Sunday 21 January 2018

TOWARDS MAKING AN ALBUM & THE LAUNCH


Vivekananda Ashram, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur


Agathiyar never fails to amaze us. After attacking my senses with astounding happenings and events in India he reminded me in the Nadi that there was more to come once I was back in my homeland. True to his words he has been bombarding and shelling us with miracles leaving us in sheer amazement.

As we await the launch of his audio CD "Agathiyar Geetham" scheduled for release on 28 January 2018, he keeps amazing us bringing us to realize and accept that he was the doer and that we were mere puppets in his hands. He has humbled us truly.

Each day has brought us closer to him, each moment has brought us to realize his hand in all matters. We saw him governing us, teaching us, bringing us to new frontiers and heights.

The producer originally wanted to launch the CD at Kallar ashram where the very idea of coming out with an album for Agathiyar was seeded in her mind. Agathiyar in a Jeeva Nadi reading tasked her to take up this venture mentioning that she had his blessing. She called me from Kallar and asked if we could do it. I replied in affirmative. Once the demo of the first music track was done she went back to Kallar and both Tavayogi and she sat to write the lyrics. The day she left for the airport to return to Malaysia was also the day a devotee from AVM arrived at the ashram with her family. But as she was delayed in several places the devotee did not get to meet the producer. Amazingly Agathiyar mentioned to the devotee in her Nadi reading the day after, about the producer and that he was delighted to see that the producer had begun the project as dictated.

When Tavayogi took ill, Mataji advised us to switch the venue for the release to Malaysia. Since she had given the green light we got moving to launch the CD here. We thought of launching it at AVM during the Agathiyar Vizha on 1 February 2018. But considering that it was a home and due to space constraints, the producer asked to look for a bigger venue. I suggested the Sri Sakthi Karpaga Vinayagar temple in Brickfields where the annual Agathiyar Vizha was to take place on 31 January coinciding with the Thaipusam fest. A verbal agreement was obtained from the organizers to allow us to launch the CD during the fest. Then we were faced with a dilemma when told about the appending lunar eclipse on that day. Our fear turned to reality when we were told that the temples will close early on that day. During this state of uncertainties, a devotee from AVM suggested we have the event at the Vivekananda Ashram. By Agathiyar's grace, the management consented to allow us to launch the CD at their premises. As we drew up the floor layout for the event in the main monumental building we were shown another alternative building that suited even more to our requirements. We switched the place.

As we wanted this venture to be an attempt by Agathiyar's devotees we shied away from engaging commercial lyricists and instead took up the pen. As members of the AVM family sat together to draft the lyrics with the producer/ singer, we realized that Agathiyar was opening up new frontiers and creating new experiences for us. It then dawned on us that Agathiyar had brought us together many years earlier to prepare us for a venture of this nature and magnitude.

He had brought together a wonderful team of musicians and singers handpicked specifically for this project too. As the music director got his act together he had his fair share of amazement and bewilderment. He shall share one such episode on stage during the launch and many more on video. Then walks in the flutist, a long time buddy of the music director, just as the wind brings in change, they both took the stage, or studio in this case, and brought forth several beautiful, mesmerizing, elevating and soulful musical pieces. The violinist added support and flavor to the pieces giving it even more life.

As we wind up the preparations for the big day, we can only stand aside and gasp in awe and amazement at how this project was conceived and took shape within a mere 5 months, all due to the grace of Agathiyar.

Make a date with us and get carried away to the inner realms of bliss and joy by the music put together by Jey Raggaveindra and his team. This album shall enchant you as it did for me.