Unsung songs of 2008

Firstly, A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 to all! If you want to know which were the best songs of 2008, you can see this at Milliblog and this at Vinith's blog. They have covered most of the wonderful songs of 2008. Instead of writing about the best songs, I thought, let me write about some pristine melodies which went unnoticed this year. Most of the times only 1 or 2 songs become "hit" songs but in most cases the hit song is not the best song in the movie. I intend to appreciate and highlight those tunes which did not get their due.

HINDI

1. Mann Mohana---Jodha Akbar---A.R.Rahman- this is devotional bliss!
2. Falak Tak---Tashan---Vishal/Shekhar
   
3. Chakkar Ghumyo---Aamir---Amit Trivedi
   
4. Jogi Mahi---Bachna Ae Haseeno---Vishal/Shekhar
5. Dhanya Dhanya/Bheege Bheege---Classically Mild (Sonu Nigam)/Deepak Pandit-the best Sonu Nigam album according to me with fantastic orchestration. All the tunes were very good but these in particular give me goosebumps!
   
6. Khabar Nahi---Dostana---Vishal/Shekhar
7. Bandagi---Drona---Dhruv Ghanekar
   
8. Kuch Khaas---Fashion---Salim Sulaiman
   
9. Kya Hai Sochti---Khushboo---Adnan Saami-a catchy tune with very innovative, funny lyrics.
   
10. Meetha Marz---Welcome to Sajjanpur---Shantanu Moitra
    
11. Zindagi---Yuvvraaj---A.R.Rahman
12. Muskura---Dasvidaniya---Kailash/Naresh/Paresh
    

TAMIL

1. Uyirile---Vellithirai---G.V.Prakash-a soothing melody
   
2. Aazhiyilae---Dhaam Dhoom---Harris Jayaraj-superb tune, amazingly sung by Haricharan!
3. Chaaral/Sollamaa---Kuchelan---G.V.Prakash-I loved these songs which just grew on me after multiple listens. Chaaral is a splendid tune in raag Jog.
4. Vaanathai Vittu---Raman Thediya Seethai---Vidyasagar
5. Againthaiyil/Kallil Uyir---Uliyin Osai---Ilaiyaraja-I have written about these masterpieces earlier. This is the classical Ilaiyaraja!
6. Kanaa Kaangiren---Aanandha Thaandavam---G.V.Prakash
7. Anul Mele---Vaaranam Aayiram---Haaris Jayaraj-a very unique tune with a different rhythm structure.
   

MALAYALAM

1. Etho Jalashankkil/Maymassame---Laptop---Sreevalsan Menon-I can't stop drooling over these 2 songs, you can't say which is better!
   
2. Paathirakkuyil---De Ingottu Nokiye---M.Jayachandran-a haunting tune
3. Coffee@MG Road/O Saathi---Coffee@MG Road album---Shaan Rahman/Vineeth Sreenivasan
   

Vidyasagar---Versatility is his forte

To compose in a music industry where you have stalwarts like M.S.Vishwanathan, Ilaiyaraja and A.R.Rahman is not an easy job. You have a great legacy to maintain! Vidyasagar is one such music director, whom I would like to write about today. What I like about him is that he has the ability to make even fast songs sound melodious. His melodies are one of the best I have heard as they have intricate tunes backed by soothing orchestration. His music has many qualities of his predecessors- great tunes, multilayered charanam, amazing orchestration, bass guitar usage, use of a variety of raagas, great background scores (an often ignored yardstick to measure talent) etc. The fact that he is compared to these stalwarts in it itself shows he has great talent. Moreover apart from Tamil, Vidyasagar has composed many great tunes even in Malayalam & Telugu (his mother tongue). I personally feel Vidyasagar has not been given his due at all. Many a time, his soundtracks have been dismissed as below par even when there were one or two fantastic tunes in them. Like most other music composers, Vidyasagar too has his share of terrible tunes but they are much less as compared to Srikanth Deva, Imaan, Deva, S.A.Rajkumar, Sirpy etc.
Many of his melodies are as good as the ones we have ever heard. A true test for any music director are the classical tunes (both Indian & Western styles) and even here Vidyasagar has shown his class. If he has got a good script, Vidyasagar has done great justice to it. Here is a list of my favourite Vidyasagar songs in Tamil. I will write another post on his Malayalam melodies soon.

TAMIL

1. Malare Mounama (Karna)---One of the best songs you will ever hear in Darbari raaga.
2. Nee Katru (Nilave Vaa)
   
3. Yaar Yaar Shivam/Poovaasam/Mouname (Anbe Shivam)---A wonderful movie with wonderful music.
4. Poi Solla Koodathu (Run)---Superb orchestration and great singing by Hariharan.
5. Thavamindri (Anbu)---One of my favourite songs of Vidyasagar, this is in Gowrimanohari raaga.
   
