The Unheard Years : Raja in the mid 90s

[Gregorysab]

Song No : 25
Song: Ponkatrile
Film: Paatu Paadava
Singers: Lekha, Subha, Sindhu
Lyrics: Vaali
Link: http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer...3'&lang=en

How come I never listened to this song before

what a stunning composition! This composition too is very complex. Not at all straight. Look at those interludes! And there is a small transition between end of pallavi and 1st interlude... a techno-grunge kind of twist there, before WCM takes over! and who on earth takes over charanam in that scale given the way the song was progressing! (Suresh - the charanam begins almost like the charanam of Maate Mantramu/kaadhal oviyum - i guess thats the de ja vu you felt).

I was listening to Kaatre Konjum till now but now this song is likely to push that out of my system! Only Raaja can format our systems clean and replace with raaja's music!

[KV]

+1. Too much to consume but too little time! Sureshji, the songs that are coming out of this thread are awesome. They very definitely need more attention and adulation. But the viv richards pace of this thread... gosh! naagellaam paavam'nga!

kaatrai konjam, to me, has more of the 90s-00s influence (Suresh's pet area of interest!) in the tune than 80s. The slides and glides in the tune are what can be seen more predominantly in his songs from this period. Unnai thedi (that aakarsh had posted) and minmini paarvaigal (julie ganapathy) are ones that immediately pop-up in my mind. It's the orchestration that lifts the song to greater heights. Just try imagining this sort of live/acoustic orchestration (in place of the same ideas on synth) through the 90s and 00s - how wholesome would've that been! Alas!

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

aakarsh, the whole album is a gem. My picks which i would listen any day! -> http://thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp...584%27&lang=en

[Gregorysab]

kaatrai konjam, to me, has more of the 90s-00s influence (Suresh's pet area of interest!) in the tune than 80s. The slides and glides in the tune are what can be seen more predominantly in his songs from this period. Unnai thedi (that aakarsh had posted) and minmini paarvaigal (julie ganapathy) are ones that immediately pop-up in my mind.

The charanams (that saxophone and all) give you that Balu Mahendra-Yesudas-raaja-80s combo feel.
The phrases in pallavi give you that Unnai Thedi feel
The frenzied orchestration (and instruments playing a motif repeatedly) and the scale also reminds you of that Unnikrishnan song from ajantha - yaarku yaar yendra (or something - i dont get the lyrics)

[Gregorysab]

This song no. 25 Poongatrile from Paattu Paadava - Its a classic! what a delight! He might have covered so many scales in this one song! This is not just the best song of this album, but among the best in 90s and all-time!! Phenomenal!!!!

[skr]

Aakarsh ,
You are making me curious to see what is so special in the song ..
Cant wait to head home and check this one

The only song which i know in Paattu Paadava is the scintillating Nil Nil Nil where again you have some mesmerising scale changes.

[Gregorysab]

Aakarsh ,
You are making me curious to see what is so special in the song ..
Cant wait to head home and check this one

The only song which i know in Paattu Paadava is the scintillating Nil Nil Nil where again you have some mesmerising scale changes.

Nil Nil Nil has been my favourite but now, its a dwarf compared to Poonkaatrile! Nil Nil Nil does what we know Ilaiyaraaja is capable of doing. Poonkatrile does what we cant imagine This song is World Music!

[udebaqifoz]

Song No : 25
Song: Ponkatrile
Film: Paatu Paadava
Singers: Lekha, Subha, Sindhu
Lyrics: Vaali
Link: http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer...3'&lang=en

Fantastic! This is something else. I will call this Raaja genre. Why call it it now with NEPV? Right back then, how else could one classify this vintage? My favorites in the album are the song you had mentioned and Iniya Ganam (an absolute stunner if you ask me) but I have never heard of this song before! Now only eyes are tying

Digressing, That song in NEPV doing the rounds is an absolute stunner too. A friend, an ardent ARR fan, had this to say: "The maestro's dropping some vintage shit here..." The song is already levels.

[udebaqifoz]

Song No : 25
Song: Ponkatrile
Film: Paatu Paadava
Singers: Lekha, Subha, Sindhu
Lyrics: Vaali
Link: http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer...3'&lang=en

I am sure this movie was released during my stay in Chennai. I didn't buy the tape/CD then. But what an excellent album this is. Even the most ardent Raja '80s only' fans love 'Nil Nil Nil' and 'Vazhi Vidu Vazhi Vidu'. Both these songs, though didn't get played as much as they should have been due to the debacle of the film, in due course of time became cult classics.

Lead to believe that Poongatrile was the title song. One possible reason why it did not have much air time. Film was directed by BR Panthulu's daughter, Vijayalakshmi, who was also a camerawoman. Her brother (don't remember the name) was the director of Eera Vizhi Kaviyangal (Raaja's greatest album imho). He seems to have reserved his best for the family

[app_engine]

'poongARRilE' - sweet song!

Honestly, had I heard this number when arrived, could have possibly thought as "some new ARR song" (konjam 'puththam puthu bhoomi' feel)