Shubhaniyogamalle: Flashes of brilliance from Ilaiyaraja

Many Ilaiyaraja fans feel that he is not the same composer who used to churn out hit after hit, when he was at his peak. I agree with this point, but I would also like to say that he has achieved so much that he need not do anything now to prove himself. Nowadays a song that elicits a "wow" is quite hard to come by from Ilaiyaraja but sometimes he does display his genius thro' individual songs. One such song that made me say a big "WOW!!!" is a Malayalam song from a nondescript movie called SMS. If I am right this song is set in Keeravani raaga. It is supposed to be a devotional song but Ilaiyaraja does not make it sound too simple. It has a very melodious, addictive tune with splendid variations (which we have got used to from the maestro). The orchestration is very simple with strings & wonderful flute pieces creating a very soothing effect. Don't miss this song! Listen to it here.