After reading the lively debate about Rafi and Ghantashala, I'm
tempted to bring another debate into focus---- that of Rafi and
Yesudas. Like Ghantashala, Yesudas also had training in Carnatic
music. His guru being none other than the great Chembai Vaidyanatha
Bhagvathar. But unlike Ghantashala, Yesudas has a filmi voice. He
combines the classical singing prowess with a filmi voice. The voice
of Ghantashala reminds me of Kannada singer P.B.Sreenivas.

Those who are not familiar with Yesudas's output in southern films,
could rate him by his Hindi songs. But I think his songs for southern
films, particularly Malayalam, are far superior. He has sung classical
and light romantic songs with equal verve. No wonder he is already a
legend in South India. In fact he does carnatic music concerts
regularly. Though purists haven't accepted him as a complete Carnatic
musician none could find fault with his voice.

His best songs came in the period from sixties to eighties when his
voice was best. His voice quality declined from the nineties though he
still manages to sing good songs. Could somebody post videos of his
classical film songs in South Indian languages?

Kumar

On Aug 20, 2:05 am, kumar gmail.com> wrote:

Pramadavanam veendum in malayalam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCmsZbarARE

On Aug 20, 11:05 am, kumar gmail.com> wrote:

Give us some lead dude ( with respect to a "debate" )

:-D

On Aug 20, 3:05 am, kumar gmail.com> wrote:

On Aug 20, 3:05 am, kumar gmail.com> wrote:

Without question.

This is a curious statement - why *already*? He will be turning 70 in
just two years.

Yesudas, IMO, is one of the most gifted singers the Indian music
industry has ever seen. His singing/voice at its best (60s to early
80s I would say) is a *highly* enviable mix of power, depth, (vocal)
range, sweetness, and technical skill (more skilled than Rafi, KK, or
any of the Hindi bunch).

Among his many hits, "Raamakathaa" from the early 90s movie Bharatam
has been mentioned quite a few times on this forum. What I wouldn't
give to have heard him sing this at his vocal peak, maybe about 10-15
years earlier!

I, a Punjabi, was exposed to Yesudas' melodious voice when I saw
Chitchor. What a voice! I then started collecting songs from all Hindi
movies which had his songs. And an LP of his private, non-film songs.
Narsingh

On Aug 20, 9:04 am, dodo gmail.com> wrote:

On Aug 20, 11:41 am, Sanjeev Ramabhadran
gmail.com> wrote:

Yesudas' Hindi songs leave me completely unimpressed. There's
something in the way he enunciates the words that puts me off. I have
the same problem with SPB and (occasionally) Suresh Wadkar. It's not
that these people necessarily pronounce the words incorrectly, but
their singing sounds so "non-Hindi".

Yesudas' Malayalam songs are, on the other hand, something entirely
different.

Yesudas has sung some fabulous songs in Telugu as well. To the best of
my knowledge he was used for a song or two.
Meghasandesam (1981) was an exception which featured him as the main
male playback singer in the movie.

Perhaps the most famous song of the movie is

"aakasha deshana, aashada maasana , viriseti o meghama".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpWbtjek8p0

"gaali vanilo, vaana nitilo, padava prayanam" (Swayamvaram) was
nicknamed the national anthem of our school as most of us were swayed
by it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8HJOSQ0GYc

On Aug 20, 9:05 am, kumar gmail.com> wrote: