Music moods - A Musical Journey - part-4

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Click here for part 2 :
 
Click here for part 3 :

இன்னொருவர் வேதனை
இவர்களுக்கு வேடிக்கை
இதயமற்ற மனிதருக்கு
இதுவெல்லாம் வாடிக்கை

எத்தனை பெரிய மனிதனுக்கு
எத்தனை சிறிய மனமிருக்கு
எத்தனை சிறிய பறவைக்கு
எத்தனை பெரிய அறிவிருக்கு
 

This is a song which comes in the movie Aasai Mugam,an MGR starrer.Lyrics were penned by Vaali.Vaali has just taken a dig on mankind,in this song.The meaning of the song goes like this.Only people without any feelings and heart will make fun of others problems.Its quite usual for them.Man(also woman),who is God's superior creation,has lot of cheap thoughts and his heart is just too small whereas a small bird is sensible.There will be a stanza in this song explaining the good qualities of some birds.This is the lyrics :

கோழியை பாரு காலையில் விழிக்கும்
குருவியை பாரு சோம்பலை பழிக்கும்
காக்கையை பாரு கூடி பிழைக்கும்
நம்மையும் பாரு நாடே சிரிக்கும் 

Whenever I am angry on someone and not in a position to do anything against them due to situations and circumstances(sometimes the anger will be towards politicians),I will listen to this song only.It gives a sense of satisfaction to me.

 பாசமுள்ள பார்வையிலே

கடவுள் வாழ்கிறான்

அவன் கருணையுள்ள நெஞ்சினிலே

கோவில் கொள்கிறான்

These meaningful lines are from the song "Idho Endhan Deivam" from the movie "Babu".The lyrics were penned by,again Mr.Vaali.This is the best possible simple explanation about God.Meaning of these lines - God lives in our affection and love and the heart in which there is love and sympathy,becomes temple.

Well there is some magical touch in this man's words.Again its all pure gift of God.After a great struggle, he got a chance to write songs in Tamil Cinema in late 1950s and he is still the most preferred lyricist in Tamil Cinema.The most recent Harris Jeyaraj,Yuvan Shankar Raja and G V Prakash also prefers Vaali. Not only movies,he has written so many other poems.Once veteran director K Balachander called Vaali and told a situation and asked him to tell a poem for the situation through phone itself.This was the situation,a mother is writing a letter to her baby which she is carrying.Vaali started off with the following lines and told a complete poem through phone itself.K Balachander,a man who has directed 100 movies,himself told this in an interview.These were the lines :

தாய்ப்பால் வருவதற்கு முன்

தபால் வருகிறதே என்று

திகைக்கிறாயா?

There is another incident which I would like to share here.While looking for an opportunity to write songs in Tamil Cinema,Vaali wrote a song and was waiting for the opinion of a music director M P Srinivasan.After a deep thought,M P Srinivasan sir replied to Vaali that the song didn't impress him.Vaali didn't give up the hope.Infact once the great MSV sir himself,on seeing some of the poems of Vaali sir, told to Vaali's friend that, Vaali can better do someother useful job, instead of trying for a chance in cinema.Vaali didn't lose his hope.He was confident about himself.He always had the hope that he can make it big in cinema one day or other day.Later on,same MSV sir,during a composing, asked Vaali that where he was all these days, that Tamil Cinema has been badly missing this great poet.Vaali wrote the same song,which was earlier rejected by M P Srinivasan,to another movie.The song became a super hit and now it is regarded as an evergreen classic. Later on even MPS regretted missing this great song.The song is :

கொடுத்ததெல்லாம் கொடுத்தான்

அவன் யாருக்காக கொடுத்தான்

ஒருத்தருக்கா கொடுத்தான் இல்லை

ஊருக்காக கொடுத்தான்

Why I narrated these incidents here means,we should never lose hope as long as we have perfect knowledge about what we are doing.As Vaali himself says,only his words has been a visiting card for him always.If I start writing about Vaali,this will not look like a blog post,it will go on like a novel.I have written a detailed post about Vaali sir in this link[CLICK HERE].If you want to know more about him,go through that link.

