THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Music maestro Ilayaraja is credited for bringing several new faces to the music industry. The new entrant to the long list is Ann Benson, a Class VII student of Christ Nagar school, Kowdiar.
Daughter of singer Lakshmi Rangan and sound engineer and singer L J Benson, Ann, was hand picked by Ilayaraja when he heard her song, through Sasikumar, who had played background score while she sang for 'Sun Singer', a popular musical programme in Tamil Nadu.
It was Sasikumar who informed Ilayaraja and told Ann's parents that she will be called for an audition by the musician. However, Lakshmi and Benson were in disbelief until they received a call to meet the maestro at his studio in Chennai.
Lakshmi says, "I cried out of happiness when Ann sang a song for which Raja sir himself provided the score. However, he left after her performance and a picture, and we assumed he was unhappy. But after two hours, a call from his office asked Ann to be prepared. She was to sing for the 76th birthday celebrations of Raja sir on June 2. His manager informed us that she had surpassed his expectations."
Whilst the birthday invitation focused on singer S P Balasubramaniam and Ilayaraja himself, the programme invite also contained the lines - A child prodigy who will scale the heights of music, will be introduced. The performances included those of K J Yesudas, Usha Uthup and Bombay Jayasree. Ann rendered the song 'Azahaku Malarada' which was originally sung by S Janaki in the movie ‘Vaidehi Kathirunnal’.
A total of 100 musicians played the accompaniment among which 25 were foreign artists, a rare feat for a 12-year-old.
"I was uneasy when I couldn't find my notation stand on stage. However, Raja sir immediately sensed my plight and pushed his stand across. I sang my heart out and this will remain as an unforgettable moment," says Ann.