by that time !) in the hotel near that Nalli shop (old one).

Walk with bag and tension, reach the address 157- North Usman Road by 6 to 6-15 AM. (Later this address was changed 152-North Usman Road and then subsequently shifted to 38-Murugesa Mudali street, if I remember correct).

By that time, your heart beat would have reached the highest peak, with the doubt whether you will be allowed to enter or not!

With derived courage, you force into the gate, and reach the corridor of the bungalow where the car gets parked and getting ready. You explain to those assistants etc, if encountered, who look you with all sort of question marks and verify your purpose of visit etc, tell them that you have come to see him from such and such place etc. Sometimes you have to convince them that you had earlier appointments fixed etc.

You are allowed to sit in some chairs provided in the front hall, where similar other guests, some aspirant singers, instrumentalists also wait!

It’s totally like a pooja room, with utmost silence and the smell of flowers and Agarbathis giving you a different feeling! Not less than a early morning temple atmosphere !

Before 6-30 or so, all of a flash, IR just walks out with a smile, in his white kurtha-dhothi, and if known persons are there, a customary smile and a few sentences exchanged, and straight away he gets into his car and vanishes!

This was a routine. But at the first time visit, I didn't know this, rather never imagined such vigorous system will be there!

After so many years of gap, when I first met him, I had a lot of expectations to introduce myself reminding the old connections etc and wish to talk to him, this and that etc!

Because, I still used to live with my old memories of IR of 1978 period, who took us in his car, had hours of time together etc.

Moreover, in the absence of any such knowledge on daily routines etc I could not have imagined a new and trasnformed IR, till such time I myself experienced that !

So, first time, even before I could properly introduce myself to him, he was just moving away.

With sense of fear of losing him, I just again running towards him and told that I want to see his recordings.

He just told that I can come to the studio and just got into the car and left the scene!

I was totally upset and whole world seemed crashing before me! Whole dreams shattered and vanished in moments!

So what next ?

The Cassetted IR moments !

2006-05-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

It was October 1983 !

While, over the years, my passion to acquire some music system and recording IR’s songs in cassettes was growing in me like anything, but I controlled myself and going on postponing such ambitions due to various other commitments which I had to fulfill on priority basis.

At Palacode also, there were numerous such recording shops. While going back and forth in the streets to hotels etc, daily I had to invariably passing across these shops, I was lured like anything by the songs of IR they were broadcasting.

The fading away of such songs while you had to keep on walking towards office etc. was really painful. Anyway, things continued like this only for months.

But, by the end of October that year, the national tragic event of assassination of Indira Gandhi took place and that was followed by the national level violence.

There were forced holidays on us. First time I faced the problems of bachelor life. Neither you could get any food nor you can move to your native.

It was on such “stand-still” moment, just to spend time, I got into one of the music recording shop, which was fascinating me for a long time with the unique old time Hindi film songs (of Naushad, Ravi, Madan, Nayyar period).

The owner was one muslim guy, and with my query on old Hindi songs he was stunned and jumping with joy to find a comrade in me!

He happily exhibited all the LPs he was having and very patiently one by one he played the songs as sample! I was shocked to hear the scratched and poor quality of many of those songs !

It just splashed to me that “Am I going to hear the IR songs like this from 30 years from now ? ”

Believe me, really really I was shivering with those kind of thoughts !

While the discussions and search for IR songs that went on with the various local shop fellows after that, the dilemma I faced whether to spend money or not etc. may be out of the scope of our current discussion, two important things happened to me.

Firstly, I made that impulsive decision to buy and record the Hindi songs and thus my first cassette was born.

Secondly, A realization dawn on me, that time never waits for anyone and the available technology is also not going to help in restoring and giving the music of today!

Whatever, you get tomorrow is certainly going to be inferior than yesterday as far as the quality of a recorded music is concerned !

That way, I had already lost so many IR songs in the nearly last seven years, and also in future also, on daily basis I am going to loose steadily, if I don’t act !

So something must be done!

Whether I can invest on music system to hear them or not, I must have the songs with me!

Better now than never !

Then onwards, a sizable portion of my earning, regularly and dedicatedly spent in capturing IR songs.

With first priority accorded to get the current songs of IR that were getting released then and there, that itself was the huge task, because IR was on full steam with atleast 40 films per year!

As a second priority, I continued the search for the old gems wherever and whenever possible and in whatever quality it was available I tried to get that! But there, I could not succeed much!

I was crazy enough to just like a child , happily and proudly looking the cassettes I had recorded and owned, and just recollecting the songs and music by seeing the list!

Later on, occasionally, I could hear those songs on tape record players of others, and one small hand-held mono system of mine (which I purchased later for bgm recording purposes) etc.

Looking back now, though I could smile on myself, I am not ashamed of that!

I was, what I was ! I remain that way !

That IR fanaticism has not reduced even now! Only that, I am now expressing that in slightly polished way ! That's All!

Believe me, it took another 13 years (by that time, my collections have grown into hundreds of cassettes) to have my own reasonable music system in my house and that also was one very ordinary one!

You may wonder why I never acquired any music system !

Because I could see, hear and feel the pleasure of the ultimate when I had the opportunity to hear the birth of a song in the recording theater itself !

That’s the other side of story, to be discussed later !

1983-84 : Start of My Career Life - The IR Moments: Part-1

2006-05-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

It was May-1983 !

A different life started for me ! My Career life!

My college studies came to an end, and even before the final semester exams, appointment letter from Tamilnadu PWD, was in my hand (as Asst Engineer, at Palacode, a remote “town” of remote district Dharmapuri).

When I joined PWD after completing my exams, seeing my academic brilliance (w.r.t. PWD standard!!), my Executive Engineer (who was, literally, designation wise, two posts above me, but had joined the TN govt service before my birth!) might have sensed that this fellow would be unfit for “sensitive & money flowing” site work, and put me in the office job as Design Engineer.

In a way I escaped from the site posting (at “Kesarigulihalla”), which otherwise was located another 16 km away from Palacode. Had I been posted there, my life could have gone in a different direction!

Though I was not fully comfortable with the job, it was a blessing in disguise for me in many sense!

A lot of good things w.r.t. my IR understanding & appreciation and even the second series of visits to meet IR, all happened during this period and certain foundation to my WCM studies was also laid during this period!

In the beginning of my career at Palacode, I wrote a “haiku-kavidhai” like this, which summarised my position at that time !

VElai irundhum
VElai illAdha
NAn Oru A.E (read ‘E’ as Tamil Letter and with Tamil meaning!)

In the office, I got myself engaged with a lot of new things which I had to pick-up as a new entrant.

