My first Roopa's Performance

I have seen one earlier performance on YouTube of Roopa's where she sang "Kavithai Kelungal", Vani Jayaram's hit from "Punnagai Mannan" and I thought it was a good performance if not a great one. The very important thing to notice about Vani Jayaram's songs are that they have this very unique voice tone to them and they can be emulated but not surpassed. You can come up with a better version provided you have a unique voice as hers. The other thing that you can do is to imitate her voice but then that is hardly original.

My heart today was beating fast in excitement when the clock stuck 8 tonight. Roopa's performance was the first. As she was speaking I noticed that her voice sounded different. I later come to understand that her voice was indeed blocked. Inspite of this I think Roopa put on a great performance. She sang the difficult number exactly as it was sung. It would have certianly had a bigger impact had only she sung with her unblocked full voice. Without her full voice the song lacked energy. Vani Jayaram and Jaychandran did find few mistakes but they were kind enough to advise Roopa on how to overcome them. Unlike YouTube there was enough to watch of Roopa. Roopa broke down twice emotionally and it was painful to watch. I did vote and look forward to her duet tomorrow.

I did take a peek at American Idol, actually my first show and I only wonder how our judges would react if the contestants of our shows were to conduct like the ones on A.Idol.

In the midst of all this, a definition for God

My wife complains that I keep jumping from pleasure giving thing to another and that I don't stick to anything for long. Just a week ago it was Avial the band and now Roopa of Super Star Global. Soon she says I will be onto something else. I admit this is true. This is not just my nature but the nature of man. We put our heart and soul into things that give us fleeting moments of joy deceiving ourselves thinking they will last forever. Inspite of this I must say that some couples have managed to keep their "True Love" as fresh as it was when they first met. But True Love is in fact spiritual and divine. However not many have had this good fortune.

But then is there something that is always fresh and new, always beautiful and young and always happy? I believe this leads us to one of the definitions for God. God is forever young, forever the most handsome and the most beautiful and forever bliss. That is why our seers always request us to seek Him first.

Mat 6:33 - "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

I need to remind myself these words of wisdom constantly.

Idea Star Singer vs Super Star Global

I have just watched two shows of Super Star Global after subscribing to Tata Sky and I can clearly say Super Star Global wins hands down when compared to Idea Star Singer. There is no question about it. Not that SSG does not have defects and not that ISS does not have any merits, but overall my thumbs up clearly goes in favor of SSG. Here is my detailed unbiased analysis. Let me know what you feel.

1. Production - SSG is truly professional. Monday being the first day of the week the host took time to introduce the guests and the chief guest of the show, singing legend Vani Jayaram. Everything was done so well and Shyama the host does a far better job than Ranjini. All over YouTube there are numerous viewers demanding Ranjani be thrown out of ISS and for good reason. The interaction among the judges, and the singers before and after the performance on SSG is truly pleasant and professional. Performers and judges really take time out to interact and not via strict time slots as in ISS. It is impromptu and it feels good instead of having to talk only at a particular time. Shyama is more relaxed and introduces guests pleasantly unlike ISS where it looks as though the introduction is accompanied by a drum roll. Conversations between contestants and judges are a lot more meaningful and purposeful. ISS clearly needs some better programming and event management.

Graphics, Editing, Music on SSG are also better and more pleasant than on ISS. ISS has a bigger stage but that hardly matters. Both ISS and SSG need to do some filtering of their guests though. I am sure there are more passionate beings who could be better guests at both the shows.

2. When is the show going to be over? Each time you think 2 or more are going to be eliminated from ISS, just one is. Looks like the show will go on till the end of the year at this rate. I can already see the pressure on M G Sreekumaran who I think feels the show must have been long over by now. The strain is also showing on the participants and I am sure many of them think the same. In the elimination round on Monday Vani admitted that was hardly worried if she was in or out of the competition. And how much longer do we have to put up with the host of ISS, I am not sure.

