Chennai: In its quest for rain, the neighbourhood of Mambalam recently hosted a 12-hour non-stop vocal concert in Amrithavarshini raga.
The event that was held on 23 June, was organised by seasoned musician and guru J Srinibabu, founder of Kalaranjani Charitable Trust.
The show was a success, as it began to pour towards the evening on the said day. Speaking on this, Srinibabu said, “Following the footsteps of legendary musicians like Balamuralikrishna and Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, I planned the programme just to invoke the Rain God, as people all around the city are badly in need of water.”
“One of the specialities of Carnatic music is that it not just entertains people, but also helps in solving many day-to-day issues. This Amrithavarshini raga in particular is designed to invite Lord Varuna to bestow His blessings,” he explained.
“When I approached for this, several vocalists and instrument players came forward to help the cause. As if in answer to their prayers, there were showers at dusk,” stated Srinibabu who himself composed special songs, which were performed at the venue.
“Saint Muthuswamy Deekshitar had worked a lot on this raga and it has been proved time and again that by singing with devotion, the Lord will answer. The entire day was cloudy and our singers too were energetic and rendered whole-hearted performances,” he added.
Seasoned vocalist Gayathri Venkataraghavan, also a resident of West Mambalam, rendered a prayer song, while vocalist Shanti Suresh, director of Arun Excello, Suresh Kumar, chief executive officer of Sri Sankara television, Sivaramakrishnan of Maha Cements and Sree Krishna Sweets’ Murali graced the occasion, a press release said.
Supporting Srinibabu, R Rajalakshmi, secretary of the trust, co-ordinated the programme, even as several students (both vocal and instrumental) of Kalaranjani, also performed at the venue. Sri Ram Samaj president, Ravichandran, was present, it is learnt. Before concluding, he said, “I am happy that we are getting rains every now-and-then, even after the programme.”
For details, contact Srinibabu at 98411 85273, 94453 3240.