Jersey Rhythms - Creating magic with music

Come On Come On - Create some Roshni... Sankara Eye Foundation 2011

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:27:01 PST

Most of you have followed us on our FACEBOOK page... and so would be aware of our show tomorrow (Dec 4, 2011) for Sankara Eye Foundation...

Come and join us as we create some ROSHNI, the JR way, for Sankara Eye Foundation, in support of their mission to eradicate curable blindness in India...

Show Venue -
Montgomery High School
1016 Route 601,
Skillman, NJ 08558

The Show will start at 3:30 PM sharp...

See you'll there....

Diwali Show for NJTS 2011 - Salute to Mother Nature

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:57:58 PDT

Salute to Mother Nature!

When we started rehearsing (six weeks back) for our NJ Tamil Sangam’s Diwali show, little did we know that Mother Nature had some unpleasant surprise in store for us! However, October 29, 2011 reinforced the age old saying, “tougher it gets, sweeter it tastes…the success”. Mother Nature set the stage for our Diwali show with truly a bang, freak October snow storm; high winds, flooding, fallen trees, power outage was her accompaniments or as they would say in Tamil “Iyarkain seetram, Eesanin Thiruvilaiadal”. Diwali is the festival of sound and light and Mother Nature has decided to celebrate it on us in her own and unique way. “Hope”, what a word… a word synonymous to anticipate, optimism, wish, look forward to, etc., “look forward” sure we did. If this was the stage we need to perform, sure we rolled up our sleeves and had put up an exciting and scintillating music show.

While it was a sold out show (ticket wise) sadly weather did not help to make it a full house show. Kudos to our Indian population, especially Tamilians of New Jersey; slippery road, snow covered terrain, near zero visibility did not deter their resolve to celebrate Diwali with us. Likewise, I need to pass on our sincere appreciation and salutation to all support groups including our Sound Engineers, auditorium Custodian, Bridgewater NJ Law Enforcement folks & NJ Tamil Sangam organizers and several volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event possible.

Though we had a delayed start, the evening warmed up with Neeya Naana (Vijay TV) Gobinath conducting a very interesting but sensitive debate on the topic of “Immigrating to USA or return back to India”. After a long and hard fought debate the stage was handed over to Jersey Rhythms.

A smashing opening song “Vilayadu Mangatha” from the recently released film Mangatha gave 10,000 volt jolt to the crowd brought them on their feet and made them gyrate to the awesome rendition by Payal , Srivats and chorus. After a sensational opening song, JR started belting out classic number from 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s catering to patrons of various age groups. Maargo Maargo from Vetri Vizha, Randakka Randakka from Aniyan, Kadhal Vandhale from Singam, were some of the fast paced numbers that drew the crowd to rock the floor. Songs like Kanai Padithen from Ponna Shankar, Poovakelu Kathakelu from Azhaghar Samiyin Kudirai, Kadhal Anukal from Enthiran, Enamo Edho from KO were some of the melodies that won the crowds loudest applause and appreciation.

As always, all good things have to come to an end, “hope” we brought some fun and relaxation to all those brave souls who defied all odds and made this otherwise freaky October evening into a most memorable one. Thus, an eventful (no pun intended) evening concluded with our customary evergreen hit Yengeyum Yepodum from the film Ninaithalae Inikum effectively rendered by Chenthil with the support of our ever enthusiastic band members. Once again, we did it folks!

Shiva Rajam for JR...

Groove and Move to celebrate Diwali

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:12:01 PDT

Happy Diwali folks!

Groove and Move to JR's music on this auspicious occasion... The stage is set and it's just 3 more days to go...

JR is performing for the NJ Tamil Sangam on the 29th of October 2011 at the Bridgewater Raritan Middle School, NJ.

Come and Celebrate your Diwali with us...

For more details please visit our website http://www.jerseyrhythms.com

You can purchase the tickets online at http://www.njtamilsangam.info/

JR

Summer Vacation !!!

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:27:54 PDT

It's been a while since you heard from us and unfortunately we have to blame it on Summer. After a really busy 2010 and 1st Q 2011, the gals and boys are stretching their legs out and vacationing away from Florida to Rome to India. Well, summer always sizzles - doesn't it - but be sure to check in for this sizzle to continue onto winter at a JR show near you...

Enjoy your summer till then !!! We sure are having a blast...

