What's with the lyricists these days?? What happened to those good old days where each song was first loved for the lyrics and then the tune? I remember spending free time writing lyrics of film songs with my friends and being in awe of the way in which situations were described. Now I'm dumbstruck. You must be living under a rock if you still don't know Why this kolaveri song. Or even that song from Velayutham where the guy describes the girl as an assortment of vegetables in a very weird way. I mean, really, do you really think its good?

I know many people who enjoy such "Songs" and listen to it on loop too! Still... Why? :( I' had lost hope on film music in general. Rockstar songs did help in restoring faith in me a bit :)

A.R.Rahman Concert in Chennai!

I went for the concert! I went for the concert! I went for the concert! I went for the concert! I went for the concert! I went for the concert! I went for the concert! I went for the concert! I went for the concert!

ok? ok.

Right. So, I commented here that luck was not in my favour to let me attend Rahman's concert happening here in chennai. I was about to leave for a class with a heavy heart at around 4 when my friend calls up and asks, "hey. Rahman concert ku ticket kedacha variya?" Endha madayan matten nu solluvan? I promptly said yes! After a grueling 5 minutes, she confirmed that her friend had a pass. I was still not sure about it because everything was happening so suddenly!

So before I realized, I was in my seat sharp at 7 (that's because another friend of mine had the tickets and she got there only by that time) staring at the huge stage. The actual concert started around an hour late. :( But nevertheless, it was worth it.

It started with an instrumental piece by Prasanna and his group. (I'm sure not many paid any attention to them.) There was some presentation on Marg's upcoming project which seemed to go on for eternity. Then finally, Rahman started with a bang!

These were the songs, performed in the same order:

Jage hain (Guru) - Rahman and Chitra
Kal Bali (RDB) - Rahman
Kadhal Rojave (Roja) - Hariharan and Chinmayi
Barso re (Guru) - .Neethi Mohan
Loose control (RDB) - Naresh Iyer and Blaaze
Saturday night party (ATM) - Benney and Ujjaini(?)
Roobaroo (RDB) - Naresh Iyer and Rahman
Dil se re (Dil se) - Rahman
A song from Jodha Akhbar by someone I don't know :)
Madhurai ku (ATM) - Benny and Chinmayi
Medley of Jodha Akbar, Roja(Ruku mani), Thiruda Thiruda(Veerapandi kottaile)
Thamizha thamizha(Roja) - Hariharan
The Unplugged - Rahman(on keys), Hariharan, Chitra, Chinmayi
Vennilave (Minsara kanavu) - Hariharan, Chinmayi
Mayya mayya (Guru) - Neethi Mohan
Kannalane (Bombay) - Chitra and Rahman
Tere Bina (Guru) - Rahman and Chinmayi
Vada Vangikada (Sivaji) - Blaaze and Naresh Iyer
Vaaji Vaaji (Sivaji) - Hariharan and Chinmayi
Adhiradikaalam (Sivaji) - Naresh Iyer, Rahman and host of other singers whom I couln't recognize.
Humma Humma (Bombay) - Rahman
Vande Mataram - Rahman

The concert started with a bang! I'm repeating it because it was soooo good. In a black sherwani, Rahman sang there without the usual company of keyboard in between a group of dancers(I must say the dancers were really good!). He sang the first two songs like that and I was out of this world! :)

I seriously thought it was going to be only-Rahman-type concert(Yeah I know I was completely out of my mind!). But then, Blaaze came and introduced the singers and the movies from which the songs were to be performed that night. Next was Kadhal Rojave. Man! I went into a different world. The fact that I was there listening live to Rahman was too much for me. Moreover Hariharan and Kadhal Rojave! I thanked my stars like a thousand times!

Naresh was too funny. He has such a melodious voice and he wants to rap with blaaze. However, those two were at their best!

Should I say anything about Dil se re? Mindblowing is the only word that comes to my mind. But, I was disappointed with tere bina. The background music was too loud that I couln't here them singing. And did Rahaman forget the lyrics or didn't get the beat properly? I was waiting for that song but it didn't turn out to be the way I wanted. sigh.

Anyway, Madhuraiku was amazing what with Benney dancing and Chinmayi trying to concentrate on the song :) But the best was the Medley! How it started and how it ended! It started with a song from Jodha Akhbar(I haven't heard the songs still so I don't know what it was. Yes, I know I'm an Idiot!) and suddenly there was rukumani rukumani interlude and ended with Veerapandi kottaile! It was such a pleasent suprise!

Then Hariharan was in full form! It had been an unfulfilled dream to attend his concert atleast once. But everytime something or the other happens and I miss it. But yesterday, I lived that dream. He started with thamizha thamizha. Then he announced that there will be a round of unplugged songs with him, Rahman, Chitra and Chinmayi, where they would sing continuously, without any break. So there they were, Hari, Chitra and Chinmayi seated and the rather relaxed looking Rahman on keys. Rahman and Hari even chatted briefly about thamizha being the first ever song of the duo and how it proved lucky! Just when they were about to start, there was some technical problem and Hari came into action to keep the audience engaged. He wanted the audience to sing with him (!) and even requested to sing in proper sruthi! He definitely knows how to keep them engaged! Then the actual unplugged session started. Hari sang first with uyire (bombay) and later joined by chitra. When she sang "Indru kannerum thithikindradhey", there was absolute silence(atleast where I was seated). Pure bliss. Then, Chitra started with anjali anjali(Duet) and Chinmayi sang bit of sahana(Sivaji). It was wonderful because there was just the three singers and Rahman on the keys. Amazing! This was more like a filler type and what followed was awesome. Vennilave(Minsara kanvu) by Hariharan and Chinmayi. Could I ask for more? :)

Energy level was so high when the singers started with songs from Sivaji. Be it vaada vaada vangikada or vaaji vaaji, the singers seemed to enjoy their music! It was an absolute treat watching them perform. It's not an exaggeration if I say Adhiradikaalam transported me to some other world. It was one song where Rahman even danced a bit. Not really but the usual tapping feet vigorously type dancing while the other singers were literally burning the floor. After all that what the singers received in return were a few claps. The crowd needs special mention altogether, so I'll do that at the end.

