I was astonished when Kamal chose Devi Sri Prasad to take charge of the background score in Dasavatharam. But DSP came up with a neat backup job though the re-recording wasn’t the best. This probably influenced Kamal’s decision to rope in DSP for his romantic saga “Manmadhan Ambu”. The music was recently released amidst widespread speculations and a plethora of expectations. The soundtrack consists of six numbers and a theme score. This is what I thought after listening to it three times:
The first song “Dhagita thathom” starts off with a mild strumming (very uncharacteristic of Devi Sri). Slowly some peppy beats are incepted and the tempo stepped up, as we get glimpses of the familiar and infamous DSP zone. The music director seems to have been bitten by the jazz bug of late and the influences are there for everyone to see. The amalgamation of typical DSP beats and sudden jazz interferences slowly give way to the household sounds of kuthu. This makes us sit back and give up the bewilderment, as the stark realisation that this is just another DSP album creeps in. What saves this song is the man himself, Mr. K! He comes up with his trademark improvisations and makes this one a worthy listen. The composer even slips into melodious terrain occasionally to add spice to this number and gives it a Latino touch via the interludes; totally unimpressive refrains though. Listen to this one for Kamal’s class and the impressive percussions.
Next, I tuned into “Who’s the hero”, another song over-equipped with jazz influences. This one’s actually a nice attempt by DSP but what ruins it for him is the ironical combo of experimentation for the heck of it and shamelessly predictable instrumentation. You are almost able to sense the follow up and instrument preference after a line is rendered. Andrea’s horrible Tamil diction, a visibly desperate and deliberate attempt to show off her vocal range and ability to modulate are evident. The lengthy sustain towards the end is a case in point. One, it doesn’t fit in there, two it sounds horrible and three its improvisation for the sake of it. The trumpeting obsequiousness on display is horrible too.
“Neela vaanam” is the most wannabe melody I have heard in the recent past. Even Kamal’s rendition fails to save this one. The English lyrics that have been used to fill in during the initial stages of the song sound so irrelevant and stick out like a sore thumb. The absolute lack of continuity visible in the misplacement of an aurally pleasant string of notes caught me befuddled! To make things worse, we are treated to “Pallandu Pallandu” as it makes a guest appearance in the form of one of DSP’S “innovative” refrains. DSP also seems to be in love with his own songs as he occasionally steals a leaf out of his old books and slips them into his new ones. Glimpses of his tunes from “Santosh Subramaniam” and “Mazhai” are glaring here, even more so when his violin gets to work.
“Oyya Oyya” is your typical DSP song complete with words like jaggunakku and rathasaanire, which find an exclusive place in DSP’S dictionary. The beats in the background are tried and tested ones that have been successfully used in A.R. Rahman’s “New” and G.V. Prakash’s “Vellithirai”. The song features the typical kuthu rendition. DSP’s terrible sense of fusion comes to the fore as he tries to fuse folk-like harmonium notes with bassy string fill-ins. I wish this new craze among composers to begin their songs with nonexistent words sinks into oblivion quickly. The result is atrocious.
“Kamal Kavidhai” isn’t a song. It’s a rhythmic exchange of verses involving two people ruined by DSP’s ghastly fill-ins. The dialogues in the interim are intriguing and it’s absolutely heartening to see a Tamil speaking actress speak chaste Tamil! A fair bit of strain is visible though. Kamal the poet takes centrestage with this one and the end product is exemplary.
The title song has been sung by DSP himself. This cacophonous piece is complete with his traditional hooting and howling. The English lyrics make it worse. The lesser said the better.
Finally, there is the theme score which is decent enough to warrant mention. That doesn’t mean it has been spared of DSP’s signature howls and catcalls though.
To sum it up, this one’s a total slump. Just the kind of take off you would not want your movie to get off to. Hope Kamal makes up for it onscreen. And I also hope he exercises much more care in choosing a composer next time around. As for DSP, its time he gets out of the warp he has got himself into and composes tunes that atleast attempt to sound novel.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Rahman’s torrid tryst with techno
Intro: With the most saleable star in India, an innovative, trendsetting director known for his visual grandeur, an Oscar-winning composer and a technical crew that any director would love to have at his disposal at the helm, Enthiran has been raising a lot of eyebrows ever since the day it was launched. The music album was launched recently amidst much fanfare and was attended by the who’s who of Indian cinema. The music, however, seems to be a big letdown!
