Two exciting worlds collide here - Music & Architecture... My Masters' thesis work (1998-99) at the School of Architecture and Planning ( SAP), Chennai. An attempt to trace the link between music and architecture... an attempt to give shape to music. The research was experimented in the design of a music Gurukulam.. The built forms drew their inspiration from Vanraj Bhatia's "Earth" from the elements series, based on the raga 'desh'...from the overall campus planning(macro) to the elemental detailings(micro) , the design gives physical shape to "earth"...
Here is the original hand written synopsis i had submitted to the thesis committee at SAP requesting an approval for my topic...
My thesis guide Prof. Ranee Vedamuthu, who was initially very skeptical on my ability to pulloff the topic, later became a big support. The biggest support however was my director Prof. Md Harris. I also remember my Carnatic music guru Reverend Chinniah who taught me the grammer and basics of Indian classical music,. I used to visit his home every Saturday for Music classes!
In the early 80's we had a Gramophone at home and mostly we got to play only Tamil Gospel songs. So when we got this English gospel gramophone record, it was a big excitement! It was an album by Dan Whittemore and it had 10 beautiful numbers. I was hooked on to it, especially the fast number "no power shortage". But one song "all is well" was my favorite then.. I tried to remember the lyrics today...after nearly four decades and surprisingly got it back in my mind...
Do you belive in life of first two highways-
The one that leads to heaven and one to hell?
Well if you do then go and tell the nations of the world
Tell them what it means to say that 'all is well'
All is well, all is well, all is well, all is well
Little children we can know, that 'all is well'
If we keep fellowship with the saviour
And daily seek his favour
When He comes back we will know that 'all is well'
Jesus is the only way to heaven
The path that we must follow is God's words
Prepare yourselves and go and tell your neighbors
Tell them what it means to know that 'all is well '
All is well, all is well, all is well, all is well
All is well, all is well, all is well, all is well...
I tried searching for this album on the internet. I could find few other albums of Whittemore but not this one. If any of you could trace it, please let me know.
My favorite top 9 romantic duet Tamil songs composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja...It was a very tough task to filter down just 9 among the hundreds of my favorite Raaja duet melodies. But finally this is my list for various reasons.
1. Valaioosai kalakalakalavena ( movie : Sathya, 1988)
This evergreen song from the 80s was written by Kavingar Vaali and sung by the legends SP Balasubramanium (SPB) and Lata Mangeshkar. Lataji's voice adds a "chill" to the breezy sindhu bairavi composition by Raaja. The perfect song if you are on a long drive or sitting on a bus by the window with the breeze on your face! Watch out for the quirky bass line. Love the picturization of the song and the onscreen chemistry between Kamal hassan and Amla..
2. Kaadhal kavidhaikal ( movie : Gopura Vasalile, 1991)
A feel good romantic song penned by Piraisudan and sung beautifully by SPB and Chithra. Raaja has deftly used the Maya maalava gowlai ragam with his trademark strings and flute combo interludes to give us a peppy melody.
3. Pothi vechha ( movie: Mann vaasanai, 1983)
Kavingar Vairamuthu's flawless lyrics form the base for this rustic yet sophisticated composition by Raaja. This is arguably one of Raaja sir's best preludes. Singers SPB and S.Janaki have given life to the song with their playfully romantic expressions. The 1st interlude almost starts like a symphony with violins that settle into a short guitar line which seamlessly culminates with nadaswaram and thavil....unbelievable transformation possible only by the maestro. The clap portion that follows is just magical. The 2nd interlude is another masterpiece with flute and strings. A truly magical composition!
Sivaranjani is a ragam generally associated with pathos ..but in the hands of Raaja, it has transformed into some of the most lingering romantic melodies. This song is one such gem.. It is written by kavingar Vaali and beautifully rendered by Yesudas and Chithra.
This song is a treat to the ears by singers Asha Bhosle and Hariharan. Kamal hassan himself has penned the lyrics and Raaja mesmerizes me with this soulful composition. The Bengali poetry recited by Rani Mukerjee along with the Piano prelude played by the great Viji Manuel adds the required sensuality to launch the song into a blissful orbit. Mesmerizing!
A song that I can hear on the loop in the soulful voice of singer Jayachandran along with S.Janaki. Vairamuthu's lyrics add color to this awesome composition by Raaja. The interplay of Violins, Violas, cellos, flutes with Viji Manuel's Keyboard give the song a symphonic grandness yet there is a tenderness overall. Watch out for the Bass underlines that are unique to Raaja. Truly an Ilaiyaraaja Masterpiece !
7. Roja ondru mutham (movie : Komberi Mookan, 1984)
One of my all time favorites, this song is very delicately sung by SPB and S.Janaki. Vairamuth has penned the soothing lyrics. Raaja almost has composed a romantic lullaby that literally is honey to our ears! Watch out for the second interlude that goes out of the box and returns gracefully back to the song!
Another version of the same song is Theeram thedi olam padi with a completely different orchestration and treatment by Raaja in the Malayalam movie Unaru that came in the same year.
8. O Butterfly (movie: Meera, 1992)
Kavingar Vaali has peened this beautiful number. The legend SPB takes the sung to another level. The female voice is another legend Asha Bhosle. However I always have felt that a younger female voice could have added more sensuality to the song. I love how SPB improvises this song on live stage performances ! Please watch out for Raaja's mesmerizing Chromatic string arrangements towards the fag end of the song ... goosebumps guaranteed !
Oh butterfly is personally special to me as this was the first song I learnt to play Bass guitar - taught by Shamim, my Music guru at college.
9. Poo vaadai Kaatru ( movie : Gopurangal saivadhillai, 1982)
You might find this a surprise choice in the list. If you have not heard it, please do so with ear phones to truly enjoy this intricately playful composition by Raaja. Just listening to the running Bass lines is enough to take you to heaven! With Vairamuthu's cool lyrics and extraordinary rendition by S.Janaki and Krishnachandran , this song should have received more attention.
Happy New Year! Let's start the year on a melodious note! Love duets composed and sung by the Maestro Ilaiyaraaja !
A difficult task of shortlisting my 9 favorite love duets from all the songs that I love from Maestro Ilaiyaraaja's compositions. The important fact in this list is that these songs are also sung by the Maestro himself...Ilaiyaraaja has a unique timbre quality in his voice that make the compositions special and he easily lifts the songs to a different level with the expressions he infuses into his melody effortlessly!
1. Naan thedum sevandhi poo idhu - (Movie : Dharma Pathini, 1986) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki ; Lyrics by Kanmani Subbu.
One of my most favorite songs...A semi classical composition based on Hindolam raagam with western orchestration mixed with classical embellishments! Raaja preludes the song with a divine aalapanai that sets the mood. The female voice of S.Janaki is a perfect complement to Raaja's voice. I have sung this song once on stage during Sobha Utsav.
2. Poo maalayae thozhsera vaa (Movie : Pagal Nilavu 1985) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki ; Lyrics by Gangai Amaran.
Truly a masterpiece that enthralled me from my childhood. The burst of violins playing in two different octaves gives the song a dramatic start and this magic continues in every interlude throughout the song. A song that demonstrates voice counterpoints - both male and female portions simultaneously flow with overlapping different melodies.
The first time I sang this song on stage was with my junior Vennila during a music show at SAP during my masters.
3. Thendral vandhu theendumbodhu - (Movie : Avadharam, 1995 ) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki; Lyrics by Vaali.
Another Raaja masterpiece that takes a bit of simple 'folk'-ish melody and marries it with western "symphonic" orchestration to deliver an out of the world composition and experience to listeners. Click here to listen to Movie Director Nasser's interesting account of his experience in the making of this song.
