Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai

Ilaiyaraaja’s in-character singing apart, Kudhikkira Kudhikkira song’s melody and rhythm have an innate innocence, chirpiness and charm from the beginning. When you listen to the flow of melody in the lines “Rotti Vaikatta, Jodi Katti Vaikatta” and its sync with the beats underneath, you understand what Ilaiyaraaja means when he says “Music just happens to me”. Ilaiyaraaja provides dense layers of rhythms, bass and orchestration and yet they come together to create a sprightly sounding, tender mood. Interludes are packed with delightful parade of melodies. The song on the whole is orchestrated with an ear pleasing combination of Synth and acoustic Instrument layers - that use to be always at odds with each other in Ilaiyaraaja’s songs sometime ago. That layer of strings, which bows in support of the lead melody, somewhat hesitantly in the beginning, and more freely latter is the reason why we eagerly wait for an Ilaiyaraaja soundtrack.

While our so-called sensible film makers move towards authentic Tamil folk songs in the films, in Adiyae Ivalae Ilaiyaraaja walks the line between “Karumathur Kattukkullae” (Virumandi) and “Kodi Yetthi Vaippom” (Pithamagan). Ilaiyaraaja swings between his signature filmy folk style - that has additional ornamental instruments, and authentic folk that has only those instruments that are used for such performances in real. I hope at least this time, the song features in the film.

In “Poovakaelu” song, the first stanza ends with Karthik stretching the words “Poovakkaelu” and “Kaathukkaelu” and going by the rule book, the song should proceed to the interlude, but it does not without repeating the first line in its original form, thereby bringing the charanam to a satisfactory closure. The song is full of such little surprises. The percussions – the solo Ghatam in the beginning, the snare that gently hits and misses our ear drums in the latter portions of the song, the Celtic violin filler that every line of the song is entailed with, Raaja’s typical electric guitar strains and piano keys create a magical mood space that a listener would love to lose themselves into.

The songs of “Azhagharsamiyin Kudhirai” were composed after Suseendran shot the entire film. He showed the entire film to Ilaiyaraaja and asked him to compose songs wherever he feels necessary. That is how a film soundtrack has to be made and when it is made that way, with a composer like Ilaiyaraaja, you get what could be called the real Movie soundtrack, which Azhagharsamiyin Kudhirai most definitely is.

Eluthundru from Gaayam-2

When I was listening to the song “Eluthundru” from Gaayam-2, my room mate, who is a very casual film-music listener, called me with some unparlimentary words and asked me to stop the song. It made me think for a while about, what in the song evoked such a response from him. When a listener is not able to identify with the very basic emotion that the song wants to invoke in a listener, he cannot go any further in searching for and appreciating the musical aspects of the song. The anger against corruption, system and the politicians is something that not many identify with these days, or atleast not with the level of intensity and rigor that comes out of these songs. The melody in “Eluthundru” is soaked in such an intense anger and helplessness that the voices hit every note in the melody hard like how an arrow hits a dartboard.

Even film makers don’t prefer to make such films or show such loud anger against politicians in their films. Even if such a situation arises in the film, they don’t usually put a song to push it. The angry young man of 80s and early 90s is obsolete in Indian cinema now. Even the people who I know from rural villages around Salem are either grooving to filmy-folk songs or melodies of Asili-Pisili types. Our radio stations and music channels continuously play only these types of songs. The pathos songs that occasionally turn out to be chartbusters are all about nostalgia or romance, but not about politics, politicians or society. Songs like “Eluthundru” are not something you hum in the bath room, sing along or feel happy about while listening to and it definitely is not meant for that. It is made for a specific situation in the film that is made with certain sensibilities.

Even if some could connect and identify with such emotions in a film song, there is still the factor of Ilaiyaraaja using abundant Synth that stops them from completely embracing and enjoying the music. Even though Ilaiyaraaja uses Synth, he has a very unique way of using it. It took sometime for me to understand and get used to this new Ilaiyaraaja sound. Every single layer of even the so-called synth-ful Raaja songs can still be notated on paper and given to a live orchestra to perform. However, I must admit that Raaja’s usage of Pad rhythms in songs like “Kalaganae” certainly spoils mood of the song for me.

Even if someone is fine with Raaja’s Synth there is this tendency of comparing the new song and old classic and worrying why the new song is not as great as the classic. “Eluthundru” took me back to the magnificent “Ulagamae Nee” from Ivan, but I am not comparing or complaining here. Both “Eluthundru” and “Ulagamae Nee” are on loop in my playlist since yesterday.