Finally,
The day of reckoning : DC Area Bloggers Meet. Mukund, Ganesh, Eshwar
, Shiva, Raman, Senthil and Robbie attended the meet. It was a good start. As Mukund pointed out ;p, the quantity did not matter, quality did
It was so much fun. Almost everyone shed their inhibitions, (helo, inhibitions i.e. ice melting) and was training guns on others' blogging techniques. The leg pulling was pretty obvious. Everyone aimed at the 'increase-your-size of comments', 'how to get more visitors' techniques of others.
It has been a long time, almost since my college days, that i had such laugh-riot for the entire duration of the meet.
We did miss, Srikanth, but i think we can setup one more meet, East Coast or MidAtlantic Area Bloggers meet, may be couple of months from now, where we will hope to have bigger presence and larger meet.
Cheers everyone to the good time we had ! :-)
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Self, Realization...
Disclaimer : This is not written to demean, blaspheme, accuse any individual(s), sect(s), religion(s), philisophy(ies) that are out there. It is just a random collection of thoughts that sprung up. It is long, does not have a structure. It is simply there to promote thinking in you. It may be too 'heavy' stuff for you to take or it may be 'right in the alley' for you. You can call it aimless, you can call it philosophical, you can call it junk.
He was always known for his thoughtful outlook towards life. There would not be a single moment that would pass-by in his life, without him thinking about something. It could be,'how could i have arranged the forms correctly, so that the teller at the bank need not have gotten the doubt as to whether i filled all of them correctly' when he had gone in for a loan application and the teller as part her normal process doubly checked to make sure all forms have been brought in. or 'should i have walked to the front door while the bus was still preparing to come to a stop' when he got off via the back-door, so that he could have been in office 30 seconds earlier.
He'd always wonder about taking lesser tissues than grabbing a whole bunch that his fingers can manage, at fast-food places so that, there would lesser need to refill them, hence lesser expenditure, thereby helping to keep the increase in costs of consumer prices lower. The less said better , about the ketchups, sauces, salt, pepper, water and many more items.
No one had ventured to ask him, whether him eating one packet less of ketchup would really keep the prices lower. He was prepared to meet that eventuality as well. "How would one say a definitive 'yes' or 'no' to the question, hence the benefit of doubt should go towards saving it". He would think of electricity, water and many other resources like that.
He will conduct an elaborate mock-interview about every situation he imagined he'd have to confront. He would think about various uncomfortable questions that people would ask him, if he had to say 'no' to them, when they will ask him for a favor.
He will go back to the grocery store and point out that some item had been charged less and would pay it promptly. And at the same time, think thousand times before nervously stepping in front of the counter to tell them, that they have charged him higher than what he should have been charged.
It was not him. It was his upbringing. He was always trained to think about 'others' first. He used to construct complex theories about 'God'. He would think about whether 'God' really had thousands of forms of appearance. He would think about whether 'miracles' can happen. He would try to construct a conspiracy theory to every such act. At the same time, he would believe that a super-natural power did exist. Any thing that happened after such thinking sessions would be ascribed to 'God' not being happy at him trying to think bad about 'him'.
He'd always tell others that the more scientific one gets, the more agnostic one gets. He read a lot about philosophy. Conflicting theories about purpose of life, about self-realization, all dished out by other people who are all mortals, like him.
He would ask the question that has been asked million times before, 'If everything is God's creation, why does evil exist?' or 'If world is a stage where all of us play out our parts, why does the world need to exist'. He would immediately recoil in horror, thinking about how that question meant, 'questioning the motive for the existence of life and hence existence of God'
He believed in prayers. He'd seriously ask for peace everywhere. He believed that if only everything happened peacefully, how wonderful life would be. He would ask for fulfillment of his loved ones 'wants'. If only his parents' prayers were fullfilled, it would mean he would be happy, since his parents would only wish for his well-being, he would argue.
He read somewhere that, removing 'wants' from life is the first step towards detaching self from the materalistic world. He will argue within himself, 'is not removing a want, a want in itself ?'. He will think 'is not praying for something, wanting something ?' and then he'd be back to reality. He was out of milk, he can never get a full night of sleep without a warm cup of it.
He would once again think, 'if all of us do what we feel is good for themselves, as judged by one's moral values, then why is there something called evil. Since there is nothing absolute in the world other than 'almighty' why would anything be always good or always evil. What is evil today might be good tomorrow he would reason. 'Hence, why should', he'd ask, 'people judge. Only HE can judge'.
He would always ask himself, if there is nothing absolute in this world, except for 'the absolute' there is NO way of knowing what is the 'right answer' to the questions that anyone in the world might have. That would mean all his thinking so far, can produce answers, but never to be ascertained as 'right answer'.
He badly wanted to meet with some old wisdom filled soul that can enlighten him. But he knew deep inside him, if he got the same answer he got right now, he'd still not stop thinking about life or if he got a different answer, how did he even know he got the right answer.
At the end of the day, he will tell himself, that he is no-fu(a)rther in his understanding about life and it makes fullest sense, that his ancestors did not promote thinking along such lines, since he knew, at best it could only be thinking. There is NO WAY of knowing *the truth*. One might as well continue living in the material world, catering to carnal pleasures he'd console himself and proclaim that whenever he is idle, his mind becomes 'devil's workshop', get his warm cup of milk and sleep
He was always known for his thoughtful outlook towards life. There would not be a single moment that would pass-by in his life, without him thinking about something. It could be,'how could i have arranged the forms correctly, so that the teller at the bank need not have gotten the doubt as to whether i filled all of them correctly' when he had gone in for a loan application and the teller as part her normal process doubly checked to make sure all forms have been brought in. or 'should i have walked to the front door while the bus was still preparing to come to a stop' when he got off via the back-door, so that he could have been in office 30 seconds earlier.
