Elaborate flower arrangements, women and girls dressed in traditional attire and the sound of chenda melams in the background – these are some of the most essential elements of the grand festival of Kerala – Onam. Putting these together in a festive video, city-based classical fusion band Voice Virus present the Onam song ‘Swara Sadhya’.
Comprising playback classical singer Charumathy Shankar, voiceover artiste Bairavi Gopi, veena player and singer Ranjani Mahesh and music director Gopa Kumar, Voice Virus brings alive the festive spirit of Kerala through the song.
While Charu has sung in a few Tamil and Kannada films and devotionals in Bangalore, Bairavi used to be a radio jockey and emcee in Coimbatore, Ranjani used to play with various bands in the U.K. before she came to Bangalore and Gopa Kumar has done several productions for albums and short films. Voice Virus has released numerous singles during the last couple of years with notable productions being a Mother’s day song, a Pongal song, a Valentine’s Day song and various unplugged versions of maestro Illayaraja.
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Talking about the Onam song, the trio of singers say they tried to create the feel of the harvest festival in the composition by putting all the festival elements together – from the pookalam (flower arrangements), Onam sadhya and Onam kodi (traditional dance) to the puliyattam (tiger dance) and oonjal (swing). “We shot the video in Wayanad, Kerala, and wanted viewers and listeners to get pleasant memories of Onam from the song,” says Charu.
Being Kerala-based Tamilians, the song was easy, yet challenging, they say. “From childhood we are exposed to Malayalam and the Kerala culture. We know to read and write Malayalam but not as fluently as Tamil. People in Kerala asked us to make a song after our previous videos went viral. Pronouncing the words was a challenge.”
Choosing the type of song was their first priority, they point out. “Normally, Onam songs are slow-paced and melodic. We wanted our song to be different, fast-paced and more lyrical with a lot of meaning,” says Charu.
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On the unique name, Charu says Voice Virus grabs people’s attention. “Just like the virus spreads, we want our voices to spread. Some people feel its negative but it’s worked out for us.”
Having composed songs for most occasions, she says it is their trademark to compose songs for special days. “Next year, we will have more songs. Each song takes a lot of effort and time. They are just singles. We are not marketing or selling them. We only upload the videos on YouTube to create an audience for ourselves and gratify out creative thirsts.” The band is very fond of Bangalore. “With so many bands finding their base in the city and promoting their work on YouTube, we feel it is the right place to be. There is appreciation for anything in Bangalore. You can do anything creative and it will work here. That’s the city’s specialty.”