Global recognition for IR's music.......

[irir123]

http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14842906

After all this !!

... is planning to do a super hero film Mugamudi., to be directed by Mysskin... Mysskin, who is busy with his Nandalala will finalise the new script after the film is released. The film will have music by AR Rahman ...

Let us hope he doesn't do to ARR what he did to IR by chopping off his gems from the film...

nallaa vandhu vaaikkaraanungappaa IR-ukkunu

Enpa, ARR is now a Golden Globe (and a potential Academy Award hero as well), while IR is 'kudhirai ottufying' in TFM with just 2-3 decent albums in recent times!

wat else do u expect from Mysskin with a 35 crore budgeted film ?

As a HCIRF, I ask you - whose fault is it all ?

IR had two great chances after his symphony of 1992:

1. The Italy tour - is there a complete DVD covering that tour available anywhere ? NO! was the tour given coverage using a proper event management company ? NO! are the CDs available anytime online easily ? I have not seen the CD, but tell me, with the kind of importance the tour must have had, was there an attempt to release the CD through a big label ? I doubt of any such attempt

2. 'Tiruvasakam - classical crossover' - for the efforts and the eclectic associations/collaborations with big names like Richard King et al, that went into the making of this album, shouldn't the production issues have been handled by a professional group and released by a decent label ?

NO - it did not happen - today, one cannot get hold of TiS album online ANYWHERE except Amazon.com! do I see TiS albums anywhere in big stores abroad under the World or Crossover Music section ? NO!

Anyone who wants to access information regarding TiS, does so online and they end up at the TiS website, which is so shabbily done, one (who is not familiar with IR) wonders if this album is worth listening to!

Two golden oppurtunities have gone abegging in terms of strategical marketing which could have targeted much bigger/wider audiences and by now, with a decent label, been vying for some awards, at least the TiS album!

the best joke is this - after the TiS release, I emailed Father Jegath Gasper enquiring abt exploring the options of sending TiS for some awards such as the Grammys under some category or the other - the man replies "please go ahead and do what you feel like - the services of committed fans like you are very much needed"!

oh boy, oh boy, he expected IR's fans to go around 'selling' the TiS concept to the Grammy awards committees et al!

so pray tell me, what was the role of Mr.Jegath in the making of TiS and its aftermath, besides giving interviews as if he was imparting divine grace to IR for the album/ouput ? a few unprintable words came to my mind then , but I restrained myself from replying to him then

more relevantly, why does IR associate himself with such supremely unprofessional characters like the one mentioned above, when he should be associating with people who are actually in the music industry ?? and that too, for an album which IR himself claimed to be his most heartfelt contribution ever ??

To top it all, he refuses to release original soundtracks like that of Hey Ram!

As a HCIRF, I ask WHY ? WHY is a genius doing things in such a bafflingly weird fashion none of it makes any logic? is IR so poor that he cannot afford to hire a decent music agency and get the needful done in a professional manner, in a world, where appearances are increasingly more appealing than the real substance ?! is he so confused with his own priorities that he choses to associate with Mr.Jegath, seeking his support for an album like TiS ??

Noone is asking him to sport a goattee or grow hair that reaches his waist, wear jeans and go strutting with an accent - but cant he come out of his shell and do some private albums with his enormous prodigious abilities ?

Everything, I repeat, everything lies with him, and him alone!

lets not blame young upcoming directors like Mysskin who are as much answerable to their financiers as they are, to fans like us!

[MumbaiRamki]

irir123,
There was so much mud throwing during release of Thiruvasagam - Fr.Jegath alleged that IR sold teh rights without his permission .

When contacted IR , if he would do similar such works, he replied in negative that some people were trying to gain out of Thiruvasagam and hence this bad experience made him not to consider it again.

I have a huge irritation with Fr.Jegath f his post thiruvasagam activities , but this is not the forum for it !

[njv]

-deleted-

[irir123]

njv - can you check your PM ?

[raagas]

IRIR123

You posted exactly my thoughts.

I still do not understand why a work like Thiruvasakam was released on an obscure label and not on a prominent label such as Sony Music. Ofcourse, the audio company needs to acquire the right, but when a project carrying a big name such as Ilaiyaraaja is properly planned and executed, why wouldnt prominent audio companies line up for rights? The way the album has been planned and executed certainly had hassles, which led to delays and probably Sony backed out.

And all said and done, we only read that 'IR was the first asian to compose/conduct a symphony with RPO'. But we never got to listen to it.

We read (and fortunately heard in the background) that Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra musicians gave standing ovation to Ilaiyaraaja for 'Hey Ram' and also 'Lajja'. But, despite all the merit the scores have got, they were not released and probably they will never be.

Also, there is something called 'Networking' or 'interacting' with World Composers, technicians, producers.. which always opens up newer avenues and opportunities to explore one's own creativity. I dont want to digress but would just like to cite a case in point: Sony Music signed a 3 album contract with ARR and it resulted in VandeMataram, Bombay Dreams and a chinese film, strangely -"Warriors of Heaven & Earth". I am not talking about the merits of the album, but the fact different Types of avenues did crop up.

