Technical Discussions on TFM

Revived from a related thread in archives:
Tamil Film Music Cateogories

Topic started by Mukund (@ internet-gw1.hea.com) on Tue Mar 10 17:54:59 EST 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I want all of us to participate in a healthy discussion to come up with reasonable definition of different kinds of music cateogories - thereby shedding more light to unexplored areas of Tamil Film Music as it is becoming more and more "international" :-) by the day. This process is simply to increase the knowledge base.

Cateogories that come to my mind are Carnatic, Western Classical, Jazz, Fusion, Flamenco, New age etc. -- :-) so many terms and so little definition.

As for Carnatic and Western Classical, their foundations lie basically in melody and harmony based approaches to music.

What are the foundations of other kinds of music ?
Are they based on the use of certain kind of instruments ?

Since TFM-DF consists of varied set of people with inclinations towards different musical tastes as well I am hoping a lot of them to contribute for this article

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: prakash (@ ) on: Fri Dec 15 15:31:23 EST 2000
  
  anothern revival for this superlative thread.where is this kanchana madam-is she posting now in a different name.
  ippovum discussion appadinnuttu edha pannittu irukkom.
  please, please go thru this entire thread.
  yaan petra inbam peruga ivvaiyagam.
  when old dfers say they have stopped posting- beleive them.
  nowadays we really sound like kathukkutties.
  
  
• From: Admin (@ 192.122.134.138) on: Thu Dec 21 01:28:52 EST 2000
  
  
  
  
• From: Swamiji (@ 198.102.112.201) on: Thu Dec 21 19:58:33 EST 2000
  
  Guys we shall talk here. Thanks to prakash and admin for getting this up and running.
  
  
• From: Naveen (@ 4.4.123.116) on: Thu Dec 21 23:00:13 EST 2000
  
  haiyaa... phee pheee... :)
  
  Swamiji.. start something interesting!
  
  
• From: eden (@ 61.1.250.130) on: Tue Jan 2 04:19:09 EST 2001
  
  The song `athi marappoovidhu' (SJ/IR) in the film `sAdhanai' used to be called as a `hindusthani' song those days...can someone explain why that is called so, what is the ingradient in that song which brings the so-called northie flavor? Is it the melody, or choice of instruments -I hope it's not the scene in the film:-)
  
  
• From: Venkatesh (@ 206.49.110.156) on: Wed Jan 31 03:05:49 EST 2001
  
  Techies,
  
  Please explain to me, in layman terms, about Ambient Music. I think it is a sound engg tech and not a style of music, pls clarify. I need examples from IR and ARR songs.
  
  
• From: Sugrutha (@ 65.11.240.45) on: Wed Feb 14 19:03:58 EST 2001
  
  MSV/TKR created many songs with a Jazz base, yet very original. I always thought that LR was roped in for the correct effect.
  
  Some of the songs that come to my mind,
  
  1. Aadavarellaam aadavaralaam
  2. Paal mana paal (I thought 'vennila vennila' from 'Iruvar' was influenced by this song)
  3. varavendum oru pozhudhu varaamal irundhaal
  4. palingunaal oru maaligai (composed by Veda or Papa and lifted straight from Artie Shaw's Frenesi)
  
  Other songs, which dont sound obviously Jazz, but given that flavour by LR with her exotic voice and style and breath control. mullil roja, avalukkenna, kannirandum minna minna, rajarajasree, yaarodum pesa koodaathu, kanni venduma, ettil ezhithivaithen (LR's humming is incredible), thulluvatho ilamai (flamenco), naam oruvarai oruvar (arabic style), nenjathai alli konjam tha tha, kangalai konduvaa (thousand times better than Asha's original 'husn ke laakhon rang'), paarvai onre pothume (again beating hands down Asha's original 'shaukh nazar ki'),naan oru kaadhal sanyasi.
  
  My all time favourite is 'ammamma keladi thozhi' - LR, the music and the sax - were all wonderful.
  
  However I do not like 'pattathu rani', from that point on the MSV-LR magic started going downhill.
  
  Still she could have been rescued with some motivating music. I thought Ilayaraaja would do it. But I guess his style did not include Jazz and strong female voices.
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 206.150.228.62) on: Thu Feb 22 15:31:50 EST 2001
  
  Eden
  
  Athimara poovidhu's style is qawwali.
  
  Here are a few other songs in the style, see if
  you can isolate the common elements:
  Paaradi kannae konjam, paithiyamanadhu nenjam
  Aayiram penmai malarattumae (Vaazhkai padagu)
  Interlude of Singaluthu chinna kuyilae
  Kannalanae enadhu kannai
  Ishq bina kya jeena yaro (male singing)
  Varaha nadhikkarai oram
  
  Here are the typical elements:
  Tabla playing a spacey laid out rhythm,
  A stringed instrument playing the high pitched one-note
  hand claps on the downbeats (if you count 1-2 1-2, the claps fall on the 2s)
  Use of harmonium
  
  Qawwali is the Islamic devotional singing as popular in northern India and Pakistan. It is typically a group singing style, with minimal accompaniments (Lead singer, group, mandolin like instrument, harmonium and claps!). Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahib and his cousin Badar Ali khan are recent international qawwali hits. I guess Qawwali came to TFM through the Hindi film route.
  
  
  
• From: eden (@ ) on: Mon Feb 26 04:48:59 EST 2001
  
  Rjay!
  Thanks for the explanation on `qawwali'...now, is `Adaludan pAdalaikkEttu rasippadhilE' (kudiyirundha kOil) a qawwali? Or, is it bhangra?:-))
  
  
• From: Anu (@ aca416f8.ipt.aol.com) on: Sat Aug 4 21:32:35 EDT 2001
  
  Hi
  Could anyone tell me what 'thaalam' the following songs are composed in?? Also the raagam too...
  Thanks
  
  1. Snehidhane from Alaypaayudhe
  2. Vaseegara from Minnale
  3. Thaniye from Rhythm
  
  
  
• From: Venkat Venkatasubramanian (@ ct31535-a.lafayt1.in.home.com) on: Mon Aug 6 11:19:08 EDT 2001
  
  Hi Everyone:
  
  I am a newcomer to TFM. The query I post below has perhaps been answered already, but I couldn't locate it in the archives. May be someone can point me to the right source.
  
  I had heard a jazz piece many years back which reminded me of Anubhavam Phudhumai (from Kaadalikka Neramillai). However, I have
  forgotten the name of the piece or its composer. I was wondering whether one of you might have this information.
  
  Many thanks.
  
  Venkat
  
  
• From: aruLaracan (@ psiphi.umsl.edu) on: Tue Aug 7 15:08:26 EDT 2001
  
  i am listening to sundhar kaNNAl oru sEdhi. the second interlude has some good use of typmani. it sounds like it is sampled. if not, does anyone know who played it? is there any good tympani player in ifm circles?
  
  
• From: sundhar (@ 64.133.24.6) on: Fri Aug 24 03:44:25 EDT 2001
  
  hi arul,
  Sundhar here ...who is giving seidhi thru eyes to me??uh?
  
  
• From: Ramakrishnan (@ 203.199.239.68) on: Fri Nov 23 13:23:16 EST 2001
  
  Can someone tell me the musical instrument used at the beginning of the song "malare kurunji malare" in Dr. Siva that is kind of like drrrrring. Also the one in the song "neeyum naanuma" in Gauravam that comes in the middle by itself that is similar sounding.
  
  
• From: badri (@ 202.9.147.130) on: Sun Jan 27 11:43:56 EST 2002
  
  I saw AZHAGHEE yesterday,and i recollect the writeup of MALATHI RANGARAJAN IN THE HINDU,(both editor and magazine had failed to appreciate the GREAT MEASTRO all these years). but now she had written
  potraying that none can match the meastro in rerecording and fshis ideal use of instruments.
  yes raja has done another unmeasurable acheivement of film music,
  its history and remarkable history,
  the way he had handled music for this great film projects his super genius quality in handling film music.he makes audience shell tears
  many times with his gentle touch of flute and violin
  
  
• From: sat (@ 203.199.192.162) on: Wed Feb 20 01:46:24 EST 2002
  
  
  sugrutha
  
  i sincerely differ from ur opinion
  
  paarvai onre pothume (again beating hands down Asha's original 'shaukh nazar ki'),
  
  
  the original is 1000 times better than the copied version(of course i am talking about the singer, the tune and bgms are anyway copied).
  and FYI, there have been many of these old tunes, esp. this film Yaar nee, which were copied at that time by Tamil MDs, due to which Tamilians may not even know who the Original Composer of these were. the MD 'Madanmohan' has not got the credit due for him.
  
  Atleast pls dont praise a Copied version, u r taking away the credit from the original.
  
  sat
  
  
• From: Ashiqa (@ 196.2.50.9) on: Mon Dec 23 15:30:40 EST 2002
  
  Peace to everyone!. Can anybody help me with the translation of Qawwali?
  
  
• From: dr. james (@ 210.186.51.62) on: Wed Mar 26 09:58:16 EST 2003
  
  music is no about technology
  is about soul and heart
  
  

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