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Ilaiyaraaja

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Ilaiyaraaja

Ilaiyaraaja (Tamil: இளையராஜா, IPA: [ɪləjəɹɑːdʒɑː]) (born June 2, 1943 as Gnanadesikan) is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist. He has composed over 4,000 songs and provided background music for more than 800 Indian films in various languages in a career spanning 30 years.[1][2] He was the most recognised composer of film-music for South Indian cinema in the late 1970s and 1980s. During that period, Ilaiyaraaja's work highlighted Tamil folk lyricism, and also introduced broader Western musical sensibilities to the South Indian musical mainstream. Ilaiyaraaja has thrice won the Indian National Film Award for best film scoring.[3] He is married to Jeeva, and the couple's two sons (Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja) and daughter (Bhavatharini) are film composers and singers.

Early life and education

Ilaiyaraaja (or Rasaiyya, as he was called during his younger days) was born into a poor rural family in Pannaipuram near Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. He was the third son of Daniel Ramaswamy and Chinnathayammal.

Ilaiyaraaja's formative contact with music-making and performance came at the age of 14, when he joined a travelling musical troupe headed by his elder step-brother, Pavalar Varadarajan, who was a propaganda musician for the Communist Party of India.[4][5] In association with his brothers, he journeyed through numerous villages, towns and cities in South India for about ten years as one of the musical Pavalar Brothers. It was during this period that he first tried his hand at composing music: he set to music an elegy written by the Tamil poet laureate Kannadasan for Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister.[6]

Arriving in Madras (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu) in 1968, he came under the musical tutelage of a Master Dhanraj, who, noticing the young musician's talent, dubbed him Ilaiyaraaja ('young king'). Ilaiyaraaja was introduced to Western classical music during his training, and the music and compositional styles of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert, among others, were lasting influences that would later become a motif (as seen in the use of elaborate counterpoint, for example) in much of his compositions. Ilaiyaraaja's classical training culminated in him completing a course in classical guitar (higher local) with the Trinity College of Music in London.

Career and music

Summary of career

In Madras, Ilaiyaraaja worked in a band for hire involved in performing music for various stage shows and formal functions. Ilaiyaraaja also worked as a session guitarist and keyboardist/organist for film music directors, such as Salil Chowdhury from West Bengal, who often recorded music in Madras.[7][8][9] Later, he was hired as an assistant to a film music director called G.K. Venkatesh, an event that marked his entry into film music direction. During this stint he learnt the practical methods of orchestration, and would hone his compositional ability through frequent experiment accomplished by persuading session musicians to play, during their break times, the scores that he wrote.[10] Ilaiyaraaja's break as a full-fledged music director came in 1976, when film producer Panchu Arunachalam decided to commission him to compose the songs and film score for a Tamil-language film called Annakkili ('The Dove'). This soundtrack, and the others that quickly followed, earned Ilaiyaraaja critical recognition for his adaptation of Tamil folk poetry and music to popular film music orchestration.[11][12] By the early 1980s, Ilaiyaraaja had established himself as the leading music director in the South Indian film music industry which he proceeded to dominate for more than a decade and in which he continues to play a significant part.[13]

Impact of his career

Ilaiyaraaja's arrival onto the scene of film music direction in South India broke new ground in the industry. It saw the centralisation of expressive control in the hands of a musical director brought to an unprecedented level.[14][15] The Indian filmmaker Mani Ratnam illustrates: "Ilayaraja (sic) would look at the [film] scene once, and immediately start giving notes to his assistants, as a bunch of musicians, hovering around him, would collect the notes for their instrument and go to their places. When the orchestra played out the notes, they would be perfect, not just in harmony but also in timing — the background score would commence exactly where it should and end at the exact place required... A [film] director can be taken by surprise at the speed of events."[16]

