A Chennai recontextualized version of The Doors' Riders on the Storm, with lyrics by Gurunarayana Ravi (https://twitter.com/raghuthaatha). This song is about the Auto drivers on the Chennai storm, wreaking havoc on the roads but they too have their side of the story to tell, a story of poverty and exploitative usury. 

It also features a Carnatic violin lead in the Raga Karaharapriya (Dorian mode) and the quintessential sound of a Chennai auto recorded by @mdeii 

Guitar - Fender Stratocaster recorded through a Boss ME-25 with a vibrato effect
Violin - Electric violin through Boss Me-25 with a delay
Percussion, bass and Wurlitzer organ - programmed on Logic Pro X

Lyrics (with translation)

Autokaran naan (I am an auto driver)
Chennai Autokaran naan (A Chennai autodriver I am)
MGR peran naan (I'm MGR's grandson)
Baasha machaan naan (I'm the Badshah's brother-in-law)
Auto tune thaan (the pitch perfect sound of the autotune)
Enga engine sattham thaan (is the sound of our engine)

I'm a terror on the road 
Vaanga come aboard (Please come aboard)
Anna Salayil (On Anna road in Chennai)
Seerum morattu kaalai naan (I'm the rampaging wild bull)
Police paathaakka (If the police happen to see me)
padhugum paambu naan (I'm the slithering snake that evades them)

Rendu pullakutteenga (I have 2 young children)
Saettu vaddi thollainga (the local pawn broker bleeds me with high interest loans)
Petrol velai thaan (The price of petrol)
eri pochunga (has risen skyward)
Meter pottaakka (if you insist on metered fare)
Vootla patnithaanunga (my family will starve)

Manja colouril (Of yellow hue...)
senja thanga therunga (is my golden chariot)
Ulagam pooraga (all over the world)
namma vandi odumga (my auto will run)
Ella oorilum (in every town)
namakku nalla perunga (I have a good reputation)
Nambi erunga (believe me and let's go for a ride)

Riders On The Auto

As a tribute to the utterly wonderful HBO series True Detective, this remix explores the similarities between the show's underlying theme of time being a flat circle and the Indian idea of Moksha, the release from that very circle of vicious repetition. 

So I took Thyagaraja's hauntingly brilliant "Mokshamu Galada" where he wonders if there is ever going to be Moksha without knowledge, and blended The Handsome Family's "Far from any road", the theme song of the show with it. 

Played on the following instruments
1. Yamaha C40 Classical guitar
2. Hofner beginner Cello
3. Electric violin

The raga is "Saramathi" which well into fits into the A minor key of the theme song

Far From Moksha

A kutthu garage rock remix of the White Stripes' classic "Seven Nation Army". Lyrics in collaboration with https://twitter.com/raghuthaatha written from the point of view of someone who ignores tradition and superstition only to face an anticlimactic response from the establishment at the end. 

I'm in a barbershop
Amavasai couldn't hold me back
I'm going to flag it off 
Middle of rahu kalam, that's my knack
And I'm sleeping in my bed at night 
While I'm facing north
I ask for kovil prasadam
left hand extending forth

And i dont give astrologers money, yezhara naattu sani

Don't wanna hear about it
Kili josyam’s got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
Don’t need no drishtipottu as well
And if I touch it with my ecchai patthu
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do

And the message from my horoscope, it’s sevva dosham bro

Ava aappu vecchuta
Enters left leg first I swear
And when I’m going out
she always has to ask me where
And I'm sneezing, and she's sneezing, and we're sneezing
when there’s good news  
All my pages filled with real bad words
sri ramajayam's no use

And even then the message from my elders, is “nee pozhacchu po"

Lyrics explanation: For those not from South India, every line refers to a superstitious belief held strongly by many here, like 
* not visiting the barbershop on auspicious days (like Amavasai - new moon day)
* Avoiding kicking off things during Rahu kalam
* Head facing north while sleeping
* Sneezing when good news is announced

The title is a reference to an astrological belief that the 7.5 years of Saturn transiting through the 8th house from the moon in one's horoscope. 

The guitar parts were recorded on an Ibanez SA-120 through a Boss ME-25 FX processor and an amplified fuzz effect was used on the vocals to make it sound like Jack White's. 

