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Sunday, September 24, 2017

Varalaamo - Aasai manaivi

Saravanan Natarajan writes:

S. Janaki sings for Shankar- Ganesh

Part 1

வரலாமோ...சுகம் பெறலாமோ....

I was listening to songs from 'Kanniparuvathile' last evening and was struck by this realization- this was a rare instance of a Shankar-Ganesh album that featured Janaki as the only female voice. Set me thinking on the not so frequent moments when the duo have had Janaki in their ensemble, and hence this sudden series of the chanteuse singing for the duo.

What is so exceptional about Janaki singing for Shankar-Ganesh, you may well ask. The explanation is fairly simple, Janaki was a rarity in the S-G discography, even in her prolific years in which she was Ilaiyaraja’s Prima Donna.
* * * * *

At the time of ‘Maharasi’, the first movie to be released with music by S-G, Tamil film music was the absolute fiefdom of P. Susheela. Added to that, Chinnappa Thevar was the munificent patron of S-G in their early years, and Thevar would not hear of any singer other than Susheela to sing for his ventures. Thus, Susheela became the leading female voice in the S-G albums, and continued to remain so for many years to come. Can one ever forget the bumper harvest reaped repeatedly by this fecund partnership? ‘Poovinum melliya poonkodi’, ‘Naan unnai thedugiren’, ‘Kannan pirantha velaiyile’, ‘Aadiyile perukkeduthu’, ‘Unnai ethirpaarthen kanna’, ‘Karpanaiyil mithanthapadi’, ‘Maharajan vandhaan’, ‘Pallandu kaalam nee vazha vendum’, are some of the gorgeous songs that come to mind when the dulcet diva added allure to the duo’s compositions. Added to the solos were numerous duets with TMS and later SPB that remain popular to this day.

And in 1973, S-G escorted Vani Jairam into Tamil film music with ‘Veetukku Vandha Marumagal’. The talented Vani soon established a special rapport with S-G, and went on to become a mandatory feature in their albums thereafter. ‘En ullam azhagaana velli thirai’, ‘Alamarathukkili’, ‘Thaayyakki vecha en thangame’, ‘Aayiram aandugal aayiram piravigal’, ‘Thumbai poo mugathil’, ‘Megame megame’, ‘Muthu muthu therottam’, ‘Yaaradhu sollamal nenjalli povadhu’, ‘Katti karumbe kanna’- Vani continued to render one stunner after another for S-G well into the 80s.

S-G brought back the forgotten Jikki for a glorious second innings, giving her some memorable songs such as ‘Kannan varuvaan’, ‘Senthamaraiye’, ‘Thalai vaazhai ilai pottu’, ‘Edhai ketpadho’, ‘Poomaalai ondru’, ‘Naan unna nenachen’… Not content with honoring veterans, S-G gave talented newcomers some welcome opportunities as well- B.S. Sashirekha, for instance, got to sing ‘Madhyaana velai mayakkam sugam’ and ‘Pesadha mozhi ondru undu’, songs that elevated her into the reckoning, not to speak of the grand humming in ‘Malaicharalil oru poonkiyil’…
* * * * *

Thus, it comes as no surprise that Janaki, who even otherwise not a regular presence in Tamil film music in the late 60s and early 70s, got to sing only 3 songs for S-G in their first 10 years (1967-1976). The songs were ‘Ondre ondru thnoorum vannam’- a lovely duet with SPB wasted in an obscure AVM. Rajan starrer ‘Deivam Pesuma’ (1971), ‘Thalai vaazhai ilia pottu’ with Jikki in ‘Naan Yen Pirandhen’ and ‘Ananandam indu arambam’ with TMS in ‘Idhaya Veenai’ (both 1972).
Following the stupendous success of the Annakkili songs in 1976, Janaki came to dazzling limelight in the second decade of the 70s, and it was inevitable that S-G would also summon her to be part of their ensemble. Let us recall few of these instances in this series.

Who remembers today a 1977 movie called ‘Aasai Manaivi? With Jaishankar & Sujata as the lead players? K. Sornam is said to have been at the helm of this forgotten project. The sound track was by Shankar- Ganesh. We would happily let the movie lie buried undisturbed in the sands of time, had it not been for 2 wonderful compositions of the unpredictable duo, with one of them being by Janaki.
Listen to how much value addition Janaki brings to this song of languorous seductive appeal.