1. Pudhiya manitha, rendered by SPB, ARR and his daughter Khatija Rahman appears to be the opening song of the flick. The Rajini-SPB-ARR combo has delivered the best of songs in the past, Oruvan Oruvan, Emberu Padayappa and Balle lakka to name a few. The expectations for the opening song of this flick sky-rocketed as expected and unfortunately, Rahman leaves us disappointed. Even the ever-reliable Vairamuthu disappoints with this one as he has unnecessarily penned lines like ‘En thanthai mozhi tamizh allava’. SPB’s spirited rendition proves to be the only saving grace in this song in which musical sensibilities are taken for a ride and the listener’s ears seem to be ill-fated victims.
2. Kadhal Anukkal, a breezy romantic duet is an aural treat. A pleasant prelude that’s marked by a stupendously pleasant strumming of the acoustic guitar reminds us of the Rahman we know. Vijay Prakash is slowly establishing his stranglehold as Rahman’s favourite. This song though, belongs to Shreya Ghosal. With this one, she can safely stake her claim as India’s best female singer. The song progression and the classy interludes weave tales of euphony(@soupy: machaan, is this Bilahari by any chance?) in the listener’s heart and this is surely the standout track of this album. But thalaivar singing about neutrons, electrons seems a bit hard to digest and I have been trying to visualize the picturisation of the song and it has proved to be a thorny task!
3. Irumbhiley oru irudhayam, sung by ARR is a DJ’s work! This song seems to have been completely conceptualised by the sound engineer (Resul pookutty?) and this song can’t be termed a “composition” by ARR! The rap lyrics add to the discomfort. Another hugely disappointing number that doesn’t warrant a second listen.
4. Chitti dance showcase is an intriguing experimental piece which seems to have worked in Rahman’s favour. This mini-instrumental, power-packed with konnokhole, rhapsodical guitar work and soothing fillers dominated by violins and flute is definitely an appreciable piece of work!
5. Boom Boom robot da is the worst song of the album and is a total disaster. Nothing goes right for this song right from the beginning. Be it yogi b’s irritating rap, the deliberately childish rendition or the incredibly fussy lyrics, every single aspect of this song is atrocious. Rahman has paid a heavy price for over-experimentation with techno and the result is a cacophonic string of notes that tries its level best to qualify itself as a song. Statutory warning: Try listening to this one at your own risk!
6. Arima arima is one of those songs that flatter to deceive. The pompous start signaled by the grand trumpeting gives way to weak vocals (surprise surprise: hariharan!) Sadhana sargam’s tamil rendition would give Kalaignar a heart attack fo sure! But listen to this one for it’s spirited instrumentation and an engaging chorus. You can forgive the boring stanzas and force yourself to sustain interest and listen to the full song!
Rahman’s over dependence on techno and the imposition of a blanket ban on other genres is this album’s greatest weakness! The men behind the mayhem are bound to come up with excuses like “this is a sci-fi film” and “the script demanded techno and experimentation”. But these are definitely not sufficient explanations for the composition of bad songs. This is surely not the composer who enthralled us with the revitalizingly new sounds in the film “New”. A big thumbs down!
1. Pudhiya manitha, rendered by SPB, ARR and his daughter Khatija Rahman appears to be the opening song of the flick. The Rajini-SPB-ARR combo has delivered the best of songs in the past, Oruvan Oruvan, Emberu Padayappa and Balle lakka to name a few. The expectations for the opening song of this flick sky-rocketed as expected and unfortunately, Rahman leaves us disappointed. Even the ever-reliable Vairamuthu disappoints with this one as he has unnecessarily penned lines like ‘En thanthai mozhi tamizh allava’. SPB’s spirited rendition proves to be the only saving grace in this song in which musical sensibilities are taken for a ride and the listener’s ears seem to be ill-fated victims.
2. Kadhal Anukkal, a breezy romantic duet is an aural treat. A pleasant prelude that’s marked by a stupendously pleasant strumming of the acoustic guitar reminds us of the Rahman we know. Vijay Prakash is slowly establishing his stranglehold as Rahman’s favourite. This song though, belongs to Shreya Ghosal. With this one, she can safely stake her claim as India’s best female singer. The song progression and the classy interludes weave tales of euphony(@soupy: machaan, is this Bilahari by any chance?) in the listener’s heart and this is surely the standout track of this album. But thalaivar singing about neutrons, electrons seems a bit hard to digest and I have been trying to visualize the picturisation of the song and it has proved to be a thorny task!
