Mohanam (pronounced Mōhanam, , ) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an audava rāgam (or owdava rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a janya rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes).

The equivalent of Mohanam in Hindustani music is Bhoop (or Bhopali).

It is one of the common pentatonic scales across the world and is very popular in East Asian and South-east Asian music, including China and Japan.

Structure and Lakshana

Mohanam is a symmetric rāgam that does not contain madhyamam or nishādham. It is a symmetric pentatonic scale (audava-audava ragam in Carnatic music classification - audava meaning 'of 5'). Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

* : S R2 G3 P D2 S : S D2 P G3 R2 S (the notes used in this scale are shadjam, chathusruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, panchamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham)

Mohanam is considered a janya rāgam of Harikambhoji, the 28^th Melakarta rāgam, though it can be derived from other melakarta rāgams, Kalyani, Sankarabharanam or Vachaspati, by dropping both madhyamam and nishādham. The hindustani equivalent Bhoop is associated with Kalyan thaat (equivalent of Kalyani).

Popular Compositions

Mohanam rāgam lends itself for extensive elaboration and exploration and has many compositions in both classical music and film music. The geetham Varavina mrithupani is one of the first short songs taught to beginners in Carnatic music. Ninnukori composed by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar is a popular Varnam in this scale. Here are some popular kritis composed in Mohanam.

*Mohana rama, Nannu palimpa,Darayani, Rama ninnu nammina, Evarura ninnuvina and Bhavanutha by Thyagaraja

Narasimha Agache by Muthuswamy Dikshitar

Kapaali, karunai and Narayana divyanamam by Papanasam Sivan

Rara Rajeevalochana by Mysore Vasudevachar

En palli kondeer by Arunachala Kavi

Sada palaya by G. N. Balasubramaniam

Kshemam kuru by Narayana Teertha

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Graha bedham

Mohanam's notes when shifted using Graha bedham, yields 4 other major pentatonic rāgams, namely, Hindolam, Shuddha Saveri, Udayaravichandrika (also known as Shuddha Dhanyasi) and Madhyamavati. Graha bedham is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For more details and illustration of this concept refer Graha bedham on Mohanam.

Scale similarities

Mohanakalyani is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Mohanam and descending scale of Kalyani. Its structure is S R2 G3 P D2 S : S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R2 S Bilahari is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Mohanam and descending scale of Sankarabharanam. Its structure is S R2 G3 P D2 S : S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S Garudadhvani is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Sankarabharanam and descending scale of Mohanam. Its structure is S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S : S D2 P G3 R2 S Shivaranjani rāgam differs from Mohanam only by the gāndhāram. It uses sadharana gāndhāram instead of antara gāndhāram and its structure is S R2 G2 P D2 S : S D2 P G2 R2 S Hamsadhvani rāgam uses nishadam in place of dhaivatam. Its structure is S R2 G3 P N3 S : S N3 P G3 R2 S Vaasanthi rāgam differs from Mohanam only by the daivatham. It uses shudda daivatham instead of chatushruti daivatham and its structure is S R2 G3 P D1 S : S D1 P G3 R2 S Niroshta rāgam uses nishadam in place of panchamam. Its structure is S R2 G3 D2 N3 S : S N3 D2 G3 R2 S

References

Category:Carnatic Ragas

Name	Ranjani-Gayatri
Origin	Mumbai, India
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Carnatic Music
Occupation	Classical Vocalist
Url	ranjanigayatri.com
Background	solo_singer

Ranjani and Gayatri are top Carnatic concert vocalists after being highly-rated violinists for more than a decade.

Early life

Ranjani and Gayatri were born to Sri. N. Balasubramanian and Smt. Meenakshi (an accomplished Carnatic vocalist as well). Born into a family deeply involved in classical music, Ranjani and Gayatri's musical talents were discovered at a very early age. The sisters, even as toddlers, showed an uncanny capacity to grasp the subtle nuances of Carnatic music. They started their violin training at the early age of nine and six respectively from Sangita Bhooshanam Prof. T.S. Krishnaswami at the Shanmukhananda Sangeeta Vidyalaya, Mumbai.

As violin duet artists

Ranjani and Gayatri began their music career as violin duet artistes even before they reached their teens. Through their intense training from Sangita Bhooshanam Prof. T.S. Krishnaswami, they quickly established themselves as top-class violinists of international repute. The sisters achieved spectacular success as violin duet performers, and subsequently they also proved successful as most sought after violin accompanists. Both Ranjani and Gayatri have accompanied various artists on the violin, including the legendary D.K. Pattammal.

As vocal artists

The sisters started giving vocal concerts since 1997, after becoming students of the well known Padma Bhushan Sangeeta Kala Acharya Sri.P. S. Narayanaswamy. They have learnt quite a few Bhajans from well known vocalist, Smt Seetha Narayanan. Their chance meeting with an amateur Hindustani vocalist in Chennai, Vishwas Joshi, an official of World Bank working in Washington, from whom they learnt a few abhangs and gavlis, paved way for further learning from Manek Bhide and Appasaheb Deshpande of Kolhapur.

Within barely three years, they won high praises from discerning critics and music lovers all over the globe. Their music, imbued with a deep and abiding classicism, has been described as an exhilarating blend of vitality, melody and emotion. Ever since their debut in 1997, they have been in all prominent sabhas in the December Music Festival in Chennai, and at premier institutions all over the country. They have to their credit several album releases, both violin and vocal. They give various world tours every year, touring many countries such as the United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, UK, Australia and many more. Known for their flawless and effortless singing, Ranjani and Gayatri are one of today's most sought after Carnatic vocalists.

