Tamil Film Composer Deva Dies at 75: The "Thenisai Thendral" Who Brought Chennai's Gaana Music to the Mainstream Screen
Chennai — Deva, the veteran Tamil film composer and singer, died in Chennai on Saturday, October 17, at the age of 75, Cinema Express reported. He had been admitted to Surya Hospital in Chennai at about 8:30 a.m. and died suddenly; further details were awaited, the report said.
Born Devanesan Chokkalingam on November 20, 1950, Deva was known to fans and the industry as "Thenisai Thendral" — "honey-music breeze." He rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s and went on to compose for hundreds of films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinema over a career spanning more than three decades. His signature contribution was bringing Chennai's street-born gaana music tradition into mainstream film scores. His notable works include the music of Annamalai, Baashha, Aasai, Kadhal Kottai, Nerrukku Ner, Ninaithen Vandhai, Priyamudan, Vaalee and Kushi.
Deva received the Kalaimamani honour from the Government of Tamil Nadu and won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director for Aasai. His son Srikanth Deva is also a composer, and his brothers Sabesh and Murali work in film music as well.
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Photo: 图：作曲家德瓦在一场音乐会记者会上的照片。照片：Silverscreen Media Inc.／Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 3.0）。Composer Deva at a concert press meet. Photo: Silverscreen Media Inc. / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
