Ilaiyaraaja joined Dhanraj Master as a student to learn musical instruments and the master renamed and called him just "Raaja". When he joined school his father changed his name to "Rajaiya", but his village people used to call him "Raasayya".
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Ilaiyaraaja was born as Gnanathesigan, in a Dalit family, belonging to Pannaipuram of present-day Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India in 1943.
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He was one of the earliest Indian film composers to use Western classical music harmonies and string arrangements in Tamil film music, and the first South Asian to compose a full symphony.
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In 1986, he was the first Indian composer to record film songs through computer for Tamil films for Vikram. He is known for integrating Indian folk music and traditional Indian instrumentation with western classical music techniques.
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Ilaiyaraaja is nicknamed "Isaignani" (musical genius) and is often referred to as " Maestro", by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London, amongst others. He has composed more than 7,000 songs, provided film scores for more than 1,400 movies and performed in more than 20,000 concerts. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian music composers, he is often credited for introducing Western musical sensibilities in the South Indian film musical mainstream. Gnanathesikan (born 2 June 1943), known as Ilaiyaraaja, is an Indian film composer, conductor-arranger, singer and lyricist who works in the Indian film industry, predominantly in Tamil.