Tribute to the maestro. Review on Musical Instruments in General

It's after a long time that I've got a topic on my favourite Indian composer - Ilayaraja.  This time, it's going to be a general write-up about the way he handles different instruments. So this may not be high on the useful quotient if you're looking for something to help you buy an album. But I hope Ilayaraja fans will find my review interesting.     We're  now in 2006, exactly 30 years since Ilayaraja debuted with Annakilli. In these 30 years, he has demonstrated styles of using Indian and Western instruments nobody in India had then thought possible. He has completely transformed Tamil film music and created a benchmark which other music directors, including himself in his autumn years, have found well nigh impossible to match.    I could go on and on about the nuances of Ilayaraja's unique style - be it the influence of Carnatic raagas, his symmetrical tune construction, the scales he selects for the singers and so on. But I'll concentrate on what all will agree is the most fascinating aspect of his music - the orchestration. I am going to describe, to the best of my ability and within the confines of my limited musical knowledge, the wonders Raja has worked with different instruments. 1.Guitar: A not-too-publicised achievement of Raja is that he won a gold medal in the Trinity college exam for outstanding performance in classical guitar. This set him apart from his predecessors in Tamil and Hindi music. While many music directors casually learnt the guitar, Raja was the first to become extremely adept at not just playing it, but using various techniques of handling the guitar.  His achievements in the guitar can be divided into three categories: acoustic guitar, electric guitar and bass guitar. Acoustic guitar: Acoustic guitar was used profusely in both Hindi and Tamil music at the time Raja entered the scene. But Raja introduced a whole new way of handling it. Till then, the acoustic guitar was used mainly as an accompanying instrument with a few lead bars here and there in the interludes. But Raja made the acoustic guitar the star of many songs with his ability to produce beautiful patterns time and again. He brought out its amazing versatility by using it in a multitude of tempos and moods. He managed to induce a very Carnatic slant from the acoustic guitar in Poovadai Kaatru. For the first time ever in Indian music, he demonstrated the jamming potential of the acoustic guitar in Ilaya Nilaa with the rapid strumming in the second interlude. And - this he achieved in other instruments too - he made it possible to express very poignant emotions with the acoustic guitar. Particularly, the pathos interludes in Edhedho from Punnagai Mannan and Thullieyundhadhu Paatu are very moving.  He demonstrated that an instrument should not be used just to add beauty or for the sake of variety, it should express a thousand words with each note. Electric guitar: Ilayaraja worked wonders with the electric guitar, using a very fluid sound similar to that of rock musicians. Even more fascinating is the fact that the first time he used the electric guitar in this fashion was in a folk song - Bhoopaalam, where in the first interlude a very New Age electric guitar passage which still blends perfectly with the rural soundscape is slipped in.  He tweaked it to play Carnatic notes marvellously in Pottu Vaicha Malligai Mottu from Manvasanai. The very rock-oriented passage from En Iniya Pon is absolutely surreal. But my favourite electric guitar passage is the second interlude in Paadu Nilaave. It's a very simple passage, but with a beautiful alteration of the notes, Raja changes the mood from full-blown happiness to heart-beaking sadness. Other songs with brilliant electric guitar interludes are: Raja Raja Cholan, Mannil Intha Kaadhal, Seer Kondu Vaa and Idhu Oru Ponmalai Pozhuthu. Bass guitar: Bass guitar in Indian music didn't exist before Ilayaraja. Plain and simple. Must listen songs: Rojavai Thalaatum Thendral, Chinna Chinna Vanna Kuyil, Oru Poongavanam and Ninu Korri Varnam. 2. Sarangi: Generally use of sarangi in Tamil music is credited to A R Rahman. The truth is that Raja had used the instrument in many, many songs even before Roja happened. He used it in its traditional North Indian setting in Naadham En Jeevane and also in a very Westernised atmosphere in Oru Iniya Manadhu. There is also the soulful passage in the 1st interlude of Indha Oomai Nenjin from Anada Kummi, which brings to mind Uyire from Bombay. Of course, the former song predated the latter by at least 10 years. 3.Flute: Again, an instrument commonly used in Indian music, to which Raja added new dimensions. He tapped its flexibility and soothing tone to great effect. Raja's mastery over both Western and Carnatic music is very evident in his use of the flute. Pure Carnatic passages like in Inraikku Yen Intha Anandame and Westernised passages as in Oh Butterfly - you can't choose between the two. Raja developed such a distinctive technique of using the flute that you could spot a Raja flute passage in your sleep and I'm serious. One song with brilliant flute passages: Povoma Oorvalam. 4.Violin: Pretty much the same story as the flute. Raja has used violin in grand troops, solo Western, solo Carnatic  and even solo Hindustani in Poove Sempoove. Again, the violin has been a favourite instrument of Indian composers for a long time. It's just that Raja always communicates so much more with his violin instruments. It's not something that can be put down in words, it has to be experienced. Ananda Raagam, Nilaave Vaa, more recently, Elangathu Veesuthe and many others of his 2000-plus songs have superb violin interludes. 5.Drums: Raja did amazing things with the tabla and the mridangam as well, but here I'll only deal with the drums. Before Raja's time, a set of a few rhythmic patterns were used in rotation in Indian music. Raja revolutionised percussions in India, virtually creating poetry with his use of the drums. Today, Rahman is the undoubted Rhythm King, but Raja laid the platform for Rahman's furious innovations. He showed that it was possible to use different patterns in the same beat to fit the rhythm section with the song better. He pioneered the muting of drums within interludes or stanzas for emotional effect. He was the first to use an octopad. If I'm not wrong, it was first heard in Raathiriyil Poothirikum back in 1983. The first time a typical rap beat was used in any Indian song was - no, not Chikku Bukku - Pottu Vaitha Kaadhal Thitham from Singaravelan in 1991.       I've not talked about the saxophone, the trumpet, the harmonium, the veena and many other instruments that Raja revolutionised.  But there's the word limit to be taken care of. In case you don't understand what the fuss about different instruments and interludes is all about, all I can say, only a fellow Raja devotee would understand and I know there are many of them on this site!