However, after the stressful routine life of college days with assignments, tests, semester exam fever etc., the sudden ‘blank & vacuum ’ evenings and nights, that also in a remote place away from my family was quite unbearable!

Particularly, I didn’t have any music system with me to get myself updated with IR songs, which I never thought of earlier!

So I deviced my own way of using these time productively !

My room was just in the terrace floor of the building where my office was also situated!

The open area in front of my room in that terrace, became my walking ground for the evening. In the absence of tape ecorders, I used to sing to myself all the IR songs, till I become tired!

(Later, when some neighbours joined my adjacent rooms, that practice also had to be stopped, for the fear of them spotting a "insane" guy !)

Soon, I could survey that small town, and I was happy to find three “theatres” were available for the “entertainment”.

Atleast two to three films in a week got screened in those theatres on a rotational basis and that was more than a boon to me!

I could easily afford to see many of those films with my available time and salary!

Now with college days over, I need not worry to choose which film I shall see or leave it!

Every IR film (and many other films too) screened in those theatres, I saw them (anybody remember one Paandian film, in which a buffalo sings and music was by IR? I saw that film also!)

And I used to recall those re-recordings of films and BGMs of those songs alongwith my terrace walking !

During the holidays and week end, I will just slip away to my native village and my own radio and local theatre will welcome me in continuing my IR association!

Also I could consolidate my thoughts and wrote some articles on what could have been IR’s composing techniques to compose a song, given the situation etc!

Some database kind of thing w.r.t. IR films and songs so far composed by him, raagams etc also was compiled by me at that time. (All these were lost when I left Tamil Nadu later!)

With money in my hand and I being the proud owner of my own salary, I could decide on certain other things also!

One such thing was, ordering certain music books to learn about the Western Classical Music etc!

After some frantic searching, I got some catalogue of a book company (publishing Carnatic musical books), and ordered two such books on WCM related titles from them.

I indeed got the books by post! The book was authored by some South Indian musicologist with lot of Carnatic things covered in that rather than WCM.

Anyway some start was made!

That book indeed shook me in and out, and made me realize one thing! This WCM stuff is something bigger than my BE course! I could sense that!

Another fortunate thing I could start in that period was the collections of IR songs, recorded in the cassettes!

Looking back now, I feel I have done a right thing!

I will tell you how and why that started !

Announcement !

2006-05-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Please await for the next posting for a few more days !

Delay due to the personal reason is sincerely regretted.

In the meanwhile, hope you are already following my other blog on WCM-Lessons (Click here)

Regards

CSR

My College Days : Part-4

2006-05-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

The experience of participating in the College Orchestra was something different which I never had earlier in my life !

Nothing to claim big about the orchestra as it was a group of few individuals and with barely any worthy instruments to play, but the basic minimum was there (just to play as a "Chamber" music) !

But what can be worth mentioning was the experience of efforts of dissecting the IR songs and trying to assemble and reproducing them to create "something like IR song"!

The songs selected to be played for the Annual day functions were the raging hits of that year like "Pani vizhum malar vanam, Ilaiya Nila, Kanne Kalaimane, Kodai Kala Kaatre, Alli thandha boomi, etc."

While I was a half-baked as far as Carnatic music and swarams etc are concerned, w.r.t WCM I was total zero!

It was really humiliating that you don 't know what are these chords, Majors and minors meant and what are the significance, etc.

Though, you play the song, you don't know how to reproduce the notes and communicate to others.

The way the fellow orchestra members looked, smiled and chuckled, it virtually meant "bloody , from where you have come! " (even though they never told that openly).

Thus, in spite of my belief & attitude that "I know so many things of IR and his songs" I got exposed to my "ignorance" of technical marvelous of IR !

I was literally shattered ! All my egos were just vanishing like thin air !

I cannot even understand IR songs, forget about understanding IR !

How much of my life was already got wasted and practically no chance of even making an attempt in future !

All such thoughts were rambling in my mind !

To many of you, it may appear funny, that the person who discuss and talk so many things about IR and still feel "empty" on technical side ?

Yes Sir ! One must atleast witness (if not able to participate), the "Efforts" that are put in any orchestra where IR songs are "tried" to be played!

I deliberately use the word "try", because, people can only "try" but never succeed cent per cent !

At later in my life, through my association with IR yahoo club etc, I am vindicated of my feelings ! Many of those technical experts in the club members are the outcome of such college orchestra experience ! Believe me, itÂs a fact !

In spite of all these, the joy of even reproducing those songs with the minimum accuracy as possible, can't be measured!

Invariably, every member of the orchestra was virtually in ecstasy and tears when some difficult & wonderful phrases were attempted and the sound emanated as in the song !

Also, on the day of actual performance, the practicality of how a song can go wrong in a hall due to other facts like sound system etc., in spite of your best of efforts, that also I experienced!

The same people who appreciated and applauded ealrier on one moment, booed and yelled when things went haywire!

Thus the bubble of "musician" inside me, which took shape quickly earlier, "died" instantly in the same year !

Though I didn't know what to do at that moment, but I promised to myself, that,

"Someday I will certainly educate myself on music in general and WCM in particular and find out what these musical terms etc are meant ! "

My College Days : Part-3

2006-05-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Small digression; and advance apologies for the small "suya-puranam" below; I am doing it consciously for the sake of continuity of memories, since these events led to the understanding of IR's real dimensions:

During 1979 to 82, Sankar used to send letters occasionally and explaining the films he saw, comments on songs and BGMs, etc etc. When he finished his studies, he got appointment at TVS, Hosur and he became awfully busy with his new job, new life etc.

Wheras I was continuing my studies at GCE, Salem.

In spite of the stress on studies, at personal level, my association with IR songs, films, etc continued to grow as usual.

It was the year 1982 !

Nearly, in the first three year of my engg college, I never participated in any cultural programmes, nor in any competitions etc, but enjoyed as a spectator only.

But in that 4th year, I dont know why, but I indeed decided that if at all I want to do something, I shall do now, next year being fifth and final year, I can’t afford ! (You see, I was a sincere engineering student with Honours degree at stake ! ).

Somehow, after much dilemma, in the last moment, I got my name enrolled for the musical instrument solo category, through my friend (who was the secretary of orchestra and himself the darling singer of the college).

Since, I know, how much the hostellers were got swayed by “Alaigal Oivadhillai” songs in the previous year, I selected “Putham Pudhu Kaalai” as my choice.

Thus, with a borrowed harmonium from one of the friend in the hostel, I did practice the song “Putham Pudhu Kalai” a few times.

On the competition day, though internally shaky, I derived some courage, and started playing !

