Nostalgia: Vintage Ilayaraja

In the rush of new movies and music, many gems are either lost or forgotten. No one can be blamed for this happening; it is just the way the world is, the old making way for the new. Here, we attempt to bring back to you memory some wonderful pieces of art, some of them worth the label of vintage classics which got lost in the madding crowd. You might not be able to instantly reconnect to the long forgotten number, but give it some time and the magic might begin to work again. Though the song has been reviewed, more importantly this is a look back at the fascinating way in which Tamil cinema evolved, with a touch of nostalgia. Hope you enjoy it.
This charming number from the movie Kavikkuyil starring Sivakumar and Sridevi is an evergreen Ilayaraja piece. The song cleverly uses both the top and bass flute notes to start and carry the song forward as the song itself centers on the Radha-Krishna imagery. The yearning search for the beloved by the man is accompanied by soft lyrics that touch upon a myriad dreams. The very opening salvo shows off the Rithigowla raga so well, when the flute goes' ni ni saa-;ni sa ga sa; ni-sa-ni;ga ma pa ma ga ri saa.' Then you have a gentle cascade of notes with the guitar, violin and what feels like santoor, adding to the 'dreamy' feel. what is special about the whole song itself is that the flute articulates each line at the beginning of the pallavi and the charanams.' sa ga ri ga ma ni ni saa ;ni dha ma paa; saa ni dha ma pa; ga ma pa ma pa ma pa ma pa ma ga ma pa ma ga ri sa nii' goes the flute. And Dr. Balamuralikrishna follows up with the words 'Chinna Kannan Azhaikkiraan; raadhayai, Poongodhaiyai, Aval manam konda ragasiya raagatthai paadi'--- in his delectable voice. It is the 'pa ma pa ma pa ma' repetition that adds a whole new dimension to the aesthetic appeal of this song. Just close your eyes and savor the emotion conveyed in the line 'kangal solginra kavidhai' which line starts at the top 'sa' note. Though Ilayaraja has stuck to traditional sangatis, he brings in a dramatic note two and a half minutes into the song where the flute wails 'ni ri ri sa---' .There is a sense of urgency now in calling out. Please note how the percussion sound (tabla mainly) is smooth and subdued right through the song which therefore preserves the mood of the whole piece so well! Let us know if this helped you relive the magic of the beautiful composition or whether you discovered something hitherto unknown to you.