Two Young Playback Singers with their Clarion Voices.

   














     The new age of Tamil Cinema can be proud of its position in a vast variety of its form, growth dimension and sense of purpose.It has achieved a state of magnificence in its musical appeal with a plethora of music composers and playback singers,occupying the center stage. This blog has already provided ample scope for the rightful recognition of great talents in the field of music, who have glorified the Tamil film industry ever since its inception.It includes a commendable list of music directors starting from G. Ramanathan and singers from M. K. Thiagaraja Bhagavadhar and T.R.Mahalingam. There are also articles adoring many of the enchanting women playback singers. 
   The early decades of Tamil Cinema, did not find a high inflow of talents into its fold on account of the fact,that both the stage and the screen were considered to be undesirable avenues for display of talents, due to conservative tendencies prevailing as mind blockers.In fact, most of the creative areas reflecting a socializing mindset, were treated as taboos.Nevertheless, there came into being a powerful body of creative human beings, giving a huge thrust and considerable impetus to the growth of drama and cinema. Music played its biggest role in supporting the growth trajectory of Tamil Cinema.
     As the film industry grew, it began to receive more and more participation of persons in the relevant areas.The number of music directors and playback singers increased correspondingly, so as to yield refreshing tunes with competitive vigor.With the birth of the new millennium accompanied by the technology boom, the focus on film music began to grow by leaps and bounds, with a variety of voices capable of delivering vocal dynamism with lyrical clarity and nuances in voice modulation.
   There are today loud and clear voices,soft and shrill voices and those that soothe and pierce.This blog has already given due credit to new wave singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan,Unni Krishnan and Udit Narayan  besides paying floral tributes to old time singers and their close followers like K.J.Yesudas, S.P.B, Mano and Unni Menon. Among the new comers there are two youngsters with  considerable age difference between themselves, who have made their clear voices talk to the soul of the audience, with their musical grandeur. They are Karthik and Haricharan, of whom the former is older by seven years than the latter and made his entry into Tamil playback singing, three years before his junior.
      Karthik who  sang his first song in the film 'Star', under the auspices of the Oscar winning A.R.Rehman, began to busily divide his time among the equally busy music composers A.R.Rehaman, Harris Jeyaraj,Yuvan Shankar Raja, Vidhyasagar, Ilayaraja,Deva and D.Imman. Haricharan who was introduced by Joshua Sridhar, with the mind blowing song "Unakkena Iruppein Uyiraiyum Koduppein"in the blockbuster film Kaadhal,has also sung for Yuvan Shankar Raja,A.R.Rehman,D.Imman,Ilayaraja and Vidya Sagar.I have brought these two young singers together, because both have beautifully brought the lyrical ecstasy of songs by their clarion voices.No one can say that they have missed words or not heard them in the clear, 'full -throated' voices of these two young talents. If Hari Charan's 'Unakkena Iruppein' has pierced our heart, so has the voice of Karthik in the song "Sakthi Kodu"from Baba for which A.R.Rehaman composed music.The other song "Maya Maya"was also an energetic number of Karthik in Baba.
     Some of the most memorable songs of Karthik are "Theradi Veedhiyil Dhevadha Vandhaa Thiruvizhaannu Therinjukko"{Movie:- 'Run'Music director Vidhya Sagar}"Suthudhe Suthudhe Bhoomi Podhumada Podhumada Sami""Kan Pesum Vaarthaikal"{ Payya and 7 G Rainbow Colony, both songs composed by Music director Yuvan Shankar Raja}"Orumaalai Ilaiyudhirkaalam"{Movie:-Gijini and song composed by Harris Jeyaraj}"Oliyile Therivadhu Devadhaiya"{Composed by Ilayaraja for the film Azhagi}July Malarkale {Film:-Bagavadhi Music by Deva} and "Maduhra Jillaa"{D.Imman's song for Thiruvilaiyaadal Arambam}
     Haricharan has also come out with quite a few invigorating songs like"Ayyayo Aanandame" {Kumki}"Paravaiyaa Porakkanum"and"Unna Ippo Paakkanum"{Kayal},both Prabu Solomon's films and for both the films, music was tuned by D.Imman.The song from Kumki mentioned here, was a paradoxical outburst of extreme joy with a negative word thrust and the way the song goes,shows how much the singer enjoys singing that song.It is one of my pet songs too.With the same vigor in voice Haricharan sings the song "Pookale Satru Oivedungal"for the film 'I'under the music composition of A.R.Rehaman, like the other soul making song "Usire Povudhu Usire Povudhu"sung by Karthik, in Raavanan and this song was also born of music composed by A.R.Rehman. Hari Charan's other notable songs under A.R.Rehman's composition are "Yei Sandi Kudhira"{Kaviya Thalaivan} and "Unmai Orunaal Vellum"{Linga}
      If Karthik mesmerized us by his song "Suthudhe Suthudhe Bhoomi"in Payya, Haricharan's "Thuli Thuli Thuli Mazhaiyaai Vandhaale"for the same film, took us on a ravishing journey of music with alluring ups and downs on the musical track.Similarly if Karthik sang the powerful "Unnaale Unnale" for the film carrying the same words as its title,Haricharan sang the heart warming song "Vaikaasi Nilave"for the same film.We were equally rejoiced over the two songs "Vizhi Moodi" and "Oh Aayiye Aayiye"sung by Karthik and Haricharan respectively for the film Ayyan.The other two vibrant numbers of Karthik and Haricharan are "Aadaatha Aattamellaam" of the former and "Thalivaa Thalaivaa" by the latter for the films Mounam Pesiyadhe and Thalaiva. While Yuvan Shankar Raja composed music for Mounam Pesiyadhe, G.V.Prakash Kumar took up the musical score for Thalaiva.
     I have mentioned here only a few songs of these two dynamic playback singers of the new age.What is special about them is their open voice and the dynamics of its clarity and characteristic reach.They sing to be heard,understood and enjoyed.They do not sing for themselves, swallowing syllables in the process of singing.They add relevant emotions to their voices and make the lyrical component of their songs carry the emotions in genuine proportion, as beautifully as possible.When one hears the song ''Yei Sandi Kudhira''one could feel the impact of a great voice like that of T.M.Soundarajan.The same impact is there in the song "Mundaasu Sooriyane"{Sanda Kozhi}that Karthik sings with Sriram. 
     The lovable voices of Karthik and Haricharan  are capable of generating both melodies and high sounding songs without spoiling lyrics at the cost of music, by any undue vocal valor or mindless voice manipulation ,during their singing process.With their clarion voices,they take us back to the glorious path of music, established by the monumental singers of the last millennium.They both have imbibed a note of modesty in their voices and it is this modesty that carries them closer to the audience, with the might of music.To conclude, the two songs of these two great singers, that I keep murmuring most of the time are,"Suthudhe Suthudhe" and "Thuli Thuli"  in Payya, a remarkable film of Karthik Sivakumar, directed by Lingusamy -- a film that will be ever remembered for its enriching musical core composed by the sweet musical heir {Yuvan Shankar Raja} of the prophet of music{Ilayaraja}.
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