The moment I played perfectly the first prelude of flute bit in harmonium, there was a roaring applause started from the students !

The main reason as I beleive, is the popularity of that song and the strong fan following IR had in that young generation!

One another reason may be that, nobody expected that this fellow can be of such stuff ! (Honestly I never open my mouth other than studies, always remain quiet, and as such playing cine song from such a fellow and also to such perfection, was beyond their imagination !)

I don’t remember what happened after that first prelude. I closed my eyes and ears, just IR filled my mind, and the song was flowing like anything, para by para with all those famous interludes !

I still remember the appreciation of the students and some of my lectures after the show ! I was virtually floating in the cloud !

Predictably, I got only second prize, (the sacredness of carnatic stuff, you can’t change and the fellow student who played a typical carnatic song took away the honour!).

And thus I became the natural choice of the College Orchestra of that year !

That experience taught me the lessons of my life!

1979-83 : The Raaja we felt ! Part-1

2006-04-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

It was in this period (approx. between '79 to '83), the outstanding growth of IR happened.

Though his total seclusion from public appearance, interviews etc., also happened in this period , with the phenomenal growth at 40 plus films per year, IR was already ruling the TFM.

And he had settled in a significant way in the Telugu and Malayalam films also !

All the other old MDs were virtually fading away and even the new MDs had to struggle for their existence.

Film posters and LP covers etc invariably carried the faces of Raaja, which were not the cases ealier.

Music recording shops started mushrooming all over Tamilnadu, and a very big parallel industry got established ( which later grown into crores of rupeees turnover) and many associated job/business opportunity for a lot in rural areas also happened.

Musical hits like Kizhakke pogum rail, Sigappu Rojakkal, Mullum Malarum, Panner Pushpangal, Kazhugu, Salangai Oli, Moondram Pirai, Payanangal Mudivadhillai etc etc. registered a new generation of variety of music.

Which are significantly different in styles, formats, orchestration etc etc!

Also the whole lot of producers and directors etc had been assured of a new phenomenon "Quantity is not to affect the quality at all" !

In the ealier period, usually MDs used to highlight and give importance to one or two songs per film, for which "due care" for the orchestration etc will be done. Alternatively, the film shall be of some super star etc to get more such "better" songs.

But IR established the habit of "All Songs hit!"

Irrespective of the "star value" or "director value" etc, the "film value" became the criteria in song and orchestration effort!

All indicated one thing, that "IR is here forever".

( During these period, we indeed wrote a few letters to IR, but as expected we never got any reply from IR. Reasons may be many!

We realized the fact and resigned to the fate that IR is growing and people like us who are such a tiny spec of sand near the ocean of music, shall not disturb him anymore.

But one thing was for sure, that our love and affection and the respect for his music were growing exponentially along with each release of his film and the haunting songs and BGM scores he was inventing! )

But one thing always remained as a puzzle ! "How he is able to do all these ? "

I got the answer at a very late stage when I had the opportunity to visit him again for a few times during mid-eighties.

That I will tell later !

College Days : Part-2 : One More Glimpse !

2006-04-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

It was end of 1978 (or beginning of 79, I don’t remember now), I had the opportunity of “Dharhsan of IR" again.

It was IR’s live musical programme at the Trade fair at Salem.

Amidst all tension of semester exam etc., still I decided to see the programme and after great efforts I got the ticket and attended that programme.

Even though I don’t remember now about the songs played on that day, a lot of IR's latest hits were played; particularly “thanni karuthiruchhu” (from "Ilamai Oonjaladugiradhu") by Malasia Vasudven stole the thunder of that day!

While the programme ended and National Anthem was playing, I used the opportunity to slip through the security system and climbed up the dias.

(I preferred to be "less patriotic" while all others stood in attention and singing, I was busy in finding the ways to rush to the dias; naturally, IR was more important than nation!)

Once the Anthem is over, I could say just Hello to him, but before talking further, policemen formed the security line and took him safely away from the crowd and he left!

So, a close encounter of shortest duration !

I could feel the truth that, “IR has really grown, and hereafter he is beyond our reach”.

Still, rather than disappointment, having seen him and enjoyed his songs on the live program stayed on my mind !

IR Memories - My College Days-Part-1

2006-04-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

So many things happened in a very short span of first half of 1978!

The series of letters and the first personal one-to-one meet and finally the preview of Sattam En Kaiyil !

Nothing happened in a pre-planned way.

It Just Happened ! That's All !

Even in that period, IR would have been extremely busy ! In spite of that, what made him to spend those hours of writing or meeting ?

All these things point to one thing.

He is basically a good Human being with utmost sincerity and honesty towards his works and the people associated, valuing & respecting others, whomever they are, whatever the knowledge gap is !

Certainly, that period was to be considered as a watershed period in our life !

After that, suddenly, we also became busy in our own life, with college studies taking the importance and our time.

But IR memories and his music were always in our mind all the days and nights, alongwith all curricular and other activities.

Practically I can say, thereafter, every moment of our life is associated with some songs of IR in that period!

In fact, Shankar continued in Vellore with his studies and I returned to Tharamangalam (near Salem) for my Engineering studies !

Naturally, those were not the period of email and telephones !

So very rarely we were in touch with each other. But whenever the opportunity was available, we continued our IR discussions.

In those period, Radio was the main source and particularly, Vividh baarathy went on broadcasting the new releases one by one, the songs of which we already heard in IR's house.

I used to jump in joy and telling my family members to note the song and narrated our IR visit, our listening of that songs in his house etc.

During my Engineering college days at Karuppur (which is some 10 kms away from Salem), particularly during Saturdays, the second half was used to be free and I made it a point to visit Salem and to see any IR films newly released at that time.

Films like Ilamai Oonjaladugiradhu, Priya, Kizhakke pogum rail, Sivappu Rojaakkal, Mullum Malarum, etc. were such films seen by me at Salem theatres with all special efforts !

Of course, to stand in the que well in advance, you have to forego your lunch; (also you have to live with the fear of getting spotted by your seniors and ready to undergo ragging ! fortunately nothing such happened)!

I used to explain the storylines, dialogues and re-recording etc to my mother and sister of these new release films (which otherwise would come to my village after an year or so).

Slowly, my family members also got into the list of IR fans !

My grandmother, my mother used to analyse the raga of IR songs and thus my knowledge of raga list also started growing and my respect for IR was growing exponentially.

In the later part of 1978, during his last year of studies, Shankar chanced upon his second visit to meet IR.

This time through one of his friend, he could witness a song recording of IR.

That was a Telugu film called "Yugandhar" a remake of hindi film "Don".

That was the first Telugu film of IR, that also for NTR.

