The Japanese connection

Here's a non-Carnatic song from me after a while!

Ajay Chandran passed on this absolutely beautiful Japanese song from Final Fantasy to me quite a while back, and told me he was writing alternate lyrics for it which he wanted me to sing. The idea really excited me- for one, the song was so beautiful and two, by past experience, working on Ajay's lyrics was always a pleasure... Like with many other projects in the past this too got stalled and stalled... but finally here it is!

Many many thanks to Meera who mixed this for us in no time and making me sound better than I actually do perhaps :P

Here's the original song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlwSPMwAqbM

It might be interesting for you to note that Ajay has tried to make many of the Hindi words rhyme or sound similar in some way, to the original Japanese lyrics! Great job Ajay, to come up with something completely on your own and make it fit in so beautifully with an existing tune, that too with some resemblance to the original words which were in a totally unrelated language! Enjoyed doing this :)

Here are Ajay's lyrics:

________________________________________

udti pirun main to aasmaan mein yoon
main chanchal, hawaa ki tarah
gum hai kahaan
teri aashiqui mein
kaash ye dil ko..hosh aaye

sajna main yoon
teri raah khadi
dekh zara..
kabhi to yahaan
hosh nahin.. mujhe.. tu jo mila..
tuu hi magar ye jaane naa..

dil kii aahen....kahe maahi thaamo baahen
aaa yoon, jiya na jalaaa
yahaan jaltii hoon
kahaan jaane aankhen teri
aise to.. naa jaa...

so jaaoon mai
kho jaaoon aaj mein
aaun phir aankhon mein
banke aansoon

kahin se sada
teri dil ne suni
aankh khuli.. kuch bhi nahiin
haqeekat kya.. jaane kyaa sapnaa
kaun se sach ko maanu mai

kehna kabhi
hoon mai kaun teri
khel nahiin ..
pyaar mera
umeed to hai.. jaane.. kyon dil mein..
laut ke tum phir aaoge..

dil kii aahen....kahe maahi thaamo baahen
aaa yoon, jiya na jalaaa
yahaan jaltii hoon
kahaan jaane aankhen teri
aise to.. naa jaa...

so jaaoon main
kho jaaoon aaj main
aaun phir aankhon mein
banke aansoo

_____________________________________

So here it is, for you to appraise!

Song: udti phirun
Music: Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano (for the original "Suteki da ne" in Final Fantasy X)
Lyrics: Ajay Chandran
Singer (lead and harmonies): Self
Mixing: Meera Manohar



Download here.

anbendra mazhaiyile with Rashmi Nair

Murali suggested I do this song and created a karaoke for it. Then thought it would sound nice as a duet. Asked Rashmi and she was immediately up for it.

Can't resist mentioning Meera's eagerness to do the mix and and especially her super fast completion of it!

Thanks Murali for spearheading this and valuable inputs on doing overlays, backing vocals and such; Rashmi, for joining in and lending your lovely voice; and Meera for a very fine finish!

Here's how we've divided the portions: (S is me and R Rashmi)

(BG humming: S & R)

S: anbenRa mazhaiyilae agilangaL nanaiyavae adhiroopan thoanRinaanae
S: vaikkoalin maeloru vairamaay vairamaay vandhavan minninaanae

R: viNmeengaL kaNpaarkka sooriyan thoanRumoa pugazhmaindhan thoanRinaanae
R: kaNNeerin kaayaththai senneeril aatravae sisubaalan thoanRinaanae
R: anbenRa mazhaiyilae agilangaL nanaiyavae adhiroopan thoanRinaanae
S: (adhiroopan thoanRinaanae)
R: poarkoNda boomiyil pookkaadu kaaNavae pugazhmaindhan thoanRinaanae
S: (pugazhmaindhan thoanRinaanae)

S: kalvaari malaiyilae kallonRu pookkavum karuNaimagan thoanRinaanae
S: nootraandu iraivinai nodiyoadu poakkidum oLiyaagath thoanRinaanae
S & R: irumbaana nenjilum eerangaL kasiyavae iraibaalan thoanRinaanae
S & R: mutkaadu engilum pookkaadu pookkavae puviraajan thoanRinaanae

R: anbenRa mazhaiyilae agilangaL nanaiyavae adhiroopan thoanRinaanae
S: (adhiroopan thoanrinaanae)
R: vaikkoalin maeloru vairamaay vairamaay vandhavan minninaanae
S: (vandhavan minninaanae)
S: anbenRa mazhaiyilae agilangaL nanaiyavae adhiroopan thoanRinaanae
R: (adhiroopan thoanRinaanae)
S: vaikkoalin maeloru vairamaay vairamaay vandhavan minninaanae
R: (vandhavan minninaanae)

And here we go...

Song: anbendra mazhaiyile
Film: minsaara kanavu
Music: A.R.Rahman
Lyrics: Vairamuththu
Singer: Anuradha Sriram

Karaoke track created by Murali Venkatraman
Mixing by Meera Manohar

Ooradangum saamaththile

This rustic Ilaiyaraja number seems to have been quite an obscure one. A seemingly simple song, it has the beautiful voices of Swarnalatha and Uma Ramanan, filled with expressiveness and vocal nuances.
Murali created a karaoke track for this and suggested that Meera and I do it. Meera, an ardent Swarnalatha fan has taken on her parts and I have sung Uma's parts :)
It has been quite interesting to adapt to the song and imbibe both their renditional subtleties.

Working on a song with Meera for the first time (female duets don't happen very often!) and its been a really nice experience indeed. It was also great to finally meet her in person last month! :)

Do let us know how you think we have fared in this one...

Song: Ooradangum saamaththile
Music: Ilaiyaraja
Singers: Swarnalatha, Uma Ramanan
Movie: Pudhupatti ponnuthaayi

(Can someone help with info on the lyricist?)




Download here.

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Also do check out Jo's version of Main agar kahoon from Om Shanti Om on his blog, in which I've sung Shreya's lines :)
http://jocalling.blogspot.com/2008/07/main-agar-kahoon-cover.html