As composers

Apart from singing, Ranjani and Gayatri also have an interest for composing music. A few of the abhangs they sing at the end of their concerts have been tuned by them. They have also tuned many other thukkada pieces, including bhajans. Here is a list of some of the songs tuned by the sisters:

* Bolava Vitthala - Abhang(Sant Tukaram) - Tuned in Raag Bhatiyaar.

Pagaivanukkarulvai (Subramanya Bharati)

Naachke Aaye - Bhajan (Ambujam Krishna) - Tuned in raag Sohini

Raam Naam Mhanata - Abhang (Tukaram) - Tuned in raag Jhenjhutti

Sharana Sharana - Abhang (Sant Tukaram) - Tuned in Raag Peelu.

Awards

Ranjani and Gayatri have received multiple awards and recognitions throughout their career. In addition, various music personalities from all over India have recognized their incredible talent. Most recently, the world renowned sitar player of North India, Bharat Ratna, Sri Pandit Ravi Shankar, was so impressed by their singing that he organized a concert of theirs in Delhi. Ranjani and Gayatri have had many such experiences in their career. Here is a tentative list of the awards and recognitions received by the sisters:

*Sanskriti Awards, instituted by Sanskriti Foundation, New Delhi, (recognizing their contribution to the field of performing arts)

Kalki Krishnamurthi Memorial Award (instituted by the Kalki trust in memory of the eminent writer Sri. Kalki Krishnamurthi)

Yogam Narayana Swamy Award

National Eminence Award (by the Shanmukhananda Sabha, Mumbai)

Title of "Isai Peroli" from the Kartik Fine Arts, Chennai in Dec 2005.

Dr. M.L. Vasanthakumari Endowment Award, instituted by CMANA (The Carnatic Music Association of North America, Inc), USA awarded by Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai.

Sarada Krishna Iyer Memorial Award for Outstanding Concert during December 2003 from the Music Academy, Chennai.

T.S.Sabesa and Thanjavur Ponniah Pillai Award for Viruttam/ Sloka singing from The Music Academy, Chennai.

Performed their debut violin duet concert at the prestigious Indian Music Group Festival of Music when they were thirteen and ten years old respectively.

Recipients of the Government of India Talent Search Scholarship from the age of ten.

Winners of the First Prize in the All India Radio National Competition for Violin.

Recipients of the title of "Sangeeta Shanmukha Mani' conferred by Shanmukhananada Fine Arts and Sangeeta Vidyalaya, Mumbai.

Won The Outstanding Violinists Award for four consecutive years from the Music Academy, Chennai from 1994 to 1998. Won the Award for Best Kirtana Rendering for their vocal concert from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in 1999.

Albums

Ranjani and Gayatri have various albums to their credit. Here is a list of some of the albums that have been released:

Kurinji Malar (Live Concert)

Anandam - Journey Into Bliss

Un Thiruvadi Charanam (Live Concert)

Paramaanandam

Pravaaham

Rama Bhakti

December Season 2001 Kutcheri (Live Concert)

Madrasil Margazhi 2003 (Live Concert)

Madrasil Margazhi 2004 (Live Concert)

Madrasil Margazhi 2005 (Live Concert)

Madrasil Margazhi 2006 (Live Concert)

Madhuryam - Violin Duet

Dual Harmony

The Awakening

Thendral

Samaanam

Saravanabhava

Ambujam - Krithis of Ambujam Krishna (Live Concert)

Paadaravindam (Live Concert)

External links

Artist Website

Category:Carnatic singers Category:Indian female singers Category:Indian musicians Category:Living people Category:Musical duos Category:Sibling duos Category:Family musical groups Category:Sibling musical duos

Raja Rao () (November 8, 1908 – July 8, 2006) was an Indian writer of English language novels and short stories, whose works are deeply rooted in Hinduism. Raja Rao's semi-autobiographical novel, The Serpent and the Rope (1960), is a story of a search for spiritual truth in Europe and India. It established him as one of the finest Indian stylists.

Early life and career

Raja Rao was born on November 8, 1908 in Hassan, in the state of Mysore (now Karnataka) in South India, into a well-known Brahmin (Hoysala Karnataka) family. He was the eldest of nine siblings - two brothers and seven sisters. His native language was Kannada, but his post-graduate education was in France, and all his publications in book form have been in English. His father taught Kannada at Nizam's College in what was then Hyderabad State. The death of his mother, when he was four, left a lasting impression on the novelist - the absence of a mother and orphanhood are recurring themes in his work . Another influence from early life was his grandfather, with whom he stayed in Hassan and Harihalli.

Rao was educated at Muslim schools, the Madarsa-e-Aliya in Hyderabad and the Aligarh Muslim University, where he became friends with Ahmed Ali. He began learning French at the University. After matriculation in 1927, Rao returned to Hyderabad and studied for his degree at Nizam's College. After graduation from Madras University, having majored in English and History, he won the Asiatic Scholarship of the Government of Hyderabad in 1929, for study abroad.

Rao moved to the University of Montpellier in France. He studied French language and literature, and later at the Sorbonne in Paris, he explored the Indian influence on Irish literature. He married Camille Mouly, who taught French at Montpellier, in 1931. The marriage lasted until 1939. Later he depicted the breakdown of their marriage in The Serpent and the Rope. Rao published his first stories in French and English. During 1931-32 he contributed four articles written in Kannada for Jaya Karnataka, an influential journal.