He'd always wonder about taking lesser tissues than grabbing a whole bunch that his fingers can manage, at fast-food places so that, there would lesser need to refill them, hence lesser expenditure, thereby helping to keep the increase in costs of consumer prices lower. The less said better , about the ketchups, sauces, salt, pepper, water and many more items.
No one had ventured to ask him, whether him eating one packet less of ketchup would really keep the prices lower. He was prepared to meet that eventuality as well. "How would one say a definitive 'yes' or 'no' to the question, hence the benefit of doubt should go towards saving it". He would think of electricity, water and many other resources like that.
He will conduct an elaborate mock-interview about every situation he imagined he'd have to confront. He would think about various uncomfortable questions that people would ask him, if he had to say 'no' to them, when they will ask him for a favor.
He will go back to the grocery store and point out that some item had been charged less and would pay it promptly. And at the same time, think thousand times before nervously stepping in front of the counter to tell them, that they have charged him higher than what he should have been charged.
It was not him. It was his upbringing. He was always trained to think about 'others' first. He used to construct complex theories about 'God'. He would think about whether 'God' really had thousands of forms of appearance. He would think about whether 'miracles' can happen. He would try to construct a conspiracy theory to every such act. At the same time, he would believe that a super-natural power did exist. Any thing that happened after such thinking sessions would be ascribed to 'God' not being happy at him trying to think bad about 'him'.
He'd always tell others that the more scientific one gets, the more agnostic one gets. He read a lot about philosophy. Conflicting theories about purpose of life, about self-realization, all dished out by other people who are all mortals, like him.
He would ask the question that has been asked million times before, 'If everything is God's creation, why does evil exist?' or 'If world is a stage where all of us play out our parts, why does the world need to exist'. He would immediately recoil in horror, thinking about how that question meant, 'questioning the motive for the existence of life and hence existence of God'
He believed in prayers. He'd seriously ask for peace everywhere. He believed that if only everything happened peacefully, how wonderful life would be. He would ask for fulfillment of his loved ones 'wants'. If only his parents' prayers were fullfilled, it would mean he would be happy, since his parents would only wish for his well-being, he would argue.
He read somewhere that, removing 'wants' from life is the first step towards detaching self from the materalistic world. He will argue within himself, 'is not removing a want, a want in itself ?'. He will think 'is not praying for something, wanting something ?' and then he'd be back to reality. He was out of milk, he can never get a full night of sleep without a warm cup of it.
He would once again think, 'if all of us do what we feel is good for themselves, as judged by one's moral values, then why is there something called evil. Since there is nothing absolute in the world other than 'almighty' why would anything be always good or always evil. What is evil today might be good tomorrow he would reason. 'Hence, why should', he'd ask, 'people judge. Only HE can judge'.
He would always ask himself, if there is nothing absolute in this world, except for 'the absolute' there is NO way of knowing what is the 'right answer' to the questions that anyone in the world might have. That would mean all his thinking so far, can produce answers, but never to be ascertained as 'right answer'.
He badly wanted to meet with some old wisdom filled soul that can enlighten him. But he knew deep inside him, if he got the same answer he got right now, he'd still not stop thinking about life or if he got a different answer, how did he even know he got the right answer.
At the end of the day, he will tell himself, that he is no-fu(a)rther in his understanding about life and it makes fullest sense, that his ancestors did not promote thinking along such lines, since he knew, at best it could only be thinking. There is NO WAY of knowing *the truth*. One might as well continue living in the material world, catering to carnal pleasures he'd console himself and proclaim that whenever he is idle, his mind becomes 'devil's workshop', get his warm cup of milk and sleep
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
DC Area Blogger Meet - Update
Dear Fellow Bloggers,
As a follow-up to the original announcement, please find the *updated* information about the meet.
It is set to be SSV Temple, Saturday, 9th of July, 2005 at 4.30 PM. Please find the directions to SSV Temple here
This is just a 'break-the-ice' kind of meet that would hopefully lead to more regular meets in the future. There is no specific agenda other than just getting to associate faces to the blogs :-).
Design Courtesy : Senthil
Kindly comment on this blog to indicate the possibility of your attendance :-) Meet you all there, soon !
p.s : would request all to honor the 'privacy' concerns of bloggers who do NOT want to be photographed.
As a follow-up to the original announcement, please find the *updated* information about the meet.
It is set to be SSV Temple, Saturday, 9th of July, 2005 at 4.30 PM. Please find the directions to SSV Temple here
This is just a 'break-the-ice' kind of meet that would hopefully lead to more regular meets in the future. There is no specific agenda other than just getting to associate faces to the blogs :-).
Design Courtesy : Senthil
Kindly comment on this blog to indicate the possibility of your attendance :-) Meet you all there, soon !
p.s : would request all to honor the 'privacy' concerns of bloggers who do NOT want to be photographed.
Friday, July 01, 2005
TFMovie Tag
Ram has tagged me adding that i may not take it offensive that am tagged ;p
Though i watch many movies, i am not sure, i can even list 10 movies that i like the best. Let me give it a try.
1) Michael Madana Kamarajan
This IMHO, is *the best ever* movie that has been made in the history of any film making (ofcourse, of the ones i've seen). Inspite of watching it 100+ times...(literally, no exaggeration), i would never miss a chance to watch it. If only, i could get my hands on the original un-cut version it would be simply great !. The kedaram piece of 'tyoooon tyun tyuyunyun' for kamarajan is the unforgettable bgm !
