For every famous song there is another almost unknown gem which is not so popular, which eventually fades away owing to the passage of time. The purpose of this series is to introduce the rarely known yet masterpiece songs covering different composers. The first song of this series is:
Song: Thaen Aruviyil
Composer: Ilaiyaraja
Lyrics: Mu.Metha
Singers: SPB, Janaki
Movie: Aagaya Gangai
Thaen Aruviyil is the best song from Aagaya Gangai. It starts in the raga Shuddhadhanyasi with the Dheem Dhirana refrain. The song’s percussion has Mridangam which aptly fits its classical moorings. The first interlude is a melange of jal-tarang, veena, flute and keyboard and its a typical Raja interlude, his interludes always sound complete. The second interlude has Veena, female vocals (singing swaras) and Janaki humming effortlessly. In fact, all through the song there are humming counters by the two singers and it adds beauty to the song (not an easy thing to do in live recordings). The second stanza shifts to Bageshri and especially the way SPB sings “Yaen Tholaivo, Nee Nilavo” is a lesson for singers in emoting as per the raga’s style. At the end of the second stanza, the song jumps back to Shuddhadhanyasi, it sounds so seamless. All-in-all, this song is a flawless song and the tune is pure gold. It’s a pity that such songs are not sung in reality shows (will be a fantastic song in the duet or classical round). The song is available at the link below in good quality: