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Photo: V. Sudershan

Rocking Hariharan

People of all ages thronged to the open-air Nishagandhi auditorium on the Kanakakunnu Palace grounds. Every one waited eagerly for the star of the night Hariharan.

Dressed in a trendy black suit, Hariharan made his entry with his hit number ‘Sakhiye’ from the movie ‘Alaipayuthe.’ He built an instant rapport with the crowd and won them over completely when he said, “I am also from Thiruvananthapuram.”

Hariharan interspersed his singing with quips and witty responses to comments from the audience. Hariharan is known for his tricky improvisations of the song while singing live. This kept the nine-member orchestra on their toes. There were repeated requests from the audience for Hariharan’s soul-touching ghazals.

Performing along with Hariharan were Sunitha Sarathy, Manjari, Kalyani and other singers. Sunitha Sarathy, dressed in a dazzling orange lehenga and black T-shirt, rocked the crowd with her powerful voice and energy.

She sang several A.R. Rahman hits and also the famous song ‘Hero’ which she dedicated to the audience saying that there is a hero in each one of us who can rise to the occasion and in the current context join the fight against AIDS.

Bala Bhaskar, the violin maestro from the city, rendered a medley of Hariharan’s melodies and dedicated it as a gurudakshina to Hariharan. The show went on late into the night.

The night was pleasant. The stage settings and light effects were magnificent. The three red ribbons in the backdrop were a constant reminder of the relevance of the day. It was an evening of delightful music and music for a cause.

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