Music evokes nostalgia, especially if you are listening to those good old melodious numbers. But tuning in to evergreen film songs in its pure form is a rarity these days with unplugged versions, high-end synthesisers and computer recording dominating the music scene. However no music buff will let go of a chance to catch up with soulful songs of the bygone era with a live orchestra. Kodambakkam P. O. brings this magic on stage.
Conceptualised by G. Asok Kumar, a drummer of yesteryear and now a well-known showman, the band promises a flashback to golden melodies’. “Feel the magic of live music, that’s what we say. There is no rhythm composer, no synthesiser… Instead we use instruments that were originally used in these songs such as accordion, dukki, ektar, ghadashingari, mandolin, saxophone… which are rarely used these days in film music,” says Asok.
Barely six months old, the band has already conducted two programmes, one in Kochi and the other in the capital city. Up next is a programme in Kozhikode next month. The best of Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil songs till the 90s are presented by Kodambakkam P. O. “In addition, we have programmes featuring prominent singers. For example, in October we have an event in Kochi, which will be led by S. P. Balasubramaniam. We are also planning programmes with P. Jayachandran, K.S. Chithra and Karthik,” says Asok. Twenty to 25 songs are presented at an event, with an anchor talking about the song and the people who worked on it.
Asok has had a long association with the film industry before he branched out into stage shows. “I have worked with almost all the leading composers in Malayalam and nothing can match the experience of playing live. There is nothing wrong with unplugged music, but it sometimes takes away the beauty of a song,” he says. He worked on the concept with filmmaker T. K. Rajeev Kumar, whom he had assisted in directing many stage shows. As for the name Kodambakkam, it was an obvious choice with Kodambakkam being once the Mecca of the South Indian film industry. It debuted at JTPac in Kochi in January.
“The concept is very challenging but at the same time immensely satisfying,” says veteran Jose Vincent a.k.a Joeboy Mash, the frontline drummer of the band, perhaps the only drummer in India to be named in the Modern Drummer, a magazine published from the United States. “When you play live for a huge audience, it is indeed a risk, but the dedication and concentration is worth it. I was overjoyed when I got to play a solo portion in the Ilaiyaraja composition ‘Megham Kottattum…’ in Kodambakkam’s concert.” The 60–plus artiste, who played at the opening of Bryan Adams concert in Bangalore, makes special mention of veteran C. Thankaraj, the accordion player of Kodambakkam. “Having seen the changes that have swept across the music industry, associating with Kodambakkam has been a nostalgic trip for us,” he says.
For Rajalakshmy, one of the singers in the group, Kodambakkam is for all those who enjoy listening to evergreen songs in their original format. “We rehearse very hard for we can’t afford to miss a beat. The output is incredible. And when we wind up with a group rendition of ‘Ee Mere Watan Ke Logo’ it is a touching moment for all of us and the audience,” says Rajalakshmy.
Experience the music as Kodambakkam plays on…
Soulful melodies
In addition to singing the hits of the likes of V. Dakshinamoorthy, M. S. Viswanathan, K. Raghavan Master, G. Devarajan, M. S. Baburaj, Arjunan Master, Shyam, Ilaiyaraja and Johnson, Kodambakkam also tries to bring in variety. “For instance, the song ‘Nithyavishudhayam kanyamariyame…’ is sung in the symphony format. We have a homage section featuring songs of Dakshinamoorthy, Devarajan, M. B. Sreenivasan, Salil Chowdhury, Baburaj and Raghavan master with just chords playing in the background,” Asok says.
Fact file
The current line-up of Kodambakkam P.O. has singers Dinesh, Kallara Gopan, Abhilash Venkitachalam, Rajalakshmy and Athira Murali. Musicians are Jose Vincent, C. Thankaraj, Anilkumar B. S., Lalappan, Binny, Murali, Harikumar, Rajesh, Jayakumar and Shinu.
