SJ – Orchestral vocal instrument - Counterpoints (1980s)

Readers regularly reading this blog will be familiar with counterpoints and their usage by Raja. There were several posts dedicated to Raja’s counterpoints from 2008 onwards. Here is some basic information on musical counterpoints.

 In these posts, we will explore how Raja used SJ as one of the counterpoint instrument. This obviously requires two melodies that need to be playing simultaneously. Sometimes, there are several melodies in Raja’s work and SJ is one of the melodies. Let’s begin our analysis with the tunes of the 1980s. 

Let’s begin with the prelude of the song, ‘Ennathail Edho’ from ‘Kallukkul Eeram’ (1980 Tamil). The track begins with a synthesizer playing at a constant rhythm being the background melody throughout this part. SJ’s humming is composed as a counterpoint along with the bass guitar. This is actually a PolyCaRe composition, as the SJ/bass guitar parts are answered by the flute with its own melody when the background synthesizer keeps playing its repeating melody. The SJ/Bass and the flute parts are different for each phrase. The whole composition is engineered with the lead singer playing an orchestral part for the prelude. It is arranged as a staggered counterpoint by the composer.

Let’s hear, ‘Ennathil Edho’, counterpoint with SJ’s orchestral vocal instrument… 

The next track is from the song ‘Isai Medaiyil’ from ‘Ilamai Kaalangal’ (1983 Tamil). There are several melodies in this part and the two main parts are melodies sung by the female choir and SJ’s parts. You will notice that the female choir is given the simple melody that keeps repeating throughout this part. The SJ part has nuances to its melodies as it changes every time. The counterpoint has two distinct arrangements placed back to back. I have included some instrument parts following the SJ part. Observe that the female choir continues even after SJ’s part is over. The SJ part is replaced by the synthesizer playing a new melody and even the background female choir has its melody changed. Brilliant! When composers brag about writing counterpoints, Raja has written several such gems, where he alters both the foreground and the background melody and nobody notices, as the listener is transported to a different world by the sheer strength of the melody!

Let’s hear, ‘Isai Medaiyil’, counterpoint with SJ’s orchestral vocal instrument… 

Even within these posts, you can see how Raja used SJ in instrument parts that are dominated by flute in the first and the choir/ synthesizer in the second. I am sure there are a few others I may have overlooked. Feel free to include them in your comments…