At a recent event organised to celebrate 75 years of his life, composer Ilaiyaraaja opened up about his childhood back in his hometown among other things. Addressing students at the MOP Vaishnav College, Nungambakkam yesterday, the maestro recalled the days he spent in Pannaipuram. He said: “My hometown is located at the foothills of the Western Ghats. It didn’t have any basic facilities back then; needless to say, opportunities to learn music were scarce. Varadarajan, my elder brother, was fond of keerthanais, and he would sing at communist party meetings. But I couldn’t learn music from him; he’d hit me if I touched his harmonium for fear that I would damage it. Somehow, I taught myself to play the harmonium without his knowledge. Later, I told my mother that I wanted to go to Madras. She sold our radio, worth Rs 800 – for Rs 400 – and sent me on my way.”
The maestro then fielded questions about his inspirations, and his work. Talking about the piece of music that moved him the most, Ilaiyaraaja said that ‘Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakkathile’ – composed by MS Viswanathan for the film Bhagyalakshmi (1961) – was something that had him in awe. “I first listened to the song on speakers outside wedding halls. I didn’t know that it was penned by lyricist Kannadasan then. The lines – ‘இளமை எல்லாம் வெறும் கனவு மயம் இதில் மறைந்தது சில காலம்; தெளிவும் அடையாது முடிவும் தெரியாது மயங்குது எதிர்காலம்.’ [Quite some time was lost in youthful dreams while the future remains mysterious and uncertain] – had a huge impact on me.”
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When asked about choosing the vocal artistes for his compositions, Ilaiyaraaja said, “I don’t choose singers before composing music. But as soon as I’m done, I’d think about the right fit. I’d ask if SPB was free to record; if he wasn’t, I’d move on Yesudas, Jayachandran or Malaysia Vasudevan. If I could find no one, I’d lend my own voice.”
To a question about publishing his autobiography, the composer declared that his music speaks for his life – “do I need to write one at all?” he quipped.
Ilaiyaraaja turned 75 on June 2.