Birthday special: Top 5 memorable compositions of Ilaiyaraaja

Ilaiyaraaja is a wellknown Indian musician composer arranger conductor orchestrator instrumentalist lyricist and singer He was born R Gnanathesikan on June 3 1943 and is best known for his work in Tamil and Telugu cinema He is nothing short of a legend having composed songs for over a thousand films and a career spanning four decadesHis songs and music frequently express political themes and are an essential component of social events and celebrations because of the rich aural culture in the Tamil environment They offer both aesthetic pleasure and linguistic and regional prideIt is obvious how wellreceived his work is since numerous people have commented on social media about how his music has given meaning to a wide range of emotions His works not only served as a creative composition but it has a message that has relevance for a larger section of societyBorn in the village of Pannaipuram in the Theni district he rose to prominence quickly He attempted to write his own music despite working with wellknown composers He has written music for films in the languages of Tamil Telugu Kannada Malayalam Hindi and Marathi In a true sense he was a trendsetter Lets look at some of his remarkable creations that left an everlasting impactMachana Pathingala from AnnakiliA young man who had travelled to Chennai in search of riches was offered the chance to compose music for Annakili in 1975 It signalled the start of a phenomenon in South Indian cinema Ilayaraja mixed folk rhythms with the eras film music techniques for the songs in this delicate blackandwhite movie about unrequited love Those who listened to the radio in the late 1970s will always have a soft spot for this colourful tune in Janakis beautiful voiceMetti Oli Kaatrodu from MettiNumerous melodies of this type dominated the 80s This Mahendran song Metti was performed by Ilayaraja with humming by Janaki Many listeners of this song claim that it takes them to another realm Its attractiveness is enhanced by the sensual lyricsThenpaandi Cheemayile from NayaganA timeless song from a timeless film Understanding the words is not necessary to grasp the meaning Our eyes start to tear up as a result of the songs composition and accompanying video A song that leaves such an immediate profound impression on the listeners All of Mani Ratnam and Ilayarajas songs were theatrical feasts and they made a fantastic teamJanani Janani from Thaai MoogambhigaiOne of the most wellknown Tamil devotional songs ever since its premiere is this song from the 1982 movie Thaai Moogambhigai It was one of the songs that was played during every meeting for worship in the 1980sUravugal Thodarkathai from Aval AppadithanThe songs Ilayaraja wrote more than 30 years ago are still making people happy today because of his unique enchantment This song is from the 1978 blackandwhite movie Aval Appadithan and features the deep voice of K J Yesudas The melody of the maestro is complemented by the lyricsAlso Read Birthday Special Mani Ratnam and Ilaiyaraajas best collaborationsEveryone who heard his music experienced a sensation straight forward that touched their souls His captivating and emotional composition was praised not just in India but also outside