--- In [email protected], "Chord" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >what are all thses nonsense? why is everyone pinpointing at our dear arrahman sir? pls. i bet that arrahmans songs are way better than last times' other music directors' songs.
> Poor thing........a lonely, minor, weak voice in a sea of respect, > admiration, and adulation for ARR........ > > > > --- In [email protected], Gopal Srinivasan <catchgops@> > wrote: > > > > He seems to think that repeating an untruth several times will make > it the truth > > > > A CHANGE OF TUNE > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Bollywood music directors are literally spoilt for choice. > They have a > > wide plethora of voices to choose from. They not only get to call > the shots but > > save on costs too. The age of monopoly is over. Nobody is > indispensible. > > > > A.R. Rahman was approached by > > Shah Rukh Khan to compose > > music for Om Shanti Om. But he > > had remuneration issues to sort > > out - SRK said he couldn't wait. > > So Rahman was out, Vishal-Shekar > > were roped in. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > By RAJIV VIJAYAKAR > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > T > > here is a tectonic shift in > > the world of film music > > and many shibboleths > > have already felt the > > shivers. Time was when > > five greats - Lata > > Mangeshkar, Asha > > Bhosle, Mohammed > > > > Rafi, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar - dominated our music world. Their > voices > > soothed, cajoled and inspired us. This is no > > longer the case. There are hundreds of > > singers now. They come and go like > > mayflies. We hear voices but even before > > we can identify them, a new voice has taken > > over. But who cares? The songs are superhits. "There is a pool of > talent to choose from > > and the age of monopoly is over. Directors > > are no longer willing to put up with anyone's whims and fancies," > says music director Ehsan, of the Shankar-Ehsan-Loy trio. > > But the old-timers obviously think otherwise. "There are 500 > singers today instead > > of five," complains Nitin Mukesh, singer > > and son of the legendary Mukesh. He adds, > > > > "Some of the singers are outstanding > > and yet the overall impact is > > missing. Something is > > wrong somewhere." > > But then came A.R. > > Rahman and everything > > changed - perhaps forever. To the lay listener, > > Rahman brought in a > > > > new sound and a > > so-called > > âinternational' > > feel. His innova > > tions had more > > far reaching impli > > cations in the arena > > of playback singing. > > Firstly, and most vital > > ly, he reduced the > > importance of the > > singer. For him, > > the human voice > > > > was just another > > facet of the composi > > tion and perhaps not > > the most important one. > > Singers could be new, > > > > could come from any > > region or background. In > > > > certain songs, he even experimented with > > âoff-key' singers to enhance the ânaturalness' of the songs. > Otherwise, there were > > always pitch correction machines. > > "Such singers fail to deliver the emotions, > > for every song has an ascending emotional > > graph," says Asha Bhosle. "They also do > > not have the energy to sing for five minutes > > at a stretch with the right breath control and > > simultaneous attention to all aspects vocal throw, melody, rhythm, > expression, > > diction and modulation." > > "Pitch-correction software can also > > enhance your voice quality, and so even my > > dhobi can become a singer," says popular > > playback singer Sonu Nigam. "There are > > established singers who should do a puja of > > the computer everyday because their > > hearths burn thanks to it." > > Rahman also killed the importance of > > lyrics at the altar of grooves and âmetres' > > (writing lyrics to fit tunes). Words became > > nothing more than fillers of a pre-existing > > catchy tune. And Rahman's success opened > > the gates for a whole new brigade of young > > composers whose musical taste was western or fusion-oriented. Most > of them had > > > > scant regard for raagas, meaningful verse > > and good diction. Their emergence paralleled the growth of > technology too. > > "Film music is no longer made for the > > story or situation but only to fit into a tune," > > says music analyst Amod Mehra. "Today's > > youngster wants a new song to dance to > > every week and another as his ringtone." > > "How many people know actually understand tonal quality? That is > of no consequence at all," says veteran music director > > Pyarelal. > > Is the scenario dark then? Those who are > > riding the wave disagree hotly. "Most of us > > come from non-film backgrounds and dare > > to break conventions like the mukhdaantara structure," says Pritam, > the busiest > > music director today. "This makes for lots > > of freshness." > > He does not mind experimenting with > > unknown singers. "A song like Tum se hi in > > my latest film Jab We Met could have been > > recorded with an established singer like > > KK. But I chose Mohit Chauhan, a talented > > singer from a pop band, and he's done a > > good job. There is so much of variety today. > > So why not use it?" > > Most of the recent hits have been with > > new or âspecialist' singers. Their origins > > (Atif Aslam and Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan > > from Pakistan, Shubha Mudgal from Indian > > classical, Mika and Labh Janjua from > > Punjabi folk, Karunya from a TV talent > > hunt, Dominique from jingles) do not matter as long as the song is > a hit - even if it > > is for a few weeks. Who's looking for > > immortality anyway? > > There is also an economic angle. The new > > voices need not be paid as much as the > > established ones. "If someone can sing for > > Rs 5,000, why pay Rs 25,000 or more for > > an established voice unless there are truly > > vital reasons?" asks a top music director. > > Because of this, rates vary even for top > > singers. "Daler Mehndi is said to charge Rs > > 2 lakh for a song and Sonu Nigam charges > > about Rs 30,000," says a music director. > > "But if a music director has to work within > > a fixed budget, he can pay a singer less than > > what he