Nationalist Novelist

Returning to India in 1939, he edited with Iqbal Singh, Changing India, an anthology of modern Indian thought from Ram Mohan Roy to Jawaharlal Nehru. He participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942. In 1943-1944 he coedited with Ahmed Ali a journal from Bombay called Tomorrow. He was the prime mover in the formation of a cultural organization, Sri Vidya Samiti, devoted to reviving the values of ancient Indian civilization; this organization failed shortly after inception. In Bombay, he was also associated with Chetana, a cultural society for the propagation of Indian thought and values.

Rao's involvement in the nationalist movement is reflected in his first two books. The novel Kanthapura (1938) was an account of the impact of Gandhi's teaching on non-violent resistance against the British. The story is seen from the perspective of a small Mysore village in South India. Rao borrows the style and structure from Indian vernacular tales and folk-epic. Rao returned to the theme of Gandhism in the short story collection The Cow of the Barricades (1947). In 1998 he published Gandhi's biography Great Indian Way: A Life of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1988 he received the prestigious International Neustadt Prize for Literature. The Serpent and the Rope was written after a long silence during which Rao returned to India. The work dramatized the relationships between Indian and Western culture. The serpent in the title refers to illusion and the rope to reality. Cat and Shakespeare (1965) was a metaphysical comedy that answered philosophical questions posed in the earlier novels.

Later years

Rao relocated to the United States and taught at the University of Texas at Austin from 1966 to 1983, when he retired as Emeritus Professor. Courses he taught included Marxism to Gandhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Indian philosophy: The Upanishads, Indian philosophy: The Metaphysical Basis of the Male and Female Principle.

In 1965, he married Katherine Jones, an American stage actress. They have one son, Christopher Rama. In 1986, after his divorce from Katherine, Rao married his third wife, Susan, whom he met when she was a student at the University of Texas in the 1970s.

Rao died on July 8, 2006 at Austin, Texas, at the age of 97.

Notes

# Nobel laureate Czesław Miłosz published his only poem in the English language for Raja Rao. # He was awarded India's third highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan in 1969. # A new novel, Daughter of the Mountain, is to be published in 2008. # In January 2007, it was announced that Raja Rao has been selected to receive the Padma Vibhushan India's second highest civilian award.

Bibliography

Fiction

Kanthapura, 1938 (reprint ISBN 0-8371-9573-X)

The Cow of the Barricades, and Other Stories, 1947

The Serpent and the Rope, 1960 (ISBN 0-87951-220-2; reprint ISBN 0-8371-8437-1)

The Cat and Shakespeare : A Tale of India, 1965

Comrade Kirilov, 1976

The Policeman and the Rose: Stories, 1978

The Chessmaster and His Moves, 1988 (ISBN 81-7094-021-4)

On the Ganga Ghat, 1989 (ISBN 81-7094-050-8)

The Best of Raja Rao, 1998 (ISBN 81-85586-81-0)

Non-Fiction

Changing India: An Anthology (edited with Iqbal Singh), 1939

Whither India? (edited with Iqbal Singh), 1948

The Meaning of India essays, 1996 (ISBN 81-7094-257-8)

The Great Indian Way: A Life of Mahatma Gandhi biography, 1998 (ISBN 81-7094-308-6)

Tomorrow, co-edited with Ahmed Ali, Bombay, 1943-44.

Upcoming Work

Daughter of the Mountain (Volume 2 of the Chessmaster trilogy) to be published in 2008.

A Myrobalan in the Palm of Your Hand (Volume 3 of the Chessmaster trilogy).

Web References

External links

Raja Rao Website, sponsored by the Raja Rao Publication Project at the University of Texas.

"ನಮ್ಮ ಹಾಸನದ ರಾಜಾರಾಯರು" U R Ananthamurthy remembers Raja Rao.

Civil Disobedience, Violence, and Colonial “Justice” in two Indian Novels - R C Sterne examines Raja Rao’s Kanthapura and Kamala Markandaya’s Some Inner Fury (1956).

The Literary Encyclopedia's article on Raja Rao

Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan Category:1908 births Category:2006 deaths Category:Indian writers Category:Indian novelists Category:Aligarh Muslim University alumni Category:Kannada people Category:People from Hassan Category:English-language writers from India

Name	Nithyasree Mahadevan
Background	solo_singer
Born	August 25, 1973
Origin	Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1987 - Present
Genre	Carnatic music - Indian Classical Music and Playback singing
Label	HMV, EMI, RPG, AVM Audio, Inreco, Vani, Amutham Inc., Charsur Digital Workshop, Carnatica, Rajalakshmi Audio etc.

Dr. Nithyasree Mahadevan, (born August 25, 1973) also previously referred to as S. Nithyashri, is an eminent Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. Nithyasree's paternal grandmother, D. K. Pattammal, and her granduncle, D. K. Jayaraman, were prominent Carnatic vocalists who were established disciples of Ambi Dikshithar, Papanasam Sivan, Muthiah Bhagavathar, and others. Nithyasree's maternal grandfather was the prominent mridangam maestro, Palghat Mani Iyer.

Nithyashree has performed in all major sabhas in India and has presented her concerts in many destinations around the world. She has received multiple awards and honours, and has released more than 100 commercial albums.