The song that was recorded on that day was the theme "Na Kosame Ne vachaaru" ("main hoon Don" equivalent).

I hope Sankar will one day blog that visit !

Extended Dreamy Moments - Sattam En Kaiyil

2006-04-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

The surprise offer that came from him could not have been imagined by us by any standard.

As IR was moving out to see a film, he told us that two of us can accompany him !

We simply could not believe ouselves ! What's happening to us today ?!

Then it suddenly struck us that he was waiting for our reply to know who were the two to accompany him.

It was the greatness of Ram and Balu, that they immediately told IR, that Kumar (myself) and Sankar will accompany him.

The responsible Balu just asked IR where he had to pick us two after the preview, for which he replied that they can come to Mini-Anand !

Now it’s the time of extended dreamy scene for us !

Rather than the film we were going to see etc., the thought that we were going to spend some more time with this great person was fully occupying in our mind.

Then Karthik started to accompany his father, so he also urgently got ready and joined us.

Self and IR in the back seat and Sankar and Karthik (more or less in his lap) in the front seat, the ambassador started rolling to Mini Anand.

It was another pleasant surprise that the car of IR contained music system (which we never heard of before ! ) and our repeat listening to un-released songs continued in the car also !

Young karthik was so fond of “Poo pole, Un punnagaiyil” song, that he was repeating that song often in the tape of that car.

I vaguely remembered IR saying that it was from film "Kavariman", which was going to be the prestigious 200th film of Sivaji’s! (which I told many of my friends later, but after much anxious waiting, this film was so delayed for unknown reasons, and Thirisoolam took away the honour!)

So again I got the opportunity for thanking for the moment spent in his house and apologizing for the earlier letter etc, etc.

We reached the theater.

It was a mini- theatre with some of the VIPs already occupying the seats and patiently waiting for the other VIPs to arrive.

We took our seats and then asked him about the film to be screened. He told that it is “Sattam-En-Kaiyil”.

Then we immediately recollected, the previous Sunday edition of Dhinamani, wherein details about shooting of certain song sequence of this film had been published !

Then it dawned to our head that we were going to watch a film, which was never released so far, and that was the first screening ! Our mind also got chilled with the thought alongwith the body chill due to the AC effect in that compact small theatre!

All film luminaries were coming one by one and finally the tall "Vaani kamal" and her husband “Paramakkudikaarar” came.

Immediately after the arrival of Kamal. the film started.

We just asked IR sitting by our side, whether this film contained the song “Kadai thengaayo” and a kawwali type song “Mera naam Abdullah".

IR was so stunned saying that how we knew that!

We told him about our endeavour of regular updating of IR-knowledge through papers magazines etc! He was smiling !

After the screening started, we were totally trying to follow the re-recording and discuss within us in husky voice, which IR was watching.

After some half-an-hour or so, suddenly he whispered to us that he had to leave and we can continue viewing the film and said good-bye !

Though a shock, we had to accept that reality.

And IR silently left the hall, in darkness !

Thus came the end of a precious dream sequence of our life !

Moments that Stood Still ! - Part 2

2006-04-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

Believe me, as explained earlier, other than radio, (and very rarely a few LP records of our friend), we never had the opportunity to hear songs in good music system in those period.

But the one we were hearing on that day was something really from heaven, the quality of system which we could not define by words.

The quality of music of those songs itself, that I need not express now to you, which you already know.

(some of you youngsters, might not had the opportunity of hearing them so hot and new the way most of the people of my age/period heard in radio and other media).

But the one we heard on that DAY was beyond comprehension!

Particularly, the Darling Darling song, the sound was springing from every side of the hall and playing hide and seek here and there, as the speakers were located separately.

Believe me, at that moment we didn't even know that this song was from Priya and the magic we were hearing was the result of marvelous stereophonic system and that's why emanating from different directions from different speakers ! Same is the case with the other songs also !

The time was flying like anything and already more than an hour had gone.

The fear & worry of ending of the meeting started haunting us.

Suddenly he went to the other room inside the house and disappeared for more than 10 to 15 minutes keeping us in suspense.

We were practically waiting for somebody to come and tell us to "get lost" as the time was over.

Meanwhile we were just exchanging some customary enquiries type of talk with the so called child Karthik, who was just moving in and around in that hall.

At this moment one additional information I would like to share (which I will again recall later also).

When IR was not in the hall, I just walked near the table where he was sitting and had kept the book which he had in his hand earlier. Oh God!

That was a voluminous music theory book, full of WCM notations and exercises.

I could not believe that this already famous person is still studying and learning with all those busy schedules ?!!

Anyway that book and notations permanently registered in my mind ! (which made me to search for WCM theories later in my life)

Then IR again re-appeared in front of us, now neatly dressed, in pant (bell bottoms !) and full hand shirt indicating that he is ready to move out.

So it was ringing in our mind that the inevitable ending had come.

But to our utter surprise, came his other "Offer" !

Moments that Stood Still ! : Part-1

2006-04-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

To our utter astonishment, he was a simple person, short, smiling, in lungi and shirt, curly hair, a typical youth of 70’s;

In his hand was a thick bound book (which he might have been reading and interrupted by our visit) and a pencil.

It was a normal start with customary enquiries, and handing over of certain fruits and biscuits by us, and self introductions about us etc.

In between, like in any house, his wife and child were moving in around the house and talking to neighbours in the adjacent portion.

As she called the child by name, we came to know about Karthik, may be of 3 or 4 years old !

When he was ready to start talking, I first apologized profusely for our recent letter and explained him what we had in our mind in writing such letter. I requested him to ignore that totally.

To my utter relief and astonishment, he never uttered anything on that topic.

He totally diverted our attention to the new film songs he had recently recorded and started to play some of the songs from a cassette.

Those period cassette recorder itself was a great luxurious gadget.

What were the things we (self and Sankar) talked with him in the next half an hour or so, I have forgotten now.

But I could guess, by hindsight, that we might have exposed our ignorance of musical knowledge only !

But most of the time, apart from listening what we uttered, he was concentrating in playing many of his new songs one by one, which we were listening (and researching within our mind, some pattern, innovations etc. but with fear to utter, fear of being in front of a Mighty Man of Music).

Just I will list a few songs that remain etched in our memory !

Manjolai kilithano
Kovil mani osai thannai
En kalyaana vaibogam
Darling Darling Darling
Poo Pole un punnagaiyil
Aadudhu Ullam Aasayil Nenjam
Thenna marathile Thendral adikkuddhu
Melam kotta neram varum
Kaadhal ennum kaaviyam

At that time of hearing in his house , we didn’t know the film names of those songs.

