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The entire audience - 99 per cent of them being Chennai Malayalees - waited patiently, and gave a good hand when chief guest S Janaki arrived at last at 7.00 p.m. Mallus forgot their well-known impatience and rose up to the occasion, because Janaki’s voice had been a part of their daily lives. Janaki opened the programme with ‘Mazhavil Kavadi Azhaku’. Though the song came nowhere near the original, which she sang decades ago, she got a good applause which made her say, “I am happy that you invited me to this programme. I am very happy you consider me as a Malayalee.”
Anyway, the selection was appreciable. It covered the songs of Vayalar, ONV, P Bhaskaran, G Devarajan, Bichu Thirumala, Salil Choudhari, Ravindran, A T Ummar, Baburaj, Yusuf Ali Kecheri, Shyam and many others. The voices meant to invoke Malayalee memories were those of Unni Menon, Sujatha, Minmini and Radhika Thilak. As I have stated in my article on Unni Menon, “Unni’s is the most romantic voice I have ever heard, perhaps you too… His voice is best suited for the expression of emotions… Unni is famous for his stage programmes” The same Unni was there at Kamarajar Arangam. However, a superior influence prevented the natural flow of his style. The restraint was apparent in ‘Maanikka Veenayumai’ (Kaattupookkal) where Unni was almost a ‘Dasettan’ (K J Yasudas). ‘Paarijatham Thirumizhi Thurannu’ (Thokkukal Kadha Parayannu) was more enjoyable as it was Unni’s version of the song.
Sujatha was not at her best in songs like ‘Poonthenaruvi’ (Oru Penninte Kadha), ‘Sandhye’ (Madhanolsavam) and ‘Thaliritta Kinakkal Than’ (Moodupadam) despite her capturing smile. She could have depended more on her own style than being guided by the voices of S Janaki and P Susheela. We know Minmini had lost her voice, regained it, and is on way to reach that sweetness with which she sang ‘Chinna Chinna Aasai’. Acknowledging this background, we have to say Mini sang songs like ‘Ellarum Chollanu’ (Neelakkuyil) well.
In fact, Radhika’s was a crystal clear voice, like the drop of water standing tantalisingly at the edge of a blade of grass. There was a mimicry programme, which I wished they had not included. There was a ‘Kaikottikali’, to create a Kerala atmosphere, which I wished had also not been included. I wished they had arranged the songs in a better way, presented them without wasting time and stopped the programme before the audience felt satiated. Then, it would have been a programme worth ‘Ormikkaan Omanikkaan’.
- Salil Jose Readers' response/inputs can be e-mailed to salil@chennaionline.com.
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‘Ormikkaan Omanikkaan’, a gana mela of Malayalam film songs of the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, organised by Music Minds at the Kamarajar Arangam on January 12, was delayed by half-an-hour despite the organisers’ proposed sharpness of time. It was given on the tickets and ads that the programme would begin at 6.31 p.m. (mind you, not 6.30 p.m.).
I don’t think anybody attended the programme to listen to a confession. The organisers’ refrain, that it had been a difficult task for them to select 35 outstanding songs from the ocean of evergreen hits, was a jarring note throughout.
It is high time Unni Menon gave Carnatic concerts. ‘Sangeethame Amara Sallapame’ (Sargam) and ‘Ezhu Swarangalum’ (Chiriyo Chiri) made one really long for this voice in classical concerts. Carnatic music wants someone like Unni, with depth in voice.
I believe the entire audience went back home with one particular song dancing on their lips. Such was the sweetness of ‘Mainakam Kadalilninnu Uyarunnuvo’ (Thrishna) when Radhika Thilak sang it. She maintained the same sweetness in ‘Priyathame’ (Shakunthla) and ‘Periyare’
(Bharya).