2) Avvai Shanmughi
After MMKR, Kamal & Crazy Mohan combo tried to do many movies to recreate the magic. But the only movie that came close to MMKR was Avvai Shanmughi. Kamal is the man or sorry the woman to watch out :)
3) Poova Thalaya
Nice movie ! Gemini, Jaishankar
4) Indian
For the instilling the idea that *even one's own children* are not exempt from punitive treatment for corruption
5) Bale Pandiya
Hilarious Sivaji at his best
6) Thillu Mullu
Ample showcase of Rajini's comedy facet which i like best, next only to his villain'ous performances !
7) Pudhiya Paravai
Have watched this move tens of times. Can't place my finger on any specific reason why
8) Mahanadigan
Laugh riot by Sathyaraj making fun of *everyone* including himself ! :-)
9) Sathi Leelavathi
Yet again, Kamal and Crazy combo.
10) Dum Dum Dum
Nice simple movie, with very precise acting by Madhavan & Jyotika and Karthik Raja's best music score ever.
The tag buck stops here. It is left open to anyone who is interested ! :-)
Though i watch many movies, i am not sure, i can even list 10 movies that i like the best. Let me give it a try.
1) Michael Madana Kamarajan
This IMHO, is *the best ever* movie that has been made in the history of any film making (ofcourse, of the ones i've seen). Inspite of watching it 100+ times...(literally, no exaggeration), i would never miss a chance to watch it. If only, i could get my hands on the original un-cut version it would be simply great !. The kedaram piece of 'tyoooon tyun tyuyunyun' for kamarajan is the unforgettable bgm !
2) Avvai Shanmughi
After MMKR, Kamal & Crazy Mohan combo tried to do many movies to recreate the magic. But the only movie that came close to MMKR was Avvai Shanmughi. Kamal is the man or sorry the woman to watch out :)
3) Poova Thalaya
Nice movie ! Gemini, Jaishankar
4) Indian
For the instilling the idea that *even one's own children* are not exempt from punitive treatment for corruption
5) Bale Pandiya
Hilarious Sivaji at his best
6) Thillu Mullu
Ample showcase of Rajini's comedy facet which i like best, next only to his villain'ous performances !
7) Pudhiya Paravai
Have watched this move tens of times. Can't place my finger on any specific reason why
8) Mahanadigan
Laugh riot by Sathyaraj making fun of *everyone* including himself ! :-)
9) Sathi Leelavathi
Yet again, Kamal and Crazy combo.
10) Dum Dum Dum
Nice simple movie, with very precise acting by Madhavan & Jyotika and Karthik Raja's best music score ever.
The tag buck stops here. It is left open to anyone who is interested ! :-)
TFMusic Tag
Arun and Senthil had tagged me. Here we go......
Albums I own
Thiruda Thiruda, Sangamam, KanduKondein KanduKondein, Alaipayudhe
All of them are lovable to the core !....ofcourse internet radio always helps :-)
First album/cassette I bought
Chinna Thambhi (Prabhu, *Khushbhoo*)
Povama & Thuliyile were unforgettable at that time !
Present favourites
TajMahal. I was shocked when i first heard this album, but it has never failed to grow inside me, everytime i hear this. Especially Kulirudhu, Nee Enge, Eechi etc
(I interpreted this as what are the songs that are presently my favorites rather than what present-songs are my favorites ;)
Apart from that my nightly put-to-bed songs are from ARR collection, yesterday was Doli Sajakhe Rakhna (not TFM :-( )
I usually hum…
This is a phenomenon, that i have noticed in many music lovers. The first song you hear since the day started, sticks to your lips like a broken record through the day.
I have been doing some work on reethigowlai and charukesi and hence Thalaiyai Kuniyum/Azhagana Ratchasiye and Aaahista(swades)/yedho yedho (E 20 U 18) are on my lips today...
While on that topic, there are some days, you get up, and there is already a song on your lips ! - wow where did that come from ? :-?
Favourite music directors
ARR is "my man" as Srikanth puts it.
I love many IR, Vidyasagar songs as well. Oldies on&off :-)
Favourite singers
S.P.B, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Chitra, Sujatha, Sadhana Sargam.
Favourite lines...
mmm...not much of a lyric person....so i'd like to pass it :-)
There is so much about TFM that i like, that am positive have forgotten to mention many. Music is really such a wonderful language to communicate with souls ! :-). No am not talking about aavi amudha ;p
Ok, the tag stops here ! :-) and anyone interested can take it forward
Albums I own
Thiruda Thiruda, Sangamam, KanduKondein KanduKondein, Alaipayudhe
All of them are lovable to the core !....ofcourse internet radio always helps :-)
First album/cassette I bought
Chinna Thambhi (Prabhu, *Khushbhoo*)
Povama & Thuliyile were unforgettable at that time !
Present favourites
TajMahal. I was shocked when i first heard this album, but it has never failed to grow inside me, everytime i hear this. Especially Kulirudhu, Nee Enge, Eechi etc
(I interpreted this as what are the songs that are presently my favorites rather than what present-songs are my favorites ;)
Apart from that my nightly put-to-bed songs are from ARR collection, yesterday was Doli Sajakhe Rakhna (not TFM :-( )
I usually hum…
This is a phenomenon, that i have noticed in many music lovers. The first song you hear since the day started, sticks to your lips like a broken record through the day.
I have been doing some work on reethigowlai and charukesi and hence Thalaiyai Kuniyum/Azhagana Ratchasiye and Aaahista(swades)/yedho yedho (E 20 U 18) are on my lips today...
While on that topic, there are some days, you get up, and there is already a song on your lips ! - wow where did that come from ? :-?
Favourite music directors
ARR is "my man" as Srikanth puts it.
I love many IR, Vidyasagar songs as well. Oldies on&off :-)
Favourite singers
S.P.B, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Chitra, Sujatha, Sadhana Sargam.
Favourite lines...
mmm...not much of a lyric person....so i'd like to pass it :-)
There is so much about TFM that i like, that am positive have forgotten to mention many. Music is really such a wonderful language to communicate with souls ! :-). No am not talking about aavi amudha ;p
Ok, the tag stops here ! :-) and anyone interested can take it forward
Saturday, June 25, 2005
[Song Watch] Zubeidaa
Zubeidaa by Shyam Benegal, is one of the most under-recognised movie for the effort put-in, for it is a eminently likeable movie. The cast was wonderfully herded by the director and the story was the critical element in the movie. Songs and BGM were simply out-of-the-world.
Presently, we shall get to the review of the songs.
Dheemi Dheemi - Kavita Krishnamurthy (Subramaniam)
A nice and pleasant chords section open the song along with bells and a flowing flute. Gun Gun is the life of the tune, how lilting the section is. Simple rhythm pattern sets in to back the vocals. Somehow, Kavitha's voice suits perfectly with Karishma. A long but enjoyable pallavi, almost 2 minutes.
The interlude, ARR returns to his favorite flute, sweet as a sugarcane ;)
Stanza is a nice continuation of the pallavi with on&off violin orchestra. Sometimes the violin backing is an extension of the tune, sometimes tangential, nonetheless so melodious. The cute use of bells, violin and chords brings one back to the pallavi, not actually Dheemi, but Gun Gun :-)
The second interlude showcases Naveen's mastery over the flute. It looks as if the flute asks questions of you. (3.32 - 3.55) Melodiously so ! what nicety. Man, are we all lucky to have him know, how to handle a flute ;) ARR unleashes a power chord to complete the second interlude.
Second stanza follows the first stanza, and the piece at 4.47 - 4.51 is so beautiful. It feels the tune was composed more with a lullaby backdrop in mind than a romance song.
The song tapers off to the flute playing gun gun with nice chords backing it up.
Wonderful song !. Loses a bit of direction in the middle.
Rating 4.7 out of 5
Mehndi Hai - Alka Yagnik
Heavy bass guitar sets the tone for the song, with Alka yagnik opening Mehndi. A simple and easy pallavi nicely toeing the raga kalyani. The tune follows the traditional mehndi songs, with nice dholaks/tablas and beautiful harps flowing.
Brief but nice Shehnai interlude paves way to the stanza. The section at 2.01-2.05 is a straight from the book lakshana of Kalyani raga. The shehnai continues exploring the various glorious higher octave notes of the raga behind the main song. Underplayed chords complete the stanza.
The second interlude is the best part of the whole song. Listen to 2.55-3.12. The piano is so beautiful and melodious. It somehow fits perfectly with the rhythm pattern that causes one to sway to its nicety. Second stanza is constructed similar to the first stanza, only that we have to put with A.Y's nasal shrillness for a second time.
Alka yagnik, is sometimes so hard/shrill on one's ears :-(
The song ends abruptly, with not enough treatment, that IMHO had so much scope for nice alaap/extension.
Rating 4.3 out of 5
Mein Albeli - Kavita Krishnamurthy & Sukhvinder Singh
The song has a very heavy arabic inspiration. The rhythm/instruments all serve to impress upon the same. Sukhvinder enjoys his role and provides with some 'cool' moments in the song. The song itself has a very run-of-the-mill structure, but it can serve as a perfect case-study to how ARR has added 'layers' of music to it. His embellishments are typically many instruments each one clinging on to their respective theme in the background. On the one hand, there is the accordion accentuating the 'playful'ness and then the regular chords that serve to set the 'mood' of the lines. The bass guitar once again plays the very critical role of keeping the rhythm going. As noted often in my reviews, yet again, you see how the second stanza has been underplayed in terms of use of instruments and the low-key chords etc. This song resembles very much in theme to other ARR compositions like Rang De (Takshak), September Madham (Alai payuthe), Spirit of Rangeela (Rangeela) etc.
Rating 4.1 out of 5
Pyara Sa Gaon - Lata Mangeshkar
A sweet alaap on maand like notes greets us with this wonderful lullaby by ARR. And would it be complete without Naveen on flute ? :-) (00.30 - 00.53) I always keep talking about how chords serve to emphasise/heighten the mood of the melody. The intro music on this song is the perfect example. Between 00.38-00.42 and 00.47-00.51 are the same melody being played, only that the second time around, the chords progressively heighten the 'intense' melody of the song. After a long one minute long intro, ARR lets the song begin. The pallavi flirts with raga maand (actually quite a serious relationship one must add ;)) and a what soothing lullaby it is !. Did ARR's kids enjoy such wonderful put-to-bed songs :-) or are we the only beneficiaries ;) ? The rhythm is simple through the pallavi and almost when the stanza starts, the rhythm gets a bit more enterprising.
Naveen is back with his flute for the interlude and belts out a beauty. Listen to section at 2.26-2.45. Stanza is wonderfully composed and very well sung. I'd like to leave it short and get to the second interlude at 3.41-3.51. Man, i don't have words to describe how i feel when i enjoy that section. Sarangi rules the roost !
(One more place to note the mood change of the song is the flute/chord combo at 5.00-5.05)
The flute finishes off the song....
One word to describe the song is WOW ! How much peaceful, soulful, melodious can a lullaby get. Can a flute be more wonderful than this ?
Rating 4.99 out of 5
Hai Na - Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik
A brief piece of Santoor opens the song with a hearty rhythm and simple chords with bass guitars. The highlight of the pallavi is when AY hits 'hai na'. Udit opens his account in the album with the casual candy-floss ease. But, that exactly is what is attractive about the song. Santoor continues its way into the first interlude. ARR lets his imagination run wild. Moving from a simple emotion to complex and bring it back to the same light mood, his deft changes on the tune flirts with the mood swings quite easily. The stanza is bit different in terms of the way pallavi was construcuted. The standard hindi movie orchestration of violins running amuck not knowing what role they play is being used to 'accentuate' the 'period'ness of the song. But, try as much as he can, ARR can't bring the feel of, how the typical music director wastes his violin orchestra :-) (i'd leave this vanjapugazchi aNi to you to use per convenience vanjapugazchi aNi means something that can be considered as a compliment or insult, as perceived accordingly).
