Music programmes are galore in the city, but how about one in which members can not only sing and hear songs but also get to hear stories about them.
On Monday evening, the Johnson Master Memorial Trust, set up by a group of music aficionados in memory of composer and music director Johnson, will launch ‘Kathaparayum Pattukal,’ a novel initiative where besides music, one can also hear stories about how it was made.
The venture aims at providing a platform for its members who can sing but did not get any opportunities to showcase their talent or those who strayed into other careers despite being promising talents.
The programmes is initially planned to be held at least twice a month.
On the floor
Singers will sit on the floor and render songs, and relate interesting anecdotes about their renditions such as who wrote it or what raga it was based on, who tuned the score, or how the singer came to sing it.
The idea is that each song has a story behind it and sharing them and popularising the songs, many of them in danger of being forgotten, will help keep the songs alive in the times to come.
On Monday, playback singer G. Sriram, Arjun Krishna, Reshma Raghavendra, and Akhila Anand will sing to the accompaniment of only harmonium and tabla and talk about the songs they present.
The programme will be inaugurated by V.S. Sivakumar, MLA, at YMCA, near Secretariat, at 5.30 p.m. Mr. Sivakumar, poet V. Madhusoodanan Nair, the late Johnson’s wife Rani Johnson, musician Stephen Devassy, trust president Kottukal Krishnakumar, joint secretary Sagar, and Sri Swathi Thirunal College of Music Principal Harikrishnan R. will light the lamp.
Proclamation palm leaf
The proclamation palm leaf will be handed over by Mr. Madhusoodanan Nair to Mr. Devassy. Lyricist Poovachal Khader and Ms. Johnson are the trust patrons while Mr. Devassy is the chairman.