6. Azhagooril/Neeya Pesiyathu (Thirumalai)
7. Un Samaiyal Araiyil (Dhill)---What a song!
8. Orey Manam (Villan)---A fantastic tune.
   
9. Gilli songs---Loved almost all the songs. This is intelligent music making, fast songs but with high repeat value, they make you tap your feet!
10. Ding Dong (Ji)---A superb song in a rarely heard Rasikapriya raaga.
11. Kandaen Kandaen (Madurey)---Splendid tune in Brindavanasaranga raaga. Stunning mandolin interludes!
12. Konja Neram/Raa Raa (Chandramukhi)---The former is a great song in Baageshri raaga and the latter was a great classical composition though ONLY the first line was taken from a Kannada song.
13. Kaalai Arumbi (Kana Kandaen)---What a song!
14. Vennilaa (Ponniyin Selvan)
15. Iruvar Vaazhum/Athiathikka (Aadhi)---The former is an amazing tune which was never was noticed.
16. Kana Kandaenadi/Aalankuyil (Parthipan Kanavu)---The former is a beauty in Anandabhairavi raaga with amazing sax and bass guitar interludes!
    
17. Chithiraiyil Yenna/Atrai Thingal (Sivapathigaaram)---The former is a great folk tune and the latter an amazing melody.
18. Mozhi songs---Should I say something here? I even loved the bit songs which were pure melodies.
    
19. Pirivom Sandippom songs---I loved ALL the songs, each melody is amazing with high repeat value.
    
20. Vizhiyum Vizhiyum/Engaey (Chathurangam)---Unfortunately, this movie is not yet released. Vizhiyum is a masterpiece.
21. Naan Varaindhu/Adai Mazhaikaalam (Jeyam Kondaan)
22. Ippavae/Mazhai Nindra/Vaanathai (Raman Thediya Seethai)---Fantastic songs!
23. Pallanadhu/Thaen Thaen (Kuruvi)---I loved Pallanadhu especially, it makes me dance!
24. Vaa Vaa (Abiyum Naanum)---What a beautiful charanam!
25. En Uyirukkul (Mahesh Saranya Matrum Palar)---A duet song in a supposedly sober Sindhubhairavi raaga!
    

Uliyin Osai---Masterstroke from Maestro Ilaiyaraja

Uliyin Osai has to be one of THE best soundtracks of Maestro Ilaiyaraja at least considering the 2 stunning classical compositions in it. I am now only able to FULLY appreciate the genius of the songs, especially Aganthaiyil, Pulargindra, Kaalathai Vendra and Kallai Irundhen. Instead of writing about these, I would like you to read a brilliantly written post here. After reading it, I am enjoying the songs even more! It will give you a clear idea about the intricacies of the compositions tuned by Maestro Ilaiyaraja and how he THINKS in a different plane altogether. Though I am not so well-versed in classical music, I am still hooked to these songs, just imagine the classical connoisseurs, how much bliss they would be deriving from these songs!

The 11th Hour---The FINAL warning

Being an ardent nature lover, I try to do my best to make a difference to the environment in whatever way I can. I came across a documentary movie titled, "The 11th Hour" in the DVD rental shop and I immediately picked it up, I am glad I did! It is an eye-opening wake-up call to all the citizens of Mother Earth. It portrays with compelling evidence how we human beings are destroying this wonderful earth, which is our HOME. We have become so greedy and selfish that we are literally on a rampage annihilating every tree/forest, wiping out rare species of animals, polluting everything around us, digging every square inch of the earth for more oil, etc etc.....the list is endless. The result of all this are the earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, thunderstorms and the irony is we finally we blame God for everything!
What makes the film so special apart from its theme is that many eminent experts/scientists tell us logically how all this is leading towards a catastrophe and they also offer us SOLUTIONS as to how we CAN repair the damage we have done till now. To encapsulate what the scientists say: Man can be happy as long as he is in communion with Nature because he IS HIMSELF A PART OF IT, Nature sustains us actually! But if we cause an imbalance in this natural process we are sure to be doomed, which is what we don't realize. There are many more wonderful ideas conveyed by the experts, you can know them by seeing the movie.
After seeing the movie I got more inspired to do my bit and I am also spreading the word around as EACH of us HAVE to play our role fully, it should start from the common man itself. This what I have started DOING:

1. I don't take plastic bags from shops, I carry my own as there is enough stock of those at home.
2. I never waste a drop of water, I use what is needed.
3. I don't throw everything as trash, I reuse many papers, cardboard packs.
4. I use only CFL bulbs at home, incandescent bulbs emit more CO2 and cause more heat.

