The Score Magazine - Archive April 2009 issue! | Page 36

Conservatory
Calendar
Jyoti Nair
L
iving Dreams presented an artists’ tribute to the
grandson of the Civil Rights activist and iconic fig-
ure of the twentieth century, Martin Luther King Jr
at a function organized by the American Consulate
at the Sri Mutha Venkata Subba Rao Concert Hall. The re-
nowned Tamil poet and lyricist, Vairamuthu, was inspired
by Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech to deploy
similar sentiments of freedom and equality in his poetry.
Saddened over the plight of his Tamil brethren in Sri Lanka,
he offered a poignant comment on the human rights issues
facing the world today. The tribute included a dramatized
reading of the poem by the veteran actor and performer
Kamal Hassan. Martin Luther King III acknowledged the
tribute and spoke about the relevance of King and Gandhi
in our times.
The faculty and students of KMMC performed the theme
of AR Rahman’s Bombay: the rendition was dominated by
a flute recital and the alaaps of Palghat Sriram. Mahatma
Gandhi’s favourite bhajan ‘Vaishnav Jan Tho’ was then sung
by the KMMC choir to the backdrop of the historic march
taken by Martin Luther King; a visual inset of President
Obama was used to literally connect the achievements of
the present with the hopes of the past. King’s favourite
“We shall overcome” was also rendered by the school choir
led by Kavita Baliga in English, Hindi and Tamil. Sentiments
of non-violence and a philosophy of tolerance, advocated
by both King and Gandhi, were evoked on the occasion. It
was a proud moment that also marked the landmark vic-
tory of AR Rahman at the Oscars.
At KMMC, AR Rahman’s School of Music and Technology
students are exposed to a variety of styles of contempo-
rary music, and are encouraged to create their own unique
form.