The traveling tunes of Ilayaraja

I’ve never listened to all the Ilayaraja songs completely. I don’t have a dedicated playlist of his songs on my phone or on my computer. But, I can identify almost all his famous songs. And, I love his music.

How’s that even possible! If you’re in Tamil Nadu, you’re constantly surrounded by his songs wherever you go – the private buses, tea shops, grocery stores, share autos, roadside restaurants, and posh stores (they play instrumental version of his songs). Even when you stop your car or bike at a signal, the chances of you hearing an Ilayaraja song playing from a tempo truck or a share auto is quite high.

Sometimes if I like a song, I travel along with the truck or the auto-rickshaw to listen to the song as much as I can.

The best part of Ilayaraja is you listen to his songs and become his fan without even knowing it. Your subconscious can tell the next note, interlude, and lyrics. It is pure magic.

And, one of the things I love about his songs is they seamlessly blend in with the ambiance of the place you’re in. In fact, the ambiance of the place takes his songs to a whole new level. Your fondest memory of listening to your favorite Ilayaraja song might not be at home. It would be in a bus stand, tea shop, or a small Tiffen center.

For some reason, his songs sound best when it comes from somewhere else. Sometimes every shop on a street would’ve tuned in to the same radio station, and you can hear a complete song as you walk along the length of the market. Those are moments of coincidence I feel grateful for…

With the pandemic, the thing I miss the most is hearing Ilayaraja songs the way it were meant to be heard. I hope I get to drive along an old Eicher Truck on a sunny day, enjoying a melodious Ilayaraja number playing from the truck’s cheap speaker system. And, that day is not far.