The Dakshinamurthy hall in Mylapore was abuzz with excitement. Parents were busy making last minute adjustments to their wards’ appearance while the youngsters chatted non-stop. People walked and talked and talked. In the midst of all this stood a diminutive lady clad in white, who was trying to find some order in the commotion around her.
The stage was set for ‘Swara Mozhiyil Pazhamozhi’, a choral event by the music school, Kamala Gana Nilayam. The lady in question is R. Rajarajeswari, the director of the school, who has been imparting Carnatic knowledge to scores of aspiring singers for over three decades now. Besides young talent, the show also saw women bank employees trained by Rajarajeswari, taking the stage.
What was interesting was the theme itself. Rajarajeswari had chosen several well-known Tamil proverbs and strung them together as ragamalika pieces to be sung in a choral arrangement. Talking about the genesis of this theme, she explains, “A language is enriched by the proverbs. Now, most people seem to have forgotten how and where to use them. So much so, Gen Next is missing out on a whole linguistic style. ‘Swara Mozhiyil…’ is an effort to popularise almost forgotten proverbs among young children. And the best place to begin is my classroom.”
Here, the teacher acknowledges the support she got from parents, who were willing to go that extra mile to put the programme together, and her family who have stood by her.
That evening, Rajarajeswari zeroed in on sayings such as ‘Agathin Azhagu Mugathil Theriyum,’ ‘Mann Kudhiraiyai Nambi Aatril Irangadhey,’ and ‘ Thayai Pola Pillai, Noolai Pola Selai ’ which were set in a gamut of ragas such as Hindolam, Bilahari, Mohanakalyani and Kuntalavarali, complete with swaras. The tunes were simple and sweet. And the children sang with gusto. That’s what mattered.
Rajarajeswari, who has trained under various gurus, including her mother, armed herself with a B.A. in Music from Queen Mary’s College, before following in her mother’s footsteps as a music teacher.
As one of the founder members of the Madras Youth Choir, which was led by the inimitable M.B. Srinivasan, Rajarajeswari learnt the nuances of choral singing from MBS himself. At MBS’s behest, she trained a group of Indian Bank employees and that paved the way for the Bank Employees Art Troupe, which has 25 members today from various banks.
Her next programme? “Nothing immediately. But I want to do something on songs that are laced with patriotic flavour and national integration. Meanwhile, I am happy to be with my students, teaching them and learning in the process.”
R. Rajarajeswari can be contacted at 24950553 or 94458 16524.
