From
Chennai On Line, 1 July 2005
"....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.
Budapest Symphony Orchestra
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."
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