Early life

Nithyasree was born to Lalitha Sivakumar and I. Sivakumar. Her paternal grandmother was the Carnatic vocalist D. K. Pattammal, while her maternal grandfather was the mridangam maestro, Palghat Mani Iyer. Her granduncle was the Carnatic vocalist, D. K. Jayaraman.

Her mother, Lalitha Sivakumar, was her first guru (teacher).

Music career

Touring

Nithyashree has performed in all major sabhas all over India and has presented her concerts in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Singapore, Malaysia and various other destinations throughout the world. "Isai Paeroli" by Kartik Fine Arts in 2001, and various other prestigious awards such as ", "Padma Sadhana" (2004), and "Naada Kovida" (2006). She has received "Best Concert Award" from The Music Academy during the music festivals a couple of times and has also performed for the "Sangeeth Natak Academy" twice in their International Music Festivals in Bombay and Hyderabad. She has also received the "Best Promising Artiste" from "Mohanam" Music Club, and made a thematic album of compositions popularising the raga Mohanam. She was awarded a doctorate degree from Sathyabama university of Jeppiar in Chennai in late 2007.

Performances

Nithyashree's first Carnatic performance was for the Youth Association For Classical Music on 10 August 1987. The concert lasted 1 hour, and was scheduled between 6:00pm and 7:00pm. Prominent Carnatic musicians that were present at the concert, included D. K. Pattammal, D. K. Jayaraman, Vijay Siva, R. K. Sriramkumar, as well as the chief guest at that concert, K. V. Narayanaswamy.

She has given numerous concerts consisting of only patriotic songs to commemorate the 50th year of Indian Independence, a few with D. K. Pattammal before her grandmother stopped performing in public.

D. K. Jayaraman and D. K. Pattammal were known for singing and popularising the compositions of Papanasam Sivan, having learnt them directly from the composer himself. Nithyashree has continued this tradition. She has also given a lecture demonstration in Coimbatore for Manoranjitham on "Papanasam Sivan - A Legend", and made two special thematic albums that solely contained his compositions.

Like D. K. Pattammal, Nithyashree has also popularised compositions of Gopalakrishna Bharathi. She presented a paper on the Life and Contribution of Gopalakrishna Bharathi for the Music Department of PSG College, Coimbatore. Her two thematic albums that solely consisted of his compositions have been very popular, both online and offline.

Nithyashree's commanding, high-pitched voice is well suited to various genres of music including Carnatic music, devotional music, as well as patriotic and popular songs.

Playback singing

Nithyashree's introduction to Tamil playback singing came when A.R. Rahman called her to Panchathan Recording Inn, in Chennai, for a voice test sometime in the 1990's. The output from her visit was used for the song Kannodu Kanbarellam in the movie "Jeans" starring Aishwarya Rai. This became particularly popular, along with Minsara Kanna from "Padayappa", Sowkiyama Kannae from "Sangamam", and Manmatha Vasam from "Parthale Paravasam".

Some of her other songs include Kumbakonam Sandhayile from "New", Oru Nadhi Oru Pournami from "Samurai (film)", Kana Kaangiren from "Ananda Thandavam" as well as Thaai Thindra Mannae from the film "Aayirathil Oruvan".

She also successfully branched out to Telugu and Kannada playback singing, with songs such as Ra Ra... from "Apthamitra".

Personal life

Nithyashree and her husband, Mahadevan, have two daughters, Tanujasree and Tejasree.

Notes

References

Musical Nirvana biography

Category:Living people Category:Performers of Hindu music Category:Carnatic singers Category:Carnatic musicians Category:1973 births

Name	Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born	March 02, 1935 Kunnakudi, Madras Presidency, British India
Died	September 08, 2008 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Spouse	V. Bagirathi
Children	V.R. Shekar, V. Srinivasan, V. Sridhar, V. Balasubramanian and daughter Bhanumathi Ramakrishnan
Instrument	Violin

Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan (March 2, 1935 - September 8, 2008) was an Indian classical music violinist.

Early life

He was born to Sri Ramaswamy Sastri and Smt. Meenakshi at Kunnakudi, a temple town of Lord Murugan in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

His father was an erudite scholar in Sanskrit and Tamil besides being a great composer and exponent of Carnatic Music and Kathakalakshepam. Vaidyanathan started learning South Indian Classical Music from his father at a very young age.

Vibhuti or sacred Ash and a big Vermilion dot smeared prominently on his forehead were his trademark symbols.

Career

The Violin was his forte. Known for the dexterity and subtlety in handling the violin, he catered not only to the music scholar but also to the layman. His play reflected his own different moods and the demands of his audience with whom he established and enjoyed a good rapport. He dwelled with ease and competence in the high as well as the low octaves.

At the young age of 12, he accompanied great stalwarts like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and Maharajapuram Santhanam in concerts. He also performed with legendary Nadaswaram vidwans like T.N.Rajarathinam Pillai and Thiruvenkadu Subramania Pillai .

He stopped accompanying vocal artistes in 1976 to concentrate more on solo concerts. He was famous for his fingering techniques on the violin. His interest in new attempts and innovations led him to work with veteran thavil vidwan Valayapatti Subramanian. They performed over 3,000 shows together which were also very successful.

Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan had deep faith in the therapeutic merits of music.

Film Music & Films

He also made a significant contribution to Tamil devotional music. A. P. Nagarajan giving him his first break in the movie Vaa Raja Vaa. He had several hits such as Agathiyar and Raja Raja Chozhan, for which he scored music.

Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan made a special appearance in the 2005 Tamil blockbuster movie Anniyan directed by Shankar, on the Tyagaraja Aradhana festival sequence for the song Iyengaaru Veetu which is a recreation of the real festival. He had guest appearances in many other films too.

He tried his hand at film production with a feature film in Tamil Thodi Ragam, with T. N. Seshagopalan in the lead, which failed enthuse the audience.

Awards

He was awarded the prestigious "Padma Shri" title by the Indian government, Kalaimamani award, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1993, and the Karnataka Isaignani award. He has also won Best Music Director awards for his background scores for films.

Other Associations

Vaidyanathan, had a long association with the All India Radio. An able administrator, Mr. Vaidyanathan served as Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nadaga Mandram. As the Secretary of Thyagabrahma Sabha, Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district he also conducted the Tyagaraja Aradhana for several years. He also served as president of the Raga Research Centre.

Death

Vaidyanathan died at 8.45pm on September 8, 2008 at a hospital in Chennai. He is survived by wife V. Bagirathi, sons V.R. Shekar, V. Srinivasan, V. Sridhar, V. Balasubramanian and daughter Bhanumathi Ramakrishnan.

References

External links

Interview with Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan

Category:1935 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Carnatic instrumentalists Category:Indian violinists Category:People from Tamil Nadu Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Category:Tamil musicians

Name	Ilaiyaraaja இளையராஜா
Background	non_performing_personnel
Birth name	Gnanadesikan
Alias	Ilaiyaraaja, Raja
Born	June 02, 1943
Origin	Theni, Tamil Nadu, India
Residence	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Instrument	Vocals, (playback singing), guitar, keyboard, harmonium, piano
Genre	Film score, world music
Occupation	Film score composer, lyricist, music director, songwriter, singer, conductor, instrumentalist
Years active	1976–present

Ilaiyaraaja () (born Gnanadesikan on 2 June 1943) is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. An acclaimed music director and composer, Ilaiyaraaja is also a instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter. To date, he has composed over 4500 songs and provided film scores for more than 950 Indian films in various languages in a career spanning more than 30 years, particularly being acclaimed for his background scoring for Indian films. His songs and background score played a very crucial role in the success of many films. He remains one of the most popular composers ever in the South Indian film industry, and also in the list of world's top selling music artists.

Ilaiyaraaja has been a prominent composer of film music in South Indian cinema since the late 1970s. His works are mainly in Tamil and Telugu. He integrated folk lyricism (in Tamil) and introduced broader Western musical sensibilities into the South Indian musical mainstream. A gold medalist in classical guitar from Trinity College of Music, London, in 1993 he became the first Asian to compose a full symphony performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London's Walthamstow Town Hall. In 2003, according to a BBC international poll, people from 155 countries voted his composition "Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu" from the 1991 film Thalapathi fourth in the world's top 10 most popular songs of all time. He was also nominated in the Best Indian album Music Awards category at US based Just Plain Folks Music Organization, which is the largest grassroots music organization in the world, and stood third for his "Music Journey: Live in Italy".

In the 2000s, he composed a variety of non-film music, including religious and devotional songs, an oratorio, and world music, while shifting his focus to Malayalam and Kannada-language films. He is usually referred to by the title Isaignani (; ), or as The Maestro. He has won four Indian National Film Awards for Best Music Direction, and is a recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award from the Government of India. He is married to Jeeva, and the couple's two sons (Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja) and daughter (Bhavatharini) are film composers and singers.

Early life

Ilaiyaraaja was born as Gnanadesikan in Pannaipuram, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India, the third son of Ramaswamy and Chinnathayammal. Growing up in a rural area, he was exposed to a range of Tamil folk music. At the age of 14, he joined a travelling musical troupe headed by his elder stepbrother, Pavalar Varadarajan, and spent the next decade performing throughout South India. While working with the troupe, he penned his first composition, a musical adaptation of an elegy written by the Tamil poet laureate Kannadasan for Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister. In 1968, Ilaiyaraaja began a music course with Professor Dhanraj in Madras (now Chennai), which included an overview of Western classical music, compositional training in techniques such as counterpoint, and study in instrumental performance. Ilaiyaraaja specialized in classical guitar and had taken a course in it at the Trinity College of Music, London.

Session musician and film orchestrator

In the 1970s in Chennai, Ilaiyaraaja played guitar in a band-for-hire, and worked as a session guitarist, keyboardist, and organist for film music composers and directors such as Salil Chowdhury from West Bengal. After being hired as the musical assistant to Kannada film composer G. K. Venkatesh, he worked on 200 film projects, mostly in the Kannada language. As G. K. Venkatesh's assistant, Ilaiyaraaja would orchestrate the melodic outlines developed by Venkatesh. During this period, Ilaiyaraaja also began writing his own scores. To hear his compositions, he would persuade Venkatesh's session musicians to play excerpts from his scores during their break times. Ilaiyaraaja's use of Tamil music in his film scores injected new influence into the Indian film score milieu. By the mid-1980s Ilaiyaraaja was gaining increasing stature as a film composer and music director in the South Indian film industry. and film directors such as Bharathi Raaja, K. Balachander, K. Vishwanath, Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, Vamsy, Balu Mahendra and Mani Ratnam. In 2009, he scored for the Malayalam movie Pazhassi Raja and the Tamil movie Jagan Mohini.

