Recommend new ideas and projects for IR

[ananth222]

Just like every Indian cricket fan has batting advice for Sachin Tendulkar, I think we also have plenty to say about what IR ought to be doing. So let us post and discuss all your ideas on this thread. May some of it might one day reach IR and he might decide to do something... or maybe not, but at least we can get it off our chest!

Let me start with one:
I recently stumbled on this album called "Rafi Resurrected":
http://www.raaga.com/channels/hindi/movie/HC000152.html (Vol. 1)
http://www.raaga.com/channels/hindi/...p?mid=HC000153 (Vol. 2)

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra released this album, a collection of old Rafi songs orchestrated and performed by the CBSO, with Sonu Nigam providing the vocals. Apparently they even toured and performed these numbers live. The effect is pretty good, especially "Kya hua tera vada", "Tareef karoon kya uski" etc. Vol. 2 also has some instrumental versions.

One of my gripes about old IR songs has been the poor quality of playing and recording. How would it be if IR decided to do something like this, selecting some of his evergreens, re-orchestrating them (to the scale of TiS) and recording with a competent orchestra? I believe that IR can achieve astounding results in this format. Please share your thoughts.

There are also some videos (but poor quality):

[natha1729]

what depth and breadth that a professional symphony orchestra can add and the heights to which Indian songs is breathtaking! The finesse is fantastic and the pace is brilliant and measured. Sonu enthusiams is exceptional . Can't imagine IR's mind boggling preludes / interludes on these orchestras, it will be something to look forward to...... GO FOR IT, India FM!!! Thanks ananth222 for this info. (I missed this boat as well, but you know we can see the birth of conductors and orchestras with thier own interpretations of Indian film songs...... it is limitless)

[natha1729]

please note that India FM has always been created in a hurry, and the pressure to come out with the best in the shortest possible time is reflected in the deep and exotic melodies and instrumentation. If IR were to slow down and compose song with great detail to orchestration , i think indian music would've seen a deficit of around 3000 songs! Now, orchestras can take the musical values and treasures to the next level. Content is there,now it is just the packaging!!! I am proud of Indian FM!

don't music out on the raaga.com links. It is simply amazing

[raagas]

Very interesting.

It is always wonderful to listen to philharmonic orchestras playing indian raagas.I have thoroughly enjoyed Thiruvasakam, in this aspect and i would be ecstatic if ilaiyaraaja churns out more of such stuff.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is quite a good one. Ilaiyaraaja prefers Budapest philharmonic. Ofcourse we have philharmonic orchestras in Berlin, Vienna, London, New York etc...all being very famous.
One more philharmonic orchestra, which appealed to me immensely was Czech Philharmonc Orchestra of Prague. i happened to listen to two albums by A.R.Rahman - 'Warriors of Heaven & Earth' and 'Bose - The Forgotten Hero', in which he used Czech philharmonic quite impressively(and i am not trying to raise a cliche` argument/controversy here by praising ARR.. i genuinely liked his work in these two albums and felt that he used the orchestras effectively..). I am not comparing it with how IR uses philharmonic orchestra..but it is purely a standalone opinion..
The bottomline is: I Wish IR also tries something like what ARR tried in these two albums.

[irir123]

using symphony orchestras has a lot to do with financial backing/strength! most orchestras around the world are simply starved of funds and the cheapest orchestras are in Europe - in fact most Hollywood composers would rather fly into the UK or anywhere in Europe to get the entire score (if its orchestral) for a movie played and recorded rather than hire an orchestra within the US - the hiring prices are astronomical and European orchestras are dying!

with the current global financial meltdown, this would only get worser by the day!

avanavan sothhukku alaiya vendiya time vegu dhoorathil illai!

[ananth222]

using symphony orchestras has a lot to do with financial backing/strength!

That is true, but I do believe that this kind of an effort will be easier to pull off than TiS - the songs are already there, and it is not a hard challenge for IR to reorchestrate them for such an orchestra. I'm sure they will also be accepted more widely than TiS, esp if the songs are chosen wisely.

btw, you can download the mp3 version of "Rafi Resurrected" here:
http://www.atozmp3.net/2008/09/rafi-...hindi-mp3.html

[app_engine]

the songs are already there, and it is not a hard challenge for IR to reorchestrate them for such an orchestra.

ஏற்கனவே அவர் எல்லா ஸ்கோரும் எழுதித்தான் பண்ணி இருப்பார். Having some of the sheet music is better than nothing - and being the phenomenal genius he is, to bring out a revised version will be a child's play for him.

The bigger challenge will be to select the numbers.

[irir123]

ananth222:you have missed my point completely - even if he desires to rework n record orchestral versions of his songs, he needs heavy financial backing to hire symphony orchestras and do the same

[natha1729]

here is my take on how professional orchestras can make a living on Indian film songs, without having to worry about what songs are suitable for that graceful orchestral stretch. (No matter what any MSV melody must easily translate into orchestral versions.)

This is based on how CBSO did Rafi resurrected - 2 versions one with vocals and the other with no vocals

1. symphony orchestrate (with as many layers as want but no voice) the main melody (pallavi and charanam) without original prelude / interlude.

2. like a regular vocal song but with symphony orchestra interpretation for prelude and interlude, and no orchestral backing should replace rhythms with the voice, and also percussion should nt be out of the preludes/interlude.

This way they can have 2 versions of the same song - the instrumental interpretations without prelude/interlude clutter and confusion and heaviness, and the actual vocal songs without missing out on the actual percussions sounds and leaving out orchestral flourishes with the songs, which i found a little too heavy and taking focus out of the voice.

This way, the essence of the song is presevered in the orchestral version and the original sounds and vocal emotions and percussion is retained in the vocal version. and people can have a easy listening expeirince of the instrumental version.

CBSO did a fantastic job, but both versions were too heavy sounding. i am sure Rahman is inspriing just that in India. I hope to see Indian Paul Mauriats, Pourcell, James Lasts, Pappeti, Acker Bilks, Mantovanni, Bill Vaughn.

[ananth222]

ananth222:you have missed my point completely - even if he desires to rework n record orchestral versions of his songs, he needs heavy financial backing to hire symphony orchestras and do the same

Sorry, what I meant to say was:
1. this kind of project won't stretch out like TiS - therefore may not be as expensive
2. the old popular songs could generate more interest - possible resulting in better funding/sales to support it than it was for TiS
So compared to TiS, this may be easier to manage financially.