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In the rush of new movies and music,
many gems are either lost or forgotten.
No one can be blamed for this happening;
it is just the way the world is, the
old making way for the new. Here,
we attempt to bring back to you memory
some wonderful pieces of art, some
of them worth the label of vintage
classics which got lost in the madding
crowd. You might not be able to instantly
reconnect to the long forgotten number,
but give it some time and the magic
might begin to work again. Though
the song has been reviewed, more importantly
this is a look back at the fascinating
way in which Tamil cinema evolved,
with a touch of nostalgia. Hope you
enjoy it.
This charming number from the movie
Kavikkuyil starring Sivakumar and
Sridevi is an evergreen Ilayaraja
piece. The song cleverly uses both
the top and bass flute notes to start
and carry the song forward as the
song itself centers on the Radha-Krishna
imagery. The yearning search for the
beloved by the man is accompanied
by soft lyrics that touch upon a myriad
dreams. The very opening salvo shows
off the Rithigowla raga so well, when
the flute goes' ni ni saa-;ni sa ga
sa; ni-sa-ni;ga ma pa ma ga ri saa.'
Then you have a gentle cascade of
notes with the guitar, violin and
what feels like santoor, adding to
the 'dreamy' feel. what is special
about the whole song itself is that
the flute articulates each line at
the beginning of the pallavi and the
charanams.' sa ga ri ga ma ni ni saa
;ni dha ma paa; saa ni dha ma pa;
ga ma pa ma pa ma pa ma pa ma ga ma
pa ma ga ri sa nii' goes the flute.
And Dr. Balamuralikrishna follows
up with the words 'Chinna Kannan Azhaikkiraan;
raadhayai, Poongodhaiyai, Aval manam
konda ragasiya raagatthai paadi'---
in his delectable voice. It is the
'pa ma pa ma pa ma' repetition that
adds a whole new dimension to the
aesthetic appeal of this song. Just
close your eyes and savor the emotion
conveyed in the line 'kangal solginra
kavidhai' which line starts at the
top 'sa' note. Though Ilayaraja has
stuck to traditional sangatis, he
brings in a dramatic note two and
a half minutes into the song where
the flute wails 'ni ri ri sa---' .There
is a sense of urgency now in calling
out. Please note how the percussion
sound (tabla mainly) is smooth and
subdued right through the song which
therefore preserves the mood of the
whole piece so well! |
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