Impact and musical style

Ilaiyaraaja was one of the earliest Indian film composers to use Western classical music harmonies and string arrangements in Indian film music. This allowed him to craft a rich tapestry of sounds for films, and his themes and background score gained notice and appreciation among Indian film audiences. The range of expressive possibilities in Indian film music was broadened by Ilaiyaraaja's methodical approach to arranging, recording technique, and his drawing of ideas from a diversity of musical styles. bossa nova, dance music (e.g., disco), doo-wop, flamenco, acoustic guitar-propelled Western folk, funk, Indian classical, Indian folk/traditional, jazz, march, pathos, pop, psychedelia, and rock and roll.

By virtue of this variety and his interfusion of Western, Indian folk and Carnatic elements, Ilaiyaraaja's compositions appeal to the Indian rural dweller for its rhythmic folk qualities, the Indian classical music enthusiast for the employment of Carnatic ragams, and the urbanite for its modern, Western-music sound.

Although Ilaiyaraaja uses a range of complex compositional techniques, he often sketches out the basic melodic ideas for films in a very spontaneous fashion.

He uses catchy melodies fleshed out with a variety of chord progressions, beats and timbres. Ilaiyaraaja's songs typically have a musical form where vocal stanzas and choruses are interspersed with orchestral preludes and interludes. They often contain polyphonic melodies, where the lead vocals are interwoven with supporting melody lines sung by another voice or played by instruments.

The basslines in his songs tend to be melodically dynamic, rising and falling in a dramatic fashion. Ilaiyaraaja has sung over 400 of his own compositions for films, and is recognisable by his stark, nasal voice. He has penned the lyrics for some of his songs in Tamil and other languages. Ilaiyaraaja's film scores are known both for the dramatic and evocative melodies, and for the more subtle background music that he uses to provide texture or mood for scenes in films such as Johnny (1980), Mouna Raagam (1986), Geethanjali (1989) and Guna (1991).

Non-cinematic output

Ilaiyaraaja's first two non-film albums were explorations in the fusion of Indian and Western classical music. The first, How To Name It? (1986), is dedicated to the Carnatic master Tyāgarāja and to J. S. Bach. It features a fusion of the Carnatic form and ragas with Bach partitas, fugues and Baroque musical textures. The second, Nothing But Wind (1988), was performed by flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia and a 50-piece orchestra and takes the conceptual approach suggested in the title — that music is a natural phenomenon akin to various forms of air currents (e.g., the wind, breeze, tempest etc.).

He has composed a set of Carnatic kritis that was recorded by electric mandolinist U. Srinivas for the album Ilayaraaja's Classicals on the Mandolin (1994). Ilaiyaraaja has also composed albums of religious/devotional songs. His Guru Ramana Geetam (2004) is a cycle of prayer songs inspired by the Hindu mystic Ramana Maharishi, and his Thiruvasakam: A crossover (2005) is an oratorio of ancient Tamil poems transcribed partially in English by American lyricist Stephen Schwartz and performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Ilaiyaraaja's most recent release is a world music-oriented album called The Music Messiah (2006). Its musical concept is based against a mythological narrative. His recent release in November 2008, is Manikantan Geet Mala released by India Tales with 9 songs praising Lord Ayyappa in almost all south Indian languages.

Notable works

Ilaiyaraaja's composition "Rakkama Kaiya Thattu", sung by SPB and Swarnalatha in the movie Thalapathi (1991), was among the songs listed in a BBC World Top Ten music poll. He composed the music for Nayagan (1987), an Indian film ranked by TIME Magazine as one of the all-time 100 best movies, a number of India's official entries to the Oscars, such as Anjali (1990) and Hey Ram (2000), and for Indian art films such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan's FIPRESCI Prize-winning Nizhalkkuthu ('The Dance of Shadows') (2002). Ilaiyaraaja has composed music for events such as the 1996 Miss World beauty pageant that was held in Bangalore, India, and for a documentary called India 24 Hours (1996). The pop/hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas sampled an Ilaiyaraaja composition called "Unakkum Ennakum", from the film Sri Raghavendra (1985), for their tune "The Elephunk Theme" from their breakout album, Elephunk (2003). The alternative artist M.I.A. sampled his composition "Kaatukuyilu" from the film Thalapathi (1991) for her song "Bamboo Banga" on the album Kala (2007). His music compositions for the Hindi movie "Paa" (3 December 2009) has won critical acclaim in several media reviews.

Live performances

Ilaiyaraaja rarely performs his music live, which may be due to the time he devotes to his composing activities. His last major live performance, the first in 25 years, was a four-hour concert held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, India on 16 October 2005. The show was widely televised both in India and abroad, in which he played a song with just three notes (sa re ga). Less well-known was his live 2004 performance in Italy at the Teatro Comunale di Modena, an event-concert presented for the 14th edition of Angelica, Festival Internazionale Di Musica, co-produced with the L'Altro Suono Festival. He had done a few small-scale shows early in his career in Sri Lanka and Malaysia and was involved in a charity concert to raise funds for the construction of a Hindu temple in India.

Awards and honours

Ilaiyaraaja has won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the Tamil film Sindhu Bhairavi (1986) and the Telugu films Rudraveena (1989) and Saagara Sangamam (1984). He also won the National Film Award for Best Background Score for Malayalam film Pazhassi Raja (2010). He won the Gold Remi Award for Best Music Score jointly with film composer M. S. Viswanathan at the WorldFest-Houston Film Festival for the film Vishwa Thulasi (2005).

