ILaiyaraaja-Musician with the Third Eye!

Quite often, I wonder as to how some people are very special. By ‘special’, I do not mean the VIP status given to many people(though undeservingly!).In fact , most of the genuinely special people were not even given due recognition during their lifetime.

I am talking about people who were/are extraordinary in one field or the other and are born Geniuses.

A close analysis and observation suggest three things.

One-these people have natural talents somewhat different from the other mortals.

Two-These geniuses have certain common traits. One of the most common traits I find is their propensity and proclivity to think and act differently and not follow the beaten track.

Three-these special people put in lot of efforts in the right direction and though they have/had natural abilities and unnatural powers, they work(ed) very hard and never rested on their laurels.

Let us take the examples of Issac Newton and Albert Einstein.Both these scientists were born geniuses and had the ability and audacity to question things and commonly held beliefs. But they did not stop with that. They spent years in finding out the Truth .

We have read about the Mathematical Genius of Srinivasa Ramanujan whose entire life was focused on inventing new theorems and Numbers Theory.

Subramania Bharathi who gave a new lease of life to Tamizh poetry with his use of words and revolutionary ideas/thoughts was a born genius.He was a voracious reader and was very well versed with many other languages as well.He constantly updated his knowledge and the results are there to see.

I also feel that the Geniuses have a Third Eye.They view things in a different perspective.

Esoterically, the Third Eye is considered to be present between the two brows and one needs constant yogic practice to awaken and open this.But for the Geniuses , it is already open.

For the Genius whose other name is Illaiyaraaja ,this third eye is wide open .He has the three ‘I’s as well-Intelligence, Innovation and Improvisation.

I can cite thousands of his compositions but one composition stands apart because in the History of Music no one had dared to venture into this aspect nor has anyone believed that such an aspect would be in the realm of possibility.

That is composing a song with just the ascending notes.

To go back to the basics,the structure of any raga or a scale is made up of Arohana(ascent) and Avarohana(descent).

But Raja composed a song with the ascending notes only in keeping with the sequence in the movie where a Musician after touching the nadir gets a new life and rises again.

The song is ‘Kalaivaniye..’ from Sindhu Bhairavi.

Usually it is the Director who gets such ideas and requests the Music Composer to give a song as per the sequence.But here it was Raja, the Genius who gave this idea to Balachander.Not only did he give the idea but also that he gave a Masterpiece.

The composition uses the Arohana of Kalyani.

This concept of a song with Arohana alone, the idea and the composition were praised wholeheartedly by none other than the Carnatic Music Legend Maharajapuram Shri.Santhanam.

Let us now look at this great Composition.

The Pallavi itself is so thoughtfully conceived and elegantly put through.It has a total of thirteen words with each one sounding different from one another (different combinations of Swaras!).With a very limited scope for exposition, is it not true this is possible only by a Genius ?

The Charanam shows his refined vision.

If the lines ‘Suram Padi Sirithai..’ is beauteous, ‘Siru Viralgallil Thalai Kodhi..’ caresses us gently.

‘Mugam Kaatta Maruthaai..’ and the sangathis following this has the stamp of superior Craftsmanship as it uses the higher octave Ri and Ga.

In ‘Nee Mun vanthu Poo Sindhu,’ the jump from Poo to Sindhu is wonderful.

The Original Sound Track has a solo Violin interlude here.As per the sequence in the movie, it is the silent interplay of emotions between a mother and a daughter and the Violin gives the essence of their entire relationship in a matter of just 30 seconds.

Here the Maestro does the incredible...

He does Shruthi bedam and the violin plays Sindhu Bhairavi ragam..
Can any other Film Music Composer even imagine doing this?

I doubt............


The second Charanam is constructed differently and is somewhat fast paced.It is a combination of Intelligence and Sensitivity and our hearts melt as we hear ’Ullam Azhuthathu..’.

The hearts begin to cry as ‘Kanneer Perugiyathe’ and the cascade of Janta Swaras are rendered in Akaaram.

The cascading phrases ’Ini Azha Valuvillai’ following ‘Uyire..Uyirin Uyire’ are examples of smooth flow of Improvisation.The phrases use alternate Swaras-saga ,rima, gapa, madha, rima, gapa,madha, pani,dhaSa, madha,pani,dhaSa,niRi-Mark of a Genius!

This composition has a distinctive flavour that lingers on.

This composition stirs us with resounding refrain.

This composition is pregnant with emotions.

‘Swaram Paadi Sirithai..Sirippale Erithaai..
Madi Meethu Marithen Maru Janmam Koduthaai’.

‘You laughed composing and singing Swaras.
I died on your lap. You gave me a new Life!’

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