The 79-year-old artiste will be backed by a fifty-member ensemble. Photo: ART CHEN/The Star
After more than two years of waiting, fans Illaiyaraaja are excited to welcome him back to Malaysia as the Indian artiste promises a "one of a kind" musical extravaganza tomorrow (Oct 1).
“Without a doubt, this concert will be a never-before-seen experience for the fans," the 79-year-old singer told media yesterday (Sept 29). His Oct 1 concert will held at the Mitec (Malaysian International Trade & Exhibition Centre) in Kuala Lumpur.
Initially, the concert was scheduled to be held on March 2020, however, it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It was very unfortunate to postpone and reschedule the previous concert. Though it was inevitable and no one to be blamed, it was a concert which was organised especially just for my Malaysian fans,” he said adding that once it was possible to stage live shows, he made sure that he kept his promise to his fans here to come back to Malaysia.
With a 50-member ensemble, the four-hour long concert will also feature other artistes such as SPB Charan (son of the late SP Balasubrahmanyam), Mano, Yugendran Vasudevan, Karthik, Shweta Mohan, Mukesh, Madhu Balakrishnan and Anitha Karthigeyan
“Almost all the songs that will be performed at the concert are familiar and well-known among the fans. Though the songs are nothing new, no matter how many times you listen to them, they leave you wanting for more. These songs will forever remain evergreen,” he said.
In a career spanning over four decades, Ilaiyaraaja has scored music for more than 1,000 feature films. He has also composed over 7,000 songs to date. Some of his popular works include Sundari, Machana Pathingala and Metti Oli Kaatrodu.
