Ilaiyaraaja Wiki and Biography: On June 2, 1943, Ilaiyaraaja was born in the Indian village of Kambam in the Madras Presidency in Southern Tamil Nadu. Ilaiyaraaja, a more contemporary name, was given to him in place of his original Gnanathesikan. The musically talented kids he and Jeeva raised are Karthik Raja, Yuvan Shankar Raja, and Bhavatharini. Ilaiyaraaja was exposed to numerous types of Tamil folk music while growing up in the nation.
Ilaiyaraaja Wiki: Biography, Age, Girl Friend, Family, Education, Height, Weight, Wife, Movies List, Career, Profession, Net Worth
| Real Name | Gnanathesikan, Daniel Rajayya |
| Nick Name | Ilaiyaraaja |
| Profession | Music Director, Singer |
| Famous For | Music |
| Wife Name | Jeeva |
| Physical Status | |
| Age | 79 years |
| Height | 5”4 |
| Weight | 62Kgs |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Gray, Semi Bald |
| Personal Information | |
| Date of Birth | 2 June 1943 |
| Birth Place | Pannaipuram, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Nationality | Indian |
| School Name | |
| College Name | Trinity College of Music, London |
| Qualifications | Degree in Western Art Music |
| Family Profile | |
| Father Name | Daniel Ramaswamy |
| Mother Name | Chinnathayammal |
| Siblings | Pavalar Varatharajan (Poet), Amar Singh (Gangai Amaran) (Music Director and Lyricist), Daniel Bhaskar |
| Career | Musician |
| Source of Income | Movies, Shows |
| Worked For | Movies |
| Net Worth Salary | Rs. 189 Crores+(Approx.) |
Ilaiyaraaja Biography
Ilaiyaraaja Education
When he started school, his father had his name legally changed from Gnanathesigan to Rajaiya. He later attended Trinity College of Music in London to earn a degree in western art music, but everyone in the hamlet still called him Raasayya. Dhanraj’s Master gave him the new name “Raaja” when he started studying music as a student. Producer Panchu Arunachalam gave him the new name Ilaiyaraaja for his debut film Annakili because another well-known music director, A., had the same suffix in the 1970s. “Ilaiya” means “younger” in Tamil. Rajah, A. M.
Ilaiyaraaja Early Life
When he was 14 years old, he joined a musical group and spent the following ten years touring South India. He took lessons from Professor Dhanraj for the first time. Ilaiyaraaja was a specialist in the classical guitar and a graduate of London’s Trinity College of Music. The soundtrack to the Tamil movie Annakkili served as Ilaiyaraaja’s big break. He achieved fame by skillfully fusing melodies from folk songs and traditional Tamil poetry with modern popular film orchestration.
He demonstrated a mastery of Western classical form in his performances on the piano, guitar, and string ensembles. Later, while exploring Europe, he came across the Manasika Gurus in Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven’s compositions. Ilaiyaraaja’s audience was astounded by his extraordinary output, both in terms of quality and quantity. His look quickly became synonymous with fame, both in India and abroad, as it was unheard of in the South Indian film industry.
Ilaiyaraaja Career
Ilaiyaraaja’s musical tastes were so different from the film music being created at the time that he “wasn’t able to understand how music was being prepared for films.” However, in 1975, Ilaiyaraaja was approached by film producer Panchu Arunachalam to write the songs and score for the Tamil film Annakili after he sung a song off-hand that captured his attention. Ilaiyaraaja combined Tamil and Western idioms in the soundtrack by orchestrating modern popular film music using melodies from folk songs and Tamil poetry. He was initially concerned that the music industry would disregard his efforts. When Annakili was first released in 1976, the music was an instant hit. Ilaiyaraaja composed in the popular cinematic style for his subsequent 12 films, but as a new wave of films started to appear, he was finally able to create the music of his dreams.
His superb use of the piano, guitar, and string ensembles demonstrated his command of the Western classical form. Later, while visiting Europe, he identified Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart as his Manasika Gurus. Ilaiyaraaja’s listeners were astounded by the exceptional calibre and volume of his musical production. His reputation quickly became one of a kind in the history of the South Indian cinema industry, and he became well-known for his work both inside and outside of India.
The music academy congratulated Ilaiyaraaja for creating the new Raga “Panjamugi,” and he was asked to open the 1994 December musical season by singing. At the London-based Trinity College of Music, he received a gold medal for classical guitar. A BBC poll of listeners from roughly 155 countries ranked his composition for the song “Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu” from the movie “Thalapathi” as the fourth most popular song of all time in the globe.
Ilaiyaraaja won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2012 for his innovative and creative contributions in the music industry. In a 2013 CNN-IBN survey honouring 100 years of Indian film, he received a maximum of 49% of the vote as India’s best music composer. Ilaiyaraaja is renowned for capturing the public’s attention with his amazing music. His contribution to the field is acknowledged and held in high regard all across the world.
Ilaiyaraaja contributed composition to some of the greatest movies ever with his entrancing genius. Due to the success of his work, he was commissioned to provide the music for numerous international events, including the Miss World pageant in Bangalore, India, in 1996 and the film India 24 Hours. Despite being mostly in Tamil, Ilaiyaraaja’s works are also available in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, English, Marathi, Sanskrit, and Punjabi.
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