BEST WISHES TO OUR ONLY "MAESTRO=RAAJA"

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BEST WISHES TO OUR ONLY "MAESTRO=RAAJA" BEST WISHES TO OUR ONLY "MAESTRO=RAAJA"

Topic started by U.SHYAMSUNDAR. (@ 61.11.76.152) on Sun Jun 1 02:47:57 EDT 2003.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

ON BEHALF OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO HAVE HEARD OUR MAESTRO'S MUSIC I WISH HIM LONGEVITY TO ALL HIS CREATIONS,DEAR MAESTRO SIR WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY,WITH LOTS OF PLEASURE AND HAPPINESS,THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GIFTS YOU HAVE GIVEN US SO FAR AND THANKS IN ADVANCE TO ALL YOUR MUSIC IN THE COMING YEARS,THANKS TO newtfmpage.COM FOR HAVING THIS POST IN THIS BUSY FORUM,LET US ALL JOIN TOGETHER IN WISHING OUR MAESTRO ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE,GODBLESS RAAJA AND HIS FAMILY.
LOTS OF LOVE,U.SHYAMSUNDAR,CHENNAI.

newtfmpage's tribute to Ilayaraja on his 60th birthday

Responses:

From: isai nanban (@ 65.176.169.223) on: Sun Jun 1 03:01:06 EDT 2003

Congratulations to the evergreen Maestro! Happy Birthday. Best wishes for Thiruvasagam in Symphony.
From: purv (@ 205.231.147.6) on: Sun Jun 1 04:51:49 EDT 2003

God bless you, MR. IR, your family, and very very Happy Birthday. Many thanks for all you have contributed to the world.
From: hey (@ 202.174.136.64) on: Sun Jun 1 05:32:18 EDT 2003

"Only Maestro"?

He is the Maestro. Thatz acceptable, but how can we tell that he is the only maestro?
From: outsider (@ 206.20.111.98) on: Sun Jun 1 06:56:06 EDT 2003

"Maestro" is a term used for western classical composers. Is IR now a western classical composer?

ahh .. ok ... Happy B-Day IR
From: Raaja Rasikan (@ 61.11.43.112) on: Sun Jun 1 07:40:43 EDT 2003

Many Many Happy Returns of the Day Raaja..

Intha nava yughathil emadhu sevigal iraichalal sethu madinthu kondu irukkum pozhuthu....umadthu padaippugal than emathu sevigalukku "oxygen matrum Glucose ai' maari...emadhu sevigal innum uyirodu jeevikka vaikkirathu....

intha nandri em vazh naal muzhuthum marakkamattom aiyyah...

Neevir pallandu pallandu pallayiram andu vazhu prathikkum...
umadthu rasigargalil kadaikodi rasigan.
From: Diaphargm (@ 202.88.171.2) on: Sun Jun 1 07:55:05 EDT 2003

Isai arasar, illayaraja avargalluku, enathu kudumbthin saarbaaga iniya pirantha naal vaazhthukkal.

Ir vaazhu kaalathileya naam vazhugirom yenra oonarve naam seitha punniyam.

Vaazhga valamudan
From: Prabhu (@ 203.199.143.149) on: Sun Jun 1 08:22:45 EDT 2003

Wishing another outstanding musical year for our Beloved Maestro, may his music conquer many more frontiers.
From: VIJAY (@ 210.210.34.31) on: Sun Jun 1 09:46:32 EDT 2003

WISHING IILAYARAJA GOOD HEALTH !!!

WANNA TUNES LIKE MOUNA RAGAM AGNI NAKSHTRAM
From: pakkiri (@ 141.149.234.205) on: Sun Jun 1 15:10:46 EDT 2003

Isaignaniye!,

Un Isaiyil Ennai pola pala kodi makkalai karaithuvittai.

Ini Un pugazhum isaiyin karai thaandi vetri peravendum endru naangal ellorum un pirandhanaal andru iraivanai prarthikkirom
From: IR (@ 128.148.68.110) on: Sun Jun 1 17:38:15 EDT 2003

Hi
Here is the more news.
http://www.thatstamil.com/news/2003/06/01/ilayaraja.html
From: karan (@ 65.95.180.20) on: Sun Jun 1 18:07:55 EDT 2003

My heartly birthday wishes to Maestro and wish him to live one more decade to keep the tamil music live.
From: Jag (@ 35.9.26.160) on: Sun Jun 1 20:45:30 EDT 2003

Happy Birthday to our Music God Isaignani Ilaiyaraja Sir.
We wish that you continue giving music and regale music lovers all over.

