New forms of music have arrived in music world in a big way. Musical forms like pop, rock, hip-hop, contemporary etc have become the preferred choice for many people especially youths. Even on a regional scale, music tastes have changed dramatically. Classical music is still there but the popularity has definitely diminished. Talking about tamil pop songs, it has yet to acquire the status of indipop. Even Hindi pop industry is much more popular than any regional pop industry. But slowly the winds of change can be seen across the landscape of Tamil Nadu. Youths in particular are going all guns for popular tamil pop songs.

Talking about Tamil pop songs, it is very much influenced from western genres like pop, rock, hip hop, reggae, beats, techno and metal etc. Very few Tamil composers or singers are retaining the traditional classical or folk songs. The main theme of these pop songs is dance beats that needs to be played in discos and clubs where younger ones love to dance. However one distinct change seen because of advent of pop songs is in quality of lyrics. It has definitely no more that melodious. There has been distinct improvement in quality of music because of technological advancements but lyrics have suffered a bit in return. Songs are forgotten easily and their longetivity is very much questionable. When one hears lyrics of older songs, they still remind us of golden era but new songs are lacking that touch.

Quite a good number of singers have made their mark in Tamil pop songs industry. Famous pop singers include, Ranjhani Iyer, L Shantha, Nallini Narayanan, Malgudi Subha, Swarnlatha, Ramesh Vinayagam, KArthik, Unni Menon etc. one can surf music websites for latest Tamil pop songs.

Tamil music is one of the most ancient and complex forms of music. Infact it’s rightly said that once a person learns the nuances of Carnatic music which is the classical Tamil music it’s very simple for him to follow other music styles and forms. Most of these Tamil songs, old or new, remix or classical Carnatic are available for free download in varying formats like mp3, real audio and wma.

Tamil music started off with the Classical Carnatic music. It was basically developed by the trinity of 3 saints called Thyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Shastrigal. Purandaradasar was another one of the pioneers of Carnatic music.

The initial Tamil movie songs were more classical oriented with devotional songs dominating the scene. Melody was a key element in all the songs. But over the years Tamil film music has kept pace with the changing times and the music has evolved from being melody oriented to being disco beat oriented. The music today has all the elements like hip hop, rap, disco beats, English lyrics infused within the songs which the young audience can identify with.

The Tamil movie songs lyrics are available online for free download. Popular Tamil carnatic singers include MS Subbulakhmi, Balamurali Krishna, TN Seshagopalan, Bombay Jayashree, Bombay sisters, Unnikrishnan, Yesudas to name a few. Popular composers over the years have been The M.S.Viswanathan-Ramamurthy duo who dominated the Tamil music industry in the 50’s and 60’s, V.Kumar and the duo of Shankar- Ganesh. Recently established composers are Mani Sharma, Ashwin Subramanium, D Imman, Bharathwaj, Bheema, Shrikanth Deva, Jayaram Pushparaj, GV Prakash, and others.

Be it folk songs, pop songs or even old songs the internet provides access to all kinds of songs and music that one wants to hear and download. Very few countries in the world could have a varied number of music and dance forms that India possesses. Each region or state has a dance and music form which is exclusive to that region. Tamil folk song is a folk style belonging to the state of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil folk music is like the ambrosia for ardent classical music lovers. Not only is the style of singing traditional but also the instruments used are also conventional. Most of these Tamil folk songs are also accompanied by dances like the Bharat Natyam which is indigenous to the state of Tamil Nadu. Thus these folk songs are more of a folk music dance style where the element of dance is as important as the music and the song itself. Some pieces of Tamil folk music can be easily downloaded. Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan and Pushpavanam Kuppuswamy are two recent musicians who have tried very hard indeed to revive the traditions of Tamil folk songs and music in the cities and tried to give the medium the exposure and attention that it rightfully deserves.

