Vizhi moodi...

This song is in my recent favourites list. I love this song for various reasons:
1. Surya's dance steps at the beginning of the song. There's so much charm in it
2. The creative thought in rounding of 'deva' in the pages of the book
3. The small kid's cute step when it has 'colors' in hand
4. The way karthik has sung it with ease
5. It reminds me of 'Munbe Vaa' sometimes which too is one of my favorites
6. And of course, the lyrics :)

No turns...

I am not a fan of English songs but I selectively listen to few songs which people suggest and this is one such. It's a long road by Dan Hill - The lyrics sounded too meaningful and I liked it so much. Here it is:

It's a long road
When you're on your own
And it hurts when
They tear your dreams apart
And every new town
Just seems to bring you down
Trying to find peace of mind
Can break your heart
It's a real war
Right outside your
front door I tell ya
Out where they'll kill ya
You could use a friend
Where the road is
That's the place for me
Where I'm me in my own space
Where I'm free that's the place
I wanna be
'Cause the road is long yeah
Each step is only the beginning
No breaks just heartaches
Oh man is anybody winning
It's a long road
And it's hard as hell
Tell me what do you do
To survive
When they draw first blood
That's just the start of it
Day and night you gotta fight
To keep alive
It's a long road ...

Varaprasadham :)

I've been waiting to write this blog for few days. Sometimes when I listen to some songs, I feel the divinty in the voice of the person who sings it. And when it comes in the form of a concert with SPB, Chitra and Vairamuthu, it can be definitely called as 'varaprasadam'. I did not know that there was such a concert until one of my friends told me last week. First of all, I should thank her for making me to listen to such a
wonderful concert. There are some portions which I loved and I am going to highlight those here. The content referring to this post may be old but their voices are still afresh :)

* Vairamuthu introduces SPB as 'Sareeramum Saareramum ilaikadha Baalu avargal'
* Also Vairamuthu quotes 'Puvikku arasanaga irundhirundhal Baaluvin idaiyalavukku thangathai thandhiruppen, aanal naano kaviarasanaga aiyvitten..Adhanal indha thanga changili mattum tharugiren'
* The uvamai of 'Thappa Thappa?' and 'Thappathapa' in Paadariyen Padipariyen - The way Vairamuthu explains it is great
* On the 'En Kaadhale' song, he says 'Baalu idhai paadirapdhai kaetal, innoru murai kadhalithu thorkalam polirukiradhu'...true it is :)
* How can someone emote in a song so much??? I always wonder how SPB does it with ease in any song, be it 'Pothi vacha maliga mottu'(when he says 'aaha..' with such a romantic touch) or 'En Kaadhale'(sings as if
he feels the pain of lost love) or 'Sangeetha Jaathi mullai' (as if he has lost his eyes and crave for his lady love)
* It was great to listen to songs like 'Kannamoochi Enada', 'Paadariyen Padipariyen', 'Andhi mazhai' rendered by Chitra. Although 15-20 yrs have passed since she sang these songs, there's a freshness always which is a gift
* Being SPB on the other side who is an improvisation mannan, Chitra couldn't control her laughter and she too tries to improvise and smiles like it did not come well but it did
* 'Vaana magal naanugiral, veru udai poonugiral' - Wat a lyrics!!!
* I have heard these lines of 'Pothi vacha' but never knew the inner meaning of it until Vairamuthu explained it...'Aathukulla nethu unnai nenachen, matha neram poga manja kulithen'...I thought whenever the heroine did not think of hero, she takes a shower...Wats der in it? ;) But actually it is: vekka neram and not matha neram :) When the heroine thinks of the hero, she may grow red because of the shyness; To hide it from the hero, she takes a tumeric shower :) [I know my translation is too poor but you have to adjust :)]

Although some of these songs were my favorites even before watching this concert, it has proved the worth of watching especially when Vairamuthu explained it. It is indeed a musical treat...A varaprasadam! I would highly suggest all the music lovers who had missed watching this concert, to watch and enjoy the beauty of such voices and lyrics :) Type in 'SPB Chitra concert' in youtube and there you are!!!

'08-09...10...11...????

I have heard and believed that only soap operas can last for 5-6 years but I think there's going to be a record break by a TV reality show called 'Airtel Super Singer' which started in 2008 and may go for another 2-3 years. A TV show's TSP soars based on the interest shown by people/its marketing strategy and this show is going to lose all its lustre for dragging the show with unwanted episodes like the one today. As everyone who watches may be waiting to hear who's the 4th contestant going to join the final show, they are dragging this with the judges wildcard round. People have already voted and why there is another wildcard round? Sigh....$%^&*. I could hear people murmuring (like me) 'Dei...Enda ipdi mega serial maadhiri javvvvaa iluthittu poreenga?'....