4. Oru Jeevan azhaithadhu - (Movie : Geethanjali, 1985) Ilaiyaraaja with K.S.Chithra ; Lyrics by Vaali.
An amazing romantic melody that has remained fresh even after 36 years and gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
5. Kannamma- ( Movie : Vanna vanna pookal, 1992) Written and Sung by Ilaiyaraaja along with S.Janaki. One of the best compositions rendered in Raaja's voice.. No one could have sung it like Raaja has...! Mesmerizing is the only word!
-
6. Adi aathaadi - (Movie : Kadalora kavithaigal, 1986) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki; Lyrics by Vairamuthu. A super hit number in Sivaranjani ragam. Effortless singing in high to low octaves with beautiful expressions!
7. Andha nilavathaan - (Movie : Mudhal Mariyadhai 1985) Ilaiyaraaja with K.S.Chithra; Lyrics by Vairamuthu
A folk style composition in Natabhairavi ragam... its peppy and playful and uplifts my mood whenever I hear it!
8. En Ganam indru arangerum ( Movie : Eera vizhi Kaaviyangal 1982) Ilaiyaraaja with Jency ; Lyrics by Vairamuthu
An underrated song (infact the entire album) that did not become popular in its time but was rediscovered more recently and was raised to cult status by Rajaa fans!
9. Sangathil paadadha kavidhai (Movie : Auto Raja, 1982 ) Ilaiyaraaja with S.Janaki; Lyrics by Pulamaipithan; Another heart touching composition in Kaapi ragam by Raaja that has stayed evergreen for the last 40 years
The song was first composed by Raaja for the malayalam movie 'olangal' as "Thumbi vaa". The tune was immensely popular and was reused in Tamil, Telugu (Nireekshana, 1986) and Hindi (Aur ek prem kahani, 1996) as well. In 2009 Balki again used this song in Hindi movie Paa in a new contemporary avatar!
Just for the record, some of the other songs that came close on the list are:
My first interest in percussion started as a 4 year old watching Chanda mama ( my uncle) play the double bongos. Drumming was something that came naturally to me and soon I was drumming on anything I could convert into a drum, like plastic buckets, kitchen containers, metal stools etc. But I never took drumming seriously till college. A new drum kit was purchased for the college band and a drummer was needed. So I just took up the job with both hands & feet and started playing comfortably from day one even though I had no training and have never played the instrument before. Years of hand drumming on the school desk and along movie songs had imbibed in me a good rhythm sense. I was lucky to have Praveen Thiagarajan, another percussion enthusiast like me, as a classmate when I joined School of Architecture and Planning, Chennai, for my masters degree. The jamming sessions at SAC and inter collegiate shows we did are great nostalgic memories for me. Today I look back at some of the legends who had directly or indirectly influenced me as a drummer...
1. JSM Jeevanraj - Mr. Jeevan was a prominent name in the music circuit of Madurai in the 1980s. His "Jeevan Superstars musical troupe" was a popular local band . He was the first drummer I saw in live action when his troupe played in our TELC Salvation church. The troupe was also popular at wedding reception parties where Mr. Jeevan held the limelight with his cool stick tricks! His son Godwin, was my school classmate and excelled as the drummer of the school band.
2. Puroshothaman - Puru was the chief drummer for Maestro Ilaiyaraaja right from his "annakili" days. We can see him performing in the song "madai thirandhu". His stylish manual drum can be distinctly heard in the 80s Ilaiyaraaja classics ( listen to the disco number va va pakkam va) and as the percussion moved to rhythm pad / machine fed beats in the late 80s, Puru pioneered that too. (Listen to raja rajadhi rajan indha raja)
3. Phil Collins - Best known as the drummer for the rock band 'Genesis' , Collins is one of the coolest drummer cum vocalist I have seen. I heard his song "Another day in Paradise" performed by the Madurai Vikaasa school band in 1991 and immediately became a Phil Collins fan.
4. Sivamani - Drums Sivamani is one of India's leading percussionists known for his experimental collaborations with many famous musicians and live performances. He has played for most of the composers of India including legends MSV , Ilaiyaraaja and more recently AR Rahman.
