Viji Manuel Explained

Viji Manuel
Birth Name:Vijay Manuel
Death Date:15 August 2015
Death Place:Chennai
Nationality:Indian
Occupation:Musician
Children:1
Father:Handel Manuel

Vijay Manuel (died 15 August 2015) was an Indian musician who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was the son of pianist Handel Manuel.

Early and personal life

Vijay[1] "Viji" Manuel was the son of pianist Handel Manuel and soprano singer Alice,[2] [3] who died in 2018.[4] Unlike his classical trained father, Viji was self-taught and formed a rock band "Plastic Glow" and used to play at a hotel at Mussorie where he used to play other instruments if anyone from the band did not show up.[5]

Career

Viji Manuel started his career as bass guitarist for composer Shyam and then went to work for many established composers such as M. S. Viswanathan, K. V. Mahadevan and with Ilaiyaraaja as acoustic guitarist.[6] He also recorded a Christmas album with his father.[7]

He also composed music for two films: Idhaya Vaasal (1991) and Iravu Sooriyan (1992) however he stopped composing for films due to interfering from producers who insist on "giving me reference songs". Viji composed the score of Thulluvadho Ilamai (2002) at the request of Yuvan Shankar Raja who had to leave for London on an urgent work. His final film where he played keyboard was Kanithan (2016) which was released a year later after his death.[8]

Personal life

Viji Manuel was married,[9] and has a son born in 1974. In the late 2000s, Viji broke his femur after a slip and fall,[10] and was inactive professionally for almost five years until 2014.[11] He died on 15 August 2015 at the age of 64 due to kidney ailments.

Discography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 23 October 2013 . Change of Names . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240617014652/https://www.stationeryprinting.tn.gov.in/gazette/2013/41-VI-4.pdf . 17 June 2024 . 17 June 2024 . . 2976.
  2. News: 8 May 2018 . This Handel of Madras was a jolly good fellow . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240616131203/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/this-handel-of-madras-was-a-jolly-good-fellow/articleshow/64079708.cms . 16 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . The Times of India.
  3. News: Frederick . Prince . 3 May 2018 . Handel — the man and the Musician . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240617014736/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/handel-the-man-and-the-musician/article23760210.ece . 17 June 2024 . 17 June 2024 . . en.
  4. September 2018 . Obituary . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240617015528/https://www.thekirk.in/storage/docs/magazine/Sep_2018.pdf . 17 June 2024 . 17 June 2024 . Kirkspire . 19.
  5. News: 4 September 2014 . Back with a bang . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180219210831/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/back-with-a-bang/article6379597.ece . 19 February 2018 . 13 June 2024 . . en.
  6. News: 16 August 2015 . Viji Manuel, the keyboard player par excellence, is dead . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210522134134/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/viji-manuel-the-keyboard-player-par-excellence-is-dead/article7548445.ece . 22 May 2021 . 13 June 2024 . . en.
  7. News: Laul . Brian . 6 November 1994 . The Ivory King . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240617010751/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DpJlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yJ4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1814%2C3417168 . 17 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . . 19 . Google News Archive.
  8. News: 18 August 2015 . Keyboard maestro Viji Manuel’s last piece to release in September . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240616131204/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/keyboard-maestro-viji-manuels-last-piece-to-release-in-september/articleshow/48520539.cms . 16 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . The Times of India.
  9. News: 23 October 1994 . Handel Manuel dead . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240616131203/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iY5lAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rp4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1053%2C3436384 . 16 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . . 9 . Google News Archive.
  10. News: Shenoy . Sonali . 14 October 2014 . Lord of the Keys Returns . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613034515/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2014/Oct/14/lord-of-the-keys-returns-671353.html . 13 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . . en.
  11. Web site: MK . Surendhar . 19 July 2014 . The musician who stunned AR Rahman . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613044758/https://www.onlykollywood.com/viji-manuel-keyboard-player-ilaiyaraja-ar-rahman/ . 13 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . Only Kollywood.

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