I feel that Illayaraja has not been recognised well in india.If he would have been in the hollywood he would have got so many oscars for his work.But in india, he got only three national awards though many of his albums strictly deserve national award.To any artist recognition at coreect time is important.I consider he is man beyond these awards and titles.As every one know this is also one of the toughest job .It is really very difficult to pick 10 from some 3500 songs composed by Illayaraja.Even though, i have searched for his best and I have produced here and these are my best 10 Of Illayaraja.I don’t want to give numbers to these songs because everyone is best and uniquein its own way.As I strongly believe that the melodies are evergreen all the 10 I have selected are meoldies.
Illanagathu(Pithamagan)
The song is penned by palani bharathi.The lines are very simple that even a commonman could understand and effective.the orchestarion of the song is excellent in the begium.It is great relief to hear a song without any english word . sung by sriram parthasarathy and shreya ghosal(in recent times she has been offered many songs by illayaraja and I could not believe that she doesn’t know tamil.a bit of information -she has got national award for best female singer 2002 for devdas).The sound of the flute in the beginning and at the end of the song with the tune of the song pleases the ears.The melody king has prooved it again.
Nee partha(Heyram)
The song is penned by Kamalhaasan.The best melody I have ever listened .The song is sung by Hariharan and Ashabhonsle and the selection of these singers for the song is unique.Both of them have sung the song very well .The use of piano, flute and violin and the fusion of these three instruments has given a song that stands for a decade in minds of the people.But this song went unnoticed by many people becasue of the commercial fat of the movie.
Kanmani anbodu(Guna)
The song’s theme is to translation a letter into a song.The theme of the song itself is very different and the song is well composed by illayaraja.Espacially in the first begium where he fuses violins, flute and veena in sequence elevating all the emotions of guna like happiness and excitemnt of guna for residing with his ladylove, longing for acceptance of love.The lyrics is also good.The lines’manithar unarndu kolla ithu manithar kadhal alla’is very apt and it tells the whole them of the movie.
Oh Butterfly(Meera)
The song is full of violin orchestration.When you hear this song in the night closing your eyes you will really feel like butterlfies are flying around you.The song is sung by S.P.Balasubramaniam and Ashabhonsle and their voivce elevate the songs mood. The songs lyrics is also good that the lines that S.P.B sings will refer to both the hero’s ladylove and the butterfly.The maestro gives equal importance to lyrics .One of my friend has this recorded repeatedly in a full cassette.
Thendral vandhu(Avatharam)
This is also one the song that went unnoticed by the people.The song is sung by s.janaki and illayaraja himself and the theme of the song is fresh about the colours seen by a blindgirl.The lyrics is excellent and it is very simple in language.Here he has used percussion beats in the background of lyrics and he has used human voice as chorus for the orchestration of the begium in the middle.If you hear this song you will feel a slow wind is blowing aroun you.The song is very simple and soothing.
Maalayil(Chatriyan)
The song is sung by Swarnalatha.I like her voice very much and it is unique one and all the credit goes to illayaraja who introduced her.He is expert in choosing right voive for the right song.She has done an excellent modulation in her voice and she has brought the feelings of a girl in love, voice seems to long for something.As usual he has used violin rochestration in the begium and the lines goes with a single instrument tabla in the background.The song is another masterpiece of illayaraja.
Kannae Kalaimanae(Moonram pirai)
It is the very melodious number again from the maestro.The song sounds the silence and peace between the two hearts the two characters in the movie, kamal and childish sridevi.Again the choice of K.J.Yesudas voice for this song is apt and he has elevated the song with his base voice.The begium in the middle with flute pleases our ears.The lyrics by the legend Kannadasan is excellent and unfortunately it is the last song penned by him.It makes you shed tears when you hear the song in some sad situation.
Oliyilae(Azaghi)
It is the theme song of the movie and the tune of the song is used all through the movie in the bakground.The voices of Karthick and Bavatharini are very good espacially when song starts with the karthick’s voice without any instruments in the bakground and his voice completely reflects the characters admiration of his beloved girl’s beauty.And the song is picturised well.Perfect choice.
Maanguyilae(Karakatakaran)
The most successful tamil movie ever is mainly because of the music of illayaraja. The duet song sung by SPB and S.Janaki is a good folk melody.The song starts like two birds flying in the sky with full freedom with the violin orches and then followed by nadhaswaram playing the tune of the song and thavil.Excellent folk song duet wtih nativity by illayaraja.In begiums in addition to flute and violin he has used nadhawaram. As illayaraja is basically from a village he is the one who brought folk songs to tamil cinema.
Padariyen padipariyaen(SindhuBhairavi)
This film is full of karnatic music with one folk number.Illayaraja got national award for this film and also chitra got a national award for best female singer for this song.The song is a excellent fusion of folk and Karnatic music.The transition from folk to karnatic and karnatic to folk makes the song to deserev its recognition.Can you belive that this is the second song of chitra in tamil and when she sung this song she didn’t know tamil.It makes you clap involunatrily when you see the video when she suddenly moves from long swaram to the telugu keerthanai’Marimarininae’.It is one of the best picturised song of illayaraja.Great composition.