Nearest Neighbor – conclusion

 In this analysis journey of nearest neighbors, we explored several instrument pairs and how Raja has been quite path breaking and innovative with instrumentation in his orchestration work. Several instrument pairs were not even thinkable to most composers till Raja showed them the possibility. Even with synthesizer dominated tones, very few composers are experimenting the same way today. Part of the reason for Raja’s music’s longevity is this exploratory instrumentation and wonderful melodic structures behind each such instrumentation that has been carefully chosen by the master of orchestration. 

I am sure there are other examples that I may have missed. Feel free to add them as your comments to the posts.

Nearest Neighbor - Trumpet and electric guitar

 Placing an electric guitar next to a trumpet is rare, though these two instruments have been used independent of each other in several music phrases by composers prior to Raja.  It never occurred to composers that these two instrument parts next to each other can be very captivating. This is the last of the Nearest neighbor parts post and we will explore several Raja examples in this category as he has used this combination a lot.

The clip below has four tracks. The first track (29 secs)  is from the interlude of the song, ‘Ennodu Paatu Padungal’ from ‘Udhaya Geetham’ (Tamil 1985). This is a nice call and response arrangement between the trumpet and the electric guitar  The second track (31 to 47 secs) is from the interlude of the song, ‘Sorgam Madhuvile’ from the film, ‘Sattam En Kailyil’ (Tamil 1979). This is a very early on experiment with these two instruments, when Raja was a young composer. The third track (49 to 1:09 secs) is the interlude of the song, ‘Vaanam Keezhe Ponalenna’ from’ Thoongathe Thambi Thoongathe’ (Tamil 1983). This is part of the magnum opus in orchestration by Raja and he places both these instruments in counter to each other, with the violins playing the harmonic parts. There is a lot going on in these 20 seconds. The fourth clip (1:11 to 1:34) is from the interlude of the song, ‘Vaazha Vaikum Kadhalukku Jai’ from 'Aboorva Sagodharargal' (Tamil 1989) with a slow paced trumpet and the electric guitar playing its parts in C&R. 

Let’s hear the nearest neighbors – Trumpet and Electric guitar…

Nearest Neighbor - Veena and sitar

 In most situations, we are left to choose either the North Indian sitar or the South Indian Veena. Why should we be limited? Raja places them next to each other – this is a suicidal mission from traditional thinking. They are beautiful cousins as Raja demonstrates them with his work!

The clip below has two tracks, both from Telugu films. The first track is from the interlude of the song ‘EE Chaitra veena’ from the film 'Preminchu Pelladu' (Telugu 1985). It begins with a simple veena melody which is responded by the sitar. The flute joins the arrangement and it is a beautiful Carnatic harmony of these three instruments. The unlikely neighbors veena and sitar are indeed great neighbors as Raja demonstrates here. The second clip is from the song, 'Rangulalo Kalavo' from the film 'Abhinandana' (Telugu 1989). The arrangement is a call and response between these two unlikely string instruments of the North and the South. 

Let’s hear the nearest neighbors – Sitar and Veena…

Nearest Neighbor - Veena and Synthesizer

 A synthesizer tone that is close to a veena is placed next to the veena itself and the melodic arrangement is just bewitching, Raja style. This style of near neighbor placement shows the musical rebel that Raja is. The veena plays its Sriranjani notes and the synthesizer plays its western notes and it is hard to separate one from the other. 

The clip of 18 seconds is pure bliss in the Near neighbor world. It is the interlude from the song, ‘Vasanthe Nilavin’ from 'Sooriyan' (Malayalam 2007). The synthesizer and violin are in a C&R dialog as though they were just designed for this.  I wish the other composers take this lesson and provide more interludes such as this. Real killer!

Let’s hear the nearest neighbors – Veena and synthesizer…

Nearest Neighbor -Pizzicato strings and Bass guitar

 Many of Raja’s compositions use the strings in pizzicato mode (plucked violin strokes).  Pizzicato strings are high in bass and so are the notes of bass guitar. Placing the bass guitar next to the pizzicato strings requires some serious music vision as it is very easy to backfire.

The clip of 14 seconds is pure NN gold with the whole arrangement designed as a PolyCaRe arrangement. This is the interlude of the song, ‘Neelakuyile Unnodudhan’ from 'Magudi' (Tamil 1985). The first 4 seconds is the NN alone with the Pizzicatto strings and the bass guitar in a dialog in a C&R arrangement. Even during these 4 seconds, the violins play short strokes along. This is the well established background arrangement. Let’s look at the foreground next. The solo violin plays a melody with a response from the synthesizer. Remember that the background arrangement continues to make this a PolyCare all along. Following this is the second solo violin melody for which the synthesizer responds. This is a masterstroke of an arrangement and one longs that it lasted for a little more time.

Let’s hear the nearest neighbors – Pizzicatto Strings and bass guitar….

Nearest Neighbor – Sitar and bass guitar

 As we all know, Sitar is a North Indian instrument that was used widely in Hindi film music till the late 70s. RD Burman used it extensively in the 70s. Unfortunately, it went out of use in the HFI. Bass guitar is another instrument that was used off and on in the Indian film music for predominantly club songs and fast numbers. Raja made it as a staple part of his music. While all this is just evolution, Raja placing the North Indian Sitar next to the Western Bass guitar was unthinkable for anyone before his time.  He comes out with flying colors with his nearest neighbor placement.

The clip is from the interlude of the song, ‘Laali Laali’ from 'Swathimudhyam' (Telugu 1985) or 'Sippikkul Muthu' (Tamil 1985) and you will hear the Sitar and bass guitar in a beautiful C&R mode.

Let’s hear these Nearest neighbors – Sitar and bass guitar…

Nearest Neighbor – Flute and Synthesizer

 These days, playing flute tones on a synthesizer has become more a norm than an exception. However, what Raja does is different – he places a synthesized flute beside a real one as its neighbor and creates a brilliant combination.

The clip below has three tracks. The first track is from the interlude of the song, ‘Kathirum Kothi’ from ‘Man of the Match’ (Malayalam 1996). The first 9 seconds are with synthesized flute and violins playing in harmony, at least 3 melodies. From 9 seconds onwards, the bamboo flute takes over and plays an Indian melody for about 10 seconds. The final passage between 19 and 22 seconds is a harmony bridge to the charanam. Keeping synthesized flute beside a bamboo flute requires some boldness and this comes easy to a composer, who can create melodies effortlessly.

The second track is the interlude of the popular 80s track, ‘Un Paarvaiyil’ from ‘Amman Kovil Kizhakaale’ (1986 Tamil). This track uses the synthesizer in the bells mode and is initially and towards the end of the clip arranged as a C&R.  The middle parts are arranged as a pure flute track. This is the flute synthesizer format of Raja that has been replicated by all composers who made their debut after him. This is one NN that is very prevalent in film music.

The third track is from the interlude of the song, ‘Shenbagame Shenbagame (Sunanda/Mano version) from 'Enga Ooru paatukaaran’ (Tamil 1988). Between 55 and 1:00 minute on the clip, you will hear the synthesizer and flute on a C&R arrangement. With tones being very close, except the synthesizer plays discrete notes. From 1:05 to 1:21, the arrangement is a beautiful PolyCaRe arrangement of three instruments, the background melody being played by the guitar with the synthesizer and the flute playing foreground call and response arrangement. 

Let’s hear these Nearest neighbors – Flute and synthesizer…