Though most of the folk songs have died down from the cities they are still sung in the rural areas and many Tamil film music directors are trying to incorporate the Tamil folk music in their songs. They often land up creating a fusion music of folk and modern styles which is unique to hear. This kind of music is widely available online for free.

Even within Tamil Nadu the different tribes of the hilly areas have their own different varied folk music styles.

India boasts of amazingly diverse culture. All four corners of india are unique in the sense of different range of music and dance forms flourished over there since centuries. The regional culture plays a major role in kind of music and dance developed. All the regions in India have their own exclusive music culture and each of them is appealing and unique. No form of music provides a better glance of the culture of the place than folk songs.  Folk music is nothing but traditional music of a particular region. The style used in the singing is very different or should we say, traditional in nature. The music instruments being used not at all contemporary. Traditional instruments give that extra charm to the folk music.

Tamil folk songs are very appealing to ears. It belongs to the state of Tamil Nadu. Tamil folk songs are often accompanied by classical dance like Bharat Natyam. This form of dance is indigenous to Tamil Nadu. In other words, Tamil folk songs combine best of songs and dance where both forms play equally important part. Modern music like pop, rock, film songs have slowly replaced folk songs from urban area but rural areas are still very fond of folk songs. In tune with retro fashion, many new movies are including folk songs in film music. One of the more popular trends is mixing new music with folk songs and thus creating amazing fusion music. Such music is getting widespread popularity.

Different types of popular Tamil folk music styles are pulayurs and talams. Different areas in the state have their own types of folk msic. In recent times, music celebrities have tried to revive the folk music tradition in big fashion. Musicians like Pushpavanam Kuppuswamy and Vijayalakashmi Navaneethakrishnan have contributed a lot in reemergence of Tamil folk songs.

With the advent of the Internet, music has gained a new momentum altogether. This is because; the internet provides the user with number of features with which he or she can download the song of their choice. Devotional songs, movie songs, classical songs, pop songs etc can be listened and downloaded through the internet.

Many people are fond of devotional music. It relaxes the mind and the heart. Devotional songs are sung in praise of the Lord. Some of the well known Tamil Devotional songs are  

108 Siva Naamam, Aandavan Aathma Aanmigam – Latha Rajnikanth, Ullam Uruguthaiyaa, Annamalayaar Mahimaii, Ayyappan Suprapatham, Azhagu – Suganya Bakthi Geethaamirtham, Bhakthi Shudar, Sree Veera Aanjanaya, Cholla Cholla Inikuthaiya, Theiva Pugazh Maalai, Durga Laxmi Saraswathy, Engal Thirumuraikal, Ganeshaya Nama, Hari Aum, Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam, Ishta Deivangal, Iyappan Songs, Jaya Jaya Sankari, Jodhi Vadivana Annamalai, Veda Shakthi, Kaalam Piranthathu Ayyappa, Kandha Shasti Kavacham, Kandhan Dharishanam,  Vinayaga Maalai, Kolaaru Thirupathikam, Lord Ayyappan, , Theivathin Avatharangal, Lord Muruga, Mannanalum. Mayooriyin Aanantha Ghanam, Mundhi Mundhi Vinaayagane, Namo Namo Sri Narayana, Om Ganapathy Om, Pallikaddu Sabari Malaiku, Saamy Saranam Ayyappa Saranam, Sai Songs, Sakalakala Valli Maalai, Saravana Geetha, Sarvam Shakthi Mayam, Shangarayanamaha, Shanmuga Mantram, Shri Venkatesam Shri Shrinivas, Vanthaal Mahalaxmiye, Sivaarppanam, Sivan Songs, Sri Krishna Isai Amudham, Sri Mahishasura Mardini, Srinivasha Narayana, Swamiye Ayyappa – Veeramani, Thirupugazh, Swamiye Ayyappa – Yesudas, Swamy Ayyappa Saranam Ayyappa, , Theivathamizh Theivamaiya, Thevaaram, Thiruppavai, etc.

