Scales of success
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Music composer and musician K.J. Joy is making a comeback to Malayalam film music after 17 years. K. Pradeep
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Photo: Vipin Chandran.
Keys to tinsel town: K.J. Joy says he introduced the keyboard to South Indian film music.
The haunting notes of the flute, blending with the lovely vocals of the singer, a hundred violins playing in different octaves, the accordion, the percussion and the accompanying choral voices all blend to form a perfect harmony. But how many of thes
e gifted musicians does the world know? How many find their names on the credits of the albums or films for which they have played? Most of these musicians are destined to end their careers in the recording studios. Some of them break out to create music of their own. K.J. Joy is one of them.
Record
This virtuoso musician, who has the unique record of having played the accordion and keyboard for more than 100 music directors in over 6,000 films, went on to become a popular music director. Joy, who has left an indelible stamp on Malayalam film music, is set to make a comeback after 17 years.
“I’m first and foremost a musician. Composing for films certainly gave me a lot of name and fame. But I love to be known as a musician. A few of my friends insist that I start making music for Malayalam film once again. Initial talks on two films have been held. Hopefully, I’ll have more to tell you by the end of this year,” says Joy.
Even during the break from Malayalam films, Joy was busy conducting music workshops, seminars and demonstrating his self-taught art of playing his favourite musical instruments abroad.
For the Thrissur-born musician, Chennai provided security and education. “I must have been one when my family migrated. Since then Chennai has been my home. We fell on bad days and I had to fend for a living. I learnt the violin and played in some of the choirs. That was when I saw the accordion, my dream instrument. When I was 18, I was selected to play in M.S. Viswanathan’s orchestra.”
There were a few seniors who laughed at him when he tried to play the accordion. But Joy was made of sterner stuff.
“They told me that I would always be wearing an ‘L’ board. That made me train harder. When MSV Sir gave me the notes for the song ‘Thedi thedi…’ for the film ‘Penendral Pennu’ I could not make head or tail of it. But I played exactly the way he wanted. Even today I do not rely on notes; it is all there in my mind. It makes playing much easier. But there is no harm if someone relies on notes.”
There was no looking back for Joy since that first recording. He went on to play for MSV for more than 500 films and the same for K.V. Mahadevan, another musical giant of the time.
“I can proudly claim to have introduced the keyboard to South Indian film music way back in 1969. I bought a Yamaha YC-30, combo-organ from the Shanker-Jaikishen troupe that had come to Chennai then. On an average I used to play the keyboard for 12 songs a day in various languages.”
Debut as music director
Joy made his debut as music director in the Malayalam film ‘Love Letter’ (1975) but the film that set his stock rising was ‘Chandanachola.’ Till 1990, Joy composed music for around 65 Malayalam films. Most of his songs turned out to be super hits and he introduced some gifted singers and lyricists.
“Somehow my heart was never in music direction. I always longed to be known as a performing musician. I firmly believe that anybody can become a music director but not everyone can become a musician. After all, composing film music is only an edited version of some other tune. How best you can edit is what matters,” he avers.
Joy has also composed the background score of more than 12 Hindi films and also played for some of the legends like Naushad, Laximikant-Pyarelal, Madan Mohan, Shanker-Jaikishen, Bhappi Lahiri and R. D. Burman.
“I did one song for the film ‘Dharam Aur Kanoon,’ and the background score for films such as ‘Dayavaan’ and Rajnikanth’s first Hindi film ‘Meri Adalat.’”
In Southall, recently, Joy regaled an audience at an Indian restaurant with old Hindi films on his accordion. And in 2005, he was one of the performers at the Inter Religious Peace Sports Festival at Cheonan, Korea.
“In Korea, I accompanied singers and instrumentalists from different nations apart from my solo performances. I love playing old Hindi films tunes. An album on evergreen Hindi film songs titled ‘Magical Fingers’ has just been released. “There is still so much of music in my mind. The thrill of a musician is in trying to attain that perfect tune, which always keep eluding you. I have tried to keep abreast of new technology, which has an incredible way of embracing new areas of music expression,” winds off Joy.
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Best of K.J. Joy
* ‘Bindu nee ananda…’ – (‘Chandanachola’)
* ‘Rajamalii pooviriyum…’ – (‘Ivan Ente Priyaputran’)
* ‘Lalitha sahasranamam…’ – (‘Ahalya’)
* Radha Geeta Govinda Radha… Lisa
* ‘Azhithiramalakkal…’ – (‘Mukkuvane Snehicha Bhootam’)
* ‘Maranjirunnalum…’ – (‘Sayoojyam’)
* ‘Swarna meeninte chelotha…’ – (‘Sarpam’)
* ‘Akkareyikkare ninnal…’ – (‘Itha Oru Theeram’)
* ‘Thechipoove mizhithurakku…’ – (Hrudayam Padunnu)
* ‘Araro aariraro…’– (‘Aradhana’)
* ‘Ajanta shilpangallil…’ (‘Manushya Mrigam’)
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