Musician, composer and lyricist Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri on Wednesday provided a soothing musical experience to patients and bystanders of the Ernakulam General Hospital.
A pioneer in music therapy in Kerala, Kaithapram rendered a medley of soulful melodies underscoring the therapeutic power of music at an ‘Arts and Medicine’ programme organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation in collaboration with the Mehboob Memorial Orchestra.
“No one is a patient. Disease is just a condition of the body and we should not be fearful of this,” said Kaithapram, who founded the Swathi Thirunal Kalakendram Trust Music Therapy Foundation.
“Music, regardless of your liking, should be ingested like medicine. It has the power to enhance the effectiveness of any kind of medication,” he said.
Kaithapram’s son Deepankuran, also a music director and singer, took part in the concert, captivating the audience with songs like Kaliveedurangiyallo (written by Kaithapram) from movie Deshadanam. Later, Kaithapram, accompanied by his son and wife, visited cancer patients at the hospital. “It is indeed a great honour for the Arts and Medicine project that an iconic figure in Malayalam film music like Kaithapram came forward to be a part of this event,” said Bonny Thomas, KBF research coordinator.
