SOTD # 555: 2004 - A Retrospective

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2004 - A Retrospective

As the year comes to a close, here is a brief look back at the songs and films that entertained us.

2004 started off with two albums that were praised by critics: Virumandi by Ilayaraja and KangaLaal kaidhu sei by A.R.Rahman. Virumandi went on to become a commercial success, while KKS probably ended the career of Bharathiraja for a while. Both IR and ARR didn't hit the lofty heights of these albums for the rest of the year, though ARR had commercial success with 'New'.

Virumandi had many short numbers and a couple of good full-length songs: 'saNdiyarE' and 'onnai vida'. Kamal sang most of the songs and even penned 'onnai vida'. Here's the song: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/352.html .

KKS had a breezy song by Hariharan (azhagiya Cindrella), a slow duet by Chitra Sivaraman and Karthik and a fast, different number by Harini, probably her best rendition so far. My pick of the album was this beautiful song by Unni Menon and Chinmayee, 'ennuyir thOzhiyE': http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/347.html

There was a lot of expectation from Vidyasagar-Thangar Bachaan team for the film 'Thendral'. It was the first time TB went to VS from IR. I liked the songs from Thendral. The album went largely unnoticed because the film was a huge flop. The album had good songs like 'pachchaik kiLi' and 'puththam puthu paattu vandhaa' which was featured here: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/366.html .

One of the biggest hits of the year was Cheran's Autograph. The album, composed by Bharatwaj, became a hit because of the film. The song that got maximum air time was 'gnaabagam varuthE' ( http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/397.html ) that someone commented that it was like a glorified nursery rhyme.

ARR's Ayutha ezhuththu had a lot of hype and was targeted towards a national audience. The film flopped and brought down the album with it. ARR sang 'Jana gana mana' (http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/410.html ) in a Sun TV programme with a piano - I remember that freewheeling unplugged version more than the song itself.

The biggest loss to the TFM industry this year was Mahesh. After a brave battle, he succumbed to cancer. His final albums were P.C.Sriram's vaanam vasappadum and Janaki Viswanathan's kanavu meippada vENdum. Ramya Krishnan sang this song that was a throwback to the early years of TFM, thaazham poovE vaadaa: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/433.html . kanavu meippada vENdum received good reviews from the critics, while vaanam vasappadum was a washout. The album had a few melodious numbers, including 'kaNgaL theeNdi' by Hariharan and Sujatha: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/421.html .

The commercial hits in the summer were Vidyasagar's Gilli, Bharatwaj's Vasool Raja MBBS and ARR's New. They all had fast-paced songs tailor made for the masses. appadip pOdu pOdu pOdu was played in the airwaves non-stop.

Yuvan Shankar Raja made his mark with 7/G, Rainbow Colony. The film and the album were big hits. The songs and the Background music fitted the film well. 7/G Rainbow Colony proved to be the sleeper hit of the year. Here is 'ninaithu ninaithu' by Shreya Ghoshal: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/464.html .

A newcomer, Jassie Gift, made the biggest splash in malayalam industry in eons with his 'lajjavathiyE' in 4 the people. The film was remade into thamizh as 4 students and lajjavathiyE became a hit song in TFM as well: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/472.html .

Among hit films this fall, Harris Jayaraj scored one with ChellamE. With good performances from Reema Sen and Bharat, the film was appreciated critically and commercially. HJ will probably be in the limelight next year with Shankar's Anniyan. Here is a song that went unnoticed from chellamE: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/483.html .

Vidyasagar scored again with the film Sathurangam. The album was released in October, but the film is yet to see the light of day. The album is one of the best this year. It will probably get more attention as the film makes its run at the box office next year. Here is 'vizhiyum vizhiyum' sung by Madhu Balakrishnan and Harini: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/520.html .

We finally end with the last hit of the year, Kaadhal. Composed by a newcomer, Joshua Sridhar, 'thottu thottu' from this film was featured in SOTD yesterday: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/554.html .

