This post celebrates the 50 years of Ilayaraaja who has always made music which is so soulful and melodic. His music is such which always resonates with our hearts and which becomes an important part of our lives.
Ilayaraaja entered the industry working as an assistant to music composers like GK Venkatesh and Rajan Nagendra.
He has worked as a session guitarist in many songs like the famous Kannada song Elliruve Manave Kaduve and Unnidam Mayangugiren
In the year 1976 Ilayaraaja made a phenomenal debut with Annakili starring Sivakumar in the lead role. The album was such a fresh breath of air and it instantly clicked to the audiences.
But more than Annakili Another phenomenal album dropped in the year 1977 and it changed cinema and music as we know it today. The film is the most revolutionary films of Tamil Cinema and it’s impact is still there even today. That movie is none other than
Bharathi Raja and Ilayaraaja literally changed Tamil CInema through this movie. Bharathi Raja made did many innovative techniques which were fresh at that time and it is still being practiced today. This was the first film to be shot outdoors rather than in Film Set and this was the first film where Assistant Directors were made to give inputs and even write dialogues and direct few scenes. It made the role of the assistant directors more bigger when compared to the previous era where assistant directors were merely clowns.
Ilayaraja literally changed the soundscape of Tamil Cinema with 16 Vayathinile where he did an incredible fusion of western classical symphonies and Tamil Nadu Folk. This film also emphasized the importance of Background score and how it helps in aiding visual storytelling. Together the Bharathi Raja and Ilayaraja duo changed movies and music once and for all.
The Maestro consistently delivered good albums and he had one of the biggest markets for almost 20+ years. People literally used to flock to the theatres just for Ilayaraaja’s music. So many dumb movies like the ones starring Mohan and Ramarajan and the ones directed by P Vasu became silver jubilee and golden jubilee hits solely due to Ilayaraaja’s music.
The Maestro left an indelible mark not only in Tamil Cinema but in all industries like Telugu , Kannada , Malayalam , Hindi , Marathi and many more.
He has also composed various private independent albums like HOW TO NAME IT and Nothing But Wind.
He has also composed a symphony this year with the name Valiant and this is actually his second symphony as he had already composed a symphony in 1993 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and he became the First Asian to do so.
He does work with such precision and finesse and he has worked in almost every genre possible. He always gets unnecessary criticisms for asking rights for his songs and he is told be an egotistical person but he has done several movies free of cost.
He is one of the best Talents in India and the World. HIs music is so soulful and magnetic. His work ethics , his talent and his view of life inspires so many people and I am one of them.
PROUD TO BE A GEN Z ILAYARAJA FAN
With his everlasting talent the Maestro is still breaking the boundaries of art and music and providing works which will always resonate with us. Thank you Ilayaraaja sir for being an important part of my life and for making me smile and cry with your music.