We just listened that’s all; and remained awe struck !

Rather we were in a proud moment that

we were listening some songs of the famous composer by sitting with him, in his house,
whereas the outside world not even knew that such songs are going to hit and haunt them soon!

Darisanam Kidaikkaadhaa !

2006-04-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

After nearly 30 years, so many things refuse to come to my memory.

Exact date I don’t remember now, but could have been a Sunday to suit our requirement. Could be last week of July'78.

At this juncture, I must remember with gratitude and thank Mr Ramkumar, (brother of Sankar), who enthusiastically arranged for the trip to Madras and also accompanied us.

He contacted his friend Mr Balu (who was working in SBI at Chennai at that time), who inturn contacted IR's house with the phone number given by us, talked to the concerned there, arranged for the meeting on the specific date and time and finally informed us.

Our journey started from Arcot in the famous bus no. 102 (I hope this number is still maintained for Arcot-Chennai trip !!) in the morning and around noon we were at Chennai and received by Balu.

The timing given to us by IR was 4 O’Clock, evening at his residence at Santhome.

Chennai was new to me (though I had spent my early childhood there in late 1960s). Balu has made excellent arrangement starting from food to auto, bus etc etc. He was our escorter.

We, (ie myself, Sankar, Ram and Balu) started to Santhome. No need to tell, how much we are filled with blood, adrenaline, etc etc with a lot expectations brimming in our mind !

Around 3 pm, we were in Santhome and, started searching the address i.e. 32-KMN Lane !

(Present Chennai residents, who read this, may like to check with the present resident and neigbours of this address etc, and can find out more about IR! Just some curiousity!)

It was nearly 40 minutes and still we could not find the address!

Most of the people asked for the expansion of KMN Lane which we could not explain !

Tension built up like anything with the fear that IR may cancel the meeting and go elsewhere or so and we may lose the lifetime opportunity.

Finally, as a god-sent messenger, we met the postman of that area, who was on the evening distribution of letters to the houses in that locality.

We told about IR and asked the address. He enthusiastically helped us in locating the street and residence.

And exactly 5 minutes to spare to the appointed time, we were in front of his house, where a black (or blue-black ?) color ambassador was parked.

You may not believe me, it was such a simple house (a rented house, that also a portion of the house, I say), where this famous person was living at that time !

Initially we were enquired about by his car driver, who went inside the house with our details and after some time, we were let inside the house and were seated in a small hall. Cool drinks served to us!

Some ordinary sofa and chairs and a table containing a big size Tape recorder and speakers (music system !) were there!

Quite possibly, that hall might be his living room itelf; where he might have just left the hall and gone inside the adjacent room to just get ready himself!

Then HE came!

Is the Paradise Lost ?

2006-04-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

The response of IR in that 3rd letter was simply a jolt to me which indirectly tried to say “You too Brutus..!”

Though my aim was different (i.e. to get the maximum answers derived from him to explain his views to the world), I could guess that he might have taken all those questions seriously and presumed that these were coming from us directly etc .

Whether, I was not able to communicate properly, or he misunderstood us, whatever was the situation, damages had been done !!

(Somehow that was the last letter we ever received by us from IR!)

But, again see the best human side of this simple man !

He continued in the next para that but for the time availability, he could have written to invite us to witness his first ever film with stereophonic recording (first time in India!) viz “Priya” !

Oh God , what a golden chance was lost !

Anyhow, using the clue in his letters (that he would have invited us for the recording of Priya), I could guess that certainly we should meet him personally at Madras as soon as possible and convey our sincere apologies for the misgivings created by our last letter!

Thus, our first pilgrimage visit happened !

It was July1978 !

Translation of Ltr-3 dt July-78

2006-04-18T05:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Sankar, Kumar,

Whenever my films are released, I used to get some letters of reviews from my fans. I also usually wait for such letters from my selected fans with good observations!

But, your last letter was unfortunately different from usual letter and I was disappointed a little bit about that.

Though, I also glance “Bommai” regularly, I didn’t know that such a section is there in the journal “Bommai”.

What shall I do by writing replies to your letter ? Shall I have to sent it to “Bommai”? Please inform me.

Last week recordings of songs of film “Priya” (SPT films) took place.

Indeed, I was thinking to call some of my best fans to witness that recording.

I planned to invite both of you for that recording, but due to the lack of time to write letter, I could not do so! Bear with me!

What is important to note here is, the songs of this film have been recorded in Stereophonic system for the first time in India!

On 10th , I am going away for a recording of some Hindi film songs. I will be back by 16th.

Do reply,

Yours lovingly,

Ilaiyaraaja

Letter-3 JPEG - July1978

2006-04-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

Sequence Leading to Third Letter from IR

2006-04-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

As you can see that in that 2nd letter, IR had expressed his anguish about such journalism and he didn’t want to waste his energy and time by answering such baseless articles !

Though I was extremely happy to get a reply from IR, but it was painful to know that IR was hurt in his heart-of-heart. (and I could even visualize that then after he would altogether withdraw himself from such interviews and journalists , which in fact had happened!)

As expected, journal "J", neither published my letter to them nor any such letters or articles from his other fans countering its earlier stance. Slowly, I realized that it was futile to expect such things from them.

Though IR had left out the matter as such, I could not leave it just like that.

So I started thinking that in appropriate forum of other journals, IR shall express his views to reach the audience about his hard works, his concepts of music etc etc.

In that period, “Bommai” was one such cine-based-journal which was more popular and a decent one.

Incidentally, I saw a new features started in that journal, in which, the fans can ask various questions to any famous personalities and they used to get the reply for such queries and used to publish!

Usually, I saw fans asking questions to famous actors/actresses. But I found that was the most appropriate chance for me to make IR speak out his heart.

So I painstakingly designed a model questionnaire containing a lot of questions (about his music and his views, approach etc.) which were normally raised by the common people as well as the journalists in their reviews in those point of time.

I sent that questionnaire to “Bommai” and also sent one copy to IR.
I believed I will certainly get some response from IR.

It was July’78!

I indeed got the reply letter from IR, but the response I got, shocked me ! But this time for different reasons !

(for actual letter, please click here)

(for translation, please click here)

Translation of Ltr-2 dt 16-Apr-78

2006-04-18T04:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Sankar, Kumar,

I have read your replies to the magazine “______” . In fact, it is very much doubtful that even if I had written the replies, it could have come out well like yours!

I feel that, only with these kinds of fitting replies from real fans like you, we can make these journalists realize their mistakes, who are otherwise purposely, bent upon hiding the truth. Since they could not bear the heat of such letters from lots of fans, they are again trying to justify their stand through “Mr ______” in the next issue of their journal also. They say this will continue further! Please see the tone and tenor of those questions!

