Echoes of the Maestro – Song 30 – Janani Janani

Despite being an atheist and not particularly spiritual, this song evokes emotions that are hard to describe. I don’t know if it’s the music, the lyrics, or Illayaraja’s voice that does it. I stumbled upon this song randomly a decade ago, and it has been one of my favorites since then

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 29 – Thaalaattu

Achchani was released in 1978 and directed by Karaikudi Narayanan and the story is based on Narayanan’s Stage play of the same name. A couple of songs are very famous in this album and I’m pretty sure you must have come across this song too. However, this is the first time I’ve listened to it.

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 28 – Anaadhai Endru

Yet another song from Sethupathi IPS. The original song lasts for 4 minutes, but in the movie, it plays for just about 2 minutes. P. Vasu initially had Sathyaraj in mind when writing this story, possibly because of their previous collaboration in the movie “Walter Vetrivel”, where Sathyaraj played the titular role

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 27 – Oru Naal Unnodu Oru Naal

Oru Naal Unnodu oru Naal is the song from Uravaadum Nenjam directed by Devaraj – Mohan. This movie is based on the stage play Vilimbu by Shanmugapiriyan. He also wrote the screenplay for this movie.

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 26 – Vaanathu Poonkili

Jency Gregory has one of the unique voices and most of her songs in Tamil were composed by Illayaraja. You might have heard her voice but might not have known her by name. Some of her most famous songs include En Uyir Neethaney from Priya, Namthana Thamthana Thaalam Varum from Puthiya Vaarpugal, En Vaaniley from Jhonny, Kaathal Ooviyam from Alaigal Oivathillai to name a few.

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 25 – Vaazhkkai Odam Sella

When discussing the Tamil Film Industry, one cannot overlook Aval Appadithaan. This film was far ahead of its time and still holds a Cult Classic status. The film’s themes remain relevant even today, Simply put, as a society, we have not progressed and still treat women as mere objects instead of human beings.

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 24 – Adi Raja Ponnu

“Orey Muththam,” directed by C.A. Mugilan, is his only directorial movie. Unfortunately, this movie was a big box office flop. If you’re lucky, you might find a poor-quality print of this movie on YouTube. I haven’t seen the movie, but the biggest saving grace is Illayaraja’s songs.

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 23 – Mazhalai Endrum Maaradhu

Mazhalai Endrum Maaradha is featured in the Sethupathi IPS movie. The entire album itself is a gem, but Saathu Nada Saathu overshadowed all of them. I still remember watching this film in theaters, closing my eyes, and waiting for the boy to meet Sethupathi IPS during that song sequence. 

Echoes of the Maestro – Song 22 – Thenil Aadum Roja

Thenil Aadum Roja is an absolute delight, capturing the essence of a mother serenading her child. P. Susheela Amma’s graceful rendition brings out the beauty of Panchu Arunachalam’s poetic lyrics. I’m not sure if it was widely popular at the time, but listening to this song with closed eyes invokes a profound sense of peace and tranquility.