The range of expressive possibilities in Indian film music was broadened by Ilaiyaraaja's methodical approach to arranging, recording technique, and ability to draw from a diversity of musical styles. Ilaiyaraaja's "deep understanding of so many different styles of music allowed him to create syncretic pieces of music combining very different musical idioms in unified, coherent musical statements".[17] Indeed, Ilaiyaraaja has composed Indian film songs in styles that include pop, acoustic guitar-driven Western folk, jazz-inflected tunes, the ballad, rock and roll, disco, funk, doo-wop, cabaret, march, pathos, native folk/tribal, and Indian classical (in both the predominantly classical and semi-classical formats). By virtue of this variety and his interfusion of Western, Indian folk and Carnatic elements, Ilaiyaraaja's compositions simultaneously appeal to the Indian rural dweller for its rhythmic folk qualities, the Indian classical music enthusiast for the effective employment of Carnatic ragas, and the urbanite for its modern Western-music sound.[18]

Traits of his music

Ilaiyaraaja's music is characterised by the use of a distinctive orchestration technique that is a synthesis of Western and Indian instruments and musical modes. He pioneered the use of electronic music technology that integrated synthesisers, electric guitars and keyboards, rhythm boxes and MIDI with large orchestras that also featured the veena, venu, nadaswaram, mridangam and tabla.[19][20] The popularity of Ilaiyaraaja's music can be attributed to his flair for catchy melodies, and to his employment of subtle nuances in chord progressions, beats and timbres.[21][22][23] His songs, many of which demand considerable vocal virtuosity, have found expressive platform amongst some of India's respected vocalists and playback singers, such as K. J. Yesudas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki, P. Susheela, K. S. Chitra, Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar.[24] Ilaiyaraaja has sung many of his own compositions for films in various languages, and is characteristic for his nasal and unsweetened voice.[25] He has penned the lyrics for his songs in the Tamil and Hindi languages. Ilaiyaraaja's is also famed for his evocative themes and background music for films.[26]

Non-film output

Besides scoring music for Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and other Indian-language films, Ilaiyaraaja has written classical music and religious/devotional music. He composed two albums that are a fusion of Indian and Western classical music. The first, How To Name It? (1986), is dedicated to the Carnatic master Tyagaraja and to J. S. Bach. It is a fusion of the Carnatic form and ragas with Bach partitas and fugues and Baroque musical textures.[27] The second, Nothing But Wind (1989), was performed by flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia and a 50-piece orchestra and takes the conceptual approach suggested in the title — that music is a natural phenomenon akin to various forms of air currents (e.g., the wind, breeze, tempest etc.).[28][29] Ilaiyaraaja has also composed a set of Carnatic kritis that was recorded by electric mandolinist U. Srinivas for the (rare) album Ilayaraaja's Classicals on the Mandolin (1994).[30] He composed an album of devotional songs called Guru Ramana Geetam (2004), inspired by the Hindu mystic Ramana Maharishi.[31] Ilaiyaraaja has worked with eminent Carnatic musicians like Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna and T.V. Gopalakrishnan,[32] and has invented a Carnatic raga called Panchamukhi.

Accolades and notable works

Ilaiyaraaja's composition Rakkama Kaiya Thattu from the movie Thalapathi (1991) was amongst the songs listed in a BBC World Top Ten music poll.[33] He composed the music for Nayakan (1987), an Indian film ranked by TIME Magazine as one of the all-time 100 best movies,[34] a number of India's official entries for the Oscars, such as Anjali (1990)[35] and Hey Ram (2000),[36] and for Indian art films such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan's FIPRESCI Prize-winning Nizhalkkuthu ('Shadow Kill') (2002).[37] Ilaiyaraaja has composed music for events such as the 1996 Miss World beauty pageant that was held in Bangalore, India, and for a documentary called India 24 Hours (1996).[38][39] Among Ilaiyaraaja's more recent works are his songs and film score for the comedy film Mumbai Xpress (2005) starring Kamal Haasan, and his Thiruvasagam in Symphony, an oratorio of ancient poems performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, conducted by László Kovacs.[40]

Live performances

Ilaiyaraaja rarely performs his music live. His last major live performance, the first in 25 years, was a four-hour concert held at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, India on 16 October 2005; he played to an audience of 10,000.[41] The show was widely televised both in India and abroad. Less prominent was his live 2004 performance in Italy during a music festival.[42] A television retrospective titled Ithu Ilaiyaraja (This is Ilaiyaraja) was produced, chronicling his career.[43]

Awards and honours

Ilaiyaraaja has won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the films Saagara Sangamam (1984), Sindhu Bhairavi (1986) and Rudraveena (1989). He won the Gold Remi Award for Best Music Score jointly with music director M. S. Viswanathan at the WorldFest-Houston Film Festival for the film Vishwa Thulasi (2005).

He was conferred the title Isaignani ('musical saint') in 1988 by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and received the Kalaimamani Award, an annual award for excellence in the field of arts from the Government of the State of Tamil Nadu, India.[44] He also received State Government Awards from the governments of Kerala (1995), Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (The Lata Mangeshkar Award) (1998) for excellence in music.

He was conferred honorary doctorates by Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India (Degree of Doctor of Letter (Honoris causa)) (March, 1994), the World University Round Table, Arizona, U.S.A. (Cultural Doctorate in Philosophy of Music) (April, 1994), and Madurai Kamarajar University, Tamil Nadu (Degree of Doctor of Letters) (1996) . He received an Award of Appreciation from the Foundation and Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (1994), and later that year was presented with an honorary citizenship and key to the Teaneck township, by Mr. John Abraham, Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Ilaiyaraaja has proposed to institute awards to honour people who contribute outstandingly to the Tamil literature, in memory of his late brother, Pavalar Varadarajan.[45]

Partial discography

Tamil

Year Album Year Album
1977 16 Vayathinile 1989 Karakaatakaran
1982 Moondram Pirai 1990 Mannan
1984 Oh Maane Maane 1991 Thalapathi
1985 Sindhu Bhairavi 1990 Guna
1986 Mouna Raagam 1997 Kadhalukku Mariyadhai
1986 Punnagai Mannan 1999 Sethu
1987 Enga Ooru Paatukaran 2002 Azhagi
1987 Nayagan 2005 Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam

Malayalam

Year Album Year Album
1982 Olangal 1992 Pappayude Swantham Appoos
1983 Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu 1996 Kaalapani
1984 My Dear Kuttichathan 1997 Man of the Match
1985 Yatra 2000 Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal
1986 Poomukhapadiyil Ninneyum Kathu 2001 Friends
1988 Moonnam Pakkam 2003 Manasinakkare
1989 Adharvam 2005 Achuvinte Amma
1991 Ente Sooryaputhikku 2006 Rasathantram

Telugu

Year Album Year Album
1983 Sitaara 1988 Swarna Kamalam
1983 Saagara Sangamam 1989 Geethanjali
1985 Swathi Muthyam 1990 Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari
1987 Anweshana 1992 Abhinandana

References

  1. ^ Allirajan, M. 2004. Musical journeys. The Hindu, Thursday, June 10. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2004/06/10/stories/2004061000010100.htm. Accessed 12 October 2006.
  2. ^ Behal, S. 2006. Melodious music. The Hindu, July 23. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2006072300230500.htm&date=2006/07/23/&prd=mag&. Accessed 12 October 2006.
  3. ^ Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. 2006. Directorate of Film Festivals. Available from: http://www.mib.nic.in/dff/welcome.html. Accessed 22 November 2006.
  4. ^ Ramnarayanan, G. 1989. Matchless in quality and speed! The Hindu, May 26. Available from: http://www.raaja.com/Rv-Matchless-Gowri.pdf. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  5. ^ Ilaiyaraja. 1999. Sangeetha Kanavugal (2nd edition). Chennai, India: Kalaignaan Pathipagam.
  6. ^ Rangarajan, M. 2004. Memorable evening in many ways. The Hindu. Friday, July 9. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/fr/2004/07/09/stories/2004070902310400.htm. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  7. ^ Gautam, S. 2004. 'Suhana safar' with Salilda. The Hindu, Tuesday, Nov 13. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2004/11/23/stories/2004112300580100.htm. Acessed 13 October 2006.
  8. ^ Chennai, S. 2005. Looking back: flawless harmony in his music. The Hindu, Sunday, Nov 20. Available from: http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2005/11/20/stories/2005112000340500.htm. Accessed 15 November 2006.
  9. ^ Choudhury, R. 2005. The films of Salil Chowdhury: Introduction. Available from: http://www.salilda.com/filmsongs/films.asp. Accessed 16 November 2006.
  10. ^ Ramnarayanan, G. 1989. Matchless in quality and speed! The Hindu, May 26. Available from: http://www.raaja.com/Rv-Matchless-Gowri.pdf. Acessed 13 October 2006.
  11. ^ Greene, P.D. 2001. Authoring the Folk: the crafting of a rural popular music in south India. Journal of Intercultural Studies 22 (2): 161–172.
  12. ^ Sivanarayanan, A. 2004. Translating Tamil Dalit poetry. World Literature Today 78(2): 56-58.
  13. ^ Greene, P.D. 1997. Film music: Southern area. Pp. 542-546 in B. Nettl, R.M. Stone, J. Porter and T. Rice. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Volume V: South Asia — The Indian Subcontinent. New York: Garland Pub. (p. 544).
  14. ^ Mohan, A. 1994. Ilaiyaraja: composer as phenomenon in Tamil film culture. M.A. thesis, Wesleyan University (pp. 106-107).
  15. ^ Greene, P.D. 1997. Film music: Southern area. Pp. 542-546 in B. Nettl, R.M. Stone, J. Porter and T. Rice. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Volume V: South Asia — The Indian Subcontinent. New York: Garland Pub. (p. 544).
  16. ^ Rangaraj, R. 2005. Mani Ratnam on Ilayaraja, Rehman. ChennaiOnline, March 9th. Available from: http://www.chennaionline.com/film/Events/2005/03maniratnam.asp. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  17. ^ Greene, P.D. 1997. Film music: Southern area. Pp. 542-546 in B. Nettl, R.M. Stone, J. Porter and T. Rice. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Volume V: South Asia — The Indian Subcontinent. New York: Garland Pub. (p. 544).
  18. ^ Greene, P.D. 1997. Film music: Southern area. Pp. 542-546 in B. Nettl, R.M. Stone, J. Porter and T. Rice. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Volume V: South Asia — The Indian Subcontinent. New York: Garland Pub. (p. 545).
  19. ^ Greene, P.D. 1997. Film music: Southern area. Pp. 542-546 in B. Nettl, R.M. Stone, J. Porter and T. Rice. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Volume V: South Asia — The Indian Subcontinent. New York: Garland Pub. (p. 544).
  20. ^ Balaji, R.S. 2002. Lessons from Maestro Ilayaraja: Lesson 10, expressing moods through music — 2. Available from: http://www.geocities.com/lessonsfromraja/lesson11.htm Accessed 15 November 2006.
  21. ^ Subramanian, V. Undated. 9th chords in Rajaa's music. Available from: http://www.geocities.com/violinvicky/9thChords.html. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  22. ^ Subramanian, V. Undated. The boss of bass. Available from: http://www.geocities.com/violinvicky/BossOfBass.html. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  23. ^ Balaji, R.S. 2002. Lessons from Maestro Ilayaraja: A case study on Maestro Ilayaraja's style of music. Available from: http://www.geocities.com/lessonsfromraja. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  24. ^ RaajaNGAHM Online. 2000. Discography: Film database — List of singers. Available from: http://www.raaja.com/ric/index.html. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  25. ^ RaajaNGAHM Online. 2000. Discography: Film database — List of singers: Ilaiyaraaja. Available from: http://www.raaja.com/ric/song/VoiceOfILR.html. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  26. ^ Baskaran, S.T. 2002. Music for the people. The Hindu, Sunday, Jan 6. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2002/01/06/stories/2002010600150500.htm. Accessed 15 November 2006.