Vaidi

JR at Georgia Tech, Atlanta

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:07:42 PDT

We had another successful run at Georgia Tech, Atlanta performing for an enthusiastic crowd pulled together by the Greater Atlanta Tamil Sangam. In addition to some of our regular songs, we created an unique ensemble of melodies, super hits and dance numbers to keep the audience involved. Needless to mention, we had a great response.

The volunteers and members of GATS were very impressive with their handling of the logistics and did everything they could in ensuring that the band had a hospitable stay at Atlanta. This was a composite show with additional performances by celebrities - Shobhana (Mahanadi fame) and Krish (June Ponal fame).

With 2 shows in April alone, this year has been off to a great start...We're now looking forward to an active 2011 - Keep watching this space for our upcoming shows this year...

De Ghumaake

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:12:38 PDT

The memories of last weekend (2nd April, 2011) lingers on, doesn't it. Well, we'll give you a solid reason to let that Heart Beat for India as we get prepared for the next weekend...

Come and join us for a rocking Bollywood Nite as we perform a Fund Raising event for ASHA, Central NJ Chapter. Asha for education, is a volunteer based non-profit organization dedicated to provide basic education to underprivileged in India.

We're proud to be associated with Asha and are happy to be a part of a worthy cause all aimed at a better tomorrow for the next generation.

As is custom with every JR show, we have carefully hand-picked every song and mastered them in a manner that it'll leave you wanting for more...

From Cricket to Bollywood... Be there to witness the frenzy this weekend, yet again...

Date - Sunday, 10th April 2011
Time - 5 PM - 8 PM
Venue - Cook Campus Center, 59 Biel Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Tickets - Adults-$15; Chidren/Student-$10; Children under 5 - Free
For tickets - Contact - Chandru - 732-986-4766 OR Swathi - 732-216-6252
Tickets Online - https://www.ashanet.org/centralnj/events/buy/heartbeatz-tix.php

JR

JR at NewYork...

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 09:14:54 PST

Review by Maithreyi about our show at NY for NYTS... Read on, Njoy and comment...

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I was asked to write blog off hand and am new to blogging. This is my first write up and hope that I

stick to the principles of blogging. I take pride that my first blog is about a super duper hit show by

Jersey Rhythms. Ok now moving on to JR’s 26th show - indeed a musical evening J It commenced with

an evergreen Ilayaraja number ‘Anjali Anjali’ by JR juniors (3 cute girls may be around 9 years old) and

JR seniors. Juniors were amazing and their voices blended so well with the Seniors ( I think even the

juniors were a part of the practice sessions). It was a perfect start and the instrumentalists did justice

to the song. It is a common notion that when the first song comes out well (I mean well received by the

audience) the show is definitely a super hit. This show was no exception and was simply superb. Right

from the first song to the last song, I enjoyed to the core.

It was a perfect mix of melodies and fast numbers carefully picked from old and new movies equally

enjoyed by all age groups. The instrumentalists as well as the singers tried to recreate the songs as good

as the original version (even the funny sounds). I congratulate the whole team for the hard work they

put in and the result is awesome. The team, though from various backgrounds have come together

to fulfill their passion – music. When it comes to career or passion we tend to put career in first place

but these people not only have succeeded in thriving in a career of their choice but also successful in

carrying on their passion. It takes so much dedication and commitment to sacrifice the weekends to the

practice sessions just to carry out their passion for music. Kudos JR…

26th Show…… It is a special one … Indeed a great milestone in a span of 5 years. There is absolute

stage chemistry and the reason for that may be the special bond (I don’t know it may be the respect

or discipline or understanding each other) and it binds everyone together. The real success of the

show is not on the individual performance but the combined output and this is JR’s strength. They are

ready with the back up to cover up even negligent slips. Good team work JR… They are open to on the

scene surprises, a good friend of the key board player was in the audience and he offered to play bass

guitar for a song and lo they gave a foot tapping number ‘Viswanathan velai vendum’ from ‘kadalikka

neramillai’. (I guess that song was not on their playlist).

Their aim was to entertain the audience be it the singers dancing on the stage or improvisation in the

song as per the situation (like it was a singer’s birthday and another singer carefully substituted the

original words with birthday wishes and in sync with the rhythm of the song). It takes lot of experience

and courage to do that. I guess they know the formula to entertain us and I enjoyed a lot.

