Sound business during festival seasons
VIJAY GEORGE
|
Onam songs and albums featuring mimicry artistes have become a staple of Onam celebrations in Kerala.
|
The 16th edition of `Onathinidaykku Puttukachavadam' and the 13th edition of `Dey... Maveli Kombathu' have been released in the market amidst fanfare.
LAUGH RIOT: Covers of `Onathinidaykku Puttukachavadam'.
It has become a part of Onam now. Albums featuring Onam songs, and parodies of popular songs interspersed with dialogues have become hotsellers in Kerala. But this time around, the fare for Onam includes less than a dozen albums and new editions of two popular parody titles.
Onam songs
The albums of Onam songs that have hit the market are `Onappattukal,' `Onappoo,' `Poothalam,' `Ponnonam' and `Uthradasandhya.' `Poothiruvathira,' a collection of songs on Thiruvathira, is also available in the market now. `Onappattukal' was earlier launched as an audiocassette and had sold more than 8,000 copies.
"The new CD version is a collection of traditional songs on Onam that includes those selected by musicologist and singer Leela Omchery," says Hari, managing director of Invis, which has produced the album. He feels that numerous programmes of the same genre aired by various channels, has affected the audio sales.
Prem of Satyam Audios points out that the pirated collection of almost all the songs that reach the market during Onam are now available in a single MP3 CD, that too at low rates. He adds that this is the reason why his company has not ventured on a new album this year.
"Piracy is definitely killing the market in an alarming way. But stores like ours have a certain clientele who insist on the originals," says Ashwin S of `Musicworld.'
The real battle in this segment is between two collections of parody songs, which have been launched with the kind of publicity and brouhaha that is usually associated with the release of a big budget flick. The 16th edition of Simon J. Navodaya's `Onathinidaykku Puttukachavadam' and the 13th edition of scripted `Dey... Maveli Kombathu,' scripted by Nadhirshah have been released in the market amidst much fanfare.
These albums are a mix of mimicry and parody songs based on current social and political issues in Kerala. The titles have by now become sort of brand names.
Matter of prestige
`Dey...Maveli Kombathu.'
To be featured in these albums have become a matter of prestige for mimicry artistes in the State. Each year, allegations of `shifting loyalties' add to the confusion as these albums are played loudly at many corner shops and junctions.
Most of the artistes involved in this venture feel that there is sufficient space for both the albums and it is the sheer joy of creating this laugh riot that makes it a pleasure year after year. "We've presented the album as a comic take on some of the recent issues that have hogged the headlines in Kerala. Maveli (Lord Mahabali, the legendary king who is supposed to visit the State during Onam) is a witness to it all. Though it is for laughs, we ensure that Maveli is not tampered with," says Nadhirshah.
`Dey... Maveli Kombathu' has lined up a number of well-known mimicry artistes besides stars such as Dileep, Jayasoorya and Salim Kumar. Dileep has been part of the project right from the beginning and Nadhirshah says that he continues to support the venture even now.
Simon, producer of `Onathinidaykku Puttukachavadam,' says, "The popularity of the titles did away with the need for any publicity when we brought out the eighth and ninth editions. But things have changed now and the duplicates flooding the market have hit us hard. Though the originals are modestly priced, it is a pity that many customers buy the pirated versions without considering the efforts put into its making by the artistes."
According to him, `Onathinidaykku Puttukachavadam' has already sold more than 20,000 copies.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