The second interlude is nice, building upon the theme of the song, with a very minor shift, to quickly remind us of the different emotion possible. Listen to section starting at 3.14-3.30 (especially 3.28, how suddenly there is the shift that adds a sad tinge). The second stanza is completely mastered by Udit, perfectly rendered.
It finishes off with a humming of the theme of the song.
This song is quite easy on the melody and flow and it merely impresses rather than leaving a deep mark. (Personally, however, i like this song very much, purely for its casualness )
Rating 4.3 out of 5
So Gaye - Lata Mangeshkar
This song forms the continuous theme of the music (bgm). Evoking melancholic emotions, using serious orchestration of instruments, this is a slow song. Horn, forms the base of the song, mild humming joins in later. The stanza is the best part of the whole song. With the chorus humming and chords it underscores the emotion. The second interlude is wonderful. It wanders & strays outside the main theme of the song. Starting at 3.05 - 3.54, especially at 3.15 is quite beautiful. It reminds you vaguely of the similar arrangement in 'Nadhiye Nadhiye' (Rhythm). Single layer of piano joins in for the second stanza to complement the tune. The emotions of the song is like complex mosaic. It takes lots of time for one to digest all of them. It is tough to bring them out in words, i'd rather leave it to you to listen. With the variations on the musical theme of song being so obvious, I would have dismissed this immediately as a song from ARR's stable. Well, we all know to expect the unexpected from him :-).
Rating 4.4 out of 5
Chhodo More - Richa Sharma
The review of this song is gonna be brief, but i'd rather detail Gowri Manohari ragam which this song is based on.
The song has beautiful tabla rhythm, with heavy sarangi sections, nice harps & some out of the world chord progressions. Richa Sharma has sung it quite well. The song itself is short but follows the raga to a 'T' with rare/exceptional anniya swaras to be found. Sections to enjoy the creativity in this song are
1.25 - 1.35 Dekho...
2.14-2.22 Sarangi....glorious Gowri Manohari
2.25 - 2.50 chords
2.50-2.55 Ghar... is given a nice treatment
Gowri Manohari is made of s r2 g2 m1 p d2 n3 S. The raga is identified by the following progression g m p n, n n S d p. It is agmark identification of the raga. From time immemorial, this raga has been given red-carpet treatment in the movie industry, but not sure i've heard much in carnatic world that oozes melody as much. Be it, Paatum Naane or Malare Kurinji in earlier days or IR's Kanna Varuvaya (Manadhil Urudhi Vendum) or this song by ARR, the raga itself has stood out so beautifully. If you are upto it, sing/play Kanna Varuvaya and Choddo and the line 'thalai mudhal kaal varai'(Stanza from the song 'Aasai Aasai' - Dhool). They all are the perfect treatment of this raga. But no one would dare to call them copies of each other.
How wonderful is the world of 'creation' of light music based on melodious patterns in carnatic music !
Rating 4.9 out of 5
Overall, the album (as the movie) did not get the deserved credit for its non-mainstream, still amazingly cute and melodious numbers. The movie did not play out any song fully, but man, this album is a MUST HAVE for any melody lover.
Overall Rating 4.6 out of 5
How did you enjoy this review ? Use the comment link below to express yourself :-)
Find more reviews in the music review archives
Acknowledgements : Arun@MusicPaithiyam
Presently, we shall get to the review of the songs.
Dheemi Dheemi - Kavita Krishnamurthy (Subramaniam)
A nice and pleasant chords section open the song along with bells and a flowing flute. Gun Gun is the life of the tune, how lilting the section is. Simple rhythm pattern sets in to back the vocals. Somehow, Kavitha's voice suits perfectly with Karishma. A long but enjoyable pallavi, almost 2 minutes.
The interlude, ARR returns to his favorite flute, sweet as a sugarcane ;)
Stanza is a nice continuation of the pallavi with on&off violin orchestra. Sometimes the violin backing is an extension of the tune, sometimes tangential, nonetheless so melodious. The cute use of bells, violin and chords brings one back to the pallavi, not actually Dheemi, but Gun Gun :-)
The second interlude showcases Naveen's mastery over the flute. It looks as if the flute asks questions of you. (3.32 - 3.55) Melodiously so ! what nicety. Man, are we all lucky to have him know, how to handle a flute ;) ARR unleashes a power chord to complete the second interlude.
Second stanza follows the first stanza, and the piece at 4.47 - 4.51 is so beautiful. It feels the tune was composed more with a lullaby backdrop in mind than a romance song.
The song tapers off to the flute playing gun gun with nice chords backing it up.
Wonderful song !. Loses a bit of direction in the middle.
Rating 4.7 out of 5
Mehndi Hai - Alka Yagnik
Heavy bass guitar sets the tone for the song, with Alka yagnik opening Mehndi. A simple and easy pallavi nicely toeing the raga kalyani. The tune follows the traditional mehndi songs, with nice dholaks/tablas and beautiful harps flowing.
Brief but nice Shehnai interlude paves way to the stanza. The section at 2.01-2.05 is a straight from the book lakshana of Kalyani raga. The shehnai continues exploring the various glorious higher octave notes of the raga behind the main song. Underplayed chords complete the stanza.
The second interlude is the best part of the whole song. Listen to 2.55-3.12. The piano is so beautiful and melodious. It somehow fits perfectly with the rhythm pattern that causes one to sway to its nicety. Second stanza is constructed similar to the first stanza, only that we have to put with A.Y's nasal shrillness for a second time.