Blaaze took the stage and asked whether we want more. Of course said the crowd and then set off the blast with Humma(Bombay). With a little Rap thrown in, it was awesome indeed! Another dream fulfilled! We went as a group of four and all of us were praying Rahman would sing few other songs.

Finally Rahman concluded with Vande Mataram (in Hindi and Tamizh) and all singers joined him on stage. This was one song where the audience made their mark. What a stupid crowd we were stuck in! This was the first concert by Rahman for this year and I feel really sorry for him to have chosen it! There was no proper response from the crowd no matter what they sing. After Adhiradi, when we were expecting a round of applause which would last atleast for a few minutes, but what they received was scattered claps. What happened to the spirit of chennai? There were few groups scattered around the place who were making some noise. Otherwise, all of them seemed like statues! When our gang (of four :P)was screaming and hooting, what we received were silly stares. They may have their own reasons like enjoying music, savouring every moment and stuff like that but this was ridiculous. Even Rahman asked after adhiradi whether everyone's sleeping. He said, "I'm not sure about the people behind but the front two rows are definitely sleeping". From now on all VIP pass holders must be sent to the last few rows and people who really enjoy such shows and don't have VIP passes must be in front! hmph. But at times I feel it was better this way because I got to hear the singers properly! :)

Whatever be the minor mistakes that might have happened, on the whole it was an amazing show. The whole thing hasn't sunk in me yet! It was a double dream come true and how! I've never thanked God like how I did yesterday.

May God give Rahman many more musical years and may he be blessed with the best always! :)

Rendezvous with Balamuralikrishna

There's no doubt about my passion towards music. And that too after I got an Ipod, it has literally become a part of me! (I can hardly sleep without my dose of ARR and Hariharan!)
But carnatic music was never my cup of tea. I did listen to it but never enjoyed as much as other forms of music. Moreover, I had many conditions to listen to it like I should listen to one particular song a few times before I could decide whether I like that song or not. And I listened only to veterans, and that too a very few of them like MS, Balamuralikrishna etc. But one incident is enough to change my attitude towards something. That was my meeting with Sri. Balamurali Krishna.

It was sometime in 2005 when I met this legend. I was traveling alone by air from Hyderabad to Chennai when I met him in the Hyderabad airport. I was in the counter where the boarding passes were being issued. I never realized he was right behind me until my cousin yelled from outside as she had come to send me off. She yelled on top of her voice that Sri. Balamuralikrishna himself turned around to see who that person was! It was soooo funny that time.

I had booked the flight ticket online and so my ticket was just a sheet of paper. As soon as I got the boarding pass and quick good byes to my cousin, I went around the airport lounge in search of him to get his autograph. Finally I found him and got his autograph in my ticket! We started conversing as he asked my residence and what I was doing and my future plans and stuff. I casually asked him if he could sing for me (That was a bit tooo much... I know... Still I asked him :D) He was just about to sing a line (for me :D) when one idiot suddenly intruded from nowhere! He didn't even realize that I was there talking to Sri. Balamurali, and never had the sense that already a human being was there talking to him! I couldn't bear it and left the scene after bidding Bon Voyage to Sri. Balamurali.

But apparently Sri.Balamurali was also traveling in the same flight to Chennai! I sat right behind him in the flight (It was Air Deccan by the way... anybody can sit anywhere!). And that idiot was sitting beside him... sigh. After a safe (?) landing in Chennai airport, I rushed to my mom and with full excitement, told her "I spoke to Sri. BalamuraliKrishna!!!!!!!" just for others to give me a nasty stare. (I did squeal a bit :D)

After that one incident, my total attitude towards carnatic music has changed. I, now, put in effort to know what a song means, its raaga and other related things. I still don't know why, but it has changed. There’s no special reason, this rendezvous is not such a great thing after all. It was just a 10 minute talk to a singer to say the least. Still it has made a difference in me.

Some meetings do change the approach towards certain aspects of life!

Global Rhythms

Global Rhythms performed at IIT on the first day of Saarang 2007. After all the hype that A.R.Rahman is making a special appearance, I was left totally disappointed. The very purpose of me going to that concert was to get a glimpse of "The Guru of Music". Of course, it was my fault to have believed in those rumours. But Airtel was the sponsor. This made me believe. There was an article confirming the same in one of the newspapers too. So imagine my excitement and the level of disappointment!

Apart from that, the show was good. A lot of effort has been into it. The love of Music was evident from the way they performed. Be it "Ecstasy" or their tribute to mridangam where percussionists, mridangam players and table players played together, they were extra ordinary. Mind blowing actually.

There was one percussionist who was doing an amazing piece (solo) and suddenly, his stick fell. The crowd remained silent for a second when he bent down, took his stick, kissed it and continued. It was really good to see that. They were a bunch of people who were performing at IIT just for the love of music and nothing else. Way to go people!

Of course the show was scheduled at 7.30 but started only at 8 and continued till around 10.( A friend of mine even exclaimed that only the friday 8 show and classes start at time in IIT :D ) But it was worth it. I did enjoy a lot until Rehana entered the stage. She started off with her trademark chaiyya chaiyya with Sriram. I didn't like that piece actually. I really wished someone to stop them and Sriram seemed never ending!

Finally their tribute to ARR - Dol Dol. It was really good. Good effort. On the whole it was a nice evening, after a long time. But still something was missing. Maybe ARR ;)