Being a multilingual country, India has a great treasure of music and literature in different languages. One of treasured works that is compiled by a lot of renowned writers, music composers, lyricists and poets is Tamil music. With so many languages spoken in the country, each language has developed its own music and song sequences and has become a genre in itself. Tamil music is one of the most ancient and complex forms of music. To sing Tamil songs, one needs to learn the Hindustani Carnatic Classical style of music. It is said that once a person learns this style of music, other music styles become relatively easy.  

Some of the popular composers over of Tamil music industry have been M.S.Viswanathan-Ramamurthy who contributed significantly to the Tamil music industry in the 1950 and the 60’s, V.Kumar and Shankar- Ganesh who have also played a major role for the developmed of Tamil songs and music. Modern Tamil composers are Shrikanth Deva, Jayaram Pushparaj, GV Prakash, Mani Sharma, Ashwin Subramanium, D Imman, Bharathwaj, Bheema and many others.  Some of the other famous Tamil movie singers include KS Chitra, Mahalaxmi Iyer, S Janaki, Sailaja, Sadhna Sargam, P Susheela, Vani Jayaram and Vasundhara Das etc.  

As far as the pop music industry goes, the Tamil pop music has not yet gained momentum. However, Tamil pop music is becoming increasingly popular amongst the younger generation of the country.  We see a sharp increase in the demand of Tamil pop songs in the country.

The internet has helped to develop and promote Tamil songs mainly because they are available for free download. Western influence of music in Tamil songs can be seen in the recent years. British pop genres like rock and roll, hip hop, reggae, dance, techno, beats, R&B, metal, rap etc are seen in the Tamil pop music.  

Amidst this pop culture, the two main singers who have strived to keep up the tradition and the flavor of pop music are Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan and Pushpavanam Kuppuswamy. As far as the folk songs are concerned, they are not very popular in the urban areas but they are still sung in the rural areas. Many Tamil film music directors are now trying to incorporate the Tamil folk music in their songs so as to keep the rich tradition of Tamil music alive. 

Famous songs from the movie Kandhasamy featuring Vikram and Shriya are quite popular. The music is given by famous music director Devi Sri Prasad. Songs from the movie Mutthirai featuring Nithin Sathya, Daniel Balaji, Lakshmi Rai whose music is given by Yuvan Shankar Raja are also available for download. Latest movie Thoranai featuring Vishal and Shriya also has a good collection of songs. The music is given by Mani Sharma. Another famous movie whose music is appreciated amongst the youth of the country is Modhi Vilaiyadu. Most Tamil youths across the country seem to like the numbers from this movie. The music here is given by Colonial Cousins. Do download these songs and enjoy them at your leisure.

Tamil music lovers are so lucky that they need not waste their time and money behind collecting new music CDs anymore. The launch of online Tamil radio has changed the whole trend. A person can access the favourite song whenever needed without any time or money wastage. A broad variety of songs are listed and offered by the online radio. There are innumerable benefits with Tamil online radios compared to other song resources.

With the technical boom up, the Internet can be accessed on a 24/7 basis and thus, the musical choice is available at any time a person wishes. Almost all the songs in Tamil, from the traditional to new, the albums to movies and even devotional songs are available through these sites. As the radio does not charge any membership cost or any other fee for listening to the music, it gathers a huge audience every second. An individual may at a time select a number of stations from the Tamil online radio with finest choice of music.

Another advantage with this radio is that a person can access good quality songs without the interruption of any commercial ads. With a broadband Internet connection, the speed and quality will tremendously increase and thus the Tamil songs may seem to be even more comforting. The music lovers can access and listen to Tamil online radio stations, which are globally broadcasted. A person is free to choose the songs of Individual artists or any particular movies song without waiting for a long time.

A person may access the reviews on particular radios to obtain the exact idea and the quality it offers to the listeners. This is the best option to get into the finest radio that offers a wide variety of Tamil songs. Most of the sites are offering video clippings along with the song. This forms an added advantage.