And now for today's show and my comments on it:
Vijay Narayan - There are so many great classic hits of Ilayaraja and this guy chose one mokkai song. I just forwarded his performance :)
Ranjani - If she's not selected for the finals, as everyone, I would think there's some politics that might have happened not to choose her. Hope that does not happen because she has a great voice when compared to other four contestants on the wild card round
Prasanna - I usually like his on stage perfomance and today it was OK but not great
Santhosh - Although there were few flaws and especially sodhappals in pitching, I liked his rendition
RaginiShree - It looked like someone asked her to read 'Swasame Swasame' lyrics and try few sangadhis in between to show that she knows music. The breaths in between each line - Only Ragini can do it. The beauty of the song was entirely lost. If judges dont give positive comments, Ragini might end up crying and hence all the judges said 'You are an excellent and promising singer'

If this show does not end in another 2 months (which is highly unlikely to happen but I saw some youtube comments saying this is going to end in June;)), I have made a resolution not to watch this show in future :) How many of you are with me? :)

- From a die hard music fanatic

The Lil' champs...

In the recent videos that I have watched, these two have been my top favorite for these obvious reasons - The song, the rendition and the innocence in their voice.

Anakha's voice - When I heard it first time, I told myself - Chancea illa, ennama oru voice...Epdi ipdi ellam?
Vasundra's voice - I cannot categorize it as an outstanding voice but the childishness in it attracted me :)

Uyirum neeye...

After a long time, I had a chance to hear this song especially after listening to Ravi's rendition in Airtel Super Singer today. As usual, he did a great job but I thought it should have been more tender.

Original version by Unnikrishnan is a great rendition. And these lyrics, it speaks for itself...I like it!
Here is the Youtube edition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NovCNFS1O1M

Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae unarvum neeyae thaayae than
udalil sumandhu uyiril kalandhu uruvam tharuvaay neeyae
un kannil vazhiyum oru thuli poadhum kadalum urugum thaayae
un kaaladi mattum tharuvaay thaayae sorggam endbadhu poyyae

vinnaip padaiththaan mannaip padaiththaan
kaatrum mazhaiyum oliyum padaiththaan
boomikku adhanaal nimmadhi illai
saami thaviththaan thaayaip padaiththaan

T'R'ibute

It's a long overdue post that I wanted to write about this couple which in a way has led me to write more here. It's not only about that couple but the ones that I like or maybe we can call that I am a fan of these 'R's. Let's check it out (Do I sound like a TV anchor? ;))

1. Ross, Rachel n Relationship: Being an avid F.R.I.E.N.D.S fan and Ross's, I couldn't stop praising this lovely relationship that shaped itself in all the episodes. They say that hate each other, date others around but finally reaching each other and unable to give up their relationship, the emotions that behold, the way Ross reacts and tries to stop her from boarding a flight, when Ross tries to date Charlie and how Rachel feels about it...I simply love to see them in action and in their emotional bonding.
2. Rehman: It looks like I have been writing more about ARR nowadays...maybe golden globe and oscar nomination hit me badly :) If I had to list out the songs that I like from his creation and innovation, my hands will go feeble....But a song from his voice which can bring tears to many and a feeling to most of us is my top pick - Vellai Pookal. Everyone who loves music (who doesn't?) will have one particular song for which they say that they can just die by listening to it. To me, it's this particular song from Kannathil Muthamittal. I wish I could get a chance to see one of his live concerts in my lifetime.
3. Robin Sharma: I love reading his books. 'The Greatness Guide' is one that I can read anytime. The thoughts that are endorsed in his book with practical examples is simply amazing. This motivational guru's next creation - I am waiting for it!
4. Renu: Not a known celebrity; Unless you watch Vijay TV's Airtel Super Singer 2008, you wouldn't know her. People talk about gifted voice, but if it's a truth that I can see it, that belongs to this girl. The breath control, the sustenance, the diction, the wholesome voice, the emotion...wat else is needed to listen to? She can mesmerize anyone by her voice :) And another gift that she has, being humble. I wish she reaches the finals and become the lady voice of the year!

Rayil Payanangalil...

While I was listening to songs, it just hit my mind and I started compiling a list of songs that falls into this genre - Tamil songs on a train. Do u remember anything other than this?
1. Rayile Rayile - 5 star
2. Vandi Vandi Rayilu vandi - Jeyam
3. Poovarasam Poo poothachu - Kizhakke Pogum Rayil
4. Goods Vandiyile - Kunguma Chimizh
5. Mey Madham - Jay Jay
6. Innisai Paadi Varum - Thulladha Manamum Thullum
7. Nenjukkul Peidhidum - Vaaranam Aayiram
8. Uyire En Uyire - Thotti Jaya
9. Thaalatum Kaatre Vaa - Poovellam En Vaasam
10. Thaiya Thaiya - Uyire
11. Ele Machi Machi - Anbae Sivam
12. Maratha vachavan - Panakkaran
13. Vellaraika - Kaadhal Kottai

Dedicated to ????

It's not different or difficult to name a person whom you want to dedicate a song to. This happens in most of the satellite TV shows but seeing the Super Singer relationships episode moved me into a different zone. Although I see it with utmost interest every other day (passionate about music being a reason), this episode somehow makes me feel that everyone who has sung so far has done it very well. I could not even point out a person and say that he/she did badly. Is it the songs or the singers or their dedication to a person whom they wanted to, made a difference? Without a sense of doubt, most of them dedicated to their moms and gave them a gift which made them move into tears (moms can easily do it, u know? ;)) and I feel they deserve it. In few cases, it was a dedication to sisters. In some cases, it was friends and in some, it was relatives. I was wondering if at all this has happened to me, I would have been in a baffled situation. In most of the cases, it was only through my self motivation, I have done it. So, it would not have been a surprise if I had said 'It's me whom I wanted to thank and gift to' (though it sounds crazy). But if I was given a second option to choose a person other than me, I would have gone for this person who has motivated me atleast to some extent. It's Saranya, a friend of mine who I know only for 4 years. She encouraged me to sing in a wedding reception which was a futile attempt :) But she keeps encouraging me still without knowing the aftermath disaster :) Two days after her 2nd wedding anniversary, I would like to dedicate this song to her :) She was about to make an attempt on this song few days ago and hence I figured out this would be the song that she would have heard number of times recently and hence putting this as a dedicated one :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CApQcVAYWHs

Songs 2 the soul...

There are very few songs that can touch the soul and the heart. To me, these three are the best that fits aptly into this category. In the order that I like, here are those:

Vellai Pookal - I have always thought ARR can sing only songs of high beats but this song in particular has proved me wrong. A song that can rip the hearts apart with its wonderful meaning. It's only available in bits n pieces in the movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTnzIMngPIs

Sutrum Vizhi - A bharathiyar song; Great rendition by Hariharan; A Hariharan - AR.Rehman combo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_bVG1fluw8&feature=related

Uyirum Neeye - Only few years after this song is released, I came to know about it. Another great song and I feel very relaxed and moved when I hear this song (Not sure why?:)) Unni - ARR combo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NovCNFS1O1M

The Musical Mazaa....

After a very long time, I had a chance to talk to someone on the musical musings. It was my friend, who is a great singer with whom I had a conversation with. We were listing out few songs one by one and I thought I would listen to those songs once I hung up the phone. I did what I thought of. Here is the list:

Thanga Thamarai Magale
Azhagana Ratchasiye
Vaa Vaa Anbe Vaa
Thendral vandhu theendum podhu
Sreeranga ranga naadhanin - Not my choice :)
Sirpi irukudhu
Azhai kadal vizhigalil - Song by a blogger - My choice though :)
Eera nizha
Kalyana Thenila
Kaadhal Kavidhaigal padithu
Idhazhil kadhai
Nee oru kadhal sangeetham
Un Parvayil
Innum ennai enna
Endhan nenjil
Nee pathi Naan pathi
Keeravanil
Naan thedum sevandhi
Kuliruthu Kuliruthu
Pothi vacha malliga mottu
Kaadhalin Dheepam
Thendral vandhu ennai thodum
Thedum kan parvai
En iniya pon nilave
Aanandha Raagam
Vizhigalil Aruginil
Ini naanum naan illai - My choice :)

We did miss lot of songs that we like but these are the songs that came to our mind at that moment. The nuances of the song, which lines are the best, how did the male/female singers sung the song in particular pallavi/charanam - We did talk a lot about it and I felt so happy in listening to these songs after a stint. Each song has its own beauty...

Sharanu Siddhi...

As a start, I want to dedicate this song to Lord Vinayaga. This was the first ever carnatic song I learnt (3 years ago). I lost touch and trying to revive my passion towards Music. I had been groovy here and there and misspelt few words but I landed OK. Long way to go!


Sharanu Siddhi... | Upload Music

My recent favourites...

'Kabhi Kabhi Aditi' from Jaane tu Ya Jaane Na - I know it's a favourite song of almost everyone who has heard it recently. Ahem...I too fall in that category. Although the drum beats at the background sounds similar throughout the song, I feel it gels with the song very well and the guitar strings sounds very mild. The song is awesome to listen and in the visual too. When you are down sometimes, just listen to this song and you will feel like 'Everything gonna be okay' as the song says :))

One another song which has stolen many hearts in both ways - the way it's sung and shown in the visual and in the top list of my recent favourites collection is 'Kangal Irandal' from Subramanyapuram - I love it! I could see a face full of expressions in the heroine which couldn't have been done any better than this. Only few songs in the latest movie genre can find a place in your favourites and stay there for many years. This could be one such song :) The singers are new faces (atleast to me) Belly Raj and Deepa Mariam and they have done a great job. Kudos to James Vasanthan for a great music score and a beautiful song.

Watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGH_8gHWnxc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNZHjGWjKis

Poo Poo...

It has been years since I heard this song of Meastro Ilayaraja. It's a very simple song with less Aalaps and sangadhis but this song has captured a spot in my favorites list :) And, I am playing this song continually in my ipod and got a grip on the lyrics too. Googled it for the lyrics but could not find the video in youtube.

Lyrics here:
http://tamillyrics.hosuronline.com/read.asp?NewsID=4895

MSMT

I remember watching this when we had this only channel on TV - 'Doordarshan', during those good old days. I liked this and still love listening this song. I feel that this leaves a trail of 'patriotric' trend in me and believe that it does the same to many Indians. The song is melliflous and when I watch this, everyone and everything in this video looks beautiful to me (as a spl. mention: that red saree woman who sings 'ninna dhwaniya' ;)) I simply love watching it!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwhGyVgHPtI&NR=1

School of Music

Happened to see this while I skimmed through the news in 'The Hindu'. For a person like me who has a passion for Music, this is a great news. Although I came to know about this school after a year of its inception, I am glad that I know about it now. Wanted to join but not sure its procedure and requirements. Had emailed them about it and lets see how it goes...

You could check this out by googling or read today's edition of 'The Hindu'.

Syanora............

Sharanu Siddhi...

While I was cleaning my stuff @ home, found a bunch of print-outs and was wondering what it was!I had got my music class notes from India and those were in the print outs. When I had those in my hands, I started rendering each one of them starting with Sharanu Siddhi...It was my first song in the music class. Although the music classes did not long last, I still remember the swara in a way that it was taught to me. Also, I remember those high pitches in some songs and when the music teacher asks me to go for a high pitch, I used to sing aloud thinking that it was meant to be the high pitch and later came to know the nuances of it. But, still I tend to sing loud when it comes to high pitch...a habitual thing to be changed, I guess...

Here is the link for this devotional song's lyrics:
http://www.karnatik.com/c2625.shtml

Couldn't find a link for the song :(

Dhaam Dhoom

Heard few songs in Dhaam Dhoom and liked this particular song a lot - Sakiye En Ilam Sakiye...It's been playing in my ipod repeatedly. I have become a fan of Krish's voice now. Next to Harish, my favourite is Krish. Whenever I hear Krish's singing, I feel he has got a background karoake with his voice :) and that's what I like the most in his singing nature. Although Krish has only sung very few lines in this song, it's amazing!

There's another song called 'Anbae en Anbae' rendered by Harish R and it's second in my list after Sakiye...Harris Jeyaraj's musical tendency is easily recognizable in these songs.

Looks like I am more into music nowadays :))

Listen to Sakiye here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ7akrByp30&feature=related

Uyire En uyire...

One of my most favourite songs...I like the visual, lyrics, music and the way it was sung. Watch it here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLsZ3RPCYV8

Bathroom Singer Contest

Ha..ha...Don't get dissuaded by the title here. There is no such contest happening anywhere. I was talking to my roomie yesterday about an idea that I have for having such a contest and how it will raise TRPs amidst the soap operas played in satellite TVs. Being a bathroom and in-house singer(?), no wonder that I came up with this idea. The core idea of the contest would be this:

1. Contestants fill an application and send it to the respective personnel [No details about how do you sing and all that...Restricted to demographic data]
2. Contestants are those who have an iota of knowledge about carnatic, hindustani, western or any form of music but all they have is 'Kelvi Gnanam' of filmy music/songs
3. No contestant should have participated in any such contest before
4. Contestants are shortlisted based on their age-group
5. Contestants who participate in the show are given a covered set [like a bathroom or in-house...hmmm...not exactly :)] where-in they can sing and the judges are not allowed to see them but only can hear them sing
6. Jury panel is not given the details of the contestants except contestant A, B etc., and they enter their marks for A, B according to what they heard them singing inside the covered zone [To avoid the judges' 'favoritism']
7. After this prolongs for so many episodes, three winners from each category (age group) are chosen
8. The winners are not given a cash prize or any luxurious items as the prize/award
9. The winning prize is that the jury panel will train these winners and give/get them a chance in a movie to sing songs

How does this sound? There may be more logical things to look upon to make it work but this is my core idea. Ideas can be shaped..Isn't it? :) Who knows? There may be some Harish Raghavendras, Shreya Ghosals, Krishss, Haricharans, Sadhana Sargams, Madhusris emerge from this...

Anyone to take this up to next level? Lemme talk to Subashree Thanickachalam...hee...hee...Jus kiddin'!