GODFather A Preview & review
It is indeed a bliss knowing that Padmashree A.R.Rahman, 'the Mozart of Asia', has made a tremendous return down to south India. His music, inclusive of all magnificent elements has no restriction in crossing global borders, revealing itself genuinely to people despite their, cast, creed, religion and ethics. By only spreading the message of love, A.R.Rahman's music alone has acquired immortality and succeeded to prevail beyond time. Looking at his recent works, one can concede that A.R.Rahman has evolved into being extremely versatile in composing music. His music speaks for itself, be it the acoustically acclaimed 'Water', which had music conveyed directly from his heart or the youthful, innovativeness of 'Rang De Basanti'. A.R.Rahman's return had very much revolutionized south Indian film music. This is evident in through His 'Mayiliragey', from the film Anbe Aaruyirea. This particular song could never fit into any genre in existences in the Indian music industry today, but it was accepted by masses due to its melodic specialty and attractive music presentation. Some works of A.R.Rahman are too discreet to be digested instantly by masses. But when accepted there will be no turning back. This applies to his recent musical 'Godfather'.
GodFather....long awaited treasure chest.
Godfather, is indeed the survivor among odds. The sheer determination and passion for films instigated director K.S.Ravikumar pull it trough financialy, defying all odds which occurred during the production of Godfather. The film had survived very crucial times which at a time had affirmed fans to doubt its ability to sustain. Many hypes and rumors thrown at the movie during its production phase which held most fans in dilemma. The issue finally dawned when the official trailer of the movie was released, adorned with a promising screenplay which seems to be musically driven by the music genius A.R.Rahman, making the long wait to auscultate it fruitful. All songs were depicted genuinely in the trailer; it was liberation for fans. Fresh, new and awesome were some spontaneous responses towards the trailer, the credit to it is shared by both K.S.Ravikumar and A.R.Rahman who have been trustworthy of delivering such fine and finished output over the past years. Their combo in the past for films such as muthu, padaiyappa, and thenali were reputed blockbusters. Godfather will definitely adorn a stature of its own in this enchanting league.
Godfather a NIC ARTS Production
Director: K.S.Ravikumar
Producer: S.S.Chakravarthy
Music: A.R.Rahman
Editor: K.Thanigachalam
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
Dialogues: Crazy Mohan
Photography/Cinematography: P.C.Sreeram, Priyan,Vijay Milton and Chakravarthy
Art Direction: Thotta Tharani
Stunts: Kanal Kannan
Choreography: Raju sundaram
Cast: Ajith kumar, Asin, Kanika, Nadiya, Sujatha, Ramesh Kannna Santhana Barathi, Ponnambalam, Mansoor Ali Khan, Vaiyaburi, 'Crane' Manohar, 'Cesar' Manohar, Pandu, Vijayan, and Rajesh
The title may be similar to Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, a runaway success trilogy of Hollywood. But K. S. Ravikumar has churned a masala added storyline for his movie ‘Godfather’ to comfort his audience. According to sources, Ultimate star Ajith Kumar, for the first time, plays a triple role character in this film. He will embark on a father role, fascinate us as a eunuch; a villain and enchant us as a hero. Ajith needed a break into the cine field after his big hit Attahasam and also because of the average feedbacks he received from his recent Paramasivam. Godfather will indeed be his breakthrough currently into the cine field.
Asin comes in ravishingly as the love lady of the hero Ajith in the film. She will be playing a very subtle character of witty village girl according to her recent interview. Her acting would surely position her high in the tamil film industry after her recent hits like Ghajini, Maja and Sivakasi, adds her sources. Five Star fame, Kanika, partakes a role as second heroine in the movie. She will be playing a mentally disturbed mother of both the Ajith’s and the wife of Ajith acting as their father. This will be her first debut into a negative role driven to a character based on hatred and revenge.
All the best of India’s film fraternity has been working with the Godfather‘s crew. Yes, best art director, best music director, best cinematographer, best lyricist and more within the Godfather’s team. According to the director, the marvelous sets erected and sensational shooting location around India has come in handy in portraying A.R.Rahman’s frolicsome music scores. The highlight of the film will be a bharatanatyam dance performance by the Ajith playing a eunuch. Art director Thotta Tharani has erected as lavish classical dance hall in Hyderabad costing Rs. 2 Crores for this song and it will be a classy feast for eyes and ears of fans he adds.
A team comprising of geniuses or gems of the film industry is yet to present the most exciting and enjoyable production in Tamil film entertainment, could be sincerely expressed when one comes across the above names. So being patient in this case will result to a priceless experience. The wait is laudable.
The Soundtrack…A magnum opus.
