To compose in a music industry where you have stalwarts like M.S.Vishwanathan, Ilaiyaraja and A.R.Rahman is not an easy job. You have a great legacy to maintain! Vidyasagar is one such music director, whom I would like to write about today. What I like about him is that he has the ability to make even fast songs sound melodious. His melodies are one of the best I have heard as they have intricate tunes backed by soothing orchestration. His music has many qualities of his predecessors- great tunes, multilayered charanam, amazing orchestration, bass guitar usage, use of a variety of raagas, great background scores (an often ignored yardstick to measure talent) etc. The fact that he is compared to these stalwarts in it itself shows he has great talent. Moreover apart from Tamil, Vidyasagar has composed many great tunes even in Malayalam & Telugu (his mother tongue). I personally feel Vidyasagar has not been given his due at all. Many a time, his soundtracks have been dismissed as below par even when there were one or two fantastic tunes in them. Like most other music composers, Vidyasagar too has his share of terrible tunes but they are much less as compared to Srikanth Deva, Imaan, Deva, S.A.Rajkumar, Sirpy etc.
Many of his melodies are as good as the ones we have ever heard. A true test for any music director are the classical tunes (both Indian & Western styles) and even here Vidyasagar has shown his class. If he has got a good script, Vidyasagar has done great justice to it. Here is a list of my favourite Vidyasagar songs in Tamil. I will write another post on his Malayalam melodies soon.
TAMIL
- Malare Mounama (Karna)—One of the best songs you will ever hear in Darbari raaga.
- Nee Katru (Nilave Vaa)
- Yaar Yaar Shivam/Poovaasam/Mouname (Anbe Shivam)—A wonderful movie with wonderful music.
- Poi Solla Koodathu (Run)—Superb orchestration and great singing by Hariharan.
- Thavamindri (Anbu)—One of my favourite songs of Vidyasagar, this is in Gowrimanohari raaga.
- Azhagooril/Neeya Pesiyathu (Thirumalai)
- Un Samaiyal Araiyil (Dhill)—What a song!
- Orey Manam (Villan)—A fantastic tune.
- Gilli songs—Loved almost all the songs. This is intelligent music making, fast songs but with high repeat value, they make you tap your feet!
- Ding Dong (Ji)—A superb song in a rarely heard Rasikapriya raaga.
- Kandaen Kandaen (Madurey)—Splendid tune in Brindavanasaranga raaga. Stunning mandolin interludes!
- Konja Neram/Raa Raa (Chandramukhi)—The former is a great song in Baageshri raaga and the latter was a great classical composition though ONLY the first line was taken from a Kannada song.
- Kaalai Arumbi (Kana Kandaen)—What a song!
- Vennilaa (Ponniyin Selvan)
- Iruvar Vaazhum/Athiathikka (Aadhi)—The former is an amazing tune which was never was noticed.
- Kana Kandaenadi/Aalankuyil (Parthipan Kanavu)—The former is a beauty in Anandabhairavi raaga with amazing sax and bass guitar interludes!
- Chithiraiyil Yenna/Atrai Thingal (Sivapathigaaram)—The former is a great folk tune and the latter an amazing melody.
- Mozhi songs—Should I say something here? I even loved the bit songs which were pure melodies.
- Pirivom Sandippom songs—I loved ALL the songs, each melody is amazing with high repeat value.
- Vizhiyum Vizhiyum/Engaey (Chathurangam)—Unfortunately, this movie is not yet released. Vizhiyum is a masterpiece.
- Naan Varaindhu/Adai Mazhaikaalam (Jeyam Kondaan)
- Ippavae/Mazhai Nindra/Vaanathai (Raman Thediya Seethai)—Fantastic songs!
- Pallanadhu/Thaen Thaen (Kuruvi)—I loved Pallanadhu especially, it makes me dance!
- Vaa Vaa (Abiyum Naanum)—What a beautiful charanam!
- En Uyirukkul (Mahesh Saranya Matrum Palar)—A duet song in a supposedly sober Sindhubhairavi raaga!