A fan’s tale

Part 5: The Flood Gates

The pressure when composing for 2nd movie is 10 times more than the 1st. 1st For A.R. Rahman it was x 100 times difficult. Roja was successful not only in South but it was making it big on the national scene. Expectations tripled in matter of few months. [A.R. Rahman is the only composer till date to win a national award for his first movie.]

Though he was working on movies like Gentlemen and few others, Pudiya Mugam was his second official movie, it did not disappoint even a bit, the composer who some called “one movie wonder” continued to grow, the word new and refreshing expanded.
The song சம்போ சாம்போ (Sambo Sambo) is one of the best arrangements from Rahman till date. Wild bongos, accordion and guitar sequences in the song were simply mind blowing. More over the vocalists, 1st they were not popular or never heard off. These brand new voices added new flavors that were unknown during that time. I was able to hear various kinds of new vocal harmonies and adlibs. Basically the adlibs during that time were limited to “தக துகு தக துகு or “ஜீநாகு ஜீநாகு ஜிஞ்சினகு”.

It looked as though Rahman had opened the flood gates of new singers. In his second movie he had few new names introduced. I was stunned to hear the final version of July Matham vandhal. I would never forget the line “கோடி மக்கள் வேண்டுகோள்”. The final one Rahman approved was not the one what Anupama sang in the recording that I happen to see. The final approved take was simply incredible. An initial proof that Rahman gets best from his artists;

நேற்று இல்லாத மாற்றம் என்னது, I fell in love with Sujatha’s voice why a singer of such standards and caliber ignored by music directors? Nevertheless Tamil film music was destined to witness new voices and surprises.

I would go hang around with my friends during lunch breaks around fountain plaza for “obvious” “wink wink” reasons. On a usual very hot summer afternoon I heard a song in the tea shop that really made my ear pop out. Movie Gentlemen, released by Pyramid audio. The audio tape had printed lyrics and I was reading the lyrics loud at work with my usual sarcastic jab. ஒட்டகத்த கட்டிக்கோ was really funny read, but my boss G.C. Basker told me “dude you got to listen to this song”. I have never seen GCB being musically savvy. At that time I did not know that this song was set to my favorite raga, Dharmavathi, I am fascinated by songs like அம்மானை அழைத்துவரும், காதல் காதல் என்று பேச, மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வா they have been my favorites. On the first go, ஒட்டகத்த கட்டிக்கோ was added to my elite list. This is when I started to follow Rahman's music sincerly.