A.R.Rahman the musical genius of India teaming up with K.S.Ravikumar has always been a celebrated combo to deliver music of a delightful nature. K.S.Ravikumar, a commercial director of a kind bestirs a fine chemistry musically while associating himself with A.R.Rahman. Looking at works of A.Rahman with K.S.Ravikumar in the past, in movies like Muthu, Padaiyappa and Thenali , one could easily predict the music outcomes of Godfather. Folk, Indian classical and sentimental music styles or genres are always in favor of K.S.Ravikumar’s musical instinct towards his movies. A.R.Rahman on the other hand delivers these genres of music with ease but in a distinguished manner which became hits in no time. Here are some assertions:
- In MUTHU all songs were superhit:
Kuluvalilae
Udit Narayanan, Chitra
Oruvan Oruvan
SP. Balasubramaniam
Thilana Thilana
Mano , Sujatha
Kokku Saiva Kokku
SP. Balasubramaniam, Theni Kunjarammal
Vidu Kathaiya
Hariharan
Songs are rated by listeners of Raaga Courtesy of Ragaa
A quote from The Hindu “Audio sales are dipping in cities as proved by "Chandramukhi" which sold only 50 per cent of what a "Muthu" or "Padayappa" did a few years ago”
2. Padaiyappa, a super hit also
En Peru Padaiyappa
SP. Balasubramaniam
Minsara Penn Poove
Srinivas, Nithyashree
Oh..ho.. Kikku
Mano , Febi
Suthi Suthi
SP. Balasubramaniam, Harini
Vazhkayil Aiyiram
Sriram
Theme Music
Instrumental
Songs are rated by listeners of Raaga Courtesy of Ragaa
2. Thenali not missing out too
Aalangati
Kamal Hassan, Sujatha
Athini Chithini
Hariharan, Chitra, Sivaraman
Injirango
Kamal Hassan, Chitra, Clinton, Dominique
Porkalam
Gopika, Poornima, Srinivas
Swasame
SP. Balasubramaniam, Sadhana Sargam
Thenali
Shankar Mahadevan
Songs are rated by listeners of Raaga Courtesy of Ragaa
A.R.Rahman has applied a similar sort of formula to the music of Godfather as applied to his past works with K.S. RAVIKUMAR. Folk, classical and sentimental are some genres involved within it. A.R.Rahman has made a bright attempt in introducing rap, techno and also remixes into this league and it has turned out well. The Soundtrack initially was slated to have six audio tracks, but later three more tracks were added to promote the Audio CD. KM MUSIQ, a new Audio label was introduced, to market the soundtrack of godfather in India. While AGIMUSIC for the international market distribution. The credits to this soundtrack are as listed below:
The Track listing
1. Illamai - Mohammad Aslam/ Tanvi/ Shalini Singh
2. Katril Oru Varthai - S.P.Balasubramaniam / Sadhana Sargam / Reena Bharadwaj
3. Dinam Deepavali - Kalpana / Sonu Karkar / Leon James / Peer Mohamed / Ranjith
4. Innisai Alapadaiye - Naresh Iyer/ Mahati
5. Kamma Karaiyile - Naresh Iyer / Sowmiya
6. Innisai (Chorus) - Mahati / Saindhavi
7. Theeyil Vizhunda - A R Rahman
8. Innisai (Radio Mix) - Naresh Iyer / Mahati
9. Illamai (D.U.C.K Mix) - Suresh Peters / Blaaze
CREDITS
INDIAN CLASSICAL VOCAL ON INNISAI
GHULAM MURTUZA KHAN
GHULAM QADIA KHAN
PROFF SRINI ON HINDUSTANI BHOLS
SRINIVAS ON SOLLUKATTU
MUSICIANS
MIRUTHANGAM - SEENU
GHATAM - KARTHIK
PAKAWAJ - SREENI
MOORSING - YOGIRAJA
LYRICS - VAIRAMUTHU
ADDITIONAL RYTHM PROGRAMING - SANJAY
ILLAMAI D.U.C.K MIX PRODUCED BY SURESH PETERS
RECORDED AT PANCHATHAN RECORD INN, A M STUDIO AND PHASE ONE, SKYLIGHT (TORONTO)
B.GANESH - MUSIC CO - ORDINATOR
MIXING ENGINEER - H. SRIDHAR
SOUND ENGINEERS - S. SIVA KUMAR, ADITYA MODI AND KARTIK VISWANATHAN
ALL SONGS PUBLISHED BY KM MUSIQ
A spectacular credit lining indeed. Godfather is positively a precious effort.
The Music Review: Opening the treasure chest…
Before moving on to what Godfather’ s music has to offer, It is worthy to look at some mediums involved supporting this review in justifying the greatness of Godfather’s Music.
Hardware
Soundcard: Creative’s X-Fi Xtreme Music audio processor.
“The Creative X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity audio processor packs in over 51 million transistors that churn out over 10,000 MIPS of power! That is 24 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, and is all dedicated to delivering the best audio experience ever!”
Speaker System: Creative’s Gigaworks S750.
“Creative GigaWorks® S750 embodies the power of speaker technology with its distinguished capabilities that affirm it as a top-of-class performer. Designed for DVD, gaming and AV enthusiasts, this is the first THX® certified 7.1 multimedia speaker system that features Titanium Super tweeters.”
Headphones: Creative’s HQ 1700.
Software
Media Player: Creative’s MediaSource Player.
Now getting to the Audio Review...
Song: Ilamai – Blood Rushing Youthfulness - 5:19mins.
Singers: Mohammad Aslam, Tanvi and Shalini Singh.
Genre: Pop.