Some of the replies I have made (in the interview) are not available there! When he wanted my appointment for the interview I indeed refused them. However, his assistant told me that nothing wrong would be written, and then only I allowed them. While talking to me they were very nice. But later, they have written all these non-sense!

I don’t want to waste my time by writing to these journals! I won’t write in future also! To take care of these people, crores of my hardcore fans are there.

Above them GOD is also there! Let him take care!

Yours lovingly,

Ilaiyaraaja

Letter-2 JPEG dt 16-Apr-1978

2006-04-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Sequence Leading to Second Letter from IR

2006-04-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

In the year 1977 & 78s, Films of IR were started multiplying in leaps and bounds.

Even though, many of the songs were haunting, melodical and totally innovative, every alternative film of his was criticized by some section of people for some monotonous or something that could not be comprehended by them.

Critics of journals were happy to regularly predict his downfall quickly for each of his film released.

No doubt the comparisons were with the giant, colossal figures like MSV and KVM and the contemporaries like SG, VK and newcomers like Chandrabose etc.

But for us, IR was a man of no comparison whatsoever, and who was setting his own grammar/ idioms and phrases of music!

It was the year 1978, in which almost all of the leading magazines were publishing IR's photos on the cover page and were writing numerous articles, interviews, tit-bits etc about him. All journals were trying to utilise his raising fame to their advantages. Some did that in positive way, some in other ways. Certainly IR must be co-operating with all of those journalists community (which may be a strange thing to hear for many of you !)

It was in that period, April’78 to be precise, that the second incident happened which caused the second series of letters exchanged between IR & us !

It all started with an article in a magazine.

The new and popular journal of that period “J” (to avoid controversy, I am hiding the name of the magazine and the name of Critique, here in this write-up as well as from IR's letter) had a detailed article on IR by the famous critique of those period "Mr C", with IR photos on re-recording etc.

[People of that period who knows "C" and his writings can easily imagine, what could have been his writings etc. Only God knows, whom "C" will lift or whom he will put down on the ground and crash ! As I heard that time, one famous actress was virtually on tears regarding his writings in one of the magazine about her dance in one of the sabha. He never left out even famous Carnatic composer-cum- singer also ! ]

So, when heard about the article, I immediately purchased the weekly and started reading with so much tension in mind.

But when I completed reading I was with full of heat with my blood not just boiling but started to evaporate !

Though I don’t remember all its contents now, but in nutshell, the article was full of poison and spitting venom on IR and his works !

It even doubted his ability to compose, musical knowledge about raagams etc and even ridiculing his recording music saying that he could not even manage to get the music effect and swaras from his orchestra members !

As usual, he was raising many queries, about the prayogams of ragam and swarams etc with his flavory languages (like Kedharam-sedharam etc etc)! (Now, I can correlate such things with Modulation and other technical aspects of WCM, but then I was practically a Zero on WCM).

Mr "C" considered that IR, a talented man was wasting his energy in trying to do too many films at a time and compromising and sacrificing the basic requirements of music ! So many such bla-blahs!

It was such an article that I could not take it easily and forget, and I started writing a letter of very forceful, point-wise replies for all the accusations "C" has made and sent that letter to that journal.

Incidentally, since IR’s address was available from his earlier letter, I marked a copy of that letter to IR with a request to IR asking him to write a strong letter to that journal, immediately refuting all those allegations, as all the fans should be told about the truth.

To my astonishment, I got a very quick and prompt reply letter from IR!

A single page letter, dated 16-Apr-78.

(for actual letter, click here)

(for translation of letter-2, click here)

Translation of Ltr-1 dt 16-Mar-78

2006-04-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Sankar & Kumar,

Thank you very much for your letter.

1. You have indicated that the TMS version of “Annakkili” has the interlude which has resemblance to some English tune. But every single bit of the music for that film came from by blood. What you have indicated is very much wrong.

2. You have asked me to take some actions regarding the songs to be broadcast in the Radio. I have no time even to compose. All these shall be taken care of people like you.

3. Please listen to songs of “Thunai Iruppal Meenakshi”. No other song can equate “Sugamo Aayiram”. I feel, it has not got the right place it deserves!

4. The guitar bit in “Devan Thiruchabai” is my composition. “Sholay” came only yesterday. About 10 years back, in one of the Kannada film under the GKV, I have already composed similar such bit and played myself. But, anyhow, my fans may not be knowing all these. OK

5. Annakili, Kavikuyil, Badrakali, Pen Jenmam etc. – I can’t understand what you want to say. You have said don’t compose tune to songs like “Hoy Mama”. I feel that song is an excellent one. Please listen again.

6. You have advised me that I shall do the hard work like “16-Vayadhinile” for all the films. Please remember one thing:

I give importance and do the hardwork for all the films in the same fashion. If the film is hit, then my hardwok is noticed. Otherwise, it just get drowned as if in quicksand.

“Uravaadum Nenjam, Deepam, Gaayathri, Katrinile Varum Geetham” etc. in all these films, I have done re-recordings which are different from each of these films, and that also, even before anyone can think of attempting like them.

In the film “Uravaadum Nenjam”, upto the intermission I have just used the minimum instruments like 2 Violins, 1 viola, 1 cello and 1 Base;

and in “Gayathri” not even single violin is used;

In “Deepam” and “Katrinile…”, I have used full orchestra ;

All these efforts of mine with different way of handling of instruments shall show that I am taking equal care and hard work in all these films.

In the film “Kaatrinile..”, I have used a new instrument called “Recorder”, which no other MD is using.

Even in the films yet to be released also, you are going to hear the new effects and sounds of even the existing usual instruments.

I am always working hard to satisfy my fans who come with a lot of expectations by seeing my name in the title, so that I don’t disappoint them ever.

So please change your opinion.

7. Even though I increase my “price” to decrease the films to be signed, they never leave me. What can I do ?

8. I won’t count how many members are going to play in my orchestra, but count only the total effect. It should be different.

9. Happy that (atleast !) songs of “Odi VIlayadu Thatha” are different !

10. “Kannan Enna Sonnan” and “Manjal Araikkum” – I have given the same type Rhythm for both the songs. So It won’t sound different. Are the songs different in their effect ? Then Leave me !

11. “Athai Magal” – No use of counting its for 4th time, 5th time etc. When the producers are asking for such songs what can I do ?

12. 3rd Attempt. You have written about usage of “Voices” in re-recording. You shall see “how” I have used them, that’s more important!

