Stalwarts

Stalwarts was released in 2007, four full decades after the passing of Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. It's an ambitious, four-disc collection of vintage pieces from the Tamil Nadu master, and Iyengar's lightning-fast pitch shifts and warm, intimate tones still shine through the often crackling recordings. On tracks like "Orutti Maganai - Behag - Adi", Iyengar invites multiple singers to join his devotion, making for a mystical yet communal and devotional raga.