thanks Vithur. On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 9:05 AM, Vithur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Santoor Seenu talks on Rahmania > > > > Happy Chennai Day to all > > > > Q :- You have been playing 25 Instruments. How did u develop the > earnestness and how did u start playing ? > > > > SS :- Its God's Gift. The second Plus point is Mr. A.R. Rahman. > > > > Q :- Did u meet Rahman after he became a Music Director or you knew him > before that even ? > > > > SS :- Before, he became a Music Director, and when he was working with > other Tamil Films, we were associated with him. He has taught us a lot of > new things. Santoor is usually played in tune with Raagas. He specially > taught us about Chord Progression and scale changes. I learnt Western, while > he used to play the keyboard, and used to do the backing. During recording > times, even some of our notes, he used to play it in his keyboard. Some bits > used to be tough, even for us and for him too. The difference is he has ten > fingers and can easily play them , while we have two sticks to play the > santoor, and find it tough. With these sticks, we can play it in 2.5 octave > and 3.5 octave. But higher octaves would be little difficult. The duration > time is also very minimal for us. A recording has to be finished within 6 > hrs. He teaches us a lot during recording sessions. I started developing > interest, when he did the chord backing and progression etc, to make us feel > comfortable while working. He became a good friend, because of these > associations. > > > > He called me for Roja. For the song, " Chinna Chinna aasai". We have to > play santoor for the song. But it shouldn't sound like santoor. Instead > of playing with the stick, he suggested we play with the ten fingers in the > song. In the second BGM of that song, in the left hand, the chord > progressions would be going on, and in the right hand, the melody would be > continuing. That is the first time in my life, that I played the santoor > with my ten fingers leaving alone the stick. The speciality is the usage of > Harp in the beginning of the song. Mandolin is used in the song beginning > itself. I had played all the three instruments in the song ( viz. Harp, > Mandolin, Santoor ) . The song became a super duper hit. > > > > Q :- Where have u used the Mandolin Instrument ? > > > > SS :- Super Star Rajni Sir 's song " Oh ho Kick Yerudheee ( PADAIYAPPA )". > The song was prepared primarily for Mandolin, and he asked me to prepare the > same and get it. During Recording, he usually would ask to get about 10 to > 15 instruments. But he told me to get one mandolin for this. I understood > that there is something special about this song, as he wanted just one > mandolin to be brought for the song. I understood that there is going to be > something difficult in the song, else he wont tell particularly about the > Mandolin Instrument. Even many Mandolin players had told me, that it's a > difficult bit to be played. Many people have tried playing it in concerts > and had suffered playing it. Many had rang me up and asked me " How did you > manage playing it ?" I like the song very much, as we strained a lot in > playing the same. > > > > For the film " Sangamam:, our Master MSV Sir was involved. We are all from > his school of music. He has lot of love in me, and he was on the recording > session for that film. Hariharan sir sang the initial bit and went off. > Rahman sir brought 40 rhythms and mixed it. He told me to get all the > instruments that I possessed for this song. When I started from my home, > with all the Instruments, the neighbours asked me If I was leaving my > home for another house ??. > > > > I brought all the instruments in five auto rickshaws..I replied to them > saying, " No No. Rahman sir had called for a recording. He had instructed me > t get all the insruments, for trying something new". > > > > 1. Rubob > 2. Sauce > 3. Mandolin > 4. Utilin > 5. Basukin > > > > We had mixed all the six instruments into the rhythms to make it perfect, > and the outcome was brilliant. > > > > I loved playing the Guitar Style in Nenje Nenje from ratchagan. This I > loved the most. Actually, in guitar style comes in the sarodh style. There > is a separate style for Guitar and a separate style for Guitar. One who can > play both the instruments can do it. He told me to get both the instruments. > In the second BGM of that song, in that classical guitar portion, he wanted > a melody and on top of it, use the sarod style. That sarod bit was a very > difficult bit. He didn't leave me till the last. Somehow he wanted me to > finish it. I told him, that the range of the song was going very high, and > it would be very tough. The fingering would be very tough. We can play the > instrument maximum in two fingers only. > > > > He told me " If you cant do, then who else is there. Try it. You will get > it". With his encouragement , we could do it in the First take itself. I > asked him, if we can go for another take, for which he said, " No. You cant > play this bit for another take. Even if I give you a year's timing, it wont > come". > > > > Even after some years, when I tried playing it, whenever the same raga is > played with the sarod, I never used to get it. I could realize the > importance of his words. > > > > For the film Gentleman, I had played for some 4 or 5 songs. Esp the song > " Usilambatti". He waited for me for the song. At that time, I used to go > frequently to Bangalore, as I was also doing Kannada Films. Once, without > informing him, I went off. After that he asked me " Am I doing any Tv Serial > ?. or an album ?. I am doing a film. Why didn't you inform me before > going?". > > I told him " Sir. I had agreed to that earlier. That's why". Then he told," > Ok. Play this and go". My train was at 1 30 Pm , and recording was > scheduled at 10 AM . I was sure that the song couldn't be completed before > that timing. But the song finished in fifteen minutes. By 10 45 AM or 11, we > were out. Actually, he also congratulated me for playing the song well. > > > > Kuchi Kuchi Rakkamma – Bull Bull Thara > > > > The Bull Bull Thara is actually a qawwalli instrument. On the left side, it > would be like a typewriting instrument, and on the right side, the usage of > the second and the third fingers, would be on a small clip, like that of a > veena. When the right and the left ends are simultaneously used, the noises > would be high. Just like, when a type writer is used. But he wanted those > noises in that song. > > > > Nowadays sensitive mikes capture all sorts of noises and sounds. And it was > a challenge to play that instrument for that song. It was a speed bit. > Actually, while pressing one finger, and leaving it, the noise would come, > and he asked, " If something could be done without the noises emanating". I > said that it would be really tough to do anything without the noises. We > tried pouring coconut oil into the buttons, as similar to pouring oil in > cycle chokes to minimize the noise. > > > > The oil worked out, and the noise started reducing. Then he told, " This is > Ok. We will adjust this to the maximum". Actually, the price of the > instrument is Rs 75, but he paid me Rs 2500. I was very happy for it. The > song became a super hit, and for about two to three years, wherever I went, > the song used to chase me . was a great hit in Tamil as well as Hindi > languages. > > > > INDIAN – Maya Machindra > > > > For the Indian Film, he had asked me to get my own set up. In an evening at > 6 Pm, he asked me one day, if I had got something new. I replied, there was > an instrument by name Farz. It was a Turkese Instrument. A friend of mine > had given it to me. I couldn't understand anything of it. I told him that if > there is a cassette on the same, I can hear and try to do some idea on it. > Then, he gave me an cassette, and told me to listen to one particular style. > I heard it for sometime, and told him that the same could be used in a song. > We put it as " Ni Sa Sa Ni Sa Ma Ga Ni Sa Sa Ni Sa" . He told, this is new, > for which I told " No sir. We can play this somewhere in the song". > > > > This came in the strings following the words " Maya Machindra Macham Paarka > Vandeera" ( after these lyrics, the string comes ) Its fully gut strings. > Usually it comes in two strings, but this came out in three strings. So, we > need to fix the fingers well, for listening to all the three strings. Even > if one string is not listened properly, it becomes cacophony. The song > became a super hit, and also the bit, where those strings come. > > > -- > regards, > Vithur > > ARR -- The Sweet Cube always > > -- Cheers, Pradeepan. "All you need to do is, decide what to do with the time that is given to you !"