3. Irumbhiley oru irudhayam, sung by ARR is a DJ’s work! This song seems to have been completely conceptualised by the sound engineer (Resul pookutty?) and this song can’t be termed a “composition” by ARR! The rap lyrics add to the discomfort. Another hugely disappointing number that doesn’t warrant a second listen.
4. Chitti dance showcase is an intriguing experimental piece which seems to have worked in Rahman’s favour. This mini-instrumental, power-packed with konnokhole, rhapsodical guitar work and soothing fillers dominated by violins and flute is definitely an appreciable piece of work!
5. Boom Boom robot da is the worst song of the album and is a total disaster. Nothing goes right for this song right from the beginning. Be it yogi b’s irritating rap, the deliberately childish rendition or the incredibly fussy lyrics, every single aspect of this song is atrocious. Rahman has paid a heavy price for over-experimentation with techno and the result is a cacophonic string of notes that tries its level best to qualify itself as a song. Statutory warning: Try listening to this one at your own risk!
6. Arima arima is one of those songs that flatter to deceive. The pompous start signaled by the grand trumpeting gives way to weak vocals (surprise surprise: hariharan!) Sadhana sargam’s tamil rendition would give Kalaignar a heart attack fo sure! But listen to this one for it’s spirited instrumentation and an engaging chorus. You can forgive the boring stanzas and force yourself to sustain interest and listen to the full song!
Rahman’s over dependence on techno and the imposition of a blanket ban on other genres is this album’s greatest weakness! The men behind the mayhem are bound to come up with excuses like “this is a sci-fi film” and “the script demanded techno and experimentation”. But these are definitely not sufficient explanations for the composition of bad songs. This is surely not the composer who enthralled us with the revitalizingly new sounds in the film “New”. A big thumbs down!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
MY STINT AT THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS(EXPRESSO) ---REVITALIZING EXPERIENCE
Power, passion and energy are the three words that can be used to best describe the drumming extravaganza organised by Jus drums.
Vani mahal was abuzz with activity. As I meandered down the space separating the two divisions of the auditorium, I realised that the hall was jam-packed and finding a place to sit proved to be quite a menacing task! As I quietly grabbed an elusive seat, the show got off to a rousing start with a clean rendition of the song that’s slowly establishing its stranglehold as the Tamil anthem, Semmozhi. Expectations graduated to the next level when the host, Drums Murali, who also happens to be the man in charge of the troupe, announced that the next song to be played would be Rakkamma kaiyya thattu from Thalapathy. The announcement did raise a few eyebrows, as it’s known for the highly intricate nature of the prelude and magnitude of difficulty in playing the song live. But the invigorating initiation settled all doubts and the troupe owes the scintillating response for the song to its lead keyboardist, Karthik Subramaniam. Karthik and his counterparts breezed through the toughest parts of the legendary song with consummate ease and élan.
Next up, it was time for All drums, an avant-garde performance that appealed to all sections of the audience. All drums was just that, an extraordinary exhibition of various percussions that had shades of innovation and improvisation painted all over it. The recital awakened the audience to the various traditional percussion instruments. The effort was evident and the experience, a pleasurable one but they should have worked on curtailing the length of the song. This was followed by yet another Ilayaraja classic, the divine Kalamkalamaga from Punnagai Mannan, which stood out for the energy-filled rendition by the female lead. The evergreen engeyum yeppodhum from ninaithaley inikkum, spiced up with aggressive vocals by the male lead that combined well with the novel ad-libbing.
While Bharani, the lead singer, impressed with his creativity in engeyum, his attempts at striding off the beaten track bombed big time when he tried singing the celebrated classic, Meri sapnon ki rani from Aradhana. The troupe’s tryst with re-recording established their versatility. Three famous clippings known for convoluted BGMs were screened with the volume muted, as the troupe effortlessly played the background score. Their work on the unforgettable temple scene in Guna will remain etched in the audience’s memory for long. The recital sounded so much like the unassailable original score. A small clipping highlighting the achievements of the organisation followed and then it was time for the ensemble to finish with a bang.
A theme based song, which happens to be a routine that they have been following for the past ten years, was based on limiting the use of plastic. It started off with the cacophonous sound that arises out of crushing a plastic bottle and it was followed by a groundbreaking composition with the instrumentalists restricting themselves to plastic buckets, barrels and mugs to play the opus. A very well thought out piece of euphony indeed. The tiny tots who performed were conferred with certificates and after a few wise words from the chief guest Rev father Jegath Gasper Raj, the curtains were drawn. An evening to cherish.
