Raja '09 - A summation

[Sureshs65]

I guess we have got all the music from Raja this year. No more movies awaited. It is time now to sum up all the discussions we have been having till and see what sort of year it has been for all of us.

(Given that many of us work in IT industry our habit of annual appraisal doesn't leave us, does it

[Sureshs65]

Background: First some background to 2009. That obviously has to be the year 2008. So how was 2008, from a Raja fan's perspective.

In Tamil, Raja had given music for three movies in 2008. Uliyin Osai, Dhanam and Kanagalum Kavi Paduthe. None of them really made a great impact on the masses. Dhanam was a washout. The music also had limited impact on Raja fans. KKP did not release. Uliyin Osai had a decent run but the songs did not catch the imagination of the general public, though those who loved classical music appreciated it a lot.

In Malayalam Raja did 'Innathe Chinta Vishayam' and 'SMS'. SMS was a total washout. Innathe was not as big a hit as Sathyan's earlier 'Vinodayatra' and the songs too did not reach the masses the same way the 'Vinodayatra' did.

Raja also did one devotional album, 'Manikanda Geeta Mala', which was released in multiple languages. This too was appreciated only by a small set of people and didn't become a big hit.

Given this background, all Raja fans were praying that 2009 be a good year but no one would have thought in 2008 that God would have answered the prayers as she did. As they say in Hindi, '2009 mein chappad padke diya' or to paraphrase in Tamil, 'kurayai piythukondu kottiyadu'

[Sureshs65]

2009 - From a commercial angle

Tamil (Mixed Bag) : Raja had one major hit in 'Naan Kadavul', a decent run movie in 'Azhagar Malai', total washouts like 'Kannukulle', 'Valmiki', 'Madhiya Chennai' and 'Jaganmohini' and a non starter in 'Nandalala'. "Om Shivoham", "Pitchai Patiram", 'Karugumani" were the songs which got lot of air time compared to the other songs. "Ennda Pandi" was also played a bit. More of Namitha was shown than the songs of 'Jaganmohini', though that did not help in the box office returns. Raja was not a major box office factor in Tamil. Harris, Yuvan, DSP and Vijay Antony ruling the roost.

Kannada (Mixed Bag): Songs of 'Prem Kahani' got good air time and 'Rangu Rangu' and 'Hodadavane' were liked by people. The movie unfortunately was a colossal failure according to reports. 'Balegara' and 'Nannane Noduvanu' were liked by Shivrajkumar fans. The movie probably did not have a great run but fared better than 'Prem Kahani', though 'Prem Kahani' songs were more popular. 'Nannavanu' has not yet been released and 'Suryakanthi' should be released anytime now. It will be a good year for Raja in Kannada if 'Suryakanthi' is a hit.

Telugu: The jury will decide only after the movie 'Om Shanthi' is released. As of now, we cannot comment.

Hindi (Major Hit): Yes, I do know about 'Chal Chalein' and like Jai had earlier said, I too believe that less than a dozen people know about this movie. Still it was a major Hit year for Raja in Hindi due to 'Paa'. The music of this movie has reached a larger audience, much more than any of his earlier Hindi movies. 'Mudi Mudi' is a certified hit and 'Gum Sum Gum' is being appreciated everywhere. Balki's marketing has also help. I am sure everyone will agree that it was great year for Raja in Hindi. BTW, two of our MDs were involved in opening and closing ceremony of HFM this year. Rahman started it off with a rocking 'Delhi-6' and Raja brought down the curtain with a rollicking 'Paa'.

Malayalam (Super Hit): Two superb movies, which did well at box office and whose music reached the masses, make Malayalam as the best language of Raja commercially. And artistically as well. 'Bhagyadevatha' was another hit in the Sathyan Raja combination. 'Pazhassiraja' was the piece de resistance of 2009.[/i]

[Sureshs65]

Raja 2009: From a Fan's point of view

I am trying to sum up what Raja fans felt about the music of 2009. The commercial review would have given us an idea of how the general public reacted to his music. So what follows are the views of those who followed his music keenly.

Tamil : 'Naan Kadavul' which opened the innings was a great hit without any debate. It was liked by everyone. Most of the songs of 'Nandala' too were liked by almost everyone. 'Valmiki' showcased a new Raja, especially 'kooda varuviya'. The inherent melody in most of the songs in this movie ensured that slowly everyone liked the songs. 'Azhagar Malai' was instantly liked by those who wanted to see the 'old' Raja again and that was probably a reason why some did not like it much. 'Kannukulle' and 'Madhiya Chennai' were initially dismissed as junk but slowly some of the songs are making their way into the playlist of many Raja fans. 'Jaganmohini' was loved by a section of fans and left some fans confused since they were looking for a classical score, while Raja scored exactly the opposite!!