There will be magic only when there is an absolute love for what we do and this show was exactly a

testament to that. I am sure the team’s unconditional love for music will keep the magic alive in much

more shows to come. Thanks JR for the wonderful evening.

JR's Silver Jubilee - leaves the audience jubilated and wanting more!

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 06:49:09 PST

Just to add a different perspective and spin to the story, We have empanelled a list of regular show attendees to write up our show reviews.. We hope to give you a good view of how the audience enjoyed our performance - Here is an update regarding our performance for NJTACS - Read on and Enjoy!

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The excitement seeped in as JR prepared to deliver their 25th show for NJTACS in Skillman, NJ. The stars (and JR stars!) did line up and everything worked like magic... the auditorium was very good and the sound was perfect as JR started to lead us through yet another journey of music. The show started with JR juniors singing with JR seniors (!) for IR's memorable Anjali. The outcome was perfect as the music just flowed in and the voices blended in - There were five female singers, three kids and three male singers singing this song but when you close your eyes, all you heard was one perfect harmony... it was in perfect sync. This set the stage for the rest of the songs and every song was delivered wonderfully.

So... what is so special about JR?

We know a lot of people love music and have great talent... difference with JR is that they have a passion for music that they are ready to take it to the next level. These people are working professionals with stressful jobs but they do this out of sheer love and passion for music. In the US, where you work like crazy juggling home and family, the weekends are very precious. JR members give a good part of those precious weekends and spend time away from their families to rehearse so that they give their fullest to the audience. This is a lot of commitment for 18 band members to be consistenly available and they have proved it by following this routine for the last 5 years! Hats of to them, their supportive spouses and most importantly - their kids!

The interest level that they have is reflected in those small obscure sounds they pick up and reproduce for the songs, some of those strange sounding chorus and the undecipherable lyrics in certain cases :) All the singers take interest and pride in singing small chorus pieces, making appropriate "noises".. (I know.. I said "noises') as needed to make sure the song is "complete". This is very commendable. They back each other up, cover for each other and above all respect each other.

While JR performs...

There is an unbelievable energy and stage chemsitry that emanates out of the stage leaving the audience captivated. Be it the interaction between the team, song selection, costumes, compering, their goal is one and only one - entertain the music loving audience. By now they know each other more than they know their own kith & kin that they can even predict where a person is going to miss something and are ready to back'em up!

The beauty is not in performing without any mistakes because then it becomes a 'recording'.. the beauty of JR is in reproducing the songs close to the original as much as possible, totally live, without even a small bit of sequencing, improvising as needed, and even if there are minor slips, recovering beautifully and delivering a complete package with soul filling music. They enjoy performing as a band which shows in each of their moves and makes the audience feel the same amount of passion. Towards the end of their shows, they do leave us wanting more. Thanks to JR for making us audience forget the day to day hassles for a few hours and take us into the beautiful world of music!

Wishing them success on their musical journey towards their next milestone - "JR Golden Jubilee"!

- By another JR fan

JR is 25 shows YOUNG !!!

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 04:35:25 PST

From the Jersey Shore to the Canadian Provinces, it sure has been a long journey - a journey filled with memories, learnings, accomplishments and a bond that gets strengthened with every show that we perform...

After 5 years 25 shows, we really do have a lot to look back and be proud of .

We sincerely thank all our supporters, family & friends who have been a part of this journey and have encouraged us at every step. THANK YOU

The NJTACS show as always was a rousing success. We have empanelled special editors & writers to take over as we prepare for a blitzkrieg across the tri-states this November... Stay put and check back for more updates, actions, photos & videos...

Till then.

JR

NJTACS to celebrate their 10th anniversary with JR

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:49:26 PDT

JR wishes all its fans & members a Very Happy Deepavali & a Prosperous New Year. We have a busy November with 3 back-to-back shows and as always we have a slew of exciting numbers lined up for you.

This weekend, we invite you to be a part of the celebrations as JR performs for the momentous occasion of the 10th anniversary of NJ Tamil Arts & Cultural Society. Details of the event are:

Date & Time - Saturday, November 6th - 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Location - Montgomery High School Auditorium
   1016 Route 601
   Skillman, NJ

Sponsors - 1. www.YELELO.com (Your reliable buddy! Pirandha Mannil oru Sirandha Nanban...)
   2. www.fundsindia.com (Ideal ONLINE investment platform for NRI customers)
   3. www.Corp-Corp.com (Need a Job? Post resume & get connected with 5000+ recruiters)
   4. www.channellive.tv (Call +1630 246 4788 or email support@channellive.tv for exciting offers (code-US01-FSTB))

Be there to witness the magic of music....

