Illayaraja's Love for Violins

Topic started by Gokul (@ 204.76.131.140) on Mon Jul 14 14:00:58 EDT 1997.
All times in EDT +9:30 for IST.

Responses:

From: cp (@ 208.206.24.27) on: Mon Jul 14 15:12:32 EDT 1997

IR did use a lot of violins in the movie Dhalapathi for the song "rakkama kaiya thattu".
I heard that he used about 160 violinists to play the tune for this song.
From: cp (@ 208.206.24.27) on: Mon Jul 14 15:19:19 EDT 1997

"Electric guitar" which is used in rock music mostly seems to be rare in Tamil Film Music. The blaring music produced by this instrument is not very enjoyable. Its usage was obvious in the following songs.

1)Pottu vaitha kadhal thittam - Singaravelan
2)Jolly Jolly - Ullasam

Are there any songs in TFM where this instrument is used?
From: Chandrasekaran (@ proxyf9.cyberway.com.sg) on: Mon Jul 14 23:09:00 EDT 1997

A song from Nizhalgal - Mazhai vizhundu Thavum Nadi alai than - has tremendous amount of Electric Guitar and Viloin pieces.
From: PG (@ igw2.merck.com) on: Tue Jul 15 09:39:16 EDT 1997

The song is 'Madai Thirandhu Thaavum nadhi alai naan'
From: Gokul (@ 204.76.131.140) on: Tue Jul 15 13:43:15 EDT 1997

The musical trend started by Raja is the way he
deployed violins for the songs.(Also I remember my Friend Lakshmi Narayanan's initial observations on the way Raja was using the Rthym Guitar in sync with the beats. This is very attractive).
If you observe the stanzas there will be a string of violins quietly building towards the interlude. This greatly enhances the synchronization and I have reasons to believe He is the first one to introduce this effective mixing in Tamil Songs. For example in the song Pattu Thalaivan (From Idaya Koil) this form is very striking.
From: Gopal Prasad (@ host-207-53-0-20.atl.bellsouth.net) on: Tue Jul 15 15:42:12 EDT 1997

Guys, want to listen to some excellent violin in BG ? Listen to Oru ganam oru yugamaaga from Naadodi thenral and Raasaathi from Poovarasan. Ilays love for violin dates back to his Poondhalir days and in the song naan naan aadanum you will be in for a treat.
From: PG (@ igw2.merck.com) on: Tue Jul 15 16:17:11 EDT 1997

IR Songs with great string section :

Vizhiyile malarndhadhu
Chinna pura ondru
From: Shashi (@ 137.197.35.41) on: Thu Jul 17 00:16:21 EDT 1997

Some more songs with use of electric lead guitar for the sake of Mr/Ms cp (@ 208.206.24.27

1. Vikram Vikram ... in the movie Vikram
2. I want to do...something! in the movie Anjali

Both these songs have excellent electric guitar interludes. Enjoy
Shashi
From: Aravind (@ 202.42.152.8) on: Thu Jul 17 03:20:07 EDT 1997

The violin list is never ending. But I cannot resist mentioning about 'aanandha raagam' (panneer pushpangaL) and 'neelak kuyilE' (magudi).

Can you name some of Raja's songs without violin? 'en kaNmaNi' (sittuk kuruvi) is one.
From: Padmanabhan Ganesan (@ igw2.merck.com) on: Tue Jul 22 15:47:37 EDT 1997

There is an old song with great use of strings :

Chinnanchiru penn pole
sitraadai udai uduthi
sivagangai kulatharughe

sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan.

The use of strings is superb in this song.