Here are my picks this year:

Best album of the year: 7/G, Rainbow Colony.
Best song of the year: ninaithu ninaithu from 7/G Rainbow Colony.
Best male singer of the year: Madhu Balakrishnan, vizhiyum vizhiyum from Sathurangam.
Best female singer of the year: Harini, thee kuruyivaal from KangaLaal kaidhu sei.
Best newcomer of the year: Joshua Sridhar, Kaadhal.
Best picturized song of the year: onnai vida from Virumandi.

More songs of 2004 in SOTD: http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/catlist.php?catid=16

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This is the last update to SOTD this year. Season's greetings and Wish you all a happy new year!

[Kitcha]

Another highly under-rated song IMO was "Vizhigalin Aruginil Vaanam" from 'Azhagiya Theeye' ( a decent movie btw). And for those who like Karthik Raja, he had one good number in "Adiye Kiliyae" from Kudaikkul Mazhai (drag of a movie though).

Then there were those odd songs from usually monotonous composers that made one take notice.
Thithithidave - Jana (Dheena)
Medhu Medhuvai - Jai (ManiSharma)
Nachendru Ichondru Thanthaaiye - Attagaasam (Bharadwaj)

[rajesh]

I happen to hear the song "Ninaithu Ninaithu..." from 7G RC. It has 2 versions. One is by Shreya Goshal and another by Kay Kay.

Wow.. what wonderful verses.. the verses of the song sung by Shreya
Goshal are put up such that its a reply of the song sung by Kay Kay..

Also the prelude to kay kays song touches the inner most heart..
But there is some bit of tamil kolai by Shreya Goshal. for e.g. at the end
of charanam... she fights in spelling "kangal thiranthiduuuu..."..

otherwise both songs are good.

verses of the song by kay kay...

ninaithu ninaithu paarthaen
nerungi vilagi nadandhaen
unnaal dhaanae naanae vaazhgiRaen oh
unnil indru ennai paarkkiRaen

eduthu padithu mudikkum munnae
eriyum kadidham edhaRku peNNae?
unnaal dhaanae naanae vaazhgiRaen oh
unnil indru ennai paarkkiRaen

amarndhu paesum marangaLin nizhalum
unnai kaetkum eppadi solvaen
udhirndhu poana malarin mounama?

thoodhu paesum kolusin oliyai
aRaigaL kaetkum eppadi solvaen?
udaindhu poana vaLaiyal paesuma?

uLLangaiyial veppam saerkkum
viralgaL indru engae?
thoaLil saayndhu kadhaigaL paesa
mugamum illai ingae
mudhal kanavu mudiyum munnamae
thookkam kalaindhadhey

(ninaithu ninaithu...)

paesi poana vaarthaigaL ellaam
kaalam dhoaRum kaadhinil kaetkum
saambal kaRaiyum vaarthai kaRaiyuma?

paarthu poana paarvaigaL ellaam
pagalum iravum kaeLvigaL kaetkum
uyirum poagum uruvam poaguma?

thodarndhu vandha nizhalgaL ingae
theeyil saerndhu poagum
thiruttu poana thadayam paarthum
nambavillai naanum
oru tharuNam edhirinil thoandruvaay
endrae vaazhgiRaen naanum....

[vijay]

In summary, TFM hit rock bottom this year. Thats all there is to it. If there is anything positive to be taken from all this its that things can only go better from here on. Appadi podu podu podu was the biggest hit, that about summarizes it. ARR had some good efforts wasted in films like KKS. The rest didnt produce anything new. TFM is still trying to find its identity after Rahman's apparent disinterest has created a temporary void.
I find it difficult to even list a top 5 for this year.
I thought Virumaandi(the album) was rather average and benefitted from the movie's success. Autograph - I have heard some of our so-called "amateur" composers produce much better stuff than the songs from this film. The over-played "Ovvoru pookaLume" sounded like a rejected IR tune from the mid-80s.

Writing a summary for 2004 must have been an exercise in frustration, although its a good, well-written and informative article by bb.

[vijay]

Wishing all fellow dhool-ers a happy new year!!

