Shri.T.M.Soundararajan celebrated his 88th birthday yesterday (24th March). I salute this great singer on his 88th birthday and wish him many more happy returns of the day.
He has been a great inspiration to many singers in the South Indian Film Industry. He is popularly known as "Vengala kuralon". It is impossible to sing like him as his style of singing is very unique. I have grown up as a child listening to the great songs of TMS. He has recorded more than 11,000 songs for films and has sang for compositions of all the great musicians of the Tamil Film Industry spanning over five decades. He has also sang more than 2,000 devotional songs.
TMS songs that were picturised for Sivaji Ganesan and MGR are evergreen songs and will live for millions of years. His devotional songs particularly the songs on Lord Muruga will also live for millions of years.
TMS along with P.Susheela has rendered some of the greatest duets in the Tamil Film Industry and those duets will remain fresh in our memories for ever. It is difficult to select a list of songs which have been sung by TMS as all his songs are very good. I have made an attempt to list a few songs which are fresh in my memory:
- Murugaa endrazhaikkava muthu kumara endrazhaikkava
- Devane ennai paarungal en pavangal thammai vaangikkollungal
- Mella nada mella nada meni ennaagum
- Nenjam undu nermai undu odu raaja
- Aaru maname aaru anda andavan kattalai aaru
- Avalukkenna azhagiya mugam
- Aimbathilum aasai varum asaiyudan pasam varum
- Muthai tharu pathi thirunagai
- Naan malarodu thaniyaga en ingu vanden
- Malarnthum malaraatha paadi malar pola valarum vizhi vanname
- Maanicka theril maragatha kalasam minnuvathenna
- Inda punnagai enna vilai
- Enge nimmathi enge nimmathi
- En piranthai magane en piranthayo
- Chinna payale chinna payale sedhi kelada
- Yaarathu yaarathu thangama
- Vannakili sonna mozhi enna mozhiyo
- Un Kannil neer vazhinthaal en nenjil uthiram kottuthadi
- Ulagam piranthathu enakkaga odum nathigalum enakkaga
- Ponnai virumbum bhoomiyile ennai virumbum oruyire
- Neerodum vaigayile
- Oru pennai paarthu nilavai parthen
- Olimayamaana ethir kaalam en vullathil therikirathu
- thoongathe thambi thoongathe
- Neeye unakku endrum nigaraanavan
TMS, MSV, Kannadasan have together done some miracles in the golden era of Tamil Films - 1960s.
It is really soothing and relaxing to listen to the good old songs of TMS. While enjoying the music I keep wondering how he was able to sing the songs with such ease. Long live TMS.
T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
24th March 2012
As you rightly said, it is very difficult to list all good songs in one go. I would have included, "Idho endhan deivam munnaley" and "deivamey, deivamey", "Annan ennada thambi ennada", "Engey Nimmathi", "Ponaal Pogattum Poda", "Pudhiya vaanam, Puthiya bhoomi" and few more.
ReplyDeleteI think you have become a prolific writer, much like Sampath. Keep up the interest.
Thanks for your inputs and encouragement. I have listed "Engey Nimmathi" (No.13).
ReplyDeleteEnge Nimmathi, kadavul manithanaga pirakka vendum, malarandum malarada, malargalai pol thangai....lots and lots of TMS songs which I hum while cooking or doing housework. For the youth of 50s 60s and 70s, TMS was and will be THE SINGER in films.
ReplyDeleteThanks for remembering him.
Anand, tastes do differ and so my list won't be the same as yours. However I can't help pointing a very glaring (in my view) omission...'Yaar Antha Nilavu' from the film 'Shanthi'. My # 1 TMS favourite. Perhaps the only song that he had to sing in a 'controlled' fashion. He admitted in an interview that he had serious misgivings whether this would come off OK. It did. Another one that would have made my list would have been 'Sakka Podu Podu Raja'. Overall, I prefer to listen to his songs which also features Susheela. Somehow, he comes off even better in those.
ReplyDeleteSridhar S