Veteran Music Composer Raj Passes Away
The music industry mourns the loss of Raj, one half of the renowned Raj-Koti music composer duo. Raj, whose original name was Thotakura Somaraju, passed away earlier today, leaving a deep shock within the music fraternity.
Raj-Koti, along with other prominent South Indian composers, had the privilege of working with AR Rahman as their keyboard programmer for eight years. Rahman, who considered Raj and Koti as his brothers, expressed his heartfelt condolences on the untimely demise of Raj.
Known for his exceptional orchestration skills and conducting the music, Raj's contribution was revealed by Koti, who emphasized that they shared equal credit for every composition. Together, Raj and Koti composed music for approximately 180 films, with an astounding collection of over 3,000 songs. Renowned singers SP Balasubrahmanyam and KS Chithra lent their melodious voices to around 2,500 of these songs.
Their musical prowess earned them the prestigious Nandi Award for Best Music Director in 1994 for the film "Hello Brother," starring Nagarjuna. Despite parting ways, the duo had plans to reunite and revive the Raj-Koti brand, as they announced in a television interview. Unfortunately, these plans did not materialize, and the reasons for their failure remain unknown. Following the separation, Koti continued his journey as a composer, crafting background scores for over 300 films.
The Telugu film industry, fondly known as Tollywood, is deeply saddened by the loss of Raj. Details regarding his passing are still awaited. Numerous music composers, singers, film directors, and actors have expressed their profound grief over this irreplaceable loss.