...Oh jingle bells jingle bells
jingle all the way!
Oh what fun
it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh,
Hey!
Jingle bells jingle bells
Jingle all the way!...
All have heard this popular Christmas song, written by James Lord Pierpont, in 1857, but imagine hearing this song in a Carnatic version, in Kathana Kuthukoolam raga, accompanied by Indian instruments like the veena, sitar and flute.
Well, this is what ‘Vave Va’, a newly-released Malayalam Christmas album has to offer. ‘Vave Va’ is a cross-cultural dialogue through music. In this album Christmas classics like ‘Silent Night’, written in 1816, and composed by Franz Xavier Gruber, ‘Joy to the World’ by G F Handel, John Francis Wades’ ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, composed by John Reading in the early 1700s and other songs have been presented in classical Carnatic ragas and with Malayalam lyrics.
“It is a confluence of the West and the East. The Malayalam lyrics are not the word-by-word translation of the original, but the contextual meaning of the songs are taken and retained, without losing the grammar,” says Fr Thisai Jerry, who has penned the lyrics for six songs.
Nellai Jesuraj, the music director of the album, has composed ‘Mary’s boy child’, in Bilahari raga using the sitar, while singer K G Markose’s mellifluous rendition recreates the magic in ‘Annorunal Bethlehemil’. Madhu Balakrishnan sings in Silent Night’s adaptation, ‘Manju maasa rathriyil’, in Neelambari raga, accompanied by the flute and veena. ‘Aaghosham ennum aanantham’ (Joy to the World) is done in Maandu raga with the nadaswara and the sitar, and ‘Nammukkoru rakshagan’ (O Come All Ye Faithful) in Sankarabharanam with the flute. “Instruments, like the mirudangam, veena, tabla and the classical violin, have also been used,” says Fr Jerry.The album has been made in memory of philanthropist Joseph Enok (CEO of Venture Lighting India Ltd.). “He always wanted to bring out a Malayalam musical. And we chose the classics as we wanted to bring a cross-cultural element. Besides, the music will be enjoyed by non-Malayalees too as they will readily identify with the classics,” says Fr Jerry, who has done more than 100 devotional albums and promotional jingles for children. His Tamil Christain album ‘Neeye Nirantharam’ is one of the all-time hits.
“In 2006 Nellai Jesuraj has set the instrumental tracks only, but through ‘Vave Va’ we are bringing a new expression to the songs,” says Latha Rajan, managing trustee of Joseph Enok Foundation.
The album was released last month by Mar George Cardinal Alencherry. “The proceeds of this album will be used to create sustainable livelihood for poor widows,” adds Latha.
The CD costs `99.