This song is all about youthfulness; the disc guitar greets us abruptly but spontaneously at the start of the track. The initial start is grungy, filled with lots of energy lasting till the end. Shalini greets us hello sounding similar to the voice of Vasundra Dass. Artistic rhythm loops and some synth patterns adorn the background, increasing the energy of the song. Tanvi on the other hand does some animal ushering effects in this song which goes “Trrrerrrrrrrah”, amusing. A.R.Rahman has introduced a new rhythm instrument in this song which is the Trinidadian pan Steel drum, it’s a sophisticated instrument. It executes high pitched rhythm pattern while played. This rhythm pattern garnishes the song every time Aslam goes Oh Ooh at the start of the pallavi. There is so much happening in this song, for instance notice the chord progression, guitars and synth weaved together just before Aslam enters into the track, genius effort. The start is very promising; the song contains some new and fresh elements of music. This song could be used as an intro song in the movie because of its energetic value and it seem to describe the characteristics of the hero Ajith in the movie. Well, let’s go on to hear how the song evolves. Very good rhythmic verbal expressions are used in this song, catchy syllables “thadan dham dham dham”….is rendered by Aslam, indulging into the melody. Walla! What follows is the exact melodic progression used by Aslam rendering thadan dham dham but this time with the lyrics of the pallavi. A new addition into this song, very atmospheric vibes enter while Aslam renders the first caranam lending more emotional punch to the song. The song at whole turns vigorous and brighter as new music effects debut into it later on. The melodic structure mostly remains the same. The ending sprouts out creatively. After the chorus rendering of thadan tham tham..the melody is ripped off its rhythmic values leaving behind a single instrument to conquer the song, yes the pan steel drums. Having Shalini repeating her hellos the song ends leaving a message which says “hello the music game is not over yet. Three drum beats finally keeps us awake for more music ahead
Singers: A very successful attempt for Aslam debuting in tamil after being a phenomenal sensation in Rang De Basanti. Ilammai has done him proud with an involvement with a good melody requiring his vocal attention. He has done a clean job with his Tamil pronunciations as well as dictions, no doubt. Shalini and Tanvi have been in the A.R.Rahman league for quite a while. They come in good for these kinds of music genres.
Interludes: Very simple interludes decorate this song. This is due to the heavy instruments which the song had in store at whole. This is called a harmonic contrast in musical terms. It’s all about tailored listening. The first interlude begins at 1:35 to 2: 08. A.R.Rahman has done something new here too, a mixture of vocal and rhythm. A potpourri of vocal by the singers in harmony is pleasurable. Aslam takes in the center stage with the country style of yodeling, pretty relaxed. The second interlude is also vocal based, centering on the female leads, with tanvi doing her ushering Trraaah’s and the chorus going hip-ho-hip, shalini renders a string of notes in an ascending and descending order before Aslam enters into the mainstream melody. Good mixture indeed. Beautiful chord progressions and rhythm loops accompanies the vocal this time.
Mood, Melody and Emotions: A.R.Rahman has started this album with lots of energy. The pick on a western melody is a definite choice for this track. Illamai delivers a strong and boosting ambience overall which makes our foot to tap and hand to clap while hearing it. Bright and colorful emotions are executed along the course of this track which is delightful.
Lyrics: Vairamuthu has done well penning the lyrics for this song. The song mostly deals with lyrics talking about the hero’s dream girl or her nature. The pallavi compares parrots with women while the caranams go on narrating different characters or behaviors regarding young women the hero dreams of. The phrase “Oh oh oh oh Sofia...ha ha Malika...ha ha Fouzia...oh yachika...ha ha is the hype of the song.
Song: Kaathril Oru vaarthai – A breezy loyal whisper – 6: 04mins.
Singers: S.P.Balasubramaniam, Sadhana Sargam and Reena Bharadwaj (Click here to listen to an exclusive interview about her).
Genre: Sentimental Pop.
The breezy effects of this song are lovable. Sadhana in a delicate manner renders the first two lines from pallavi of the song emotionally. She is accompanied by haunting chord progressions bursting in passion. The Dholak and tinkles of the hand cymbals conquers the melodic atmosphere subsequently changing the mood of the song. Reena then enters into a Middle Eastern music mode with Reena singing phrases “hey Hey sahibbah” on air, melodically interesting. The violin enters in vigorously, proving its music ability in the song. Then it’s back to a full pallavi where the accordion makes its debut, dramatically enchanting the melody. The melodic boost here is the bright ascending notes from the keyboard played over the background. An Undeniable breathtaking start. S.P.B comes in the picture singing “Snehidi or my girlfriend”. When S.P.B renders the caranam the rhythms sync in with perfect timing, sharpening notes executions in the melody. A fantastic reverb effect is used from 2: 14 to 2: 16 on the dholak. A distinct instrumental arrangement occupies the second part of the caranam. Filled with strings, and guitar, it transmits a dazzling mood shift. The second caranam is filled with a pitiful synth effect which highlights the lyrics of the song there. Both S.P.B and sadhana goes on demonstrating their vocal versatility while rendering the caranams taking on various mood and hues of sentiment. The beats of the song moves unsoiled while handling different parts of the song. The rhythm transition is so perfect that moods are unpredictable directly flattering the soul of a listener. The track moves on to flourish on more melodic creativity. S.P.B breaks in an unusual feel while he renders the pallavi for the first time at the end of the song. The duet in the pallavi is luxurious; it just heightens the emotional bliss of a listener. The song ends with Sadhana’s “Hey hey snehida or hey hey my boyfriend” and a sharp execution of the dholak. Just amazing.
