For every emotion, mood, celebration and situation... There is an Ilaiyaraaja's song. Such is the impact he has created not only in Tamil but in Telugu too. The only and most celebrated music director whose songs are still ruling playlists of many. In a career of close to forty five years...7,000 songs... 1000 films.... 20,000 concerts Ilaiyaraaja is still a hot favourite for many. This musical genius is still composing and making the audience drown in his music.
Ilaiyaraaja is one of the earliest Indian film composers to use Western Classical Music harmonies and string arrangements in Tamil film music, and the first South Asian to compose a full Symphony. In 1986, he became the first Indian composer to record a soundtrack with computer for the film Vikram. He revolutionized music with his western and Tamil poetry, folk songs fusion.
His first film as a music director Annakili was released in 1976, the music became a huge hit. Ilaiyaraaja's use of Tamil folk music in his film scores injected new life in the Indian film score milieu. By the mid-1980s, he started gaining increasing stature as a composer and music director in the south film industries.
Ilaiyaraaja's music in Telugu became so popular that even his songs from 80's and 90's are still being listened by music lovers widely. There are numerous albums from the Maestro in Telugu. To name some, Swathi Muthyam, Sagara Snagamam, Seethakokachiluka, Aradhana, Challenge, Sitara, Abhilasha, Ladies Tailor, Anveshana, Nireekshana, Aalapana, Rakshasudu, Maharshi, Abhinandana, Swarna Kamalam, Rudraveena, Geethanjali, Prema, Siva, Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, April 1 Vidudala, Aditya 369, Chanti, Anthahpuram, Sri Rama Rajyam are some of his musical gems.
Dhanush is starring in Ilaiyaraaja's biopic directed by Arjun Matheswaran. Today on the eve of Ilaiyaraaja's birthday, a brand new poster was released wishing him happy birthday. The movie is scheduled to release in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi languages.