Interview: Mother Jane

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Duration: 40 mins, 4 secs.
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അഭിമുഖം: മദര്‍ജെയ്ന്‍ റോക്ക്‌ സംഗീത സംഘം

കൊച്ചിയില്‍ നിന്നു തുടങ്ങി ഇന്ന്‌ ലോകമൊട്ടുക്കുമുള്ള റോക്ക്‌ സംഗീത പ്രേമികളുടെ ഹരമായി മാറിയ മദര്‍ജെയ്നുമായുള്ള ഒരു അഭിമുഖ സംഭാഷണമാണ്‌ ഈ എപ്പിസോഡില്‍.

സംഭാഷണ വിഷയങ്ങള്‍:

1) മദര്‍ജെയ്ന്‍ എന്ന പേര്‌ എങ്ങനെ ഉടലെടുത്തു?
2) ബാന്‍ഡിന്റെ ഉത്ഭവം, അംഗങ്ങള്‍
3) റോക്ക്‌ സംഗീതത്തിന്റെ ഇന്ത്യയിലെ അവസ്ഥ.
4) റോക്ക്‌ സംഗീതത്തെ കുറിച്ച്‌ സമൂഹത്തിലുള്ള ധാരണകള്‍ (മദ്യത്തിന്റെയും മയക്കുമരുന്നിന്റെയും സ്വാധീനം തുടങ്ങിയവ)
5) ഇന്ത്യയില്‍ റോക്ക്‌ സംഗീതത്തിന്റെ ഭാവി
6) ബാന്‍ഡിന്റെ അന്താരാഷ്‌ട്ര പ്രശസ്തിയെ പറ്റി
7) പുതിയ ആല്‍ബത്തെ കുറിച്ച്‌

എം-പോടിന്റെ തീം മ്യൂസിക്‌: അജിത്‌ ഗോപാലകൃഷ്ണന്‍

********************

Attitude is what I like about Mother Jane. I had a chance to do an interview with Suraj Mani, the vocalist of the band Mother Jane, the rock band originally from Cochin and now making waves across national and international rock scene. I've enjoyed my conversation with Suraj and he seemed so down-to-earth and full of attitude and I hope you guys would also enjoy listening to this interview.

The topics we cover in this interview are the following:

• How did the name Mother Jane come?
• The formation of the band & the band members
• Rock music in India
• The band's musical influences, favorite bands and musicians
• Why Rock music?
• The myth about rock music (drugs, alcohol, pessimism) in the society
• The future of rock music in India
• The band's international exposure through international radio channels
• About MJ's upcoming album

The achievements of the band:

• Mother Jane's Insane Biography was chosen as the Best Indian Rock Album: 2002-03
• Mother Jane's song Mindstreet was chosen for the Great Indian Rock Compilation Album 2003
• Mindstreet was featured on US Radio along with Rush, Genesis etc.
• Insane Biography became the only Indian Rock album to be featured in the Asian Rock Rising Festival in Japan on November, 2003.
• The song Mindstreet is also an AirTel Hello Tune.

M-Pod Theme Music: Ajit Gopalakrishnan

Mail us your comments, suggestions and tips: info@mpod.in
Image Courtesy: Motherjane.in

This interview is partly in English.

When two singers met - Part 2

An interview with Gayatri by Pradip Somasundaram

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Duration: 26m 45s
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Two friends. Two wonderful singers. Came together for a chat for M-Pod. One of them interviewed the other. The "meri awaz suno" fame Pradip Somasundaran interviews state award winning singer Gayathri in this episode.

M-Pod has covered an interview with Pradip earlier and you're all familiar with him now. You know Gayathri through the songs like Thumbi kinnaaram from the movie Naran, Chaanchaadiyaadi from Makalkku, Enthe nee kanna (state award winning song), Deena dayaalo raama from Arayannangalude veedu etc. You also heard her singing in Maestero Ilaiyaraja's oratario Thiruvaasagam.

In this conversation they talk about:

• Gayathri as a person
• Her entry into the musical career
• Advantages/disadvantages of learning Carnatic & Hindustani music for a singer
• Different styles/schools in Hindustani music - With vocal examples
• What makes a singer to stand apart from the other singers
• Song from the movie Makalkku

Please let Pradip and Gayathri know your thoughts on the show and their singing. Let them know your wishes and prayers for them in the following email IDs:

Pradip: pradipsomasundaran(at)gmail(dot)com
Gayathri: gayathriasokan(at)yahoo(dot)com

PART II OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED NEXT WEEK.