5. Zakir Hussain - Ustad Zakir Hussain is one of the greatest tabla legends of India. His fingers are just magical! I can watch his performance for eternity!
6. Nick Mason - Architect and founder member of Pink Floyd, Mason had a unique laid back style that mesmerized me as a Floyd fan!
7. Don Henley - The drummer and singer of my favorite rock band Eagles . "Hotel California" still remains my all time favorite and I think I have most enjoyed playing the drum for this song!
8. Sundar Subramaniam - A legend in his own rights, Sundar has played for legends like MSV , Ilaiyaraaja , Naushad, AR Rahman and many more. He plays more than 30 percussion instruments and has been part of many of my favorite Ilaiyaraaja classics. He is a joy to watch on live shows.
9. Nagi - a much under rated percussionist. I first started noticing him in Raja's live concerts, playing with precision and without any flamboyance usually associated with drummers! Nagi has been a part of many super hit Tamil songs.
These are 9 of my favorite musicians who have been part of my growing up years.
1. Eric Clapton - One of the greatest guitarists of all times. I heard his song ("wonderful tonight") for the first time from my senior Shamim who created our college's first music band. "Tears in Heaven" which Clapton wrote in memory of his son was one of our favorite songs. As a Bass guitarist I enjoyed playing " Cocaine" in many concerts during my college days!
2. David Gilmour - Pink Floyd had been a great influence during my college days. Pink floyd music filled many of my long nights when I stayed awake on my design table!
3. Roger Waters - Architect and founding member of Pink Floyd along with Nick Mason. "The Wall" written by Waters remains my favorite till date. I remember my younger days...playing the drum and my friend G.Prabhu (jeep) on guitar singing "the wall" at the terrace of his house, disturbing the whole neighborhood!
4. Carlos Santana - the legendary Guitarist ! His album "supernatural" is one of my favorites. I simply love his creativity and style of playing the guitar.
5. Maestro Ilaiyaraaja - The greatest film music composer India has ever produced. His music has defined every moment of my life from my childhood till now. Even today its Ilayaraaja songs that cover my car's playlist when I travel. All the songs that I have sung so far on stage are songs sung in Ilaiyaraaja's voice!
6. Gary Moore - I fell in love with Blues Music after listening to his "Still got the blues"... He soothed my long starry nights in my 20s.
7. Kourosh Yaghmaei - I discovered this stylish Iranian singer a decade ago and just fell in love with Persian music of the 70s. I love his song "havar havar" that later came to bollywood as the popular "hawa hawa".
8. A.R.Rahman - India's leading music composer of immense talent who has won several international accolades including academy awards and the Grammys.
9. Michael Jackson - My favorite musician (and dancer) as a kid. There is some magic in his numbers!
Click on "Aalolampaadi" to hear me sing a soulful Ilaiyaraaja melody from the movie Aavaran poo from the 1990s. Forgive some imperfections in my singing...
A catchy duet composed by Ilaiyaraaja for the movie Puthu Paatu in 1990.It brings back my school day memories... I first heard it in the bus when we were in our school trip to Kerala. The voices of Ilaiyaraaja and Chitra were mesmerizing and I loved the number and beat instantly! It was fresh and peppy for that time. But later when I saw the visuals of Ramarajan (hero of the movie) with his trademark fancy dresses, funny dance steps and lousy romantic moves in the movie , singing with his pink lipsticked lips, it was a huge disappointment.
This video of an Irula tribal girl band is doing the rounds on WhatsApp. The beat and melody are addictive and keeps ringing on my mind. The Malayalam movie ' Ayyiappanum Koshyum' has used the tribal tunes and beats to beautiful effect. Listen to the movie adaptation here.
This is the making of my Phone ring tone with help from Nithila :) in the year 2014. This is my phone ring tone till date ... Ilaiyaraaja's mesmerizing 'en vaanilae' prelude.
.jpeg)
