Meanwhile, on the other end of the Subcontinent… I just read in New Kerala.com that November 14 is Yesudas‘ Golden Jubilee – fifty years since he started singing in movies. So, I’m going to post some favorites sung by Yesudas…
I’ve already posted most of the songs from Ningalenne Communistakki a few times, and most of them have been sung by Yesudas. I’ve posted this first one a few times also, but not so recently. As opposed to the revolution songs in this film, this one seems to be more of a sweet/romantic song. (Not that I can understand a word of it, but…) Yesudas is also doing his best crooning here, and among the songs from this movie that I’ve heard, I do find this one to be the most pleasant. I also love looking at those shots of the Kerala scenery – I think this is better than in the Kerala tourism videos that I’ve glimpsed (and there seem to be quite a few of those)…
This next one is really nice and is also great fun. Yesudas does some fine carnatic/classical singing here, and the three-dancer bharatanatyam is very interesting. And Ragini looks fabulous (whether she’s dancing or just sitting and watching)…
Speaking of Travancore Sisters, Grandma, what big eyes you have! I’ve posted songs from the Malayalam version of this next film more often, though I have delved into the Tamil version at least once before. I’m posting this song from the Tamil version now because it includes a longer clip of Padmini in the beginning. (Padmini also looks better in this – I think that they made her look even more granny-ish in the Malayalam version, with whiter hair, etc.) Anyway, of course, this is a post in honor of Yesudas, so let me add that he sounds very nice here.
I learned only very recently that Yesudas also did some Hindi movies. This is a nice scene of Yesudas singing on Kamal Haasan in the Hindi movie Sadma. From the clips I have seen, Sridevi is very interesting in this film, playing a woman who suffers a head injury that causes her to mentally regress into childhood. The music is composed by the great Ilaiyaraaja.
Now, getting uncharacteristically contemporary here (but also getting into a movie I’ve talked about here before)… I like this song from Arabikkatha (2007). Since the movie centers around Malayalis living and working in Dubai, it is very appropriate to hear this interesting Middle Eastern/Malayali mix in the music.
In Arabikkatha, the main character, “Cuba” Mukundan, frequently longs not only for his home land, Kerala, but also for the days when the communist party to which he has been devoted for so many years wasn’t as complicated and, in places, corrupt. (That corruption is part of the reason that he has ended up in Dubai.) It seems he would have been much happier in the heyday of Kerala’s communist movement – which brings us back to Ningalenne Communistakki, and a fun song that I have neither seen nor posted before…
My favorite Yesudas song :
and
Both the songs are taken from the movie Chitchor.
Hope the embedding happens for this.. :O
Also this one:
from the movie Chasme baddur.
I just love his voice. So rich and gorgeous. He mostly sang for Amol Palekar and Zareena Wahab films it would seem.
Chitchor songs come to mind immediately which Ava has mentioned already .
From film Apne Paraye
Here’s another beautiful song from film Naiyya.
Ava and Pacifist, thank you for the suggestions among his Hindi songs. Since I don’t know much about the Hindi movies that he sang for (and since that period isn’t exactly my area of expertise for Hindi movies), this was all new to me. Ava, the videos certainly did embed this time, and those are nice sounding songs, although the sound quality seems a bit “iffy” as I’m hearing it, especially in the first one. :)
Pacifist, I like the songs you posted, too. Really nice stuff! Yes, his voice is “rich and gorgeous.” :) I should pay more tribute to male singers for those qualities; I know I have been a bit biased in this area.
Sometimes I consider some of Yesudas’ songs to be a bit laid-back for me, except when I’m in the right mood. (That is, laid-back in a non-classical sense, since this is not something that occurs to me with more classical songs. :) ) But Yesudas has been very versatile, of course. Today, I remembered that he was one of the singers on a hit Tamil film song that has such a heavy beat, M.I.A. actually sampled it for her explosive 2007 show opener, “Bamboo Banga.” (I believe I’ve mentioned that before. :) ) That’s this song from Thalapathi – I can’t believe that in my haste to get a post up in time, I actually forgot it!
Ava and pacifist have already mentioned three of my fav Yesudas songs. Chornis! ;-)
But I also like this one very much and it has chaand in it!
and from the same film
Philipp from Philipp’s fillums has provided a good review of the film
I don’t know from which film, but I like this song as well.
He sang also many devotional songs for Gurvayur Krishna and these songs are played quite often in the temple but he wasn’t allowed to enter the temple, because he is a Christian. (Yesudas = Jesus’ servant). Can you believe that? *aargh*
Loved the videos you posted. At least the ones, which I saw.
Neelakadampin Poovo reminded me of my summer vacation and the train ride through Kerala.
A fabulous dance in Swarga nandini. Like the Bharat Natyam dances.
Couldn’t appreciate the full suitcase song. Maybe one needs some knowledge of what the song means, though Yesudas’ voice is always a pleasure to listen to it.
Others, I still have to listen to.
Thanks, Harvey, I really enjoyed the songs you posted, too. I briefly glimpsed Philip’s review of Alaap, and, I will have to watch this sometime.
And I’m glad you like those first two songs in my post as much as I did. Regarding the “full suticase song” – what a funny title, I’ll have to remember that! :) Anyway, there have been discussions about that film here before, though of the Malayalam version. I’ll find them and link to them from here soon (maybe tomorrow). Someone even explained the plot a bit and, yes, that was helpful. :)
One of the few songs where he appears on screen.
Here’s another:
Thank you, Cram. That second one is great – I didn’t know that he danced too!
:)
Btw, I’ve added a couple of songs from Vyjayanthimala’s first Tamil film Vazhkai to my channel.
Thanks, Cram, I am just catching up on those now – and I ended up commenting on a couple of them over at Minai’s blog, after you posted a link to the Padmini-Lalitha song.