This is how the songs were in black and white period.Lyrics had equal importance as that of tune.And the Tamil Cinema fans were able to get a Kannadasan,Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram,Vaali,Pulamaipithan etc.

In the meantime,Hindi songs started dominating in Tamil Nadu.The Hindi songs had a great response and people started giving more importance to Hindi songs.The Tamil songs were also influenced by Hindi tunes.The scenario changed in 1976.The entry of one man, gave a new lease of life to music in Tamil Cinema. His songs had a great impact that once again Tamil songs started becoming chart-busters.This man didn't enter cinema just like that.He struggled a lot to get an opportunity.Once veteran director Bharathiraja said,he along with this music director, struggled a lot that they didn't even have enough money to buy food for them.He worked in some orchestra troops.He is a master in playing guitar.He is a complete music director who gave a new dimension to music in Tamil Cinema - he is none other than the musical genius,legend - 'Isaignani' Ilayraja sir.

He is a creator of close to 4500 songs and he has scored music for around 950 movies.His musical hits speaks volumes about him.I can very easily quote the songs from the movies like Uyarntha Ullam,Padikkathavan,Thamibikku Endha ooru,Oru Kaidhiyin Diary etc.These movies had Superstar Rajnikanth and Ulaganayagan Kamalhassan in the lead roles.But there are lot of movies in which Ilayaraja's music alone can be considered as a real hero.There was a hero in Tamil Cinema,who gave consecutive blockbuster movies.Though he had some fans,he was not a kind of hero whose movies will do business only because of fans.It was Ilayaraja sir's music which was one of the main reasons for the success of his movies. The hero is none other than 'mike' Mohan :D.His movies like Idhayakoil,Udhayageetham,Payanangal mudivadhillai(Ilayanila is enough to show what kind of genius Ilayaraja sir is) etc and all had songs of exceptional quality.

There was also another hero who gave some huge hits.There are many comedy scenes from various movies which made fun of his dressing sense and also some fans will mock him for the kind of 'shining' dresses he wore.His name is Ramarajan.The movie 'Karagattakaran' in which he was the hero,was a huge huge hit.It ran successfully for 1 year.Ilayaraja's music is one of the main reasons for such a resounding success.Of-course the comedy track in the movie is an evergreen one,thanks to Koundamani-Senthil(who can forget the 'Vaazhapazham' comedy :D).The reason for mentioning these details is not to ridicule the heroes,but to stress the fact that Ilayaraja sir's music was able to create heroes.

Not only in cinema,he also has a great command in 'Shastriya Sangeet'.Kanchi Mahaperiyava Jagadguru Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal himself praised Ilayaraja sir.He asked Ilayaraja sir to sing saying that he wanted to listen to his songs.This swami is considered to be an incarnation of God(don't confuse yourself with some fake babas who claim themselves to be Gods,this Swamigal never claimed himself to be God and all).Such a great Kacnhi Mahaperiyava himself praised Ilayaraja sir means,that says what kind of gift Ilayaraja is for us.Even one of the greatest music directors had a lot of affection and respect for Ilayaraja and his music[Ilayaraja has praised R D Burman sir in so many interviews].One of the greatest personalities in Carnatic musical world,Shemmangudi Srinivasa Iyyer,also has praised him.Imagine what these people are going to gain by praising this music director?Its a comment from their heart - I respect it :-).

I can keep on mentioning names of so many great personalities who praised Ilayaraja like anything.But then, that itself will take quite a long time.

The combination of Ilayaraja-Bharathiraja-Vairamuthu was a terrific one.A musical genius with one of the greatest directors and an intelligent lyricist(Vairamuthu).Alaigal Oivadhillai is an excellent movie.Directed by Bharathiraja sir.It was a bold movie and it had a path-breaking climax.But music is the heart and soul of this movie.The aaiyiram thaamarai mottukkale song bgm is still fresh in my mind[in the minds of many].

