Vasantha Kala Ninaivugal: A musical ode to yesterday

An evening of retro music

Jammers United presented Vasantha Kala Ninaivugal, a music programme of songs from the films of three directors — K. Balachander, Balu Mahendra and Bharatiraja. “The show is a fundraiser for Aram, an organisation for mentally challenged, destitute women,” said Rajaraman of Jammers. “Jammers is a bunch of music-loving Rotarians.”

The evening began with Rafi’s Ultimate Orchestra playing a tune from K. Balachander’s Punnagai Mannan. Giridhar and Vidya took the stage with the song ‘Avalukkenna’ from the film Server Sundaram. The song, with a lively tune, has pauses, which enhance its appeal. As Giridhar sang with gusto and obvious enjoyment, one could visualise the scene in the film which had TMS recording the song, MSV conducting the orchestra and Nagesh dancing elegantly. It was a song for which MSV had used a lot of Western instruments, and Rafi’s orchestra did justice to MSV’s clever use of orchestration.

‘Vaan megangale’ from the film Puthiya Varppugal was next. With calls of the koel, and a lush green village, as one often sees in Bharatiraja’s films, the song was among the many hits of Ilayaraja.

The rendering of the song by Jammers singers Ilankumaran and Pria Srinivas was impressive.

‘Manaivi amaivadellam’, (lyrics Kannadasan; music M.S.Viswanathan) the K.J. Yesudas song that consoles a neglected wife in the film Manmatha Leelai, was sung by Srikumar. As befits a song with consoling words, it was sung gently by Yesudas. Srikumar’s singing was close to the original.

The melodious ‘Oh Vasantha Raja’, from Balu Mahendra’s film Neengal Kettavai, was shot in a variety of locations — near a stream, near the Chandesa Anugraha Murthy image in the Gangaikondacholapuram temple and on a beach. Sowmya and Ilankumaran captured audience attention with their neat presentation of the song.

Giridharan and Srimathi excelled in the ‘Chippi irukkudu’ song (lyrics Kannadasan; music MSV) from the film Varumaiyin niram sigappu, where the heroine recites the chandas of a poem, challenging the hero to find words to suit the rhythm, and the hero picks up the gauntlet.