KOCHI: Vazhamuttam B Chandrababu, who performed a 30-day long online music concert incorporating Islamic keerthanams as part of the Ramadan festival has a wholesome message for us — that music is indeed beyond human boundaries.
The playback singer who hails from Kovalam is has been a Carnatic musician for the past 30 years. He makes Carnatic compositions on Christianity and Islam, and caught attention recently with three-minute-long Islamic keerthanams he composed along with musicians like Poovachal Khadar, Kaithapparam Damodharan Namboothiri, Swami Aswathy Thirunal, Prabha Varma, BK Harinarayanan and many more.
“During the first 15 days of the holy month of Ramzan, I sang my Islamic compositions like ‘Karunamayanam Allahuve’ in Anandha Bhairavi Raga. For the rest of the days, the keerthanams were penned by other veterans,” says Chandrababu who is touted to be the first musician to attempt a 15 hour long secular classical music concert in the country.
The musician’s novel approach to music began when he was a teacher at St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Palayam in 2005. Having been brought up in a harmonious village in Kovalam, Chandrababu’s knowledge of the Bible and Quran helped him pen down and compose classical songs in both religions.
“It was something I always had in mind, how there aren’t classical songs that praise Allah and Jesus. I still remember Mubir, one of my students, who told me that he used to practice classical music at home closing windows and ventilations in his orthodox household,” says Chandrababu who is a disciple of prominent musicians like Neyyattinkara Vasudevan and Appukuttan Bhagavathar. The artist has also performed kacheri in Carnatic compositions of Thyagaraja and Swathi Thirunal. “Post Covid, I wish to conduct a 101-day long secular music concert,” adds Chandrababu.