3. Judgement - I happy the judges on ISS are now giving their marks instead of making Ranjini, the fortune teller guess them. Here is one thing I like in ISS in that, that judges are critical of performances. Even Usha Uthup who is always encouraging never fails to remark when it needs to be done. Here is where I am not fully in favor of SSG. Jaychandran and Chithra Iyer seem to be praising contestants even if they are making mistakes or if they had performed poorly. While it is encouraging it gives viewers a false impression. Both Teena and Jeethendra's performances lacked lustre but the judges were never critical of the same. On ISS it can sometimes can get very far and contestants are left in tears although some of the comments may be justified. But I have noticed some situations where I thought the judges went a bit too far. I have respect for both M G Annan and Sharath for their musical acumen but Sharath is certainly not a person to be taken very lightly. Even a small intimidation can evoke a serious response from him which I think is not quite correct. At least on two occassions I have seen him snub contestants. Some arguements of his are also unwarranted and there is no use in trying to console a participant after making him or her cry. This makes contestants seem very subservient to him whereas on SSG contestants are more free and this also puts them at ease to bring forth a better performance.

4. Guests - A plethora of guests have come and gone on ISS but the guests on SSG are fewer. However on SSG they certainly speak more and considerably well on music whereas in ISS they don't do that and neither do they get the room to do that. I am also in favor of guests related to music like Karthik, Unni Krishnan and Sujatha on SSG than many of those on ISS who have hardly any say in music.

5. No self proclamations that SSG is the best but on ISS I have already heard them enough that ISS is the best, most watched show etc.

6. Talent - Here ISS clearly scores. Najim, Durga, Hesham are better than most contestants on SSG. There are others who are good too like Thushar and Amrutha but I'll keep them in my second best list and many others who put on memorable performances, Krishnajith, Teenu Telence, Arun Gopan and Bineetha. However SSG has one contestant who beats them all and that of course is Roopa who stands so tall that no one from any contest show that is on currently can even come close.

7. Judgements and Elimination - I am yet to see eliminations on SSG but there is less drama at least when announcing the safe and danger zones. On ISS it is a nightmare with play acting, crying, embracing and such. Ranjini and the guest that come to announce who is in and who is out of the competition take it to pathetic and hysterical levels testing our patience. Many a time I would just leave the room and wait for my son or wife to tell me who won and who lost.

Were judgements fair? Not on ISS. However here the judges cannot be blamed. Two contestants Sunny and Vijay Madhav had a very long run which I understand were due to the number of votes they were getting.

8. Rounds and creativity - ISS sucks with its stupid rounds such as Family and friends, Property round etc. Why judge a singer on his dancing, acting, set designing abilities? How many of today's big singers had to do these to get this far in their careers? In fact I doubt if any of them would have even made it had they had to go through a competition as this. Isn't this supposed to be a music show? I believe SSG has categories too but I haven't seen anything wierd as in SSG.

9. Host - The quality of ISS will improve if Ranjini alone is removed from her job. Many have told me that they mute her parts and listen to the performances alone and several others have stopped watching the show because of her. I have seen Shyama on SSG make mistakes but they are few and forgivable. Overall I think she does a very nice job. Meera, initially who came to participate on ISS and subsequently who co-hosted ISS could have anchored the show as well. And talking of hosts, Gandharva Sangeetham on Kairali TV has a very pleasant and attractive host. I could write about Gandharva Sangeetham too but I'll save that for another post. I am not writing about Star Wars (you are wondering how I manage to see all of these, actually I don't) because I am a big Stars Wars fan and I think George Lucas or the Star Wars franchise should be suing Kairali for stealing the Star Wars logo. Shame on these guys who couldn't come up with a better name. Even the font and style of the original Star Wars logo has be copied.

It is Wednesday today and I cannot wait to watch Roopa perform "Ezhu Swarangalukkul" Vani Jayaram's evergreen and very popular hit in front of Vani Jayaram herself. On SSG Vani provides tips and insights that are a delight to listen. I am moved by her intelligence and her voice that she has worked hard to retain inspite of age. I am sure it is going to be another feather in the cap for Roopa who has been delighting us, one after the other with her mind blowing live performance.

So why am I going to get Tata Sky?

You guessed it right. To watch Roopa on Super Star Global on Amrita Channel of course. It has been Roopa mania here ever since last Thursday. Countless hours have been spent watching and re-watching her videos and I and Suji just don't seem to get tired of this girl. Like actor S V Sekar says in the movie "Varumayin Niram Sivappu", "Sarvam Dileep Mayam" it has been "Sarvam Roopa Mayam" for us this weekend and I don't known when it will end. Where was she all this time and what were we all doing without her?

In all my life no singer from India has got me awestruck with live performances as Roopa has. I am reminded of the oft repeated statement "service with a smile" every time I watch her. Thanks to Karthika, the 17 year old from UAE who is uploading all her performances on YouTube on a regular basis. Even the site www.rooparevathi.com dedicated to Roopa has videos from Karthika.

Two more great performances on YouTube. The first, "Bahon Mein Chale Aao". Roopa did make two slips (not mistakes) but they can be easily forgiven. Like Unni Menon said compared to the original this was the best level anyone could take it to.


The second one is one of Sharath's favourite compositions for Chitra called "Maaleyam". Honestly, I found Roopa's version better than the original.


I haven't included the comment videos but you can get them on YouTube.

These days the viewers, auddience and judges are there just to watch and enjoy her performance and not to judge her or find fault with her. Thanks once again to Amritha channel for letting the world know about this "Phenomenon" called Roopa.

Roopa, I am floored! Idea Star Singer, are you listening?

Oh God! I must get this out before it is too late or before my head bursts in excitement. How many of you watching Idea Star Singer thought high of Amrutha's performance (for which she got a 90) in the Fusion round? You guys need to check out this performance from another contestant attempting the same song in another competition. What? Another competition? Yes, Asianet is not the only one that is conducting a reality contest show. There are scores of others. Last September I had seen the much talked about SuperStar Global on Amritha channel in Kerala and I was blown by some of the performances there, particularly one singer Teena. But I was hardly prepared for stuff about which I am going to write about now.

After reading my blog my wife's cousin sent her a link to a video on YouTube about a singer called Roopa (sorry I write "a singer" because in Chennai you need to have Tata Sky or DishTV or the Set Top box to watch the Amritha channel). I did take a look and was very impressed. I was also impressed with the way the judges passed their comments, the telecast, the host and the music accompanyment (just keyboards, synth and software, and sometimes purely acoustic accompaniment too). Judges would give standing ovations and many times loose inhibitions and egos to appreciate the superb perfomances. Even the guests that show up are veteran singers, UnniKrishnan, Karthik, Gayathri to name a few. This is a rare thing on Asianet's Idea Star Singer. It is sad that Amritha channel has lesser coverage. Thanks to Asianet's marketing and reach, Amritha channel's videos gets fewer comments even on YouTube. Furthermore Asianet's also focusses on non-music things like Dance, Costume, Gimmicks, Acting, the audience and the orchestra. The orchestra in many places does not provide perfect support either. On the other hand Stephen does a great job on the keys and software to support performances on Super Star Global. This emphasizes the singers performance instead of the orchestra hogging the limelight.

Back to the main story. As I hadn't watched Amrutha's performance fully I decided to check out YouTube. Here is her performance that you may check and later make your own comparisions.



As I watched I couldn't help reading the comments comparing her performacnes to that of Roopa's on Super Star Global where several viewers have indicated about Roopa's superior performance. Next Stop, checking Roopa's performance and here's my conclusion. If judges on Idea Star Singer could give Amrutha 90 on 100 they would have given Roopa a 150. The performance was mind blowing. Check it out here.



and the comments, from the Judges.



Actually Amrutha's performance on Idea Star Singer literally pales in comparison to that of Roopa's. Amrutha's performance is hardly enjoyable after you watch Roopa's. Roopa is also more in control and seems to enjoy the song and delivery than Amrutha whose face is writ with tension and anxiety. The only consolation for Amrutha I have is the fact that she is only 17 whereas Roopa is 23. But as they say "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". What ultimately is expected is the better song and Roopa clearly wins.

In fact Roopa's performance even suprasses the original song sung by Sudha Raghunathan. Bear in mind that Sudha Raghunathan's song was made IN THE STUDIO. So it could have been done with a hundred or more takes and retakes. They could have even recorded Sudha's part seperately (though this may not be the case) and then fused it to the music track to create the complete song. Not to forget that Roopa does the English part of the song too which Sudha does not do in the original.

Simply put Roopa's version makes Sudha Raghunathan's version a "screaming version" and Amrutha's "cacophony".

However the best part is this. Roopa's performance is enjoyable both visually and aurally. Her voice and singing is perfect and enjoyable at the same time, something which both the studio recording and Amrutha's performance lack. Amrutha had also stretched her song making it longer while Roopa's is tight and crisp. Roopa also sings Malayalam lyrics (making the performance even longer) which are neither in Amrutha's song or Sudha's making me wonder if there was a Malayalam version sung by Chitra. Let me know if you have any information and I will report a comparison on the same.

