Sunday, November 09, 2008

A sensuous performance on Idea Star Singer 2008

Unlike Idea Star Singer 2007, the 2008 season completely fell out of favour on me for the following main reasons -

1. It started too soon without giving us a break from the 2007 episode.
2. Ranjini is the host.
3. Other stereotypes like dancing, acting that are getting on the nerves of everyone these days.

8:30 and the T.V at home is invariably tuned into the Asianet channel telecasting ISS but I stay in my room doing my work on my computer. There are songs that impress me and I come out and watch occasionally but most of the time everything sucks and disgusts so bad I stay away from it all. The new stars of this season are emerging but somehow the talent is not like we had last time. Prashob, Vivekanandan, Rahul, Parvathi are names that come to mind as the cream of the crop. Somadas has replaced and even overthrown Sunny of ISS 2007 for the sympathetic vote but Somadas is certainly the better singer. His rendition of Shankar Mahadevan's "Varaha Nathi Karai Oram" during the earlier part of this ISS was splendid. Catch it on YouTube if you missed the show. What a relief to see Ramya in the place of Renjini. Those days are gone.



These days better singing has been tempting me to watch some of the performances. I am going to write about one such performance, the duet between Vivek and Gayathri that was telecast last Friday. Jaya was already shouting from the hall, "Come and take a look at what's going on." and I knew instantly that cringe-material was being shown. But the female portion of the song was so good that I couldn't help listening to the song. I stayed away from watching but I didn't know what I missed. But the comments after the show was so good I realised I may have missed something.

I finally saw it on YouTube last night and I don't know how many times I watched the concluding portions of the performance. Yes, these days ISS is simply pushing their performers but it was not so bad as I thought it would be. Anyway it was simply too good to watch Gayathri. She exuded such sensuousness, honesty, bashfulness and grace that it was difficult to not fall for her. It looked as though she was really in love with her co-singer Vivek who faltered many a time during the performance. Was it because of her moves? Except for some breath control her voice was sweet and perfect. She sang with total ease, something that I have been observing of her in her previous performances too. She not only sang her parts well but did other non-singing parts too which as Sharath pointed out were done by other artistes in the original. Her gaze throughout her performance was a movie Director's delight. Her concluding parts of the song, where she sensuously says her lines and emotes as Vivek approaches her was the real killer. Take a look at the video below.



Certainly I will be looking forward to her next performances but this kind of acting/emoting may not be something we'll get to see.

6 comments:

Biju said...

Hi Subash,
I don't know if you got a chance to see/hear this song:
http://q4music.blogspot.com/2008/11/nalla-mampoo-song-from-movie-orkkuka.html

The male voice is that of Anand, SSG fame. Music by M.Jayachandran. Music seems to be quite refreshing.

regards

Subash S L said...

Hi Biju,

Nice to hear from you. It looks like you will respond or comment only if I write about ISS or SSG. Anyway I have seen this song on T.V but didn't know that it was sung by Anand. Honestly I have even forgotten him. Maybe if I see a picture of him I may recognize. But sorry to say, the song is outrageously silly for our current-times. Check out http://madrasbee.blogspot.com my music site on Indian music to listen to some real music.

Sadly none of the SSG singers or for that matter ISS singers have had much luck in singing good songs. Most of them are going to Shwetha, Vijay Yesudas, Vidhu Prathap etc.. already established singers or children of established singers. Poor SSG and ISS winners. Where are they now?

Najeem's song in Chembada is OK. But how far is he going to go with it is something we can wait to see.

Biju said...

Hi Subash,
Had been pretty busy relocating back to India. Now I'm based in bangalore, and after that hardly had time even to check personal mails, leave alone reading blogs :-)
Now slowly getting used to the new routine and work location.
I haven't been seeing any reality shows at all now, ocassionally used to see ISS, only if Prasobh is singing, as he is known to me personally.
Yes, you are correct regarding the ISS & SSG winners/participants. None of them have got that real break. Roopa's album Ramanan was quite good, but I don't know how much that will help her in getting film songs. Haven't heard the Chembada song yet. Hope they will get some good breaks!

Subash S L said...

Hi Biju,

Please don't mistake me if I sounded as though I was complaining about you that you comment only on ISS and SSG posts. In fact you have every right to do so. All my interests need not be yours.

By the way do listen to Najeem's song in Chembada. It is good. Prashob is a good candidate for winning this years competition. But I see Vivekanandan and Rahul as competition for him. But like you I hardly watch much of these shows unlike last year. The talent is also poor this time.

Unknown said...

Why didn't Parvathy come for the elimination?

Subash S L said...

Hello Venu, maybe becuase Parvathy was good. Yesterday's elimination looked poorly evaluated. People who deserved to be out are in. Why have an elimination when you just want to eliminate one or two people?