Special thanks to Sri. Pradip Somasundaram and Ms. Gayatri for their un-conditional support.

When two singers met - Gayatri & Pradip

An interview with Gayatri by Pradip Somasundaram

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Duration: 26m 45s
Download this episode

Two friends. Two wonderful singers. Came together for a chat for M-Pod. One of them interviewed the other. The "meri awaz suno" fame Pradip Somasundaran interviews state award winning singer Gayathri in this episode.

M-Pod has covered an interview with Pradip earlier and you're all familiar with him now. You know Gayathri through the songs like Thumbi kinnaaram from the movie Naran, Chaanchaadiyaadi from Makalkku, Enthe nee kanna (state award winning song), Deena dayaalo raama from Arayannangalude veedu etc. You also heard her singing in Maestero Ilaiyaraja's oratario Thiruvaasagam.

In this conversation they talk about:

• Gayathri as a person
• Her entry into the musical career
• Advantages/disadvantages of learning Carnatic & Hindustani music for a singer
• Different styles/schools in Hindustani music - With vocal examples
• What makes a singer to stand apart from the other singers
• Song from the movie Makalkku

Please let Pradip and Gayathri know your thoughts on the show and their singing. Let them know your wishes and prayers for them in the following email IDs:

Pradip: pradipsomasundaran(at)gmail(dot)com
Gayathri: gayathriasokan(at)yahoo(dot)com

PART II OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED NEXT WEEK.

Special thanks to Sri. Pradip Somasundaram and Ms. Gayatri for their un-conditional support.

Vayalamma

Some folk songs of Kerala
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Duration: 18m 4s
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In this episode, you can can listen to a few folk songs of Kerala, sung by a group called "Vayali" from Vadakkanchery, Thrissur.

The Singing Priest

An interview with Fr. Paul Poovathingal, a priest who is an M.Phil. in Carnatic music

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Duration: 53m 10s

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"Music is the bridge between religions" - Says Fr. Paul Poovathingal CMI who has earned the name the "singing priest." Fr. Paul is a graduate in English and Psychology from Christ College, Bangalore. Though he had exposure to music at the age of 17, his seminary duties did not allow him much time to presume it. But after graduation the pull was too strong to resist and at the age of 31 he dedicated himself to the study of Carnatic music. But why was it so? It is not common for a Christian priest to take to classical Carnatic music! Says Fr. Paul, "as a priest my search was for reaching divinity; I felt that music was the best means to achieve the goal and realise divinity." He joined the Sangita Shironmani course at the University of Delhi where he also did and continued with his Masters and won a gold medal. While in Delhi he had learnt music from a few eminent artistes like T.R. Subramaniam. Later he pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Madras under the guidance of Prof. Karaikudi Subramaniam. In Chennai he found gurus in K. J. Yesudas and more recently Vaikom Jayachandran.

In this episode, Fr. Paul talks about the following things:

• Carnatic music
• Importance of literature in Carnatic music
• His musical journey
• Carnatic music and Kerala Christians
• Carnatic music v/s the other tradional music systems
• The new trend of learning traditional arts

He also sings the following Carnatic krithis in this interview:

• Deva deva kalayaamithe
• Vaathaapi ganapathim
• Saama gaana priye

Links:

The Hindu Interview
Focus on Kerala article
The Hindu article

Interview with Pradip Somasundaran

An interview with the "Meri Awaz Suno" fame Pradip Somasundaran.

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Duration: 50m 9s
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Pradip Somasundaran needs no introduction for people from Kerala and for those who have heard/seen the first of its kind musical program Meri Aawaaz Suno in Dooradarshan some years back. He won Lata Mangeshkar award for the best Male singer. And the best female singer was Sunidhi Chauhan. Now he sings for the movies and albums. A great singer and a cool and humble person.
In this episode,Pradip talks about the following:

• About his musical career before Meri Awaz Suno
• The truth behind his public image of a 'Hindi' singer
• His relationship with Ravindran master, the music director
• Life after Meri Awaaz Suno
• His experiences as a play back singer
• The first song he sung in a movie
• The differences between Meri Awaz Suno and reality shows of our times