The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB

[PARAMASHIVAN]

Param,
One thing I've observed with liquor is the very sight of it could drive extremely balanced / decent / moral people crazy! This is under various settings / cultural backgrounds / groups etc.

That is why Sivakumar's performance in Sindhubhairavi got much better appreciated during my very recent watches.

I understand , when one is under the influence of liquor , they speak the truth regardless of the consequences!

[app_engine]

I understand , when one is under the influence of liquor , they speak the truth regardless of the consequences!

Not totally correct, people lose some inhibition - that's all. Depending upon the level of booze, some amukki vachchirundha vishayams can come out.

However, the basic nature doesn't change a lot, in my observation. I've seen tons of people who continue to deliberately speak untruth - make up stories etc, even after 3 or 4 large

Recently me & hubby of sis were having glenlivet, with my wife & sis doing chores in the kitchen.

My wife : Looks like you're talking too much, konjam overdose mAthiri theriyudhu
Me : hEh, I've still not started talking in 100% Malayalam (which is indication that "I must stop now")...also, my brain is sharp.

To prove I'm sober / stable, I recited 'thuppArrkkuth thuppAya"...kuRaL

My wife : 6-Am classla padichchadha recite paNRadhu enna piramAtham? KD-yellAm full thaNNila sondhamAvE eththanai pAttu ezhudhi irukkAr theriyumA?

[PARAMASHIVAN]

My wife : Looks like you're talking too much, konjam overdose mAthiri theriyudhu
Me : hEh, I've still not started talking in 100% Malayalam (which is indication that "I must stop now")...also, my brain is sharp.

To prove I'm sober / stable, I recited 'thuppArrkkuth thuppAya"...kuRaL

My wife : 6-Am classla padichchadha recite paNRadhu enna piramAtham? KD-yellAm full thaNNila sondhamAvE eththanai pAttu ezhudhi irukkAr theriyumA?

[PARAMASHIVAN]

Not totally correct, people lose some inhibition - that's all. Depending upon the level of booze, some amukki vachchirundha vishayams can come out.

However, the basic nature doesn't change a lot, in my observation. I've seen tons of people who continue to deliberately speak untruth - make up stories etc, even after 3 or 4 large

I supoose it varies from individuals to individuals

[kiru]

yup too here.. App should produce/direct a movie .. he has lots of material.

[app_engine]

why this kolaveRi, kiru sArE

namma mooladhanam ellAm only "store & replay" Not much useful in creative fields IMO.

[app_engine]

nanRi, V_Sji!

Even trained classical singers and professionals of today should learn the bhavam, ...from SPB through this song.

I have difficulty appreciating 'feelings' in most performances of ICM singers, while their singing capabilities are incredible / remarkable and can stun me, put me in awe.

OTOH, "feelings" (aka strong emotions) can easily be evoked by instrumentals (ICM or WCM), apart from movie songs

B(K),

[app_engine]

I supoose it varies from individuals to individuals

In other words, it typically "degenerates" and takes away some good qualities.

Very rarely it "improves" qualities (like uNmai mattum pEsudhal etc)...

[V_S]

I have difficulty appreciating 'feelings' in most performances of ICM singers, while their singing capabilities are incredible / remarkable and can stun me, put me in awe.

OTOH, "feelings" (aka strong emotions) can easily be evoked by instrumentals (ICM or WCM), apart from movie songs

Exactly App! This is what I have been telling to many of relatives who are hard-core carnatic classical fanatics. I can listen to those legends starting from Ariyakudi, Madurai Mani Iyer, MDR, up to T N Seshagopalan generation, but not beyond that. The current generation of singers have lot of singing talent as you mentioned, that's about it, but I cannot go closer to God (as most of the songs are about God). By their singing, as I believe that should be the main focus of their singing, taking us closer to what it is meant to. I can only appreciate their singing, nothing else. Yes as you told correctly, classical instrumentals can take us there, as we have tremendous talent in that area.

[app_engine]

#306 குருவாயூரப்பா குருவாயூரப்பா
(புதுப்புது அர்த்தங்கள், 1989 , சித்ராவுடன்)

guruvAyoorappA of PPA, with KSC

Delightful and sweet duet that possibly featured Sithara. From the youtube above, PPA is supposedly her 'aRimugam' in TF but she was in MF a little earlier I think. Also, I'm not sure which one got released first - whether PPA or puthu vasantham. I've watched PV in theater those days and liked the movie / music (SAR's 'pAttu onnu nAn pAdattumA'). I also remember seeing her in Guru (MF) -the movie that had one of the top-10-scores of IR. IIRC, she is on-screen for the 'guru saraNam' song ; if that's right, she easily gets into a list of 'bhAgyavathees' that showed their faces for some incredible IR compositions!

KSC & SPB are in stiff competition here for top spot and SPB wins by a whisker thanks to his experience. That "guruvAyoor---apppA" split giving him an undue advantage, enna oru kuRumbu! (I wonder what SJ would have done to beat him, if she was asked to do this number). rAsA is not far behind either - with that terrific flute prelude and characteristic saraNam ending! However, he deliberately let the singers take upper hand in this song - sticking to his "tested-and-tried", signature kind of arrangements. Overall, it had catchiness and hit material packed right from the start and the melody holds good even after decades, for a yearning listen!

There's no fun if I don't write about guruvayoor when posting this song. Fortunately for hubbers, I had never been there but only read about in news reports (such as JJ gifting an elephant to the temple etc). However, I had been to places close by - Thrissur, KunnamkuLam, PattAmbi...AhA, PattAmbi, the place decorated by Bharathappuzha - one of the most beautiful rivers that I've ever seen!

The river that had been told as a major inspiration for M T Vasudevan Nair for his literary works. PattAmbi wiki says :

River Bharathappuzha flows through Pattambi and the nearby Panchayats. Renowned writers such as M.T. Vasudevan Nair and Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri have been influenced by the Nila River's beauty.

I was privileged to sit and watch the river in it's complete beauty on a fantastic sunny day, after attending the marriage of a co-worker in his home which was in a walkable distance from this! My view was very similar to this picture on wiki:


Well, this wedding was a totally opposite story (i.e. from the erumappatti kadhai)! For some time, I was like Tenali Raman's cat (once bitten thingy) after the first experience. Generally avoided travelling for weddings to Kerala interiors for "less-known" co-workers. Attended if they were local, otherwise contribute an amount when the "collection paper" gets circulated and don't bother much But this was a close guy and hence undertook the bus travel to reach Pattambi and then jeep travel among small hills / rubber estates to reach his beautiful home surrounded by rubber trees and close to the puzha! What a beautiful sight it was!

Since the objective of the visit was to enjoy and be happy, I carefully took 'virundhu' out of my mind It was a 'namboothiri' marriage - the ceremonies supposedly running for days - so, we didn't worry much about the groom & bride except for a brief handshake but roamed around the home and had lively conversations with co-workers / friends. I was expecting the worst when we were seated for lunch with vAzhai ilai and made to wait for a few minutes. It was an unusual wait and I was wondering why. Then it started!

During school days, we walked a few miles to go to a nearby village railway station to watch the first trip of Vaigai express and I was amazed at the 100 kmph speed with the dhadak-dhadak sound, standing mesmerized! There was a similar experience in this virundhu when the express train of servers started! The most remarkable thing was their loudly telling EACH AND EVERY PERSON what is being served! (neyyu, neyyu, neyyu, chORu, chORu, chORu etc)!

Looking back, their serving can be compared to Monica Seles playing a clay court game (the rasaththinu sORu, rasaththinu sORu, rasaththinu sORu like her grunts)! It was a fabulous lunch, the best serving ever seen (similar precision I've not seen even in USA) and a phenomenally tasty meal - with adapradhaman & pazhapradhaman delicious!

It was after the lunch that we walked to the river and spent almost an hour enjoying the rammiyam! It was an unforgettable wedding and a memorable day in life!