All the famous top class Tamil movie music, the devotional music, the album songs, classical songs, semi classical songs and many other traditional songs can be accessed through this advanced technology. Access all these advantages simply with the help of an Internet connection and a laptop. Listen to the finest collection of Tamil music and the mind and body relaxed.

The Tamil music instruments are unique and offer the music with best background and attractiveness. Dance and music forms the heart and sole of Tamilnadu and thus, the instruments play the most important role in their culture. The main area where the musical instruments are widely created is in Tanjavur and this place is very popular for giving birth to many renowned musicians.

In Tamilnadu, the instruments are not classified with respect to the types but are categorized based on the event where it is played. For instance, in South India the instrument Nathaswaram is played in wedding ceremonies and religious festivals. Another instrument Kumbu is also connected with religious rituals. The most traditional instrument, the Silappadikaaram is widely used in this place in almost every occasion. Yaazh forms another traditional instrument in the form of fish, boat and crocodile. However, this instrument has vanished away with the advance of technologies.

The unavoidable traditional instruments used by Tamil artists were the Veena, the Thavil, the Tambura, the Mridungam, the Chenda, the Nathaswaram and the Ghatam. The percussion instruments are also very popular here. The Nagara makes a popular percussion Tamil musical instrument that is widely used in temples and has a hemispherical drum shape. The instrument is usually carried over a well-adorned elephant in between two large curve shaped sticks.

Damaram makes another percussion instrument that is very popular among Tamilians. It has conical shape supported with a wood shell and leather braces. It is usually practised on the top of bullocks and is played using a curved and a straight stick. Udukku is another traditional instrument widely used in temples and is recognized as a symbol of Shiva. Gummati, Ekkalam and Pambai are membra phonic instruments that are played in memorable occasions or religious functions.

All these traditional instruments are still practised in many parts of Tamilnadu. However, the technological advance and new trendy design have replaced these ancient instruments with newer forms of musical instruments. The new trendy keyboards and other instruments have taken over the whole Tamil film and music industry. However, the Tamil temple rituals are practiced with the old hand made musical instruments even these days.

Music is a God given gift, that is given to a very few people to make millions happy with their melodious singing. Not only it makes a person happy, but also it offers a soothing effect that may even help to cure health related problems. The Tamil film industry is booming up after music director, A.R Rehman won the Oscar with best original score for his music in Slumdog Millionaire. Apart from that, the melodious tunes, the catchy lines, the heart pounding beats, the good sound quality and the magnetizing voice make Tamil songs even more attractive.

There are a number of famous singers in Tamil industry. S.P Balasubramanium (SPB), Hariharan, Harini and Ilayaraja are some of the popular singers. SPB and Hariharan had also stamped their popularity in Bollywood. These singers not only have the capability of bringing emotions in their songs while singing but also have the power to attract audience with their mind-blowing performance.

Tamil actors like Kamal Hassan, Chilabarasan are also famous for their singing talents. Music director Ilayaraja has sung some hit songs such as Potri padadi in Devar Magan. A.R Rehman’s first solo was in the movie Bombay with the ever-new trendy song Andha Arabi Kadaloram followed by songs from Kadal Desam. Thereafter, A. R Rehman had shaken the industry with wonderful contributions.

A few famous singers from the Hindi film industry who have sung in Tamil movies are Asha Bhosle who has sung in Iruvar, Alaipayuthey and Chandramukhi. Another singer from bollywood is Adnan Sami of Lift Karadey fame, who gave life to songs such as Boom Boom from the movie Boys. Sukwinder Singh, Kailash Kher, KK, form few other Bollywood singers who holds a remarkable place in Tamil songs.

Language is never a barrier to those who love music. Interest in music varies from person to person. A few wish to listen to melodious songs while few go for sad songs. A music director may be the one who is the creator of songs but it is the singers who make the song lively and makes them remain in the hearts of millions forever.