JR Team

JR releases 2010 BTS Show Snippets

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:08:42 PDT

For the first ever time, thanks to our resident videographer Shiva we're pleased to release our first 'show snippets' video. The video captures the highlights & themes we had adopted for our the Bharatiya Temple Show. We hope you enjoy it.

November promises to be month of action! Stay tuned.

JR Team

One for Lord Ganesha - JR at Bharati Temple, PA

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:23:58 PDT

Just to give a new flavor every time, I have been getting different team members to write up the blog every time... so here it is - reviews about our Bharati Temple Show by Payal....
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If you read through our previous blog posts you will realize that there is a common line in all the posts : ‘another great show by JR’. And that is not because it’s a JR member that usually writes the blog. We have had guests write to us and the theme is usually the same. Matter of pride no? J Yes but at the same time its humbling too and brings with it a sense of responsibility. At any JR show you will see children and adults sing, dance, laugh, forget the everyday pressures and stress and just bathe in the beauty that is music – what better way to spend an evening??? That we are successful in this attempt can be attested by a fact that we had about 150+ people turn out on a Sunday night at 8pm at the Bharatiya Temple to be part of the musical evening with JR – so let me say it one more time GO JR GO!!!

We are not strangers to the Bharatiya Temple audience – we performed here last year too. The show was arranged in a sequence so as to kindle audience's memories and slowly lead them to a high energy, foot-tapping, 'let themselves loose' numbers... The show had several highlights. Sharmi switching her rendition of “Kehna hi Kya” from Tamil to Hindi 5 minutes before she was to go on stage and was rewarded by a thunderous applause – clearly this was the song of the evening! The audience was thrilled to hear a Hindi song and Sharmi was totally in her element. Anita floored the crowd with her melodious “Munbe vaa” – one of my personal favorite numbers and also introduced a new language to the crowd in “Omohghozian woo hi yaara” J. Swarna showed her versatility by singing in 3 languages – Tamil, Telegu and Teleg-hindi J Thuluvudo illamai, Bhalle Bhalle, Nachave...all awesome! Rukku is finally back from her baby break and it was so good to hear her sing ‘Yendhu paranyalum’. Her expressions in this song are so genuine, you can almost feel the love and visualize her singing this song for her own daughter Nikita J All of us sorely missed Durga who couldn’t be part of this show. And I also sang a few songs too this past Sunday and hopefully did justice to them J

Srivats, our very own ‘Guruji’, as usual showed his mastery by wowing the audience with “Paatum Naane” and “Uppukaravadu” among other songs and switching between microphone and Mridamgam with ease. Chenthil once again wowed with “Yengeyum Eppodhum”, making the audience and instrumentalists join in with his singing and all of backstage dancing nonstop for the song J. Shiva made his debut with JR on Sunday rendering “Pani Vizhum” in complete SPB style. And he has already begun multitasking in the Band by becoming our resident Videographer and finally giving us our much needed HD videos!! And what should I say about Vaidi? At the risk of sounding biased (he is my husband afterall J) I have to admit that Vaidi was in top form this Sunday inspite of still recovering from the flu. You could never tell from his singing that he had 101 deg fever the previous night. Munbe vaa was flawless, Jai Ho was classic and he made us all laugh yet again with “I don’t know whaat you saayyy” J

Its so common for us singers to get all the limelight. Its actually a pity that the audience cannot see the instrumentalists actually work their wonders. Someday hopefully we will be able to have video cameras do close-ups of the instrumentalists and project them on a widescreen for the audience to see and appreciate!

