Biennale Music: Classmates Share Stage for Patients’ Solace

KOCHI:
Fourteen years ago, they were classmates studying classical music. Today, Bindu Sreejith and Arun Kumar shared a cultural morning, rendering popular songs at a programme aimed at spreading happiness among patients.
At the ‘Arts and Medicine’ show on Wednesday at the Government General Hospital Ernakulam, the young vocalists—they studied Carnatic from RLV College, Tripunithura during 1999-2002—enchanted the patients, bystanders and hospital staff at the hospital premises with songs dating back to more than four decades to a quarter century ago.The concert left a pleasant hangover among the audience, who sought to know more about music therapy from the duo even after the orchestra disassembled.
At the 122nd edition of the weekly programme organised by Kochi Muziris Biennale in association with Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre Limited and Mehboob Memorial Orchestra, Bindu and Arun strung together songs brimming with lyrical and compositional beauty.
Particularly impressive was Arun’s rendition of ‘Brahma Kamalam’ from the 1992 movie ‘Savidham’. Together, the singers set the stone rolling with  more than a dozen songs that included the duets, ‘Anuraga lola gathri’ (from the 1988 movie Dhwani), ‘Ezhilam Paala Poothu’, (‘Kaadu’, 1973) and ‘Ponveene ennullil maunam vaangoo’  (‘Thalavattam’, 1986).
Arun noted that the patients at the hospital were largely poor and underprivileged. “The motivation for me to sing before such a crowd is the satisfaction they derive from my show. When called in for the show, I gave my full support and assurance for this cause of giving them happiness,” he added.
Kalabhavan Bindu, as she is popularly called, recalled that she has participated in different shows worldwide. “This experience at the General Hospital, though, stands out. I will cherish it all my life.”
Bindu has sung for the music troupe Solo, Angamaly, Kalabhavan and Cochin Symphony. Currently teaching music, she has won the best singer award in a leading Malayalam TV channel.
Arun received the Augustine Joseph ‘Thampuru award from iconic musician K J Yesudas in 2003. He was also the first 2007 runner-up in ‘Gandharva Sangeetham’, a music-based reality show on  Kairali TV. He sings for different music troupes.