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Mesmerising Devaragam
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The city came out and honoured musical maestro, G. Devarajan, on his 75th birthday. PREMA MANMADHAN on the memorable event. H.VIBHU and MAHESH HARILAL capture some of the enthralling moments
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`AATHIRE... Thiruvaathire... ... .' The voice flowed on, strong, with gusto, and just as sexy as it was years and years ago. The Madhuri of those days came alive, not a tad lesser in quality, on September 28, at the Fine Arts Hall. And the audience spontaneously gave her a standing ovation. "It was as if I had palpayasam", the visible mover singer remarked soon after the song. That composer G. Devarajan was making capital of Madhuri's voice then was proved beyond doubt that evening. For who could have pulled off this musical coup of sorts except Madhuri? Her range and quality of voice gives you goose pimples.
This was just the tip of the iceberg. What was in store at the `Duroflex Devaragam' on Saturday last went beyond expectations. They were all there, those who made Malayalam music memorable. Why is it that teens now get the old songs written on CDs and play them on computers, while they furiously work at complicated programmes? Soothing music, melodious ragas make you calm.
While listening to the old hits at the hall, a music lover who never cared to find out who composed what, suddenly discovered that more than eighty per cent of the ever-green Malayalam film songs were composed by Devarajan. The extent of his musical genius hits you and you are sorry he doesn't make much music any more. Plain speaking and uncompromising talent never had it good perhaps.
Lullabies, sweetly romantic, revolutionary notes, classical, semi-classical, and simple melodies, all got the same attention. Devarajan's repertoire sure stuns one.
Jesudas' `Ente swapnathin thamara poikayil... ' turned many nostalgic. The notes and the humming drew instant applause. Good music, like wine, gets better with age. G. Venugopal took the audience to an age when hair mattered with `Nin thumbu kettiyitta churul mudiyil... ' The off beat tune of this song, as in `Itha itha.. ivide vare... .,' showed the result of experimenting boldly with ragas and also the choice of beats which suited the lines to a `T'. A composer's duty is to make music, which suits the occasion, Devarajan reminds you with his every creation.
Veterans included P. Jayachandran too whose hits like `Poovum prasadavum... ' sounded as fresh as the original. Lathika also sang.
Youngsters who stole the show included Vijesh Gopal who sang `Ponthinkal kala pottu thotta... ' superbly, Vidhu Pratap, Dr. Reshmi Madhu, Kester, Sathish, Pratap Vasu, all made the evening wonderful with their voices.
The conduct of the show was a lesson in management, not one from books, but from plain common sense and a will to succeed. Mr. G. Janardhana Kurup, chairman of the organising committee and Mr. M.R. Rajendran Nair, convenor, showed that rules are made for men and breaking them at times with care and with good reason wins hearts. Ask those men and women in the crowd who got to see the show, standing or before a close circuit TV. They will vouch for it. No lathi wielding cops or self appointed guardians of the law. And the show went off FINE.
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