Penmaane Sangeetham paadavaa

What a song. Outstanding bass guitars. Excellent support to what is a flowing, wonderful and happy song. Perfect for those in a mood to appreciate the emotion. Excellent strings in the BGM and the typical 80s Ilayaraja humming sections. Unobtrusive and free flowing singing by S Janaki and SPB adds to the effect. Happiness all round on listening to the song.
See if you guys can download it, in case you haven't listened to it enough. Thanks to Radio City, in its new avtar claiming "Namma city, Namma radio". Indeed.

"Bad"-ting woes

Looks like my batting skills (if ever I had them) are on the run downhill...
0(1) - caught at cover thanks to a woeful miscue .
1(4) - bowled attempting a swipe across the line.
5(7) - caught behind in what is my only regret-less dismissal.

These have been my returns in my last 3 innings in tennis ball cricket. Whatever happened to the run machine that I was a few years back. Hmmmm....

Random observation

Busy work days are stressful, at all times. But free work days are stressful too, if they are timed badly. No new insight in this. Yet, blogworthy. So I think. Here comes a long weekend I don't really welcome. K to it.

Random thoughts

1. I had blogged 4 years back about Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's achievements (It was a young Harish blogging his opinions away then. Can't imagine such an entry now). I really don't use the blog for covering my opinions on current affairs anymore, but still, PRIDE ARE THERE in Bindra's achievements. For posterity's sake here goes a tribute to Abhinav Bindra for his awesome achievement.
2. Atthini Chitthini (Tenali) is a great song. Completely out of the world and unique. The guitars in the start rock. Memories of those times where Girish and me used to listen to it came back. Good stuff.
3. Super singer on Vijay TV Monday- Wednesday evenings 9 pm - Watch it. Great timepass and some seriously good songs get thrown back into my consciousness.
4. Jaane Tu - is good fun, but one should watch it with the right company to enjoy it better :), as the rest of the crowd in INox demonstrated.
5. Badrinath is in the Indian team. Finally. Good luck to him.

List of movies to watch - Poi Solla Porom (Khosla ka Ghosla's remake which incidentally will also do just fine, I haven't watched it either), Aamir, Azhagiya Theeye, VaaraNam Aayiram.

Blog

This blog has served its purpose. Now I realize. Good.

Girish

has not changed. His blogs reflect him, and accurately. His blog archives for 2005 are an example. I relived that journey again through those entries, and god bless him for having retained his identity all along, even past the storm that was IIMA. Lesson re-inforced. Life is good. God bless Girish. My friend. Philosopher. Guide. This one is for you mate.

Musical rediscoveries on a sleepy midnight

BK and me had this conversation on midnight today, and it really proved to be a wonderful stressbuster for both of us. But more importantly, it also unearthed some songs which we had taken for granted and dismissed as "GREAT songs, but we have listened to them enough, haven't we?". But thanks to a focus on 3 singers who we think are among the best in Indian cinema, some of these songs deserved yet another re-visit. Our findings are presented below.
1. Harini. The most under-utilized singer in Tamil Cinema. She is in the opposite end of the spectrum to Mirchi Suchi. If Suchi is the most "Prachodhaka" singer, she has to be the most "Saathvika" singer. Thanks to BK for this classification. She has been my favorite young female singer for ages now, yet - her outstanding contributions to the following songs will bring a calming influence to any life.

• Kumari (Anniyan) - A short cameo in the middle and the end. But she does stand up to the genius that is Shankar Mahadevan and more than holds her own. Precision!
• Sonnaalum Kaetpadhillai (Kadhal Virus) - In what has to be among the three most beautiful romantic melodies of ARR, "Soft" and "Lilting" reaches new heights. It's an all time classic, thanks to Harini.
• Unnaale Unnaale (Unnaale Unnaale) - What is an otherwise average song reaches new heights due to this stud. CLASS= Harini!

2. Malaysia Vasudevan

• Aagaya Gangai (Dharmayuddham) - We were literally pitting Ilayaraja's outstanding music against Janaki against this guy to see who wins in the end when we were listening to this song. And NOONE won! Respect! This speaks volumes about the guy. His controlled singing is outstanding in many songs, none more than this excellent composition.

3. Janaki

• Ooru sanam (Mella thirandhadhu kadhavu) - The hands-down best ever female solo I have listened to. And Janaki is my all time favorite female singer. I bow to thee.
• Thaalatudhe vaanam (Kadal MeengaL) - Listen to this N Times! Don't miss it. I really do not want to say anything.

Such is the richness in talent in India. I salute!