Biennale Music: Singer Pair by the Same River Streams into a Concert Confluence

KOCHI:
The two singers hail from different towns but those alongside the same river. And much like a happy confluences of streams, the duo presented their concert that impressed the crowd at the hospital in downtown Ernakulam today.

Sindhu Jojo of Sreemoolanagaram and P S Majeed of Eloor made a mark at the all-Wednesday ‘Arts and Medicine’ series that got into the 257th edition, crooning 15 items in a programme that spanned 90 minutes.

A joint initiative by the Kochi Biennale Foundation and Mehboob Memorial orchestra and conceptualized in 2014 as a therapeutic music show aimed to provide solace to patients, ‘Arts and Medicine’ had its latest episode yet again refreshing the gathering at General Hospital.

Sindhu, whose Sreemoolanagaram is east of Aluva where the Periyar flows serenely, has been a participant at various music programmes. Notably among them, the Triprayar ‘Snowfest’ saw her singing around 50 songs non-stop for three hours for autistic children, winning the hearts of listeners. Apart from ganamelas, she sings for dramas as well. Sindhu has displayed her unique ability to sing in different female singers’ voices in Comedy Utsav in one of the leading Television channels.

Majeed, an amateur singer, delivered two songs for the crowd which were well received; Ishwara Chintayithonne from the 1961 movie Bhakta Kuchela and the evergreen 1954 drama song Marivillin Thenmalare (originally sung by K S George, composed by G Devarajan to the lyrics of equally iconic O N V Kurup). Majeed is also a poet.

The February 27 edition featured songs mostly in Malayalam and one each in Hindi and Tamil. Sindhu started the concert with Lokam Muzhuvan Sukham Pakaram, while Olathumbathirunnuooyaladum marked the conclusion of the show.

“Being part of a charitable activity which provides relief in terms of music or solace gives a lasting satisfaction,” Sindhu said. “I feel blessed to be in the hospital and to be of some help for the patients who are bedridden yet can listen to my voice through the speakers.”

Mehboob Memorial Orchestra of Fort Kochi renders immense support to the singers. With a team of devoted artists on the musical instruments, the singers get the much needed backing to put up a great performance for the audience.

The Arts and medicine show came in the midst of the fourth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the country’s contemporary art exhibition that is on till March 29.