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Unique experiments of classical vs. light music singers

 
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 12:37 am    Post subject: Unique experiments of classical vs. light music singers Reply with quote

Friends,
I have always listened with eagerness whenever MM pits a classical singer against a semi-classical or a light music singer. The situation MM chooses would not be a dull classical stage or any competition where any other music director could easily fit this combination. Such a song would have been a perfect insipid and mediocre composition, picking strains from an existing classical keertana or substituting into the raaga directly! BUT...MM's methods are habitually natural, only inspired by the nature.

Amazing are instances where he has dynamically chosen pairs that are a combination of pure classical geniuses and simple movie genre singers. Sometimes one of the pair has been a diametrically opposite singer in singing style. Yet, the songs of such combination have hardly been monotonous or stereotyped. Most beautiful ones that spring in our minds are M. Balamuralikrishna with P.S., Seergazhi with LRE, KJJ with LRE, TMS with MLV, GKV with MLV, etc.

If we look at some such experiments in the Hindi film songs, pairing of KJJ with Hemlata in movies like Chit Chor have been memorable due to one particular singer while the other does not know how to pull along or sustain. The songs by this pair became successful due to KJJ, while Hemlata was found wanting (she shreiks and yells sometimes!) even though classically trained! Obviously the choice was bad, but continued. Another such experiment was Jagjit Singh singing with his wife Chitra, of course, in the initial days. Chitra seemed over burdened singing along side Jagjit. It flopped, but continued only in their ghazal albums. Others did not think of pairing them in movies, and he ended up singing only with Asha and Lata. Many such instances prevailed, but never blossomed long.

Look at our MM's creations! 'Thanga ratham vandadhu' mesmerises even today. PS was able to cope with Balamuralikrishna's style and sharp turnings. Or a TMS or GKV competing with MLV to render a classical type or movie genre songs with comfortable ease. Both the singers stand out with command and comfort. These are semi-classical type of songs.

Seergazhi with LRE, or KJJ with LRE or KJJ with PS was another type of combination. One classically strong with another light music based! The songs are light music types, real gems, with a feeling where both are equally at command and display their calibre aptly. One does not know who actually is a classical musician in this pairings!! Such is the composition style of MM, making new unknown tonal varieties from these classical singers! [Look at the voices and styles of Seergazhi in Venpallingu medai katti, KJJ in Hello my dear wrong number or TRM in Maalayitta mangai].

How and why did he pair them up like this? Where did he get such ideas of strange pairs? How did he succeed when others could not?

There are many more pairs in this genre of truly MM's strange pairing style. Let us discover more.

Thanks for the opportunity,
Sai Saravanan
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Friends,
Yet another experiment of our MM: In the second essay on Krishna/'kannanukku dasan kannadasan', K.Veeramani was paired opposite LRE!! Hare hare krishna hare...is a song describing the evolution and the ten avatars of Vishnu. The choice of K.Veeramani with LRE is justified due to the high spirited approach. But then, LRE appears to scream: I think this was the period when she probably crossed the peak of her career. Probably, the song did not achieve the intended merit due to this. Of course, LRE's singing with other trained singers like Seerghazhi, etc. succeeded, but not at the end of her career such as during this period.
Otherwise, KV has sung a few beautiful songs for our MM. Kaasedaan kadavulada, idhigo idhigo (Bharata Vilas), etc.
I am trying to remember singers like Soolamangam Rajalaskmi and Radha Jayalakshmi. Have they been paired with regular movie singers? Of course, a few of the Soolamangalam's songs are with PS and LRE.
Sai Saravanan
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Mr.Sivakumar,
Absolutely right! Now-a-days we can observe this trait of MM on almost all the stage shows as well as the TV shows. He is very kind and careful not to hurt anyone, and also lets only praise for others.
But, the strange thoughts that spring in his mind are probably instantaneous and he nurtures them with suitable combination of voices and music.
Sai Saravanan
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another strange combination: P.Bhanumati with others. In his very initial phase while assisting CRS, MM had the opportunity to tune songs for Chandi Raani. It was told that CRS was not in good health and PB was recording for her film. The famous 'Vaan Meethile' was tuned by our MM just as aptly for Ghantasala and PB, as only could be tuned by either of these singers for themselves. It just fits their style of singing. While Ghantasaala was a classically moulded singer, PB was a brilliant personality with multifacets. Though did not sound very classical in singing, she was supposed to be knowledgeable in classical music. Therefore, her disposition was naturally as a movie type singer due to her involvement in films.
The next combination is much more unique: P.Bhanumati pairing with the Ghazal king Talat Mahmood!!! This was for the hindi version of the same film, same song, for which our MM has provided the opening lyrics himself:'Chanda tale'. But, listen to the song, and you hear a different PB's style. A subdued and, probably, in an attempt to sound similar to Talat sahib. Nevertheless, another strange combination from MM. The hindi version film did not carry MM's name, and probably even the Tamil/telugu versions, either. But, MM's imagination was so fertile and experimenting in nature that he has always been carrying out such interesting combinations-right upto this day!
Sai Saravanan
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Friends,
'Taamarai illaiye thoodhu sellayo': Rajkumar Bharathi's exquisite voice. This singer was only heard in a couple of movies till then. (I remember him particularly singing for V.Kumar. Those were beautiful songs from VK, of course. His later style for IR in Bharathi movie was bad-may be badly used?)

Getting back to our song... How did MM choose this voice? The style of singing this song is more of BMK type with a 'thanga ratham vandadu' style of composition, only bit modern in nature!! Chitra's part in this duet is more of a filmy type. This, then, is again another strange and unique pair thought of by our MM. The combination is unique solely due to Rajkumar Bharathi's style of rendering his portion of the song, and 'as planned by MM'.
Sai Saravanan
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

'Mullil roja': LRE paired with PBS. Of course, I heard that this song was in a movie on a classical musician. But, the idea of LRE beautifully being paired with the voice of PBS, who always has represented perfection in singing within the classical grammar, was wonderful.
Sai Saravanan
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Friends,
Another combination that comes to my mind is TR Mahalingam with PS. For example, take the song 'Aadai katti vanda nilavo' from the film Amuda valli (probably?). Here the singing style of the classically moulded TRM is really fast-paced and more in the movie style, and not in his usual classical style. Only our MM made him sing with different styles away from his regular genres. These experiments resulted in praise from many. We can recollect TRM being asked to sing with an unusal bass and very low shruti in a particular duet with PS, I think. I am unable to remember the song now, however.. Only MM can make this happen!
Sai Saravanan
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parthavi



Joined: 15 Jan 2007
Posts: 705
Location: Chennai

PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

'Aaadai katti vandha nilavo' should have been an astonishing composition in its time. Its fast pace, melufluous tune and variety are incredibly superb. The anupallavi 'thullith thulli oedum indha naaga mangai' is longer than the charanam. The orchestration has variety and innovation and matches the fast pace of the song. It will be interesting to know what the leading MDs and music lovers of that time would have said about this composition, of course in private. When I first heard the song as a boy under 10, with no inclination or taste for music, this song stunned me as something extraordinary. Even now I feel refreshed when I hear this song. What an extraordinary composition!

Let us enjoy this song right now!

http://www.raaga.com/player4/?id=155292&mode=100&rand=0.3101390281254728
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Sai Saravanan



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 630
Location: Hyderabad

PostPosted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Rangaswami sir,
You have brought the song before my eyes. I can feel the dynamic music direction during the recording by our MM! Right now I am writing this listening to the song through your link. The vibration of the song can be felt by its fast pacing, crisp sequencing,... What an innovation to make TRM to sing in this fashion!

Thanks,
Sai Saravanan
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