All those who grew up in South-India during the early 80s to the late 90s are bound to have been touched by the musical magic of Ilayaraja. Enough has been said about his genius, divine touch, and the prolific number of songs he’d created. I am going to touch upon how Ilayaraja’s music moves me: how Ilayaraja’s music can make you fall in love. How it can make being broken hearted a trip. And how his music can connect and make you laugh or cry or reflect based on the mood of the song. <\/p>\n
In 1988 Manirathnam’s Gitanjali was released. Music Score: Ilayaraja. The music -I am pretty sure about it- probably increased the average number of people falling in love in a month, to Himalayan proportions. Everyone around me at that time was occupied in falling in love. Love was so much in the air. I can’t remember anyone who’d watched that movie only once. It was like Potato chips: you just can’t eat one. ‘Aamani Paadave’ is my all time fav Telugu song. I have fond memories of that song. <\/p>\n
Gitanjali opened my eyes… and ears. I started collecting Raja’s music. God, the more I dug the more I unearthed. <\/p>\n
Another movie that will stay dear to me -this time it was Tamil- is Punnagai Mannan. Ilayaraja was unleashing his repertoire in electronic music at that time and yet… the music was nothing less that soul stirring.
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There are 100s more… I can write all night, but I think for the uninitiated this is motivation enough.<\/p>\n
Raja doesn’t play his music. He ‘writes’ the score without playing a note. I don’t know how amazing is that, but what’s amazing is the fact that he used to ‘write’ score for five or six songs under a few hours. <\/p>\n
He released two instrumental albums ‘Nothing but wind’ and ‘How to name it’. Both albums are defacto additions to a fan’s collection. <\/p>\n
After achieving dizzying heights in movie music and making the day for so many music directors from up north (like Anand-Milind who became famous by giving hits that were lifts from Raja’s compositions; ‘Dak dak karne laga’ from Beta is one such hit.) However, the Hindi movie makers shunned him; I don’t know why. They kiss A.R. Rehman’s feet now (he is also from Chennai). Countrymen ignored him but the world didn’t: Raja became the first Asian to perform in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. He was commissioned to write a Symphony for them. He did and from then on became ‘Maestro’ Ilayaraja. (…to be continued)<\/strong> Thiruvasakam Symphony<\/a><\/p>\n Guitar Great Prasanna on Raja<\/a><\/p>\n Raja Song List<\/a><\/p>\n Lessons From Raja: An analysis of Raja’s music<\/a><\/p>\n
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