How Ilaiyaraaja's music and the city's sounds are inspiring this Mumbaikar to create his new mixtape

Ganesh Murthi works on his mixtape on a local train. Pic Courtesy/@C4GeMusic

Music aficionados have admired the genius of his composition, and composers have envied it. But for millions of Tamil-speaking migrants across Mumbai, composer Ilaiyaraaja's tunes carry within them a familiar memory. Ganesh Murthi knows it. "Whether it is folk, pop, disco, synth, or classical, you will find it there," the music-producer says. Currently, he is working on a mixtape that adds a very Mumbai-spin to these melodious compositions.

Back to the roots

Ilaiyaraaja. Pic Courtesy/@ilaiyaraaja_offcl

The city is very much a part of the story, he insists. "I lived in Ambedkar Nagar in Kalina for 15 years of my life. I grew up around the Tamil community, and most of them worked hard jobs. Every night, they would gather to sing Ilaiyaraaja songs," shares Murthi, now a lecturer at Abbey Road Institute Mumbai. Murthi's mother, who also worked odd jobs, would often turn to these songs routinely during chores. "As a child, I didn't follow the lyrics. But the rhythms drew me in," he admits.

An illustration for the first mixtape in January by @kunal.png. Pics Courtesy/@c4ge

The percussionist has come a long way from playing drums at Ganesh pandals to being listed on TOTO Arts with his crew Khabardaar, and the underground dubstep group GAKS, but he still returns to the streets. "It started because we could not afford a studio. I had this MX mixer that allowed us to record a sample and chop it up on the move. We would just set up anywhere we could find space," the 26-year-old says.

Going local

He started the Ilaiyaraaja half-timed mixtape samples two years ago. Tamil songs like Nilave Vaa, Ilaya Nila, or Kiliye Kiliye - now viral on Instagram as a Reel accompaniment - acquire an added bite with jungle drums. "I could also create rhythms from more traditional instruments like the parai," he reveals. If you had been walking down Khar station on a late-night last week, you would have spotted him at work. Another evening, he turned his commute to Churchgate in a fast local into a recording session.

"The rhythms are a part of the city. Sometimes it is needed, and I adapt it into the track," he says. What do the local commuters make of it? "My headphones shut out sounds, so I am lost in my own world at times," he chuckles.

With one part of the mixtape already out, Murthi is already planning for the next. "Growing up, I can understand why people turn to music as relief or an escape from their daily lives. The next mixtape will probably look at a more electronic and funk treatment. We will keep an ear open on our next train commute. Maybe, we will recognise a familiar tune.

Log on to: C4GE on Spotify; Bandcamp