CHENNAI: There is always a special place in literature for classics. You’re either reading one, rereading one or constantly being told to read one. As much as it’s easy to muster through your Dickens and Tolstoy, not everyone has the same ease with the works of Ilango Adigal or Kaniyan Pungundranar or even Thiruvalluvar.
How much do we know about Tamizh classics beyond the proverbial phrases, one-liners made famous by movies or the stray poetry remembered from school textbooks? Working to change this status quo is music composer James Vasanthan, trusting in the time-honoured wisdom to save something, set it to music.
He and his 60-odd disciples have embarked on a mission to put Sangam literature to modern music under the banner — Tamil Osai. For James, it was about giving back to Tamil Nadu and the Tamil community that gave him the identity of a music composer. While film music is where he makes his living, he didn’t want to go down the same way when it came to rendering a service.
This is where his interest in Tamil literature offered an opportunity. Then, the dream of many years became a reality in November 2019 at the first meeting of Father Jegath Gaspar’s Ezhuchi conglomerate. “Ezhuchi (The Rise) was a means to bring Tamil entrepreneurs across the world under an umbrella and work towards the upliftment of the Tamil community. Their first meeting happened at Women’s Christian College. We launched Tamil Osai at his event,” he narrates.
Origin story
The choral ensemble came together after a round of routine auditions. After days of training and practice, they showcased their set to the Tamil business community and there was no looking back; at least for a while. A couple of months down the line, they were performing for the Tiruchy chapter of the Indian Medical Association. Soon enough, the team was preparing for a Southeast Asian tour when the pandemic hit the country and rendered all efforts impossible.
Months into the lockdown, Tamil Osai too realised the advantages of the virtual world and went the Zoom way to produce their next work — a rendition of Bharathidasan’s Sange Muzhangu. Released on YouTube, the single received an overwhelmingly positive response. But, a virtual concert in honour of the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA) put their project on the map. “After the relaxations came in, we regrouped from January and returned full-fledged.
But, just as we started to perform again, the second wave was starting. We were to go to the US for FeTNA’s Tamil New Year event. They wanted to celebrate April 14 as Tholkappiyar Dinam and we were to perform at the launch. Since we couldn’t go, we did it virtually,” he recalls. While songs about Sangam literature may sound like a boring affair, the audience was pleasantly surprised at how far from their concert it turned out to be. And there’s a reason for it, says James.
“If we were to just announce it’s a Purananutru paadal and sing it, no one will understand. In order to deliver it effectively, we added an element to the show where we talk about the song in common man’s language — which elakiyam the song is from, who is the author, what was his life like, what is the book like, under what circumstances this poem was penned and what it means. Then, it hit home a lot more. And the feedback we received from youngsters after every show was immense “I didn’t know the lines beyond yaadhum oorey yaavarum kelir; now, I already know half the song by heart. To know that there’s so much meaning behind what we only knew as words”. That’s when we know we have met our purpose.
Putting purpose to music
The songs picked for the project are also with a specific purpose to stay away from any religious or political leanings. Not just contemporary politics, but works that touch upon the politics of the Sangam kingdoms also find no place in their set. Filter these out and what you’re left with is poems that focus on the community, living in harmony, simple people’s way of life.
That’s why the show remains surprisingly light and fun. “People think Iyyo, Sanga elakiyam; ithuku ellam poga koodathu da, pottu aruthuduvaanga (We shouldn’t got to these conferences; it will bore us). But if people were to avoid it thinking that, they would be the losers. Everyone has been surprised at how entertaining the show turns out to be. At the end of the performance, when we ask if anyone wants us to repeat a song, they would start screaming and shouting for almost all the songs,” he shares.
While such testimonies from the audience have been quite reassuring, those from the band members themselves have been immensely gratifying, he says. They had the trappings of their generation when it comes to language — diction, accent, understanding archaic words but they have managed to pull through, it seems. “They sing the song but it’s only after fourfive practices and after I explain the meaning that they understand what they are singing.
They are also equally strangers to Tamil literature like every other young person. Naraya peru la-lla ucharippu romba mosama irunthuthu (Many people did not get the la-lla pronunciation right). It took them a lot of effort to get it right. Now, even if it’s a two-hour show, they sing all the songs by heart,” he says, assuring that the transition has happened.
Learnings aplenty
Vinoth Kumar, a professor at a private college and member of Tamil Osai for three months now, has taken this transformation a step further. “My focus has been on the methodology of teaching a subject. But, it was after working with James sir that I got interested in how to teach a subject with music. I have started researching that now — how to simplify the concept and teach it to school students. This has been a great opportunity that way,” explains the 33-year-old academic.
This, when his knowledge of Sangam literature was limited to a handful of Thirukkural. Since his time with Tamil Osai, his learnings have been plenty, he reports. “We talk about alliteration and rhyming words. I learnt about them in Tamil only after working with Sir. Thathitha thoothuvithath thoothi thaththuthi thuthi thuthaithi thuthaithaththa thuthuvi. This was a song we learnt. Once you know the meaning, it’s really nice,” he shares. On the other side of the spectrum, 28-year-old Mukhil Mayuri says that the project got through not only to her but to her family as well.
Trained in Carnatic music for over ten years, she now teaches music; but, her knowledge of Tamil literature was relatively better but not as deep. “Everyone in my family has an interest in Tamil; my name is an indication. I used to participate in speech competitions and such but it didn’t go beyond that. I remember reciting the lines Yaadhum oore yaavarum kelir enrar Kaniyan Pungundranar. I vaguely knew its meaning. Now, having sung it as a song, I’m sure this will stay in my head for longer.
The other day, I heard my mother muttering lines from Sange muzhangu while cooking . It’s because I’m in the group that she has heard the song several times. But she has naturally picked it up so much that she remembers the middle of the song,” points out Mukhil. If this doesn’t say anything about the success of the project, what could? On his part, here’s what James has to say to anyone who is interested. “We have taken the effort on our part, as a director and an ensemble. We are ready to perform; we’re available. Make use of us. Provide us platforms so we can carry this message to the entire Tami community.” If anyone’s listening...
Not on the playlist
The songs picked for the project are also with a specific purpose to stay away from any religious or political leanings. Not just contemporary politics, but works that touch upon the politics of the Sangam
kingdoms also find no place in their set.