Vani mahal was abuzz with activity. As I meandered down the space separating the two divisions of the auditorium, I realised that the hall was jam-packed and finding a place to sit proved to be quite a menacing task! As I quietly grabbed an elusive seat, the show got off to a rousing start with a clean rendition of the song that’s slowly establishing its stranglehold as the Tamil anthem, Semmozhi. Expectations graduated to the next level when the host, Drums Murali, who also happens to be the man in charge of the troupe, announced that the next song to be played would be Rakkamma kaiyya thattu from Thalapathy. The announcement did raise a few eyebrows, as it’s known for the highly intricate nature of the prelude and magnitude of difficulty in playing the song live. But the invigorating initiation settled all doubts and the troupe owes the scintillating response for the song to its lead keyboardist, Karthik Subramaniam. Karthik and his counterparts breezed through the toughest parts of the legendary song with consummate ease and élan.
Next up, it was time for All drums, an avant-garde performance that appealed to all sections of the audience. All drums was just that, an extraordinary exhibition of various percussions that had shades of innovation and improvisation painted all over it. The recital awakened the audience to the various traditional percussion instruments. The effort was evident and the experience, a pleasurable one but they should have worked on curtailing the length of the song. This was followed by yet another Ilayaraja classic, the divine Kalamkalamaga from Punnagai Mannan, which stood out for the energy-filled rendition by the female lead. The evergreen engeyum yeppodhum from ninaithaley inikkum, spiced up with aggressive vocals by the male lead that combined well with the novel ad-libbing.
While Bharani, the lead singer, impressed with his creativity in engeyum, his attempts at striding off the beaten track bombed big time when he tried singing the celebrated classic, Meri sapnon ki rani from Aradhana. The troupe’s tryst with re-recording established their versatility. Three famous clippings known for convoluted BGMs were screened with the volume muted, as the troupe effortlessly played the background score. Their work on the unforgettable temple scene in Guna will remain etched in the audience’s memory for long. The recital sounded so much like the unassailable original score. A small clipping highlighting the achievements of the organisation followed and then it was time for the ensemble to finish with a bang.
A theme based song, which happens to be a routine that they have been following for the past ten years, was based on limiting the use of plastic. It started off with the cacophonous sound that arises out of crushing a plastic bottle and it was followed by a groundbreaking composition with the instrumentalists restricting themselves to plastic buckets, barrels and mugs to play the opus. A very well thought out piece of euphony indeed. The tiny tots who performed were conferred with certificates and after a few wise words from the chief guest Rev father Jegath Gasper Raj, the curtains were drawn. An evening to cherish.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
MY STINT AT THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS(EXPRESSO)---WHERE NOVELTY AND INNOVATION RULED THE ROOST
Intro: Yodhakaa, a contemporary Indian music band which performed on Saturday to
signal the launch of “Purple note”, has been visibly inspired by Latin music, blues, jazz
and Arabic music, but the original Indian flavour has been intelligently retained.
The corporate office of Sathyam cinemas was the place to be on June 26, as it
reverberated with refreshingly new sounds, thanks to Yodhakaa, a contemporary
Indian music band. “Think Music” launched a non-film music label Purple Note. Priya
Krishnan, head of marketing, “Think Music” says: “Purple Note is a contemporary non-
film music label. We work with artists who are unsigned with other labels and help them
get their first album out. We hope to contribute in our small way to their dreams. It is a
division of SPI Music, owned by the creative managing Directors Mr. Kiran Reddy and
Mr. Swaroop Reddy”.
The evening sprang to life as Yodhakaa, came up with six revitalizing songs. They
started with their improvised version of the Mudhakaratha Modhakam, which stood
out for it’s innovative instrumentation and novel progression. The song was simple yet
captivating. The next song, titled Srihari sounded like an extension of the first song and
the guitarist Pradeep impressed. The next song Gnanam was the best of the lot and the
band had the audience dumbstruck with the simply exhilarating percussions and the
soul-stirring vocals. Next in line was Shwetham Baradaram Devi, which raised a few
eyebrows for the band’s bizarre choice of instruments that were totally unconventional.
