A timeless classic to travel back in time - Poo, Kodiyin Punnagai - Iruvar #acnotes

Disclaimer: This note is mainly for lovers of old classics and listeners/ followers of Mozart of Madras - ARR. However, this is also for new music recco enthusiasts and are curious to listen and appreciate world-class music. Read and Indulge with a good pair of 🎧

Source: Bollywood Hungama

The year was 1997, sometime at the start of my college days. I clearly remember the casette being released well in advance, yet the movie was delayed for some political reasons. So as it goes, the songs had become quite popular. And I won't delve deep into the visuals of the movie, but I would like to mention this one song that was passable at the first few listens. I may have fast forwarded this song many times. However, over the years, it has stood the test of time for its production and the impeccable style it brought forth from the past. Some may say it imitated the legends (both composers and singers) of yore, but I felt ARR, took the spark from the past to light a beacon that blazes on till date. The song I'm referring to is "Poo, kodiyin - punnagai". I punctuated it quite specifically this way and you'll know its relevance as you read on. And it took me a while (plus a bit of reading up on the net) to figure out what the lyricist meant (For obvious reasons, I won't talk about the lyricist).

Without any further digression, let's focus on the song. Especially the first few lines that highlight the warmth and joy a smile brings to its everything associated with it. Here's a line by line break down for easy reference.

||a flower is the smile that brims on a vine.

a wave is the cheerfulness that bubbles up a river.

the rain is the joy the clouds pour forth, unable to contain.

Likewise, you're that beaming smile, that reflects love.||

And so on, the song continues. Lyrically, the words are quite prolific, yet poetic keeping that time frame in mind. Any further attempt to translate it by yours sincerely would be a disservice to the song. That said, the highlight of the song is the the old world's charm recreated with similar instruments used from that era. The rhythm, the melody and the voice. Unlike the lo-fi songs you get to hear these days, this is pure bliss. A song that holds the reins of your racing mind and slows it down.

Interesting trivia is that Sandhya JK, is the daughter in law of the yesteryears legend P. Susheela. Little wonder, there's a hint of the legend’s voice. And this imitation is the sincerest A hat tip to her mellifluous voice.

Whenever I listen to this song I'm reminded of the songs I would listen to from my old man's collection of Tamil black and white classics on HMV cassettes. One difference, the crystal clear clarity and layered sound quality, sets this apart. Listen closely and you'll hear the song fade to the crackling sound of the vinyl record on the turntable, slowly coming to a halt. Perhaps, the surface noise is what they call that. Or, maybe, it's ARR smiling at the legends for the plethora of inspiration they've passed down.

https://youtu.be/d6BjY_2GfuE?feature=shared

#acnotes