Illayaraja is a music composer whom I didn’t listen to as a kid, but I couldn’t resist as an adult and can’t stop listening to it now. It took an open mind for someone like me, who grew up listening to the digital sounds of ARR. Over the years, I have admired the man for his compositions, the stories about him, and of course, the controversies. Despite what people say about him, he is fighting for every artist out there, and no one can question it.

I have always wanted to explore Illayaraja’s discography because he has composed music for over 1000 movies, with a whopping 8000+ songs, which is like an ocean; there is always something new to discover. I was fortunate to follow Sylvianism, who explored Illayaraja’s least popular or listened-to songs, opening a gateway for me to explore this man’s compositions. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading and listening to the 1000+ songs introduced to us by Sylvianism through his Projekt Illayaraja blog series.

I’m following in the footsteps of someone curious to listen to Illayaraja’s compositions from other Indian film industries. This will be like my journal entry where I share my observations and thoughts about a particular song and also invite readers to share your thoughts. I haven’t decided on a format yet, but I’m sure it will evolve. I plan to make it a daily ritual (except for Sundays) and I hope you’ll enjoy reading and listening to the songs of the Maestro along with my observations.

I wanted to start this series by discussing the debut album of the Maestro and one of his most famous songs, Machaana Paatheengala from the movie Annakili. It’s interesting to note that the producer of the film, Panchu Arunachalam, initially wanted a newcomer to compose the music for the film, and Illayaraja’s name was suggested. When Illayaraja met Panchu Arunachalam, the producer asked if he had composed any song for the film, and Illayaraja seems to have casually sung “Annakili Unna Theduthey” and “Machana Patheengala” using his harmonium. It is said that Panchu Arunachalam wrote the film’s screenplay based on the composed songs.

Machana Patheengala is unique for its time because it combines folk music with classical sounds, creating an interesting blend. The song starts with S. Janaki’s vocals, of Lalelalelalooo, followed by keyboard strums, and then repeats with variations. Then she goes on to sing En Machaanaa followed by a flute, singing Machaana Patheengalaa followed by a percussion mazhavaazha thoppukulla, and the percussion and the flute are joined by other musical instruments. The layering is beautiful, and this is the first time I’ve noticed such layering, so I’m really excited. Please excuse me if you already know about it.

The song transitions from the initial percussion to a thavil in the next segment, which seems harmonious and not out of place. The song starts at a fast pace, slows down in the Pallavi section, and then speeds up towards the end. It’s such an interesting composition.

Let me know what your experience was when you listened to this song and also suggest some other songs for me to explore.

Song – 1

Song: Machana Patheengala
Movie: Annakili
Singer: S. Janaki Amma
Lyricist: Panchu Arunachalam
Actors: Sivakumar, Sujatha, Srikanth, Thengai Srinivasan and many more
Director/s: Devaraj – Mohan