Kerala - Thrissur   

Changes in music apt: Ouseppachan

Ouseppachan

Thrissur: Music director Ouseppachan has said that new trends and changes in Indian film music, including shifts in orchestration styles and patterns, are appropriate as they examine hitherto unexplored realms of sound.

He was addressing a meet-the-press programme at the Thrissur Press Club on Saturday.

“The music director can choose from an array of sounds thanks to technology. If the vibraphone or the guitar were the basic sounds to build background harmony in a film song in the past, today the music director has innumerable sound samples drawn from diverse sources to replace them. Such changes are welcome, but the question is: are we exercising the new choices wisely and appropriately? The biggest challenge before a contemporary music director who caters to a generation living in the fast lane is to create a soundscape that is instantly gratifying. In the mad rush to create an instant hit, the director may resort to every gimmick up his sleeve,” he said.

Asked to comment on music director Ilaiyaraja’s reported remarks against the lyrics for the songs in the Malayalam film, ‘Pazhassi Raja’, written by O.N.V. Kurup, Mr. Ouseppachan replied that such controversies erupted only when the songs were not well-received by the public.

“I have not heard the songs. Hence I cannot comment on their merit. Ilaiyaraja and O.N.V. Kurup are stalwarts in their respective fields. If at all there was a problem between them, it should have been solved at the time of composing,” he said.

He said that his songs were never consciously modelled on Indian ragas.

“The raga connection is spontaneous. I never choose a raga while creating a tune. For instance, a song of mine in the film, ‘Kasturiman’, is based on raga Gaurimanohari. It was just accidental. I never chose the phrases of Gaurimanohari. Somewhere in my mind, I had these pharases. They just fell into place when I composed the tune.”

He said he was working on the background score of the film, ‘Bodyguard’, and songs for ‘Agathan’, a film by Malayalam director Kamal.

“After 17 years, Kamal and I are working together. I am also working on a Hollywood film, for which I expect to associate with singers such as Celine Dion. It has three English songs, and one each in Hindi and Malayalam. Another song in it has lyrics in English and Sanskrit,” he added.

Later, he was accorded a reception at the Thekkinkad Maidan for winning the national award for his work in the Malayalam film, ‘Ore Kadal’.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Twin murder: two youths from Tamil Nadu nabbed
Barn owls handed over to zoo
Award for Archbishop
Vigil along coast
Services of palliative care society lauded
Changes in music apt: Ouseppachan
Support for priests
Heated discussion on KAU appointments

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu