Less Explored Singer by Composers. Review on Five Best Songs of Shankar Mahadevan

There is always a confusion among writers which I have noticed many times before while choosing best songs of singers that is whether to choose best songs which they have sung or the song which they have best sung. According to me it is the song in which the singer has exposed his best in voice should be listed here. And accordingly here is my list of ten best of Shankar. As I have listened Shankar Mahadevan, both in his mother tongue(Tamil) and Hindi. I have listed ten best songs 5 from each language.

He has sung in all south Indian languages apart from Hindi songs. Mostly the composers(in all languages) choose him to sing fast, rhythmic, peppy high pitch numbers which are forgettable and mortal but very few prefer him for melodies that can best utilize his talent in high pitch singing. When I started short listing his songs most of his songs were forgettable fast numbers. But as he has turned music composer himself, he has sung some of the best melodies of his own composition in Hindi. So anyway here is the list

*Breathless

Breathless / Shankar Mahadevan*

This is the song by which Shankar made whole India to take a look on him with admiration for his extraordinary potential to sing and compose such a breathless song.  So far in Indian film music only one singer other than Shankar has tried singing breathless and he is S.P.Balasubramaniam.  Lyrics being penned by Javed Akthar Shankar exposed wide spectrum of ranges in which he can swing and sing. His alternate moves to high pitch and low pitch to hold on the breath without missing the word, expression and the rhythm of the song is exquisite. This number will ever be his best effort in singing.

*Varaga Nathikarayoram

Sangamam / A.R.Rahman*

Inspite of being a Tamilian by birth, he entered Tamil film music quite late. But his entry was big with this chartbuster song in Rahman’s composition. The song is a unique fusion of Hindustani and south Indian folk music. His voice in this song was very different and fresh for the first time to hear in Tamil with more bass and there is no much of singers here to go as high as him and so this song lead him to get similar high pitch songs. So he immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.

*Man Mohini

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam / Ismail Darbar*

This is another unique song which I can’t imagine listening without his voice. Listen how fast he sings the words with correct diction and expression which I feel is impossible for any other singer to imitate. A very short song but enough to prove his skills in singing unconventional numbers like this.

*Santhana Thendralai

Kandukonden Kandukonden / A.R.Rahman*

Rahman is one who perfectly understood his talent of ease in high pitch singing. A man of experiments did it again with Shankar’s voice in this song which bagged him the Best singer national award of year. The way he renders the word “Mounama…” itself is worth the award. Listen carefully how his expressions in voice changes according to the meaning of words in the lyrics then you will come to know how deserving he is for the award. I don’t know why but I liked the way he sung the line “Pala Uzagha azhagigal kodi un padham Kaluvalam vadi” in this song.

*Dil Chahtha hai

Dil Chahtha hai / Shankar – Ehsaan – Loy*

This album remains the all time best of his composition in which he has chosen to sing this song which rightly tells what he is capable of  apart from what other music directors have explored form him. His voice can sound ecstatic, peppy, poppy and yet melodious at high pitch without irritating. I liked his rendition “Oh ho” that he adds at some places at the end of the verse. This song without his voice will remain as a body without soul.

*En anbae En anbae

Mounam Pesiyathey  / Yuvan Shankar Raja*

Here is another composer down south who made a daring step to try his voice in a song which is a slow melody with minimal instruments. Shankar has maintained a level of control in his voice though he sings in varying pitches in this song. His voice with lot of emotions, expressions and pain in it directly strikes our ears without any intervene of instruments in the background. His rendition of “Oh saki priya saki” in this song is extraordinary.

*Dheere Dheere

Kyun Ho Gaya Na / Shankar – Ehsaan – Loy*

This song is yet another haunting melody with him at his emotive best. As I said he reserves some of his best melodies for himself. One such is this song and he sounds   different in this song. Though Sonu / Hariharan would have given more to this song, he fits in this kind of song also with ease. Why can’t other composers make him to fit in such melodies? Though he plays subtle in the start he goes high in the middle stanza and comes and calms down and proves that his voice is comfortable in all ranges. Specifically, I like the way he stretches and elaborates on the notes of the word “Dheere Dheere”.

*Manasu Rendum Parka

Kadhal Konden / Yuvan Shankar Raja*

This song is a kind of melody with rock and Arabic fusion. His voice is more aggressive in this song as the situation of the song demands it. He sounds usual but nonetheless best of his efforts.

*Lakshya

Lakshya / Shankar – Ehsaan – Loy*

Shankar puts his heart and soul in this song to make it best inspiring. Both his singing and the lyrics are very inspiring indeed. He sings with right emotions of the character for which he playbacks. Once could listen a right mix of ambition, aggression and pain of struggle in his voice.

*Thaniyae

Rhythm / A.R.Rahman*

It is a techno melody with very subtle, controlled(even near to husky at some places) singing by him and goes high minimally at apt places. Again you could hear his trade mark rendition for the words “Puriyadha Peranbae” in this song.

Some of his good Telugu numbers I have heard are Hare Rama(Okkadu / Manisharma), Bam Bam bole(Indira / Manisharma), Sye chindye(Anthapuram / Illayaraja).

Though Shankar has lot of potentials there is a lot to be tapped yet. He is becoming monotonous these days singing same kind of dappanguthu numbers in Tamil. Wish composers use him more and explores his versatility in singing.