Yesudas
Topic started by knpradeep (@ 212-42-97-70.elcat.kg) on Fri Jun 29 04:38:48 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
I am a fan of Yesudas and I would like to know why he is not considered as a complete classical singer. Will someone agree that he has the uncanny ability to mix caranatic music with Hindustani music, if that is the case then can we conclude that he deserves a special mention in classical music.
Responses:
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- From: sabuchenkulam (@ 210.212.236.34)
on: Sat Sep 13 06:41:03 EDT 2003
hello everyone,
Yesudas is singer.But he is not a clasical musician.There is an another brightest singer in kerala, that is Jayachandran.He is great, same as Yesudas.
- From: Ramakrishnan (@ )
on: Mon Sep 29 23:01:53
Yesudas has a lot of potential alright.
But he has stopped utilising that potential. From around 1967 to around 1985 he was singing well. He appeared to be the uncrowned prince and the voice of the century as far as carnatic music was concerned.
His discipleship till 1974 under the majestic 'Sangeetha Samrat' CHEMBAI stood him in good stead. He gained some characteristics of Chembai's music like excellent sruti (pitch), depth of rendition, strong knowledge of tala and bold singing and regaled audiences in his concerts. He also got a lot of awards during this period.
The Carnatic Music critics who were criticizing him left and right when he joined Chembai as disciple, had to shut up and had no choice but to acknowledge his rising fame and popularity.
After 1985, something seems to have happened to him. His music lost the magic, he was singing the same old songs in concerts, he stopped singing some of the excellent songs which he had learnt from Chembai like Etula Brothuvo (Chakravaham), Rama Nee Samanamevaru (Karaharapriya), Dwaithamu Sukhama (Ritigowla), Na Moralanu (Arabhi), Dehi Tavapada (Sahana), Eduta Nilichite (Shankarabharanam), Saroja Dalane (Shankarabharanam), O Jagadamba (Anandabhairavi), Chetulara (Bhairavi) etc.
He introduced a lot of film songs and ayyappan songs in his concerts to satisfy his film fans. Though including ayyappan songs is not bad, it would be better if it is restricted to maximum 2 or 3 songs.
But film songs are a strict no no on the classical music platform. This basic rule he did not realise. Even his devotional albums released in the 1990s were like folk songs - the devotional element was missing. He teamed up with Ilayaraja, Gangai Amaran, Deva and others who had very little knowledge of the basic grace and melody and rules of classical music and who did not have the capacity to perform on the classical stage even once. Hence he was considered to be a failing singer on the classical music scene. But of course he got more and more film fans, but the true classical music rasikas had to close their ears to his songs.
In order to cover this up, he released some cassettes of his recordings sung in his earlier stage when he was singing well. Many of the people who bought his cassettes were those who didn't know the difference between an Arabhi and Devagandhari i.e illiterate as far as classical music is concerned. These people would jump and shout expletives whenever their singer was shown in poor light.
His voice was with him, though; but for classical music voice alone is not enough. Voice is like the packaging of a product. People who buy the product will go to the shop and buy the product they want. If they find the packaging attractive, they are happy. But on opening the package, if they don't find the product they were looking for, they feel cheated. Mere packaging is no good without the product inside.
Likewise the classical music rasikas feel cheated when they attend his concerts to find that the music they were expecting is not there. Only voice is there and with that voice he mostly sings semi classical songs and devotional songs in a carnatic concert.
Why call it a carnatic concert then? Frustrated carnatic rasikas then said his music is not carnatic music at all. For which he replies "If my music is not considered as Carnatic Sangeetham, then you may call it Bharatheeya Sangeetham". Wow,what a lofty statement? "If the metal is not silver, or even copper, can it be gold?"
The singer then promotes his son on stage. God knew better and does not give the son the magical voice and knowledge of the father. He lives on his father's reputation. That wont last forever. He has to struggle to earn a place for himself through sheer hard work and practice. We can only say all the best to him.
