Ilayaraja - SubConscious Mind (Part- II)

(This is in continuation to my earlier post… Thanks to my friends who have responded with their encouraging comments to my post, though they are masters in this subject)

..In the early 90’s critics said that the Golden period of Ilayaraja is fading away and a new sound will dominate the film music and people who master the art will survive, I happened to be one of many music lovers who were eagerly waiting for that Oracle to come true. Techniques initiated by Maestro Ilayaraja was humbly followed by his contemporaries, his style is a rare fusion of Indian and Western Musical elements that none in Indian Film Music has ever dreamt of, that was the era of Anthara – Mukhada in North India and down South Maestro Ilayaraja was drenching South Indian Film Music with the showers of his Melodious compositions quenching the thirst of good music for Music lovers and stunned the ‘Masters of Music’ with his never dreamt of fusion experiments with native and world music, R D Burman has once said “This man’s music is 50 years ahead of time’. Techniques in Sound Engineering come and go. Sound, introduced by Raaja might be out dated now but his Music is still afresh, I strongly believe that some of his very early compositions if mastered with today’s Digital Sound Techniques would have created a rage all over the world forget South India, I would say unfortunately - ‘Ilayaraja’s Music was far ahead of his times, than the technology prevailed at that time in our country’. New breed of Music Composers of today heavily depend on Technology than their senses, they are so dependent on Machines as if they cannot survive without them , do they lack confidence in their ownself ? I feel pretty confused on hearing certain compositions - Who is actually controlling Music? a Machine or its Composer !!!! these days it has become a fashion to hear an high decibel Sound of a Loop rather than melodious Sound of Music, I really pity for such scores but it’s the era of Pizza’s, Burger’s, frankies and what not prefering a traditional dish like a hot Idli or a Chole Bhatura is considered to be old fashioned. A few weekends ago I have been to a Restaurant and to my shock there was a dish displayed on Menu “CHINESE IDLI”, till today I am searching for the answer? When did Chinese taught us Idli making?and yeah there was an another shocker..."CHINESE SAMOSA" too.

Music, to be precise ‘Classical, be it an Indian, Western, Latin or even Opera has a Divine string attached to it, ‘Chords’ of such Music is a ‘Cord’ that links emotional and physical levels of a Human being, a Composer is said to be ‘Genius’ only when he awakes your mental, emotional and spiritual senses with his Musical compositions and I believe no other composer can take you to such a level with a Musical score except ‘Ilayaraja – The Musical Saint’, hearing his “JANANI – JANANI” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlj3Uor2R8g) is like practicing a Yoga Mudhra it cleanses your mind and keeps you afresh for that day, show me one such score of others. No matter what type of advanced technology a composer handles, no matter what latest instrument he plays….whats the use if a composer’s score doesn’t fulfill your musical thirst!!!! Emotionally.

The greatness of Ilayaraja is his adaption to technology, he never allowed technology or its soft wares to dominate his Music, and He always controlled the machine I always discuss confidently with some of my best friends who try to justify that IR's Music is out dated...I proudly say to them "Even Machines kneel before Maestro, because he commands & controls them, show me the other one who can do that...." this sentence should be the final nail for the end of discussion. He is still giving us a clean and wonderful Music, critics who has predicted his doom in the early 90’s are in awe for his latest comeback with wonderful hits in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi, I wonder how a man of 65 years is still holding his fort so strongly for 30 years of Musical journey and still making waves in the contemporary Music and a guiding spirit to GenX Music Directors. A true music follower in India cannot ignore the fact that it was Ilayaraja who had laid a foundation and showed a new way for the contemporary Music Composers to explore and experiment in various music forms, some blindly imitated him and were successful., some camouflaged him, and a few learnt and mastered his techniques, used their own talents, ventured out and are famous eitherway it is only Ilayaraja who stood as a Lighthouse, ARR has rightly said that "Ilayaraja Sir's Music is beyond awards like Oscar"...a talent can only appreciate a real talent. Time and Tide wait for none and only the time can judge Music’s reverence to a Composer and today - “Ilayaraja is the only God, if Music is Divine”.

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