An SPB-Chitra concert at Chennai on 11-01-2008

“Paadavaa Un Paadalai” – Special Tribute to MAESTRO IlayaRaja
A Musical Concert featuring the Playback Singing Legends “SPB” and “Chitra”

Dear Friends,

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY, PROSPEROUS & JOYFUL NEW YEAR ENCOMPASSING A HAPPY PONGAL (Sambar, Vada…….?????) TOO (the sambar, vada had its significance in the sense that this is how our SPB wished the Fans – “Happy Pongal, sambar, vada….” when they went on stage to present bouquets to HIM & Chitra-ji during the concert)

It was a great beginning this year what with a musical concert featuring our LEGEND at the very start of the year and the Annual Meet scheduled for February. Let us ALL pray to God for an SPB events galore this year too.

Now let me come to the first SPB event of the year for us

Venue : Kamaraj Arangam, Chennai
Date : 11/01/2008
Time : 6:30pm
Event Managers : Ramana Sharan Incorporation and ShruthiLaya Orchestra
Music by Suresh’s “Shruthilaya” Orchestra

It was a much awaited concert with Chitra-ji to combine with our LEGEND. What more do we need. And that too featuring only Maestro’s Ilayaraja songs. What more can we ask for.

To put in a nutshell, the concert was simply fabulous. Our SPB was at his joyful and enthusiastic best and Chitra-ji had no other option than getting infected by his presence and that showed up in the way she sang the duets with him making lot of SPB-like improvisations in singing, much to our SPB’s surprise.

It was a royal treat to the fortunate fans based in Chennai for it had a lot of never-heard songs (on stage by SPB). SPB was indeed very right when he praised Suresh, the leader of Shruthilaya Orchestra for his song selections and lauded him abundantly. Fans who could not make it to the concert, please do not worry, SS Music has recorded the show and it will be telecast shortly (this was announced by our SPB during the later part of the show). So, be on the lookout – do not miss it.

For a change, let me start off this time with a list of songs upfront so that you all have an immediate feel of the quality of the content.

Opening instrumental theme music by the Orchestra – Kannan Vandhu Paaduginraan….. from Rettai vaal kuruvi

1. Nalam vaazha ennaalum en vaazhththukkal … from Marubadiyum (SPB)
2. Vaan megam pooppoovaai thoovum………… .from Punnagai mannan (Chitra)
3. Kathal kavidhaigal padaiththidum nerum ……from Gopura Vaasalile (SPB + Chitra)
4. Koottaththile koyil pura………………………. from IdhayakOyil (SPB + Chorus*)
5. Ninnu koari varanum………………………… from Agni Natchathiram (Chitra)
6. Kaala kaalamaaga vaazhum kaadhalukku…. from Punnagai Mannan (SPB + Chitra – their first song together for films)
7. Nee thaane endhan pon vasantham……………from Ninaivellam Nithya (SPB)
8. Aedhedho ennam valarthen un kayyil…………from Punnagai Mannan (Chitra)
9. Aalappoal velappoal aalam vizhudhuppol……from Ejamaan (SPB + Chitra)
10. Adi vaanmathi en kaathali……………………from Siva (SPB + Chitra)
11. Paadariyen padippariyen pallikoodam……..from Sindhu Bhairavi (Chitra)
12. Rambambam aarambam rambambam…… from Michael Madhana Kaama Raajan (SPB + Chitra)
13. Konji Konji alaigal Oada…………………… from Veera (SPB + Chorus)
14. Sangathamizh Kaviye…………………………from Manadhil Uridhi Vendum (Chitra + Gautham* ) - Yesudas duet
15. Ammaadi aathaadi then mottuthaan……………...from Idhayathai Thirudaathe (Chitra)
16. Raaga dheepam aetrum nerum……………………from Payangal Mudivadhillai (SPB)
17. Poongaattru un per solla………………………….from Vettri Vizha (SPB + Chitra)
18. Thoongaadha vizhigal rendu……………………..from Agni Natchathiram (Chitra + Goutham) - Yesudas duet
19. Jingala Jinga Jeeboomba Jingala Jinga ………….from Punnagai Mannan (SPB + Chitra)
20. Kuzhal oodhum kannanukku……………………..from Mella Thiranthathu kadhavu (Chitra)
21. Idhazhil kadhai ezhudhum neram idhu……………from Unnaal Mudiyum Thambi (SPB + Chitra)
22. Guruvaayurappa Guruvaayurappa………………..from Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal (SPB + Chitra)
23. Keladi Kanmani paadagan sangadhi……………..from Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal (SPB + Chorus)

Sign-off instrumental music by the Orchestra-Sangeetha megam then sinthum neram …from Udhaya Geetham

( SPB solo : 6, Chitra solo : 6, SPB-Chitra duets : 9, Chitra-Goutham duets : 2 )

* Goutham was one of the finalists of the AirTel Super Singer Contest (Seniors)

This time around I do not want to bore you all with my usual format of detailing in sequence song by song. So, for a change, I will be detailing the concert under various heads.

