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Playback singers should sing in languages other than their mothertongues only and only if they are familiar with it.Look how awfully Yeshudas pronounces Tamil words and you still listen to it.On the other hand SPB is quite comfartable with Tamil though he makes a mess out of Hindi. The latest entrant to this list is UditNarayan who comes out with horrid versions of some sweet lyrics.What do you folks say?

Topic started by Varkey (@ 128.227.80.30) on Tue Jul 29 17:18:51 EDT 1997.
All times in EDT +9:30 for IST.

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Responses:

• From: Sathiya Keerthi (@ panorama.nus.edu.sg) on: Tue Jul 29 22:03:55 EDT 1997
  
  "Playback singers ... should be familiar with the
  language" is not really necessary. The other day
  I was listening to a TV interview with Swarnalatha.
  Her Tamil was so bad. It was pretty clear that
  she knew very little about Thamizh. Yet, she
  sings all Thamizh songs so clearly and without
  error. I think it depends a lot on those
  involved in the recording of songs; if they
  take time and put a watchful ear on the singers,
  I think songs will come out good. Once when KJJ
  was criticised for singing "PiLLai thamizh
  paadugiren" as "Pillai thamizh padugiren", he
  made the comment that neither MSV nor the lyricist
  nor the movie director made any comment about
  his wrong pronunciation during the recording.
  I think he had a very valid point.
  
  Many times, I think (this is probably the case
  with Jency, Udit Narayan etc.) that the horrid
  pronunciation they give in a strange voice is
  considered as a new and interesting "style" and
  hence considered as a cause for the song to become
  a hit; therefore such horrid pronunciations
  are "let go" by the song-makers (perhaps even
  intentionally put-in).
  
  
• From: Kanchana (@ ww-ti22.proxy.aol.com) on: Wed Jul 30 11:26:52 EDT 1997
  
  I agree that playback singers do not have to really know the language, to pronounce it right or emote right. But isn't there a responsibility on the MD and the Director to make sure the communication is right?
  
  Outstanding example is the rendition of "Udal mannukku uyir thamizhukku" from Iruvar. It is ironic that the kavidhai revolves around Thamizh & the spirit to the point of sounding fanatical, but the singers' pronunciation of the same language is laughable. Doesn't the director care?
  
  I'm not sure a strange inflection makes a song attractive; the mispronounced words grate in your ears and make you wince. Is my opinion a product of my generation? The younger(!) generation in India & elsewhere doesn't feel this way?!
  
  
• From: Varkey (@ 128.227.80.30) on: Wed Jul 30 17:37:51 EDT 1997
  
  
  Talking about Udit Narayan's renditions I don't think listening to him blaring "Gundooo jadigalil goodathe"(in "Romeo aatam pottal")is exactly funky.If yes,then it is a shame on all Tamilians.And listen to his "Kaadhalikkum Pennin Kaigal".Height of attrocity.
  Coming to Yesudas we all know his classic blunderous song,"Ninnaivaale ",where he sings "Theru Koyile" instead of "Thiru Koyile".Now the story goes that the MD corrected KJY nearly 5 times but in vain.Finally KJY left the studio in a fit of anger leaving the song as it was.Now what do you make of that?
  OK Swarnalatha is indeed a good singer.But her English is horrid.In the song "Akada" from INDIAN, she sings "gowrmenta" instead of governmenta.She also sang "Haallywood" &much more.Give us a break Swarna.
  In this context,I think Sujatha is the best singer we have and I very strongly felt she deserved the national award this year for "Poo Pookum Osai" rather than Chitra.
  
  
• From: PG (@ igw2.merck.com) on: Thu Jul 31 09:22:15 EDT 1997
  
  In the case of Iruvar, it seems Vairamuthu was very displeased with the way Arvindsamy rendered the dialogues.
  
  
• From: NO Valen (@ 202.184.134.10) on: Fri Aug 1 03:12:01 EDT 1997
  
  Was it the actor Aravind Swamy?
  
  
• From: Kanchana (@ ww-td42.proxy.aol.com) on: Fri Aug 1 11:41:51 EDT 1997
  
  I would expect Vairamuthu to be displeased, to see his creation being butchered by some one. But, the ultimate responsibility lies with the Director. Maniratnam (my favorite director beside KB) is so particular about all other details in his movie; why did he slip on the language--one of the key modes of communication besides visuals and music in movies?
  