What IR needs is just that. More of outgoing-ness and even if he already got it, he needs to push up the visibility levels, without compromising on his work.

[raagas]

To add further: (I am merely citing an example, please dont convert this into the cliched IR vs.ARR talk..this is purely an example.)

Shekhar Kapur introduced ARR's music to Andrew Lloyd Webber who liked some songs and decided to produce a musical based on those songs, weaving a story around it.Bombay Dreams happened. And Sony, seeing 'increased' market of ARR's music recommended him as composer for Chinese film (the director did not hear of ARR till BD happened) and chinese film happened, with recordings in Czech philharmonic orchestra. These two experiences led ARR to a guy called Christopher Nightingale, who liked his music and was instrumental in roping ARR for 'The Lord of the Rings' musical. Now, again i am not talking or doubting about the merits of albums as this is a wrong platform for it. But it is interesting to see how this man went from place to place and used opportunities. ARR did not knock their doors asking for offers but his music worked and he made new relationships, with musicians, producers which collectively worked for him, within the domain of his talent.

i dont see any reason why IR couldnt do the same, within the domain of his talent. I am not comparing and saying that IR also needs to do this, that blah blah to get same acclaim as ARR did. But IR, within his domain, could have forged relationships in his own way and tapped opportunities. IR also never knocked and neednt knock the doors of anyone. Back in 80s, all Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam films..how did they happen...because of the good word about music which spread and he forged good relationships with certain producers and directors (in all languages) and offers came to him. But he couldnt replicate it beyond South India.
IR has immense talent. He is too reticent about showcasing it. We as fans..cannot just depend on what we read on internet about Budapest orchestra or that single page about RPO. we need the stuff.

[ananth222]

When contacted IR , if he would do similar such works, he replied in negative that some people were trying to gain out of Thiruvasagam and hence this bad experience made him not to consider it again.

All the big labels and associated media people are in it for their own gain. Maybe IR doesn't want them to capitalise on his work. But he has to realize that he must live with it to reach a wider audience. IR thinks of reaching a wider audience by pricing CDs at Rs 28. But to reach a global audience he needs the avertising and backing of a big label.

[irir123]

ananth222 - you have touched upon a moot point - what does IR really want ?? what are his current career priorities ? everything depends on that!

I find it absolutely confounding that a guy who lives and breathes music and has been doing so for so long, sacrificing and dedicating everything for music, does not have any more aspirations ??

I dont buy that - he must be having/nurturing big dreams even now, but somehow his strange self-imposed restrictions are playing truant with his musical aspirations!

I forgot to mention about "Music Messiah" - it came and went without a trace! even after the reasonable success and having learnt from the debacle surrounding the release of TiS, shdnt MM have been handled a bit more sensibly ?? isnt there something called learning from past errors/mistakes ?

[Fliflo]

Guys,

I am seeing a mild agitation seeing Mysskin's news. Some of you seem to be really upset. But let's think this way. On the first place why did Myskkin choose IR for NL? I believe because, for "Nandhala", a theme of emotional idealism, expressing a tenuous relationship between a kid an disabled adult,a place for less dialogues, IR's BGM score is the second leg to support. His choice was apt because none other than IR has the ability to extend far downward the heart through music. Especially, using a BGM to narrate a story for 46 minutes or so is going to be a fantastic watch for eyes and ears. Let's all be eager about that. The confusion is only when we start mixing love with loyalty. Before IR, Myskkin has also used other MDs, which later became commerical hits. Apparently, he seems to go with the movie theme and use the talents availabe around. Absolutely, nothing wrong with that. For the next movie, he might prefer ARR and may request him for some peppy rythms. Like IR experimenting with different instruments, he is experimenting with different themes and MDs. So let's think openly and positively. It is really a shame to all the HCIRF to compare IR's success with ARRs. IR is musical "Bhisma" and comparing with "Abhimanyu" is totally senseless. Awards are good but what is better is the quality of songs. When you think Salangai Oli, what strikes your mind first? The songs or the award. Providing eternal songs are more important for IR than working for awards. IF AN AWARD MISS A GENIUS, IT IS A SHAME ON THE AWARD AND NOT TO THE GENIUS. Because he always is. Besides, IR unlike ARR, seems to be very introvert. I have read stories about many Geniuses that way. If we compare page by page, we're going lead ourselves into more and more frustrations. Let's learn to respect their individuality and appreciate what they are. Remember, in a gross circle of time, each moment is going to pass though it appears real for the moment (Ithuvm Kadanthu Poghum). IR has understood this fact very well (from his interviews). He has reached a stage where he has stopped seeing himself happy to be on the top number(with his son and others). Nevertheless, he has not stopped experimenting yet. With that in mind, let's start behaving like mature and respectable fans.
Ithuvum Kadanthu Poghum )

[irir123]

Fliflo - ellaam sari thaan - but think abt the efforts that went into an album like TiS and see where the results are! other than the album itself, everything else about TiS was/is absolutely unprofessional

What you are speaking about is the mystical aspect of how we perceive things! no denying that, but if we begin going by that line of thought, why listen to music itself, we might all as well meditate and listen to the internal 'music' that sages and rishis have always spoken about!