Infact, the percussionist was the cynosure of all eyes as he effortlessly moved from
one “instrument” to another. A lot of effort was put into negate unnecessary noises that
could arise on doing away with the toy-like instruments. The final song Jatakatha had the
band performing at their energetic best as they ended the concert on a high.
A lot of research on Sanskrit slokas has been done and the band has achieved a fair level
of success in giving a new feel to traditional songs. The band must also be giving a lot of
credit for choosing Sanskrit, as it is a classical language that’s zooming into extinction.
They have been visibly inspired by Latin music, blues, jazz and Arabic music, but the
original Indian flavour has been intelligently retained. Yodhakaa is definitely a band to
watch out for, as they harmoniously blend world music with Carnatic. Fortunately for
Yodhakaa, “Purple note” gives the copyright of the songs tuned under their label to the
band members, though they initially retain the marketing rights unlike other popular
music labels. It certainly turned out to be an invigorating start to a brilliant concept!
signal the launch of “Purple note”, has been visibly inspired by Latin music, blues, jazz
and Arabic music, but the original Indian flavour has been intelligently retained.
The corporate office of Sathyam cinemas was the place to be on June 26, as it
reverberated with refreshingly new sounds, thanks to Yodhakaa, a contemporary
Indian music band. “Think Music” launched a non-film music label Purple Note. Priya
Krishnan, head of marketing, “Think Music” says: “Purple Note is a contemporary non-
film music label. We work with artists who are unsigned with other labels and help them
get their first album out. We hope to contribute in our small way to their dreams. It is a
division of SPI Music, owned by the creative managing Directors Mr. Kiran Reddy and
Mr. Swaroop Reddy”.
The evening sprang to life as Yodhakaa, came up with six revitalizing songs. They
started with their improvised version of the Mudhakaratha Modhakam, which stood
out for it’s innovative instrumentation and novel progression. The song was simple yet
captivating. The next song, titled Srihari sounded like an extension of the first song and
the guitarist Pradeep impressed. The next song Gnanam was the best of the lot and the
band had the audience dumbstruck with the simply exhilarating percussions and the
soul-stirring vocals. Next in line was Shwetham Baradaram Devi, which raised a few
eyebrows for the band’s bizarre choice of instruments that were totally unconventional.
Infact, the percussionist was the cynosure of all eyes as he effortlessly moved from
one “instrument” to another. A lot of effort was put into negate unnecessary noises that
could arise on doing away with the toy-like instruments. The final song Jatakatha had the
band performing at their energetic best as they ended the concert on a high.
A lot of research on Sanskrit slokas has been done and the band has achieved a fair level
of success in giving a new feel to traditional songs. The band must also be giving a lot of
credit for choosing Sanskrit, as it is a classical language that’s zooming into extinction.
They have been visibly inspired by Latin music, blues, jazz and Arabic music, but the
original Indian flavour has been intelligently retained. Yodhakaa is definitely a band to
watch out for, as they harmoniously blend world music with Carnatic. Fortunately for
Yodhakaa, “Purple note” gives the copyright of the songs tuned under their label to the
band members, though they initially retain the marketing rights unlike other popular
music labels. It certainly turned out to be an invigorating start to a brilliant concept!
MY STINT AT THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS(EXPRESSO)---GOOD TIMES WITH GARY
Good times with Gary
Intro: The second day of the centenary celebrations of the sanctification of the only Parsi
Fire Temple in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala was characterised by style, music
and rollicking fun.
It was a day when the name “Gary lawyer” was on everybody’s lips. As is the case
with all commemorations, so much of importance was attached to nostalgic talk. One
octogenarian after another crawled up to the stage to educate the restless crowd about
their green and salad days. The air was brimming with expectations. The dance floor
and the multihued lights sported deserted looks as the audience started craving for
entertainment.
Finally, the man of the evening arrived. The old men finally decided to sink into their
chairs and taste wine. Gary walked up to the podium to tremendous applause. He wasted
no time unlike the others who had graced the stage before him and the man with the
golden voice, regarded as the finest Indian artiste in the field of western popular music
stole the limelight. The bass baritone immediately struck a chord with the audience and
his impressive modulations proved to be one of his many assets. Gary’s biggest plus
is his range. He is equally inspiring in the tenor range and in his favourite bass-toned
numbers. And then comes his versatility. Rock, pop, jazz, country or folk, you name the
genre and he comes up with a brilliant rendition of a song in that genre.