Here is the link which offers more details about the movie. For your sake, PLEASE WATCH IT and SPREAD THE WORD, DO SOMETHING, otherwise human beings will have the rare distinction of causing their own extinction.

Where is the music director?

I have been noticing a disturbing trend off late in music release functions---in most cases the music director is sidelined or not there! It is a MUSIC RELEASE function and the focus is always on the actors or the guests and never on the person responsible for the event, the music director (along with the producer/director of course!). It is very irritating to see even articles sometimes covering music launches but there is no mention of who the music composer of the movie is. The problem I believe is that today producers/directors believe that music is just an add-on for the movie and not an integral part of it.
Only directors like Maniratnam, Shankar, Karu Palaniappan, Gautam Menon, Aditya Chopra etc. have been promoting the music with some keen interest and passion. Most others consider it as just another part of a movie, when actually it is not. If the music of a movie is done well with care then everybody would realize that it acts as the best promotional tool for any movie and the songs are on everybody's lips before the movie releases! Case in point is Vaaranam Aayiram. This will do wonders to the movie's publicity. This is the reason we find generally the songs in the movies of the above mentioned directors to be excellent and they add to the overall beauty of the movie. I just pray that this disturbing trend ends soon and music directors get their due.

Songs I am hooked onto!

Over the last 6 months, there have been some good songs which have been continuously in my playlist.

HINDI

1. Ha Rehem-Aamir-Amit Trivedi
   
2. Khudha Jaane & Jogi Mahi-Bachna Ae Haseeno-Vishal/Shekhar
3. Mari Teetri-De Taali-Punjabi song at its catchy best!-Vishal/Shekhar
4. Khabar Nahi-Dostana-Vishal/Shekhar
5. Maine Hawa Ke-Mere Baap Pehle Aap-The most underrated song of the year-Vidyasagar
6. Ek Meetha Marz-Welcome to Sajjanpur-Shantanu Moitra
   
7. Tu Meri Dost-Yuvvraaj-A.R.Rahman
8. Muskura-Dasvidaniya-A great retro song!-Kailash Kher/Naresh/Paresh
   
9. Kaise Mujhe-Ghajini-mesmerizing vocals by Shreya Ghoshal, the motherly caressing humming sends me into raptures!-A.R.Rahman

TAMIL

1. Adai Mazhai Kaalam & Naan Varaindhu-Jeyam Kondaan-Vidyasagar
2. Mazhai Nindra & Ippavae-Raman Thediya Seethai-Vidyasagar
3. Kalaadhara-Vegam-A great song that was never noticed-Rajesh Vaidhya
   
4. Marudhaani-Sakkarakatti-A.R.Rahman
5. Dost Bada Dosth-Saroja-Yuvan
6. Aganthaiyil-Uliyin Osai-Amazing raaga and graha bhedam variations!-Maestro Ilaiyaraja
   
7. Natta Nadu-A Aa E Ee-what an elegant song, very addictive!-Vijay Antony
   
8. Anul Mele & Ava Enna-Vaaranam Aayiram-Harris Jayaraj
   
9. En Uyirukkul-Mahesh Saranya Matrum Palar-Vidyasagar

MALAYALAM

1. Etho Jalashankkil& Maymassame-Laptop-celestial tunes!-Sreevalsan Menon
2. Radha Madhava-Anthiponvettom-great tune in Hamsanandi and great singing by Krishnakumar-M Jayachandran
3. Thaazhika Kudame-College Kumaran-Ousepachhan
4. Coffee @ MG Road & O Saathi-Coffee @ MG Road, a very good malayalam album-Vineeth Srinivasan/Shaan Rahman
   
5. Arigil-Thirakkatha-superb tune-Sharath
   

Music and Healing

It is a proven fact that music indeed is one of the most effective therapies. Owing to sheer interest, I have read a few expert articles written on Shri Kunnakudy Vaidyanathan, who until recently, before his demise, was heading the Raaga Research Centre in Madras. He and his late father (who was one of the pioneers of raaga research) have confirmed that music/raagas have the power to cure us of many ailments! This is certainly good news to all music lovers. I personally believe in this completely and I have experienced the therapeutic effects of music innumerable times. Each raaga is said to have a unique medicinal property. This post is just a starting point to discuss about the healing effects of music. The study in this field has been quite extensive leading to some pleasantly stunning results. I give below the unique properties of a few raagas. These are culled from various authentic articles in the internet and "The Hindu" newspaper.

1. Keeravani-Good for heart.
   
2. Rathipathipriya-Strength and vigour, remove ill-will.
3. Shanmukhapriya-Sharpens intellect and instils courage.
4. Kalyani-Destroys fear.
5. Karaharapriya-Remedy for worry, stress and neurotic disorders.
6. Abheri-Heals the mind.
7. Shankarabharanam-Cures mental disorders, showers wealth!
8. Charukesi-Rejenuvates mind
9. Mohanam-Filters ill-effects of our bad qualities like anger, lust and attachment.
10. Mayamalavagowla-Counters pollution.
11. Anandabhairavi-Lowers blood pressure.