Does anybody know which movie this song is from ?
From: cp (@ 208.206.24.27) on: Tue Jul 22 17:51:28 EDT 1997

The use of violins in the second interlude of the song "Oh.. Butterfly" in the film Meera was simply superb. This piece is used to portray the graceful and elegant flight of a butterfly. This scene comes to life with IR's music. Moreover, SPB and Asha Bhosle add color to it(please forget the pronunciation by Asha as Butterrrrrfly)
From: GOpi santhanam (@ neesgate.neesnet.com) on: Fri Jul 25 09:05:37 EDT 1997

i think 'mella mella unnai thottu'
from vaazhkkai is a nice example

'pani vizhum malarvanam' -ninaivellam nithya

'oru naal ' new one -captivating song from devadhai

'nadakkudhu nandhavam ' -
nandhavanath theru

'andhiyilae vaanam ' - chinnavar
has got pleasing violin interludes
From: Easwaran Hariharan (@ amex.proxy.lucent.com) on: Thu Jul 31 16:19:48 EDT 1997

Songs in 'nenjathi killathe' has very good violin usage. 'o thendrale' , 'Paruvame' and 'uravenum' has excellant orchestration, such that one my american friend here loves this songs, and intrested in listening to more tamil songs,bcos of these three songs.
Other songs, where IR violin stands out are
1. 'ore nall' in illamai unjaladugirathu
2. 'kala kalama vallum kadalukku' in the film
punnagai mannan
3. 'en jeevan paduthu' film ????, which has
capituvating violin piece, in the end of saranams.
4. 'pani villum iravu' in the film mouna raggam, where in the middle of first interlude, where IR suddenly introduces one violin piece. I listened this song just for this piece.
5. 'Chinna Chinna' in the film 'poo vilizi vasale'

Oh man!, it is a never ending list.

e.hari
From: Ravi (@ eagle.vapower.com) on: Fri Aug 1 10:28:31 EDT 1997

Did you guys mentiont the violin interlude in IRs early-in-his-career song 'oru naaL' from Uravadum Nenjam?
From: Bhaskar (@ dutyfree.proxy.lucent.com) on: Mon Aug 25 16:34:54 EDT 1997

How to Name it - Album is full of beautiful
violin Compositions.

Padum Nilave Then kavidhai - Udhayam
This song has superb violin interludes.

Kalyana Malai Kodadum Penne - Pudhu Pudhu Arthagal

Naan Thedum Sevandhi Poovidhu - ??
From: cp (@ 208.206.24.27) on: Tue Aug 26 10:49:56 EDT 1997

Naan thedum sevandhi poovidhu - dharmapathini
From: Kitcha (@ dhcp232-184.eel.ufl.edu) on: Tue Sep 9 14:39:51 EDT 1997

IR uses the violin to great effect in his BGM.
1.Raja Paarvai
2.Idhayam( Man! the music is just too good)
3. Sathi Leelavathi, has the theme music in the cassette.This is a wonderful piece.
4. The famous "Punnagai Mannan" music where he starts off with the flute and ends it by playing the same piece on the violin.

Songs:
1.sangeetha megam from UdayaGeetham.
2.chinna kannan azhaikkiran - pathos
3.AgAya gangai- Dharma Yudham... it has a wonderful piece of a solo violin in the intro and the 1st interlude.

Electric guitar:
Raja has used the bass guitar to great effect in some of his songs.
1.Poongaatru - Moondram pirai
2.Valai Osai - Satya

Lead Guitar:
1.Pazhaiye vilangu - Meera

* ARR uses the lead in Mustafa...!
From: Gopal (@ host-207-53-5-7.atl.bellsouth.net) on: Tue Sep 9 17:28:57 EDT 1997

Want some beautiful violin scores??
Listen to Naan naan aadanum from POOnthalir
From: Gokul (@ ww-tb66.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Sep 20 17:09:14 EDT 1997

Check out the intro violins in Rasathi.. Rasathi..
from Poovarasan..
From: Guha (@ crc-selq8.unl.edu) on: Tue Jan 13 14:15:23 EST 1998