He was conferred the title Isaignani (English: Savant of Music) in 1988 by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in a grand public function held in Karaikudi and received the Kalaimamani Award, an annual award for excellence in the field of arts from the Government of the State of Tamil Nadu, India. He also received State Government Awards from the governments of Kerala (1995), Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (The Lata Mangeshkar Award) (1998) for excellence in music. In 2010, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour. Alongside he also won the Akshaya Samman of the year (2010), a prestigious musical award from Orissa for his outstanding contribution in the field of music.

He was awarded honorary doctorates by Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India (Degree of Doctor of Letter (Honoris causa)) (March 1994), the World University Round Table, Arizona, U.S.A. (Cultural Doctorate in Philosophy of Music) (April 1994), and Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamil Nadu (Degree of Doctor of Letters) (1996).

Partial discography

Limited lists of some key soundtrack albums (in terms of film-score and song-content values) are provided below, classified by language. For extended discographies, see external links.

Tamil

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album |- |1978||Sigappu Rojakkal, 16 Vayathinile, Bairavi,Mullum Malarum, Priya |1979||Annai Oru Aalayam, Lakshmi |1980||Ullasa Paravaigal, Thai Pongal, Sridevi, Savithri, Nizhalgal,Naan Potta Saval, Murattu Kaalai, Anbukku Naan Adimai |- ||1981||Tik Tik Tik, Ellam Inba Mayyam, Panneer Pushpangal, Meendum Kokila, Kazhugu |1982||Moondram Pirai, Sagalakala Vallavan ||1983||Aanandha Kummi, Aayiram Nilave Vaa, Andha Sila Naatkal, Annae Annae, Kokkarakko'' |- |1984||Enakkul Oruvan, Nallavanuku Nallavan ||1985||Muthal Mariyathai, Sindhu Bhairavi, Udhaya Geetham, Kaakki Sattai, Pillai Nila, Sri Raghavendra |1986||Mouna Raagam, Punnagai Mannan, Vikram |- ||1987||Nayagan, Kadhal Parisu, Idaya Kovil |1988||Sathya, Dharmathin Thalaivan, Agni Natchathiram, Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, ||1989||Rajadhi Raja, Siva, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Vetri Vizha, Karagattakaran |- |1990||Pandian, Adhisaya piravi, Anjali ||1991||Thalapathi, Guna, Chinna Thambi, Captain Prabhakaran |1992||Mannan, Chembaruthi, Chinna Gounder, Bharathan, Thevar Magan |- ||1993||Ejamaan, Marupadiyum, Poovilangu, Valli |1994||Mahanadhi, Sethupathi IPS, Veera ||1995||Makkal Aatchi, Chinna Vaathiyaar, Nandhavan Theru, Sathi Leelavathi |- |1996||Poo Mani, Poovarasan ||1997||Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, Raaman Abdhullah |1998||Andhapuram |- ||1999||Sethu, Kadhal Kavithai,"House Full" |2000||Hey Ram, Bharathi, Kaadhal Rojave, Kaakai Chiraginile, Kannukkul Nilavu ||2001||Friends, Kutty |- |2002||Azhagi, Ivan, Enn Mana Vaanil, Ramanna, Solla Marantha Kadhai ||2003||Pithamagan, Julie Ganapathy, Manasellam |2004||Virumaandi, Kamaraj |- ||2005||Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam,Mumbai Express,Oru Naal Oru Kanavu,Karakattakari |2006||Pachakudhira ||2007||Ajantha, Maya Kannadi |- |2008||Dhanam, Inimale Nngathane, Uliyin Osai, Kangalum Kavipadudhe ||2009||Naan Kadavul, Azhagar Malai, Valmiki, Kadhal Kadhai, Jagan Mohini, Kannukulle, Mathiya Chennai |2010||Nandalala, Pazhassi Raja |}

Telugu

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="30" | Year ! width="350" | Album ! width="30" | Year ! width="350" | Album |- |1976||||1978|| Vayasu Pilichindi |- |1979||Yugandhar||1980||Guru |- |1981||Seethakoka Chiluka, Tik Tik Tik||1982||Nireekshana, Vasantha Kokila |- |1983||Abhilasha, Manthrigari Viyyankudu, Saagara Sangamam, Seethakoka Chiluka, Sitaara||1984||Challenge, Merupu Daadi |- |1985||Anveshana, Swathi Muthyam||1986||Ladies Tailor, Manchi Manasulu, Rakshasudu, Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam |- |1987||Aakhari Poratam, Marana Mrudangam, Rudraveena, Swarna Kamalam || 1988||Abhinandana |- |1989||Geethanjali, Kokila, Shiva||1990||Bobbili Raja, Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, Kondaveeti Donga |- |1991||Surya IPS, Chaithanya, Nirnayam, Killer, Meera, Aditya 369 || 2007||Anumanaspadam, Sunny |- ||2008||Mallepuvvu||2010||Om Shanti, Gaayam 2 |- ||2011||Sri Rama Rajyam || |}

Hindi

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album |- |1983||Sadma ||1987||Kamagni |1989||Mahaadev |- ||1990||Appu Raja, Shiva |1991||Anjali, Aadmi Aur Apsara ||1996||Aur Ek Prem Kahani, Saza-E-Kala Pani, Chhaila |- |1999||Hey Ram, Velu Nayakan ||2001||Lajja |2005||Mumbai Xpress, |- ||2006||Shiva ||2007||Cheeni Kum ||2009||Chal Chalein, Paa |- ||2010||Happi||2011||SRK, Ra.One ||2012|| |- |}

