Worst Criticism on Thiruvasakam Album

I don’t know why some cynics like X and Y, when writing about IR’s music in Thiruvasakam album, talk and complain more about everything else except music. They talk about the big budget, the producer, the public fund, IR’s ego, the way it was promoted and marketed, IR’s film music, about Thiruvasakam and Manickavasagar, about its religious meaning, about everything else except its music.

The reason is mainly because these people don’t have ears for good music. It is not that they are worried about adulteration of Indian classical music. It is that they don’t know anything about either form of music and as a result they couldn’t appreciate a good collaborative effort like this. Their argument about the other issues related to the album may even be true which I don’t mind but when they say that the music is bad, it truly shows their ignorance in the music form to which this album belongs.

I do sometimes feel that IR is an egoistic person but such a feeling doesn’t stop me from enjoying his music. Some stupid are complaining that Illayaraja has used Thiruvasakam for his tunes and has not composed music for Thiruvasakam. For that they claim that IR’s introduction speech in the start of “Putril vazh” song itself is the proof. I wonder whether there guys heard “Polla Vinayaen”. I can’t imagine how blindly they have criticized the music and has published it openly without any hesitation. Is it possible to compose a tune like that of “Valvinayaen thannai” and use the verses from some literature to fit it in the tune? Or is it possible to compose the tune of “Umbarakatkarasey” without the verses. One of the great aspects of this album is that the verses are given prominence and tune is set aptly underlying the theme and the notes truly carries the emotion that it intends to evoke. And even worse is the statement comparing this oratorio to other Tamil Devotional albums of L.R.Eswari, Iyyapan albums etc., clearly shows how extremely ignorant in music and myopic these people are.

Another gentle man has commented on Illayaraja’s voice. Illayaraja’s voice is what that gives a unique divine sound to the music. I never get angry easily but this statement took me to my extreme limit. Is he sure about what he is talking? Can anyone think of “Janani Janani” song without IR’s voice? He says that he could visualize only Raj kiran and Ramarajan while listening to Illayaraja’s voice and that clearly shows how pathetic his music taste is and myopic a person he is. Do anyone of us ever have had such a visualization while listening to “Thamae thamakku sutramum” and “Masatra sothi”.

I know understood why Illayaraja didn’t release his First Symphony he composed for London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.