Tribute to Raveendran: Part 3
காற்றினிலே வரும் கீதம்....
Kanmaniye Pesu was released in January 1986. Rasigan Oru Rasigai (Vasan Brothers) followed in February. Scripted and directed by Balu Anand, the film had Satyaraj in the early stages of transitioning from playing villain to leading roles. Ambika, Ramesh, Chitra, Goundamani and others were in the cast.
The story revolved around a singer Latha Venkateshwaran (Ambika). Though she has crossed the first bloom of youth, she remains single. And only her parents know the reason. Many years back she was engaged to be married to her cousin, the young, successful businessman Balu (Satyaraj). They were in love with each other and looking forward to their marriage. However, Balu offends Latha when in a moment of inebriated weakness, he tries to get physical with her. She is disgusted at his hasty, thoughtless overtures and calls off the wedding.
She thereafter focuses on her music and evolves into a popular vocalist. A repentant Balu waits patiently for her. He even makes it a point to attend all her concerts. However, she ignores him with disdain whenever their paths happen to cross. Meanwhile, while on a concert tour to a temple near Coimbatore, she come across a rustic orphan, Gopal (Newcomer Ramesh). She is mesmerized when she overhears him developing a song that she had been rehearsing- his voice is divine, his pitch perfect and his mastery over the intricate phrases mind-blowing. She accosts him and offers to take him back with her and give him the formal training that he deserves. The innocent youth is overwhelmed by her sudden offer; demurs initially and then accepts with joy.
Under her patronage, Gopal becomes a renowned singer in his own right. His mastery over his craft and good looks fetch him hordes of fans. A rich young girl (Chitra) falls in love with him and their relationship develops gradually. One night, while returning home after a function, Latha finds Balu lying unconscious in his car. She admits him in a hospital- she finds all her misgivings melting and discovers that her love for Balu remains as firm as ever. Meanwhile, not knowing all this, Latha’s father is unhappy with what he perceives to be a romantic relationship between Latha and Gopal. He opens his heart to Gopal, and Gopal agrees to enact a drama. He startles Latha by suggesting that they get married. Latha is infuriated at his presumptuous arrogance and drives him away. After a few twists and turns, all is well that ends well.
A story such as this, with music as its mainstay, is a godsend to any composer and Raveendran accepted the challenge with alacrity. He set about crafting a magnificent sound-track whose allure remains immaculate to this day. True, he did rework on few of his Malayalam compositions from Chiriyo Chiri and Thenum Vayamabum, but that did not take away the magic of a creative mind at work.
This album remains Raveendran's best effort in Tamil. With an ensemble of singers such as Yesudas, Jayachandran, Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki & Vani Jairam and a team of ingenious lyricists such as Vaali, Pulamaipithan, Na. Kamarasan, M.G.Vallaban and Gangaiamaran, Raveendran came out with some timeless treasures.
As the title credits roll, you sit up even as Vani escorts you into enchanting vistas of sheer melody with ‘Kaatrinile varum geetham’, a fine racy number soaked in pristine notes. The two versions by Yesudas & Janaki of the ‘Yezhisai geethame’ that captivates in it convoluted Charanams and the soulful ‘Paadi azhaithen’ by Yesudas (both Sivaranjani based) usurped the airwaves for a while that year. Janaki’s Sudhdhasaaveri 'Unakkaagave naan uyir vaazhgiren' fills the listener's heart with a quiet rapture. And right from the opening humming, the jaunty Jayachandran- Janaki duet 'Amma adi amma sugam summa varuma' thrills in the startling unpredictability of Raveendran's arrangements. 'Vellii mookku minna minna' has Yesudas enjoying a rare merry outing even while clutching on to the silken strands of Kalyani- his delighted drawl on 'Kazhuthai saththam nalla sagunam' is the highpoint here! Malaysia Vasu's 'Naadu nalla naadu' catches your fancy even as the song unfolds with an unorthodox choral humming.
Besides these songs that were released in the vinyl record and aired on the radio, the movie is filled with several pieces of music that have never elicited the attention they deserved….. a small piece of ‘Ezhisai geethame’ sung by Chitra (Why isn’t she credited in the titles?), the music lessons (Chitra & Yesudas) commencing from lovely Swara passages leading to the scintillating Swati Tirunaal composition in Chakravagam- ‘Saroja naabha dayaarnava maamava’, the haunting Yesudas- Janaki duet ‘Yen mounam ilankuyile’…. Riveting musical moments that are interwoven seamlessly into the narrative.
Song links:
Kaatrinile varum geetham (Vani Jairam)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RQY4hgiYd0
Unakkagave naan uyir vaazhgiren (S.Janaki)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrpOrkHv_Jk
Ezhisai geethame (Yesudas)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB8KfKmPTB4
(Janaki)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEZwu92s-hY
Paadi azhaithen (Yesudas)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9NvcNaLK24
- To be concluded.