An interesting and different violin accompaniment
in the song "Aridharatha poosi kolla aase" in the movie Avathaaram, and ofcourse, the polka in "Sandhirarum Sooriyarum" in the same movie, reminds me of the Strauss brothers...
From: Sriram (@ 60-ppp-a.cvx02.agis.net) on: Sat Feb 6 15:27:01 EST 1999

As Gopal has said, gyan gyan paadanum.. has excellent violin interludes. Also cannot forget the interlude before second stanza in 'Thalayai kuniyum thaamarayey'.
From: Tanesha (@ spider-ta033.proxy.aol.com) on: Thu Aug 2 19:55:22 EDT 2001

Yous hould have things for people who lost there touch at violin and need to getback on rack.Then you would get alot guests on this site
From: OMKUMAR.M (@ 203.197.138.163) on: Thu Aug 30 01:51:44 EDT 2001

have you ever listened to IRs
1. HOW TO NAME IT
2.NOTHING BUT WIND.
ITS FULL OF VIOLIN AND STRING INSTRUMENTS.
UNCOUNTABLE NOTES ARE THERE.Y U PEOPLE No. THEM.
IRs TUNES GIVE VARIABLE TASTES.NOT OF REPEATED ONES.
From: OMKUMAR.M (@ 203.197.138.163) on: Thu Aug 30 01:55:09 EDT 2001

any one who wishes to contact me may mail to omkumar1@india.com and share ur views about IR
From: OMKUMAR.M (@ 203.197.138.163) on: Thu Aug 30 01:55:50 EDT 2001

any one who wishes to contact me may mail to omkumar1@indya.com and share ur views about IR
From: Venki (@ 166.102.198.8) on: Mon Aug 12 16:41:36 EDT 2002

Yet another example for the Maestro's love for Violin
do listen the the master piece from En Mana Vaanil
http://www.raajangahm.com/real/songs/emv/song1.ram

listen to all the songs from
http://www.raaja.com/filmalbums/y2k2.html
From: rajan (@ 200.202.96.10) on: Thu Nov 28 16:04:32 EST 2002

ilayaraja had an assistant named vs.narasimman.he was a violanist and played a piece of violin concert for rajaparvai
then he was introduced as music director by kb in the film achchamillai and then he scored music for kalyana agathikal
and a film produced by kb and directed by ameer jaan starring murakli pudhiyavan and then
for yaar nee ?
aayiram pookkal malarattum and pasamalarkal

so he was very useful to ir when he was with him
From: velji (@ 61.11.83.183) on: Thu Dec 4 12:50:59 EST 2003

IR is very skilled in violins. One can cite many examples. One memorable song is " Ennavendru Solvathamma, Vanji aval peralagai" in which Meena will be in a swing and the backround score in violins will complement the swinging motion.

In the song "Ariro --o -- ariro, nee yaro -o- nan vero" sung by Latha Mangeskar, the same interlude music will be carried on in the backround continuosly for the middle stanza after the interlude.I was in the recording studio with IR when this song was recorded. This is a technique -speciality for IR.
However Viswanathan Ramamurthy had also experimented with this technique in the "Vennira AAdai" song " Enna Enna varthaigalo". The beginning Piano music will continue as it is in the back round when the lyrics are sung.
From: velji (@ 61.11.80.133) on: Sat Dec 6 22:15:49 EST 2003

My Dear Easwar hariharan

You have rightlky stated that Songs in 'nenjathi killathe' have very good violin usage. 'o thendrale' , 'Paruvame' and 'uravenum' hava excellant orchestration,

I think IR had never surpassed these great tunes himself! They are simply superb!
From: Rajarasigan (@ 15.219.201.68) on: Sun Aug 29 18:45:52 EDT 2004

I heard that Rakamma Kaiya thattu was composed with 1000 violinists. Could anyone clear it?

U guys left Idhayam oru Koil and another song in the same movie.. I think kootathile koil pura. Both had a wonderful violin flavour.

List all pages of this thread

Want to post a response?

Back to the Forum