Jag
From: leema (@ 165.21.154.17) on: Sun Jun 1 22:03:50 EDT 2003

en iniya Pirandhanaal vazthukkal.
en Iniya raja sir avargalukku,
anbudan
nesan
From: Paran (@ 203.123.16.249) on: Sun Jun 1 23:18:15 EDT 2003

Happy B'day Raja Saab...

May more projects, worth mentioning like Sandiyaar, Pithamagan and so on comes ur way..

(never against his ability though...)
From: chandrashekar (@ 203.195.208.26) on: Mon Jun 2 00:22:58 EDT 2003

Dearest Maestro,
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday and Many More Happy Returns of the Day! You are the Greatest Gift to this Musical World! You have made this life of mine worthwhile and Really feel proud of being lived in your times! Wishing you all the best for all your endeavours!!!

-Chandrashekar
From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Mon Jun 2 00:33:06 EDT 2003

Happy Birthday Maestro.

You are a very great music genius I have known in recent years. I have hosted a 3 hour TV program in your honour, to be broadcast over ASTRO VANAVIL, Malaysia on Deepavali day 2003.It is a reminiscence of your 25 years of cine music, selecting 25 of your very best songs. That is my humble way of paying tribute to so great a Music Director.

May God shower His infinite mercy upon you - now and always!

Manisekaran
Malaysia
From: Subbiah (@ 203.126.142.232) on: Mon Jun 2 01:12:23 EDT 2003

Rajaavin Isai aasigal thodarattum...

Isai manivizhaavil -- Sila aasaigal...
In coming years, cinema velai kuraiththu IR
1. Carnatic Tamil keerthanaigal niraya compose pannanum. Carnatic music medaigalil ore Tamil panjam. Sangeethathin Naanagavathu moorthyaaga aaganum.

2. Thiruvasagam matrum innum pala symphony music compose pannanum. Raajavin isai ulaga Symphony medaigalil nirantharaamaaga olikka vendum...

Long Live Raaja's music...
From: krk (@ 128.107.253.37) on: Mon Jun 2 01:25:07 EDT 2003

Dear Maestro,
Wish you many more happy returns of the day.

-Krisha
From: ANAND (@ 61.11.76.152) on: Mon Jun 2 01:34:53 EDT 2003

Wonderfull,thanks for all u have given to us ,wishing many more wonders to come,"BEST WISHES DEAR MAESTRO"
From: sridhar (@ 61.1.205.168) on: Mon Jun 2 03:35:21 EDT 2003

THALAIVAA,
VAAZHTHA VAYADHILLAI VANANGUGIREN

THANGALIN 100AVATHU PIRANDHA NAALAI KONDAADUM VAAIPPAI ENAKKU IRAIVAN VAZHANGATTUM.
From: mahabs (@ 203.199.222.5) on: Mon Jun 2 04:14:06 EDT 2003

to the maestro

many many happy returns of the day

anbudan

mahabs
From: bb (@ 12.234.176.52) on: Mon Jun 2 04:50:23 EDT 2003

http://www.dhool.com/ir/
From: Speaker (@ 203.126.142.232) on: Mon Jun 2 05:14:07 EDT 2003

Eniya pirantha naal vazhthukkal.