Singers: An incredible vocal line-up evoking a music paradise at instant. A distinct music adaptability of S.P.B. makes him one of the most sort after playback singer in India. He proved his versatile vocal execution in Ah Aah’s Thazhuvudu Nazhuvudu in R & B genre. Now a sentimental genre? What more lies ahead for him is capricious. Sadhana on the other hand is the female counterpart of S.P.B. She devours the finest of what music has to offer. The duo lends beauty to this song not only by their vocal but Tamil dictions. Both of them are amateurs in the A.R.Rahman league. Reena had her share of fame in Menaaxi’s Hey Rishta and the recent duet with Kavitha krishnamurty in Mangal pandey’s Mai vari Vari. Although new, she is riding high with her vocal chords.
Interludes: Two stunning interludes support this song. The first one from 1: 36 to 2: 03. The strings take part actively in the first interlude. Every dynamic violin strokes is responded with a sharp rhythmic expression based on the Middle Eastern style creating a unique fusion at whole. The whole atmosphere of the interlude is transformed into a subtle sequence when S.P.B. and Sadhana comes into its next phase. The subtle version highlights their vocals with the support of the accordion. The second interlude from 3: 15 to 3: 55 takes us into another dimension of the song. This interlude is vibrant, having a tremolo effect on S.P.B.’s rhythmic syllable rendering. The strings cry to a brighter tune along with the piano and the accordion here. The chord progression here is something to watch out for. Then as the first interlude, the magical tune manifests into the main mood of the song having the strings section making the first move. Wow mind blowing!
Mood, Melody and Emotion: The song doesn’t totally put you in somber. There are brighter sequences in the melody which portray a blissful mood. Take for instance the start of the second interlude. The melody has shades of the carnatic ragas Natabhairavi and Sindhubhairavi. Both ragas were used extensively in Alaipauthey’s “Snehidhane Snehidhane”. These ragas are perfect help in bringing out that accurate mood proportions of the song. The emotion characterized in this song is the longing for love, and mixed love confessions made by the hero and heroin. A fine love song indeed.
Lyrics: The lyrics for this song are spectacular. There phrase kaathril Orr vaarthai itself is enough to inject high dosage of astonishment into listeners. The lyrics are based on strong confessions made by the lovers about their level of purity in love. The lyrics also inform us about the lover’s converse their expectation in a love relationship in regards to gender.
Song: Dinam Dinam Dinam – A Brilliant Merriment – 5:29mins.
Singers: Kalpana, Sonu Kakkar, Leon James, Peer Mohammed and Ranjith.
Genre: Indian Folk.
The Deepavali mood hits on you instantly while listening to this track. The song starts playfully having Leon James render “thottapuram Sondhapuram” the D.U.C.K effect is used on the boy’s voice here. With less traces of electronic rhythm, the melody is adorned with attractive verbal rhythms (0: 00 – 0:10) or beat box in colloquial terms by Leon. The bass guitar slides in providing the chord support to the melody with a fantastic 3 notes vibe produced by the keyboard. Suddenly the rhythm beats ascend and descents for a short while then moving into a crash of heavy rhythms and synth effects. The high – pitched piccolo is used to express the mode of the melody. Sonu Kakkar then shatters the ambience with her energetic execution of the Pallavi. The pallavi is powefull, filled with many music elements leaving listeners with goosebumps. The part where two same tamizh syllable “li” which occurs in the pallavi, stressed with chords is mesmerizing. Leon comes in doing chorus again on “thottapuram” with a wonderful voice modulation. Then it’s Ranjith and Peer mohammed turn to fill in the lead with the same lines as Leon did. The melodic arrangements remain the same here. The folk flavor is stressed through usage of Tamizh words such as “doi” and “hoi” in the song. The phrases are also melodically stressed with chord transitions. A.R.Rahman has arranged a unique music progression style for this song. Making it a distinct folk song that you’ve never come across before. The usage tisra nadai or 3 beat rhythm cycle as in thakkita jhannu ta, dhimmi ta is good choice to execute folk genres at rhythamic perspective. Kalpana debuts in, singing unusual telugu lyrics in the Tamizh song. She also sings from 1: 36 to 1: 44 in the song. Now, the only way to differentiate Sonu and Kalpana is by their Tamizh diction or accent. The caranams are mostly rendered in duet forms accept for some parts in the second caranam. A lot of synthetic music effects are used to lift this folk song from its natural characteristics. The pan effect or an effect to direct musical elements over the left stereo channel to the right stereo channel or vice-versa is widely used in this song. There are some exclusive sangathi’s or melodic modulations used when Sonu sings the pallavi from 4: 36 to 4: 40 in the song. The abundance of musical elements used in this song progresses rapidly within the course of melody, giving listeners a radical music ambience alteration. Chord progressions are all over this song taking its pride in lifting some distinctive sequences in the track. The song end’s with sonu singing “dinam dinam, and the drum beats get wild here. The beats represent the bursting effects of fireworks and lovely chimes bid goodbye along with the piccolo at the end. That’s a grand exit.
Singers: A great crew with positive vocal accent dazzles this song, could be sincerely expressed when one listens to this song. Both Sonu and kalpana have high pitched and grungy voices, suiting the folk backdrop. This is sonu’s debut into tamizh and into A.R.Rahman’s League. She has done fabulous at her first attempt. Kalpana has rendered Taj Mahal’s “Thiruppachi Aruvaaley”. She has good voice structure. Leon James is a new find but with exceptional singing talent at a young age. Peer Mohamed and Ranjith have done justice to their debut into A.R.Rahman’s league. Both of them have very tonal voice and fresh vocal chords which the Indian music industry craves for currently.
