Tamil Singer Krishnaraj dies At 75, CM Vijay pay tribute

Tamil playback singer Krishnaraj Ramasamy has died in Chennai at the age of 75. It has been a heavy week for the Tamil film industry, as this is the third death in the industry this week.

Krishnaraj's death comes less than a week after veteran composer Deva's death on October 17. The two had collaborated on several songs. A week after Deva's unfortunate demise, his nephew and actor Karthik Sabesh passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on October 20.

Krishnaraj shared a deep bond with Deva, and together they formed one of the most prolific singer-composer partnerships in Tamil cinema. From the 1990s to the early 2000s, they developed a close friendship through their professional collaboration that spanned over 400 films. It has also been said that Krishnaraj was one of Deva's favourite singers and among those he relied on for folk-rooted numbers.

Tributes pour in for Krishnaraj

Soon after news of Krishnaraj's death broke, tributes started pouring in.

Tamil Nadu CM Vijay paid tribute to the singer. Taking to X, one user wrote,'' Iwas shocked and deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Mr. Krishnaraj, the renowned playback singer of Tamil cinema.''

‘’With his unique voice and songs brimming with enthusiasm, playback singer Mr. Krishnaraj had captivated the hearts of his fans. His demise is a great loss to Tamil cinema. I convey my deepest condolences and comfort to his grieving family, relatives, friends, film industry colleagues, and all music lovers,'' he added.

Remembering the singer, actor R Sarath Kumar penned a note for the late singer as he hailed his voice and his contribution to Tamil cinema.

‘’In Tamil cinema, his voice graced over 300 songs, and the songs I acted in—“Paasamulla Sooriyane” from the film Vinnukkum Mannukkum, “Thaayae Thirisoolee” from Simmarasie, “Sokku Sundari” from Moovendar, “Karuda Karuda” from Natpukaga, the sorrowful song from Meesaikkaara Nanban, and “Naalu Vaarthai Pesalaiae” from Periya Kaaval Thozhil—remain close to my heart. Through the richness of his voice and his emotionally charged renditions, he will forever live in the hearts of music lovers, and his passing is an irreplaceable loss to the world of music,'' he wrote.

Krishnaraj sang Deva's "Thanjavooru Mannu Eduthu" from the 1997 film Porkkaalam, a song that was played at the funeral of former Singapore President S.R. Nathan, as per his last wishes. Apart from Deva, the singer was also known for collaborating with composer Sirpy on films such as Banda Paramasivam and Vinnukum Mannukum. In a career spanning decades, he delivered several hits including Unnai Thedi and Un Siragugal Nizhalil.