HI everyone,
this is a review of my most favorite tamil song of AR RAHMAN.
ITS the most surprising and unique song. do read the review its by SWAPS . i
really liked it , it narrates the whole song brilliantly . i wanted to share
with you people. its long but do read it and do listen to theekuruvai at that
time. here you go
Theekkuruvi (Harini, Mukesh, Johnson; lyric by Thenmozhi):
ARR chooses Harini to sing along with 2 newcomers- Mukesh & Johnson. The song
starts with a fast moorsing-like instrument immediately followed by Johnson's
lines. The lines r quite interesting, 'Edhoma edho maadhiri...' which instantly
catch ur attention. Johnson has a typical raw folk voice (like Maharajan,
M.S.V., Shahul, etc.) & this proves to be an advantage here. Thruout the song,
u'll hear temple bells which adds to the ancient/ vintage flavour of the song.
After that, u'll really have to lend ur ears close to ur speakers. In the
beginning, u'll not understand a word. Its sung so fast., 'thalaival ivathaan
sillendru pattaa, kaadhal ivathaan sullunnu suttaa'. Its like those folkmen
singing while working or travelling. After these lines, ARR creates an ambience
for the song by reproducing wind & wave sounds. Harini begins the song which
somewhat seems like a tongue-twister! For others, it may sound wierd. But the
melody used is extremely engrossing & captivating. ARR has used a blend of
ragas like Hamsadhwani, Shankarabharanam, Arabhi, Kalyani. The chords which he
gives in each line r amazing. Its like filling empty spaces.
In the last lines 'Theeyinai thee nadhiyinil thaedukiraay thandhiraa', Harini
stops at upper Sa & then beautifully decends to the lower Sa with a brisk
taanam encompassing all the notes(Sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa). Mukesh takes over
the rest of the pallavi which is prettymuch the same. The percussions r
westernised while the melody is purely Indian. This can be called a true
fusion. Everytime, they finish the pallavi, Johnson takes over with the opening
lines. The 1st interlude is quite brief, with just a small piece of the flute.
The piece tends to shift towards raga Kalyani employing the Teevra Madhyam
towards the end.
The charanams r equally challenging to sing. The female part is handled very
well. Harini's voice has been blended cleverly where she sings the same lines
in both upper & lower pitches. In the 1st charanam, Harini sings 2 lines &
Mukesh takes over. The lines 'Idayoara moondraam piraye muththam aendhi vaa'
employ a Shuddha Madhyam which really enhances the beauty of the song. This is
the part where the raga shifts to Shankarabharanam.
The 2nd interlude is awesome. After Johnson finishes his lines, ARR uses an
electronic Mandolin (previously heard in 'Malargale' from Love Birds). Its
quite a short piece but is played with great speed & command. U wish this cud
continue for longer! When Mukesh starts the 2nd charanam with an alaap, his
voice has been digitally modulated with cuts. Harini sings the rest of the
charanam. But the real magic starts towards the end. While Harini ends the
song, ARR layers her alaaps. She begins from the Upper Sa to the lower one,
Upper Re to Lower Re & finally to upper Ga. This is called Meend in Hindustani
terms. And then, everything stands still when u hear her double-speed taanams.
God! she's too good. Its really difficult to take taanams at this speed. U feel
like applauding already!
Finally, Johnson & Harini attempt a jugalbandi. Johnson sings his lines
'Thalaival ivathaan sillundra pattaa' & then Harini sings the taanams Pa Ni Sa
Re` Sa Ni Pa, 3 times. The 'vote of thanks' is done by Naveen's ever-dependable
flute. He plays the main tune of the song in his style while the temple bells
create a climax & by rounding up with the notes of Hamsadhwani. This song has a
typical Kerela flavour & u'll agree when u listen to the song 'Padakaali' from
Yoddha. Malayalam folk songs have this speciality of singing in double-speed .
This is definitely one of the best composed songs. Actually, the lyrics r so
catchy that even if u dont understand a word, it amuses u to the core. There's
a certain degree of anxiety & curuosity of what they r singing. Marvellously
composed & arranged. Mukesh sounds fresh (very much like Karthik), Johnson's
raw voice suits the mood & there's nothing more to say about Harini. Her
singing speaks for her.
do write your comment
regards,
taimur,
karachi,
Pakistan
