T.R. & Bala - "Oru Pon Manai"

Dawn, Don, Darling, and Dash
Dawn, don’t confuse it with Sunrise, the time at which the sun is six degrees below the horizon, a line which separates the earth from sky, in the morning, a time I never enjoyed this till date. I usually prepare for my examination in the night till 3’o clock even, and still it continues as I use to write my Java, ASP codes in the nights, and never care about my pet name ‘Raakkozhi’ which entitled by my friends. I tried a lot to see the dawn, but none of my digital diary, alarm clock, neither my Sony Ericsson helped to wake up me. But whenever I wake up from my bed, I want to start the day with two morning melodies, one is “Putham pudhu Kalai” sung by S.Janaki and “Oru Ponmanai” from Mythili ennai Kaadhali.

Mythili ennai Kaadhali is a musical hit movie music scored by ‘All rounder’ T.Rajendar. There are, I think nine songs in this movie, in which I like this song ‘Ponmanai Naan” sung by SP Balasubramanium. This song is based on the Raaga ‘Bouli’, which is exclusively for giving the feel of the dawn. There are many morning dawn-raagas are there, but in my view, Bouli and Boopalam are the top.

“Dandanakka, Yeai Yeai Dannakaka”, please don’t criticize an artiest who can able to give some nice melodies, meaningful poetic lyrics; he is T.Rajendar, simply TR. In his early stages, he gave preference to melody, and then switched to fast numbers. Still, in my view he is the don of Drums-usage.

Whatever it may be, either melody, may it fast disco, may it sad mood, may it “tappanguthu”, may it some few lines songs, whatever it may be, TR approaches a singer, who can feel any kind of songs, SPB. TR is a great fan of SPB and in one of his interviews he told that if he were a girl, then he will love and SPB and will marry SPB. Hence, by forgetting TR’s nick name of “Ashtavadhani”(an allrounder), I use to call him as a dash, dash is an euphemism for avoiding the Tamizh word “Sakkalathi”. (Sorry)

The acronym SPB stands for, in this song “Soft”, “Peace”, and “Bhaavam”. We can brand a successful singer by means of the way he starts and finishes a song. In this song, the humming of SPB is truly a heavenly feeling, he starts with a very low pitch, and ascends to a medium, and make some lullaby effect in the middle, and rockets the high pitch, and comes to the low pitch again with same pace, simply marvelous, actually those seconds are a trip to heaven from earth without visa.

Also I want to make a note on SPB’s pronunciation and pause which he gives in this song. Just listen to the word “thadagathil” in the first stanza, the way he pronounces that word, simply he is the master. SPB literally falls when articulates “thamarai poomeddhu vizundhanavo”, and trembles in “Kaamathil Thadumaari”. And he applies usual nice laughing (keenly listen) in between. And I’ve no words to explain his “Madhi thanil kavi serkudhu”, and “Endhan Paravasam”. Then ofcouse the finishing touch, “Salaghaittal oru maadhu”, the only way to express is a simple 'great'.

I don’t know what remuneration SPB got for this song. Once the famous composer Shankar-Ganesh praised SPB like this “He is the only singer not sings for payment, but for composer’s satisfaction” , what a true statement. But in this song, SPB did two-men works. He sings this song beautifully and did some ‘Jadhi’ work along with, listen “Thakadhimi thakadimm”, and "nadhidhinna". I think soon I’ll go crazy and you’ll see me in “Gunaseelam” along with SPB’s photo.

SPB, he is darling of dulcet.

Fact file:
1. TR always gives liberty to SPB to do the improvisation.
2. TR always wants SPB to laugh in between the songs, and gives small spaces for that, just listen the song “Kuthuvilakagha” from Koolikaran, great smiling by SPB.
3. AR Rehman was working as a keyboard player under TR, and SJ surya was working as an assistant with TR.
4. TR movies are always with the 9-alphapbet titles.

Quiz:
SPB sang the first song for TR, but who is the music director for that film!!!!

With Love

S.Balasubramanian
www.prodigyhub.org

Sweet Surrender

In my early days of collecting SPB songs DB, I used to record SPB’s songs randomly, and labeled it very recreationally like SPB HITS vol-1, hence each of my Audio cassettes included with songs varies from devotional to drunk and intoxicated disposition. On a ‘Goghilashtamai’ (Birth of Lord Krishna) evening, my mom requested me to sing a Lord Krishna song, I neglected very diffidently (hehehehehe) and took one of my SPB collections which included the song “Aayar paadi malighayil” song and played that cassette. Suddenly to my mom’s scream, the next song in that cassette was “Ithoda Serthu Naalu glass, naandhanda ippa devadas”, from Thannikattu Raja. My mom annoyed me like anything and frightened that Lord Krishna will perforate my eyes that day night. But, Krishna didn’t pierce my eyes, may be he intoxiacated with ‘thalai’ SPB’s voice, but somewhat I realized something, and started to collect songs based on some styles, in that my first audio cassette label was “Sweet Surrender” and recorded my favorite SPB’s TOP 20 melodious songs (Sony 90 la avaludhanpa varum) , in that the first song was “Poondhenil Kalandhu” from “EEnipadighal’.

