IlayaRaja's New Albums 2013-15 - Mahendran film/Thaarai thappattai/Mythri

[kameshratnam]

Message to all ILAYARAAJA FANS across the globe: This is an interview which he has given in a telugu tv channel last week: Recent one. thanks to Kamal Aakarsh Vishnubhotla

Q1: Do you have plans to publish your scoresheets for the benefit of people who want to play your music in orchestras because it is a bundle of treasure?
Answer: why should I do it? you should do it. Will you do it?

Q2: You had plans to open a music school, what happened?
Answer: I am unable to get funds. Who will come forward? Will you fund it? tell me, are you ready? (the journo's face turned pale, because raaja was asking her repeatedly)

Q3: Don't you want to release your previous songs in remastered versions, in good quality so that we all can enjoy them?
Answer: why should I do that? things of past and things of past. why should I do that thing again today, when I can give something new?

Can anyone give me INR 1 crore? I will go to him and ask him to release "Moods of Ilayaraaja" which has been kept unreleased for the past 10-12 years and many more instrumental albums which he has done but not released?

[Gregorysab]

That interview video was posted on this forum Kamesh!

[Gregorysab]

What is Moods of Ilaiyaraaja? An instrumental album? did he really do many more instrumental albums?

Then agimusic can try right!

[kameshratnam]

What is Moods of Ilaiyaraaja? An instrumental album? did he really do many more instrumental albums?

Then agimusic can try right!

Yes, It is an instrumental album. He has not released it due to many reasons

[Gregorysab]

Is it a standalone instrumental album, like HTNI & NBW or is it a collection of BGMs like Music Messiah?

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

Q2: You had plans to open a music school, what happened?
Answer: I am unable to get funds. Who will come forward? Will you fund it? tell me, are you ready? (the journo's face turned pale, because raaja was asking her repeatedly)

THe initial plan was announced with Mohanbabu, the place was Tirupati AP. now this question too is from Telugu channel. Manavaadus Let alone constructing this in TN, our damned reporters won't even ask this question. Instead, ethai kettaa vambu news ezhuthalaamo, athai marakkaama keppaanga! Shameful, tasteless guys

[Sureshs65]

SKV,

But the master is very clear. He is not a teacher, his heart is not in teaching. He wants to compose and compose and compose. So the more movies he does the more gems we will get.

[karlkalyan]

heard from a cine industry person long time ago(in late 90's), that a sound engineer named "Emy" who worked in "Kaaki chattai" time had good sound sense, but our man had some problems with him and thorathi vittutaar. I remember I saw Emy's name in the movies was in "Roja" titles. any on know about him?

yes, Emy was a great guy. In Prasad Deleuxe, there was SP Ramanathan and Emy was also there with him. Later on when both of them left, there was Pandurangan.

Emy now is a very busy consultant advising and executing studio setup for corporates and individuals. In fact, he was the one who set up the AM studios for ARR.

Very knowledgeable and efficient guy. And also very independent guy. He will go for his lunch break and come back after a beer. Raaja knows that and can only chide him, that is all. Nothing else. They were that close.

In fact, Puru is another guy who still maintains the same level with Raja. Still today he will address him only as Raja and nothing else.

They will have rehearsal run and suddenly Raaja will stop and say "Puru, antha violin fourth bar la..." Puru will complete it with " Raja, you want fourth bar la , pause, and again two bars right? appo next flute bit la idikkum.......so I will keep it that way and cut at 3 ok Raja?

Their sync so perfect, during rehearsal, if Raja opens his mouth, then Puru will know what is it for.....?

[Gregorysab]

SKV,

But the master is very clear. He is not a teacher, his heart is not in teaching. He wants to compose and compose and compose. So the more movies he does the more gems we will get.

Exactly! I dont mind if he doesnt teach. A great composer need not be a great teacher. Can be. cannot be. we never know. At this point in life, he is better off composing instead of trying new things such as teaching which is a different ball-game altogether.

What I felt about the interview is that - there is no straight answer to anything . That was the immediate thought in my mind. A friend of mine, in the US, who is also a great fan of raaja, called me after watching that video on youtube and laughed a lot, saying (let me write it in telugu): "asalu dhenikeee sarigggaa straightgaa cheppadenti raa! annitikee vankaragaa thirigi reverse questions ae aduguthaadu kaanee.. dhenikee straightgaa cheppadu ento.. aayana best compose chesthoo undatame raa.. ivannee aayanatho kaavu".
I laughed, because i also felt exactly the same.
Anyway, he is made for music.

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

I don't think he dislikes teaching, or sharing his knowledge with younger generation(though it needs a qualification to learn from him). otherwise why at 1st place, whud he announce that music university in Tirupathi with Mohanbabu? I guess the expected funds did not happen. He cites the same funding issue for release of the album "Moods of illayaraja". Remember it took quite some time for him to get funds for thiruvaasagam album, till Tamil Mayyam came to fund that.

Remember some TN reporter asked him why he chose Tirupati, instead of Chennai/TN for the Music univ (mavane ithai ellaam vakkanayaa keLunga) and Raja responded saying " Inge thaan yaarukkum (isai mela) akkarai illaye?!"

The telugu interview proves that even he is keen in his scores getting published. But who will do it? Isn't it a monstrous job to digitize the whole content right? And i guess for many songs the score needs to be written from scratch! Someone with Crores of money, and same amount of Musical Interest, and a great heart to just spend away that money(assuming no returns!) is needed for that