It’s a delight to watch Venky as his fingers fly through and switch between 2 keyboards. I watched him play the opening piece of “Munbe Vaa” – it was enchanting. Rajkanth rocked “Aadiradee kaaran” and “Nachhaave” with some pretty intricate chord work. John was amazing as usual on all the songs but his awesome work on Yengeyum is really what makes that song such a big hit. Ram was classic on Anjali Anjali. Shiva switched effortlessly between Tabla, Mridangam and Pads..i’m sure I missed a few hand percussions - he plays so many!! Harish has settled in so quickly in the Band it did not feel like his 2nd show. He showed us the magic he can weave during sound check – awesome!! After all the hard work Raj Manian puts in to get our shows organized and managing the logistics for such a large group he decided to step back and enjoy the show this past Sunday but as soon as it was time for” Yengeyum”, he was back in full form – back on stage on the pads. All of us backstage enjoyed his performance totally J. Arul, our JR CEO juggles so many hats, from chief drummer to singer to deciding song lists…its not an easy job by any standards! And as if that was not enough his sticks decided they wanted more attention than they were getting this Sunday and so decided to slip off in the middle of a song as if to make a point!! But I think the audience and Band Members alike loved his work this Sunday on the mic as well as drums – way to go!!! DJ our silent sound engineer did wonders for this show. We were without our usual Strike Sound folks but DJ, with help from a few of the organizers, was so much in control of the sound board that we barely had any feedback or bad sound moments. He magic with the sound is one of the main reasons why this show was such a success!!

So yes, it was one more very successful show for JR – most of the audience stayed up and danced till 11pm in spite of having work / school the next day. The Audience and Organizers of the Bharatiya Temple really deserve special mention. We had quite a few non Tamil / Telegu speaking people in the audience and even though they wanted to hear Hindi songs, the way they were enjoying, responding and reacting to the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam numbers was so commendable. It really goes to show that a genuine and true music lover will appreciate music in any language and form. Good Music really knows no language and can touch hearts anywhere irrespective of the language you speak

There are plenty of Music bands in the US now. But in all honesty, I think what separates our Band from almost all others is that we are truly bound by a mutual love for music. We enjoy our own shows and that is contagious – it makes the audience enjoy us more. We sing, we dance, we laugh, we debate, we talk…we CONNECT. And that’s really what makes us successful as a Music Band

So keep watching this space – we have a busy fall / winter ahead. 2 more shows coming up very soon!! Hope to see you all there!

Payal for JR - Go JR Go

JR's 2nd concert for the Bharatiya Temple at Chalfont, PA

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:27:58 PDT

JR is pleased to announce its 2nd multi-lingual concert for the Bharatiya Temple at PA...

As always, we have a great line up with some brilliant orchestration to liven up your weekend - be there to witness the magic !

Venue - 1612 County Line Rd, Chalfont, PA 18914
Date & Time - September 12th, 8 PM

JR performs for the City of Passaic

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:27:55 PDT

On Thursday, the 29th of July 2010, Jersey Rhythms delivered a yet another successful multi-lingual concert for the Passaic County, NJ under the theme "Sounds of India" as a part of the county's summer 2010 concert series. It was one of its kind for JR in more than one sense. It was our first outdoor concert and also our first concert in front of such a diverse audience.

We started off the concert with A R Rahman's Oscar winning composition Jai Ho followed by another one of his vibrant hits Chaiyya Chaiyya. Going with the theme, the first half featured the diversity in Indian popular music genres, musical instruments and languages just as Chenthil articulated to the audience. To name a few, we performed Qawwali based Kajra Mohabbat Wala, Carnatic based Minsaara Poove and touched upon Western influences with Ab Ke Sawan and later Rock On. As with every one of our concerts, the second half was filled with foot-tapping & fast paced numbers like Kajra Re, Jhoom Jhoom Jhoom Baba, Ram bam bam and Yengeyum Yeppodum which were awesomely accompanied by spectators dancing their pants-off (literally!!). It was an absolute delight to see the audience stay back till the very end, compliment and compare our performers and tunes to the Western counterparts.

With the weather playing it cool, it turned out to be a pleasant summer evening and a perfect fun-filled concert night! Thanks Passaic, we loved performing for you guys!

As we continue our journey of musical endeavors we are constantly looking at ways to improve the quality and variety of entertainment we provide. In this pursuit, we are happy to announce a new addition to our already mighty percussion team, Hareesh Menon!

Did you attend our concert? If yes, sound off your views in the comments section.

Are you a fan? Show your support on Facebook - Jersey Rhythms

JR at Passaic 2010 Summer Concert Series

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:27:32 PDT

If you think Summer 2010 is HOT, think again - There is another JR show coming up at a 'County' near you :)...

