Not many composers have been able to catch the imagination of a lay Malayali music fan, like Raveendran. There may have been more gifted composers in his own generation, but none of them could match him in popularity. Their music was not as distinguishable — for the average lover of music — as that of Raveendran.
Yet, his 11{+t}{+h}death anniversary went largely unnoticed on March 3. Chances are that you would have listened to some of his songs. Many of those songs would continue to be heard for generations. Some of them are among the finest in Malayalam cinema.
And it was largely because of his music that those songs have attained immortality. And yes, he had Yesudas at his best to sing his songs, the light ones and the not-so-light ones; he knew how to make a popular tune with liberal dose of classical music.
He was one composer who gave fresh challenges to Yesudas.
The result was some astonishing songs, such as Pramadavanam veendum… ( His Highness Abdullah ), Harimuraleeravam… ( Aaram Thampuran ), Ezhu swarangalum… ( Chiriyo Chiri ) and Ottakkambi naadam… ( Thenum Vayampum ). Raveendran and Yesudas had also teamed up to create some of the most popular non-film songs in Malayalam.
Tharangini cassettes
The cassettes (the primary medium for music before digital revolution), produced by Tharangini, containing such light songs, used to be sold just as those featuring film songs in the 1980s and 90s. You would not find many light songs in Malayalam sweeter than Valampiri shankhil… ( Vasantha Geethangal ) or Ennum chirikkunna… ( Ulsava Ganangal ).
Those songs are also a reminder of the golden past of our music. We no longer get such songs. Neither do we have composers like Raveendran.
