Sublime moments
Deiva Thai
Gangai Amaren
Gitaa Cassettes GCT-CDR 361
Price: Rs.99
'Deiva Thai' (`Divine Mother'), Gangai Amaren's latest CD on the Mother of Pondicherry is another milestone creation from Shri Annai Cassette (P) Ltd. Steeped in devotion, the melodious numbers produced by Gitaa Cassettes, transport the listener to a tranquil plane.
For those of us who have listened to and enjoyed Amaren's earlier obeisance to the Mother, `Ammavukku,' cannot but be attracted to his new offering `Deiva Thai.' Each piece of `Ammavukku' was remarkable and the trend continues in this CD. If you had a galaxy of veterans like M. S. Viswanathan, SPB, S. Janaki, S. N. Surendar and Deepan Chakaravarti rendering some soul-stirring pieces on the Mother in the previous cassette, it is an assemblage of young singers for `Deiva Thai.' Adding lustre to the songs is a crop of classical musicians, which includes Ganesh-Kumaresh, Shashank and Gayathri.
Aural appeal
Taking off with a violin solo from the Ganesh-Kumaresh duo, the music leads you to the meditative invocation, `Ippirappil... ' sung by Gangai Amaren. Simple lyric, scintillating refrain and an excellent chorus enhance its aural appeal. In fact, one of the highlights of `Deiva Thai' is that the listener can relate to the lyrics of all the eight songs, because they excel in their simplicity.
Be it the chanting of `Om Namo Bhagavathe' for singer Sujatha's well-presented `Poovum Kaatrum... ,' the `Om Om' refrain for the Chinmayi number or the `Ananda Mayi' recitation in `Ippirappil... ' the chorus of `Deiva Thai' makes an impact.
Shashank's flute and Karthik's voice lend sheen to `Yaar Yaaro ... ' while Gayathri's Veena, and the mridangam beats vie for attention in the Vijay Yesudas piece. A fast tempo that mellows down to slower beats and appreciably used violins marks `Thai Unnai' sung by Syndhavi. Vijay and Syndhavi have rendered their numbers with expression. `Vazhvenbadhu ... ' in Haricharan's voice shows the singer's solid stand in the classical fold. The use of harmonium and the tabla is particularly interesting.
`Anbennum Mandiram... ' the last song in the collection, by S. P. Charan and Venkat Prabhu, makes you visualise devotion in a rustic milieu. The alto and soprano, the humming of the chorus and the joyous singing of the religiously inclined prove refreshing to the lay listener.
`A Bridge to the Eternal,' says the slug of this Amaren CD. The sojourn with `Deiva Thai' is enjoyably so.
MALATHI RANGARAJAN
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