KOCHI: Classical musician and playback singer Durga Viswanath has given a make-over to the century-old composition Andal Thiruppavai, as part of the ongoing auspicious month of Margazhi. The singer in her YouTube channel performs Thiruppavai’s 30 paasurams aka 30 short Tamil hymns each day.
The verses are part of the century-old compositions which were written as an invocation to Lord Vishnu by his devotee Andal, who is also known as Godadevi, the only female Alvar (Vaishnavite poet saints) among the 12 Alvar saints of South India.
“The Thiruppavai was Andal’s first of 30 verses made to encourage the lazy devotees to join the prayers. The song continues to be recited by young women in Tamil Nadu in the month of Margazhi, our Malayalam month Dhanu (mid-December to mid-January). I choose to perform it, as these verses are said to render positivity to those listening to it,” says Durga.
For her, reviving the eighth-century composition is also a way to create awareness about classical music among Malayalis. “The first song was Marghazhi Thinkal and the second is Vaiyathu Vazveerkal sung in Gowlai ragam. “Through my performances, I also hope to inspire classical singers. The genre gives us the space to explore and create our renditions,” she adds.