Raajapoonthottam

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Kalaignar receives AIFEC award!

By Moviebuzz Saturday, 10 October , 2009, 13:06

The 9th All India Film Employees Conference (AIFEC) being held from 9 to 11 October in Chennai, had a grand function to confer an award on the CM of TN, Kalaignar Dr Karunanidhi.
The award, the first instituted by them, was titled Ulaga Thirai Sadhanaialar in recognition of the CM’s longstanding contribution to cinema right from the age of 17 as a multi-faceted lyricist, poet, writer, novelist et al. To date he has written songs for 18 films, 4 screenplays, 2 stories and dialogues for 51 films.

The award was conferred at a grand event at the Nehru Stadium in the presence of members of all the AIFEC states and dignitaries including Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Illayaraja, KB, Bharathi Raja, Rama Naidu, AVM Saravanan, Dasari Narayan Rao, Rajesh Khanna, Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt and FEFSI chief VC Guhanathan.

Sripriya was the compere. AVM Saravanan announced a donation of Rs 1.5 lakhs annually to the cine technicians hospital. Illayaraja sang a song in praise of the CMs contribution while Pa Vijay recited a poem enjoyed by all.

Several Kollywood actors including Vikram, Karthik Muthuraman, Vijay, Vivek, Vishal, Trisha and Sunaina were present along with producers, directors and character artistes. At the request of AIFEC, and citing the example of the Andhra Governments Chitrapuri housing colony for cine workers, both Dasari Narayana Rao and Guhanathan made a request to the CM for land to be allotted to film technicians in TN also.

Kalaignar then bestowed a generous gift for the FEFSI employees by sanctioning a housing colony to be called Oviyar Ulagam in a land to be allotted by the government and chosen by FEFSI members. Several welfare activities for technicians will also be held. The entire stadium gave a standing ovation on the occasion. The event was followed by a grand entertainment nite.

always

~~Raaja rules!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Ilayaraja acts in his own song

Isaignani Ilayaraja will make an appearance as himself in a song, in a self introspection mode. The song has been set to tune and rendered by him, and will feature him reminiscing about his childhood, the path he has chosen and the places he has been to as a child. This is for the film Azhagar Malai, in which Ellam Avan Seyal hero RK plays the lead.

The film is directed by PS Rajkumar and produced by Sangili Murugan. Ilayaraja is singing and acting in the song, Ulagam Ippo Enge Poghuthu.

The musician will be spotted in his characteristic white dhoti and shirt, and the song has been visualised from his point of view. The banyan tree that he played with his wife, his mother’s cemetery, his school and his regular route to the Thiruvannamalai Ramana Ashram are the places that the song was shot in with the Isaignani. Those in the crew say he was a thorough professional and acted well, despite this being the first time that he is acting in a song. Here’s definitely a visual and aural treat for all fans of the Pannaipuram genius.

always

~~Raaja rules!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Again with Vamsy sir

Vamsi to direct Mallidi Venkat:

It is well aware that one of the great directors, Vamsi, had his own and different school in film-making. After a long time, Vamsi is planning a film with all new faces. It is learnt that the film would be on the lines of the super duper hit film ‘Sitara’ which was released a few decades ago. It is learnt that the same film is almost being remade by making a few changes and by using the latest technology. Illayaraja is going to score tunes for this movie. It is learnt that Vamsi chose Mallidi Venkat, son of Mallidi Satyanarayana, who had produced a big hit like ‘Bunny’, as the hero, while a new face would be selected for the female lead. The film is most likely to start rolling in the first week of January. Director Vamsi would be busy with his project ‘Gopi, Gopika, Godavari’ from November 4 and it would complete its shooting in a single schedule.

always

~~Raaja rules!

Raaja sir at recording of 'Manikandan' album

Raaja sir at recording of 'Manikandan' album

C.R.Venky Sir: Please find here a sample Video of the recording of a Hindi Bhajan of Pandit Rajan & Sajan Mishra by Raaja Sir. First time a Hindi Bhajan on Lord Ayyappa is Composed. This video is part of the Bonus CD of Manikantan Geet Mala.

Comment: Life is full of blessings and cursings and one such blessing is this video. May god bless all the naive souls!

always

~~Raaja rules!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Usha Uthup

Biju: Have you sung for Ilayaraja?

Usha: Yes. I've sung in Anjali for Ilu. He's a good friend of mine. He used to play the guitar when I sang for MBS, in both ` Under the Mango tree' and `Peethambara, O Krishna'.

Biju: What about Rahman?

Usha: I knew Dilip (Rahman) when he used to play the keyboard for Ilu. Such amazing talent. He is the sound of today, but Ilayaraja is the sound forever. A small man but what power. He starts writing music and the musicians standing behind him take them down. After that it is sheer magic. He just makes one movement with his hand and bang on, all the musicians are perfect. I can kill to get that experience.

Biju: It's plain luck that I have been able to sing 10 songs for him...in `Anuragakottaram,' `Manassinakkare' and in Tamil and Telugu.

Courtesy: The Hindu {Metro Plus Thiruvananthapuram}

P.S: Biju one who sung "Oola kudusayila" from Thirunelveli.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Divya Prabandham in Oratorio, eh?

Thaindian.com - Bangkok, Thailand
October 3rd, 2008 - 11:27 pm

ICT by IANS -

Chennai, Oct 3 (IANS) National-award-winning music maestro Ilayaraja announced his next project - creating a symphony of yet another classical compendium of Tamil verses during a release function of their printed version here.”For me, this is a labour of devotion for divinity. Our ancient treasures were pristinely composed and sung by the saints. I am just adding a modern sound dimension to these spiritual jewels,” Ilayaraja said.

This time, it will be the Naalaayira Divya Prabandham (4000 divine verses) believed to have been composed by a dozen Aazhwars (Vaishnavite saints) before the 8th century A.D. and compiled some 200 years later in which form they exist today, publicists said.

The announcement was made Thursday in the presence of N. Gopalaswami, chief election commissioner who released the book with English translations of the verses authored by former member of parliament and philanthropist S. Jagatratchagan, who also heads an organisation dedicated to research of the Hindu devotional verses.

Despite their age, the 4000 verses are written in a style easily decipherable by even those with a working knowledge in modern Tamil.

Some of them are publicly sung all over Tamil Nadu between mid-December and mid-January - the music season in the south coinciding with the peak of its mild winter and tourist season.

The symphony’s release is scheduled to take place during the music festival in Chennai, publicists added.

In 2005, Ilayaraja composed the Tamil collection of hymns in praise of Lord Siva with the help of American lyricist Stephen Schwarz and performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra.

In 1993, his first western classical symphony was performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of John Scott.

Both the compositions have received rave reviews and are bestsellers {"respectively" is missing here, am I rite?}.

Born in 1943, Ilayaraja has scored music for over 800 films in a career spanning 30 years and has thrice won the national award for best music.

Comment: I am yet to come out of fixation from Thiruvasagam in oratorio, Un isaiyai chikkena patri kondein...