Adlai Stevenson has said this about Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of Human Rights, whose birthday it was on October 11th: "She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world." 

On October 11th, an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 250 kindred souls gathered in the spacious auditorium of Joseph P Keefe Technical High School, Framingham, MA to be part of an evening of great music organized under the auspices of Manitha Neyam Trust and in the process contributed their mite to a worthy cause that helps bring a cheer, a ray of hope, to a few less fortunate ones and raised a net of over $ 10K by the end of the evening.

Manitha Neyam Trust, a 501(c) (3) Tax exempt charity in US, was formed by likeminded individuals who believe in ‘lighting the candle’ and thus becoming the beacon in the lives of those that are unable to fend for and sustain themselves in the less than conducive environments of a Sri Lanka, sweltering in the strife of a protracted Civil War. Avoiding polemics and rhetoric, rather resorting to a path of reinforcing positive actions, they provide assistance to various needy segments of the society. By providing assistance to old age homes, Manitha Neyam Trust extends much needed relief and assurance to elderly in their twilight years. Funds collected through various events help defray the cost of school attendance and vocational training of several children. It needs no introduction that education is the single most important liberating factor that helps mold an independent and productive generation, able to contribute back to the society. The trustees and their friends share the religion of humanity. It arises out of a calling of the highest order which came from the deepest recesses of the core of their being. The moral fiber that binds them together is stronger than the most vicious of explosives. 

Following the welcome speech, whereupon some of the achievements of The Trust were highlighted, as also a message from the legendary music director M S Viswanathan, specifically prepared for the evening and delivered as an invocation, the endearing business of a nostalgic musical journey was embarked upon in all earnestness. Joining hands with The Trust this evening were some of the most talented musicians of New England, many of whom are familiar to us, through their marvelous performances and unstinted support to similarly worthy causes. The glue that stuck together the elements of a successful musical extravaganza was provided by the band AAROH, with another of their scintillating performances. For long term denizens of New England, an introduction to AAROH and the singers on stage would be a superfluous exercise in propriety. But, hopefully, the message in this article will be carried much wider than the confines of these picture perfect autumnal surroundings of New England, hence a mention is perfectly in order along with references to their individual performances.

                                                                                                    The repertoire was a veritable treat of handpicked gems, from melancholy melodies to scintillating rock and roll, created during arguably the best period of Tamizh playback music. The magical strings of Manish Kurup (Lead Guitar), along with Angshuman Parashar (Bass Guitar) set the musical mood for the evening with a rousing rendition of En Vazhvile Varum Anbe Vaa, in the company of the entire ensemble comprising of Nikhil Pendharkar & Alden D'Souza (Keyboards), Shridhar Ganapuram (Acoustic drums and pads) and Bharat Lagu (Tabla, Dholak & other percussions). The troupe returned for another electrifying performance after a brief interlude, with an appropriately selected, Pani Vizhum Malar Vanam. 

Kaalangalil Aval Vasantham, the romantic poetry by Kannadasan, rendered by Sankar Gangaikondan flowed like a sweet dream. When Uma Sankar & Raghu Saranathan followed that up with Pothi Vacha Malliga Mottu, it appeared to saturate the audience in a romantic mood. Sudha Rao & Vasanth Murthy left one and all yearning for more with a highly commendable performance of Valai Osai from Sathya. The hasty hearty beats were brought down to sustainable levels by Raghu Saranathan’s Vaan Nila that meandered like a gentle brook. Priya Anand’s rendition of Pattathu Rani (Sivantha Mann ) quite literally was a gasping performance that left the audience breathless! Introducing the new generation in the audience to the music of S M Subbaiah Naidu, Priya Anand & Sankar Gangaikondan brought back to life the adorable mischievousness in the inspired performance of Chandrababu & Jamunarani with Kumkuma Poove (Maragatham). The sensuous number Palunginal Oru Maaligai performed by Sudha Rao with appreciable voice modulation that it demanded and Unnidom Mayangugiraen rendered by Vasanth Murthy in his characteristically deep voice appealed to contrasting moods. There was a healthy mix of songs of various genres that straddled multiple generations. Interspersing of older hits from 50s and 60s with relatively modern lilting numbers from 80s and 90s seemed to resonate with the musical appetite of the audience and they enthusiastically responded to the peppy numbers such as Ram Bam Bam (Michael Madana Kama Rajan) and the comical hit Ennamma Kannu (Mr. Bharath). Thulluvatho Ilamai (Kudiyirundha Koyil) saw the audience join the chorus with “Hoi… Bappaaa”. Those who had been entrusted with the onerous task of song selection must have had a particularly difficult time deciding which ones to be omitted from the evening’s performance. The audience, the music and the cause was a perfect confluence that offered near salvation. The technical expertise of Jawed Wahid ensured that all sound systems performed at optimal levels and the audience could pick a singular chord of the guitar or a note played on the keyboard. Narayanan Narasingam , assumed the role of an efficient MC, providing ample amusement with anecdotal stories associated with the songs, offered as an introduction. At times, the show gave the air of a costume drama, as much as a musical night, with the singers transforming in to replicas of the characters from the celluloid that they represented. It would be remiss on the part of all to omit references to all the volunteers who made it all possible. Delectable home cooked food satiated the hunger even as it helped further the fund raising cause as also the raffle. It was truly heartening to see young adults willingly participate to make it a successful event.

The evening also had the overhead projector playing visuals of Manitha Neyam Trust’s activities and some of the specific projects that derive support from their fund raising efforts. At the end of it the direct beneficiaries of these efforts were on the screen expressing their sincere appreciation with thank you and ‘romba nandri’. The glint in their eyes, the sense of gratitude etched on their faces that wore the lines of an arduous life all made the evening a worthwhile exercise in humanity. Thank you for an opportunity to connect with our inner self.