  
• From: Aravind (@ 202.42.152.8) on: Sun Aug 3 22:57:00 EDT 1997
  
  Sorry for digressing. Anybody who employs ARR as the MD has to forget about pronounciation in songs. If Mani had been particular in that he must have stopped using ARR after 'kanni pengal ...... kangal kandEnE'. This shows that Mani is not that particular about pronounciation in the songs.
  
  BTW, Is Mani is particular about all other details??!! Sorry this is an irrelevent topic in TFM!!
  
  
• From: Kanchana (@ ww-tp01.proxy.aol.com) on: Mon Aug 4 12:35:11 EDT 1997
  
  Aravind:
  Yes, your question does go beyond the scope of TFM. Too bad, because I'd like to get your perspective on the issue. Some other time, some other place....?!
  
  
• From: G. Varghese (@ host1346.tor1.pda.attcanada.com) on: Sun Dec 21 22:42:57 EST 1997
  
  I find it "amusing", to see people criticize K.J.
  Yesudas for his pronounciation of Some Tamil words in the sixties and seventies! Have you guys and gals listened to any of his super songs of recent years, or his classical renditions in Tamil including "Thiruppaavai"? "Therukkovil" is old story. Let's not repeat it over and over again.Remember that most of you even spell his name wrong because you can't pronounce his name right. I hope I haven't hurt anyone's feelings or pride!
  
  
• From: G. Varghese (@ host1346.tor1.pda.attcanada.com) on: Sun Dec 21 23:06:34 EST 1997
  
  Dear Varkey:
  I think you are mixing up two events with reference to K.J. Yesudas. In his earlier years, Yesudas walked out of the studios after an artist in M.S. Viswanathan's orchestra kept on making the same mistake "take" after "take". This caused a long interruption in Yesudas' success in the TFM
  area. "Therukkoyile" was an error which went uncorrected because noboby mentioned it at the time of recording. Remember, Yesudas has recorded songs in so many languages, including Spanish and English, that it is easy for anyone to pick on a
  word here or there to criticize! For a change, let's admire and compliment him for his voice.
  
  
  
  
• From: ruby (@ panorama.nus.edu.sg) on: Sat Jan 3 22:48:24 EST 1998
  
  i think one should be proud that people of other races actually take the effort to sing tamil songs.
  the irony of these complains is that very few tamilian singers are famous, chitra, sujatha,swarna,KJJ,SPB,janaki and many more world famous singers belong to other dialect groups!I think they prounce tamil better than the tamils themselves!
  
  
• From: SHOBHA (@ klg-56-214.tm.net.my) on: Thu Apr 9 23:57:09 EDT 1998
  
  I can't help but agree with Ruby on this matter. It is indeed to be noted that MOST Tamil playback singers actually have other languages as their mother-tounge. It is an appreciated effort that some of them render tamil songs with natural ease. I feel that in general, South Indians should not have that much a problem grasping other South Indian languages with practise. However, the same cannot be said for North Indian singers at this point. Let's hope that the situation becomes better in future.
  
  
• From: SHOBHA (@ klg-56-214.tm.net.my) on: Fri Apr 10 00:02:32 EDT 1998
  
  I can't help but agree with Ruby on this matter. It is indeed to be noted that MOST Tamil playback singers actually have other languages as their mother-tongue. It is an appreciated effort that some of them render tamil songs with natural ease. I feel that in general, South Indians should not have that much a problem grasping other South Indian languages with practise. However, the same cannot be said for North Indian singers at this point. Let's hope that the situation becomes better in future.
  
  
• From: Anne Sam (@ ) on: Mon Oct 28 22:31:19 EST 2002
  
  Why do you take all the birth right in criticising play back singers, actors or actoresses... who gives you right--why dont you try singing in your own language and then learn to appreciate the GOODNESS... just because we are in a democratic country, we take all the LIBERTY TO THROW WORDS --just like that.. try doing that in any other country--it is high time one, APPRECIATES, ENCOURAGES.. and if you need to criticise, tell the person ONE-TO-ONE instead of talking BEHIND THEIR BACK ---
  
  
• From: dus (@ 65.165.88.1) on: Fri May 28 22:47:24 EDT 2004
  
  i like poop i like poop i like poop i like it and i like o it well poop poop poop poop poop poop yeah yeah yeah this is a stupid remark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  

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