The percussion and drums were sequenced & programmed

Seven and a Half Years Of Saturn

A collaboration with the brilliantly talented @rvijaynarain, this is a mashup of a Marwari dialect thumri Senraan Ra Baairya (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h7p4-15ZNU) and Kailash Kher's rendition of Kabir's Naiharwa. 

Both are love songs, but go deeper than just physical desire. The first one asks to be carried away by the sweet breeze while the second one uses the metaphor of a bride separated from her beloved to hint at the fallacy of duality (advaita, if you will)

Vocals: @rvijaynarain
Guitar, Violin and Arrangement: @krishashok
Key: F major
Beat: 7/4

Lyrics

سینڑاں را بائریا دھیمو مدھرو ری باج
senṛaan ra baairya dheemo madhuro ri baaj
listen, O breeze, softly and sweetly blow
دھیمو دھیمو مدھرو ری باج رے بائریا
dheemo dheemo madhuro ri baaj re baaireeya
softly, softly, sweetly blow, O breeze
سینڑاں را بائریا دھیمو مدھرو ری باج
senṛaan ra baairya dheemo madhuro ri baaj
listen, O breeze, softly and sweetly blow

تنری بنڑاؤں ڈھولا راجی تانسلی اے لو
tanri banṛaaoon dhola raaji taansali e lo
I make a serving dish, sweetheart, of my physical being
منڑے ری کروں من وار رے بائریا
manṛe ri karoon man waar re baaireeya
and following my heart, I offer up my heart to you, O breeze
سینڑاں را بائریا دھیمو مدھرو ری باج
senṛaan ra baairya dheemo madhuro ri baaj
listen, O breeze, softly and sweetly blow

साई कि नगरी ...परम अति सुन्दर,
Saai ki nagari...param ati sundar
My Beloved’s Town is Most Beautiful

जहाँ कोई जाए ना आवे
jahaan joi jaaye naa aavey
However, Nobody Goes or Comes from There

चाँद सुरज जहाँ, पवन न पानी,
chaand suraj jahaan, pavan na paani
There is no Moon, Sun, Wind or Water There

कौ संदेस पहुँचावै
kou sandes pahunchaavey
Then Who Will Take My Message There?

दरद यह... साई को सुनावै
darad yah...saai ko sunaavey
Then Who Will Tell My Pain to My Beloved?

नैहरवा हम का न भावे
Naiharwa ham ka na bhavey
I Don’t Find any Interest in My Parent’s House


Senraan Ra Baairya - Naiharwa Redux

isayil thodunguthamma cover only vocals

A medley based on the compositions of four of the biggest composers from South of India.

Credits and Details:

(1) "Kamban emaandhaan"
Originally composed by M S Viswanathan 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCqG3tXF4k4

(2) "Kanne Kalaimaane"
Originally composed by Ilayaraja
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UahyZ4fgAnw

(3) "Azhake nin"
Originally composed by Raveendran Master
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba8i4y_pu2k

(4) "Thoda Thoda"
Originally composed by A R Rahman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRZ1NXlBRhE

Medley Credits:

Vocals:
Sudharshan Ashok (1 & 4): @sudharshan-ashok
Vipin Nair (2 & 3) @vip-nair

Re-Arrangement, Additional composing, Flute
Vijay Kannan @indian_music_fan
YT: https://youtube.com/AboutIndianMusic

Links and Wiki
M S Viswanathan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._S._Viswanathan
Ilayaraja: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilaiyaraaja
Raveendran Master:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raveendran
A R Rahman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._R._Rahman

Sudharshan Ashok:
Soundcloud channel: https://soundcloud.com/sudharshan-ashok
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdhrshn

Vipin Nair
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/vip-nair
Music Aloud: https://soundcloud.com/music-aloud
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vip_nair

Vijay Kannan:
Facebook:  http://facebook.com/FluteVijayKannan
YT: https://youtube.com/AboutIndianMusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndianMusicFan

Tribute to the Maestros - Vijay Kannan - Ft. Sudharshan And Vipin

A Tamil adaptation of Bo Diddley's classic "Before you accuse me" (made famous by Eric Clapton)

Vocals: @ranjani-shanker
Lyrics: Subhashini Vinay (twitter.com/neelavanam) 
Piano: @hariflute
Guitars, Violin, Bass, Arrangement: @krishashok

கேளாயோ நீ, சொற்கள் அம்புகள்,
கேளாயோ நீ, சொற்கள் அம்புகள்.
நம் காதலே பெரும் கனா,
விடையிலா ஒரு வினா!

Have you heard, (your) words like arrows pierce.
Have you heard, (your) words like arrows pierce.
Our love,  like a perfect dream, 
(ended like) A question without an answer.

நம் வானிலே, நிலவேன் இல்லையோ,
நம் வானிலே, நிலவேன் இல்லையோ,
வாழ்கைப் பூந்தோட்டத்தில், மலர்களே பூக்கவில்லையோ.

Why is it we have not had a moon to brighten our eventide?
Why is it our life did not bloom in a garden of flowers? 

வாராதே திரும்பி, நினைவுகளில் சுகமிலை,
வாராதே திரும்பி, நினைவுகளில் சுகமிலை,
துள்ளியாடும் மீன்களென வேண்டும் ஒரு வாழ்கை.

Don't come back, memories cannot be cherished.
Don't come back, memories cannot be cherished.
(I feel like a fish out of water and this is not what I want.) 
I want to swim in this vast expanse of life, happily. 

Abheri Blues

An adaptation of Vidyasagar's Aaro Viral Meetti from the movie Pranayavarnangal (1997)

After some consideration towards potentially atrocious pronunciation, I decided to Uditnarayanify and sing it anyway. 

The guitar is a Yamaha classical nylon string guitar. 

Aaro Viral Meetti

A Bromance Waltz adaptation of the Tamil film classic. 

Flutes, vocals - @indian_music_fan
Strings, vocals, arrangement - @krishashok

Lyrics
Pon ondru kanden peN angu illai 
ennendru naan sollalaaguma 
(I only saw Gold, I didn’t see a girl
How do I explain what I saw?)
ennendru naan sollavenduma 
(Is it necessary that I explain?)
poo ondru kanden mugam kanavillai 
(I saw a flower, but I didn’t see any face)
yen endru naan sollalaguma 
(How do I say why is that?)
yen endru nana solla venduma 
(Is it necessary for me to say why?)

nadamaadum megam navanaagareegam 
alangara kinnam alai pola minnum 
(She is a walking cloud, very modern
She glows like a new flower vase, she glitters like waves)

nada maadum selvam panivana deivam 
pazhangala chinnam uyiraaga minunm 
(She is a walking treasure, a humble God
She is a sign of traditions, she is soulful)

thulli varum velli nila (2)
(She is like the bright moon)

thuvandhu vizhum kodi idayaaL (2)
(She is very delicate)

vinnodu vilayadum penn andha penn alavo 
(She is the girl who plays with the sky)
sendrEn (I went) hmhmhm 
kandEn (I saw) humhum 
vandhEn (I came)

naan partha pennai nee pArka villai 
nee partha pennai naan pArka villai 
(You haven’t seen the girl that I saw for you
I haven’t seen the girl that you saw for me)

un parvai polay en paarvai illai 
nana kanda katchi nee kaana villai 
(My viewing wasn’t anything like yours
You have no idea what I saw)

en vizhiyil nee irundhaai 
(You were there in my eyes)
un vadivil naan irundhane 
(I was there in your form)

nee indri naan illai 
naan indri nee illaiye
(I don’t exist without you 
You don’t exist without me)

Pon Ondru Kanden

Its my favourite song from my favourite music director Vidyaji. Please listen and give your valuable feedback. 


" aaro viral meetti manassil mann veenayil
etho vizhi neerin shruthi meetunnu mookam
thalarum thanu vodey
idarum manam odey
vida vaangunna sandhye
virahaadra aaya sandhye
enn

aaro viral meetti manassil mann veenayil

vennilaavu polum ninakkinn eriyum venalaayi
varna raaji meettum vasantham varsha shokhamaayi
ninnde aardhra hrudhayam thooval chillu udanya padamaayi
ninnde aardhra hrudhayam thooval chillu udanya padamaayi
irulil parannu murivettu paadum oru paavam thooval kiliyai
nee

(aaro viral meetti...)

isayil thodunguthamma cover only vocals

arunradhi

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