Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[jaiganes]

Singer Devan Ekaambaram is the guest on innisai mazhai (kalaignar tv) for this week. He's been singing many Raaja songs (while playing on an acoustic guitar). The portions that I caught on TV today had pani vizhum malarvanam and en iniya pon nilaavE. Speaking about the former he said that Naattai is generally a very 'bluesy' scale and that Raaja has used this very well in this song, keeping the chords in the blues style while the veenai and flute operate almost purely in carnatic. About the latter, he explained how the song is loaded with so many different elements and how it straddles seamlessly between the minor and major scale chords and also spoke about how packed/dense the chord progression in this one is.

I don't think this program is uploaded/host by any websites these days; I still haven't found the Yugendran Vasudevan Menon episode (which featured the brilliant bass guitar explanation portion). If anyone here has recording option available with their TV cable service provider, please try getting this show tomorrow and day-after.

It is Yugendhran Vasudevan Nair!! Jaadhi romba mukkiyam saar.

[musiukunit]

If I assume that this is true - I feel it's unfair to blame KB too much. I know they should've waited but still... They are in business. Atleast they asked him, that too twice. It's not that they dumped him without telling him. I get a feeling that its an impulsive decision that raaja took for a small issue. I mean, it really didn't require such a big decision. These kind of things happen everywhere right, in every profession and with already 400 films in his past, raaja should have, by then, known all such things out of experience and must have acted practically. That (mis)interpretation that they came only for his name and not for music seems farfetched. They came to him only, not anyone else! To clap, you need both hands. To patch up also! It looks like a silly oath taken in a bad mood!

My opinion strictly based on translation by kamesh!

We can paint all practical thinkings over this. But it just again shows what all conditions and compromises small or big one has to do and how Raja has survived the tides of business and politics and trends.

He has a a value system..right or wrong and sticks to it.
His music is also an offshoot of his value system.His values and music are inseperable.

If he had started bending for everything, i dont think we would be holding him so close to our hearts.

He rarely compromises. Even in compromising situations he somehow escapes with his value system.
Even in his music that is the case ..In every kuthu song he brings a melody

He may have made his mistakes. He may have some other times taken a business approach.
But i for one always would salute his strong value system and philosophy. It is what he is. It is what makes his music.

[kiru]

We can paint all practical thinkings over this. But it just again shows what all conditions and compromises small or big one has to do and how Raja has survived the tides of business and politics and trends.

He has a a value system..right or wrong and sticks to it.
His music is also an offshoot of his value system.His values and music are inseperable.

If he had started bending for everything, i dont think we would be holding him so close to our hearts.

He rarely compromises. Even in compromising situations he somehow escapes with his value system.
Even in his music that is the case ..In every kuthu song he brings a melody

He may have made his mistakes. He may have some other times taken a business approach.
But i for one always would salute his strong value system and philosophy. It is what he is. It is what makes his music.

Very eloquent.. I wrote something on this topic but killed it. You have said it well. I ignore the man's faults and weaknesses and just enjoy the music. Genius they say is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. He is the best example. The man is hard work personified. Many people are successful by a variety of ways and means. But this man is so true to his self.. he can look straight into your eyes and say .."ithula uLLa ovvoru notum ennOdathu" !!!
You said he has "survived the tides of business, politics and trends!'' (very nice choice of words)..I would say he as stayed on top of all these.. Many people talk about hard work but with this man it is about the basics/fundamentals and working from first principles. and that is how he is able to create music endlessly, tirelessly and very successfully.

[Gregorysab]

aakarsh,

It doesn't tell the whole story of IR-KB break-up but only the specific PPA episode.

- IR was upset that they wanted to only use his name and not his fresh composition (creative artist, understandable)

- They used old tracks, fine - but why non-IR track? (Ek dujE kE liyE, as reported by raja_fan), this could have irritated him more. I think those days, even non-IR songs weren't that much allowed to be part of his movies (like passing references, as sung by a character etc)

- For the next movie, we don't know whether KB approached IR...that's not told here, so, it could be that KB was adamant as well

-IR claims here that only when KB's production house did a Rajinikanth movie, Rajini came to IR. (possibly aNNAmalai). Even this time, as claimed by IR, a) KB didn't approach IR directly as the producer, b) not even told Rajini the prior-friction but simply despatched him to beg IR

So, ego problem is not from IR only...

App-engine, Balachidam and Kiru,

I am not the one to comment on value-system or the correlation between value-system and music generated. We know that he has his own value-systems and there isn't anything new that we can write about his brain and the music he makes.

I just felt that the interpretation that KB & team want only his name and not the music sounds a bit farfetched. I dont mean to take side of KB here. But I earlier thought that KB used IR's scores without telling him. But the article says that they approached him. As a producer, what can KB do? either wait for IR or proceed with alternative (IR scores). I feel that he proceeding with using the scores is not THAT BIG A SIN, given the circumstances (strike and all). Remember a S.Janaki interview when Janaki admitted that she had differences with Raaja because when she was late for some recording, Raaja proceeded with Jency and did not inform Janaki. Who doesn't make mistakes? Such things happen everywhere sometimes. That quick interpretation by Raaja that they cant wait and they want only my name, sounds a bit too much for me. Lookslike it sprang out of a bad-mood. When you have a bad day in office, even small irritating issues at home seem big and result in bad temper. This seems to be a case like that Only difference is tempers come down usually for people, but here it looks as if he has taken an oath at that moment,

I am not aware of Ek Duje Ke Liye songs because I never watched PPA. and i think even if they used, its hardly a big deal. I dont think its an issue for Raaja (who didnt mind old telugu songs to be re-used and remixed for Kanaka Mahalakshmi recording dance troupe).

