'No AI can ever recreate the soul Yesudas, Ilaiyaraaja gave to their songs'

VER the past two decades, singer Vijay Yesudas has carved out a career on his own terms.

- SRUTHI HEMACHANDRAN

VER the past two decades, singer Vijay Yesudas has carved out a career on his own terms. His voice, uncannily similar in timbre to that of his father — the legendary K J Yesudas — moves with ease between classical rigour and the fluidity of film music, keeping him relevant through shifting times.

What sets him apart is not just the versatility but also the way he reflects on music. From algorithms to AI, from timeless recordings to the everyday rhythms of nature, he sees music as both tradition and evolution, deeply personal yet universally shared.

He carries the reverence for music to his live sets, embracing it in its pure form. "I thrive on the energy the audience gives me. As I get older, the more amazing it feels to keep doing it, and the adrenaline rush I get now is far more than what I used to get in my 20s. Just that my knees can't take it as much now," Vijay says.