LEGENDS are LEGENDS, that is why they are LEGENDS (??????)
Be it SPB or Chitra, one could observe them touching upon the ground when entering the stage. Both of them bowed before the crowd. Chitra-ji touched upon SPB’s feet and got his blessings. Both of them were humility personified, more so Chitra-ji humble in stature & throwing frequent glances of appreciation and admiration at our SPB during the entire concert and ever-pleasant with a permanently embedded smile on her face.

SPB on the MAESTRO
He made a mention that the show was totally dedicated to IlayaRaja. HE expressed his gratitude to HIM for having given him the opportunity to sing most of his compositions and also on behalf of Chitra-ji. HE prayed to GOD to bestow his buddy with good health so that he could continue his musical journey forever. HE also came out with the information that IlayaRaja his friend would be conducting lot of live shows across the world this year and that there was no doubt whatsoever that he would be a part of it.

He made a special mention of Ilayaraja’s orchestration when he sang the song “Konji Konji alaigal….”. He said this was one of the compositions he liked best eventhough his other compositions were great as well. He also remembered Govardhanan Master who had played the harmonium for this song and said that he was with the Maestro for 30 years and still the Maestro has retained the same harmonium with him till date.

SPB Solos
He rocked and rocked all through. He was at his best in spite of some sodhappals (goof-ups) here & there. He compensated with lot of improvisations in the songs. The song Rambambam…. had him rocking like hell (sorry should it be heaven??? I thought they don’t rock there). He was at his jolly best. Songs like Kootathile koyil pura, raga dheepam etrum neram….. had him powering the songs with great & limitless energy (God where does he get it at this physical age) to add weight to it. He turned melancholic when singing songs like nalam vaazha ennaalum and keladi kanmani paadagan sangadhi and one could feel the threads of subtle emotions weaved into the song. The lover’s feel could be felt in his “nee thane endhan pon vasantham…” and “konji konji alaigal oada”. These all led one to wonder whether he had aged at all. As I said earlier in one of my write-ups he is 61 in age and 16 at heart and spirit. Let us ALL pray to God to give him good health to carry on forever. One could find him enjoying the show to the full and there were no signs of frustration or temper or dissatisfaction. He appeared to be a fully satisfied man on the day. Nothing upset him on this day.

He had only one request at the start of the concert. “Do not come backstage during the concert time. You can be with us and get our autographs after the show. The reason – we will be focusing on the songs that we will be singing and we do not want to be disturbed”. Despite this, one could find people swarming at the entrance to the backstage for his darshan. Passion at its height. Only HE can attract.

His power of observation and presence of mind came to the fore in another incident when on hearing a child crying among the audience he said “Elders, please do not eat be selfish & devour the biscuits yourselves, please give it to the children too so that they do not cry”. This showed that he is always with the masses.

At the start of the program, he told that every time he sang he considered it as a first attempt. This had butterflies filling his stomach and he jovially attributed this to be the cause of his size.

SPB on CHITRA-ji
At the start of the concert, our SPB mentioned that Chitra was a much disciplined artiste and humility personified. He talked a lot about her talent and his expressed pride in singing with such a great singer when the senior partners like Susheelaamma & Janakiamma had faded away from film singing.

He also made a mention that she had won more national awards than him and Das-anna (Yesudas). She corrected him saying it was equal to them.

At one point of time when Chitra-ji was hurrying to the stage to join him, he cautioned her saying that fat people like them should not hurry as it would make them breathless. Earlier to this, he also jovially mentioned that she was competing with him in all aspects including being like him.

When Chitra sang Janakiamma’s Thoongadha vizhigal rendu… he appreciated her humility in singing the songs of other singers as well.

SPB - Chitra duets
All the duets were great compositions of the Maestro and one had to just sit back and relish the beauty of it through the golden voices of the two LEGENDS.

Our SPB was so jovial and cute during the duets that Chitra-ji could not hold herself and she too participated in improvisations. This was prominent in the song “Guruvaayurappa……” when towards the end of the song she did it and our SPB’s presence of mind was so good that when he followed it up with the words “unai yaar thadukka……” meaning “who can stop you doing that” (in this context it was her SPB-like improvisation), he gestured at her and it was self-explanatory.

