If you are visiting this site for the first time, it is important to read this post. The intention of this blog is to present arguments in a pre-determined sequence. OLDER posts are actually NEWER posts within a month. As I keep adding new posts I change the time stamp to an earlier time so that you can read the posts in sequence. If you notice, all the posts within a month have the same date. Only the time stamp varies. Newer posts have earlier time to help you read in sequence.
If this site interests you and you want to read the earlier months (I would recommend starting from month 1 before reading month 2) start from the earliest month. I have ensured that within a month the posts are sequenced properly.
YT Notes
The Raja team is taking down YouTube sites on copyright infringement grounds. Some of the YT videos may not be viewable as a result. Let's wait for the dust to settle down.
If this site interests you and you want to read the earlier months (I would recommend starting from month 1 before reading month 2) start from the earliest month. I have ensured that within a month the posts are sequenced properly.
YT Notes
The Raja team is taking down YouTube sites on copyright infringement grounds. Some of the YT videos may not be viewable as a result. Let's wait for the dust to settle down.
For those who read this blog regularly, please treat this as a little nuisance and continue reading.
Thanks
Ravi Natarajan
56 comments:
Amazing blog with lot of useful information.
Thank you so much ! Really enjoyed the essence :)
Phew! Your blog posts are addictive for an Ilaiyaraja fan like me! Fantastic posts about Maestro's music. God bless you :)
wow,, you are doing wat i always wanted to do :D kudos to u dude
Vanakkam!
This is such a hard work and an awe inspiring feat!
This will keep every Tamilian proud in the generations to come and be a beacon of time capsule of our life time.
great analysis read all ur blogs , really really appreciate ur work... i had the good fortune of working in his voices (choral ) team from 1992 to 2000 . there were several great experiences , every recording for me was like being inside a musical blender , by the endof every session ,even if you had learnt some carnatic ealier , it used to be a unique unlearning and learning experience.... Your analysis of rhythms and raja sir is on dot....
Dear Ravi,
When i read your blog i get too much of info about raja and ragas.
I heart fully appreciate you for this research.
Very superb.....
urs
kamal_srini@yahoo.co.in
wonderful info. the way its analyzed is amazing. your blog rekindles my interest about IR and his way of orchestration.
keep writing...
I am craze fan of Maestro.I am mentally aware of all your drilled down analysis.These things we discuss with our friends quite often.
I am thrilled at somebody is doing in blog.Excellent analysis.I have read all the articles.
Have you heard the song "jnan jnan paadanum poonjal aadanum" from film
"poonthalir" by Jency.
The prelude starts with 'tabla"
followed by violin,synth etc., etc.,A mellifluous orchestration.+
Stylish opening!
The point here is freshness of the prelude.He never stereotypes
Like Master Blaster in cricket we call him as "Master Blender"
I also wrote his music in my blog:
under lable ”இளையராஜா”
“இசை”
http://raviaditya.blogspot.com/search/label/இளையராஜா
http://raviaditya.blogspot.com/search/label/இசை
Please reply also visit and comment.
Hi
Hats off to you. I couldn't stop reading your blog. Great work. This blog must reach more people. When did you start listening to his songs? I grew up listening to his songs and after reading your blog I am able to appreciate why I liked his songs. Thanks for your great work.
interesting work :)
Dear Mr. Ravi,
Your blog is a treasure trove for a Raja fan. I can see you work really hard to come up with these articles. Kudos to your enthusiasm and dedication to this wonderful creator we are all proud of. Please continue the good work.
For past twenty years I live and breathe his music. People like you are pushing me to go deep into his technical prowess. I think your analysis of his music will keep me busy listening for few more decades.
Anbudan,
Meenatchisundaram
my oasis to the dried up ears without hearing to Raja. I am proud to spread word of mouth about this blog to my friends.. lovely work
Just keep it going..