Kannada: 'Prem Kahani', as I stated earlier was a decent hit with the public. Most of Raja fans loved this album. 'Bagyada Balegara' had a mixed response. Some songs were liked but some sounded 'too old fashioned'. 'Nannavanu' too got some mixed reactions. Songs like 'Yenidu Yenidu' and 'Muthalane Baari' were liked but other songs did not get the same attention. 'Suryakanthi' though had touched the right chords (and the wrong chorus Couldn't resist it irir123 ) 'Edaya Bagile', 'Mouni Nannu' are extremely lovable melodies.

Telugu: Only one movie this year but that has caught the imagination of the fans. 'Chinna Polike' has bowled everyone. 'Flying on the Moon' is picking up speed. If the movie does well I am sure the songs will reach the general public as well.

Hindi: 'Chal Chale' was initially dismissed by most Raja fans except for a few. Slowly fans have started re-evaluating the songs of this movie and now more positive views are surfacing. 'Paa' on the other hand has bowled everyone over and all the success of the music has rendered all debate on whether a classical like 'Thumbi Vaa' should be remade totally irrelevant.

Malayalam: As is generally the norm, I have reserved the best for the last. If there was consensus amongst fans right from the beginning, then that movie was 'Pazhassiraja'. 'Bagyadevatha' too got a good response from all the fans with its melodic touches.

[Sureshs65]

Raja 2009: Musically

So how was the music of 2009. This is one area which is difficult to sum up. If one word is all I get to sum it up, that word would be 'variety'. One thing Raja proved again is that when stakes are high, you can definitely depend on him to deliver. And deliver he did, be it the grand 'Pazhassi Raja', the spiritual tinged 'Naan Kadavul' or a touching 'Paa'. Whenever the expectations were higher, Raja easily crossed the limits that were set.

Musically I would like to think that we saw various Rajas this year. In my opinion they would be:

The Classical Raja: 'Om Shivoham', 'Maa Ganga', 'Unnai Vittal' revealed his classical facet

The Melodic Raja: 'Kannil Paarvai', 'Kunnathe', 'Swapnangal Kannezhudiya', 'Yenidu Yenidu', 'Jhoom Jhoom So Jaa', 'Chinna Polike' and many other songs showcased the melodious Raja we all love.

Freakout Raja: 'Nilavu Varum Neram', 'Mudi Mudi', 'Batla De', 'Illavayasu'. Songs such as these showed that Raja was enjoying himself.

Is this Raja?: Songs like 'Hodadavane', 'Ennda Pandi', 'Om Shanthi Om' made people ask, "hey, are you sure this is Raja?'. Another facet of his was revealed.

Wow. This is so new Raja : Songs like 'Edaya Bagile', 'Gali Mudi', 'Kooda Varuviya', 'Kai Veesi' , 'Rangu Rangu' made people wonder how this man can still come up with such new structures and orchestration

The Laya Raja: The whole of Pazhassi Raja was an ode to rhythm. So was 'Om Shivoham'. Songs like 'Kai Veesi', 'ilavayasu' showcased his new rhythm.

The 'tullal' Raja : 'Shringara Bangara', 'Kogile Koogu Baa', ' Nilavu Varum Neram', 'Ponmani Theril', 'Karugumani', 'Chanchanre', 'Mudi Mudi', 'Yarialu Yarivalu' are some examples. Did you notice that the 'tullal' in most cases are female solos? The ladies were obviously doing a better job in expressing their joy compared to guys like Tippu, Sriram and co.

The 'old' Raja: Liked by some, not liked by some. Many songs of Azhagar Malai had the old touch of Raja, as did some songs from 'Bagyada Balegara' and 'Nannavanu'.

Remix Raja: 'Mata Un Kovilil' was redone as was 'Thumbi Vaa', the theme music of 'Paa' and 'Putham Pudu Kaalai'

Overall I can say that this was the year of 'Unexpected Raja'. When everyone thought 'Pazhassiraja' would have a score like 'Guru', he came up with a rhythm dominated score. While people expected classical music in 'Jaganmohini' he came out with a freak out score. When people thought Tamil remix will be dominant in 'Paa' he came up with 'Mudi Mudi' which turned out to be a chartbuster. For a slum movie like 'Madhiya Chennai', he gives a heavily jazz tinged score and still it sounds so very good. [/i]

[Sureshs65]

Raja 2009: Musical trends

Here are some trends which I think happened a lot in 2009. Please do give your views about what trends you saw in 2009.

- Jazz was probably the most used genre this year. It appeared in most of the movies. 'Paa' was probably the pinnacle of this trend this year.

- Keyoboard / Piano became the dominant instrument. Sax also got decent playtime. The violins appeared once in a while. Flute has taken a backseat and appeared briefly. The rockish guitar has started coming in more often. The bass is getting attention again. many interludes have been driven by the keyboard and the guy playing the keyboard is having a great time.

- The recording quality has definitely improved. We didn't hear many complaints about that. The synth usage has also become less irritating to fans and the complaint against it is not as vehement as it used to be. Infact in some songs the synth sounds very melodious. Slowly I see a trend of synth not being just being used as a replacement for natural instruments but also to produce new 'sounds'.