The movie Mudhal Mariyadhai is the best.I was watching this movie last month.Couldn't even move here and there,its such a fantastic creation.Bharathiraja's brilliant portrayal of the characters,Vairamuthu sir's meaningful lines and Ilayaraja's magical music and Sivaji Ganesan - one of the greatest actors in India[in my opinion he is the greatest] playing the lead role(hero) - everything put together made the movie an evergreen classic.

என்ன சொல்லுவேன்
என் உள்ளம் தாங்கல
மெத்த வாங்கினேன்
தூக்கத்த வாங்கல

How meaningful these lines are!!!Vairamuthu is an excellent lyricist.Such a meaningful lyrics with the soulful composition of Ilayaraja will definitely leave an impression in the mind of the listener.After listening to these songs,Sivaji sir himself praised Ilayaraja and said one can't score music better than this.

His Raakkamma Kayyathattu song, from the movie Thalapathy, ranked 4th in BBC radio's top ten songs of the world.Just listen the way violins has been used in this song.He is rightly called 'Isaignani'.Ilayaraja has found (I don't whether the word 'invented' or 'discovered' should be used here,because I don't know much about music) some new Ragas - heard this from veteran Carnatic singer BalaMuraliKrishna. Ilayaraja was the first person to introduce Reethigowla raaga in cinema.The song 'Chinna kannan azhaikkiran' from the movie Kavikuyil, is based on this raaga only. Source of this information - lyricist-poet Vaali.He has mentioned this in one of his books.Just listen to the song.It was sung by BalaMuraliKrishna sir.Just observe the flute part in the song..I have just one word - AWESOME.

Ilayaraja has composed almost all genre of songs.Carnatic,Western,Folk,Devotional etc..Infact his Thiruvasagam symphony oratario is a fusion of Indian classical with western classical.In his initial stages he didn't get many awards.To be honest,he was not given awards in India.Dirty politics can be the only reason for this.He was awarded just 3 national awards for best music direction,out of which two awards were for Telugu movies.A man who scored music for more than 900 movies was awarded just 3 national awards and that too just 1 for Tamil cinema.Can there be anyother reason than crap politics?He is the first person to win a national award for Best Background Music.I consider,its an honor to that award,that it goes to Ilayaraja.As A R Rahman said, Ilayaraja's music is something bigger than oscars and awards.

One interesting information I would like to share here.The oscar award winning music director A R Rahman was a keyboard player in Ilayaraja sir's troupe in his initial days.He played the keyboard for Punnagai Mannan theme music and it is said that he used the synthesizers for this theme music.Its a great theme music,composed by Ilayaraja and played by A R Rahman.

KamalHassan starrer 'Sagarasangamam' was a huge hit in Telugu.Again its a product of legends - K Viswanath,the director,Ilayaraja the music director and Kamalhassan - the hero.It was dubbed in Tamil and the movie went on to become a huge huge blockbuster in Tamil too.In Tamil,the lyrics were penned by Vairamuthu and they have used some songs Thyagaraja swamigal.But for Ilayraja's music,I don't think the dubbed version might have become such a huge hit.I have seen this movie so many times and I will watch it again and again hereafter too.This is my favorite Kamal movie.His expressions and dance still remains in my eyes.Marvelous acting by Kamal sir.Watch this video friends.Especially when Jayaprada says,'ivarum periya dancer thaanga',Kamal will cry,holding her hands,emotionally.While watching this scene,many times I was moved to tears.Also listen to the song which comes after the scene. Absolute masterpiece.Infact I would recommend you people to watch this movie fully(if you have not seen this movie before).The directorial touch can be felt in every scene,especially when the end card appears as "NO END FOR ANY ART".

I would like to stop with this about Ilayaraja sir.Imagine what will happen if  I start describing about all his 950 movies.

Again this is not the end of the musical journey,it will continue in my next post too.Will come up with some more informations.

P.S. :  In my previous post,I have mentioned that I was not sure about who wrote the song "Enakkoru Kaadhali Irukkindraal" and also have mentioned that it must be either Vaali or Kannadasan.I got the answer for this.It is Vaali.Got this info from veteran singer L R Eswari.She said this while presenting a program in Captain TV.

(To be continued..)