The best part of Roopa's lovely and very beutiful voice is that it is extremely soothing and pleasant to hear. Looks like you could give her a bad song and Roopa could come out with a better version of the same. Personally I am not against Sudha Raghunathan or Amrutha but I must say when Sudha R sings I cannot stand regional intonations and accents such as as "Ishai" instead of "Isai" and such. It is just a turn off. Check out the three songs and compare yourself.

Next I dug up more of her vidoes and I couldn't believe what I saw. Performance after performance of excellence and mastery. Be that English, Tamil, Hindi or Urdu her pronounciation is near perfect. Just check out the comments (you will have to search them on YouTube) and you will know. The reaction from the audience and the judges tell it all.

I have to mention my friend Tee Pee (man are you listening?) who used to tell me about Thodi Raagam and how Thodi Ragam veteran TNS could make you cry singing Thodi.
This song is based on the Thodi Raagam. Here is another Thodi based song, originally sung by Yeshudas. The audio and video aren't very good on this one.



Here are her other memorable and unbeatable performances you cannot afford to miss.

Mana Mohana


Ghazal


Comparing her ghazal to that of Najim Arshad on Asianet I must say it was as good as if not better. Najim is the best on Asianet and very good too but I would rate Roopa better than Najim anytime.

She makes songs sung by other artistes sound better. In one of the comments session Unni Menon even said to her that after judging her for so long he was waiting to hear a better performance from Roopa than S Janaki who sang the original.

Songs sung by other artistes that I have ignored seem and sound much better. Here is one of them.

Tharamakumbil - terrific singing, great keyboards,


Sundara raavil, an acoustic delight with Stephon on the piano. Check out the judges comments where Chithra Iyer even confesses she doesn't feel she is in a competition but in a concert. Unni Menon thanks Roopa for giving him and other the good fortune of listening to this song.


Maayamanchalil


And to top it all here is a song sung by Roopa who had only been out of the hospital with 5 shots (wonder why she took 5) half an hour earlier before her scheduled performance. Check out the comments video for the standing ovation from the judges plus comments. Roopa is almost shaking. Thank God she didn't collapse.

Raavil, Veena Natham pole...


After I dug more info on her (I just couldn't restrain myslef) I also understand Roopa is good violinist having won consistently awards for both her singing and playing from 2001 to 2005. A fan has even promoted a website on her. You can check it at www.rooparevathi.com.

Here is an overstatement. Roopa will be the next big sought after singer music directors will be see gunning for, more than any of the other contestants in the two competitions, Idea Star Singer or Super Star Global. Music director Jaychandran, actor Lalu Alex, and singer Chithra Iyer, all judges on SSG have already adopted her as their daughters. C'mon all this cannot be some conspiracy or a strange coincidence either.

Oh my God, I am on a total Roopa trip!.... Maybe I am so overwhelmed because I got it all in one shot whereas regular viewers were seeing things gradually. It is Saturday morning and I am still writing..I have been doing this for almost three days now.

I say just give her the Merc and close the competition. Really don't know what the organizers are waiting for. Maybe to let us listen to more of her, because we may not get to see more of her soon? She is just too big for the competition. No wonder Jayachandran in a gesture even wanted to leave indicating he is too small to judge her.

Final words. This is a highly opionionated review. Feel free to comment. For days now I have been blogging only about the singing contests on T.V but sorry guys I will write about other topics too. If only I had 48 hours a day. But the new posts will come soon. I value your patience.

Durga delivers another stunner

When I was thinking what Durga, my No.1 female contestant at the Idea Star Singer 2007 contest is going to do to outsmart the competition, lo she comes back with a great performance in her cool, confident and inimitable style. No one was prepared for her performance today for which she had only a day of practice. Durga sang the immensely popular K B Sundarambaal's "Pazhamneeappa" from the Tamil movie "Thiruvilayaadal" giving viewers and the judges goose bumps throughout her perfromance.



What took everyone by surprise was her near perfect Tamil pronounciation. It is impossible to believe she picked it up when she was studying the song just yesterday. Durga can only manage a little Tamil. A stunning performance that fetched a deserving 85 points out of 100. My guess is that she will be through to the semi finals of the contest. I pray for her.

Meanwhile Avial's ballads "Njaan Aaara" and "Ettam Paatu" that I have been listening to the last few nights keeps me company as I work through the night.....