A day after headlining music maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s achievement of getting a Padma Vibhushan as “Dalit outreach with Ilaiyaraaja’s Padma” and facing all-round flak for it, The New Indian Express has issued an apology.
In its 27 January edition, the paper put out its apology, stating, “We apologise for a headline in our edition, dated 26 January, regarding music maestro, Mr Ilaiyaraaja, being awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in the country. We wish to clarify that we did not mean to diminish his stature by any means.”
“Mr Ilaiyaraaja is universally acclaimed for his singular achievements in the field of music and the recognition given to him is entirely on this account and no other factor. We deeply regret the wrong message the headline has conveyed.”
Soon after the paper published the headline in its 26 January edition, it was met with angry responses from readers.
Ilaiyaraaja has composed more than 6,500 songs, provided film scores for more than 1,000 films, and is a revered name in the music industry across the country.
He integrated folk – in Tamil – and introduced western musical sensibilities into the South Indian musical mainstream. Ilaiyaraaja is also known for creating music by fusing symphonic orchestration with traditional Indian instrumentation, often performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra.
In 1993, he became the first Indian to organise a full symphony performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. Ravi Shankar is the only other Indian to do so.
He is also the first Asian to compose a full symphony performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has five Indian National Film Awards; three for Best Music Direction and two for Best Background Score credited to his name.
(With inputs from The News Minute)
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