The few carnatic songs that Yesudas sings in his calssical concerts are hopelessly out of bounds with the authority and grammar of classical music. All for the greed of money. If Chembai were to see and hear his dear disciple now, he would shed tears of blood thinking all his efforts in promoting Yesudas had gone waste.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. For some strange reason, Yesudas has again very recently started singing properly. After all reputation may come and go, but the knowledge is there forever. He is now a humble man, he sings in the authentic traditional way. Carnatic music rasikas bless him, they find that their product is there inside the package. Are there not many other carnatic musicians with no good voice but sing carnatic music very well? That is the main thing. Voice only adds attractiveness to the music which the singer sings.
Voice itself is not music. It is like a good handwriting. Good handwriting does not mean the writer is a scholar in that language. Language has its own grammar and rules which have to be followed, otherwise the writer will not be accepted as a language expert. Literary talents cannot be judged by a UKG student. Likewise a singer's performance can be judged only by person having knowledge of classical music. Others can comment only about the handwriting (voice) and not about the language(music). People who dont understand carnatic music must bear this in mind before they say "Yesudas is greatest". Otherwise, just like UKG student's opinion, their opinion will have no value.
Coming back to Yesudas, may he continue this recent trend of singing classical music properly. He must put in the same effort that he was doing in the 70s. He should remember that his guru Chembai was able to hold on to his reputation because even at his age of 79, he did not take the easy way out, but chose to sing in the traditional and orthodox manner even though it was very difficult considering his age.
Yesudas is proceeding in the right direction and if he sings mainly the exalted songs of Thyagaraja Swamy, Dikshitar and Syama Sastry, he will soon be able to get the kind of reputation which Chembai enjoyed throughout his life. I wish him all the best.
- From: krishnakumar (@ )
on: Sun Oct 26 08:46:40
hi all,
i dont have words to write about sri.yesudas
he is not a singer .He is MUSIC
Regards
krishnakumar
- From: sreeram (@ host1.exult.net)
on: Wed Nov 19 15:16:06
yesudass songs can be downloaded in www.shivarajan.com\downloads.
iam looking for a songs on lord ayyapa by yesudas especially (ana yirangum mamalayil and the full album of this song). please let me know
- From: Nishanth (@ mcf2.wc.optusnet.com.au)
on: Fri Nov 21 10:03:25 EST 2003
Sreeram, i don't see his songs at the site?
- From: Kumar (@ 61.1.227.239)
on: Sun Nov 23 10:12:14 EST 2003
Hi Ramakrishnan,
I am in tune to your comments about Yesudas and his songs. He had once asked Lata Mangeshkar to stop singing, because her voice didn't have the greatness of the yesteryears. That was a bit too harsh on the Nightingale of India.. Though I also personally feel that her voice has suffered the ravages of old-age and time, I feel it is upto the singer to decide whether or not to sing for films. No singer can direct others to do this, and not do that. Yesudas had cast a dark shadow over himself, the moment he made this unrestrained, callous and sweeping statement. It was uncalled for.
Of late, his voice has been found on the edge of breaking. He is shouting rather than singing. Won't he gradually keep distance from the studio, and rather concentrate on pure Classical Music, train upcoming talents, and leave the stage vacant for them? And shouldn't he put a noose around his son, and tell him "Son, It is not fair to sing in public, if you don't know to sing?Be a good boy."..
- From: Nick H (UK) (@ mridangam.demon.co.uk)
on: Mon Nov 24 17:47:56 EST 2003
I went to his London concert yesterday and do not share your criticism. A little strain was there when he sang loud, but when he kept things gentle it was very nice. My criticism would be that he did not give to his accompaniests: the violinist never got to play a decent length alapana (not that KJY did very much alapana), and even in kalpana swara was often only permitted to play a few fill-in notes. The Thani was very short.
However, in a non-stop 3-hour concert there was only one song that didn't work for me.
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