BB - Sixer!
From: Vel (@ 202.88.152.159) on: Mon Jun 2 06:26:08 EDT 2003

ada,
enna aacharyam..
isaikku indru pirandha naalam :-)
From: Kannan (@ 198.142.113.147) on: Mon Jun 2 06:26:41 EDT 2003

What do you wish a person who has given so much to us by way of music? Many of his songs have the magical quality of quietening agitated minds. he has unearthed the beauty that lies in the swaras. Wishing him a lot longer life is perhaps more in our self interest - that he will gives us more of the mesmerising music.
From: SUNDAR (@ 61.11.76.152) on: Mon Jun 2 06:35:59 EDT 2003

YES U R RIGHT,GODBLESS OUR MUSIC RAAJA WITH ALL THE HEALTH AND CREATIVITY,MAY HE LIVE A HUNDRED YEARS AND GRACE US ALL WITH GREAT MUSIC,THANKS newtfmpage FOR SUCH A WONDERFULL PLATFORM FOR US RAAJA FANS TO WISH HIM ,GODBLESS ISAIRAAJA.
From: raj (@ 213.137.225.16) on: Mon Jun 2 06:56:07 EDT 2003

RAAAAja Sir nee VAlzga pallaandu.VAAlgza un isai saamraajyam.
From: Vel (@ 202.88.152.159) on: Mon Jun 2 07:08:22 EDT 2003

some philosophy, from IR...enjoy.

http://www.geocities.com/ilaiyaragam/maestro_speak.html
From: Jai (@ 203.195.206.7) on: Mon Jun 2 08:09:22 EDT 2003

MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY O MAESTRO! :)
From: curses (@ 219.65.109.193) on: Mon Jun 2 11:18:08 EDT 2003

Happy birthday mr. IR!
From: vijay (@ 68.16.25.50) on: Mon Jun 2 12:12:01 EDT 2003

bb, nice work and good choices of articles/posts.
From: peeps (@ 12.162.224.6) on: Mon Jun 2 13:22:41 EDT 2003

bb,Thanks a lot for those wonderful collection of articles and photos..
From: Biju (@ 136.181.195.25) on: Mon Jun 2 13:23:47 EDT 2003

wow..bb...kalakiteenga..that was great stuff..shows the preparation long back for June 2nd..:-)
From: NCR (@ 134.244.171.103) on: Mon Jun 2 13:51:11 EDT 2003

Wishing IR Many more happy returns of the day.

A good article in

http://www.telugufilmserver.com/Illayaraja.shtml

A quote of
Suhasini : Show me a composition matching legendary compositions like 'shenbagame shenbagame' 'panivizhum malar vanam' by ilaiyaraja. Only then can you talk of someone overtaking him."
From: bb (@ 206.154.118.2) on: Mon Jun 2 14:10:58 EDT 2003

Have the raajangahm guys planned anything for IR-60? It will be nice if they can get some material that won't be released professionally and put it up in their site (like BGMs, unused songs, projects left out, sleeve notes etc).
From: vijay (@ 68.16.25.50) on: Mon Jun 2 14:56:45 EDT 2003

Rajaangahm has been dead for some time. Its unfortunate that THE "official" site for IR has to meet the same fate as that of those other music sites that start off in a grand manner and then lose steam and disappear. I wish Gopal Prasad and gang atleast make some updates once in a few months.
From: minnal (@ 64.3.235.62) on: Mon Jun 2 15:49:02 EDT 2003

Hi,

check out IR's top 10 songs in

http://www.thenisai.com/latest/ilayaraja.htm
From: dada (@ 199.207.253.96) on: Mon Jun 2 16:24:10 EDT 2003

Happy Birthday ISAIRAJA --Ilayaraja !!
From: xml (@ 128.148.68.57) on: Mon Jun 2 18:21:32 EDT 2003

The man Behind the strength of TF industry Ever Green IR.
From: ambleen (@ 61.8.210.74) on: Tue Jun 3 00:14:07 EDT 2003

http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=13161444
From: ambleen (@ 61.8.210.74) on: Tue Jun 3 00:15:26 EDT 2003

http://www.newindpress.com/sunday/sundayitems.asp?id=SEF20030530051010&eTitle=Cinema&rLink=0
From: MS (@ 129.252.25.241) on: Tue Jun 3 13:32:52 EDT 2003

None has entertained me as much as IR has with his great music. Wish he does more stuff like "guru" and keeps his fans thrilled. Words are inadequate to express how much joy I have obtained over all these years through his masterpieces and how like food, water and air, his music has become a necessity for subsistence. Vaazga pallaaNdu !
From: Mythila (@ 137.237.13.20) on: Tue Jun 3 16:03:46 EDT 2003

MS, Let me also echo your sentiments.
From: ! (@ 65.176.169.252) on: Wed Jun 4 11:43:23 EDT 2003

bb, super collection of photos! He was actually a handsome man when young ;---)
From: !!!!! (@ 65.176.169.252) on: Wed Jun 4 11:52:24 EDT 2003

ambleen' link - very well expressed by Mr. Rangan. (Seems like whenever someone writes something about IR it turns out to be not just excel in encomiums but also lyrical and literary at the same time!!!!!!!

The king & I

Baradwaj Rangan

Ilayaraja

Would it be blasphemous to claim in the same breath that I am a huge fan of Ilayaraja and that I never cared much for Machaana Paatheengala, the song from Annakkili that made him an overnight success? But I didn�t, truly.

I know that it�s a catchy number. I know that if you owned a radio set or were in the vicinity of a tea stall in the mid-seventies, you could not escape the song, with its thavil and naadhaswaram and folksy lyrics. I know the historical significance, that it was the sound that brought in a new era of music. But to me, this song just wasn�t Ilayaraja. It was too harsh. The beats were too loud. It didn�t have that lush, mini-symphonic feel that would become his trademark. It didn�t have interludes that took over from the singers so organically that the song felt incomplete without this music. Essentially, it didn�t sound like Kannan Oru Kaikkuzhandhai (Bhadrakaali) or Oru Naal Unnodu Oru Naal (Uravaadum Nenjam), the Ilayaraja numbers from the period that made me sit up and take notice.

Then I saw Annakkili. And I saw that the song wasn�t targeted at me, a boy growing up in a house steeped in Carnatic music, in a city that was still referred to as Madras. The film was set in a village, and Machaana Paatheengala is clearly an unpolished song of the soil. That�s just one of the aspects of the man�s magic � the specifics of the film come first, the audience-pleasing comes later. So if a film is, like Annakkili, the tragic story of an all-sacrificing village woman, Ilayaraja strips down all the finery and presents melodies as unadorned and uncluttered as Annakkiliye Unnai Theduthey.

If the film is, like Raajapaarvai, the love story of a blind violinist in the city, Ilayaraja orchestrates a breathtaking fusion concert for blind school students. He gives us Andhi Mazhai Pozhigiradhu, with its mixture of Hindustani alaap and mridangam base, counterpoint and crescendo. And if the film is, like Sindhu Bhairavi, the tale of a Carnatic vocalist who has an affair with a Tamil-espousing firebrand, Ilayaraja tunes the evocative Poo Maalai Vaangi Vanthaan. He gives us one of the most moving renditions of Bharathiyar�s Manadhil Urudhi Vendum, as per the requirements of the sequence that has the vocalist enamour a simple fisherman with this song.

It isn�t simply this mastery of folk and Indian and Western classical systems, the genius of Ilayaraja is his ability to seamlessly fuse these strains into a music that is completely context-specific. Mudhal Mariyaadhai�s arrangements, for instance, had shades of classical music, yet not a single number sounded out of place in the rural ethos of the film.

Then there�s Ilayaraja�s intuitive application of his musical mastery to the medium of film itself, through background scores that are as much a part of the scene as the actors. Can you separate the soaring melancholy and religious fervour of the bells and violins in the soundtrack from the segment in which the Goddess-obsessed Guna (in the film bearing the same name) saves his heroine from falling over a cliff? Or can you remove the piano-violin-vocal humming backdrop from the scene in Moondram Pirai in which Kamal Haasan imagines an amnesia-free Sridevi lovingly giving him a glass of milk?

Till the early nineties, Ilayaraja was invincible. In addition to his prodigious, prolific output for the cinema, he had composed How To Name It and Nothing But Wind, two non-film albums that incorporated various music systems into their tapestry. He had underscored the bursts of description and feeling from the early Vairamuthu. He had experimented with computer music in Punnagai Mannan. He had delivered hit after hit for top heroes like Kamal Haasan and Rajnikant. He had propped up dubious heroes like Mohan and Ramarajan with outstanding scores for their films. He had imbued enormous amounts of commerce and art into his scores for fresh directors like Bharatiraja, Mahendran and Mani Ratnam. He had helped stalwarts like Sridhar and K Balachander take their films to a new generation of moviegoers.

