The G Clef

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Maestro Illayaraja

Illayaraja is one of the world's most prolific film music composers, having composed for over 750 films over an illustrious career spanning more than 28 years.

Birth and family;
He was born in a poor rural family in pannaiapuram near Madurai in Tamil Nadu, south India. His birth name is Gnanadesikan and his school records indicate his name as Rasaiya. His father Ramasamy's premature death threw the family into severe poverty. His brother Ganghei Amaran (Amarsingh) is also a composer and a song writer.

Illayaraja is married to Jeeva and they have three children. Two sons Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja, both are composers and daughter Bhavatharini is a singer and composer.

Past time;
He loves writing poetry and has written lyrics for some songs not only in Tamil but also in Hindi! He is highly spiritual and composed many devotional songs on Ramana Maharshi. He loves photography.

Music career;
Without much formal education, he completed a course in classical guitar (higher local) with a gold medal at the Trinity College of Music in London.

His film career started from the movie Annakilli. Illayaraja was instrumental in bringing about a fusion of Tamil folk and film music. He won the national Best Film Music Composer award three times for the Telugu movies Saagara Sangamam (1984), Sindhu Bhairavi (1986) and Rudra Veena (1988).

He is the first Asian to compose a full symphony for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). His music is mainly associated with the '80s, the decade during which he was most prolific. After his symphony, he was called by the name 'Maestro' Ilayaraja.

Illayaraaja is credited with a truly unique orchestration technique, which involves blending of western and Indian instruments. Normally, lyrics are written to suit his pre-determined tunes. This composing technique was used by him for the first time in India. Today it has become a norm.

His two fusion albums;
Beside his career in film music for Tamil, Telugu and other Indian films, he had written lyrics to fusion albums blending western classical music with Indian carnatic raagas.

How to Name it?
One of the tracks is based on Preludium in E by Johann Sebastian Bach
The whole idea behind the album was, 'What if Bach and Thyagaraja had met in their age and combined to create a new genre of music'. Clearly, the album testifies to that proposal. The tracks are simply the best bits of fusion music ever composed. The album was dedicated to Carnatic composer Tyagaraja and Johann Sebastian Bach

Nothing But Wind;
It suggests that music is a natural phenomenon akin to wind.

He has developed good association with Carnatic musicians like Dr.Mangalampalli BalaMuraliKrishna and T.V. Gopalakrishnan. He has also got some flak from conservative Carnatic music fans for rewriting some of Tyagaraja's compositions. He invented a raga by name Panchamukhi, which is looked at by some of the Carnatic Purists as faux and by the general crowd as an Achievement.

In 2002, his compostion "Rakkama Kaiya Thattu" from the movie Dhalapathi stayed at the top of BBC list of the best songs for quite a while, before finishing at 4th place.

He was the music composer for the Miss World 1996 Pageant, held at Bangalore. His latest hit is Mumbai Xpress (2005), with several strong elements that gave it a Jazz appeal.

His most recent work is that of the Thiruvasakam in Symphony.
This is an Oratorio of Thiruvasakam with Symphony orchestration. [Coming soon in my another article.]

Awards and Nominations;

* Presented with the Best Film Music Composer Award, an annual award, by the Government of India in the years 1984, 1986 and 1988.

* Presented with 'Kalaimamani Award', an annual award for excellence in the field of arts, by the Government of the State of Tamil Nadu, India.

* Presented with the Award of Governement of the State of Andhra Pradesh, India, for excellence in music.

* Conferred the title 'Isaignani' (wisest in the field of music) in the year 1988, at Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India.

* Conferred the Degree of Doctor of Letter (Honoris causa) in March, 1994, by the Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.

* Conferred the Cultural Doctorate in Philosophy of Music, in April, 1994, by the World University Round Table, Arizona, U.S.A.

* Award of Appreciation presented in the year 1994, by the Foundation and Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America.

* Bestowed with the honorary citizenship and presented with the key to the Teaneck Township, by Mr. John Abraham, Mayor of Township of Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.A., in June 1994.

* Presented with the Award of Governement of the State of Kerala, India, in the year 1995, for excellence in music.

* Conferred the Degree of Doctor of Letter, in the year 1996, by the Madurai Kamarajar University, Tamil Nadu, India.

* Presented with the Lata Mangeshkar Award for Excellence in Music, constituted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, India, for the year 1998.

His Other Albums;
* Thiruvasakam
* How to name it?
* Nothing But Wind (Flute played by Hariprasad Chaurasia)
* Rajavin Ramanamaalai
* Illayaraja's Geethanjali
* India 24 Hours

His Literary Works;
* Sangeetha Kanavugal (Musical Dreams - about European tour)
* Vettaveli thanil kotti kidakkuthu (Poems)
* Vazhithunai
* Gnagna Ganga
* Paal Nila Paathai
* Unmaikku Thirai Yethu?
* Yaarukku Yaar Ezhuthuvathu?
* En Narambu Veenai

Posted by Rajmahendra :: Thursday, November 17, 2005 :: 53 Comments: