10 comments

1. 

   Comment by Ajith Edassery | Make Money Online on January 9, 2009 at 9:56 am

   Joe,
   I have been looking for a list like this. Personally, I was disappointed at the following trend in the past two years:

   - Digital overkill in music industry
   - The surge of Telugu dubbed movies in Malayalam and their pathetic songs
   - Those ‘mone, kuttaa, edaa…’ kind of so-called love songs in the past two or three years… A blind immitation of Hindi and Tamil that doesn’t naturally fit to Malayalam.

   So sounds like Mulla and Thirakkatha are good song based movies… Will check them out and come back and comment again.

2. 

   Comment by kanika on January 9, 2009 at 12:20 pm

   Nice songs but i never understand the lyrics could u please translate the lyrics in English or Hindi for people like me who don’t understand Malalyalam.

3. 

   Comment by Suneesh on January 9, 2009 at 4:21 pm

   I also liked “Oru naal” from Gulmohar and “Amma mazhakkaru” from Maadambi. I didn’t know that there are good songs in Laptop…have to listen that now.

   -Suneesh

4. 

   Comment by Ajith Edassery | Make Money Online on January 9, 2009 at 4:53 pm

   Very good list Joe… Though, I know nothing much about music, here’s my humble view of your picks.

   Sarath’s music is very good but always sound a bit too complicated. Too much of blending guitar, flute, violin (like old ‘Sreeraagamo’). I do not know anything about ragas and all but always felt so about him. But don’t you think that ‘arikil’ song could have been done better… Single was amazing but ‘Sarath’ has composed the pallavi (and some other parts) like prose or read out than music?

   Sreevatsan Menon sounds very good The singer next door and good direction.

   Kannin Vaathil… Sounds more like a Tamil song of the 80s, good lyrics and voice, but direction is somewhat ok – doesn’t feel special.

   May maasame… is a little bit like light music? Still good melody (Feels like one of those songs that we have heard elsewhere)

   Mizhithammil and Paalapoo are very ordinary I thinnk. May be just my taste

   Thechiyum takes us back to nostalgic moods. And Kanalukal I hated… Not sure if I started hating Vidyasagar

   Good to know about Rafiq Ahmed, never heard of him before. I knew about Anil Panachooran from Arabikkatha last year.

   …and Joe, I guess you have developed a taste for very slow blues. I checked out your karoakes… Very good. Do you have any recordings of something that you sang without karoeke or orchestra. Just interested to know how the vocal alone feels like.

   (I did not follow any awards news lately. Did any one of the above win any award?)

   My choices
   Voice – Madhu Balakrishnan
   Music – Sreevalsan Menon
   Lyrics – ONV
   Song – Hmm… though light music like, I pick May maasame.

   I will visit your blog more often. Only today, I listened to many of your songs.

5. 

   Comment by Ramesh on January 10, 2009 at 3:26 pm

   If selecting top 10 was so easy, why did you stop at 8?

   How come Calcutta News and Veruthe Oru Bharya got missed out?

6. 

   Comment by Jo on January 12, 2009 at 3:42 pm

   Ajith: What you said about the recent trend in those three points is very valid. I totally agree with it.

   About Sarath’c compositions, yes, it is too complicated and it is always a challenge for the singers. Arikil is not an easy song to sing IMHO. The song Paalappoo succeeds where it brings back the old times when simple lyrics and music were the plus points of Malayalam songs. I think Rafiq Ahmed has been writing for some albums.

   Also, here is a link to one of my un-plugged songs : http://songsofjo.blogspot.com/2006/09/song-nillaavinte-thooval-movie.html

   Kanika: I will try, but I will do a horrible job in translation.

   Suneesh: Amma Mazhakkaar is a good song, but as a listener I felt that Yesudas’ vocals sounds strained and tired a lot (could be old age problem).

   Ramesh: It was so easy that I had to limit the top songs to 8!

7. 

   Comment by agnes babu on August 24, 2009 at 9:55 pm

   I like the song maymasame in film laptop very much. Amal Antony is really the fresh new voice of 2008.I liked his voice vey much..his voice is so soothing and got a divine expression..especially the places “manninte gandham”, poovaka ..are notable lines..
   and one more thing is The anupallavi is complicated with the rhythm style..I tried to sing it but i can not sing with that rhythm style ,I think it is in 5/8 rhythm pattern..it is rare and Amal has sung very easily..
   and the ragam is also nice..
   I have not heard such a wonderful melody for a couple of years..
   I am sad because my favorite song didnt get state award..
   and also sad the song is not included in that movie laptop.
   congrats for this list anyway joe.

   Agnes Babu
   Cochin

8. 

   Comment by Sreedevi on September 15, 2009 at 3:45 am

   very nice songs, but my favorite is the song Maymasame by Amal Antony.
   Sreevalsan J menon songs are so beautiful and Rafeeq ahmed’s lyrics are very meaningful I didnt like the movie it is a stupid one and waste of time but the songs are very nice

9. 

   Comment by Dhanya on September 20, 2009 at 12:20 am

   yes the best song of 2008 is certainly Maymaasame of Amal Antony. how did that yayyayayaya meaningless and foolish song of shankar mahadevan got state award? yea sridevi told right rafiq ahmad’s songs are very nice..
   anyway i really want to say the song maymasame should go to the top of the list

10. Pingback by Malayalam songs of 2009 – My picks | Just Jo on December 31, 2009 at 2:22 am

    [...] to do a post like I did in the last year to list out my favorite Malayalam songs of the year 2009. Like in the last year, choosing a list of top songs was not at all a difficult job this year too. I must recall a comment [...]