So much for the drama... If you have been to JR show before, you know what we're talking about...

Come & join us for a musical evening as JR performs at the 3rd Ward Park (Veterans Memorial Park) in Passaic County, NJ. The show's based on the theme of 'Sounds of India' and is part of the 2010 Summer Concert Series held in Passaic County Parks. Details of the event can be found at http://www.cityofpassaic.com/assets-pdf/PopularLinks-SoundsOfPassaic.pdf.

Venue: 3rd Ward Park (Veterans Memorial Park), Passaic, NJ
Landmark - Corner of Passaic Ave and Van Houten Avenue
Date & Time - 29th July, 2010 - 7:00 PM Eastern - 9:30 PM Eastern

This is JR's first performance at a Summer Concert series and we're really looking forward to a great show... We look forward to seeing you all there...

JR

ATMA Show Review by V. V. S. Manian

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:54:20 PDT

Here's a link to a review written by Mr. V. V. S. Manian, journalist and owner - Srividya Book Center, Chennai, published in "Trinity Mirror": Click here

JR rocks at ATMA's 2010 annual convention

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:56:36 PDT

In keeping with the tradition, JR delivered yet another rocking performance for ATMA on June 19th. It ended up being our hottest show ever - literally (those in attendance would know what I am referring to).

The instrumentalists as always provided the perfect foundation for a successful show. It was a tough line-up this time and they did a stellar job in recreating each of the 26 songs. We were glad that the audience liked our theme based enactment of songs - the picture says it all :).

Be it the deafening applause and uproar or the forthcoming appreciation of our team work - they said it all and nothing more could be as rewarding.

This post would be incomplete if I don't write about Nikita. Rukku and Ranjith brought their 52-day old baby (the latest addition to JR) to enjoy the show. This is how we train our tomorrow's performers :)). Rukku - Hope you enjoyed your experience as a JR audience...

As we continue to grow from one strength to another we strive hard to provide our audience with an enriching experience. It is but very fulfilling to see that our hard work ultimately pays off.

Our sincere thanks to ATMA for this opportunity and once again the audience for being such a wonderful and engaging group.

PS: Watch out for the update on our next show

JR performs for American Tamil Medical Professionals

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:42:55 PDT

Haiti Relief

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:26:15 PST

Jersey Rhythms is looking to partner with a non-profit organization in the U.S. to perform a fund-raising music concert with 100% of the proceeds going towards Haiti relief efforts. If interested, please get in touch with Venky Sadagopan (732-207-1956) or Raj Manian (732-713-2535) at the earliest.

Ilayaraja Vs Rahman - and the debate continues

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:57:12 PDT

Traditionally, this post should have been about our Connecticut Show and the awesome response we received for it. But it isn't. We're in a world that boasts of some 'eminent personalities' who have carved a niche for themselves by treading the unknown territories. In keeping with that tradition, here is a view point about a topic that is often the subject heated debates across the world. When Venky sent this blog post to me, I was pleasantly surprised. Typically his articles are thought provoking and this one promises to be equally so.

Before you read on, JR had an 'as always' thumbs up response for its CTTS show. The show was special for many reasons - JR's 20th show, JR Juniors' debut performance and a double bonanze - A guided tour of the Yale University by none other Venky2.... With that said, read on to enjoy Venky's view point on the 'Clash of the Titans':

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Chenthil sparked a train of thought when he asked me last weekend - "You must have grown up hearing and loving Illaiyaraja's music. When did you flip to Rahman?". First of all, yes I did grow up listening to Raja, but "enga generation" (a phrase made popular by a certain young JR-ite) has the additional joy of early childhood memories of MSV, also a legendary dude in his own right (not to speak of RDB, to look quickly northwards). To come back to Chenthils's q, on the spur of the moment I replied "when I first heard Chinna Chinna Asai". Upon further reflection, I must assert that I never "flipped", simply because I don't have to choose between these two titans. And, building on this thought, I have the perfect excuse to foist another "technical" treatise on you hapless souls, so get ready to grin and bear it...