Alka yagnik, is sometimes so hard/shrill on one's ears :-(
The song ends abruptly, with not enough treatment, that IMHO had so much scope for nice alaap/extension.
Rating 4.3 out of 5
Mein Albeli - Kavita Krishnamurthy & Sukhvinder Singh
The song has a very heavy arabic inspiration. The rhythm/instruments all serve to impress upon the same. Sukhvinder enjoys his role and provides with some 'cool' moments in the song. The song itself has a very run-of-the-mill structure, but it can serve as a perfect case-study to how ARR has added 'layers' of music to it. His embellishments are typically many instruments each one clinging on to their respective theme in the background. On the one hand, there is the accordion accentuating the 'playful'ness and then the regular chords that serve to set the 'mood' of the lines. The bass guitar once again plays the very critical role of keeping the rhythm going. As noted often in my reviews, yet again, you see how the second stanza has been underplayed in terms of use of instruments and the low-key chords etc. This song resembles very much in theme to other ARR compositions like Rang De (Takshak), September Madham (Alai payuthe), Spirit of Rangeela (Rangeela) etc.
Rating 4.1 out of 5
Pyara Sa Gaon - Lata Mangeshkar
A sweet alaap on maand like notes greets us with this wonderful lullaby by ARR. And would it be complete without Naveen on flute ? :-) (00.30 - 00.53) I always keep talking about how chords serve to emphasise/heighten the mood of the melody. The intro music on this song is the perfect example. Between 00.38-00.42 and 00.47-00.51 are the same melody being played, only that the second time around, the chords progressively heighten the 'intense' melody of the song. After a long one minute long intro, ARR lets the song begin. The pallavi flirts with raga maand (actually quite a serious relationship one must add ;)) and a what soothing lullaby it is !. Did ARR's kids enjoy such wonderful put-to-bed songs :-) or are we the only beneficiaries ;) ? The rhythm is simple through the pallavi and almost when the stanza starts, the rhythm gets a bit more enterprising.
Naveen is back with his flute for the interlude and belts out a beauty. Listen to section at 2.26-2.45. Stanza is wonderfully composed and very well sung. I'd like to leave it short and get to the second interlude at 3.41-3.51. Man, i don't have words to describe how i feel when i enjoy that section. Sarangi rules the roost !
(One more place to note the mood change of the song is the flute/chord combo at 5.00-5.05)
The flute finishes off the song....
One word to describe the song is WOW ! How much peaceful, soulful, melodious can a lullaby get. Can a flute be more wonderful than this ?
Rating 4.99 out of 5
Hai Na - Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik
A brief piece of Santoor opens the song with a hearty rhythm and simple chords with bass guitars. The highlight of the pallavi is when AY hits 'hai na'. Udit opens his account in the album with the casual candy-floss ease. But, that exactly is what is attractive about the song. Santoor continues its way into the first interlude. ARR lets his imagination run wild. Moving from a simple emotion to complex and bring it back to the same light mood, his deft changes on the tune flirts with the mood swings quite easily. The stanza is bit different in terms of the way pallavi was construcuted. The standard hindi movie orchestration of violins running amuck not knowing what role they play is being used to 'accentuate' the 'period'ness of the song. But, try as much as he can, ARR can't bring the feel of, how the typical music director wastes his violin orchestra :-) (i'd leave this vanjapugazchi aNi to you to use per convenience vanjapugazchi aNi means something that can be considered as a compliment or insult, as perceived accordingly).
The second interlude is nice, building upon the theme of the song, with a very minor shift, to quickly remind us of the different emotion possible. Listen to section starting at 3.14-3.30 (especially 3.28, how suddenly there is the shift that adds a sad tinge). The second stanza is completely mastered by Udit, perfectly rendered.
It finishes off with a humming of the theme of the song.
This song is quite easy on the melody and flow and it merely impresses rather than leaving a deep mark. (Personally, however, i like this song very much, purely for its casualness )
Rating 4.3 out of 5
So Gaye - Lata Mangeshkar
This song forms the continuous theme of the music (bgm). Evoking melancholic emotions, using serious orchestration of instruments, this is a slow song. Horn, forms the base of the song, mild humming joins in later. The stanza is the best part of the whole song. With the chorus humming and chords it underscores the emotion. The second interlude is wonderful. It wanders & strays outside the main theme of the song. Starting at 3.05 - 3.54, especially at 3.15 is quite beautiful. It reminds you vaguely of the similar arrangement in 'Nadhiye Nadhiye' (Rhythm). Single layer of piano joins in for the second stanza to complement the tune. The emotions of the song is like complex mosaic. It takes lots of time for one to digest all of them. It is tough to bring them out in words, i'd rather leave it to you to listen. With the variations on the musical theme of song being so obvious, I would have dismissed this immediately as a song from ARR's stable. Well, we all know to expect the unexpected from him :-).
Rating 4.4 out of 5
Chhodo More - Richa Sharma
The review of this song is gonna be brief, but i'd rather detail Gowri Manohari ragam which this song is based on.
The song has beautiful tabla rhythm, with heavy sarangi sections, nice harps & some out of the world chord progressions. Richa Sharma has sung it quite well. The song itself is short but follows the raga to a 'T' with rare/exceptional anniya swaras to be found. Sections to enjoy the creativity in this song are
1.25 - 1.35 Dekho...