Apparently, the lady sings this song to draw the attention of the man to her longings, and being a demure and downcast heroine of 1977, she couldn’t afford to be coarse or blatant. Hark at the beautiful lyrics in which this physical urge is couched, and how fetchingly Janaki portrays these emotions. Her dreamy lines cloak the song in a Ghazal-like ambience. Doesn't each repeat of that 'Varalaamo' couch within it a thousand plaintive pleas? And doesn't that 'Sugam peralaamo' tell a wistful tale of anguished yearnings? At every listen I await for the moment when she lingers lovingly over ‘Kannan’, and my day is made! The gentle guitar moments add to the appeal. I first saw the song in DD’s Oliyum Oliyum as a child, I was enchanted then and the song continues to have me in a trance to this day.

S-G have often been scorned at for lifting tunes and arrangements from other composers. And as for their original compositions, many of them have had disdain heaped upon them for their plebeian mediocrity. But to give S-G their due, time and again they have startled us with some breathtaking surprises like this one, giving us a fleeting glimpse of their creativity and capacity. It is a matter of bewildering regret that they did not bother to hold on consistently to this brilliance. Perhaps all along, it was indolence coupled with indifference that was their chief imperfection, and not incompetence, as is generally believed. It behooves posterity to temper its treatment of S-G with more thoughtfulness than their own times ever deigned to do, and to certainly adopt a more holistic view of their abundant contribution to Tamil film music.

So, listen on…

Varalaamo sugam peralaamo from Aasai Manaivi (1977/ Sooryalaya)
Vocals: S. Janaki
Lyrics: Vaali
Music: Shankar- Ganesh



- To be continued....

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1731980233500362/

Saturday, September 9, 2017

இசையாய் தமிழாய் இருப்பவனே- Part 2

Saravanan Natarajan writes:

8 September marked the death anniversary of the great Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan... Presenting the second part of the series on KV today...

இசையாய் தமிழாய் இருப்பவனே- Part 2


Enthused by the success of 'Vaa Raja Vaa', APN now set about recounting the story of a pilgrimage tour commencing from Tirupathi and ending at Kanyakumari. Families from different walks of life, comprising of members in various age groups and speaking different languages find themselves traveling together in a bus, and their common faith helps them realize their unity in diversity. APN interposed the narrative with interesting mythological vignettes and slices of humour, the tour covered the famous temples of Tirupathi, Tiruthani, Mysore, Madurai, Guruvayoor and Kanyakumari, and the resultant narrative was engrossing.

Led by Seergazhi Govindarajan who played the role of Sivachidambara Bagavathar, 'Thirumalai Thenkumari' (1970/ Sri Vijayalakshmi Pictures) had a varied cast comprising of Sivakumar, Sasikumar, K.D. Santhanam, Surulirajan, V. Gopalakrishnan, T.N. Sivadhanu, Chandranbabu, Typist Gopu, Manorama, Kumari Padmini, Ramaprabha, CID Shakuntala, Sailasri, Usha, Kanthimathi, Master Prabhakaran, Master Dasarathan, Baby Sumathi and others.


KV had a field day composing the album- devotional numbers were his forte, and he came up with an outstanding album.

The songs were:

1. Thirupathi malai vaazhum Venkatesa: written by Ulundurpettai Shanmugam and sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan. KV imaginatively employs the lilt of Venkatesa Suprabatham in the interludes with the clangour of the temple bells envelop the song in a halo of stirring piety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR0l_ja1qUA

2. Sindhanaiyil medaikkatti Kandhananiye aadavaiththen: written by Thenkanchi Bharathisami and sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan & Sarala.

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

3. The famous multilingual song that begins with the lines 'Azhage thamizhe nee vaazhga' (written by Poovai Senguttuvan and sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan & Sarala), followed by the Malayalam lines 'Kannugal pootti njaan oru nimisham' (written by Job and sung by Madhuri), Kannada lines 'Krishnaa.. daasi naa karaiyuve baa' (written by Sailasri and sung by M.R. Vijaya), Chennai thamizh lines 'Paadanunu manasukkulle assai neraya keethu' (written by K.K.S. Kumar and sung by a boisterous Manorama), Telugu lines 'Naa bangarayya naa singarayya' (written by Ramsri and sung by L.R. Eswari), ending with the zestful 'Oorellaam paaru, ullaasa touru' (written by Poovai Senguttuvan and sung by A.L. Raghavan, Tharapuram Sundararajan, L.R. Eswari and L.R.Anjali).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1suNIBbS3M4

4. Abiramani Andhadhi beginning with 'Kalayaadha kalviyum kurayaatha vayathum' sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Zr9gVpYX4

5. Madurai arasaalum Meenakshi written by Ulundurpettai Shanmugam and sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan, L.R.Eswari and M.R.Vijaya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NODZPDBR2Eo

6. Guruvayoorappa thiruvarul tharuvaai neeyappa written by Poovai Senguttuvan and sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan.

