On a melodic time machine
MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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Y. Gee. Melody Makers' mammoth light music show was a winner from the word `go.'
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FROM YGM: For diehard fans of yesteryear film music
A scintillating oscillation in time it was. From the past to the future and back, the five-hour music marathon at Kamaraj Memorial Hall, Chennai, saw many in the audience lingering on well past 10 p.m. Such was the impact of the spellbinding session. Airtel was the presenter of the programme titled `GR Mudhal AR Varai' in association with Abbas/Madhu Enterprises. Select hits of composers spanning five decades, from G. Ramanathan to A. R. Rahman, were a fiesta for connoisseurs of melody.
GR Mudhal ... ' had a purpose. Musicians who added sheen to many a film song over the years — flautist Nanjunda Rao, Mandolin Raju, Guitar Philips, Ramalingam — were honoured by veterans T. M. Soundararajan, P. B. Srinivas and S. Janaki. N. Ravi, Editor, The Hindu, was the chief guest.
Sober foil
Y. Gee Melody Makers got off to a euphonious start with Suryaprakash singing Tyagaraja Bhagavathar's `Thiruneelakandar.' As always, YGM and ARS were the emcees. ARS' sober stage presence and mild utterances were an apt foil for the jocund mood and off the cuff remarks of YGM. Aware of the fact that takers for such shows are many and repeat audiences are more than likely, the anchors astutely avoided anecdotes they had touched upon in their earlier programmes.
Drawing comparisons between patriotic flicks such as `Mangal Pandey' and our own classic in the genre, `Kappalotiya Thamizhan,' Mahendra brought Ananthu and T. L. Maharajan for the energising number, `Velli Pani Malaiyin ... ' Astoundingly rendered by the duo, YGM rightly described it as a pearl.
It was evident that the show involved diligent work. . Kalpana and Ananthu as conductors and Ramu as the arranger were meticulous. YGM mentioned that the troupe had come on stage after a month and a half of rigorous rehearsals, and it showed.
Outstanding
If S. N. Surendar and Ananthu beautifully brought alive the voices of MSV and SPB in the `Enakoru Kadhali Irukkindraal,' piece, Kalpana was outstanding, as she replicated the voices of P. Leela in the `Ellam Inba Mayam' song and Pinny in `Chandramukhi's Ra Ra ... ' Kalpana's prowess on the piano was a revelation.
Ananthu changing his voice to suit Ghantasala, M. S. Viswanathan and Balamuralikrishna was a remarkable highlight. Others armed with some evergreen numbers were Kovai Murali, Shrinvas, Sudha Mahendra, Prasanna, Saindhavi and others.
Glitches there were — when a singer or two went off key at points, or when they missed the cue in a couple of places. But they were excusable in an otherwise flawless exercise.
Strong point
Percussion, as a whole, was a strong point of the show. For those of us who had in the past heard Prasad play the entire `Ennadi Raakkamma ... ' number on the tabla, as part of M. S. Viswanathan's live shows, it was a nostalgic trip when he presented it again with the same gusto, to a standing ovation.
Towards the end when a voice from the rear called out for an A. R. Rahman number, a slightly irked YGM said that they had already rendered it and anyway his shows were always more about music of the past. The claim was received with applause of assent. After all, YGM's passion for melodies of the past is well known.
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