The stream of melody encompasses the dancers as they sway, swirl and surge forward with the music of ‘Yamuna’, an audio-visual presentation by Carnatic vocalist-composer Sreevalsan J Menon and actor-dancer Rima Kallingal. Streaks of blue dart throughout the display because the dancers emulate the stream and ebb of the river because it tumbles via the hills earlier than flowing via the thirsty plains of North India, at the same time as Sreevalsan’s voice brings the lyrics alive mellifluously. It might be an ode to the river or a lament for the river that it was!
Each Sreevalsan and Rima are at their finest on this inventive journey with every deciphering the lyrics of their respective artwork varieties and fusing it seamlessly right into a fascinating presentation.
Track for the river
“It’s a plea to preserve and defend nature; a reminder of how mankind is polluting even life-giving rivers,” says Sreevalsan, including that the undertaking was set into movement throughout a fund-raiser organised by the movie business and musicians from throughout Kerala.
“Throughout a dialog with movie director Aashiq Abu, one of many fundamental individuals concerned within the programme, I assumed aloud if Rima is likely to be fascinated with such an audio-video presentation of a tune I had in thoughts. He persuaded me to talk to Rima and that’s how ‘Yamuna’ took form,” says Sreevalsan over cellphone from Kochi.
Binu Panicker, who writes below the pseudonym Advaita Dasa, has composed the poem ‘Yamuna’ through which the poet imagines what Lord Krishna would have felt on seeing the state of the river. “I used to be stunned by the attraction and depth of the verses. I felt there was one thing totally different about his utilization of phrases and phrases. He’s not somebody who was into writing however when he put his thoughts to it, there’s a fount of poetry he has tapped into,” believes the singer.
Composing it together with Edappally Ajith Kumar, Sreevalsan imbued the lyrics with melody. As a substitute of a standard orchestration, he selected to do a form of fusion of western classical music with the rhythm of Kerala’s percussion ensembles.
Thrissur-based Pradeep Singh organized and carried out the music. The singer is all reward for every of the musicians who performed for the tune.
Artistic teamwork
Rima was recreation for the inventive collaboration and started rehearsing for it with dancers of Mamangam, her troupe, as soon as she was completed with its choreography. Filming started early in 2020. Nevertheless, simply because the filming started, the lockdown put a cease to the undertaking. It was solely after the federal government eased the restrictions that Sreevalsan and Rima started engaged on it once more.
The consummate artistes have labored their magic with a presentation that’s each melodious and fascinating. Actually a poem to their artistry.
