Re: [arr] Rahman and Me on a Nostalgic Trip
wow... Hats off Suresh.. Mind blowing review.. I felt tears in my eyes when I read your review, especially during your school days. I too had kind of same experience during my school days college days. I don't know what is music before ARR comes into picture. I never listened to any songs except Nagoor Hanifa other Islamic Devotional Songs. ARR, who made me to go crazy in his music. God bless you, ARR. -Siraj On 8/22/07, Prashanth Isaac [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Gopal Though many would have similar experiences, Suresh has written it very well ...I think we should share this with Rahman and I cannot imagine how happy he would be. Cheers. --- Gopal Srinivasan [EMAIL PROTECTED] catchgops%40yahoo.com wrote: http://ursmusically.blogspot.com/2007/08/rahman-and-me-on-nostalgic-trip.html Rahman and Me on a Nostalgic Trip What was the first musical note of Rahman that hit my senses? What was the first rhythm of Rahman that shook my body? These are the questions I often ask myself, for which I never had a proper answer. I could vaguely recollect watching a song from 'Roja' in DD and that's it. Unlike others, who have many a times exclaimed and explained, how they were stunned by that new sound of Rahman, I don't remember me, thinking anything of that sort about Rahman's music in Roja. The answer for my no immediate reaction is simple, because at that time, I didn't have enough exposure to either film music or Illayaraja's music to compare with. I didn't know anything about the kind of music being made for movies before Rahman came. Both Rahman and I entered into film music at the same time, only difference was that he had started to compose and I had started to listen. I was just 8 years old. I was born and brought up in a small town, in a lower middle class family. We couldn't afford to buy a Tape recorder or cassettes then. We had a big old radio in which I don't have any memory of listening to film songs. We didn't have a TV either. We use to go to our neighbors house to watch TV. I think, after Roja, Rahman did 'Pudhiya Mugam', because I remember liking 'Kannukku Mai Azhaghu' so much to an extent that I wrote my own lyrics for the song, a few insane lines of which I still remember. It goes like, 'Vetrikku Mei Azhaghu, Tholvikku Poi Azhaghu'. I don't know where I listened to that song first. More than the songs, the background score of Pudhiya Mugam (which was earlier used as title music for a teleserial 'Revathi') drew my attention. I was going for a private tuition every evening to my class teacher's house where they had a good audio system. They use to listen to the songs even when we study. I remember seeing the lyrics booklet (a first time for a Tamil soundtrack) that came with a well designed 'Thiruda Thiruda' cassette. One day, instead of reading my lessons, I started reading that lyrics book while they were listening to the songs. The song that hit me like a hammer blow was 'Veerapandi Kottaiyilae'. I couldn't believe what I was listening to. I couldn't understand anything in musical terms but I was wonderstruck by the energy of the beats and the unexpected variations in its tempo. The freshness, the energy, the innovation and the experimentation in 'Thiruda Thiruda' music is still an unparalleled achievement. The lunacy of Rahman's music making style in that soundtrack is still unbelievable. One fine evening, one of my school mates asked me whether I heard newly released 'Arabic kadaloram' song. He said that it was going to be the song of the year. I didn't understand what he meant by saying song of the year. I just forgot about it. By that time, we had bought a small black and white Onida TV. In DD, they use to air a count down program called 'Ek se Badkar Ek' in which I saw 'Kannaalanae' song for the first time. We were then a big joint family with 15 members. My uncle (my father's brother) had bought a small tape recorder. He often played Bombay songs. Since, my father had a fight with him, I was not allowed inside his room to listen to the songs. I still remember how I would plead my grandpa to ask my uncle to increase the volume so that I can listen to the songs from the hall itself. That was the amount of interest in music Rahman kindled in me. I use to beg him to play the songs again and again. It was at that time I started buying lyrics book. A lyrics book is a small book made of low quality paper of grey in colour, which will have lyrics of all the songs from a movie, printed in it. In the front cover, it will contain a picture of the hero and heroine of the movie. Inside, the song lyrics would be printed along with the name of the lyricist and the singers at the right hand top corner. They use to sell it
Re: [arr] Rahman and Me on a Nostalgic Trip
Hi Gopal Though many would have similar experiences, Suresh has written it very well ...I think we should share this with Rahman and I cannot imagine how happy he would be. Cheers. --- Gopal Srinivasan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: http://ursmusically.blogspot.com/2007/08/rahman-and-me-on-nostalgic-trip.html Rahman and Me on a Nostalgic Trip What was the first musical note of Rahman that hit my senses? What was the first rhythm of Rahman that shook my body? These are the questions I often ask myself, for which I never had a proper answer. I could vaguely recollect watching a song from Roja in DD and thats it. Unlike others, who have many a times exclaimed and explained, how they were stunned by that new sound of Rahman, I dont remember me, thinking anything of that sort about Rahmans music in Roja. The answer for my no immediate reaction is simple, because at that time, I didnt have enough exposure to either film music or Illayarajas music to compare with. I didnt know anything about the kind of music being made for movies before Rahman came. Both Rahman and I entered into film music at the same time, only difference was that he had started to compose and I had started to listen. I was just 8 years old. I was born and brought up in a small town, in a lower middle class family. We couldnt afford to buy a Tape recorder or cassettes then. We had a big old radio in which I dont have any memory of listening to film songs. We didnt have a TV either. We use to go to our neighbors house to watch TV. I think, after Roja, Rahman did Pudhiya Mugam, because I remember liking Kannukku Mai Azhaghu so much to an extent that I wrote my own lyrics for the song, a few insane lines of which I still remember. It goes like, Vetrikku Mei Azhaghu, Tholvikku Poi Azhaghu. I dont know where I listened to that song first. More than the songs, the background score of Pudhiya Mugam (which was earlier used as title music for a teleserial Revathi) drew my attention. I was going for a private tuition every evening to my class teachers house where they had a good audio system. They use to listen to the songs even when we study. I remember seeing the lyrics booklet (a first time for a Tamil soundtrack) that came with a well designed Thiruda Thiruda cassette. One day, instead of reading my lessons, I started reading that lyrics book while they were listening to the songs. The song that hit me like a hammer blow was Veerapandi Kottaiyilae. I couldnt believe what I was listening to. I couldnt understand anything in musical terms but I was wonderstruck by the energy of the beats and the unexpected variations in its tempo. The freshness, the energy, the innovation and the experimentation in Thiruda Thiruda music is still an unparalleled achievement. The lunacy of Rahmans music making style in that soundtrack is still unbelievable. One fine evening, one of my school mates asked me whether I heard newly released Arabic kadaloram song. He said that it was going to be the song of the year. I didnt understand what he meant by saying song of the year. I just forgot about it. By that time, we had bought a small black and white Onida TV. In DD, they use to air a count down program called Ek se Badkar Ek in which I saw Kannaalanae song for the first time. We were then a big joint family with 15 members. My uncle (my fathers brother) had bought a small tape recorder. He often played Bombay songs. Since, my father had a fight with him, I was not allowed inside his room to listen to the songs. I still remember how I would plead my grandpa to ask my uncle to increase the volume so that I can listen to the songs from the hall itself. That was the amount of interest in music Rahman kindled in me. I use to beg him to play the songs again and again. It was at that time I started buying lyrics book. A lyrics book is a small book made of low quality paper of grey in colour, which will have lyrics of all the songs from a movie, printed in it. In the front cover, it will contain a picture of the hero and heroine of the movie. Inside, the song lyrics would be printed along with the name of the lyricist and the singers at the right hand top corner. They use to sell it outside our school. I bought it for 25 or 30 paisa. I use to listen to the song with lyrics book in my hand and sing along with it. Bombay was the first soundtrack for which I bought this lyrics book and use to keep it in secret between my school books. From then on, I bought the lyrics for all Rahman soundtracks that I got a chance to listen to. I use to steal money from my Dads purse for buying these books. Kaathu Kaathu ena Kaathu from Uzhavan brings me the memory of those days when I was in a crush with a girl called Sheela,
