CONTENTS
OF THIS SECTION
Last updated
06/03/06

The Orchestra

Total time : 64:10.

1. Poovaar Senni Mannan - Ilayaraja
2. Pollaa Vinayen - Ilayaraja, Roy Harcourt
3. Pooerukonum Purantharanum - Ilayaraja, Bavatharini
4. Umbarkatkarasaey - Ilayaraja
5. Muthu Natramam - Unnikrishnan, Madhu Balakrishnan, Vijay Jesudas, Manjari, Asha, Gayathri & Chorus
6. Puttril Vazh Aravaun Anjen - Ilayaraja

 "The 60-minute rendition of the Tamil literary classic, Thiruvasagam, has been produced by a non-profit organisation called Tamil Maiyam. .. The album has six songs including a unique 18-minute composition that alternates between Tamil and English lyrics, sung in choral style.

Thiruvasagam has the voices of Ilayaraja, his daughter Bavatharini and Benny Diggs. Over 300 musicians, including 140 instrumentalists and 60 chorus singers were involved in making this album.

Ilayaraja has not taken any remuneration to produce the album, but holds 50 per cent of its rights. The other 50 per cent is with Tamil Maiyam.

The total cost of the project is Rs 1.4 crore, of which 70 per cent funding has come through high cost debt. A total of Rs 1.1 crore has been spent on production.

Tamil Maiyam is seeking to mobilise funds (primarily to repay loans) through sponsorships and sales in the domestic and international markets. A part of the surplus fund will be used to execute similar projects. .."

Mannikkavasagar's Thiruvasagam
மாணிக்க வாசகர் அருளிய
- திருவாசகம்

Ilayaraja's 'Thiruvasakam in Symphony' on CD
- Major Project by Tamil Maiyam  -  a non-profit organization that works to promote Tamil Arts, Literature and Culture, with special thrust on Research. 

"....The dream project of 'Tamil Maiyam', an initiative of Fr Jasper Gaspar Raj and his team in Chennai - a musical rendering of Manickavasagar's verses - will finally hit the airwaves from June 30.The massive international project, which is estimated to have cost over Rs 70 lakh, looks forward to international support in a bid to at least partially recover the investment. Ilayaraja's work in the project has been truly inspirational and monumental, according to Fr Jasper and those associated with the work globally.

The Budapest Symphony Orchestra has showered praise on the maestro. Another global celebrity who has singled out Ilayaraja's work is Oscar award winner, Stephen Schwartz, America's most celebrated opera play writer, who has written a letter to Fr Jaspar about 'Thiruvaasagam in Symphony':

"Last night, at Sony studios in New York City, I had the pleasure of hearing the almost finished mix of Ilayaraaja's amazing work. It is unlike anything I've ever heard before, a stunning blend of Indian and western music and instruments. I asked Mr Raja if this was something different for him too, and he said he had never done anything like this piece before. I don't know if anyone has. So I believe those of you looking forward to this are in for a great treat. The section to which I contributed English words is about twenty minutes long and dovetails back and forth between Mr Raja singing in Tamil and an American singer singing in English, plus there is a large and beautifully produced chorus. Mr Raja's orchestrations are superb, and the recording engineer, Richard King, has done a spectacular job sonically. I felt so very proud to be a small part of this project."

The songs have been rendered by Ilayaraja and Bhavatharini, his daughter, among others."

Ilayaraja's Thiruvasagam -a symphony based on Manickavasagar's Tamil verses on CD

"...My aim was not to provide a new dimension to the Tamil epic or to try and display my talents as a musician. I  wanted to take such treasures like Thiruvasagam to the younger generation, and make them aware of the rich traditions and culture in Tamil Nadu. ..We have a responsibility to tell the youth in a way they can understand about the greatness of literary and religious masterpieces like Thiruvasagam. I have merely attempted to take this to the youth...There will always be people who will question why these verses have been rendered in the album this way. However, I am not trying to say that this is the only way to sing them or that this is the way to sing them. I have done something to make the youth aware of the treasures that we have, that are lying unused and unsung right in front of us.."

Ilayaraja and Sivapuranam

" Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar-Award winning playwright of US, is full of praise for Ilayaraja's Thiruvasakam in symphony, the album which is now ready for release on April 14, 2005. Schwartz had done the translation of Sivapuranam into English."
 

Tamil Maiyam

The music has kindled people's interest in Tamil literature