The importance of music in Telugu films need not be overstressed. In a sense it is the lifeline of Tollywood.

So who was the music director of 2004? It is a difficult question to answer for obvious reasons. 2004 saw many musical hits like Arya, Varsham, Malliswari

While music directors like Chakri, S A Rajakumar were repeating themselves, it was the young Devi Sri Prasad who had the masses swaying to his tunes.

He wielded the baton for such high-profile movies like Shankar Dada MBBS, Mass, and he managed to make a mark (though their appeal was limited).

Mani Sharma, as usual, came up with some wonderful tunes for films like Arjun, Gudumba Shankar, Sye. His was a constant and composed presence.

But, for the connoisseurs, two other unsung music directors gave the real refreshing tunes. K M Radha Krishnan in Anand and Vidyasagar in Swaraabhishekam provided the real difference. Theirs was the song of the nightingale. Theirs was the early morning dew on the leaf. Theirs was the cool breeze on stuffy afternoons. Theirs was the most path-breaking music of 2004.