Aaromale
| "Aaromale" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
Aaromale (Malayalam: ആരോമലേ, English: O Beloved) is a Malayalam song from the 2010 Tamil film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and Telugu film Ye Maaya Chesave composed by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman[1], featuring lyrics by Kaithapram. The song, features vocals by Alphonse.
About the song
Aaromale is a Psychedelic rock song with a Hindustani base to it. Beautifully penned by Kaithapram, the song is high in instrumentation and quick changing rhythms. The song starts slow but goes on to pick speed slightly. The song has amazing guitar scores that give the feel of country music.
The song is so important in the contemporary music as it can be regarded as the first attempt to correlate the very different styles of music, Rock music and Hindustani classical music. The composer is highly successful in proving the inspirations the origin of Rock music had from the very different style of Hindustani music.
Aaromale is sung by acclaimed Malayalam Film score composer Alphons Joseph. Alphons had already sung certain songs for films and music albums but they were all composed by himself. So this song can be regarded as the debut of him as a vocalist.
Though the song seems a Psychedelic rock song, it is strictly based on Hindustani raga Bageshri.[2]The chorus portion beginning with Swasthi Swasthi is also composed on Bageshri. The raga Bageshri is a popular raga of late night. Aaromale can be regarded as one of the very few songs which use the variance of this raga in depicting the mixed emotions of rejoice and the waiting for reunion.
Music Video and Picturisation
The song features Silambarasan in Tamil and Naga Chaitanya in Telugu. The song is casted when Karthik, who was an aspirant to become a filmmaker completes his first script and plans further on it. It also features Jessy (Trisha in Tamil and Samantha in Telugu) for whom Karthik is waiting for a reunion with. The song was picturised in Alappuzha in Kerala and Chennai. The song is highly successful in depicting the mixed emotions ,of the protagonist, of rejoice and the waiting for reunion with his beloved. The initial Guitar strings and the female humming of the song were used in background music for many portions of the film. The hummings in the background were rendered by Shreya Ghoshal. This was confirmed by the composer's music label manager, Mr. Vijay Iyer in the official yahoo group of A.R.Rahman fans. But, there were criticisms that the director who picturised all the songs in the film very well with his cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa did not give any importance in the picturisation of this song as dialogues and situational scenes interrupted the song. Also the second stanca of the chorus portion was not included.
Trivia
Director Gautham Menon has picked this song as his favourite from the soundtrack. He said that he had listened to this song atleast a thousand times prior to picturising it.
A. R. Rahman planned and was asked to score only six songs for the soundtrack. But later it was his suggestion itself to include a song with Malayalam lyrics and that was apt for the script. He himself suggested the lyricist Kaithapram and the singer Alphonse to whom he made an acquaintance with during the audio launch of Alphons' debut album Vellithira.
Alphonse said in an interview that Rahman had composed only the chorus portion before the recording and the remaining the so-called "rock" portion was composed instantly in presence of him and lyricist Kaithapram during the recording time. The lyrics were also written on the time of recording only. The beautiful song was made a reality only in about four hours.
Professional Reviews
- Behindwoods:"Oh, this song just defies description! But it has a Rahman-esque addictive charm that cannot be ignored. Sad and pleasant moods alternate. A curious blend of guitars and malayalam lyrics. The gentle rhythms that break out with the line ’swasti swasti sumuhurtham’ cut into the sobriety of the song in a refreshing manner. You need some repeated listening to savour this."
- Indiaglitz:"A full-length Malayalam song in a Tamil movie sounds interesting. Since the female lead Jessi played by Trisha is Malayalam Christian, obviously the song finds a place in the album. Acclaimed Malayalam lyricist Kaithapram has penned the song with Malayalam music composer Alphonse singing it. High in instrumentation and quick changing rhythms, the song makes one brisk at the first listen itself. Mixed emotions flow as we listen to it."
- Radiomusic:"Passionate singing by Malayalam music director Alphonse Joseph and amazing guitar play make the song grow on you after the first hearing itself. A Malayalam track with a feel of country music, Aaromale is an experimental track by Rahman. The song has a perfect fusion of western and Indian."
- Lordoftheweb:"A song that starts slow, goes on to pick speed slightly and makes you say Wow after listening to it. Thats Aaromale! With amazing guitar scores that give you the feel of country music, and invigorating malayalam lyrics, this song will be quickly liked by the music aficionados. This song’s popularity will be like the song itself -slow, but will start to rise once people have listened to it a fewtimes. This is a true fusion of western and south Indian music, something that Rahman always wanted to capture. My personal favorite."
- Rediff:"A guitar strums lazily, reminding you very faintly of the old Wild West, and then morphs into something that might be an ancient native Indian chant -- that's Aaromale, sung by Alphonse. The lyrics in Malayalam seem to form a neat accompaniment to the general structure of the song. There's a soothing, gentle feel to the number, an experience that lets you sink into it. The song proper starts some time later, with a faint strain of violins somewhere far off. Even as Alphonse's voice rises to higher octaves, the refrain hugs the original depths, supplying a many-layered experience. An intense number, this."
- "Rahman does it again with this genius of a track. From the movie Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya starring Simbu and Trisha, Rahman's experimental malayalam track for this movie, in acoustic blues style may not appeal to the common man with a thing for fast beats and randomized choruses, but to a real music lover, Aaromale would be divine for the ears. Alphonse- the music director- has sung this track and one cannot help but notice the depth and passion in his voice. The chorus of the track is a very catchy "mantra" type chorus with Alphonse crooning the word Aaromale in the BG."
- Tamilgalatta:"The soft strumming of a guitar introduces this number. Alphonse's voice has a distinct heart-wrenching yearning in his voice. As Rahman said, the songs do not follow the strict patterns of Pallavi and Anupallavi, and 'Aaromale' confirms that. It is almost a spiritual experience."
- "But Aaromale is everything you wish for – a dazzling boundary-pusher contained within the perimeter of a standard stanza-chorus construction, except that the stanzas aren’t quite stanzas in the way we usually know them, a block of music (comprising, say two individual lines of melody repeated twice, once by the male singer and once by the female counterpart). The non-chorus portions, here, are structured along the lines of blues-rock and country music (think Creedence Clearwater Revival’s recording of I put a spell on you layered onto an Ennio Morricone score for a spaghetti Western, and brushed lightly with the psychedelia of Pink Floyd) – and looping through the song’s lazy meanderings, you realise, once again, that Rahman’s legacy (in continuance with MS Viswanathan’s legacy of the “light music” melody line and Ilayaraja’s legacy of interstitial orchestration and arrangement) is not just the sound of his music, the clean, clear sound that’s the musical equivalent of a bracing breath of pure oxygen on a mountaintop, but also his systematic demolition of the constituents of a film song."[3]
Lyrics and Translation
Mamalayaeri Varum Thennal (O Breeze, blowing through the mountains)
Puthu Manavalan Thennal (O Breeze, decked up like a bridegroom)
Palli Medayae Thottu Thalodi Kurushil Thozhuthu Varumbol (Coming after worshiping the cross at the altar)
Varavelpinu Malayalakkara Manasammatham Choriyum (The Land of Kerala would grant permission for welcoming it)
Aaromale…, Aaromale…, Aaromale…, Aaromale… (O Beloved… O Beloved… O Beloved… O Beloved…)
Swasthi Swasthi Su Muhurtham
(On this very auspicious occasion)
Sumangali Bhava Manavatti (O Bride! May you be blessed with a long wedded life)
Swasthi Swasthi Su Muhurtham (On this very auspicious occasion)
Sumangali Bhava Manavatti (O Bride! May you be blessed with a long wedded life)
Shyama Rathri Than Aramanayil (In the inner sanctum of the dark evening…)
Maari Nilkayo Tharakame (O star! Why are you so reserved?)
Pulari Manjile Kathiroliyaay (Like a ray of light in the morning mist)
Akale Nilkayo Penmaname (Are you standing afar… my lady?)
Chanju Nilkuma Chillayil Nee, Chila Chilambiyo Poonkuyile (O Cuckoo! Did you shake the bent branch of the tree?)
Manchirathile, Malaroliye Thediyethiyo Poonthennal (Did the wind of fragrance come in search of the flames in the mud lamps?)
Swasthi Swasthi Su Muhurtham (On this very auspicious occasion)
Sumangali Bhava Manavatti (O Bride! May you be blessed with a long wedded life)
Aaromalae… Aaromalae… (O Beloved… O Beloved…)
Kadalinu Karayodiniyum Padan Sneham Undo? (Does the sea still brim with love to serenade the shore?)
Mezhukuthurikalayi Urukan Iniyum Pranayam Manasil Undo? (Is there still love in the heart to melt like candle wax?)
Aaromale…, Aaromale…, Aaromale… (O Beloved… O Beloved…O Beloved… O Beloved…)
Aaromale… Ohh… Ho ! (O Beloved…)
Swasthi Swasthi Su Muhurtham (On this very auspicious occasion)
Sumangali Bhava Manavatti (O Bride! May you be blessed with a long wedded life)
Swasthi Swasthi Su Muhurtham (On this very auspicious occasion)
Sumangali Bhava Manavatti (O Bride! May you be blessed with a long wedded life)
Shyama Rathri Than Aramanayil (In the inner sanctum of the dark evening…)
Maari Nilkayo Tharakame (O star! Why are you so reserved?)
Pulari Manjile Kathiroliyaay (Like a ray of light in the morning mist)
Akale Nilkayo Penmaname (Are you standing afar… my lady?)
Chanju Nilkuma Chillayil Nee, Chila Chilambiyo Poonkuyile (O Cuckoo! Did you shake the bent branch of the tree?)
Manchirathile, Malaroliye Thediyethiyo Poonthennal (Did the wind of fragrance come in search of the flames in the mud lamps?)
Swasthi Swasthi Su Muhurtham (On this very auspicious occasion)
Sumangali Bhava Manavatti (O Bride! May you be blessed with a long wedded life)
Swasthi Swasthi Su Muhurtham (On this very auspicious occasion)
Sumangali Bhava Manavatti (O Bride! May you be blessed with a long wedded life)
Aaromale… Aaromale… (O beloved… O beloved)
Oh ho…
Also see
- Alphons Joseph
- Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (soundtrack)
- Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa
- Ye Maaya Chesave
- Hosanna
References
External links
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa tracklist and credits : [1]
Aaromale chords: [2]
Alphonse performing Aaromale live: [3]