Ilaiyaraaja

“The challenge for a good musician is to bring out compositions that seem fresh to the listener, even if the listener has heard the song or the composition before.”

“Do you know it took me 27 years to understand the C major chord on the piano?”

“Art is a unifying language for all of us from across the world, and it transcends boundaries.”

“Music should come from the heart. It should happen. That should be automatic, and if you labour on creating music, it will not have soul.”

“Some people love money, and some people love other things. I love music, and we are all lovers.”

“To me, music is more like a spiritual seeking that takes one to unknown levels.”

“Everyone's music is made of their own life experiences.”

“My parents were simpletons. Everyday living was a big thing in that small village where I was born. They had no clue about music.”

“Your understanding of music depends on your capacity to perceive it.”

“In India, most people are not aware or are unconcerned about copyright laws. This has proved disastrous for the music fraternity.”

“To me, music is that which connects human hearts. It is something that takes you to unknown levels.”

“Composing is an emotional thing.”

“Branding music as 'for the youth' is only an escapist tendency. Preference in music is only about restrictions of the mind.”

“The performance of a music director should be judged in a holistic manner, which includes songs as well as background score.”

“Many great composers have died in poverty. I have not faced hardships, like having to struggle for food, thanks to reasonable producers.”

“Sometimes, entire songs are ready in just about five minutes.”

“Can someone do music for 24 hours at a stretch and never get tired? It's me. Because I don't 'work'. I enjoy what am doing. It's not like a regular job.”

“Anyone who holds a pen these days thinks he or she is a poet.”

“When directors tell me they want a song like one, I tell them no song should be like another. I don't listen to directors.”

“Only I hold the right to all my songs.”