KOCHI:
The all-time hit ‘ Sangeethame Amara Sallapame’, immortalized by living music legend K J Yesudas , was the conscious choice of playback singer K K Nishad as his opening score for the weekly ‘Arts and Medicine’ at the Government General hospital here on Wednesday.
Penned by Yusuf Ali Kechery, the song eulogises music as a means of alleviating pain, which happens to be the objective of ‘Arts and Medicine’- an initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation in association with Mehboob Memorial Orchestra.
Nishad was accompanied by Suvarna Menon, who works in the marketing division of a reputed airlines. The first song gave the crowd an early taste of what was to follow and the crowd supported the singers with resounding applause after each rendition.
Suvarna followed Nishad with haunting numbers like Rasathi Unna, Olathumbathirunjooyaladum, Innenikku pottukuthaan, Potti thakaranna kinavu and so on. The 264th episode of the music concert turned out to be a melodious treat for the crowd comprising patients, bystanders and medical staff. This week’s edition featured plaintive melodies and some evergreen numbers, taking the total to sixteen in a span of ninety minutes.
Nishad was interested in music at a tender age and his passion grew under the guidance his father. Under the tutelage of eminent teachers like Chelathoor Sukumaran Bhagavathar and Pala C K Ramachandran, , he climbed the rungs of his musical career to have sung over 45 songs in films. He stepped into the realm of playback singing with Nakshathra Kannulla Rajakumaran and has won several honours like Kairali Swaralaya Yesudas Awards(2001), Bhadra Mini Screen Awards(2007), GMMA Award(2008) and Vayalar Award(2009).
An avid singer at ganamelas and musical programmes, Suvarana Menon is a member of the Devadaru Foundation and also associated with the Sangam Kala troupe. She has also worked as assistant director in Balachandra Menon movie EnnalumSharath.
“I have been part of the music programme conducted as part of the palliative care at the Medical College at Kozhikode. So I had been eagerly awaiting to perform here. Being able to mitigate the pain of the patients is something worth undertaking and it gives me great satisfaction”, said the lead vocalist Nishad, thanking the organisers of the all-Wednesday show. He concluded the programme with the unforgettable Hindi number by Mohammed Rafi, Chaudvin ka Chand Ho.