13. There is no connection between Love theme of “Thyagam” and “Mariamman”

Thank you for all your comments. Please do write to me. But I cannot assure that I will answer them. I am hard pressed for time. Since you have written such a lengthy letter of lots of pages, I am replying now.

I have sent the photos. Please confirm receipt of them.

Always wishing your love !

Ilaiyaraaja

Find somebody else who are knowledgeable to be your “Guru”. I am not having that qualification in this life.

Ilaiyaraaja

Letter-1 JPEG : Page -1 & 2

2006-04-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

First Letter : 16-Mar-1978

2006-04-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

It was March’78.

And one fine morning at Arcot, Shankar’s brother ( my another cousin, Ram kumar), came flying in his bicycle with a postal envelop in his hand.

He was so excited that he was practically yelling at me that “you both better go to Madras now itself”.

I could not make out head or tail from what he was trying to say!

But when he handed over the letter and I opened the letter, I was absolutely stunned!

It was a 3 page letter, the letter from IR, dt 16-Mar-78, self written in his beautiful hand writing! Shell shocked I was !

I never knew what was the content of the letter sent by Shankar;

but now I was reading IR’s point by point replies to that letter !
(for the actual letter, click here )

(for translation, click here)

(Though much later, I could make it out that this may be Shankar’s work and could guess the likely queries/ observations he would have made in the letter, sequel to our internal discussions at various point of time on IR’s music ! )

Anyhow, It was the treasure in our hand!

Shankar was forced to come on that week-end holidays, just to show this letter !

The letter was read and read and read and……!

How many times we were reading that letter repeatedly, I could not count !
Again I want to reiterate that we were simply ordinary fans who could just appreciate the song for the song that’s all !

We never had extra technical knowledge on music nor we contemplated to acquire such knowledge and experience !

So the queries were staright from our heart and IR has equally reciprocated to his ordinary fans!

It was such an elaborate reply, point-by-point, showing all kinds of his feelings, straight from his heart; just like talking to his fans !

The firmness, politeness, disappointment, laughing at our ignorance, patience to explain, his strategic thinking, etc etc !

All the emotions and feelings he wanted to convey got permanently registered in our mind for ever!

These are still valid for even today's situations!

From that day onwards, we simply became his worshippers!

Then onwards, He started living in our mind and heart! Forever!

Then onwards, any song of him reminded a face very close to our heart !

Any song of him, reminded us the sincerity and hard work he expressed in his letter !

Every song reminded us about the innovations he was trying to incorporate and tried to reach the common people like us !

Every time certain songs were not appreciated for the innovative contents of it, We could visulalise the agony which IR may be having !

We could not believe even today, somebody of IR’s stature and calibre, (at that period, though new, he was the most sought after MD of TFM), can still say that “I am not having the qualification to become your Guru in this life!"

That's IR !

The Raja We Felt in 1977-78 : Part-2

2006-04-13T04:19:00.000-07:00

That we could notice IR’s innovations and experiments in those period itself was the boon or god-send-gift to me and Shankar.

Again it was Shankar who used to come with all such observations and I used to supplement them with my observations and interpretations !

Innovations like,

new form of music,
lengthy interludes/preludes,
modified pallavi charanam formats,
introduction of new musical sounds/effects,
a lot of support instruments playing their own melodies alongwith songs (it took 20 more years to understand that these are called harmony/ counter-points) etc.

The list will be never ending !

Now, you may say, what’s big about that ? IR was always like that only !

See, in those period, IR’songs were generalized and branded as the “Gramathu dappanguthu” and pundits were as usual predicting that this new comer cannot sustain more than a couple of films !

“Kettele Ange” was just compared with “Machaana Paartheengala” !

Unfortunately, following Annakili’s success, a lot of village based movies started swarming the TFM and a lot of other MD’s were also forced/adopted plagiarizing of village based instruments in the name of folk songs.

Really it was a hell !

And now you can realize, how IR could give totally different music with convictions in all the films that followed Annakili in 1976 and 77. But many old timers and hardliners of that period (fans of previous era MDs like MSV, KVM, etc) never beleived that !

We could observe his fraction of seconds harmonized music coming in between the voices and his efforts to bring out such things and make them stand-out in the absence of track recordings facility in those years.

Listen to those string and flute bits etc carefully in “Vizhiyile Malarndhadhu” coming in between the pallavi lines !

Even though he knew such things would get drowned in the chorus and voice of singers, he had taken pain and harmonized the melody and put those counterpoints !

But still what many could not digest in those period was his modulations in songs!

The sudden change in Sarod type instrument in the second interlude of “Vaanathu Meen Ena” song of Vattathukul Chaduram, the beyond comprehension chromatic interludes of “Pesaadhe Vayulla Oomai nee “ of Deepam, or the intderludes of “Then malli poove” of Thyagam etc are some examples !

Believe me, even it got me puzzled, ( as a common listener, paamaran, without much musical knowledge on technical side) that, “why at all, some talented fellow like him, could suddenly, un-conventionally change the shruthi / raagam of music like this ? “

Though later on repeated hearings, we could develop our tastes and started liking those "things", it was very very dangerous experiments as far as TFM music of those period was concerned !

In nut shell, like many of the common music listener, we approached IR’s music and had a lot of observations to make and discuss with each other !

Nothing big or technical about that !

But one thing I didn’t know was, that Shankar, during 1978, (who was in his Vellore PT hostel), had time to write a very very lengthy letter on all these finer points with the intention of sending to IR !!!

And he had atlast got some address of IR from one of the film magazine and had the courage to send the letter to that address and forgot that ! This also he never told me !

Thus started the Shower of Surprises in our life !

The Raja We Felt in 1977-78 : Part-1

2006-04-13T03:48:00.000-07:00

It was middle of 1977 !

Again it was the fate or destiny that made me to move to Sankar’s house in Arcot for my pre-university studies ! But unfortunately Sankar had moved to Vellore for his poly-technical studies.

It was few week ends in a month we used to meet together at Aroct and listen and discuss IR’s films and songs !

Let me share some of the thoughts we had in that time !

The songs of Bairavi, Durga Devi, Mariamman Thiruvizha, Thunai Iruppal Meenakshi, Odi Vilayaddu Thaatha, Saindhaadamma Saindhaadu etc etc were the rage in those period for us.

I remember almost all of those IR’s films were in B&W. Only later came the colorful (!!) 16 Vayadhinile and their sequels etc.

Stereo / Track recording etc are not the name commonly heard of ! Somehow, IR’s re-recordings started getting the attentions of everybody !

There were some additional reasons also for that !

Due to the competition, various new magazines like Idhayam, Kungmam etc which were started newly in those years. Also main magazines like Ananda Vikatan, Kumudham etc had to improvise a lot in various sections of their magazines to prove their worth and existence.

