The right keys to success
LIZA GEORGE
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Stephen Devassy, whose passion is music, composes, sets tunes and arranges music.
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Since I was always into music, I thought, why not make a career of it. Stephen Devassy
MUSIC TO THE EARS: Stephen Devassy arranges music for well-known music directors.
Music is Stephen Devassy's love and profession. "I was never academically inclined. Since I was always into music, I thought, why not make a career of it," says this 24-year-old from Palakkad who is gaining recognition in the music industry.
Stephen is into arranging music for well-known music directors like Vidyasagar, Mohan Sitara and Ouseappachen.
" I have done the music arrangement for Vidyasagar's `Majaa,' and `Thampi' and Mohan Sitara's `Nammal,' to name a few," he says. He entered the world of music when he was in Class Six. He learnt the organ and then was introduced to the piano by Fr. Thomas at Chetana Music Academy in Thrissur where he completed his Eighth Grade examination conducted by the Trinity College of Music, London.
"Fr. Thomas was a real slave driver, he also taught me the perfection and discipline needed for a pianist," says Stephen.
Stephen's break came when he was just 18 through Johny Sagarika for whom he did the music orchestration of two songs in the album `Ishtamannu.'
"Johny introduced me to Hariharan who was planning a European tour. It was a fusion of ghazals and Western music. I went as an accompanying artiste to play the keyboard. As it was concentrating mainly on ghazals, all the other artistes were from Mumbai. I was the only South Indian. I still join him on his tours," he says. The rest as they say is history.
Part of a band
At 19, Stephen was part of a band called `Seven,' "though there were just three of us." A Hindi pop band, they released an album `Yeh Zindagi.' "We are planning to do another album," he says.
Part of another band, `Rex,' which is a popular gospel rock band, he cherishes his performance before the late Pope John Paul II.
"It was in connection with the World Youth Day in Toronto, we performed before the Pope and before millions. It was amazing," he says.
He was the music director of the 2004 Malayalam movie - `Hariharan Pillai Happy Aanu,' starring Mohanlal.
In association with Kosmic Music, Stephen has also set to tune to a background of western music, Sanskrit slokas, mantras and verses from the Upanishads, called `Sacred Chants of Kosmic Music,' and albums of holy chants on Ganesha, Shiva and Vishnu.
He has also accompanied violin maestro L. Subramanian at the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.
"It was a fusion with the London Symphony Orchestra. I was given an opportunity to arrange three of the songs sung by Kavitha Krishnamoorthy for the concert for the London Symphony. It was a great exposure."
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