I have no words to express my hearty thanks to you Mr.Ravi Natarajan. I am regularly visiting your page to read the updates. You have done lot of research work on ilayaraja's music. i am so passionate in hearing and living with ilayaraja's all composing. your blog made me think ilayaraja's music in different way. After reading all the post in your blog. i have collected all the songs which you have mentioned here, now i am doing my own contribution to the viewers who visit my blog for getting information about ilayaraja's prelude, interlude work in his music.
I am humbly requesting you to list out the rare ilayaraja songs which contains lot of technical works such as harmony, counterpoints and chromaticism (with chromatic scale). Also i would like to know the songs with different composing which no one have done so for. i surmise, ilayaraja have done lot of composition like that. I swear you know lots and lot about caranatic raagas and western music. Keep posting on your blog. Thank you very much again for your hard work and contribution.
If you have a time to visit my blog and give me some suggestion to improve
www.ashaheer.blogspot.com
contact me by
contactabu@yahoo.com
You are doing Great Work. It is a treat to Die hard Ilayaraja fans..like me
Amazing..Hats off. I am going to read / listen all of it tonight.
Fantastic posts about Maestro's music..
Nice post and nice blog..
Hi Ravi,
Really good analysis! It's almost like reading the composer's mind.
I was looking for a specific song and I used the search button to look for the song. If there is a song index, it would be really neat, too. But, if it would take too much time, it may not be worth it.
Thank you,
Joseph
Awaiting your review of NEPV album, PLEASE!
Hi Prakash
I do not do any film album reviews. I am particular about a thematic analysis of Raja's work, not a review of any of his individual albums. Hope you understand
Ravi Natarajan
Ravi, I respect your principle but will surely hope NEPV will figure in some examples soon :-)
Joseph
The song index is a great idea. However, I am trying to find an easy way to include this. The site now includes labels which I thought should be very helpful, apart from the search facility. However, if I include the song list with the posts, as labels, the job will get done, but will confuse everybody. I searched for some blogger gadgets that could help, but have not found a suitable one. If you know of a method that is simple, I can definitely work on doing this. The list must be dynamic as every post is likely to refer to one or more songs. It is not a static list we are trying to surface.
Hi Ravi,
Terrific blog you have there. Loved your illustrations of Raja's use of counterpoints. I think another oft overlooked aspect of Ilyaraja's compositions is his background scoring. The keyboard and guitar interplay in the introductory BGM for Sigappu rojakkal and more recently Azhagarsamiyin kudarai, for example are mesmerizing. It is a pity indeed that for the most part, neither the lyrics, picturization or movies themselves did any kind of justice to the scintillating music and scores that Raja provided...
Hey! Your blog is amazing! Very technical! I am trying to do a similar thing in my blog:
http://isaiyumilakkiyamum.blogspot.in/
on a much smaller scale. As a layman who is trying to analyse why they love his music so much! If anyone here wishes to read more analyses, please follow my blog as well. It will really encourage me to continue. Thank you!
My blog is trying to emulate this: http://isaiyumilakkiyamum.blogspot.in/
Please visit and support! Thank you! :)
Grt job!Keep it going.
http://dhivyarajashruthi.in
Great collection of music. I also appreciate the quotes by Ilayaraja. Hats off for your passion and consuming interest.
See http://rsbaab.wordpress.com for a list of some Ilayaraja classical songs with the 'special touch' of the maestro.
i m addicted to his music,.His music lives for ever and relax your mind.Ilaiyaraaja always great
First of all, please take a bow.
I'm just amazed with your work and I do not have words to express my happiness. Raja sir's music should reach everyone in the world is what every Raja devotee's dream.
Why don't you add your blog in the Raja Sir's official site in Facebook?
And also please let me how to subscribe you.
You are amazing.
- Venkat
This is a wonderful blog with an amazing level of research and insights into Ilayaraja's work. As experienced and seasoned Ilayaraja fans, I hope you can comment on some discussions coming up about Ilayaraja on my blog posts. Would love to hear your views about flow of music and emotion being better in other composer songs. See 'hits of ilayaraja, orchestration - part 2' at rsbaab.wordpress.com. Would wait to hear also from experienced people like you.