- Lot of new voices have been used. Bela Shinde, Rita, Ujjaini, Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan, Rahul Nambiyar, Shilpa Rao etc. Some did justice and some didn't. Some regulars like Manjari and Chitra were used only in a couple of songs

- Some areas of concern for fans still remain. Need for better voices, need for better lyrics, more songs with natural instruments are some of the items on many fan's list. We will need to see if this reaches Raja's ears. Atleast some of the earlier complaints have been addressed. Bhavatharini doesn't appear often now and in the last few albums Raja has also not sung much. These were two complaints we heard often earlier.

[jaiganes]

Raja 2009: Musical trends

Here are some trends which I think happened a lot in 2009. Please do give your views about what trends you saw in 2009.

- Jazz was probably the most used genre this year. It appeared in most of the movies. 'Paa' was probably the pinnacle of this trend this year.

- Keyoboard / Piano became the dominant instrument. Sax also got decent playtime. The violins appeared once in a while. Flute has taken a backseat and appeared briefly. The rockish guitar has started coming in more often. The bass is getting attention again. many interludes have been driven by the keyboard and the guy playing the keyboard is having a great time.

- The recording quality has definitely improved. We didn't hear many complaints about that. The synth usage has also become less irritating to fans and the complaint against it is not as vehement as it used to be. Infact in some songs the synth sounds very melodious. Slowly I see a trend of synth not being just being used as a replacement for natural instruments but also to produce new 'sounds'.

- Lot of new voices have been used. Bela Shinde, Rita, Ujjaini, Kunal Ganjawala, Sunidhi Chauhan, Rahul Nambiyar, Shilpa Rao etc. Some did justice and some didn't. Some regulars like Manjari and Chitra were used only in a couple of songs

- Some areas of concern for fans still remain. Need for better voices, need for better lyrics, more songs with natural instruments are some of the items on many fan's list. We will need to see if this reaches Raja's ears. Atleast some of the earlier complaints have been addressed. Bhavatharini doesn't appear often now and in the last few albums Raja has also not sung much. These were two complaints we heard often earlier.

w.r.t Bhavatharini - the two songs in which she was heard, she did pretty well. And nice way to sum up this year - i hope this year is not a kurinji year, but a regular year for the future for Raaja fans like me.

[Sureshs65]

Raja '09: Some awards

These are my proposals for some awards. I am sure everyone will have their own list. It will be nice to discuss it here. As I said, these are just what I propose. Please feel free to oppose and vote against these

Best Album of the Year: 'Pazhassi Raja'. 'Naan Kadavul' comes a close second. PA wins due to more number of original songs in the album.

Best Song of the Year: 'Kunnathe' closely followed by 'Kannil Paarvai'. 'Kunnathe' wins by a whisker.

Alternate Best Song of the Year: 'Om Shivoham' followed closely by 'Adiushas'. While the earlier song was more for the melodic quotient, this one is for the 'power' quotient.

Most Popular Song: 'Mudi Mudi'

Best Male Voice: Vijayprakash for 'Om Shivoham'

Best Female Voice: K S Chitra for 'Kunnathe' and 'Swapnangal'

Best Duet: While 'Chinna Polike', 'Oli Tarum Suriyanum', 'Enge Nee Sendralum', 'Rangu Rangu', 'Edaya Bagile' all vie for this slot, they are let down by one of the two voices, either in terms of the voice itself or by the pronunciation. My vote goes to 'Swapnangal Kanneyudiya' where both Rahul Nambiyar and Chitra are perfect.

Best Debut in Raja's music : Shilpa Rao 'Mudi Mudi'

Most Underrated Score of the year: 'Chal Chalein'

Will be 'discovered' in later years: 'Enge Nee Sendralum', 'Pudhu POurnami Nilavu', 'Unnai Patri Sonnal', 'Un Vazhve', 'Kai Vessi' etc

Best Interlude : Can't fully make up my mid here but will go with 'kunnathe' and the first interlude of 'Kannil Parvai'.

Feel free to come up with more categories.[/i]

[Sureshs65]

Yes Jai. I also hope 2009 was not an exception. Let us hope some nice films come to him next year as well. As of now some unreleased movies like 'SRK', 'Mayilu', a Sathyan film which will come out during visu, Hindi film called 'Happy' are all that we have in front of us. Hope some major works happen soon.

[app_engine]

Excellent compilation, Sureshs65!

Why don't you open a poll for the best IR album of 2009 (or may be the best song of 2009)? We all can nominate ten albums / songs (as it happens in the TF section) and then vote for the top one

One not-so-usual development happened this year, that of IR "clearing up misintrepretation of his words" (w.r.t ONV Kurup).

It is good, no two opinions about it.

However, per my observation, IR's scores are best when he is in a bombastic mood I was mentioning earlier that when we keep getting outbursts / controversies etc, it's a good sign for getting great music. (It proved to be true this year - after the outburst during vAlmeeki days, IR followed up with PR & pA that scaled great success).

Now, if he is taking the "humble" route (sAmiyAr thingy?), will it affect the forthcoming scores or not one has to wait and see