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Jesudas dominates the top 12

Malayalam film music interests everybody, but try picking a dozen out of that ocean. Stumped? Ganavishkar, a music club in the city did it and `Thamasamenthe... .varuvaan' topped the list. K. pradeep tells you how they did it

Preferences, especially when it comes to songs, are subjective. It is extremely personal. There are ever so many melodies that are firmly imprinted in countless minds that attempting to reach a consensus on 12 immortal songs from a rich treasure trove of Malayalam film songs is definitely bound to be drenched in disagreement.

Taking off from this difference the city-based Ganavishkar Music Club had celebrities from the world of Malayalam music - lyricists, composers, singers, critics, passionate listeners, both men and women, and the common music buff list their own personal favourites. They then compiled these lists, weighed them through the rankings given to each song and put it before an expert panel to come out with a list of 12 immortal songs.

Thamasamenthe..

Well, topping the list was the haunting, all-time favourite, `Thamasamenthe varuvaan... .' from the film `Bhargavi Nilayam.'

"We knew it was never going to be easy to zero in on 12 songs from a prolific 75-year history of music. But once we set the process rolling it became an exciting venture. It took us nearly two weeks to complete the first phase that included collecting and compiling the list. We collected opinions from three levels, the celebrity group, the active listeners group and the general public. The points awarded for the songs were five, three and one respectively. It was done at a demographic level and had representations from the age group of 15 to 75. Around 90-odd people gave us their responses. The weighted average method was used, the weightage was combined and the ranking was based on the sum total of this weightage. The next step was picking out 33 songs based on the rankings. These songs were then placed before an expert panel that discussed each of these songs before a learned audience. The panellists were given a casting vote to enable them to bring in a song of their choice, which did not find a place in the list of 33. But to have such a song included in the final 12 it had to be approved by the panel," informs M. P. Girish Kumar, executive member of the club and the man behind this initiative.

This unique initiative was not aimed at arriving at a representative list nor did it intend to scan the individual merits of a song. A holistic opinion of a song was what the respondents were asked to give. It was based on the view that a good song should have a magnitude outside either the words or the music. "Songs, for me, are associated with memories of life at its various stages. There is a song with which I associate each of these phases. Picking 12 songs was not difficult for me. I have been living with them. Personally, I think this is an important exercise. I hope it would spark off discussions," says noted writer V. R. Sudheesh, who was one of the respondents.

Almost all the responses from the participants were spontaneous; the choices came right from the heart. "Some of the celebrities made quick but very analytical choices. There were others who asked for more time, while some others requested they be allowed to include more than the stipulated 12 songs. However, all of their choices were made considering only the magic of the song rather than dwelling on the poetry or the ragas used. That was exactly what we intended," quips G. Jayaprakash, patron, Ganavishkar.

Tough job

Nostalgia, personal favourites, songs that had a special place in their lives, were factors that decided the choices. "It is difficult when asked to choose 12 songs. It is like asking to pick ten of the best men from among a thousand. My selection was a random one and had a lot to do with my memories and experiences. And I firmly believe that the final 12 songs cannot be the ultimate. It will also be a big disappointment to many," feels G. Venugopal, singer.

Lyricist, Sreekumaran Thampi thought that the whole effort was worthwhile, as it would generate renewed interest in the classic songs of the language. "My selection was not made as a lyricist but merely as a music lover. My first choice was the song, `Engine nee marakkum... ' The film `Neelakuyil' and this song has a special place in my heart. I believe that it sparked off my interest in writing songs."

The expert panel that comprised film director Rajasenan, music director Ignatius, noted Carnatic vocalist Pranavam Sankaran Namboodiri and musicologist Suresh Manimala were unanimous in their choice of the top song. "That song brings in memories of a whole generation." "It is an experience in itself" "Top marks, top place," were some of the expert responses to this `perfect' song by the P. Bhaskaran-M.S. Baburaj-K. J. Jesudas combination. But the harmony ended there. They debated and discussed on almost every other song to finally arrive at the final list.

There was very little disagreement among the panellists regarding the songs. One third of the 33 songs found a place in the final list. "Only one song from outside the list came into the final 12. This was through the casting vote and an agreement among the experts. The song that was included from outside was `Saamyamakannoru udhyaname... ' from the film, `Devi.' (Vayalar-Devarajan-Jesudas)," says Girish.

Though the top 12 was heavily loaded in favour of Jesudas, Janaki, Baburaj and Devarajan, the 33 short-listed songs had a fine balance. Almost every popular singer, lyricist, composer found a place. "Surprisingly, there was not one song of P. Susheela's in the list of 33 though many of her songs featured in the responses of the people. And there were just two duets, of which one found a place in the final 12. Yet, the final list of songs were all immortal melodies that people have been humming for years," notes K. T. Unnikrishnan, a collector of songs and a member of Ganavishkar.

The final choice may not be the ultimate one. Hidden or missing are a number of lovely numbers. But perhaps this poll, this list, would at least serve to rake up old memories, dig up other songs that have somehow remained buried in the cacophony of noises of today.

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