A different tune from a Hindustani exponent

He has composed some lovely melodies in Malayalam cinema, but it is not a film that Ramesh Narayan is currently working for. It is for the welcome song of the 56th State School Arts Festival, which opens in Thiruvananthapuram on January 19.

“When Director of Public Instruction M.S. Jaya requested me to compose the song, I gladly agreed,” Ramesh, whose popular film songs include Oru narupushpamayi… ( Meghamalhar ), Parayan maranna… ( Garshom ) and Thattam pidich … ( Paradeshi ), told The Hindu on Tuesday. “I consider it an honour and I have been working on the song for the last three days.”

Being a Hindustani musician, it is mostly the Hindustani ragas that Ramesh has used for the song. “I have used several ragas, such as

Pahadi ,

Bageshri ,

Rageshree ,

Madhuvanti and

Hamsanadam ,” he said. “The song has come out rather well and the singers would start rehearsing it soon.”

It is written by Aryambika, a young poet who is working as a Sanskrit teacher at the Government UP School, Poovarany, Pala. She is also a former winner at the School Festival.

She has published two books of poems; the second of those books, Thonniya Poloru Puzha , won this year’s Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva award.

“I am very happy that I got this opportunity to write the lyrics of the School festival song,” Aryambika said. “It is a great recognition. This is the second time I am writing for the State government; I had written the lyrics for the song for ‘Sutharya Keralam’, a government project. It was tuned by Bijibal.”

She said she was happy that her lyrics of the School festival song were being composed by Ramesh. “I enjoy listening to his film songs,” she said. “ Oru narupushpamayi… and Ponnushassennum… ( Megha Malhar ) are among my favourite songs.”

The School Festival has always been special to Aryambika; she had won the second prize in Kavyakeli at the State Festival in 1996. Her students have also competed at the festival over the years.

“It is truly a unique festival,” she said. “The wide variety of art forms you get to see is astonishing; it is one of the ideas I have tried to bring out in my song.”