[vengayam]

Yes, vijay. couldn't agree more.
2004 has been a very bad year musically.
Yeh kaiye vacchu enne pannuve asked one singer.
the answer is obvious,kaathai potthikolluven.
appadi poddu poddu
ethai poduvathu musical instrumentsai koovathillaa?
was it the guy who gave "Parthiban Kanavu" ?unbelievable!
"gnabagam varuthe " and " ovvoru pookalume' might have been contextual but taken out of the film can be given a C- at best. at the other end barathwaj too contributed his bit to tastelessness with "chinathana doi"
this guy gave" parthen rasithen" & "Roja kootam" in the not too distant past. It now seems a milky way away.
lajavathi can be left "4 the mallus"
where does that leave us.
unnavida - Kamal IRmaking it to top three . case for Ripley's believe it or not
Kalaiyil ezhunthavudan- Unni ARR ajust a couple of years ago would not have made it at the year end but now looks a sure winner.
Like a disinterested umpire giving a doubtful lbw decision against a tailender knowing fully well he is just cutting short the misery I am inclined to give the Song of the year to
" Haiyo Haiyo" _Udit Srikanth Deva Udit is as usual venturing to take tamil where few have taken it before. The tune is refreshingly familiar if I may coin the phrase.

[Kupps(without logging in)]

It is waste of effort and space If I too explain my woes, as it is already covered by vengayam and others.

IMHO and taste, Good melodies at the same time fairly hit melodies of the year are:

ARR's mediocre number(benchmarked based on my taste of his earlier melodious outputs) -- Nesippayaa from aayidha ezhuththu (sans the adi thondai kaththal of nesippayaa by adnaan sami). Also, as a alien to thamizh he did a better job in that song in pronunciation when compared to current songs.

IR's mediocre number(benchmarked based on my taste of his earlier innumerable melodious outputs) -- Onnavida from virumaandi. Here too, just like adnaan sami's case, shreya ghoshal did somewhat better than other singers of her clan. SPB where art thou in this song. Kamal why art thou in this song :(

In both songs i feel only the charanams of the song are melodious than their pallavi.

In racy rusty songs category I could bear/listen-to only andha kaandaamaNi Osa kEturuchchi from virumaandi.

hmm...i am aged. As my cousin suggested, instead of blabbering i better resort to old songs.

[vengayam]

My better half was not a bit amused with my selection of the best song for 2005! With good reason too, the logic being if familiarity is the criterion no one comes closer to SAR athe mettu ,athe beattu
Yes the best song (revised) is [face=Tamil]Á¡ýÌðʧ ÒûÇ¢ Á¡ýÌðʧÂ!from À¢Ã¢ÂÁ¡É §¸¡Æ¢ sorry §¾¡Æ¢ [/face]

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[Guest]

Yes, vijay. couldn't agree more.
2004 has been a very bad year musically.
Yeh kaiye vacchu enne pannuve asked one singer.
the answer is obvious,kaathai potthikolluven.
appadi poddu poddu
ethai poduvathu musical instrumentsai koovathillaa?
was it the guy who gave "Parthiban Kanavu" ?unbelievable!
"gnabagam varuthe " and " ovvoru pookalume' might have been contextual but taken out of the film can be given a C- at best. at the other end barathwaj too contributed his bit to tastelessness with "chinathana doi"
this guy gave" parthen rasithen" & "Roja kootam" in the not too distant past. It now seems a milky way away.
lajavathi can be left "4 the mallus"
where does that leave us.
unnavida - Kamal IRmaking it to top three . case for Ripley's believe it or not
Kalaiyil ezhunthavudan- Unni ARR ajust a couple of years ago would not have made it at the year end but now looks a sure winner.
Like a disinterested umpire giving a doubtful lbw decision against a tailender knowing fully well he is just cutting short the misery I am inclined to give the Song of the year to
" Haiyo Haiyo" _Udit Srikanth Deva Udit is as usual venturing to take tamil where few have taken it before. The tune is refreshingly familiar if I may coin the phrase.

[kAdhalrasigan]

I just heard the song Azahgiya cindrella by Hariharan

Hmmmm the tune seems a straight lift from Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper Band", the song by George Harrison, "we were talking ..." Ayone else feel like that? !

Hariharan sang a superb ghazal in Hindi, "kuch dhoor hamare sAth chalo". I haven't heard a single MD in TFm ever produce an equivalent beauty using Hariharan's voice. May be there are some, can any one suggest some?