Both Rahman and IR are masters of genre. Their interpretation of any particular genre is authentic and believable. Witness Rahman's take on the Jillendru Oru Kaadhal or IR's take on Shiva's favorite, Ae Unnaithane, as examples of hitting the cover off the Jazz ball. Or, hopping quickly over to the Carnatic bandwagon, take Kannodu Kaanbadellam or Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran - both examples of relatively pure expositions of a single genre. Likewise for tamil folk, rock'n'roll,western classical,hindustani....examples abound of compositions that demonstrate their mastery over these genres. Yet, what is most remarkable about these two gents is the ease with which they combine, juxtapose, transpose and amalgamate across genres to create unique blends that mock the term "fusion" as far too prosaic to accurately describe the magic that's happening underneath.

So, both these dudes can fuse like nobody's business...we've established that. But here's where the similarities end. The foundational pillars of Raja's music are melody and traditional chord structures - particularly, traditional south indian melody, whether raga or folk based, embellished with "strictly by the book" western chord progressions. Music of various genres are then woven around this fundamental core in ways that decorate and flesh it out into Raja's own unique brew. So when you listen to a Raja composition, you drift along on a tranquil journey as you let the melody seep into your conciousness, while the chords frame its pleasant contours. Rahman is equally adept at melody - but his modus operandi relies on imparting "shock" to a traditional melody or genre in way that renders it simultaneously familiar yet unrecognizable. He has a vast toolkit of shocks - and is continuously adding to it. Atonal progressions behind sweet simple melodies,
continuously varying subtleties of rhythms on an traditional 4/4 beat, unexpected counterpoints, vocal gymnastics, weird, even off-key tones, extreme bass, an assortment of synthetic whooshes and swooshes...you name it. The result - every song has something that almost everyone can identify with even as much of the arrangement is simply beyond most normal comprehension. You have to be alert during a Rahman song because a surprise is always around the corner.

This essential difference in approach is also responsible, I believe, for the difference in appeal - Rahman has a worldwide fan base, across different cultures, among laymen and scholars alike. Illaiyaraja, on the other hand, is revered as the supreme maestro in his native Tamil Nadu but has had great difficulty connecting with masses outside the south Indian constituency. In my own case, to simplify greatly - Illaiyaraja's music soothes as I slip easily into its cadence, while Rahman's music turns me into knots as I try to get a grip on what's really going on underneath. It's obviously a personal experience thing...but Illaiyaraja appeals to my heart, while Rahman plumbs the depths of my soul.

You don't have to be a scholar to appreciate the works of these masters. At its most sublime, a Rahman or Raja composition can help one transcend the barriers of space, time or body - however fleetingly - and connect with the essence of one's spirit. For this, "namma" generation must be thankful; and we JRites are especially privileged because we get to intepret and perform this music. In marching to the beats of their own drums, these dimunitive gentlemen have coaxed untold millions to accompany them on their individual musical adventures. Two modern day pied pipers.

Tailpiece: Casually Googling "Illaiyaraja vs Rahman" immediately throws up at least 10 pages of results, with the link lit up to tempt you with even more. And, if you yield to Google's urge to correct your spelling and click on "Did you mean to search for: Ilayaraja vs rahman", another plethora of results come crowding up, eager to be clicked. Clearly, the last thing the world needs is yet another contribution to the Debate of the Millennium. So why did I feel the urge to wade into these well-muddied waters? Put the blame squarely on Chenthil here; the pedantic beast was in blissful slumber until the prodding....

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Off to Connecticut

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:26 PDT

Winter has set in early, the days are dark and the nights longer. While the Festival of Lights that just went by was a good enough reason to light up the gloom, JR is getting together with the Connecticut Tamil Sangam to provide you yet another reason.

Join us for yet another musical extravaganza as JR puts up another scintillating music show for the Connecticut Tamil Sangam.

Bristol CT is the Venue, 3:30 PM is the time. See the attached flyer for more details - http://www.cttamilsangam.org/images/Deepavali_Flyer_2009.pdf.

CT - Here we come !

Scintillating performance by JR for NJTS...

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:45:22 PDT

It was truly a memorable evening as some of the finest tunes of 'kollywood' was being reproduced to a befitting audience that was full of zeal & enthusiasm. It's always a pleasure to see the audience enjoy your performance and this time around it wasn't just the applause - the groovy moves did the talking.

