Chance Meeting
Friday April 11th, 2025 with Heavy Ben
Ilaiyaraaja: Tamil film scores from the 1970s and 80s

Chance meeting in Kollywood of tenacity and a maestro Ilaiyaraaja is a legendary Indian film composer, conductor, and songwriter, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential musicians in cinema. Born on June 2, 1943, in the village of Pannaipuram, Tamil Nadu, he began his career in the early 1970s and went on to redefine music in the Tamil film industry and beyond. He was probably the first music director whose fame overshadowed even actors with a mass fan following. Ilaiyaraaja is 81 and in 2022 was nominated to the Rajya Sabha as Member of Parliament by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. He is nicknamed "Isaignani" (the musical sage) and is often referred to as "Maestro", the title conferred to him by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London. Ilaiyaraaja's compositions blend classical, folk, and Western music (funk, electro, psych rock, disco), and he is known for incorporating innovative orchestration and intricate arrangements into his songs. He is credited with being the first composer in India to use a full orchestra in his film scores, which transformed the sound of Indian cinema. In 1986, he became the first Indian composer to record a soundtrack with a computer for the film Vikram. Some of his most iconic works include scores for films like Annamalai, Nayakan, Thalapathi, and Raaja Paarvai. Ilaiyaraaja is reputed to be the world's most prolific composer having composed more than 7,000 songs and performed in more than 20,000 concerts. Over the years, Ilaiyaraaja has scored music for more than 1,500 films across various languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards, and he has been honored with multiple National Film Awards. His unique ability to merge different musical traditions, alongside his deep knowledge of Western classical music and Indian ragas, has earned him the title "Isaignani" (The Musical Genius). Even today, his contributions to Indian cinema music continue to inspire generations of musicians and filmmakers. In 2014, the American world cinema portal "Taste of Cinema" placed Ilaiyaraaja at 9th position in its list of 25 greatest film composers in the history of cinema. He is the only Indian on the list, appearing alongside Ennio Morricone, John Williams, and Jerry Goldsmith. Thank you to Finders Keepers and Bombay Connection for pressing numerous Ilaiyaraaja collections on vinyl in the 2010s. Most of the selections in today's program are from these excellent compilations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilaiyaraaja https://www.discogs.com/artist/2154831-Ilaiyaraaja https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_cinema Video highlights: Disco Sound https://youtu.be/sOyRk30ApVw Pala Raatthiri https://youtu.be/PKY1OgPvVUY (to embiggen the show icon, right-click and choose "Open image in new tab")