2.14-2.22 Sarangi....glorious Gowri Manohari
2.25 - 2.50 chords
2.50-2.55 Ghar... is given a nice treatment
Gowri Manohari is made of s r2 g2 m1 p d2 n3 S. The raga is identified by the following progression g m p n, n n S d p. It is agmark identification of the raga. From time immemorial, this raga has been given red-carpet treatment in the movie industry, but not sure i've heard much in carnatic world that oozes melody as much. Be it, Paatum Naane or Malare Kurinji in earlier days or IR's Kanna Varuvaya (Manadhil Urudhi Vendum) or this song by ARR, the raga itself has stood out so beautifully. If you are upto it, sing/play Kanna Varuvaya and Choddo and the line 'thalai mudhal kaal varai'(Stanza from the song 'Aasai Aasai' - Dhool). They all are the perfect treatment of this raga. But no one would dare to call them copies of each other.
How wonderful is the world of 'creation' of light music based on melodious patterns in carnatic music !
Rating 4.9 out of 5
Overall, the album (as the movie) did not get the deserved credit for its non-mainstream, still amazingly cute and melodious numbers. The movie did not play out any song fully, but man, this album is a MUST HAVE for any melody lover.
Overall Rating 4.6 out of 5
How did you enjoy this review ? Use the comment link below to express yourself :-)
Find more reviews in the music review archives
Acknowledgements : Arun@MusicPaithiyam
Friday, June 24, 2005
You are a winner !!!
Before you jump to the conclusion that this is some kinda evangelistic post, let me make it clear that i have no such noble intentions.
Yahoo! has the 'Oddly Enough' news section that brings together all kinds of (guess what) odd news items. Well, the following one is surely not odd.
A radio contest announced that the 10th caller would get "100 grand" (grand means thousand dollars). Sure enough, there was the tenth caller who was proclaimed the winner and when she was about to collect the prize, she was given Nestle's 100 Grand chocolate bar. A legal fight has ensued to determine the rest.
This reminds of the hilarious event narrated by my college mate M. In a local saidapet cricket tournament in 1997, it was announced that batsman with most number of 'sixes' would win 10 dollars as prize. And there were many contenders, some serious, about winning the prize. On the d-day the winner was given 10 'murugan padam pOtta dollars' LOL :-) (dollars are the small, variously shaped, metal plates that can be attached to one's necklace or chain :-) )
One more news, that i found funny enough is that, one school in Minneapolis, has decided to offer 'online physical education classes'
I think in that spirit, the blog world can come up with virtual blogs. Where there will not any new postings on the blogs and the reader has to 'imagine' the post instead. But it should be mandated that they still comment on those imaginary posts ;-p LOL.
Dragging self back to the work week ahead....grrrrhhhhh....
Yahoo! has the 'Oddly Enough' news section that brings together all kinds of (guess what) odd news items. Well, the following one is surely not odd.
A radio contest announced that the 10th caller would get "100 grand" (grand means thousand dollars). Sure enough, there was the tenth caller who was proclaimed the winner and when she was about to collect the prize, she was given Nestle's 100 Grand chocolate bar. A legal fight has ensued to determine the rest.
This reminds of the hilarious event narrated by my college mate M. In a local saidapet cricket tournament in 1997, it was announced that batsman with most number of 'sixes' would win 10 dollars as prize. And there were many contenders, some serious, about winning the prize. On the d-day the winner was given 10 'murugan padam pOtta dollars' LOL :-) (dollars are the small, variously shaped, metal plates that can be attached to one's necklace or chain :-) )
One more news, that i found funny enough is that, one school in Minneapolis, has decided to offer 'online physical education classes'
I think in that spirit, the blog world can come up with virtual blogs. Where there will not any new postings on the blogs and the reader has to 'imagine' the post instead. But it should be mandated that they still comment on those imaginary posts ;-p LOL.
Dragging self back to the work week ahead....grrrrhhhhh....
Blogger opens up attaching images !
Finally, Google has relented !!!!
More details on Blogger opening up on attaching images can be found here
What's more, they let you choose the layout of the where the images can be, upload the full-sized picture and scale it down appropriately :-)
Nice !!!!!
More details on Blogger opening up on attaching images can be found here
What's more, they let you choose the layout of the where the images can be, upload the full-sized picture and scale it down appropriately :-)
Nice !!!!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
DC Area Blogger Meet
*FLASH : UPDATE => The time and venue has been fixed . It is set to be SSV Temple, Saturday, 9th of July, 2005 at 4.30 PM. More information can be found at this post*
Dear Fellow Bloggers,
We plan to organize DC Area Blogger Meet, to bring together many bloggers from around this area.
It is not restricted to bloggers from just this locality, all interested bloggers are still most welcome, no amway/pyramid schemers please ;p
Tentatively, I would like to propose the date as Saturday, 9-JUL-05 Noon as the date & time of the meet. Based on the availability and comfort level of everyone involved we can work out the logistics. Venue is yet to be decided, but SSVT & Madras palace(dutch-lunch-buffett) makes a good combo, i would guess ?
We have a big gang in this area... Raman,Eswar,Siva,Ganesh,Srikanth,Robbie,Thennavan,Senthil and many more.
Let us use the comments area to agree broadly upon the time, date & venue. In the interest of everyone, I think we should have a list of people expected. I will setup an email id that can be mailed to for that purpose and also to confirm the head count.
Request you all to advertise the meet, it would really be nice to associate faces to words !
So long....
*FLASH : UPDATE => The time and venue has been fixed . It is set to be SSV Temple, Saturday, 9th of July, 2005 at 4.30 PM. More information can be found at this post*
Dear Fellow Bloggers,
We plan to organize DC Area Blogger Meet, to bring together many bloggers from around this area.
It is not restricted to bloggers from just this locality, all interested bloggers are still most welcome, no amway/pyramid schemers please ;p
Tentatively, I would like to propose the date as Saturday, 9-JUL-05 Noon as the date & time of the meet. Based on the availability and comfort level of everyone involved we can work out the logistics. Venue is yet to be decided, but SSVT & Madras palace(dutch-lunch-buffett) makes a good combo, i would guess ?
We have a big gang in this area... Raman,Eswar,Siva,Ganesh,Srikanth,Robbie,Thennavan,Senthil and many more.
Let us use the comments area to agree broadly upon the time, date & venue. In the interest of everyone, I think we should have a list of people expected. I will setup an email id that can be mailed to for that purpose and also to confirm the head count.
Request you all to advertise the meet, it would really be nice to associate faces to words !
So long....
*FLASH : UPDATE => The time and venue has been fixed . It is set to be SSV Temple, Saturday, 9th of July, 2005 at 4.30 PM. More information can be found at this post*
Sunday, June 19, 2005
[Movie Watch] Anniyan
Anniyan, the much hyped, rumored costliest ever, south-indian movie made. Ram C of the blogworld had written an excellent review. He had it nicely balanced out, detailing many of the aspects.
I'd like to add my two cents on top of his review.
With the exception of Kadhalan & Jeans, all of Shankar's movies, have some common trait. They all have a flair for grandeur. There is a strong undercurrent social message for the citizens. There is the hero, a lone warrior, who works towards a mass-movement, never has an easy ending while caught. The hero does not escape the easy route of people shouting the court/government out at the climax. They have more sincerity towards the social message than most other 'claims' made by directors. They have top-class music and good commercial elements housed in it for it to be a commercially viable success.
This movie is no different. There is no denying that, you can repeat the mantra of citizen-responsibility-accountability thousand times and it is still worth repeating. Well, not sure this is applicable in the movie world. It slightly makes one shift in the chair for its repetitive theme. His ideas are still worth applauding.
From a movie perspective, i found the comedy of Vivek, who does not get his 'own track' but nicely integrates and gels with the main movie, to be the best aspect of the entire movie. The acting by Vikram in some cases had an 'affected' style. It was like, you could see he was 'acting' while acting is like making you think they are living it out !. You'd never think Kamal was acting as the Indian thatha. But here, Vikram's Ambi role could clearly be seen as 'affected'. Sada, was at her best, very artifical too. As Ram pointed out, her dancing skills need some serious honing. The music (bgm) just passed the grade. There is nothing that you take out of the movie as hummable pieces. Even though the stunt/choreography was nice, the protracted matrix style frame-freeze technique is pushing the limits of audience's patience. If super-star Rajini's tyre-dodging itself can evoke smiles/laughter at the end of the sequence, there is no double guessing what would be the outcome here. But the stunts themselves were pretty novel. Camera work was good. I felt it to be a bit too-close up. May be my second row from the front had left me with that impression.
The dance sequences, situations, choreography, dresses etc need to be *seriously* revisited by Shankar. One could clearly see the 'Anbe Anbe' (Jeans) effect on 'Iyengaru' and 'Gopala' (Kadhalan) on 'Rendakka'.
As already pointed out by so many people, am not sure as to where all the 27 odd crores of rupees was spent !. I am positive that it could have been completed at less than half the cost, if the matrix-sequence had been cut short.
Sujatha, has, as always, done a wonderful job with dialogues. His command over the language is excellent.
Overall, i left the theater with a mixed feeling. I still have mixed feelings !.
The masses inching out of theater gleefully shouting into the camera could be heard saying...
'oru vaati parkalam'
'vikram acting super'
'vivek kalakitaaru'
'idhu oru nalla social awareness padam'
I'd like to add my two cents on top of his review.
With the exception of Kadhalan & Jeans, all of Shankar's movies, have some common trait. They all have a flair for grandeur. There is a strong undercurrent social message for the citizens. There is the hero, a lone warrior, who works towards a mass-movement, never has an easy ending while caught. The hero does not escape the easy route of people shouting the court/government out at the climax. They have more sincerity towards the social message than most other 'claims' made by directors. They have top-class music and good commercial elements housed in it for it to be a commercially viable success.
This movie is no different. There is no denying that, you can repeat the mantra of citizen-responsibility-accountability thousand times and it is still worth repeating. Well, not sure this is applicable in the movie world. It slightly makes one shift in the chair for its repetitive theme. His ideas are still worth applauding.
From a movie perspective, i found the comedy of Vivek, who does not get his 'own track' but nicely integrates and gels with the main movie, to be the best aspect of the entire movie. The acting by Vikram in some cases had an 'affected' style. It was like, you could see he was 'acting' while acting is like making you think they are living it out !. You'd never think Kamal was acting as the Indian thatha. But here, Vikram's Ambi role could clearly be seen as 'affected'. Sada, was at her best, very artifical too. As Ram pointed out, her dancing skills need some serious honing. The music (bgm) just passed the grade. There is nothing that you take out of the movie as hummable pieces. Even though the stunt/choreography was nice, the protracted matrix style frame-freeze technique is pushing the limits of audience's patience. If super-star Rajini's tyre-dodging itself can evoke smiles/laughter at the end of the sequence, there is no double guessing what would be the outcome here. But the stunts themselves were pretty novel. Camera work was good. I felt it to be a bit too-close up. May be my second row from the front had left me with that impression.
The dance sequences, situations, choreography, dresses etc need to be *seriously* revisited by Shankar. One could clearly see the 'Anbe Anbe' (Jeans) effect on 'Iyengaru' and 'Gopala' (Kadhalan) on 'Rendakka'.
As already pointed out by so many people, am not sure as to where all the 27 odd crores of rupees was spent !. I am positive that it could have been completed at less than half the cost, if the matrix-sequence had been cut short.
Sujatha, has, as always, done a wonderful job with dialogues. His command over the language is excellent.
Overall, i left the theater with a mixed feeling. I still have mixed feelings !.
The masses inching out of theater gleefully shouting into the camera could be heard saying...
'oru vaati parkalam'
'vikram acting super'
'vivek kalakitaaru'
'idhu oru nalla social awareness padam'
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