-
12th August 2011, 11:48 AM
#1
Senior Member
Platinum Hubber
IR - Telugu Songs and Lyrics
"The King is Back" - a flourescent globe with this caption embedded in a Ring that encircles the globe. That was all the trailer for "Andhappuram", a telugu movie circa 1999 that went on to gain good commercial success.
The King wasn't Prakash Raj, if not the protagonist, the chief mover in the movie.
It wasn't Jagapathi Babu, who played a delightful cameo.
It wasn't, most certainly, Sai Kumar, nominally the hero of the movie - if only because he marries the heroine; a qualification that was superseded by the pesky matter that he is bumped off half way into the movie.
It wasn't Soundarya, the protagonist of the movie.
It wasn't Krishna Vamsi, the director - assistant of Ram Gopal Varma, who had shot to fame with his own raw showcase of the shadow world of Hyderabad and Telengana with his initial movies.
It was, ofcourse, the man who had ruled the film music scene in the 80s. The 90s had seen the advent of Rahman in his native tamil, but in Telugu, it was only the lesser talents of M M Keeravani and Mani Sharma that took over.
Naturally, it was a big event that the King, as he indeed was, was back. To the point that everything else about a rather engrossing movie with engrossing performances got overshadowed.
That, then, is IR in Telugu, a man who appeals personally to a previous Telugu generation, something which his successors cannot claim to. Even the great Rahman, while a similar influence in Urban, Semi Urban and even pockets of rural Tamil Nadu for his generation, and with several hits, primarily dubbed from Tamil, in Telugu land, cannot claim that connect with Telugu audience.
But that is just beside the point as far as this thread is concerned.
This thread will seek to celebrate lyrical milestones in IR's telugu career - gems with outstanding lyrics that do not get much attention beyond the Telugu universe. While the focus is on the lyrics, the fact is those are inter-twined with IR's genius, and therefore an ideal platform to discuss IR's genius from yet another point of view.
-
12th August 2011 11:48 AM
# ADS
Circuit advertisement
-
12th August 2011, 11:57 AM
#2
Senior Member
Platinum Hubber
That was my 15000th post in this forum. Was saving it for this purpose only.
Will move here, the Telugu songs discussion in other threads shortly
-
12th August 2011, 11:59 AM
#3
Senior Member
Diamond Hubber
Rahman's connect with Telugu urban audience is underrated.
...an artist without an art.
-
12th August 2011, 12:14 PM
#4
Senior Member
Platinum Hubber
Yes, it is under-rated but still is not the same as the one I am talking about
-
12th August 2011, 12:24 PM
#5
Senior Member
Diamond Hubber
It is interesting however that Keeravani is treated as IR-mimic (& hence more authentic) & M.Sharma as a ARR-wannabe by my Telugu friends.
...an artist without an art.
-
12th August 2011, 12:45 PM
#6
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
-
12th August 2011, 01:11 PM
#7
Senior Member
Platinum Hubber
ellAraiyum mAdhiri avarum toilet-la dhAn pOvAr-nu nenaikkaREn
-
12th August 2011, 02:08 PM
#8
Senior Member
Platinum Hubber
Song #1
Song: tarali raadA thanE vasantham
Film:Rudraveena
Singer: S.P.Balasubramaniam
Composer: Ilaiyaraja.
Lyricist: 'Siri Vennala' Seetharama Sastry
Youtube Link: http://www.google.co.in/url?q=http:/...0-gbAO2kVIrXfQ
We piggy-back on raagas' excellent dissection of this song to start the thread.
I have always wondered at the brilliance of its lyrics viz-a-viz the movie's (not just situation but) theme and philosophy. In other threads, I have spoken about Rudra Veena vs Unnal Mudiyum Thambi and why I prefer the former and quoted a few other reasons. The lyrics in Telugu are yet another reason for the preference.
The underlying theme is humanitarianism vs Art is Supreme.
To bring out that philosophy in lyrics must have been achievement enough.
But what we have here is a perfect bigamy of the tune with the lyrical meaning as well as the lyrical flourish*
These are the lyrics (below) with literal meaning by the side. A poetic translation is beyond us, hence the impact may not be felt by non-telugu speakers. Trust us, the poetic and sonorous value of the lyrics are awesome, not to mention lyrical flourish*
tarali raada tane vasantam // Does not the gentle breeze travel itself
tana dariki raani vanaala kosam // To forests that cannot reach over to it?
Gaganaala daaka ala saagakunte // Waves from earth cannot lap the sky
Meghala ragam ila cherukodhA? // But dont the clouds pour their tuneful melody on earth as Rain?
vennele deepam kondaridA? // Who owns the rights to Moonlight?
adavini saitham velugu kadha?
ellalu lEni sallani gaali // Gentle breeze has no constraining borders
andhari kOsam andhunu kaadhaa? // Everyone can partake of it
Prati madi ni lepe prabhaata ragam // Morning Raaga that wakes up every mind
Pade pade chupe pradhaana margam // Thoroughfare that opens up in all directions
Edi sontam kosam kaadanu sandesham // Nobody owns them
Panche guname pote prapanchame shoonyam // Universe ceases to exist when man stops sharing
Idi teliyani manugada kadha // A mind that lacks this awareness
dishanerugani gamanamu kada // is an aimless journey
Bratukuna leni shruti kaladaa .. // Is there a shruti, that is not found in Life?
yeda sadi lo ne laya leda // Is laya not found in the beating of every heart?
Ye kala(dream) kaina ye kala(art) kaina // Be it a dream or art
jeevita rangam vedika kaada // Is life not a stage for fruition?
Prajaa dhanam kani kalaavilasam // Artistic heights sans participation from people
Ye prayojanam leni vrudha vikasam // Is useless
Koose koila pothe kaalam aaginda // When the cuckoo stops singing, do seasons not change?
Paare yere paade maro padam raada // Doesnt every tune find apposite words?
Muraliki gala swaramula kala // Swaras that flow off the flute
pedavini vidi palakadu kada // Can only emanate from human effort
* Term indicating how well the words bounce off the tune - a concept Subramaniya Bharathi encapsulated immortally as "sundara telunginil pAttisaiththu". He didnt explain but I take it he meant the way the language lends itself to mellifluous musical phrases, and merges seamlessly into tunes, lending them a rare charm and beauty.
Last edited by Plum; 13th August 2011 at 08:42 AM.
-
12th August 2011, 02:09 PM
#9
Senior Member
Platinum Hubber
I'll have to do this step by step. I'll keep editing the above post until it reaches a finishing stage.
-
12th August 2011, 02:10 PM
#10
Senior Member
Diamond Hubber
Good effort Flu. Keep it up.
...an artist without an art.
Bookmarks