And then the music scene changed with the arrival of A R Rahman. This is where things get a bit controversial, because I don�t think the overall quality of Ilayaraja�s music declined. It�s just that the people�s tastes changed. He still gets prestigious projects like Bharathi, Kamaraj and Hey Ram. And if you�ve listened to last year�s Enna Solli (En Mana Vaanil) and Gundumalli (Solla Marantha Kathai), you�ll see that the man still produces some magnificent music; it just doesn�t reach as many people any more.

But for fans like me, this is hardly an issue. Ilayaraja has nothing to prove anymore. And those who grew up in his heyday will never forget being part of a musical phase in Tamil cinema that effortlessly bridged the connoisseur�s demand for classicism and the layman�s desire for just a catchy tune.

Through the years

Born in Pannaipuram, Madurai district on June 2, 1943 to D Ramaswamy and Chinnathayammal

Was at ease with the harmonium and the electric guitar, which he mastered as a child

During his years as a budding musician � between 1961 and 1968 � he travelled with his brother and mentor Pavalar Varadarajan, and two other brothers, across India, performing almost 20,000 music concerts

Learnt the finer points of music when he assisted G K Venkatesh and other composers

His first independent music score was for the Tamil film Annakkili (1976), a runaway hit. The music catapulted him to the league of established music directors

The outstanding scores continued with films like Mann Vasanai and Moondram Pirai in Tamil and Sadma in Hindi. He also composed music for Mani Rathnam�s first film, Pallavi Anupallavi

Composed more than 4,000 songs and the background music for more than 750 Indian films

Has trained in Carnatic music under renowned singers, and passed the classical guitar examination from the Trinity College of Music, London, with honours and a gold medal

Was the first Asian to compose a symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) of London

Composed music for devotional albums in several Indian languages, including Meenakshi Sthothram (written by Shri Adi Shankara) in Sanskrit

A sensitive photographer, his choice of topics have been appreciated by professional photographers around the world

His non-film albums, How To Name It and Nothing But Wind were big hits and continue to enchant listeners

Authored Sangeetha Kanavugal (Musical Dreams), Vazhiththunai (Travelling Companion) and Vetta Velithanil Koti Kidakkuthu

They say so

Vairamuthu, Lyricist

Like K V Mahadevan and G Ramanathan, Illayaraja is a pioneer in the film music industry. He was the first to combine folk with western and carnatic music. His rustic songs were so realistic, they actually retained the colour of the soil in them. And he was very quick at his work � Sindhu Bhairavi�s songs were completed in a week! I entered the industry with his song in Nizhalgal.

Sarath Kumar, Actor and MP

There was a time when only the male protagonists could carry a movie. But with the entry of Ilayaraja, his music carried the movie. All his movies were musical hits. He is a great music director of our time.

K S Ravikumar, Film director

Ilayaraja is a genius. Through his music he will continue to live for 6,000 years.

Haricharan Das, MD, Musee Musicals

He appeared for his eighth grade Trinity College Examinations through Musee Musicals Centre and is one of our most successful students till date. He revolutionised the staff notation system, and was perhaps the first to use classical guitar in Tamil film music. There can be only one Illayaraja.

Harris Jayaraj, Music director

Unfortunately, I have never worked under him, but he influenced me a lot when I started off. I like the way he blends western classical with commercial music, folk and carnatic. Many have mastered this, but are not as perfect as him in execution. He was the king in those days.

S Janaki, Playback artiste

He experimented with my voice to create a child�s voice, a male voice, an ugly voice, an old voice... Most of my songs are by Illayaraja, and they are all beautiful. It is only because of him that my fans continue to remember and love me.

Karthik Raja, Music composer

Dad was the first to introduce computer music here. (Punnagai Mannan). Also, with instrumentation and orchestration, there�s nobody like him in the Indian music world. He works fast, yes, but creates quality music. For instance, Mouna Raagam took him three days, yet the background score is still alive in colleges today.

� As told to the Express Team

The writer can be contacted at b_rangan@hotmail.com
From: bb (@ 206.154.118.2) on: Mon Jun 9 19:59:55 EDT 2003

A photo series in Vikatan on IR's 60th birthday celebration: http://www.vikatan.com/av/2003/jun/15062003/av0504.shtml

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