Eenipadighal is a musical hit movie even though it included with only three songs, music composed by KV Mehadevan. KVM was an excellent composer and many people were considering him a composer of film based devotional songs. But he was a good musician, composed many everlasting melodies, and this song “Poondenil” is one among them.

SPB is, as you all knew, a versatile singer can sing any kind of songs. But in my view, melodious with some improvisation work songs are SPB’s cup of tea. Sometimes there aren't any words to describe what you're experiencing; I’m searching those words while listening to SPB’s voice for this song. The way he starts this song just amazing, he starts with honey-filled “Poondhenil kalandhu”, and continues very furtively “Ponvandu ezhundhu”, then musically “sangeedham padipadhenna”, and some inebriated “Thalladi nadapadhenna”.

No superlative, neither adjective will help one to praise SPB’s improvisation; actually he uses to give feel to each word of the songs. Take this song; listen to the ‘hop’ effect in “Thulli vizuval”, ‘airborne‘ effect in “vaanambhadiyaval”, and to the high of all an intoxicated effect in “oru maayakam”.

Once, I happened to chat(thanks to Galatta.com) with AR Rehana, sister of the great ARR, I asked about her favourite singer, she told me SPB, and she added that SPB is a good emotion represent singer, one will agree AR Rehana’s view whenever listen to this song.

Fact file

1. There is one female version also there for this song, sung by the ultimate P.Sushila
2. KVM used to perform stage shows in the late 70’s and starting 80’s, and he always preferred SPB’s voice for those stage shows, and Shankrabharanam songs and this song always decorated those shows.
3. Still the argument is going on that which one was the actor sathyaraj’s first movie, there are many movies in that list like “Sattam En Kaiyil”, "Paghadai Paneerendu”, and this “Eenipadighal”

Quiz

In this film, SPB sang one solo and a duet for Sivakumar, we all aware of this. But, in this film SPB sang a song for another male actor also, but it’s not included in the audio cassette, but one can enjoy SPB's Voice while watching this movie. Who is that actor? And identify that song.

S. Balasubramanian
www.prodigyhub.org

Soul Sagacity

Soul Sagacity

How a cini song should be to the ears of an amateur who listen music as a treat to the soul? Simply it should enter the ‘Helix’ of the ears with some soft instrumentation, flows towards the ‘Antihelix’, with some mild elevation of instrumentation, gives treat to the ‘Eardrum’ and ‘Cochlea’ of ears with mixing of voices of singers with instrumentation, and giving some overlapping effect to the semicircular canals, and finally it will end with the same effect as it starts in the Eustachian tube and gives some soothing effect to listeners’ soul. If you are one among those amateurs like me wants to feel this effect, let’s join with me, we’ll listen to the song “Manasukul Oru Puyal” from the movie “Star”



“Manasukul Oru Puyal” song was composed by the great musician AR Rehman, penned by Vairamuthu(people are thinking its by Pa.Vijay), and sung by Sadana sargam along with SPB, a sweet chubby boy, people always lying that this boy’s age is sixty, sweet sixty?

Not the actors, but the composer also applies the facial of “Aaridharam” and in position to give so called commercial hits. A good composer always wants to give good quality songs, which will give the soothing effect as I’ve explained in the starting, but it’s the fans, we always make those composers to a core upset, and blaming them like anything. It’s the stupid fan, you rate a big to the “mukkabla’s” when there is quality of “Ennavale” is there. So please stop to blame composer, and listen to this song, you will escape from going to the hell for committing the mistake, and thanks to ARR for giving this melody to our ears and souls.

Dear Mr. Vairamuthu, how long you have planned to make earthquakes in the budding butts of flowers? You implemented it thru the voice of Janaki, then Chitra, and in this song, by Sadana Sargam. But anyway, fans like your analogies with real-world illusions!! Sadana Sargam ji, don’t lie that you don’t know Tamizh, your pronunciation of Tamizh words in this song is really amazing, and no need to explain about your voice as your having the word “Sargam” in your name itself.

By playing this song, I asked my mom that who sang this song; you know what the answer was from my mom? “SPB Charan”! That’s what the success of SPB is all about. Day by day the sweetness in his voice is in increasing graph. Just listen to the starting humming, and then in the ‘pallavi’ the starting of “Manasukul”, simply great! And in this song, SPB sang many words with ‘Tongue tip’ style, which adds sweetness to this song, just listen “Un Madiyil”, Simply awesome! And just listen to his domination over ARR and Sadhana Sargam in the overlapping effect, simply marvelous! Great, Awesome, Marvelous, these words are enough to praise this sixty year old chubby boy?

People are really amazed with SPB’s voice and use to ask how is SPB able to reach the soul everytime he opens to sing? For this simple question, do not interrogate the God, this amateur Balu is enough to answer you, take the answer.

SPB is having the Seventh Sense of soothing listeners’ Eighth Nerve, which connects ear to the soul.

Fact File

Friends, do you know this song was recorded live, with both the singers sang together.

Quiz

SPB and Sadhana Sargam sang some duets in Hindi and Kannada too. What was the first duet sang by this duo in Tamizh?

S. Balasubramanian
www.prodigyhub.org