In 2011, director Mysskin introduced composer K to the film industry through Yuddham Sei. In the five years since then, he has composed for over fifteen films, worked with Rajeev Ravi* twice, and even acted in one of them – Kallappadam. He may be an engineering graduate, but he is no night owl; he prefers to think of music composition as his ‘9 to 5 job’. He also likes his music warm and neat, and is the happiest when he’s listening to songs from the ’60s. Ahead of World Music Day (June 21), he takes a trip down memory lane, introducing us to songs that continue to inspire him.
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder
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The Artists: Stevie Wonder, Lani Grover and Jim Gilstrap
The Song: You are the sunshine of my life (1972). Though it is credited to Stevie Wonder, the first three lines of the song aren’t actually sung by the late artist; Lani Grover and Jim Gilstrap had that honour. Wonder went on to win a Grammy for this song which became a certified chartbuster. The lyrics “You are the sunshine of my life/You are the apple of my eye” are rather unremarkable. It is Wonder’s superlative singing that truly elevates the song from just another catchy pop tune to a hit for the ages.
The album Innervisions, which featured You are the sunshine of my life was a remarkable comeback for Wonder, who’d been comatose for five days following a serious car accident. He went on to win four Grammys, spending much of his time making multiple acceptance speeches with his family members. He also dedicated his Grammy for Best Pop Performance, Male, to fellow nominee Jim Croce, who died tragically in a plane crash in 1973.
K Speak:
“It holds a very special place on my list thanks to the lovely use of the electric piano, one of my favourite sounds. This song has a rhythm which almost becomes ‘Indian’ at one point, owing to the swing and bounce. Stevie is also on top of the list of my favourite musicians.”
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*An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that K had worked with director Rajeev Rai. He had worked with director Rajeev Ravi. We regret the error.