Rock n roll seems to be his forte though. He began his campaign with a few melodious
songs that stood out for their lilting tunes. But sensing the theme of the occasion, he
started playing to the gallery by immediately switching to rock. And he sure did rock,
as he got every single member present in the auditorium to walk up to the dance floor
and perform a jig. A vibrant and highly flexible performer, he has a repertoire that has
something for audiences of all ages and musical tastes. The music appealed to hardcore
music enthusiasts as well as people who had come there just to have some fun. The
performance was power-packed, engrossing and an amazingly gratifying experience.
Intro: The second day of the centenary celebrations of the sanctification of the only Parsi
Fire Temple in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala was characterised by style, music
and rollicking fun.
It was a day when the name “Gary lawyer” was on everybody’s lips. As is the case
with all commemorations, so much of importance was attached to nostalgic talk. One
octogenarian after another crawled up to the stage to educate the restless crowd about
their green and salad days. The air was brimming with expectations. The dance floor
and the multihued lights sported deserted looks as the audience started craving for
entertainment.
Finally, the man of the evening arrived. The old men finally decided to sink into their
chairs and taste wine. Gary walked up to the podium to tremendous applause. He wasted
no time unlike the others who had graced the stage before him and the man with the
golden voice, regarded as the finest Indian artiste in the field of western popular music
stole the limelight. The bass baritone immediately struck a chord with the audience and
his impressive modulations proved to be one of his many assets. Gary’s biggest plus
is his range. He is equally inspiring in the tenor range and in his favourite bass-toned
numbers. And then comes his versatility. Rock, pop, jazz, country or folk, you name the
genre and he comes up with a brilliant rendition of a song in that genre.
Rock n roll seems to be his forte though. He began his campaign with a few melodious
songs that stood out for their lilting tunes. But sensing the theme of the occasion, he
started playing to the gallery by immediately switching to rock. And he sure did rock,
as he got every single member present in the auditorium to walk up to the dance floor
and perform a jig. A vibrant and highly flexible performer, he has a repertoire that has
something for audiences of all ages and musical tastes. The music appealed to hardcore
music enthusiasts as well as people who had come there just to have some fun. The
performance was power-packed, engrossing and an amazingly gratifying experience.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
MY STINT AT THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS(EXPRESSO)--- OF CHORDS,SOLO HALOS AND PASSIONATE ENTHUSIASTS
Sudarshan Varadhan
Express News Service
First Published : 01 Jun 2010 12:01:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 01 Jun 2010 12:22:17 AM IST
The first thing that strikes you the moment you have a glance at Guthrie Govan is his dressing sense. On May 30, when he walked up to the podium and started strumming his guitar in the Russian center of science and culture for his performance cum workshop, he was confronted with an array of bizarre looks. The legendary guitarist was sporting a Mexican look- a brown tee, a torn dirty pair of jeans and a weird beard that hardly suited him. Only the hat was missing.
The barbaric catcalls from the ill-behaved audience notwithstanding, Govan slowly got into the groove. The fluency and the confidence with which he handled things were an instant hit with the audience. Minutes into the show he was interacting with the audience as if he had been playing to the same set of people throughout his life. All of a sudden, the auditorium was reverberating with refreshing sounds and a fresh lease of life.
Govan’s sense of humour soon joined the party and the audience was treated to a slew of one-liners. One guitar enthusiast came up with an uncanny question “Sir how do you play the song Feed my Frankenstein?,” “Badly!” he quipped. The workshop was a special one for fans of Govan as he added a personal touch to the show. He started off by enlightening the audience about his humble beginnings and drawing parallels between learning a language and learning music. He also delved into the philosophies of music as he talked about picking up the sounds of nature and connecting emotionally to the spirit of music. Dynamics and acoustics of the guitar were also given due importance.
He followed it up with a variety of ideas and tips on the intricacies and the technicalities involved in playing the guitar. The awestruck enthusiasts watched him explain the process of playing the most challenging tricks ranging from tapping to hybrid picking with consummate ease and élan. The most distinguishing feature of the show was that it appealed to the layman as much as it appealed to the veterans. After a riveting interactive session, he switched tracks as he plunged into the concert mode. He played some of his best compositions as he harmoniously blended classical western music with hardcore rock. The audience were on their feet marveling at their master perform a stunning feat.
He concluded with his chartbuster seven and by stressing on the importance of maintaining the tempo and finishing a song on time. It was truly an experience of a lifetime.