Part 1 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1507199932645061/
Part 2 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1508551829176538/
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1540981872600200/
காற்றினிலே வரும் கீதம்....
Kanmaniye Pesu was released in January 1986. Rasigan Oru Rasigai (Vasan Brothers) followed in February. Scripted and directed by Balu Anand, the film had Satyaraj in the early stages of transitioning from playing villain to leading roles. Ambika, Ramesh, Chitra, Goundamani and others were in the cast.
The story revolved around a singer Latha Venkateshwaran (Ambika). Though she has crossed the first bloom of youth, she remains single. And only her parents know the reason. Many years back she was engaged to be married to her cousin, the young, successful businessman Balu (Satyaraj). They were in love with each other and looking forward to their marriage. However, Balu offends Latha when in a moment of inebriated weakness, he tries to get physical with her. She is disgusted at his hasty, thoughtless overtures and calls off the wedding.
She thereafter focuses on her music and evolves into a popular vocalist. A repentant Balu waits patiently for her. He even makes it a point to attend all her concerts. However, she ignores him with disdain whenever their paths happen to cross. Meanwhile, while on a concert tour to a temple near Coimbatore, she come across a rustic orphan, Gopal (Newcomer Ramesh). She is mesmerized when she overhears him developing a song that she had been rehearsing- his voice is divine, his pitch perfect and his mastery over the intricate phrases mind-blowing. She accosts him and offers to take him back with her and give him the formal training that he deserves. The innocent youth is overwhelmed by her sudden offer; demurs initially and then accepts with joy.
Under her patronage, Gopal becomes a renowned singer in his own right. His mastery over his craft and good looks fetch him hordes of fans. A rich young girl (Chitra) falls in love with him and their relationship develops gradually. One night, while returning home after a function, Latha finds Balu lying unconscious in his car. She admits him in a hospital- she finds all her misgivings melting and discovers that her love for Balu remains as firm as ever. Meanwhile, not knowing all this, Latha’s father is unhappy with what he perceives to be a romantic relationship between Latha and Gopal. He opens his heart to Gopal, and Gopal agrees to enact a drama. He startles Latha by suggesting that they get married. Latha is infuriated at his presumptuous arrogance and drives him away. After a few twists and turns, all is well that ends well.
A story such as this, with music as its mainstay, is a godsend to any composer and Raveendran accepted the challenge with alacrity. He set about crafting a magnificent sound-track whose allure remains immaculate to this day. True, he did rework on few of his Malayalam compositions from Chiriyo Chiri and Thenum Vayamabum, but that did not take away the magic of a creative mind at work.
As the title credits roll, you sit up even as Vani escorts you into enchanting vistas of sheer melody with ‘Kaatrinile varum geetham’, a fine racy number soaked in pristine notes. The two versions by Yesudas & Janaki of the ‘Yezhisai geethame’ that captivates in it convoluted Charanams and the soulful ‘Paadi azhaithen’ by Yesudas (both Sivaranjani based) usurped the airwaves for a while that year. Janaki’s Sudhdhasaaveri 'Unakkaagave naan uyir vaazhgiren' fills the listener's heart with a quiet rapture. And right from the opening humming, the jaunty Jayachandran- Janaki duet 'Amma adi amma sugam summa varuma' thrills in the startling unpredictability of Raveendran's arrangements. 'Vellii mookku minna minna' has Yesudas enjoying a rare merry outing even while clutching on to the silken strands of Kalyani- his delighted drawl on 'Kazhuthai saththam nalla sagunam' is the highpoint here! Malaysia Vasu's 'Naadu nalla naadu' catches your fancy even as the song unfolds with an unorthodox choral humming.
Besides these songs that were released in the vinyl record and aired on the radio, the movie is filled with several pieces of music that have never elicited the attention they deserved….. a small piece of ‘Ezhisai geethame’ sung by Chitra (Why isn’t she credited in the titles?), the music lessons (Chitra & Yesudas) commencing from lovely Swara passages leading to the scintillating Swati Tirunaal composition in Chakravagam- ‘Saroja naabha dayaarnava maamava’, the haunting Yesudas- Janaki duet ‘Yen mounam ilankuyile’…. Riveting musical moments that are interwoven seamlessly into the narrative.
Song links:
Kaatrinile varum geetham (Vani Jairam)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RQY4hgiYd0
Unakkagave naan uyir vaazhgiren (S.Janaki)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrpOrkHv_Jk
Ezhisai geethame (Yesudas)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB8KfKmPTB4
(Janaki)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEZwu92s-hY
Paadi azhaithen (Yesudas)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9NvcNaLK24
- To be concluded.
Part 1 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1507199932645061/
Part 2 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1508551829176538/
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1540981872600200/
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