@Basil P Pathrose

One of the most influential musicians in Indian film history, Ilaiyaraaja is the only artist to have scored over 1,000 films. The multitalented musician won four Indian National Film Awards by fusing traditional Indian instruments with full symphony orchestration. The result is an unmatched level of artistry, particularly for background scoring, though he branched out into other genres after the turn of the century. His most iconic work features in our collection of his career highlights.

Tamil film composer Santhosh Narayanan got his start working as an assistant to A. R. Rahman, but he planted his flag as an absolute original in 2012 with his debut film score to Attakathi. The secret to that score's success was something called gaana, a hard-edged genre from Chennai's slums that added grit and streetwise swagger to the glossy status quo. Narayanan went on to win awards for his work in Soodhu Kavvum and Jigarthanda. Our collection of his most diverse work offers a glimpse of his creativity and innovation.

It’s not a Tamil wedding until the nadaswaram bellows out or percussive instruments such as the thavil and mridangam add energising beats to the ceremony. In addition, pop and film soundtrack tunes go beyond the traditional, adding a modern flavour to the celebration of love and togetherness. This playlist includes many much-adored songs that seem just made for a fairy-tale kalyanam.

Break out your best dance moves—we’ve lined up a genre-bending array of carefully curated Tamil earworms designed to get you swaying. Traditional instrumentation meets modern-day electronic sounds in the latest scintillating Tamil releases, updated weekly—f you like what you hear, add it to your library.

Harris Jayaraj pushed himself to accomplish at the highest levels from an early age. His father—a guitarist and composer—began his Carnatic training when Jayaraj was just six. After scoring the highest marks in Asia for his 4th grade exam at Trinity College of Music in London, he launched a stellar music career as a guitarist, and A. R. Rahman and Mani Sharma came knocking. Jayaraj debuted as a composer with Minnale, winning a Filmfare Award for Best Music Director and achieving an even more impressive feat: ending Rahman's nine-year-long winning streak.

Take a trip back to when maestros like A.R. Rahman were earning their stripes, pioneering in Tamil songs that took folk and traditional music and blended it with rock, hip-hop and electronic sounds. These hits took listeners into a new musical world that still inspires with its lyrical and sonic diversity.

Legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja is inseparable from ’80s Tamil music. Hailed as a genius, many of his film songs from the era found acclaim, aided by powerhouse singers such as S. Janaki, K. J. Yesudas and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. Romantic, patriotic and influenced by music of the West, these songs—and those inspired by them—soon became an unforgettable soundtrack to life in Tamil Nadu.

Talk about pressure. When you’re the son of the most acclaimed composer in South Indian film music, the bar is set high—but this wild talent is more than up to the task. In-demand composer Yuvan Shankar Raja has delivered hit after hit in a range of South Indian languages. So we felt that fans of his Tamil songs deserved a special playlist all their own. Our in-depth collection features Yuvi’s most innovative compositions in Tamil.