Saravanan Natarajan writes:
வானம்.... பொழிகின்ற மழையின் ஒலியில் கானம்....
I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have.
- Abraham Lincoln
I do not understand the lyrics wholly, yet each time I listen to the tender strains of ‘Aayiram kannumaai kaathirunnu ninne njaan’, I am overcome at the fragility and fleeting ethereality of human relationships that the song manages so effortlessly to convey across barriers of language. Is it the studied leisurely gait of the song, or the melancholic magic of Yesudas, or the dreamy interludes, or the insistent choral refrain ‘painkili malar thenkili’, or the invigorating effect of the combined concoction- I cannot fathom. Yet the song leaves me shaken at every listen, and I offer a mental salute to the composer who crafted such a jewel.
And even within my limited knowledge of Malayalam film songs, many of this composer’s creations rank high in my list of favorites- the caressing gentleness of ‘Kannodu kannoram ni kani malaralle’ and ‘Aalorungi arangorungi aayiram therorungi’ (Ente Maamatti Kuttiyammaku), the fun and frolic that reverberates throughout ‘Minnum minna minni’ and the hushed angst in ‘Thilangum thingale’ (No.1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North), the stylish prelude with which ‘Neerkili neendhivaa’ (Punnaram Cholli Cholli) opens, the silky warp and waft of ‘Dhevadhumdhubhi saandralayam’ (Ennennum Kannettante), the euphoric empathy that ‘Vanambaadi edho theerangal thedunna vanambaadi’ (Deshadanakili Karayarilla ) evidences…. Scintillating signatures of an unsung genius.
Luck has always played a capricious game of hide and seek with Jerry Amaldev (born Jerome Thomas Veelaparambil). The man studied for years in a seminary with the intention of becoming a priest, but realizing his true calling, gave up his religious aspirations without much regret. His inherent gift for music, and years of learning Hindustani classical, tabla and the piano made him approach the legendary Naushad. Deeply impressed at the young lad’s enthusiasm, Naushad took him on as his assistant. After 5 years with Naushad, Jerry went to US and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Music in New Orleans, followed by a Masters in Composition at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He even taught in Queen’s College in New York, before returning to India to try his hand at film music.
He could not have wished for a better opening. Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980/ Navodaya) by Faazil, starring Shankar, Mohanlal and Poornima Jairam was a thumping success, aided strongly by Jerry’s brilliant score. The awesome interludes in Janaki’s ‘Mizhiyoram’ were of a kind never heard before. The State Award was his, and he looked all set to be the composer of the decade in Malayalam Film Music. But things did not turn out quite that way, and despite coming out with stunners in the ensuing years, Jerry Amaldev found himself slowly, but surely sidelined.
* * * * *
1986. Jerry Amaldev was approached to compose music for a Tamil film, and he set about the task, excited at the prospects that this album could summon up. Ninaivo Oru Paravai (Scorpio Creations) was produced by K. Ajit and directed by ‘Uchchakattam’ fame N.S. Rajbharath. Rahman was the hero. Vairamuthu wrote the lyrics for the songs.
And what wonderful songs they were! ‘Then kudiththa thendral’ (SPB/Chitra) must be the among the softest romantic duets ever. ‘Endhan kanne’ (Yesudas /B.S. Sashirekha) is made for the mellifluosness of Yesudas. ‘Muththam enge’ tantalizes despite the innate limitations of S.P. Shailaja. 'Kaathalikka katrukkol’ might have made Raj Seetharaman really famous, if only the song had ever been aired.
And as for the SPB solo, do I really need to dwell upon it? Vairamuthu writes with his pen darting as cupid’s arrow, Jerry Amaldev conceives a tune that casts a beguiling spell, and our SPB takes charge nonchalantly to make Amaldev’s Tamil debut unforgettable.