And Film reviews were one such section which rightly assumed its importance in the magazines.

New generation writers/critiques/ review writers were emerging and these people paid a lot of attentions to the technicalities of films which were not known to common man. Thus allocating marks for various departments of films also started !

Thus re-recordings and songs also got a lot of attentions in the film reviews than ever before ! Thanks to those critical reviews and atentions, IR’s innovations were instantly noticed by everybody of that generation !

Again, in those period, everybody had to mainly depend upon the radio only for such TFM songs. LP records were the other alternative which only certain affluent people could afford.

Cassettes & its recorders were considered as the new-age hi-fi systems and were available to hi-fi people only who had connections with Singapore etc,
What I am trying to say, in spite of all these limitations and the obvious resulting constraints (that people cannot get hi-tech music, etc.) IR was still experimenting all his innovations in music in each of his film and each of his songs.

Had such gadgets (as we are using now) were readily available with mass in those times, many more people would have easily observed and appreciated IR's innovtions at that time itself.

But Still, IR could rule the mass with his songs reaching the hearts of people right through, whether his technicalities are understood or not by them !

It's Ooty All the way !

2006-04-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

During that summer vacation of 1976, we decided to go for Ooty (my Chithi’s place) alongwith Shankar.

Though all the usual stuff of Ooty like sight seeing and films etc were carried out with our limited resources, the flower show (82^nd show) of botanical garden was the targeted attraction for Shankar as he had found out from various posters in the town, that IR with his Orchestra was going to perform on that day !

As usual I was indifferent towards his enthusiasm, as any kind of musical orchestra would have satisfied me !

The D-day came ! There was heavy rush when we reached the Venue and we had to sit in the lawn very far away from the podium. Still we could see the members of orchestra reasonably clear !

That’s our first “darisanam” of IR, the youth, who was swaying the TN to his tunes of Annakili and Badrakali!

The program started with “Devan Thiruchabai Malargale” with Poorani & Indira (who were performing a lot of other songs also) ! I don’t remember the main female singers and only could guess now, the name of Sasirekha . Male voices were represented by Gangai Amaran, Sai Baba, Malasia Vasudevan and of course IR himself. As could have been guessed, IR’s songs were limited at that time and mostly the songs of MSV, KVM etc were performed by them.

IR was all the times at his Synth on the front right corner of the stage, and performing flawlessly all those pieces. I could recollect my tension moments in watching him singing “Poo vizhi vasalil” from Deepam. Tension because, he was so much concentrating on playing the synth, that I sincerely believed he was going to miss his portion of the song. But to my astonishment, he was picking the microphone on his side exactly on time and moving the same nearer to his mouth and let the Jesudas lines out , in micro second precision and again back to his synth very seriously !

It was a treat to watch ! That was the first time I heard his personal voice !

I remember the songs of Anandha Then Katru (manipoor mamiyaar), Nadhamennum Kovilile, Manaivi Amaivadhellam, Kadavul Amaithu vaitha medai etc.

Finally came the announcement that IR’s ‘recently’ composed song (unreleased) for “16 vayadhinile” to be performed by the new comer “Malasia Vasudevan”. Then came the scintillating “Aattukutti Muttaiyittu”. In those period 16 vayadhinile even before its release made a controversial popularity with Kamal’s new role of Chappani in Semi-nude pose with “Kovanam” in most of the magazines at that time.

The programme came to an end with the song of MV and GA who got into full swing with their evergreen “Surangani Surangani” and the whole audience going on rampage!

Anyway, that was the day which changed my life !

There was no other options but to listen and watch this gentleman IR’s songs wherever and whatever it is ! I cannot reason for the change of the chemistry in my brain !

But I remain always grateful to God (and Sankar of course) who gave me those opportunities !

Where and How it started?

2006-04-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

That was my "16- Vayadhinile" period ! The year being 1976 !

First time I heard the “Machaanai Paartheengala” in a musical programme organized for the Mariamman Festival of my village (Tharamangalam of Salem District). Usually it’s a week long festival every year where the whole village has nothing to do except participating in the festival with guests and relatives. The schools are also declared holidays for a week !

Every night of those 7 days are ear-marked for some variety programmes like Nadaswaram, drama, devotional music, film music etc. At this age I could not recollect which orchestra performed that song, but I “heard” that was a hit song of that year in Tamil Nadu.

When I say I “heard”, it’s a fact and I am not exaggerating; my attention to Raja was only to that limit ! When I heard first time "Machhanai Paartheengala", even I was not fully aware that song was by Raja ! CSR and so Indifferent to IR ??!! That was true !

I have to digress a little bit to explain all these !

My initiation into film music in a serious way, to be specific, in Hindi film music (HFM) was from way behind 1968 or 1969! Though I used to hear all those Tamil film music songs of that period in the radio, I was not an addict to TFM. I remember the regular fight for radio between me and my sister/other family members with my choice being for Hindi Ceylon and their choice being obviously Trichy / Madras and Tamil Ceylon stations etc !

My initiation to TFM was due to my uncle Ramakrishnan (TVR) who was then a school teacher in Mettur and was a part of the local orchestra team of Mettur Chemicals.

But it was Sankar (my sister Usha’s husband) (who was studying in various schools of North Arcot district) who was the main reason for my sustaining & growing interest in TFM. He was an ardent SPB fan. He regularly introduced me the SPB-MSV hit songs etc of those period say early 1970s. We used to meet occasionally during our school vacation holidays. That was the time for analyzing and discussing our likes and dislikes of various Hindi and Tamil film songs.

It’s the vacation holidays of 1976 which I can recall as the starting point of my association of Raja’s musical memories!

As usual, Sankar was at my village for annual holidays. The way Sankar explained with enthusiasm about Raja’s initial few films, had made some strong impressions in my mind about Raja being the young new comer in TFM. Slowly some of the songs like Oru Naal unnodu oru naal, Kettele ange, Poo vizhi vaasalil etc and other songs of Annakili all got some place in my mind.

However, the HFM still remained a strong preference even though the declining standard of HFM with fading away of RD Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, etc were worrying me a lot at that time.

With this background, the inevitable or fate or destiny whatever you may call it, that happened!

Introduction

2006-04-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Our family has been hardcore fans of Isaignani Maestro Ilaiyaraaja (or rather devotees I should say) ever since his music started pervading Tamilnadu in 1976.

Today, I have started this blog to share with you the beautiful moments I cherish from my meeting with him way back in 70s and 80s.

I will post my experiences and feelings in a series of posts.

Your comments are most welcome.

CSR