A relentless experimenter, Ilaiyaraaja could blend Carnatic ragas, Indian folk melodies and the music of Schubert or Mozart into a single composition.
At a recent performance of his Valiant symphony in Chennai, he explained how he wove Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony into Idhayam Pogudhey, a song from the 1979 Tamil film Puthiya Vaarpukkal.
“They [styles] were from two different cultures. But I wanted to prove that they were not different; it’s the same thing”, he said.
Ilaiyaraaja dominated Tamil film music until the rise of AR Rahman in the early 1990s. Before becoming a composer, Rahman spent several years as a keyboard player in Ilaiyaraaja’s orchestra.
In 2019, Rahman said at an event working with him Ilaiyaraaja was like studying in a school.
“His life itself has been an inspiration to me,” he said.
Ilaiyaraaja remained a major force, scoring hits for films such as Nizhalkuthu, Virumaandi and Cheeni Kum. He also composed albums based on ancient Tamil literature and devotional works, including Thiruvasagam. In 2018, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour.
At 83, Ilaiyaraaja still scores music for a handful of films each year. He recently performed his Valiant Symphony in Chennai and Bengaluru and continues to tour internationally with concert performances.
A new generation is discovering Ilaiyaraaja through streaming platforms and viral remixes. One example is Kiliye Kiliye, a 1983 Malayalam song that recently found new life in the film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.
In recent years, he has also made headlines for legal battles over royalties and the unauthorised use of his music.
His rise challenged long-standing social barriers in Carnatic music, a field historically dominated by upper-caste musicians and largely closed to performers from marginalised communities.
Ilaiyaraaja’s mastery of the form helped disrupt those hierarchies.
“He transcended social and caste hierarchies through his music,” says Krishna.
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