The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Transmitting a sense of calm

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 22, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Transmitting a sense of calm

Staff Reporter

Carnatica’s ‘World Peace’ music album launched

— Photo: V. Ganesan

MELODIOUS HARMONY: The Music Academy president and Managing Director of The Hindu N. Murali presents the first copy of the ‘World Peace’ album to U.S. Consul-General David T. Hopper in Chennai on Friday. Sri Krishna Sweets managing director M. Murali is in the picture.

Chennai: The launch of an album comprising nine tracks of diverse music styles was the highlight of the World Peace Day celebrations in the city on Friday.

The album, cut by Carnatica, an organisation for young musicians, was launched by Managing Director of The Hindu and president of The Music Academy N. Murali. U.S. Consul-General in Chennai David T. Hopper received the first copy.

Very few things give as much peace and tranquillity as music does, Mr. Hopper said. About 200 countries celebrated the Day declared by the United Nations as being dedicated to global ceasefire and non-violence. He said the tracks in the ‘World Peace’ album transmitted a sense of calm and harmony.

Mr. Murali termed music a “beautiful and powerful vehicle of peace.” The diversity of styles in the album was symbolic of the variety of cultures in the world, he said.

The content in the album can be accessed by Airtel customers using the short code 562637, and can be dedicated to friends. Caller tunes and ring tones in Carnatic, Hindustani, instrumental and fusion styles are also available.

Goodwill Communications managing director Jegath Gaspar Raj urged people to practice peaceful thinking and spirituality in daily situations. “I test my spirituality not by the number of holy masses I deliver or by the number of hours spent in church, but by my ability to be graceful when someone shouts obscenities at me during a traffic jam,” he said. He encouraged an ability to be “intellectually open” and receptive to various viewpoints.

Concert

The programme concluded with a concert featuring eminent musicians. Carnatica founder and vocalist K.N. Shashikiran said the album, directed by Santhosh Narayanan, had taken about a year-and-a-half to complete, and that 300 artistes had contributed their skills to the project. The project received support from Lions Club 324 A-5 and Sri Krishna Sweets.

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