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

7. Thiral mani kathiragal veesi (Neelakkadal vegaththile nilamkondu sellaamal): written by Nellai Arulmani and sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan & L.R. Eswari.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ab0w0hPuC0

Incidentally, this was the album in which M.R. Vijaya made her debut in film music. She was learning music from KV at that time. Though earlier she was part of the chorus voices in the song 'Aadi paadi sirikka vaipathu enga oorunga' in 'Vaa Raja Vaa', it was in 'Thirumalai Thenkumari' that she made a memorable mark.

The songs of 'Thirumalai Thenkumari' won widespread acclaim and earned for KV the prestigious Tamil Nadu State Government Award for Best Music Director for 1970- a remarkable achievement for a composer in his very second year in cinema. To add to the happiness, Seergazhi Govindarajan won the State Award for the Best Male Playback Singer for 1970 for his work in 'Thirumalai Thenkumari'. The movie itself was another 100 day affair, and also won the State Government's special award for the Best Feature Film.

* * * * *

The other movie of 1970 that came out with KV's music was G.N. Velumani's 'Namma Veettu Deivam' (Kamakshi Agencies). Veteran producer Velumani made his debut as director with this movie. The cast consisted of Muthuraman, K.R. Vijaya, Jayabharathi, Nagesh, V.S. Raghavan and others. 'Vietnam Veedu' drafted the screenplay and dialogues for the story written by M. Lakshmanan. The story revolved around the womanizer Rangadurai, the poor Bhavani who falls a victim to his lust and her sister, the devout Devi whom he finally weds. He murders Devi in order to obtain a key handed over to her by his father, but is shocked to find her alive at home. How the Goddess brings Rangadurai to justice forms rest of the tale. This movie was the first of the many in which K.R. Vijaya donned the role of the Goddess, and celebrated a 100 day run in most centers.


Velumani was very particular about the music in his movies- all his movies had wonderful songs. M.S. Viswanthan & T.K. Ramamoorthi and later MSV alone had been entrusted with the music for Velumani's movies hitherto, save 'Naanal' that gone to V. Kumar. Therefore it was a great honour for KV that he had been selected by Velumani to compose music for directorial debut. And it to KV's credit that his music contributed in no small measure to the movie's success.

Another interesting factor is that as though to make up for keeping away from the leading pair of singers TMS & P. Susheela in his first two ventures, KV ensured that the Namma Veetu Deivam album was solely theirs, except for a short song by M. R. Vijaya. P. Susheela, in particular, got to sing songs of diverse allure in this album, and all of them became hugely popular.

For the Navaraathiri song 'Ulagamellaam padachavale ongaari', KV got a reluctant Ki.Va. Jagannathan to pen the lyrics. TMS, P. Susheela & chorus render this song with apposite fervour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAEa4qdQRCY

P. Susheela dons L.R. Easwari’s hues for a brief while to render the sizzling 'Then malar vannaam' and embellishes the ditty with her winsome sweetness. KV’s rich orchestral interludes are a stunning revelation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp_LCRPSW7I

M.R. Vijaya got to sing verses from the Thiruvempaavai commencing with 'Potri en vaazhmudalaagiya porule'. P. Susheela sang Vallalaar's 'Enakkum unakkum isaindha porutham' tuned to a delightful Charukesi by KV. TMS rendered the rousing 'Engengu kaaninum sakthiyada'.
However, my pick from the album is the haunting 'Aasai manathil kottai katti' written by Thenkanchi Bharathisami and sung by P.Susheela. KV raises the curtain with his humming, and Susheela takes over, her lines soaked in poignant anguish. This song remains my favorite among KV’s movie compositions. Memories of childhood vacations in my village come gushing in as this song was a regular feature in Radio Ceylon's Mandha Marutham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb0IOzNMYWE

- To be continued.
* * * * *
Part 1 here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1254354917929565/

Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1718562691508783/