otherwise gets." > > > > The days are gone when a singer sang > > 200 or more songs a year. Many top > > singers depend on shows to sustain > > their lifestyles. > > The flip side is that no singer can > > > > guarantee a hit as the legends could > > do during their heyday. "It is true > > > > that they guaranteed hits, fabulous singing, lasting value, great > > sales and thus substantial profits," admits a music director. > > "But we don't need all that > > now." > > The sales scenario has also > > changed. "We have to generate > > business with mobile-phone > > revenues and downloads," says > > Bhushan Kumar, managing > > director of the top label TSeries. "Most of today's film > > music sells that way." > > In fact, it is the whole package which sells and not just the > > lyrics or the song alone. > > "Where are the lyrics today > > anyway?" asks veteran director > > Subhash Ghai. "As long as I had > > Anand Bakshi, I could depend on > > > > him to write every colour of song. > > Now the music director, lyricist and > > choreographer depend for the projec > > tion of their work on the visual effects > > supervisor." > > But those who are in the thick of the > > > > generational shift disagree with this > > assessment. They don't think they are having it easy. "I agree that > Lataji and Ashaji > > are greats but today's singers have developed a new style of > singing," says Neeraj > > Sridhar from the band Bombay Vikings. > > "Life is on the fast lane and there are more > > platforms. The industry is growing bigger > > and there's always a room for a new voice. > > New voices sound fresher. If 20 songs > > are to be sung, different singers have > > to sing it. That's why Vishal Dadlani and > > Shekhar Ravjiani, the music directors of > > Om Shanti Om, chose a list of singers to > > sing in the movie. If the voice is rotated, > > then none of the songs will sound boring." > > "We have some great music happening," > > asserts singer Sunidhi Chauhan. "Most of > > my contemporaries are fantastic singers." > > New singers such as Sunidhi, Kunal > > Ganjawala and Shreya Ghoshal did not > > have a cakewalk. They all had to struggle to > > stay afloat. And have things changed so > > much in terms of content and rhythm as it is > > made out to be? "Everyone says trends have > > changed but show me one completely > > Western number that has been a chartbuster," says singer Alka > Yagnik. "This is > > just a biased perception." > > Lyricist Gulzar also points out that the > > cult popularity of his songs Kajra re Kajra > > re (Bunty Aur Babli) and Beedi Jalaayale > > (Omkara) shows that Indian melody and > > folk remain at the centre-stage of new > > music. > > Says a veteran lyricist, "Today a song is as > > successful as its run on television, FM et al, > > which depends on how much money the > > producer or music label can shell out!" > > No wonder the success is shortlived. > > Kajra re (from Bunty Aur Babli) was a > > super hit till Beedi jalaayle happened. Then > > came Mast kalander from Heyy Baby followed by Hare Ram Hare Ram > from Bhool > > Bhulaiya. And now it's mauja mauja from > > Jab We Met. > > Veteran composer Rajesh Roshan makes a > > telling remark by pointing out that changes > > in music trends are similar to fashion. Here > > today, gone tomorrow. It all boils down to > > catchy tunes that we hear on a sleek iPod. > > Such singers fail to > > deliver the emotions. > > Every song has an > > ascending emotional > > graph. They also do > > not have the energy > > to sing for five min > > utes at a stretch with the right > > breath control and simultaneous > > attention to all aspects - vocal > > throw, melody, rhythm... > > ASHA BHONSLE > > > > Pitch-correction > > software can > > enhance your voice > > quality and so even > > my dhobi can > > become a singer. > > There are established singers who > > > > should do puja to the computer > > everyday because their hearths > > burn thanks to it. > > SONU NIGAM > > > > A song like Tum se > > hi in Jab We Met > > could have been > > recorded with an > > established singer > > like KK. But I chose > > Mohit Chauhan, a > > talented singer > > > > from a pop band, and he's done a > > damn good job. We have so much > > variety today. Why not use it? > > PRITAM, music director > > > > Rahman's price is allegedly Rs 2 to 3 crores, > > plus music rights. > > Vishal-Shekar's price is allegedly Rs 40 to 50 > > lakhs. Also, it is believed that for big > > production houses music directors agree for a > > lesser amount too. > > Rate CARD > > ? Most A-list music directors like Anu Malik, > > Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar and Pritam get > > paid per song and have to shell out money from their > > fees to singers, studios and musicians. The rates, > > according to a music director, vary from film to film > > and from Rs 2-5 lakhs per song. This makes the > > music director opt for cheaper or new voices and > > limited musicians. > > ? Himmesh Reshammiya demands a combined > > package of actor-music composer-singer. Figure > > speculated to be Rs 75 lakhs. > > ? SHANKAR-EHSAAN-LOY have taken sales proceeds of the music of > Johnny Gaddaar apart from > > fees. > > SINGERS > > Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik are paid Rs 30,000 > > per song. > > Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Goshal, Shaan, KK, Udit > > Narayan, Kunal Ganjanwala, Alisha Chinai, > > Sukhwinder Singh settle for anything Rs 10-20,000 > > per song. > > Upcomming and non-mainstream voices settle for > > anything between Rs 5000- Rs 10,000 per song > > (Figures are approximate, vary from film to film) > > > > Top of the > > CHARTS > > > > Music directors > > ? A.R. Rahman > > ? Pritam > > ? Shankar-Ehsaan Loy > > ? Vishal-Shekhar > > Playback > > Singers: > > KK, Kunal Ganjawala, > > Shaan, Shreya > > Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, > > Sukhwinder Singh, > > Sunidhi Chauhan, > > Mahalakshmi Iyer, > > > > Richa Sharma, Alisha > > Chinai, Javed Ali, > > > > Rekha Bharadwaj, > > Madhushree, Naresh > > > > Iyer (Rang De > > Basanti), Mikha, > > Adnan Sami, > > > > Abhijeet. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Source: Deccan Chronicle/Asian Age > > >