This is an incomplete list. For those who have faith, music is the best medicine. If we are mentally happy, then I feel, the presence of physical diseases cannot affect us. Music is a wealth that we have, its a gift from God itself which can give us a lot of bliss and satisfaction. Let us use it so that there is more Love, Peace and Harmony and let us promote, good, melodious music!

Vishal Bharadwaj---A rare talent

If there is any composer in India who has continuously defied stereotypes it is Vishal Bharadwaj. He made his debut with Maachis in the 90's and it was a refreshing musical score at a time when Hindi film music was largely sounding like pop music. I loved the sound that Vishal created in Maachis in the songs Chhod Aaye Hum (a song that makes you imagine the mountains) and Chhappa Chhappa (great hilly folk tune) and his choice of singers too was spot-on---Hariharan, Suresh Wadkar, Lata Mangeshkar etc. Since then Vishal has proved that his promising debut was no flash-in-the-pan. Though he composes for only 2-3 movies in a year, you can be sure that most of the songs would be radically different. Be it the frenzied energy in Beedi or the lilting O Saathi Re (both from Omkara) or the boisterous Kash Laga (No Smoking) or the symphonic Aasmaan Chhathri (Blue Umbrella), Vishal has shown his mettle in diverse genres. I hope we get to listen to more wonderful scores from this unsung composer, who definitely deserves more chances than he gets now!

Vijay Antony

Vijay Antony is one of the newer composers in Tamil, who made his debut with Sukran (a horrible movie) about 3 years back. It was a forgettable debut in my opinion and when I heard the commercial songs of Sukran (director S.A. Chandrashekharan, who has no place for melody songs), I dismissed Vijay as another run-of-the mill composer. But the real talent of Vijay came to the fore in the songs of Dishyum. I realized that Vijay was a composer with a bright future. Though, all the songs of Dishyum were not good, Ninjankootil was a cracker of a tune with superb orchestration. What I like about Vijay Antony is that his sound is very melodious and different. He uses an assortment of guitars, pianos and flutes.From then, Vijay has given some great tunes, though, I feel he has to get more movies which exploit his talent to compose great melodies. I hope he gets more subject-oriented movies. Here are my favourite Vijay Antony songs:

1. Ninjaankootil-Dishyum-a song in Raaga Brindavanasaaranga
   
2. Azhagaa-By 2-this movie had great songs by VA
   
3. Roja Poovin-By 2
4. Naanthaana-Ninaithaale-a song in the rare Amruthavarshini raagam, wonderful song!
5. Thaneer Pookalaey-Ninaithaale-amazing orchestration
6. Thozhiya-Kadhalil Vizhundhen-so catchy and peppy yet melodious!
7. Solladi-Kadhalil Vizhundhen-superb guitars and a great tune.
8. Natta Nadu-A Aa E Ee-what a song in raagam Hamsadhwani
   

Saroja, Jeyam Kondaan: Worth a watch

I recently saw 2 tamil movies-Saroja and Jeyam Kondaan and was pleasantly surprised that they were indeed very good.

1. Saroja-First things first, Saroja is a remake of a Hollywood thriller called "Judgement Night". So I had minimal expectations and did not see the movie as I had watched Judgement Night quite recently. But when I heard from a few friends about Saroja, I decided to give it a try and was completely bowled over. This is one of those rare times when I feel that the remake entertained me more than the original, though JN was a brilliant movie. Where Saroja scores is the amazing humour which the original didn't have at all! Saroja is a fantastic joyride alternating between tense moments and rib-tickling genuine comic moments. The humour is very decent and Premgi Amaran displays great comic timing. According to me he is the soul of the movie. Everytime he appeared on the screen, I started laughing. Apart from the humour, a couple of songs, the cinematography and the excellent background music are the other strengths of Saroja. If you have not seen this movie, please see it, you will not be disappointed. It is miles ahead of the commercial fare that we are exposed to, nowadays.
2. Jeyam Kondaan-Jeyam Kondaan was a revelation. This movie has avoided every damn cliche that we are used to in Indian films. It had a wonderful script, good humour by Vivek and gang, melodious songs (Vidyasagar) and very decent acting by the entire cast. It is a very racy movie sans any violence until the climax fight, which too, is short. The film very subtly depicts the relationship between a brother and sister. Some scenes did bring tears to my eyes. The director is a former assistant of Maniratnam and it shows in the way the scenes have been skilfully crafted. Jeyam Kondaan was a very satisfying experience.