Review in The New Indian Express

An ode to motherhood


Jyothi Raghuram
First Published : 21 Oct 2009 04:32:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 21 Oct 2009 07:12:49 AM IST

A music CD such as ‘Avva’, with its tribute to maternal love, and with overtones of the folk genre, usually attracts few listeners. Yet if one moves out of such a mindset, and listens to the CD, one comes to appreciate it as a different kind of musical outing that has both emotional and aural appeal. Avva is not too rustic in approach, its lyrics are touching, and the background music has a beat and rhythm that is not incongruous with the theme or basic genre, but in fact has in it to lure a larger listenership.

The album tries to evoke a gamut of emotions including the tenderness and anxiety of a mother’s love, and the nostalgia of the days cocooned in the protection of maternal love. SR Ramakrishna’s music is a blend of tradition and modernity, so to say. What is essentially folksy is turned into a ubiquitous modern tune, without, however, losing its basic character. The rhythm and orchestral effects, coupled with the decipherable lyrics, make for the appeal of Avva.

‘Aparichita Daniyondu’, for instance, with its peppy western background slant, ‘Avva Nannavva’, with its toe-tapping percussion, and ‘Baala Daariyali’, with its tender lyrics, showcase the diversity of the album. The inaugural number, ‘Sappe Anabyaada’, with its homilies picked up from Padada Kempakka, a folk singer, sets the tone for the CD, whose many singers add to the variety. That the songs of Avva also remind one of ‘ranga geetheglu’, shows how Ramakrishna’s music defies categorization and has a wider musical base too.

Shankar Shanbhag, Nitin Raghuveer, Mangala, Vinay, Supriya Acharya, Vani, Jenny, Chintan Vikas, Sunita, Geetha Bhat, Mukesh, Ravi Murur, Nagachandrika, Ratna, and SR Ramakrishna have lent their voice to Avva, presented by The Music Mint, and distributed by Ragini Music. The CD is priced at Rs 75.