Biennale Music: Music Rains on the Rainy Day at General Hospital

KOCHI:
With the skies opening up in torrential rains in the midst of a popular programme, a group of professional singers — Johnson Cseru (Monay), Dharmarajan, Beena Augustine and Anil Kumar — rained a string of melodies for the crowd gathered at the weekly ‘Arts and Medicine’ programme at the Government General Hospital here.
Undeterred by the downpour that lashed the venue, Monay from Tripunithura, having an experience of 22 years in the music field, kicked up the proceedings with an immaculate rendition of the song ‘Keralam Keralam’, which describes the beauty of the state. The song, written by Sree Kumaran Thambi and composed by musician Devarajan Master, has been originally sung by K J Yesudas. Beena followed it up by another popular number ‘Poonthenaruvi’, which was sung by P Susheela.
Monay has worked in quite a few musical troupes in Kochi and also participated in ganamelas, entertaining the public on various occasions.
Dharmarajan, a civil police officer associated with the Alleppey, Kuthiyathodu police station, has participated in programmes on TV channels like ‘Ugram Ujvalam’ at Mazhavil Manorama Asianet and Surya. Beena is a homemaker from Maradu with an experience of 20 years in the music field. Anil Kumar, a lab technician by profession from Chotanikara, is in the field for the past 30 years.
The singer combo Monay and Beena rendered the duet ‘Valkannezhuthiya’ while Anil and Beena together sang ‘Kudamulla Poovinum’. The 179th episode of the programme had a medley of eight songs.
The lawns of the hospital where the programme is held every Wednesday had to be vacated because of the rains and the listeners scurried to the corridors to savour the soulful rendition of songs.
The crowd, comprising patients, bystanders and medical staff, had their heart in the performances and applauded the singers after each performance.
‘Arts and Medicine’ is an initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation in association with Mehboob Memorial Orchestra and is sponsored by CAFS (Casino Air Caterers & Flight Services) to provide solace to patients through therapeutic music.