I sincerely believe that the works of no music composer in india have ever been researched upon with such a deep insight and aweful details which ordinary music lovers like me are often ignorant of.Thanks a lot.
உண்மையிலேயே பிரமிப்பாக இருக்கிறது. நல்ல முயற்சி. இசைஞானி பற்றிய வெறும் புகழ்ச்சியாக இல்லாமல் மிக நுட்பமான அலசல். மிக்க நன்றி
முத்துராம் ஸ்ரீனிவாசன்
Mr.Ravi,
The contents are very deep and am thrilled to know the technicalities of the music which I have enjoyed. The only issue I have is your super standard English which has lot of phrases and clauses. Pls try to keep your write up style bit simpler.
Thanks
Muthuram srinivasan
Thanks Srinivasan for your kind words. I have kept my posts simple and you are perhaps the first person who has difficulty in following my writing. However, I need to perhaps work on simplifying my posts further.
Having said that, I plan to have an abridged Tamil book on some of the key contents from this blog shortly. You will see a link to the book when it gets published.
Hi Ravi nice blog ,I got technical clarity about IR music. when i browsed i noticed one more thing about preludes of his creations. For an example, search the song "nee illatha pothu yengum nenjam",in youtube,before the actualsong prelude starts, 40 seconds of bgm gives a intro to the forthcoming song.second example is sundari neeyum sundaran naanum in film MMKR, before the prelude of original song a group of violin flows as bgm resembling the upcoming song.Another song thennam keethum thendral katrum, a 20 seconds bgm resembles the song ,then huming of female voice starts the actual song.Enjoyable music bits
Hi sharmi
Good observation. I always think that the preludes, interludes and postludes are his favorite playgrounds completely free of commercial cinema pressures. He excels in those and I am yet to see a composer who can compose them better than him. Almost 90% of my blog is dedicated to his ludes. He connects his ludes to the song parts very easily and effortlessly.
Truely deserving blog...Keep it going.
http://www.dhivyarajashruthi.in/
I follow you in Ilayaraja everywhere forums too. Did you hear Swappnam project released few months back? I do not recall any one talking about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY1j2k1nPLs&list=PLED5jPa_hewtVhMH33UI6EDSE4PE4iEkU
nice
Hi Sir,
I have read your blog a number of times and got to know some of the rarest gems of raja,thanks to you. Your description of raja's music is shedding a whole new light on a true genius. After knowing and hearing his songs, it is very heard to any other music. Being a telugu, I request you to kindly provide some analysis of raja's best compositions of 'Preminchu Pelladu(1985)' movie. I believe each song itself will make a thesis as I have not encountered such variety in any other songs...be it counterpoints or chords or symmetry....kindly hear those songs and let me know if justified
especially the song gopemma chethulo gorumudda...song...don't know what raga it is in...but the mix of instruments is outstanding and amazing...no words...the orchestration with mix of western and classical instruments is mind-blowing....
Also, the songs from Maharshi movie...two of them are really astounding...use of instruments and the way they get mixed with the classic raga....no words...especially the songs maatarani mounamidi and sumam prati sumam sumam....i dont think raja gave such tunes in other languages....maybe because of directory vamsi in telugu who has very good knowledge in music, the songs became historical....
Since this topic is about symmetry, could you pls check out the symmetry of guitar with the voice all through the song of Priyathama thama snageetam from movie Alapana...
My hearty congrats for creating this blog, I lost my mom in the year 1976 when i was 4 years old, after that my dad and raja sirs music only breded me in my life and still i hear a lot of his songs daily without fail, i travel a lot and his music made me cheerful in my life, i have most of his songs in my collection and i realy thank god for living along with him......
A great Blog!!! As a Raja fan, this is a great resource. Keep it up.
While on this, please read My tribute piece on Ilayaraja - "Ilayaraja 1000!!!"
http://wp.me/p1dZc2-rf
Feedback most welcome. Thanks
Sairat Jhala Ji is a Marathi song. It is great piece as if it was done Raja. The movie name is Sairat. the other song is Rajaish Yad lagla Ga.
The Sairat Zhala is cloned/inspired from Raja sons. Especially the male singing is from IR somg. I could not pin point.
Can any one or Ravi can clarify it.
I was looking at forums Ilayaraja and everything Raja where u visit. I did not see any mention of it.
Hi
I did listen to Sairat Jhala Ji in youtube. The composers are Ajay/Atul, self confessed Raja fans. I am not surprised at the Raja influence in this song.
However, if you have read through my posts you will realize that the arrangement just reminds you of Raja just occasionally. This is due to several reasons, in my view:
1. Simple harmonies as apposed to Raja's intricate ones that sounds so pleasant
2. Boring rhythm arrangement - while Raja has his small share of such arrangements, he ensures that 90% of his arrangements have a certain tension in the arrangement that keeps the listener engaged.
3. The C&Rs between the voices and the flute in the charanam. The instrument just follows the tune of the main voices. This is what most composers do as it is easy for them. If you pay attention to Raja's C&R work, the response to a vocal phrase is very rarely a repetition of the tune of vocal phrase. They have a famine of tunes as opposed to the flood of Raja. Case in point - Listen again to the pallavi of Sorgathin Vaasarpadi...
Yesterday's comment in Intricate harmonies in obscure films/songs: Every thing is good like Harmony and Counterpoint.. But on thing I could not stop laughing how the information dies out in 30 years.
It is one more movie with Sudhakar which ran for 100+ days just for Raja's music. lol!!! a Hit!!!
This statement made me laugh/wonder " I noticed that Raja has done some very intricate harmonies in TOTALLY OBSCURE movies. " How the information in front our time gets lost and changed.
Great to see that someone still understand how to create an awesome blog.
The blog is genuinely impressive in all aspects.
Great blog.
dewa poker
sir ..wonderful effort by you...thanks a lot for posting these articles
wonderful blog. super my work
Thank you, thank you and thank you for your blog and passion towards music,
I like to share my recent experience,
just week back i watched the film "En Bommukutty Ammavukku" and suddenly heard the song "kaalellam noguthadi" which is not in "Audio track"
I don't have words describe raja sir way of singing and lyrics support the scene (raguvaran feelings as searching father after met the sathiyaraj).
I proud myself i know tamil, i heard raja sir music in my life span....i unable to forget this tune still my last birth.
Dear Mr.Ravi, Hats off to you for your good work. For the last 2 days i have been going first to last last to first of your blog, search and download unheard songs. Of course i downloaded everything in your blogs. Will put down my phone after read all pages. When i searching some song mentioned in your page i came along ponmegalai as suggestion. I didn't hear about this film by ragadevan. Perhaps you can listen it.
Even though you said you have taken 1 3rd of songs, I would like to suggest kovil pura songs.
It would be good to suggest from your side about maha 2014' s work.
Remastered 24bit songs of ragadevan( I prefer this name as i think only a god could do the works done by him)
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZN495CCmv6gpJuZf4yUdIw1lYdr95MVk
Thanks in advance
Venkat.
Hi, I heard Ragadevan is the only composer to make songs with only ascending notes, thamthana thalam varum, gangaikarai mannadi, kalaivaniye, andharathil( merku thodarchi malai). Can you please think and point me how many more songs are there.
Thanks
Venkat
What a joy to go through this blog, your words complement the music
Hi Ravi - your blog is truly a masterpiece. For a chap like me, Raja’s music has been part of growing up. Mesmerising melodies, intricate compositions heard several times in the late 70s and through 80s on radio and stereo 2-in-1 have a nostalgic memory. Listening now take me back through a familiar road remembering a snatch of a bass guitar there and some Doors like keys elsewhere. I recollect straining to hear special instruments by pressing my ears close to the speakers!
Without any idea of the mathematical beauty of musical composition we were entranced then! With your blog explaining the intricacies in a nuanced and logical manner, it opens up new look at familiar terrain and like reliving the pleasure of childhood! Thanks for your exhaustive compilation
Great to see that someone still understand how to create an awesome blog.
The blog is very nice and contain a very nice information.Thanks for sharing this blog.
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