  27. ^ Greene, P.D. 1997. Film music: Southern area. Pp. 542-546 in B. Nettl, R.M. Stone, J. Porter and T. Rice. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Volume V: South Asia — The Indian Subcontinent. New York: Garland Pub. (pp. 544-545).
  28. ^ Oriental Records. Undated. Nothing But Wind. Available from: http://www.orientalrecords.com/productdetails.php?id=123. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  29. ^ Amazon.com. 1996-2006. Nothing But Wind. Available from: http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-But-Wind-ILAIYAARAJA/dp/B0000C06OD/sr=11-1/qid=1163939511/ref=sr_11_1/002-9096931-0139220. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  30. ^ CD Baby.com. Undated. Ilaiyaraaja: Ilaiyaraaja's Music Journey — Live in Italy — notes. Available from: http://cdbaby.com/cd/ilaiyaraaja. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  31. ^ Ayyar,I. and Govindan, H. Undated. Ilaiyaraja: Guru Ramana Geetam — notes. Available from: http://cdbaby.com/cd/ilaiyaraja1. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  32. ^ Rangarajan, M. 2004. Music magic on a rewind. The Hindu, Monday, April 5. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2004/04/05/stories/2004040500640300.htm. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  33. ^ BBC World Service. 2002. BBC World Service 70th Anniversary Global Music Poll: The World's Top Ten. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/features/topten. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  34. ^ TIME Magazine. 2005. All-TIME 100 Movies. Available from: http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/0,23220,nayakan,00.html. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  35. ^ IMDB (Internet Movie Database). Undated. Biography for Mani Ratnam. Available from: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0711745/bio. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  36. ^ Loewenstein, L. 2001. Hey Ram (review). Variety, January 29. 381 (10): 60.
  37. ^ Press Information Bureau of the Government of India. 2003. Feature film: Nizhalkkuthu. Available from: http://pib.nic.in/archieve/iffi/iffi2003/nizhalkkuthu.html. Accessed 17 November 2006.
  38. ^ Dongre, A. and Malik, R. 1997. A day in the life of India. Hinduism Today, February. Available from: http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1997/2/1997-2-11.shtml. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  39. ^ Rakkamma.com. Undated. Albums. Available from: http://www.rakkamma.com/albums.phtml. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  40. ^ Viswanathan, S. A cultural crossover. Frontline 22 (15), July 16-29, 2005. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2215/stories/20050729004110200.htm. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  41. ^ Rangarajan, M. 2005. The Raja still reigns supreme. The Hindu. Friday, October 21. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/fr/2005/10/21/stories/2005102100140200.htm. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  42. ^ Rangaraj, R. 2005. Events: Ilayaraja live in Italy. Chennai Online, August 3. Available from: http://www.chennaionline.com/music/Events/2005/08ilayaraja-italy.asp. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  43. ^ The Hindu Online. 2005. Ithu Ilaiyaraja. The Hindu, Friday, July 1. Available from: http://www.hindu.com/fr/2005/07/01/stories/2005070102420400.htm. Accessed 13 October 2006.
  44. ^ Rangarajan, M. 2004. Music magic on a rewind. The Hindu, Monday, April 5. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2004/04/05/stories/2004040500640300.htm. Accessed 19 November 2006.
  45. ^ Staff Reporter. 2006. Ilaiyaraja institutes awards. The Hindu, Wednesday, November 8. Available from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2006110815870400.htm&date=2006/11/08/&prd=th&. Accessed 19 November 2006.

Further reading

  • Prem-Ramesh. 1998. Ilaiyaraja: Isaiyin Thathuvamum Alagiyalum (trans.: Ilaiyaraja: The Philosophy and Aesthetics of Music). Chennai: Sembulam.
  • Ilaiyaraaja. 1998. Vettaveli Thanil Kotti Kidakkuthu (trans.: My Spiritual Experiences) (3rd ed.). Chennai: Kalaignan Pathipagam. → A collection of poems by Ilaiyaraaja.
  • Ilaiyaraaja. 1998. Vazhithunai. Chennai: Saral Veliyeedu.
  • Ilaiyaraaja. 1999. Sangeetha Kanavugal (trans.: Musical Dreams) (2nd ed.). Chennai: Kalaignan Pathipagam. → An autobiography about Ilaiyaraaja's European tour and other musings.
  • Ilaiyaraaja. 2000. Ilaiyaraajavin Sinthanaigal (trans.: Ilaiyaraaja's Thoughts). Chennai: Thiruvasu Puthaka Nilayam.
General references
Discographies
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