Yes, KB also should have given up his ego and should have tried to patch up. Like I said, it takes two hands to clap.

But then Raaja is an artist. And artists do have their own deficiencies. we cannot do anything but just accept his music. Thats all. I know that this split was unfortunate. But lets not put the blame squarely on just 1 person - be it Raaja or KB or anyone in Kavithayala team or Rajnikanth. Its a misunderstanding between all.

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/a....ece?ref=audio

Ilaiyaraja, through Bala's eyes

The first podcast in a series on the maestro.

So this is going to continue, good!

[rajaramsgi]

So this is going to continue, good!

which Bala is that? Director Bala?

also, what is he talking about Gramophone? that was long gone before Raja sir. It was the record player that was poular in Raja sir's early days.

[musiukunit]

App-engine, Balachidam and Kiru,
I feel that he proceeding with using the scores is not THAT BIG A SIN, given the circumstances (strike and all). Remember a S.Janaki interview when Janaki admitted that she had differences with Raaja because when she was late for some recording, Raaja proceeded with Jency and did not inform Janaki. Who doesn't make mistakes? Such things happen everywhere sometimes. That quick interpretation by Raaja that they cant wait and they want only my name, sounds a bit too much for me. Lookslike it sprang out of a bad-mood. When you have a bad day in office, even small irritating issues at home seem big and result in bad temper. This seems to be a case like that Only difference is tempers come down usually for people, but here it looks as if he has taken an oath at that moment,
I am not aware of Ek Duje Ke Liye songs because I never watched PPA. and i think even if they used, its hardly a big deal.
But then Raaja is an artist. And artists do have their own deficiencies. we cannot do anything but just accept his music. Thats all. I know that this split was unfortunate. But lets not put the blame squarely on just 1 person - be it Raaja or KB or anyone in Kavithayala team or Rajnikanth. Its a misunderstanding between all.

Actually aakarsh I am not blaming anybody at all. I am only looking at our raaja's line of thought.

The great man speaks very little. And that is why whatever he speaks gives the only door to his line of thought. It is the same thought process that gives his music also. Many dont analyse it properly and then say its irritating or plain stupid.

When we analyse great souls we have to be very careful and not put our way of thinking and interpretations.

You say it is a bad moment. But i cant think it is momentary. Because only past week KB was praising Raja to heaven and Raja could have easily swept this under carpet. But he still remembers this very clearly and has written it now. May be there were other clashes and this was the tip of them all. Yet it has hurt him so much.

You can give many instances where raja has done similar mistakes. We may never know the justifications for it. Regarding Janaki incident he has done similar thing to chithra and commented on her being late and she was crying. Seeing this raja felt bad and gave her a Sami padam and said she must not shed a tear in his studio. He is a great soul almost childish.

That is why what he has done in this instance of which we know is something unheard of.
Its a petty issue for others. But not for him. It has hurt his core

Let us look at this way
You give your everything and create some wonderful songs for the movie and then wait to do Background music.
Think of this...
What has Ilaiyaraja to gain from doing a background music. How many people are going to listen to that let alone prasie him.
If anything Raja would gain from not doing background score like so many MDs today who just do songs and outsource BGM to others.
He can do more songs in that time and make more fame / money. Many would have jumped at the chance...

Yet here is a guy who has done 400 films and then feels hurt for the fact that he is not doing the BGM for a movie and people are not taking his music seriously. It hits his core badly.
Here is a guy who rejects KB and Rajini for this.
In our practical world we would say move on. He hasnt.
He hasnt moved on for KB or Rajini who have the biggest say in tamil film industry.

I don’t find anything fault with KB or Rajini at all. They have been practical. But Raja on the other hand..

Right or wrong. I salute the man. He has so much respect and pride on his work.
I would always salute anybody who puts his work next to god and not bow to anybody else.

[Kimrep]

I think this came out of respect for his art.

He picks up a fight with arguably the most influential film maker in tamil cinema because he felt all KB needed was his name and songs to get the movie out and his BGM did not add value.

On the other hand a newbie director just out of film school, RK Selavamani, tells him he doesnt need his songs because he wants his movie to stand on its own and be successful without any help from his songs. IR takes it as a challenge and scores BGM and then asks him go watch the movie without the score and see if it makes a difference. He goes on to work with Selvamani on Sembaruthi loaded with songs.

BTW, as someone else already posted, of all the director's speeches in NEPV launch, RK selvamani's was the most insightful.

[layman10]

Any Idea what filim there are taking about? http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/t...cle/86804.html Supposedly a period
film.

Another update http://www.dc-epaper.com/PUBLICATION...12_101_019.jpg

[layman10]

Celebrating the career of Kollywood composer Ilaiyaraaja on Chicago public radio.
http://www.wbez.org/globalnotes/cele...yaraaja-102862

(irir123 is it you?! - even better if they did themselves). My long time dream to see Raja featured in music centric public radio programs. Hope this one goes to NPR.