Interludes: The first interlude which is from 1: 44 to 2: 15 is a vocal mixture which consists of both Sonu and Leon rendering lead vocals. Sonu takes a leap into the scenario with a powerful high pitched OHkaram (a continuous apprehended music note with a syllable usually vowels, in Indian classical music). The strings of the guitar accompany her here. When she starts singing deepaavali the rhythms come in highlighting the tabla usage with forceful beats. Then Leon renders the Telegu lyrics in harmony. Sonu again finishes the piece with her Ohkaram before leading to the mainstream melody. The second interlude is from 3: 19 to 3: 54. There is lots of improvisation done in the second interlude. The first part is filled with very synthetic rhythm and vocal loops having tremolo and phased effect. This is suddenly changed into a different music mode with Sonu and kalpana rendering Indian classical swaras or notes “Ni dha pa” but alternated with a phased or radio edited voice and a normal voice of both of them. The tabla usage is highlighted at this part giving more classical feel to the sequence.
Mood, Melody and Emotion: The mood of this song is joy and contentment. The folk genre used, has been a big support in revealing these moods. The usage of children choruses and the piccolo, an instrument from the flute family heightens these modes, bringing them to live. Beats or rhythm of various hues and speed also brings satisfaction. The melody overall is based on folk style and talking about folk the raga commonly associated with this genre is Sankarabharanam, Harikambhoji and Ananabhairavi. The raga evident in this song is Harikambhoji or Khamaaj. Harikambhoji was brightly displayed during the second interlude where swaras were sung in the song. The Emotion the song transmits is mostly happiness and all other positive feelings.
Lyrics: The lyric in this song communicates a celebration. A joyous celebration which takes place in rural area of India where joy remains eternal. The song also share love chats between two lovers on how they should behave in this kind of celebration where everyone meets. Good positive lyrics explain their witty behaviors. The Telugu lyrics in between creates hype in the song. An experiment on tamil words and Indian musical notes is evident in the second interlude. Where sonu sings Ni Dha Pa followed by a phrase Nidaapa which means it’s you. A creative effort.
Song: Innisai Alapadaiye – Melodic Poetry – 5: 14mins
Singers: Naresh Iyer and Mahati
Genre: Indian Semi Classical
One of those gem studded attempts that people find for within A.R.Rahman’s treasure chest of music. This classical attempt is a gem of its kind. The initial start pulls us aside Srinivas rendering some beautifull sollakattu’s or melodic beats in sync with a range of Indian classical instruments which are the Mridangam, Ghatam and Moorsing. In sync here mean perfect timing the moorsing is played at the same tempo as the others and it’s not easy to maintain this trough out since this instrument vibrates greatly. As the jathiswarams evolves the madhyama (F flat) pitched drone by the tambura comes into the backdrop giving a rewarding feel to the soul of listeners. The jathiswasram rendering builds into a crescendo lavishly ending with the female chorus taking on lyrics “achil vaarthai” What lies beyond is unpredictable now but it unfolds mysteriously. The acoustic guitar strike notes “Sa,Ga, Ma” backing the vocals while other instruments like the kanjira lends another hue brightly into the melody turning it into a paradise. Then the rhythm instruments build into a crescendo welcoming Naresh Iyer to enter into the melody. The start Innisai is subtle without rhythms when naresh burst in the rhythms joins him surprisingly when he finishes the word “…alapadaiye”. The beautiful ascending and descending keys of the piano in the background evokes the rasa or feel or shringara (love) and it’s divine. The rhythms are constantly on Catushra Nadai (four beat rhythm cycle) of Adi Tala here with Naresh’s lustful tonal voice mostly executed on air. The whole ambience of the song is fantastic when the chords join in the melody. Then suddenly when naresh moves on to render salanggaigal olikka, the strings moves vribrantly with “thom thom tanananana thana thoooom” stunning Hindustani bhols which are counterparts of the carnatic jathiswaram moves on very subtle along with the flow of the piano keys, splendid. Naresh along with female chorus renders “acchil vazhom…”, with the khan brothers coming along weaving attractive bhols into the melody. Then moving on, the female chorus renders the Pallavi in ecstasy. The song continues to unravel its beauty when Naresh renders the caranam “ezhuvai…” accompanied by the bhols again with the Guitar striking Sa,Ga,ma clearly all over the song. Naresh moves to the thara stayi or upper octive rendering the same caranam lyrics while mahati is introduced to the melody having her hum in responds to naresh orders. The last two word tiruvai and taruvai is rendered in madhyamakala or middle speed when naresh repeats it for the second time.. Mahati cleanly establishes an alaap with implausible reverbs. She reminds us of Nityashree Mahadevan here. The chords and bhols are breath taking at this point. Mahati then executes the later part of the caranam with pride, accompanied with the bhols later on. When mahati renders the caranam, a synthetic music effect is used in between 3: 10 to 3:14 moving along unparallel with the rhythm pattern of the song .Then its naresh turn to perform his lines. He heads high in notes giving birth to different bhols execution by the khan brothers. Both naresh and mahati take turns to render the pallavi. Another synthetic sound effect is added from 4:18 to 4: 20. Things get vigorous as the mridangam is substituted for the Pakawaj, its cousin from the north. Both Naresh and mahati joins the chorus rendering acchil with delight. Naresh ends the song in solo by extending the syllable yeaaa and fading it out. Srinivas appears again building the rhythms into crescendo with his jathiswarams. An enchanting departure. This song unites both south and North Indian classical music disciplines and elements.
Innisai Alapadaiye (Remix): The remixed version of this song has only an improvised interlude. The interlude starts with vigourus drums beat and vocals going “oh yah”. There is also the yodeling effect here. The rhythmic pattern change into folkish beats called the koothu melam. With flat tambourine shaped drums accompanied by whistles. The song then transits to the main melody.
Singers: There is quite a number of singers involved pushing this song to success. A.R.Rahman has been exploiting this young talent and whom he believes is going to hike high in the Indian Music industry. Yeah, he is Naresh Iyer, after the massive debut hit of Ah Aah “Mayilirage” he sung in a string of melodies in Rang De Basanti, and now a classical genre. Naresh has done A.R.Rahman proud; he indeed has talent and versatility. In this song, Naresh has sung with a tonal voice and it’s a great experiment. Mahati who is currently making waves in the industry debuts for A.R.R.Rahman. She has good voice modulation and energy in it. Her classical voice accent is matured and intricate. The khan brothers joins the team again this time rendering very lustful bhols in raga malkauns. Their Noor-Un-Ala from Meenaxi was a definition of tranquility. Srinivas has done a beautiful job rendering the jathiswarams. He is a talented singer in the industry that needs to be used more often. Minsara Poove of Padaiyappa was his breakthrough working with A.R.Rahman
Interludes: There is only one spectacular interlude in this song. It occurs between 2: 06 to 2: 39. Huge wind instruments like the trombone along with the strings and cymbals thumps on heavily, making the atmoshpere kind of situational. Then the khan brothers enter in taking your breath away. They sing in different pitches providing a harmonic bhol execution. The dynamic beats of the Pakhawaj and, leg bells provoke ecstasy. A precious interlude.
Mood, Melody and Emotion: The mood of love in on air. The song doesn’t posses heavy sangathis not to be very classical. The contemporary style of composing in this song, uproots feelings of yearning or lustful mode. The mixture of bhols and Jathiswarams is the soul stirrer. The melody is based on Raga Hindolam or Malkauns a raga which A.R.Rahman has used before the hit remix Thottal Poo Malarum from Ah Aah. The raga speaks another dimension here. It brings out love and compassion within the listeners.
Lyrics: The lyrics used in this song are highly poetic as well as grammatical. The words in the pallavi are grammatic which goes “innisai alapadaiye Illamaiyin nankodaye” These tamil words have never been used ever in tamil film songs. The composure of the word strikes into the soul even if we could not understand it. The lyrics go on to tell the love yearnings of the lovers.
Song: Kamma Karaiyile – A folk Reverie – 5: 29mins
Singers: Naresh Iyer and Sowmya
Genre: Contemporary Folk
The comical OoH wah OOOh Wah Syllables greets the song unexpectedly. The single rhythm beats raises expectation of what lies further. The subtle beats have changed into dandiya style massively. With lots of vocal involvement in the melody now, the song moves rapidly. The beautiful “Kamma Kamma…” takes its position after a crescendo of beats. Sowmya in a high pitched voice ejects wonder. The background is filled with lavish effects melody and rhythm. Sowmya starts singing the pallavi with great enthusiasm leaving behind thrill. Vocal sound effects used behind comes in handy expressing the emotion of the song. Naresh joins sowmya in the pallavi taking alternate lines. He sounds scruffy and high pitched in this song, very impressive singing style. The caranam flows abruptly, having naresh singing its lyrics and sowmya playing some vocal effects and later joining in. The rhythm patterns are kept simple. The chord progression comes in joyously when sowmya starts singing ‘kaambe kilzhi…”. The second part of the pallavi changes hue because of fine usage of chords within it. Then it’s back to the pallavi. The rhythm elements used over the track makes the song lively and energetic. Naresh and sowmya gracefully enters the pallavi with consists of brilliant sound effects making It rather constructive but attractive. The caranam comes in with the same tone. Naresh sings the first two lines then taken by sowmya. Sowmya adds a beautiful voice effect by prolonging the word “Thimeere…” Once again the chords fit in marvelously giving a musical boost to the track. Before entering the pallavi sowmya goes “kamma kaMma kamma…” which is very situational. The Ooh wah Ooh wah rendering comes in packed with amplified vocal effects which require rather confused listening. There is no directive music element used in this song except for the rhythm beats. The first thing which catches your ears is the Dhandiya styled beats. Sowmya then comes very clean by lengthening the word karayille with her vocals. Naresh joines the course with the same nature. The chord usage is visible in between gaps of the rhythm cycle. The song flows down fantastically as more effects are used in it. Sowmya and naresh starts on the “Ooh Wah…” again, this time very energetically to an end. The ending has sowmya singing “kamma kamma kamma...” with a little amount of reverb to the end.
Singers: It’s another style and also a feather to the hat of Naresh. He has proven his versatility. His mild and soothing voice over Innisai is deeply contrasted with his performance in kamma. It’s a debut for sowmya in the Indian music industry. She has given us a great performance rendering this song. She is a valuable find indeed.
Interludes: The first interlude is from 1: 31 to 1:59. The interlude with trumpets and chords is a contrast to the melody of the song. It gives a modern feel to the song. The rhythm patterns transit gracefully in the melody. A.R.Rahman has indeed applied his magic again into this song. The second interlude which occurs from 2: 56 to 3: 16 is diverse too. The interlude has great vocal effects used in it. Both in the main vocals and rhythm beat. Blaaze visits the melody with his “aAhh’s…”. Then sowmya delivers her “kamma, kamma, Kammaaa…” with grace.
Mood, Melody and Emotion: The song is based on a mild mood of joy and happiness. The folk melody has come in handy in delivering the mood of the song. The song has the usage of Raga Anandhabhairavi, a good choice for folk genre as said earlier. The syllables Ooh Wah makes us go down memory lane to our younger days.
Lyrics: Very childish lyrics are used in this song. The lyrics convey the emotions and thoughts of the lovers again. Childish love centers the song. Word like Umma and Ooh Wah goes to explain this theme more.
Song: Innisai Alapadaiye (Chorus) – A Melodic Poetry – 3: 40mins
Singers: Mahati and Saindhavi
Genre: Indian Semi Classical
The song starts with some oriental flavor born out of the keyboard keys and hand cymbals. Then with the involvement of the mridangam the song unravels it’s depth of creativity. The piano supports the background with beautiful notes of Raga Hindolam. Just before Mahati and Saindhavi get to the pallavi, the beats of the mridangam is changed with the addition of the ghatam into the song. Both Mahati and saindhavi renders the pallavi with grace. The beautiful chord progression behind, mesmerize listeners. The string section has been a big help in portraying the total mood of the song. The pakhawaj joines the troupe when the singers sing ‘achhil vazhum…” lending the melody with a refinement. The chords and the khan brothers doing the bhols come in adding a sturdy flavor to the melody. The bhol delivered for the second time is delightful, the strings and bright chimes accompanying it. The singers then render the pallavi with grace again. The second version of “achhil…” and the rest of the song have usage of an electric guitar with disc effect. This effect is played in contrast with the rhythm structure. The smooth flow of the strings and the chord is divine. Some wonderful string execution occurs at 3: 02 to 3: 07. The melody is westernized now with smaller amount of classical elements involved in the melody. The song ends with the singers singing “sathurigge…” three times.
Singers: Mahati again reveals her poised and ever graceful voice in this song. This time she is joined by Saindhavi. Saindhavi have already attained the status of a prominent figure in the music industry. She captivates us with her delicate voice in this song.
Interludes: There are no interludes in this song.
Mood, Melody and Emotions: As the original Innisai version.
Lyrics: In this version, only the pallavi is repeated to the end of the song.
Song: Theeyil Vizhundha -A Sensitive Confession – 6: 17mins
Singer: A.R.Rahman
Genre: Sentimental
A song which is composed based on maternal passion, which conveys deep emotions and immeasurable passion. This song is the peak of the album, full of emotion and gratification. The ‘ud, a special instrument is used in this song; it evokes the Middle Eastern essence in the melody. The start of the song displays an array of drums and string instrument conversing Sufism. Although being a middle eastern instrument, the ‘ud moves into Spanish music scales, creativity and fusion rules high here. A.R.Rahman enters the melody shouting at the top of his voice with pain which immediately grabs the listener’s attention. The beautiful music arrangement which occurs before the pallavi moves your soul deeply. A.R.Rahman executes the pallavi with great care, adhering to a pitiful mood. The strings follow every musical note that is involved in the pallavi supporting his vocal. The rhythm is set based to the mood and it’s very catchy. What unravels in the pallavi is spectacular making it tough to comprehend. When A.R.Rahman hits the caranam, the melody changes, bringing sympathy into the picture. The melody progression is kept as simple as possible to bring out maximum zest of emotions. His High pitched shouting of Heyyy is given more emphasis with the blow of a kick drum. The next part of the caranam is about the same composure as the previous one. This time, with some changes in melodic patterns, it leads us to a diverse feel. A.R.Rahman, again batters on the pallavi with misery. The second caranam is rendered differently, looking at its melodic characteristics. The chords are being very loyal in this song. The profound acoustic instruments used all over, easily sets the song amidst ones heart. Some parts here have chime effects. A signature composing element has been used severely here. Look how a delicate chord transition which occurs between 3: 22 to 3: 29, force out the two different emotions swiftly. The second part of the second caranam always has something in store for listeners. The pan flute bounces in glory in this part. The song goes on uncovering intense passion with its arrangements. A silent sequence at 4: 12 to 4: 17 provide listeners an opportunity to realize the grandeur of A.R.Rahman’s music. A listener is taken into not only to be aware of maternal love but ride a passionate journey into the relationship between A.R.Rahman and music. Listeners are immediately taken into a deep trance if this song is listened with their eyes closed. The song leaves us having A.R.Rahman singing “ennai thaayummaanavala…” three times with a faint following him melody behind. Notice that the third time A.R.Rahman sings “ennai Thaayummanavala…” his voice is panned to the left stereo, is it a default or a fault? A melodious song at whole.
Singer: The maestro himself polishing his gems and what more could we expect out of the end product? HE is the owner of immeasurable positive attributes and talents. This song well suites HIM in every aspect. HE shares very positive tones or vibes with the listeners when HE renders a song. HE portrays that perfect mood and emotion while singing and that is his supremacy. A.R.Rahman always executes the extremes of music when comes to singing or composing music. In the interview at KM Musiq site, the director said that A.R.Rahman only had HIS mother in HIS thoughts whiel singing and composing this song. HIS mother has nurtured HIM to success and this song is an authentic illustration of it.
Interlude: The first interlude is the intro to the song. The second interlude starts at 2: 17 to 2: 51. The entry of the beautiful tambura drones adds a velvet backdrop to the scene. The bouncy flute adds astonishment to the sequence. The whole scene is dainty painted with pain and grief. The sudden bang from the drums washes your negative moods away.
Mood, Melody and Emotion: The song at whole executes grief, sorrow and pain. IT describes the delicate relationship between mother and son. All emotions are portrayed well in this song. The fuse of correct instruments and progressions formulate a good atmosphere to display mood characters. The melody is dark having strong usage of raga Vasanthi and vakulabharanam. There is some brightness in the melody at 3: 22 to 3: 29. The melody is different and the style of composing has uplifted some precious experience.
Lyrics: The lyrics propel the song into emotional heights. The song contains very fragile lyrics with explains the intricate relationship of a mother and a son. Vairamuthu has given his best to this song. This song would be possessing the best lyrics after the Song Kannathil mutthammittal.
Song: Illammai (D.U.C.K. Mix) – Blood Rushing Youthfullness – 4: 06mins
Singers: Suresh Peters and Blaaze
Genre: Remix, Techno and Grunge.
“Ooooh Ilammai…” sung by Suresh with his voice very close to Shankar Mahadevan’s is catchy. The start is very promising with heavy vibes and tones. Now, the Duck mix goes all over the song applied to Blaaze’s voice chanting Illammai. The song as its original version bursts in energy. All elements in this song are re-produced with a digital effect. The melody progression has been fantastically enhanced by wonderful synthetic chords. The whole song is kind of Electronica . Effects like the “wah-wah, flanger, phased and pan are used tremendously in this song. Blaaze rap sequences are fresh. Suresh jumps around the song with his youthful voice. The ending has Blaaze with his rhythmic lyrics which go on hand on hand with the rhythm beat at the back and the chorus going with “thananna naa…” all at once fantastic synchronization. A good remix not very heavy but melodious.
Singers: Suresh is back in the A.R.Rahman league after a long gap. His voice remains fresh as ever. It’s a great opportunity to hear a wonderful duo from the amateur Suresh and the upcoming Blaaze. Blaaze does not fail us here too. He comes up with some fresh rap lyrics and some how fits it into the big frame. Blaaze is one of those sort after rap artist in India.
Interlude: There is only one interlude in this song. The interlude starts at 1:10 to 1: 32. The electric guitar with a wah-wah effect is played giving a swing feel. The interlude is heavy and grungy with lots of synthetic effect moving around it.
Mood, Melody and Emotion: Amplified energy would make you want to get on foot and dance your passion out. Good vibes and positive motive brings out the best emotions from the listeners. Usual western melody but added with grunge and techno style.
Lyrics: Only the pallavi is rendered mostly in this song. Blaaze pens fresh lyrics for the rap sequences. English lyrics are decent, not going overboard.
Godfather Audio Review in a Nutshell
1. Illamai /Remix– Blood Rushing Youthfulness
2. Katril Oru Varthai – A breezy loyal whisper
3. Dinam Deepavali – A brilliant Merriment
4. Innisai Alapadaiye/Chorus/ Remix – A Melodic Poetry
5. Kamma Karaiyile – A Folk Reverie
6. Theeyil Vizhunda – A Sensitive Confession
In Conclusion….The golden Seal.
There you have it, a wonderful album which flows as nectar into your eardrums. A.R.Rahman has churned out some wonderful tunes again. Kamma Karayiley, Dinam dinam, Theeyil and Innisai are some new fresh tunes that will sure remain in the music industry for long. Illamai will be the check post to nominate this album futher into listening depths. Good team effort has again produced a successful output. Suresh Peters is a wonderful sight in this album; his astonishing audio programming works have been very successful in the past. After a long interval he is back again with A.R.Rahman to deliver bliss.
The review on godfather’s audio above, might have given readers an insight on what lies deeply within A.R.Rahman’s music and what specialty it has to convey to music listeners. Godfather has indeed washed away those comments referring to A.R.Rahman that he is being monotonous in the music industry. It has been the usual practice having his music to act as a slow poison, seeping into one’s mind and heart slowly. Many might not know how to express their thoughts on what his music is about but they fail to realize that all they have to do is listen sincerely. It requires a great deal of patience and dedication to understand the music language that A.R.Rahman speaks. It’s saddening that his music has appealed to a great extent to the international audience but not for his audience in India. Do we need time or are we still accepting it?
It is becoming tough to predict A.R.RAhman’s future music outputs because he is becoming very versatile as said earlier. The genius will continue comforting his fans with eternal music from time to time. We as his fan, in return need to learn and accept his nature of work and appreciate it along its course. The world is looking forward to listen to some more of his fabulous musical works in the future.
YAd Bhaavam Tad bhavathi
“Your thoughts propels Your Actions”
Thanks You, Comments are most welcomed
Regard’s
keshav
posted by DeaK.In.FroSt at 9:23 PM
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