Illayaraaja is a musical phenomenon, especially, down South. A composer, singer and lyricist, the maestro has composed over 4,500 songs and provided film scores for nearly 1,000 films in myriad languages like Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi.
For him, music cannot be defined by a specific attribute like rhythm, melody, lyrics or the vocals. He dislikes tags attached to him or his music, and does not even like to be called a 'music director'.
"It's the people who think I am that. The measure of appreciating music can be anything. Without words, you can make music. In dialogues and the way one structures words, there can be music. The one thing that is certain is that music has the power to connect," he says.
The man has managed to retain his loyal fans while cultivating new fans by bringing in elements of contemporary music into his work. But he believes that the traditional sound is something he will never let go of. "I'm not doing anything different. I'm still the same as I was when I started. I don't think I'll ever get out of that phase," confesses the maestro with a smile.
A lot of people feel that the new generation enjoys music that is less about melody and depth and more about catchy beats that make it a 'hit'. But Illayaraaja is quite indifferent to this conceived trend. "You can't create music without sa re ga ma pa and that's all I am concerned with. I'm not here to pass judgments on what others are doing. Music is music.
How can it change?" he questions.
Slowly and steadily, Illayaraaja has created a database of musical works that will ensure his place in the Hall of Fame of Indian cinema as its greatest composer. Even after decades of making music, it seems to be the only thing on his mind. "I'm presently performing at concerts, working on film music and making a few albums here and there.
I do plan to open a music college but I haven't decided when I will do that. When the time is right, I will take that forward," shares the 69-year-old.
His association with the City has been long standing and he is highly respected by its music lovers. "I'm born here. This is my place and I will keep coming back," he says.
Interestingly, his fans don't have to wait too long before he returns with a big concert. He will be performing here on September 23 for the Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava, where one can expect to hear a lot of his Kannada film songs as well as some devotional numbers.
For him, music cannot be defined by a specific attribute like rhythm, melody, lyrics or the vocals. He dislikes tags attached to him or his music, and does not even like to be called a 'music director'.
"It's the people who think I am that. The measure of appreciating music can be anything. Without words, you can make music. In dialogues and the way one structures words, there can be music. The one thing that is certain is that music has the power to connect," he says.
The man has managed to retain his loyal fans while cultivating new fans by bringing in elements of contemporary music into his work. But he believes that the traditional sound is something he will never let go of. "I'm not doing anything different. I'm still the same as I was when I started. I don't think I'll ever get out of that phase," confesses the maestro with a smile.
A lot of people feel that the new generation enjoys music that is less about melody and depth and more about catchy beats that make it a 'hit'. But Illayaraaja is quite indifferent to this conceived trend. "You can't create music without sa re ga ma pa and that's all I am concerned with. I'm not here to pass judgments on what others are doing. Music is music.
How can it change?" he questions.
Slowly and steadily, Illayaraaja has created a database of musical works that will ensure his place in the Hall of Fame of Indian cinema as its greatest composer. Even after decades of making music, it seems to be the only thing on his mind. "I'm presently performing at concerts, working on film music and making a few albums here and there.
I do plan to open a music college but I haven't decided when I will do that. When the time is right, I will take that forward," shares the 69-year-old.
His association with the City has been long standing and he is highly respected by its music lovers. "I'm born here. This is my place and I will keep coming back," he says.
Interestingly, his fans don't have to wait too long before he returns with a big concert. He will be performing here on September 23 for the Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava, where one can expect to hear a lot of his Kannada film songs as well as some devotional numbers.