CINE MUSIC

 CINE MUSIC

Quite a few persons may not relish the very title or the theme thereof. But, in my perception, we cannot dismiss something outright as of irrelevance. Why, I reckon so, is only after deep consideration of facts and facets of the case. Yes, it is a brand of music by itself and has the participation of several distinct agencies –big and small, besides those of several players [instrumentalists], lyricists, composers, recordists , sound engineers [ acoustic organizers] before a song emerges. There is nothing derogatory to discard cine-music in the sense that, it has taken deep roots in the social setup of the present day. Besides, several writers, critics and free-lance observers place ‘cine-music’ on a pedestal of cognizable importance. So, it offers enormous scope of decent living for many. The harsh criticism against cine music largely pertains to ‘how it rams into the precious time of youth who would otherwise be free of distraction from studies. But, world is a stage for all to play and none can restrict anyone; it is for us to be judicious in apportioning time for the most significant segment of life and to those of lesser relevance. With this preamble, let me try to place some details for our consideration.

Generally what irks the ‘purists’ is the real gay abandon that goes with the format in cine  music. There are no rigid rules of grammar to abide by nor should any composition stick to a defined framework called ‘Raaga’. At the same time, let us recognize that the game is like playing grounded in the sky. The grammar of traditional format offers a protective fence to stay in; on the contrary, being unfettered by any frame is a burden in not losing the imaginary limit set for each song; any deviation in staying within  can ruin the song. Imagine how difficult it would be for a composer to appropriately tune the singers and all players to perform to scale set individually for each item. Though one would say that all players are to abide by the musical score sheet, the composer and his immediate assistants ought to be extremely alert to curb any tendency of violation from any quarter.  In a large band of orchestral team, it is a task of sorts to pinpoint error spots and set them right.

Where does cine music score over traditional music

Everyone is aware of traditional compositions for their pitch, amplitude and the ‘swara patterns’. So, the audience at large desire from the performers ‘perfect adherence to the defined patterns’ and still bring to play imaginative variations thereof. Creativity in the format of traditional brand of music is confined to ‘flexibility within the set frame limit’.

In cine music, the composer chooses play up the value of chosen emotion which fits the scene- say philosophic or romantic or comic or abrasive disposition –in display. To this effect, the lyricists deliver phrases –every time newly coined [as to avoid looks of repetition]. The lyric is the core of the idea. It has to be ornamented by elegant presentation. That is the domain of the composer; [S]he chooses a tune appropriate to carry the emotion of the character on screen and sees to it that all words in the lyric stay in harmony with the tune; if a couple of words ‘refuse to stay in conformity’, substitute terms are furnished by the lyricist, so that the spirit of the lyric stays intact. That fixed, the singers are trained to sing in a specific pitch [octave] to respect the emotion in the scene. Also, music scores are set for varied instruments to be played in a particular sequence along with the singer between phrases or as interlude scores; while playing along with singer all instruments are subdued in tone to accord value to voice; at interludes orchestral pieces are quite rich; appropriately conceived notes have the mesmerizing effect of blending the interludes with the lyric body of the song. Sometimes they do not blend well, leaving the song in lurch and such songs quickly reach the oblivion.

The critical issue here is, the Composer has to ensure freshness of presentation, new embellishment styles and fine play of percussion and harmonic rhythm. To sustain these requirements is a formidable task; this is because, the average time for a song is 3 minutes 17 seconds. Just within this time schedule, the entire range of imaginative creation, dexterity of play and sustenance of song mood have to be ensured song after song. Is it not easier to render a song on time-old grammar prescription and attain status of perfection over a period of time?

A cine music composer has to be a round the clock creator and deliver goods through articulate rendition.  In addition the composer has to make use of apt voices to suit the mood and the screen artiste as well.  [S]he exercises tight vigil over the entire proceedings of song recording to ensure execution of the prescribed form.

It would be interesting to mention here that being a high stakes industry, producers/ composers prefer to engage the most dexterous of players on any given instrument. It is not as if anyone with a good training can perform on a cine platform. The most talented among them are the sought after.  In fact they keep flying between destinations to oblige different composers, though they stand to gain for every effort. If we look at the demand for a person, it would be a huge surprise. In a 3 minute song a particular expert just plays certain notes in specific intervals accounting for about 30- 40 seconds. Why they seek that person is his /her elegance in the nuances of play. For that, hours are spent flying between terminals. The most respectable aspect is, for engaging such  players, unanimity of respect prevails for that artist across languages ; none discriminates him /her for creed or colour or language.

Cine music –though regarded less in some circles, has its own intricacies and rigidities not known elsewhere. Hope, the perception is clear to dispel our own misgivings about that format.

Prof. K. Raman