THE BLIND SINGER WHO PLAYS ONE-STRINGED VEENA
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| Vijayalakshmi, Udayanapuram, Vaikkam |
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‘Electrifying’ would be an apt word to describe the way blind singer Vijayalakshmi plays the single stringed and electrified ‘Gayatri Veena’. For by her virtuoso performance on the improvised instrument and by her sweet voice, she enthralls audiences during concerts.
This 20-year-old artist began performing on the stage from the age of 5. Although born blind, she learned to play veena all by herself. Her guru in carnatic music is Maveikkara Ponnammal.
She belongs to Udayanapuram in Vaikkam. But it was at Chennai, where she had gone with her father – an electrician - that her talent blossomed.
She picked up the nuances of veena recital by rubbing a spoon against the strings of a veena presented by a cousin. When blindness hampered her play on the 4-stringed instrument, her father modified it into a single stringed instrument.
She won the 1st prize in Carnatic music in the State School Youth Festival in 1998.
And the most unforgettable moment in her life: "When I sang raga Amruthavarshini at Ponnaramthotathu temple, it started raining heavily though it was summer. I can never forget that."
Courtesy: Kerala Kaumudi, March 23, 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
