Kochi: Vaishnavi P sings, helps ease pain

KOCHI: The summer vacation is here and Vaishnavi P, a student of Tirumala Devaswom Higher Secondary School, Mattancherry, has started it in style combining her passion for music with a social cause: she regaled the patients at the Government General Hospital, Ernakulam here on Wednesday through masterly renditions of songs.

A joint initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) and Mehboob Memorial Orchestra, the all-Wednesday ‘Arts and Medicine’ is a therapeutic music show conceptualized in 2014, and it aims to provide solace to patients through soulful music at the hospital premises.

Vaishnavi, who hails from Mattancherry, has just completed her tenth grade. A winner at the district-level school festivals, she is currently undergoing training in Carnatic music.

Aneesh Raheem from Palluruthy and Rajesh from Mala were the other singers who accompanied Vaishnavi at the 262nd episode of Arts and Medicine.

Aneesh is an amateur singer who sings mostly songs of the late ghazal singer Talat Mehmood. Rajesh has been in the music industry for over 15 years.

“I feel sad and miserable to see patients who are bedridden and are not able to do anything without someone’s help. I believe music can be an uplifting experience when you are in distress; pleasant songs can alleviate misery and bring solace to the patients,” Vaishnavi said.  “I feel honoured to be able to perform for the patie-nts,” added the budding singer, who sang over five songs with resounding applause from the audience.

The songs that were rendered in this week’s episode included ‘Manu-shyar Mathangale Sris-htichu” from the film Achanum Baapayum, which was sung by Rajesh and Vaishnavi, that conveyed a message. Hindi songs topped the list of the programme, followed by Malayalam. This was the first week of Arts and Medicine programme after the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the mega art festival, concluded on March 29.