Express News Service
First Published : 01 Jun 2010 12:01:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 01 Jun 2010 12:22:17 AM IST
The first thing that strikes you the moment you have a glance at Guthrie Govan is his dressing sense. On May 30, when he walked up to the podium and started strumming his guitar in the Russian center of science and culture for his performance cum workshop, he was confronted with an array of bizarre looks. The legendary guitarist was sporting a Mexican look- a brown tee, a torn dirty pair of jeans and a weird beard that hardly suited him. Only the hat was missing.
The barbaric catcalls from the ill-behaved audience notwithstanding, Govan slowly got into the groove. The fluency and the confidence with which he handled things were an instant hit with the audience. Minutes into the show he was interacting with the audience as if he had been playing to the same set of people throughout his life. All of a sudden, the auditorium was reverberating with refreshing sounds and a fresh lease of life.
Govan’s sense of humour soon joined the party and the audience was treated to a slew of one-liners. One guitar enthusiast came up with an uncanny question “Sir how do you play the song Feed my Frankenstein?,” “Badly!” he quipped. The workshop was a special one for fans of Govan as he added a personal touch to the show. He started off by enlightening the audience about his humble beginnings and drawing parallels between learning a language and learning music. He also delved into the philosophies of music as he talked about picking up the sounds of nature and connecting emotionally to the spirit of music. Dynamics and acoustics of the guitar were also given due importance.
He followed it up with a variety of ideas and tips on the intricacies and the technicalities involved in playing the guitar. The awestruck enthusiasts watched him explain the process of playing the most challenging tricks ranging from tapping to hybrid picking with consummate ease and élan. The most distinguishing feature of the show was that it appealed to the layman as much as it appealed to the veterans. After a riveting interactive session, he switched tracks as he plunged into the concert mode. He played some of his best compositions as he harmoniously blended classical western music with hardcore rock. The audience were on their feet marveling at their master perform a stunning feat.
He concluded with his chartbuster seven and by stressing on the importance of maintaining the tempo and finishing a song on time. It was truly an experience of a lifetime.
MY STINT AT THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS(EXPRESSO)--- GIRLS, GLITZ AND VOCAL GRACE
Sudarshan Varadhan
First Published : 22 Jun 2010 12:26:00 AM IST
Last Updated :
JUST a little more than a dozen beautiful girls lit up the ballroom of Taj Coromandel as they sang their way to glory as the enthusiastic crowd stayed glued to the podium, watching with bated breath. Whim n Rhythm came up with an evening of appealing Capella fare and gave the event an invigorating start with their traditional opening song Shaking the tree. Each singer came up to the main microphone and sang different parts of the song as the audience got acclimatised to their voices.
Do right, the second song of the evening was impressive, thanks to the wonderful synchronisation of the high-pitched and the bassy humming in the background. The apposite finish and the fantastic co-ordination made up for the fussy female lead singer who failed to impress.
Vision of love, sung by Allison Bruff was undoubtedly the showstopper of the evening. She made a striking impact with her husky voice and tempo.
Next in store was a football medley, No hope for Harvard, that had the audience in splits, for it was a song peppered with a nice rhythm and hilarious lyrics. An amazing composition which fitted into the lyrics like a glove, stood out for its energetic rhythm, wacky modulation and strange noises like barking of dogs, mewing of cats etc.
The fifth track was Black coffee, which had a singer with a seductive voice at the helm and had an eerie feel through out. It also seemed to have deliberately irrelevant lyrics.
The next song had an indian girl with chennai roots reaching out to the audience with her innovative and crystal clear rendition punctuated with free flowing lyrics, which was styled like a ballad. The last few songs of the day starting with Love me or leave me, was regretfully monotonous and gave the audience an “I have heard this before” feel.
The next one rightly named Softly was brief.
The song You have time was intense with well written intelligent lyrics supported soul-stirring singing and a classy chorus that left the audience dumbstruck.
A few ordinary and unforgettable songs followed. But the girls finished with a bang with the final song that was completely different from the rest, as a nice peppy track set the mood for a highly bouncy cocktail party that followed. An evening of whim and rhythm of course.
First Published : 22 Jun 2010 12:26:00 AM IST
Last Updated :
JUST a little more than a dozen beautiful girls lit up the ballroom of Taj Coromandel as they sang their way to glory as the enthusiastic crowd stayed glued to the podium, watching with bated breath. Whim n Rhythm came up with an evening of appealing Capella fare and gave the event an invigorating start with their traditional opening song Shaking the tree. Each singer came up to the main microphone and sang different parts of the song as the audience got acclimatised to their voices.
