KOCHI: One, two, three and in perfect synchrony the three musicians belt out hair-raising music in a studio in Kochi. However, there is one unique thing about the musicians that may miss the eye of the onlooker mesmerised by the their soulful tunes. All three are visually challenged. On the eve of World White Cane Day, the musicians have come together under the aegis of Society for Rehabilitation of the Visually Challenged (SRVC) to embark on a new venture.
“They are going to go virtual. To mark the day, we organise rallies, white cane walks or social events every year. However, this year we wanted to do something different. Something that would ensure these people have a means of earning a decent living,” said M C Roy, project coordinator, SRVC. The pandemic also played a role in the genesis of the new idea. “The future is online, so it is high time musicians too take to it,” said Roy.
According to him, another advantage of going virtual is the possibility of reaching a wider audience. “We are targetting a pan-India and global audience. At present we have selected three musicians from the Heart-to-Heart band, which completely comprises visually challenged members. There is a guitarist, a tablist and a flautist.” The Society is hoping that online exposure would translate into more events for the visually challenged artists. “Whoever watches the programme can make requests. Also, these virtual concerts will not be ticketed. The patrons can donate whatever amount they feel like and this will go into the musicians’ kitty,” said Roy.
All the three musicians who only play instrumental music are from different parts of the state. Muthu is the flautist, Benny plays the guitar while Jaimon is the tablist. “The launch of Heart-to-Heart band in 2005 enabled visually challenged musicians to earn their livelihood respectfully. They did around 400 shows across in India and foreign countries,” added Roy.
“We then had them play at Hotel Le Meridien. The hotel management was impressed and hired them to play in the lounge during the nights. Following this, Aster Medcity too wanted to arrange a performance at the hospital,” said Roy. The trio is all excited to begin their virtual innings.