In a world where central bankers fret over yield curves and fiscal hawks gnash their teeth over gilt issuance, it is refreshing to witness a different kind of rebalancing. Ilaiyaraaja, the Indian composer who has spent half a century redefining music, is now blending ragas with Western symphonies. The result is not just an artistic triumph but a masterclass in diversification.
Think of it as a portfolio: traditional instruments as blue-chip stocks, orchestral arrangements as emerging market bonds. The maestro has hedged his bets against creative stagnation, and the returns are global acclaim. British audiences, long sceptical of ‘exotic’ instruments, are now piling into concert halls like speculators chasing a hot IPO.
But let us not romanticise. This is a triumph of market forces. Ilaiyaraaja has identified a gap in the cultural market: the demand for fusion where supply was previously fragmented.
His music is a liquidity event for the soul, but also a reminder that innovation, like capital, flows where it is treated best. The Bank of England could learn a thing or two.
