Tharangini Records is the music company founded by noted Indian Playback singer K. J. Yesudas in 1980 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It was the first recording and distributing music label in Kerala from where Malayalam film songs on audio cassettes came out. Other than Malayalam, Tharangni also released songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, English, Malay, Arabic, Russian and Latin. Tharangni release albums under various labels, Tharangni, Tharangni or Ayaan, Bharath Sangeeth, 9th Angel Records, all licensed or incorporated under Dr. K. J. Yesudass Audio and Visuals Corporation Limited and Yesudass Media Private Limited. Tharangini cassettes popularise light music and mappila songs among the audiences. Light music albums like Vasantha Geethangal, Raga Tharangini, Madhura Geethangal etc. which also includes festival albums like Ulsava Ganangal series, Ponnona Tharangini series and mappila songs' albums like Mylanchi Pattukal series, Jannatul Firdaus were huge popular. "Shyama Dharaniyil" from the 1981 Malayalam movie Sanchari was the first recorded song in Tharangini studio, which was composed and sung by Yesudas.
History
The company opened its functioning in its first studio at Vellayambalam, Thiruvananthapuram as Tharangini Records and also at Ernakulam. The studio had state-of-the-art Otari eight-track tape machine and a two-track mastering system from Switzerland. Recordings were done at Thiruvananthapuram studio till 2005. In 1992 the office and studio were moved to Abhiramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu due to labor strike. It also started a voice mixing studio, Studio27, at Chennai. The company was incorporated at the United States in 1998.
Profile
Primarily established as the first recording and distributing music label in Kerala for Malayalam films, it has in its credit number of audio albums mainly associated with K. J. Yesudas. A. Karunakaran was the chief mixing engineer of the studio between 1985 and 2005. Composer Alleppey Ranganath joined Tharangini as staff music director and script officer in 1981. Satheesh Sathyan, son of actor Sathyan, was the manager of Tharangini from 1982 to 1986. Sound designerRenganaath Ravee was also worked as a sound recordist here. The cassettes, produced by Tharangini, containing light songs, used to be sold just as those featuring film songs in the 1980s and 90s. Tharangini paved way for the most melodious period for non-film music in Malayalam. Now it continues to produce and present events of K. J. Yesudas both for film and Indian classical music concerts throughout the world.
Releases
Festival releases
During 1980s and 90s, songs like Shraavana chandrika, Valamipiri shankhil, Ennum chirikkunna, Maamaankam palakuri etc. were brought out by Tharangini Records and became best-sellers. “More than 5 lakh cassettes of "Ulsava Ganangal Vol. 1" were sold shortly after Tharangini released it in 1983,” recalls Sreekumaran Thampi, who wrote all the songs of the album. Ennum chirikkunna, from the album composed by Raveendran, remains one of the greatest light songs of all time in Malayalam. Composer Sreevalsan J. Menon used to sing it as a student. “It is an astonishing composition; it certainly is not easy to tune such a song in raga Mohanam”, he says. Soon Tharangini brought out two other winners, "Ganolsavam" and "Vasantha Geethangal". "Ganolsavam" contained Shraavana chanrdika, penned by O. N. V. Kurup, composed by Jerry Amaldev and rendered by Yesudas, "is one of the finest songs in Malayalam on night and its irresistible beauty". The highlight of "Vasantha Geethangal", written by Bichu Thirumala and composed by Raveendran, was Valampiri shankhil and "it had Yesudas at his best. It is the golden standard of singing", says Sreevalsan.
Devotional releases
Tharangini released devotional songs on various religious occasions each year. "Gangatheertham" and "Mayilppeeli" were such albums which became biggest hits in devotional cassette sales. Mappila songs, including folk and devotional, were confined to certain Muslim pockets in the Malabar region, but with the arrival of V. M. Kutty and his female singing partner Valsala, these songs gained popularity, especially after Yesudas sung one of his numbers Samkritha Pamagari for the album "Mylanchi Pattukal Vol. 1".