Do right, the second song of the evening was impressive, thanks to the wonderful synchronisation of the high-pitched and the bassy humming in the background. The apposite finish and the fantastic co-ordination made up for the fussy female lead singer who failed to impress.
Vision of love, sung by Allison Bruff was undoubtedly the showstopper of the evening. She made a striking impact with her husky voice and tempo.
Next in store was a football medley, No hope for Harvard, that had the audience in splits, for it was a song peppered with a nice rhythm and hilarious lyrics. An amazing composition which fitted into the lyrics like a glove, stood out for its energetic rhythm, wacky modulation and strange noises like barking of dogs, mewing of cats etc.
The fifth track was Black coffee, which had a singer with a seductive voice at the helm and had an eerie feel through out. It also seemed to have deliberately irrelevant lyrics.
The next song had an indian girl with chennai roots reaching out to the audience with her innovative and crystal clear rendition punctuated with free flowing lyrics, which was styled like a ballad. The last few songs of the day starting with Love me or leave me, was regretfully monotonous and gave the audience an “I have heard this before” feel.
The next one rightly named Softly was brief.
The song You have time was intense with well written intelligent lyrics supported soul-stirring singing and a classy chorus that left the audience dumbstruck.
A few ordinary and unforgettable songs followed. But the girls finished with a bang with the final song that was completely different from the rest, as a nice peppy track set the mood for a highly bouncy cocktail party that followed. An evening of whim and rhythm of course.
MY STINT AT THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS(EXPRESSO)---REFRESHING BLEND OF DIVERSE GENRES
Sudarshan Varadhan
First Published : 06 Jul 2010 11:03:00 PM IST
Last Updated :
It was a night that had promised so much. If one were to ignore the unimaginably lengthy inaugural session to thank the sponsors; the painstakingly boring master of ceremony who’s English was drenched in a heavy north-Indian accent and the highly unsuccessful attempts by the members of Dhwani to connect to the audience with their outrageous jokes, the evening was fairly praiseworthy one.
Medley seemed to be the flavour of the evening as the name Then and Now indicated. The members of Dhwani are extraordinary singers without doubt. Each of the four impressed with their impeccable voices, range and modulation. The songs chosen for the medleys gelled into each other so beautifully and the vocalists improvised intelligently, retaining the original flavour of the songs. Medley is often given as an excuse for choosing sub-standard songs and Dhwani proved why that excuse is grossly invalid. All the songs chosen were legendary in their own way and the rendition of the evergreen classic Meri sapnon ki rani from Aradhana proved to be the highlight of the evening.
Every evergreen classic was combined with a more recent and popular Bollywood chart buster, to provide the much-needed balance and cater to audiences of all age-groups. Another heartwarming fact about the evening was that, the money raised via selling tickets would be used to finance a cancer detection camp. Kudos to the ladies wing of Rajasthani association for coming up with such a novel initiative.
First Published : 06 Jul 2010 11:03:00 PM IST
Last Updated :
It was a night that had promised so much. If one were to ignore the unimaginably lengthy inaugural session to thank the sponsors; the painstakingly boring master of ceremony who’s English was drenched in a heavy north-Indian accent and the highly unsuccessful attempts by the members of Dhwani to connect to the audience with their outrageous jokes, the evening was fairly praiseworthy one.
Medley seemed to be the flavour of the evening as the name Then and Now indicated. The members of Dhwani are extraordinary singers without doubt. Each of the four impressed with their impeccable voices, range and modulation. The songs chosen for the medleys gelled into each other so beautifully and the vocalists improvised intelligently, retaining the original flavour of the songs. Medley is often given as an excuse for choosing sub-standard songs and Dhwani proved why that excuse is grossly invalid. All the songs chosen were legendary in their own way and the rendition of the evergreen classic Meri sapnon ki rani from Aradhana proved to be the highlight of the evening.
Every evergreen classic was combined with a more recent and popular Bollywood chart buster, to provide the much-needed balance and cater to audiences of all age-groups. Another heartwarming fact about the evening was that, the money raised via selling tickets would be used to finance a cancer detection camp. Kudos to the ladies wing of Rajasthani association for coming up with such a novel initiative.
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