July 3 will see the John F Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts in Washington DC getting a feeling of Indian Monsoon! A team of singers from Chennai, Madras Youth Choir, established in 1971 by late music maestro MB Srinivasan with the motto “Come, let’s Sing Together”, will render the song Mazhai (Tamil for rain) on July 3 as a tribute to the late President of the United States whose birth centenary is being observed on that day as Serenade 2017.
The event, a joint venture by Classical Movements USA and JFK Centre for Performing Arts has been conceived as a Choral Festival which begins on June 27 and concludes on July3. Besides singing the song Mazhai, the Madras Youth Choir will also present a medley of seven songs at the Episcopal Church in Washington during the first four days, according to Gayathree Krishna, senior performer in MYC. “This is an excellent opportunity to spread our message of love for humanity, due to richness of our languages and greatness of our poets,” she said.
S Ram, a former corporate executive, who took to choral singing after retiring from his 24X7 job, said MYC has selected the medley of songs embodying the spirit of; ove, freedom, courage, unity, friendship, patriotism and peace. “These are issues which were dear to the former President who was assassinated in 1963,” said Ram.
The 30-member MYC is undergoing strenuous rehearsals to elevate music lovers in Washington to divinity, a unique feature of Indian music. What stands out in the MYC’ s tributes to Kennedy is that combination of nationalism, Indian spirituality and modern day Communism in their songs. While Subramania Bharati, the great nationalist and spiritual poet has penned some of the numbers, all the songs have been set to music by M.B Srinivasan, a known rebel, atheist and Communist .
What is unique about Serenade 17 is that Kennedy, a great democrat whose tenure saw the Cold War touching new heights and the Cuban Missile Crisis, is getting musical tributes composed by an Indian communist.
The composition of the MYC itself is interesting. Three generations of singers are coming together in this event. Saradamma, 82-year-old singer is accompanied by her daughter latha Unnikrishnan and grand daughter Sruthi Unnikrishnan. “There is another musical family, Ramani Natarajan and grand daughter Saranya who too are joining the MYC to show the world that how different voices blend into one to render classical and folk songs mixed with western techniques,” said Ram.
“Music aficionados are in for some exciting numbers from the sub continent which include a Baduga love song, and the song Kattalarunnu (Malayalam for the blowing wind),” said Sruthi.
The MYC would be performing under master conductor Joshua Habermann, director, Dallas Symphony Centre on the Grand Finale on July 3. “Its going to be an Indian Monsoon in Washington, this time,” said Ram.
“Indian artists have performed in Washington and USA. Many have sung before the General assembly of the UN too. But this is the first time a troop is invited for a stately function,” said Gayathree Krishna.