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Was Ilaiyaraaja right in preventing singer SP Balasubrahmanyam from singing his compositions? The music fraternity reacts!

Here's what they had to say about the whole issue

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Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam and composer Ilaiyaraaja have together delivered several hit songs in the South. The two have an association that spans over five decades. On more than one occasion during stage performances together, SPB has talked about the role played by the composer in making him what he is. So, all hell broke loose when last week the redoubtable singer posted a Facebook entry midway through his US concerts informing that Ilaiyaraaja had legally prevented him from singing the composer’s numbers on stage without the composer’s consent. This is an unheard-of move to gag a singer from exercising his creative rights over a song that he has sung. Many musicians in Bollywood chose to keep quiet out of respect for Ilaiyaraaja. However, we got a few from the fraternity to react on it...

Sanjay Tandon (Managing Director Indian Singers’ Rights Association): A song has copyright and is owned by owners.  These owners are the composer for the tune and the lyricist for the words. However, when the composer and lyricist gives it to a producer, the producer becomes the owner of the copyright of the song. Anyone who wants to use/exploit/perform a song needs a copyright license to do so. This license can be given by owner only. However, the composer and the lyricist are entitled to royalties whenever their songs are used/exploited/performed.

In the present case, the organiser should have taken a license from the Society in USA. Further, as per normal practise, Ilaiyaraaja would not be even owning all rights of his songs. That would need investigation. I have seen the notice and it does not specify which songs is he the owner of. We all need to understand that it’s the age of professionalism. No longer  should we all be emotional and think, ‘Oh, if we say something he will feel bad’, etc.

We all need to understand and respect each other’s rights and follow the requirements. I am sorry and saddened with this step of Ilayarajaji. It ought to have been handled professionally. If llayarajaji feels he is not getting appropriate royalties he should take up this matter with IPRS and should fight with IPRS and not singers.

Javed Akhtar: (Without commenting on the Ilaiyaraaja-SPB conflict) I became jobless as a lyricist because of my fight to get musicians their rights. Powerful producers like Karan Johar boycotted me. And the rest of the producers followed. I had no work and no means of an income. But I kept fighting. And now we’re very close to achieving that goal whereby musicians would get their dues. If my fight for the rights of fellow-musicians fructifies no lyricist, music composer or singer would ever have to worry about an income in his or her old age. Lataji was the first musician from the Indian film industry to raise the issue of royalties. She got no support. If she had been able to secure royalty rights whereby musicians get paid each time their song is played  in public Lataji would have been one of the three richest women in the world.  

Armaan Malik: Singers/performers are merely doing their job. The singers are not liable to seek permission from music composers. The event organisers of such tours or shows are supposed to have those legalities sorted out with PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd)  / IPRS(Indian Performing Rights Society).

Shantanu Moitra: A song is a collaboration between composer, lyricist and singer. I don’t know the legalities, but morally Bala sir should not be stopped if he sang the original song.

Anup Jalota: Legally Ilaiyaraajaji’s claim is valid. Morally it is valid only if there are personal differences between any composer and the singer.

Lalit Pandit: Only if Ilaiyaraajaji holds the rights of his music, can he do this.

Hariharan: It is not valid legally or morally. We are human beings and do commit mistakes. This is a classic example of it. It should be rectified.

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