Ilayaraja, Iam crazy about the musical genius and the only Indian music director to work with London Philharmonic Orchestra, is one of the best and evergreen music directors in South Film industry.
Ilaiyaraaja has been a prominent composer of film music in southern Indian cinema since the late 1970s. His work integrated Tamil folk lyricism and introduced broader Western musical sensibilities into the South Indian musical mainstream. He has thrice won the Indian National Film Award for best film scoring.
Born as Daniel Rajayya in Pannaipuram, Madurai, Ilayaraja took to music when he was 14. He dropped out of school and joined his brother Pavalar Varadarajan, who was a musician for the Communist party of India. With his brother, Ilayaraja travelled all over Tamil Nadu performing concerts.
They were called Pavalar Brothers. In 1968, Ilayaraja moved to Madras and joined Master Dhanraj. Under his guidance, Ilayaraja was trained western classical. He learnt Carnatic under singer T.V.Gopalakrishnana. Ilayaraja took the Tirnity college of Music examination and bagged gold medal in classical guitar. He then joined G.K.Venkatesh as assistant music director. His first film as music director is Annakkili. The film was a big musical hit.
His prolific scores continued with films like Amavasya Chandrudu, Vasantha Kokila, Pallavi Anupallavi, Mounageetham, Abhilasha, Nireekshana, Kirathakudu, Rakshasudu, Sagarasangamam, Sitara, Anveshana and many many more. Ilayaraja composed music for more than 900films and in all the four South Indian Languages. There is a special touch of Ilayaraja in blending the western and classical. His tunes are always refreshing.
I have around 400 songs from his collections in my portable hard disks and I use to carry where ever I travel. His songs energize my mind and soul, and always create some sort of happiness in my mind.Ilayaraja won the Best Music Composer Award instituted bythe Government of India three times, in 1984, 1986 &1988.
He was also conferred with the Cultural Doctorate in Philosophy of Music by the World University Round Table, Arizona, USA.
First Asian to compose Symphony (Symphony No. 1) with theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) ofLondon.
Presented with ’Kalaimamani Award’, an annual award for excellence in the field of arts, by the Government of the State of Tamil Nadu, India. Conferred the title ’Isaignani’ (wisest in the field of music) in the year 1988, at Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India.
Award of Appreciation presented in the year 1994, by theFoundation and Federation **ofTamil Sangams ofNorth America.
Bestowed with the honorary citizenship and presented with the key to the Teanech Township, by Mr. John Abraham, Mayor of Township of Teanech, New Jersey, U.S.A., in June, 1994.
Maestro Ilayaraaja is a born genius and is considered god of Music for millions of his fans, his music compositions are like meditation, yoga. He is the only music director who doesn’t use a timer when composing the background score for a movie, meaning when the original score of the movie is done and a scene goes on the screen, he just watches it, writes the notes when the crew plays the notes it ends exactly when the scene ends, moreover he is again one of those unique composers who can identify a single violinist making a minor change in the notes from a group of 100 plus, again not just identifying the mistake, he can pick that particular violinist by name and the row he is playing from the grouping.
The combination of classical and Indian folk in particular mixed with Indian classical is a subject by itself, not just one or two songs here and there, 4500 compositions are a subject which needs superior knowledge of music to analyze the greatness of this composer.
In my opinion, though I am not an expert in music, I always rate him ahead of A.R rehman, as A.R Rehman songs were seasonal, but Elayaraja’s songs are so pleasant and attractive that’s makes us to listen even after 20-30 years. Even now his 1970’s and 80’s songs still listened by millions all over South India. Long Live Elayaraja