Two songs for the New Year

I am a week late but better late than never. I wanted to share a couple of very popular New Year songs from the 80’s. These songs were tremendous hits of their days. I remember the radio blaring this song every morning for a long time. 

When I look at the videos from the two songs, I see so much kitsch from the era. Hot pants on men and in pink and orange. Trippy disco lights and all. But beyond all the glitz are two songs rendered with an absolute zest for life by the one and only S.P.Balasubramanyam.

In the first video from the movie, Sakalakalavallavan (Master of all), SPB offers one of the best remembered tracks from the 80’s. Set to tune by Ilayaraja, Ilamai Idho Idho truly represents the rollicking 80’s. At that time, the hero of the movie, Kamalhassan was the heartthrob of millions. True to his fame, the lyrics of the song are a nice play on his hits from before this movie. The dance is typical Kamalhassan from that day and age. I grew up on this track and still listen to it frequently and with the same fondness I had for it when I first heard it.

The second track from Ninaithale Inikkum, with music by M.S.Viswanathan is the Tamil version of the flower power era. The song Engeyum Eppodhum, boasts two tamil superstars, Rajinikanth and Kamalhassan sharing screen time. The song has excellent guitars and a dance from the era by Kamalhassan. Rajinikanth provides comic relief in the song as he does in the movie.