I imagine Rahman singing in a cloudy night, perhaps under the window of his beloved (a la Gemini in ‘Kaadhal nilavE kanmani Radha’) trying to get her to sleep. (Or is he singing to her on the phone?) The overcast sky opens up, and the sudden showers, instead of cooling his ardor, end up kindling the flame of passion! And then would you suppose sleep would ever beckon the eyelids of one whose heart bursts with longings wrought by love, and whose ears thrill to the passionate wooing of her suitor? Yet he sings his lullaby, and when she does sleep exhaustedly in the end, her eyelids would surely be heavily laden with delicious dreams.
Jerry Amaldev’s famed orchestral brilliance is evident in the flowing interludes- they urge the listener to try flapping imaginary wings and soar exultantly high in the air. I have seldom listened to operatic passages of this class in film music! SPB must have sensed the extraordinary beauty of the composition, for he unleashes his magic in all its potent strength, and gleefully cloaks each line with his endearing nuances.
Listen to this delight here:
Song: En Kanmani
Film: Ninaivo Oru Paravai (Scorpio Creations/ Unreleased)
Vocals: S.P. Balasubramaniam
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
Music: Jerry Amaldev
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AeSvCIWKsw
How much Jerry Amaldev must have looked forward to this album!
Unfortunately for him, Ninavo Oru Paravai was never released. But Radio Ceylon did air the songs, at least for a brief while in 1986-87. And then the songs disappeared forever. Much later, (yes, in Virudunagar!) I chanced upon a record of the film (with Rahman on a bike featured on its sleeve), and got those cherished songs recorded.
I presented this song first way back in 2004 as Song of the Day to ecstatic responses. Like me, they were many who had fallen in love with the song when it was aired by Radio Ceylon in the 80s and were excited to listen to it again after many years. From dhool, this song was then widely downloaded and has now found its way to YouTube as well- Listen to the link- the record at the audio center in Virudunagar from I got the song had a deep scratch in a particular place, and hence the ‘etta’ in the line ‘un pattu meni ettavillai’ was cut- Not surprisingly, most versions you now find of this song in the net suffer from the same blemish!
* * * * *
Poove Ilam Poove (1987/ Vijayakala Pictures) did manage a release, but was a prompt failure, notwithstanding the then successful pairing of Suresh and Nadia. Despite this, Jerry Amaldev’s songs therein like ‘Paattu paada vandhen’ (Vani Jairam), ‘Gangai nadhi’ (Janaki) and ‘Puththam pudhidhu’ (SPB/Chitra) did get a deservedly generous airtime.
I don’t know if Jerry Amaldev scored for a Tamil film ever again. (A project titled Vandhadhu Vasantham shared the stillborn fate of Ninaivo Oru Paravai.)
Offers and Awards did come sporadically. He was awarded the Amritavarshini Puraskaram for music in the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Awards 2001. In the year in which Ilaiyaraja won the Kerala State Govt’s Award for the Best Music Director (song) for Kaalapani, Jerry Amaldev bagged the Award for the Best Music Director (Background music) for his work in Kazhakam.
At that time I chanced upon an interview with Jerry Amaldev at a barber’s shop in Sharjah- I requested attendant to read it out as it was in Malayalam- Jerry had said that he was leading a quiet, contended life in Selaiyur, a Chennai suburb. He was engaged in composing music for Christian devotional songs and teaching music in a school. He averred that he harbored no bitterness at being forgotten, and accepts his fate with a philosophical shrug.
Jerry formed a choral group ‘Sing India, with Jerry Amaldev’ in 2010 and performed all over the country. Last year, Jerry was back in the news when he composed music for the Malayalam movie ‘Action Hero Biju’. The director Abrid Shine said he went to Jerry as he was tired of ‘computerized’ music and wanted someone who would bring back the magic of orchestration into the songs. More than a year later, The song ‘Pookkal panineer pookkal’ which Jerry got veterans Yesudas & Vani Jairam to render remains a chartbuster.
Jerry Amaldev is currently working as a Professor in the History of Music at the Asian Christian College of Music at Kottayam.
When asked about Amaldev (Sangeetha Sagaram/Asianet), Vani Jairam spoke glowingly about his “beautiful orchestrations”. She ended her panegyric saying ‘Oh, he’s a very nice man”. And that perhaps is an ultimate tribute to this neglected composer!
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1772236152808103/
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