The instruments were sounding awesome with the right proportions of rhythm & beats that created an aura of festive fervour. All of this created a perfect backdrop for the singers to execute their songs to perfection - While Srivats's rendition of 'Paatum Naane' stunned the audience, Durga's 'Minsara Poove' was received with a deafening applause. To create a s(m)oothing & sweetening effect, Swarna rendered 'Kannan Vanthu' and Anitha followed suit on 'Unnai onru ketpen'. Arul & Sharmi's rendition of 'Poo Maalaye' was a true treat to every Ilayaraaja fan. While Payal set the floor burning with her rendition of 'Uppu Karuvaadu', Rukku set the bar really up with her powerful rendition of 'Ooyayie'. With 'Yengeyum Yepodum' Chenthil had the audience asking for more and that was promptly fulfilled by Vaidi's rendition of 'Naaka Mukka'...

It would be complete injustice if I didn't mention the support & backing that the instrumentalists provided. We're extremely proud of the fact that despite the variety & difficulty levels of the songs, we have not compromised on our core principle of 'creating every tune/sound live on stage'...

Chenthil & Venky also provided the perfect setting for every song with some witty, intelligent and thought provoking discussions around the theme - 'leading ladies'.... The duo's act was well received.

Our performances would be incomplete without an ode to the 'Mozart ofMadras' - AR Rahman and so for the first time JR performed JAI HO in front of a Tamil audience - after all it is a tribute to the genius. One could see the the feeling of pride that every single person exuded as the audience swayed and swooned to this number.

As we continue to move on with success from one show to another, we're overwhelmed with the appreciation and encouragement that the audience has showered on us. We hope to continue this journey to scale larger heights - With JR there is always something new coming your way...

Connecticut - Are you ready?

Click here for pictures from the concert

JR for NJ Tamizh Sangam

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:01:26 PDT

In celebration of NJTS's 20th anniversary and to set the tone for Diwali 2009, we have got an assortment of songs that's sure to fire up your spirits...

JR is performing at Crossroads South Middle School this Saturday and this promises to be one of the exciting shows for this year... Right from the song selection to rendition, we have put in a lot of effort and hope to have the audience completely hooked on.

Watch this space out for updates regarding the show and don't miss to check our performance out this Saturday. For more details you can visit www.jerseyrhythms.com OR http://www.njtamilsangam.info/. Facebook users can send in their requests to the ID - Jersey Rhythms.

JAI Ganesha - With JR twist (What a show it was)

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:24:46 PDT

When the occasion is special, the content is always special... but the delivery & response being even more special is a double bonanza.

The weather was expected to play spoilsport... It was one of JR's shortest concert ever (12-13 songs in 1 - 1.5 hours)... Audio wasn't from Strike Sound ( we missed you guys! ) and to top it all it was an outdoor concert (a variety of dynamics involved).

So with this as context, we weren't sure what to expect but the enthusiastic crowd at Bharatiya Temple deserves a special mention - What a show it turned out to be. JR belted out all the favorite numbers - Chaiya Chaiya, Chura liya, Soni De Nakhre (JR's own remix), Aika Dajiba to Bhale Bhale to Randakka to JAI HO !!!

Well as performers we got one of the best responses ever - acknowledgement from the crowd for every musical nuance & notation, up on their feet for every dance number that was played [of course with a complaint that we didn't play enough dance numbers :)] - isn't that usual and a complete appreciation for the bouquet of songs traversing languages.

Our heartfelt and sincere thanks to Bharatiya Temple for being such wonderful hosts & the devotees for being a great audience. We loved performing for you.

Ram & DJ weaved their magic at the sound board - now we're getting slightly edgy about this - Looks like these guys may pursue this as their full time career... They seem to be moving up the chain with every JR show. And Ram - You need to be back at the keyboards for the next show...

So here is one for the entire JR crew - Another milestone up our sleeve!

Next stop - NJTS !!!

Click here for some pictures from the show

Multi-Lingual concert at Bharatiya Temple, PA

vaidi.rajmohan@jerseyrhythms.com — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:15:29 PDT

The summer heat has set in and we are all set to add to it. JR will be performing for the Bharatiya Temple, PA during the 2009 Philadelphia Ganesh Festival on 8/29 (4:30 PM). As always, we have the right mix to add to the fun & festive flavor of the event - Be there to witness the recreation of musical frenzies in JR's own style.... Ganpati Bappa Moriya !!!

Bharatiya Temple's Website - http://www.b-temple.org/

Event Details - http://www.b-temple.org/PDF/PGF2009%20Highlights.pdf

JR