Ilayaraja, the name itself mesmerizes music lovers. The ‘god of music’ for his fans, the legendary composer has announced the release of his latest symphony, recorded in the United Kingdom, on Republic Day in 2025.
It was his festival announcement for music lovers across the world. In a video, shared on his ‘X’ handle late on Thursday, he said, “On this auspicious day, I’m happy to inform music lovers all over the world that I have recorded my symphony No. 1 in the United Kingdom and it will be released on January 26, 2025.” He also extended his warm Diwali wishes.
It is the first ever full symphony by an Indian composer, the video said, adding that Ilayaraja had, in a film career spanning 49 years, scored the music for over 1000 films and 8000 songs in 9 languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada. His debut film was Annakili (1976), which catapulted him into fame because of his ability to provide a new idiom which combined the native folk with the classical – both Indian and western.
The symphony was composed in a record 35 days amidst other film commitments and concerts, he had disclosed in an earlier video message in May this year. “I’m clear in the path I am taking. I’ve written a symphony with four movements in just 35 days while also composing for films and attending functions,” he said.
Earlier in 1993, he had recorded his symphony at the famed Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) in London under the baton of John Scott. The invitation from the RPO came following his two albums, ‘Nothing but the Wind’ and ‘How to Name it’. However, the symphony’s release had been withheld due to some controversies. Explaining what a symphony is, Ilayarja, had earlier said that it is a form of orchestration with three main elements. The Indian music system has similar elements – geetham, keerthanam, swarajathi and varnam. For an orchestra, symphony is the mainstay, he had explained.
Born in a poor family at the nondescript Pannaipuram village in the foothills of the Western Ghats in Theni district on June 2, 1943, he had reached the pinnacle of world music. As a young boy, he used to sing in communist party meetings accompanying his brother Pavalar Varadarajan and that was his baptism in music. In 1968, he set his foot in Chennai along with his brothers Baskar and Gangai Amaran and struggled a lot. It was Annakili that gave him the much needed break in the dream industry. A disciplinarian and a learner, fame had not deterred him from working on films since he maintains that his best is yet to come so that he could give up.