KOCHI:
For a change, T S Madhu Panicker did not bother to check the auspiciousness of the time he started the concert. When it came to ‘Arts and Medicine’, the vivacious astrologer just went by the spirit of the famed weekly programme and sang for more than an hour for his audience here.
A member of a Thrissur family that is traditionally into the study and practice of celestial objects vis-à-vis human affairs, Madhu has been a singer with a Kochi-based foundation in memory of composer G Devarajan (1924-2006). On Wednesday, he and his co-singers presented 15 film songs, primarily Malayalam, at the Government General Hospital, Ernakulam.
The 75-minute programme was organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) as the 239th episode in the series that is a joint initiative of the Foundation and Mehboob Memorial Orchestra in the city.
Madhu, who hails from Edamuttom near Triprayar and is a singer for ‘Devatharu’ Orchestra for the last 10 years, began his recital with the Tamil ditty Amma Enrazhaikatha from the 1992 Rajinikath-starrer Mannan. Next he came up with another solo, this time in Malayalam. That was Syamambaram from the 1989 flick Artham.
The next two songs, Aadivaa Katte (Malayalam) and Lag ja gale (Hindi) was sung by Gouri Sunil. An undergraduate student at St Theresa’s College, Ernakulam, she went on to sing two more Hindi songs down the course: the vintage Rehna beet jaaye (Amar Prem, 1972) in the middle and, then as conclusion with co-singer Yahiya Aziz, Tere mere milan ki ye raina (Abhimaan, 1973).
Madhu, who has had the fortune of sharing music stage along with legends like P Suseela and P Jayachandran, sang seven more solos including Swargaputri Navaratri, Pavizhampol pavizhadharampol, Nin maniyarayile and Kelinalinam. A software professional who once worked with MNCs, he has also been a familiar figure on music programmes with Janam and Jeevan TV channels.
Also a yoga practitioner with a self-conceived package of breathing techniques, he keeps travelling abroad as well to propagate the discipline known for its physical, mental and spiritual practices. Madhu is also the chairman of Astroyuj, an international yoga training programme.
The recital was staged two months ahead of the fourth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale being organised from December 12 by the KBF as India’s only such contemporary art festival.
