Why ReR sent us this CD to review is a mystery. It isn't progressive, rock,
metal or fusion - the genres we focus on here at Sea Of Tranquility. It is pure
Indian music, characterized by sitar and percussion and those lilting,
challenging melodies. Still - good music is abundant in every genre, and for
those of us Westerners unfamiliar with the style, this one is actually
refreshing and interesting. And it revives teenage memories of a bunch of us,
bored in boarding school, sitting in a circle around a batch of burning jos
sticks and zoning out to Ravi Shankar - quite convinced we were the coolest
thing since the Beatles.
Calling himself 'Maestro Ilaiyaraaja', Ilaiyaraaja Raaja is something of a
legend in his native India having composed more than 5,000 songs and scored over
800 Bollywood movies in various Indian languages. that may sound conceited, but
let's face it - he is number 48 in the world's top-selling artists
(behind celebrities like Elvis, The, Beatles and Led Zeppelin.)
Ilaiyaraaja's Music Journey was recorded live at the "14th annual
Angelica, Festival Internatzionale di Musica & l'Altro Suono" in Modena, Italy,
in 2004. It's a sort of 'unplugged with a live orchestra' performance, and it's
interesting to hear the artist's lighthearted interaction with the audience in
English while an interpreter translates into Italian.
The title track starts off with a sort of lullaby, then we're taken on a
fascinating 10-minute walk through cultural Indian songs and traditions - with
verbal descriptions and brief excerpts of the songs that convey the message
musically. On many tracks Ilaiyaraaja is backed up by very pretty high-pitched
female vocals - sung in the same Indian style, of course - and "Ilankathu" is a
duet that sounds like a love song with 2 people singing to each other - and is a
standout track (at least - from this ignorant Westerner's point of view). "Three
In One" is a fun piece, introduced as a composition with just 3 notes. He
actually cheats and uses a half-note here and there, and he goes up an octave as
well - which robs the original idea of a song in three notes. Still, it's an
interesting idea showing that that melody has as much to do with rhythm and
cadence as with a selection of notes. The song selection cover various
sub-genres including carnatic, hindustani, devotional, and others that will
challenge your spell-checker.
Besides being proficient in a variety of Indian instruments Ilayaraja is well
trained in classical guitar, and judging by the performance on this record, he
has a good grasp of how to sway a western audience. So considering the genre,
there's a surprising variety of sounds from track to track.
This record is different, fun, and as the title suggests, a real musical
journey.
Track Listing:
1. Aaya Kalaigal
2. Paavana Guru
3. Sunoi Oh!
4. Mayil Pola
5. Janani
6. Music Journey (Lullaby and Games of Tamil Nadu)
7. Elankaathu
8. Three in one (introuduction)
9. Three in one
10. Aasaiya Kathula
11. Veettukku
12. Orchestra (mood Kapi)
13. Mathacha
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