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Worthy endeavour

R. Shreedhar, founder-trustee of Maithri Educational & Charitable Trust, T. Nagar, plans to build a school and provide transport and infrastructure for the economically backward children. As part of the trust's fund-raising programme, Shreedhar (a physically challenged person himself) has released an audio CD, `Sri Sabareesa' — devotional songs on Ayyappan — with 10 captivating songs in praise the Lord. The proceeds will be utilised for Maithri Vidhyakendram, the school of music and arts, proposed to take shape on Vijayadasami this year, for the annual three-day music programme to be held just before the new year , and for maintaining a free audio-cassette library for the visually impaired.

Melodious lyrics

Starting with an invocation to Lord Ganesha, the CD details the serpentine path that leads to the Lord at Sabarimalai. The lyric by S. S. Venkataraman in most of the numbers draw one to the lines couched in melody. Encapsulating a soft and lilting religious fervour, composer Prapancham Ravindran hasgiven classical touches to the songs. Every raga has been hand-picked to suit the inherent mood embedded in each piece. From the saxophone generated on the keyboard that marks the auspicious beginning in Misra Thilang to the garland of tail-end delights in the ragamalika for the last piece, `Pandhala Rajakumara,' the scores that include Keeravani, Hameer Kalyani, Sivaranjani, Pahadi, Subhapantuvarali and Sindhubhairavi help one to slip smoothly into a sacred mood. The lead singers are G. V. Viswanathan, Sikkil Gurucharan, Anuradha Sriram, B. Balasubramanian and Gayathri Sivaraman. The collective endeavour includes K. Sivaraman (violin); Ramani Thyagarajan (flute); P. R. Venkata Subramanian (keyboard); Y. Bhagavathi (veena); and Parthasarathi (special effects). (Maithri Trust - Ph: 28156880)

RANJANI GOVIND

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