Just before he stepped on stage, at the Fine Arts Hall in Kochi last year, singer Vijay Yesudas told the Ragaaneethi music band that he would sing four songs. Vijay was a special guest for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the band. But the moment he began singing, he realised that the music being played was ‘live’. “Unlike most bands, we don’t perform with recorded music,” says band leader KT Shyam Kumar. “Most singers love this because they can improvise and try out new things. Otherwise, it is a mechanical process.”
Vijay was so excited by this ‘live’ performance that he ended up singing 12 songs and stayed for two hours. At the end, he told the audience, “There are so many professional orchestras which do not play as well. All the band members have such good talent. And they sound so wonderful in a live performance.”
The unusual thing about Ragaaneethi is that the 11-member team consists solely of lawyers who practice at the Kerala High Court. “I believe we may be the only lawyer band in India,” beams Shyam.
Apart from performing at several events in the legal fraternity, like the South India Judges’ Conference, the band also does charity shows. “Since we are already earning a living as lawyers, we play for free,” says Shyam. “This is a passion for us.”
Recently, at the invitation of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, they took part in its Arts And Medicine programme, which is held once a week, at the General Hospital. “We opted to play only melodious songs, so that the patients and by-standers could feel soothed,” says percussionist Harish R Menon.
And indeed, they were. One bystander, a 60-year-old woman, told Harish, “Your songs are wonderful. I come every Wednesday to buy medicines, and also to listen to the music.”
On another occasion, the band played for the female inmates of a juvenile home. “The girls were so happy that they started dancing in an impromptu manner,” says lead guitarist George Johnson. “One girl even came on stage and sang a song. It was the first time they were listening to ‘live’ music. They did not have any contact with the outside world. There was a profound joy on their faces. We felt happy seeing that.”
Incidentally, the lawyers got together as a group when they decided to do an instrumental ensemble for the annual-day celebrations of the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association. Since their performance was much appreciated, they decided to set up a full-fledged orchestra. Other members include percussionist Manoj Chandran, bass guitarist Anand Parathara, drummer John Didymos, Sunil Dutt on the tabla and singers, Vipin Das, Jai George, and Carol Alenchery.
Explaining the meaning of Raaganeethi, Harish says, “It was coined by our guitarist, PK Raveendran, who, sadly, passed away two years ago. While Raaga is a music term, Neethi means justice. So, in essence, we are doing justice to music.”
And in order to do justice to the audience, the band trains as often as possible. However, because of their legal commitments, they usually practice on the weekends.
This is usually at Shyam’s home, where he has set up a music studio. Rehearsals usually begin at 7 pm, and can go on till midnight. Their repertoire includes popular Malayalam songs, ghazals and fusion music. “That always goes down well with the audience,” says Vipin.
Most of them say that if they came of age today, they would have opted for music as a career. “Today, there is an ocean of opportunities for musicians,” says Shyam. “There are so many TV channels, Mollywood films, and so many entertainment programmes for corporates. It can be lucrative.”
Nevertheless, there are other gains. Band members say they have become better lawyers. “Being a good lawyer means to be a good performer in front of the judge and the court,” says Shyam. “Our experience on the stage helps us to perform better in court. Our concentration levels are higher. We are happier because we are doing what we like. It is a form of meditation.”