The song Rambambam…. had him rocking like hell (sorry should it be heaven??? I thought they don’t rock there). He was at his jolly best and Chitra-ji borrowed energy from him to compete with him in presenting a great treat to the ears. Our SPB on his part introduced lot of improvisations in this song and one had to listen to it to understand the extent of improvisations. The only limitation was that he could not afford to dance for such a number. Otherwise he was into it totally compensating with an energetic delivery and with a light sway of his body. After this song, he expressed that he was not able to remember the songs fully and hence he was making mistakes at some places. He hoped this would be treated as rehearsals and he would better it the next time. Too humble. He also said that at younger ages he used to feel proud of his excellent memory to remember the minute details of various compositions.

When they sang the songs “Adi vaanmathi…..” & “Poongaatru un per solla….”, SPB prompted Chira-ji to join him in singing a Hindi bit and then sailed into the songs. Was he trying to hint that the tunes for these numbers were borrowed by the Maestro from those Hindi numbers???

For their first duet of the show “kaalai kavidhaigal ……..”, 4 new female singers joined them for the chorus and one could find that they were from the Ennodu Paattu Paadungal group. He ensured that they all introduced themselves to the audience before going ahead with the song.

SPB mentioned that the song “kaala kaalamaaga vaazhum….” was their first song together.

He sang a small bit of the song “O papa laali…..” from Geethanjali (the telugu original of Idhayathai Thirudaathe) without background music in order to fill up a small break when Chitra-ji took some time off to refresh herself with water. The sweetness of his voice and the melody in it could be savoured in that solo rendering

CHITRA-ji Solos
She rendered all her solo songs as it was on the records and it was perfection through out. Whether it was “Ninnukkori varanum or Aathadi ammadi or Vaan megam or Kuzhal oodhum….” she was up to it and brought out the tempo through her voice. In “Ededho ennam valarthen…” she expressed the emtions very well. Her “Paadariyen padippariyen….” certified her trained music background (Ninnukkori also had some of it). All her songs received great applause from the audience.

SPB on Shruthilaya
If one had observed during the Ennodu Paattu paadungal program on Jaya TV, one would understand the rapport that the Orchestra had developed with our SPB. During those episodes one could find him constantly encouraging and admiring the expertise of some of the key players in the troupe. This once again came to the fore during the concert.

HE adundantly praised Suresh stating that he was one of the finest tabla player and that he was also selfish to play only for the top numbers during the concert. He was also in total awe of Vijay, the Keyboard player and Viji, the percussionist when they played the music as it was in the record for the song “kaala kaalamaaga vaazhum kaathalukku…….” quite admirably.

He made a special mention of Vijay whom he said could play any instrument on the Keyboard. In fact, there were no live violins used in the concert and Vijay made it up all on his keyboard. This was also for all other songs as well and one could find that he had the total attention of our SPB towards him. Our LEGEND indeed seemed to have a special corner for him in his heart. The flute was also quite good in those songs where it was prominent. The only setback seemed to be the inadequate use of dolak, the sound of which did not sound right. Otherwise, the Orchestra provided excellent support to the Golden Voices of the LEGENDS.

Our SPB also commended Suresh for the good selection of the songs and he did mention that he had not sung some of the songs on stage for quite some time.

SPB on the WEB fans
Immediately after the song “Jingala Jingala….”, some of fans from our Group went on stage to present bouquettes to the two GREAT masters of singing. When the organisor announced that the SPB fans would be felicitating, our SPB corrected it as WEB fans and he spent sometime as ever to brief about our Group and the philanthropic activities that we are engaged in. HE blessed us all and he also mentioned that the WebMaster was Mr.Giridhar Raja

SPB on the Organisors & Support Team & Concluding Speech
Finally before his final number “keladi kanmani paadagan sangadhi…..” for the day, he thanked the organisors Mr.Ramana of Ramana Sharan Incorporation, the man behind the show, Suresh, the co-organisor and Orchestra Leader, the Sound System, the 4 cute ladies who had done the chorus and finally SS Music for having agreed to record the show for furutre telecast.

He was also of the opinion that the show should be of normal duration so that there would always be a want among the audience to yearn for more and come back again for another concert. He also expressed his thanks to the gathering for having stayed back till the end of the show.

With that, the great show came to an end at 09.50pm and Shruthilaya signed off with a high tempo instrumental of Sangeetha megam then sindhum neram……..

Some of us stayed back for a while to catch glimpses of the LEGEND at close quarter back stage and we also took some snaps on our mobile. Finally HE bid us farewll saying "LET US MEET AT COIMBATORE"

Thanks to those of you who had patiently run through this narration. Will get back to you in February with write-up of the scheduled Annual Meet.