British Tamil composer records Eelam tribute with Budapest Symphonic Orchestra

Magizhan Santhors Teams Up with Budapest Symphonic Orchestra for Tribute to Eelam Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

British Tamil music producer and composer Magizhan Santhors (மகிழன்) has partnered with the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra to create a poignant tribute to Eelam Tamil national leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and the fallen soldiers of Eelam.

Born in Alaveddy, Jaffna, Santhors’ early life was shaped by the war in Sri Lanka. At the age of seven, his family fled the war, relocating to Denmark before eventually settling in the UK, where he pursued higher education. Santhors began his music production journey at just 12 years old, and over the years, he has collaborated with both UK and international Tamil Nadu artists, producing hip hop and Eelam songs.

“Engal Thalaivan – Ode to Tamil Leader”, Magizhan’s debut orchestral project, sees him rework and compose a new arrangement before sending it to the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra for final approval. The piece is a tribute to Tamil heritage, and the original song, Raja Gopuram Engal Thalaivan, was composed by Elango Sellappa. It first appeared in an album produced by the arts and culture wing of the LTTE, which sought to celebrate Tamil language, culture, and patriotism for the Tamil Eelam cause.

Magizhan travelled to Hungary, where he had the privilege of recording with the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra, a renowned 62-piece ensemble that has worked with world-famous composers, including South India’s Ilaiyaraaja. In under an hour, the orchestra rehearsed the composition, and after a few takes, the final audio and video were recorded.

The post-production process was assisted by German Tamil sound engineer Kausikan Sivalingam, known for his work with Yugan Shankar Raja.

Since its release, the teaser video for the project has garnered over a million views online.

As with all his creative projects, Santhors has self-funded this orchestral tribute. Now 40 years old, he works full-time as a principal electrical design engineer for construction firms across the UK. For anyone interested in pursuing a similar project, he recommends budgeting at least £5,000.

Would you like to see more orchestral Eelam compositions from Magizhan? Watch the full video on YouTube.