Malayalam

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album |- |1978||Aaru Manikkoor, Vyamoham||1980||Dooram Arike |- |1981||Garjanam||1982||Olangal, Aa Rathri, Aalolam |- |1983||Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu, Oomakkuyil, Pinnilavu||1984||My Dear Kuttichathan, Mangalam Nerunnu, Onnanu Nammal, Unaru |- |1985||Yathra||1986||Poomukhapadiyil Ninneyum Kathu, Kaveri |- |1988||Moonnam Pakkam||1989||Adharvam, Chaithram, Season |- |1991||Anaswaram, Ente Sooryaputhrikku||1992||Pappayude Swantham Appoos, Aparatha |- |1993||Jackpot||1996|| Kaalapani, Man of the Match |- |1997||Guru, Kaliyoonjal, My Dear Kuttichathan, Oru Yathramozhi||1998||Anuragakottaram, Manjeera Dhwani |- |1999||Friends ||2000||Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal, Kallu Kondoru Pennu |- ||2003||Manassinakkare, Nizhalkuthu||2005||Achuvinte Amma, Ponmudipuzhayorathu |- |2006||Rasathanthram, Pachakuthira||2007||Vinodayathra, Sooryan |- |2008||Innathe Chintha Vishayam, S M S||2009||Bhagyadevatha, Pazhassi Raja |- |2010||Kadha Thudarunnu, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star |- |}

Kannada

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album |- |1978||Maathu Tappada Maga||1981||Geeta, Janma Janmada Anubandha, Nee Nanna Gellalare |- |1983||Accident, Pallavi Anu Pallavi||1984||Bharjari Bete |- |1996||Nammoora Mandara Hoove, Shivasainya||1998||Hoomale |- |2004||Namma Preetiya Ramu||2007||Aa Dinagalu |- |2009||Nannavanu, Bhagyadha Balegara, Prem Kahani |2010||Suryakaanti |- |}

Announced/yet to release projects

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Language ! width="25" | Director ! width="300" | Starring ! width="300" | Notes |- |2011||Jeevitha Sagaram||Malayalam||Sathyan Anthikkad||Mohan Lal|| |- |- |2011||Mayilu||Tamil||Jeevan||Shammu, Kanja Karuppu, Prakash Raj || |- |2011||Ra.One||Hindi||Anubhav Sinha||Shah Rukh Khan||Sukhwinder Singh's song recorded |- |2011||MayamohithaChandran||Malayalam||Shibu||Kunchacko Boban||75% shooting completed |- |2011||Untitled film||Hindi||R. Balki||Abhishek Bachchan||Pre-production |- |2011||Untitled film||Hindi||R. Balki||Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi||Pre-production |- |2011||Kuttraparambarai||Tamil||Bharathiraja||Vikram, Cheran, Padmapriya||Pre-production |- |2011||Dhaandavakone||Tamil|||||||Shooting in progress |- |2011||Kulasekranum Kulipadayum||Tamil|||||||Shooting in progress |- |2011||Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai||Tamil|||||||Shooting in progress |- |2011||Padithurai||Tamil|||||||Shooting in progress |- |2011||Ungal Viruppam||Tamil||U. C. Karunakaran|||||Shooting in progress |}

Albums (instrumental, non-film)

{| border="4" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album ! width="25" | Year ! width="300" | Album |- |1986||How to Name It ||1988||Nothing but Wind |- |2000||Raajavin Ramanamalai, Guru Ramana Geetam ||2001||Geethanjali |- |2002||Amma Paamalai ||2003||India 24 Hours |- ||2005||Thiruvasagam ||2007||The Music Messiah |- ||2008||Manikantan Geet Mala ||2009||Namratha Ke Sagar |- ||2010||Ramana Saranam Saranam, Baba Pugazh Maalai|| || |}

National Awards

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! National Award ! Name of the film ! Language |- | 1984 | National Film Award for Best Music Direction |Saagara Sangamam | Telugu |- | 1986 | National Film Award for Best Music Direction |Sindhu Bhairavi | Tamil |- | 1989 | National Film Award for Best Music Direction |Rudra Veena | Telugu |- | 2009 | National Film Award for Best Background Score |Pazhassi Raja | Malayalam |- |}

References and notes

Further reading

External links

General references

Ilayaraja Musical Hits

Collection of Ilayaraja Background scores from more than 100 films

Raaja.com: The official Internet website of Ilaiyaraaja

Large collection of Ilayaraja songs at Paadal.com

An interview with Ilaiyaraaja (1989) (primary source: Indian news magazine Frontline)

Ilaiyaraaja songs categorised by the type of raga employed in them

Discographies

For catalogues of film music albums categorised by film name, song name, singer etc., go to Raaja Information Center: Film Music Database or Rakkamma.com

For a chronological listing of film music albums or a listing of film music albums by film genre (e.g., drama, romance, thriller), go to IMDb (by chronology) and IMDb (by film genre)

A listing of this musician's non-film albums

Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:Converts to Hinduism Category:Indian film score composers Category:Indian film singers Category:Indian Hindus Category:Kerala State Film Award winners Category:Kollywood playback singers Category:Malayalam Music directors Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan Category:Tamil film score composers Category:Tamil musicians Category:Telugu film score composers Category:Trinity College of Music alumni