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Thread: The Raaja of Erotica

  1. #11
    Senior Member Seasoned Hubber raajarasigan's Avatar
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    Engengo Engengo from Valli - Damn hot
    Pon Vaanam Panneer from INNN
    IR / KH / Sujatha / Bala / BC Lara / Curtly Ambrose

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  3. #12
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    I had written a post some time back that a full-on dissertation is waiting to be written on Raaja's oeuvre of (what may be best referred to as) "matter songs." But Google isn't helping.

    Anyway, my idea then was to focus on seemingly modest (even lowbrow) and overlooked songs rather than songs that are evidently ambitious and/or have sealed their place in pop culture.

    Off the top of my head,

    1. kattikkidalAm kattikkidalAm (pUvarasan)
    2. veNNilavu kodhippadhenna (chinna mAppiLLai)

  4. #13

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    Etho moham (Kozhi koovuthu)

    Surprised tat noone has mentioned tat yet...

  5. #14
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    Finally got to listen to the two songs that I wanted to.

    The first one is from the movie 'Oru Odai Nadiyagiradhu'. Jai has mentioned two other songs from this movie. The obviously erotic one is 'en deham amudham'. Very sparse instrumentation. Janaki freaking out. Observe something which only someone like Raja can do. Janaki's voice is accompanied by the tabla and the cymbals, the same cymbals that are generally used in devotional bhajanai. (I had pointed a similar usage in the Telugu movie 'Shambu' for a raunchy 'Singapore Santallo'.) Now this is what I call experimentation The bass is absolutely top drawer stuff. The other two songs from this movie probably got more famous but this is a cracker of a song.

    Thiraipaadal link for this film: http://www.thiraipaadal.com/albums/ALBIRR00450.html

    The next song I want to bring to notice is from the film 'Anbullale Malare'. The song is 'daeham pondaegam'. Sung by, who else, Janaki. If you observe the other erotic songs, Raja almost always uses a rhythm which is not free flowing. Technically he doesn't prefer using the chatusram or 4x4 gait. It generally is a gait like 5x4 or what we call the kanda nadai. The gap in the beats and a sort of asymmetry reflecting the unsteadiness of the mind during times of passion. Think of 'ponmeni urugude', 'sviarathiri', 'nethi raatiri' etc. This particular song breaks that mold and the rhythm is a free flowing one (though the song is not!!) The rhythm in this song accentuates the desire of the singer. The rhythm goes constantly and with an urgency. The tune doesn't move smoothly but instead moves in a sort of start and stop manner. And this creates the necessary tension in the song. The bass guitar with the drums starting the proceedings with the mridangam, synthesizer and the lead guitar joining in. This is an excellent example of an outstanding team performance. Everyone, the bass and lead guitars, synthesizer, drums, mridangist and Janaki are in top form. This is orchestration to die for. I am sure people like app_eng and shank, who love this sort of sounds, are ecstatic about this song. Will we ever get back such ensemble performances? (Unfortunately thiraipaadal does not have this song. If some kind soul can upload it or link it, I am sure there will be many who will shower their blessings on him / her.)

    The next in line is another amazing creation. 'daham edukkura neram' from 'Enakkaga Kathiru'. The rhythm, if you observe, is similar to what I told earlier. Uma Ramanan does not sing with the same abandon that Janaki sings. Usha, when she featured one song of Uma Ramanan, said she sings with a sort of fear, 'bayam'. This song can be taken to the expression of passion of a girl who is afraid of that passion. As with other Raja creations in this genre, the instrumentation is sparse and appropriate.

    'Vaidhehi Kaatirundal' is about unfulfilled passions and will there not be a passionate song in this movie? 'azhagu malarada' provides another dimension to passion, that of unfulfilled passion. The kanda nadai, the shenai in the interlude, the jathis, everything conveys this burning unfilled passion. The lyrics in the second charanam beautifully capture this feeling. The other song from this same movie is about expectancy. 'megam karukaiyile' again talks of passion but is subdued because the singers know that consummation will happen soon!!

  6. #15
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    Another movie where passions play an important part is 'ilamai unjaladugiradhu.' Given such a title and appropriate situations expect Raja to come up with some great numbers. 'thanni karuthidichu', for a change is the expression of passion by a male. Again note the rhythm. A very rustic song of passion. Even in this small genre observe the variety provided by the king.

    If 'thanni karuthidichi' is an unabashed call of the male species to its female counterpart, the more sophisticated passion is expressed in 'kinnathil then vadithu' and who else but Jesudas for expressing that sophistication. Janaki is like a chameleon, morphing herself to match Jesudas in the sophistication. This is the passion of genteel lovers.

  7. #16
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    Raja shows that he is still in form wrt this genre. In recent movies there were a few songs in this mold. 'nilavu varum neram' from Jaganmohini was one such. A good job done by Shweta and Ujjaini in this song. This song has a more steady beat and the instrumentation adds to the passion and the urgency. From the same movie, 'poothadu poovu' is again a lovely passionate number. This song calls for SPB and Janaki. If you hear the song you can instantly realize the value that SPB and Janaki would have added to it. In 'Kannukulle' there is the song 'pachameni' in this genre. Again a good song which would have become better with someone like Janaki.

  8. #17
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    Hmm. Looks like some topics inspire you more than others

    I remember RS posting a good writeup about this subject some time back. As usual forgot which thread it was in. Hope RS sees this and jumps into the fray

  9. #18
    Senior Member Veteran Hubber Bala (Karthik)'s Avatar
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    Suresh,
    Adhaan ya adhe dhaan. Keep the posts coming.
    Can't respond right now. Idaipatta gap-la oru quick question (i'd posed this in the ROS thread also)
    "Unakkum Enakkum" (Raghavendra) enna ragam?

    P.S: Yes, RS's contribution is very much expected

    Equa,
    That's a good point about highlighting the little known gems but in addition to that, my intention was to talk about the brilliance in even the popular songs, which are somehow taken for granted as "just item/matter" songs, like we tend to view 'comedy' films. Neenga sonna rendu paatta kekkanum. Recently got a good collection of Raaja discography, what a treasure that is
    "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man"

  10. #19
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    paatu arambicha vidham ennamo indha topic ku vara madhiri irundhadhu,.

    paatai kaetal - MVD and Uma Ramanan - rendu perum
    porupa paadi , oru Disciplined song a maathitanga...

    paatoda composition um - Disciplined aga than iruku.

    apo singers enna seiya muidyum.


    Manam karukudhu - Neethaqna andha kuyil.

    Patoda Guitar work is simply suuuuuuuuuuper.
    Inspired a lot.

    Headphone la keulugo.......
    Usha Sankar

  11. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by ajithfederer
    Actually i somehow read as what a girl

    The song is fantastic. KJY and the female singer were fantastic.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bala (Karthik)
    Quote Originally Posted by ajithfederer
    Maasi maasam aalana ponnu
    What a song.
    "adhaiyellAm kandukkapadAdhu, EnnA idhu vAliba vayasu"?

    AF, no offence, idhai epdiyAvadhu quote paNNidaNumnu rendu vaaramA chance thEdittirundhEn, nInga mattinInga

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