‘Tis the Onappattu!

KOCHI:  The students of Crossroads School of Music, Ernakulam, is on cloud nine. Their festival special song, ‘Onam Thiruvonam’ got launched by the music label Sony Music recently. 

The four-minute malayalam melody was composed during the academy’s annual onam contest-Onappaatin Eenam. According to the founder and teacher of the music academy, Alphons Joseph, the initiative to compose music for the contest was to draw the students more to music and explore their skills through such independent music projects.

“As part of the contest, there were three teams, Pappadam, Pachadi and Payasam. Each team comprised 5 to 6 members and was given 15 days to write, compose and arrange a song that conveys the spirit of Onam,” he says. The songs were judged by music director Jakes Bejoy and ‘Onam Thiruvonam’ by team Pappadam was chosen  the best composition.

“Such creative efforts should be showcased so a music video was created for the song. Since the quality of work impressed Sony Music, they released it on their YouTube channel. Such attempts would definitely build the students’ self-confidence,” adds Alphons. 

The team Pappadam comprising Fasil L, Ashbel Peter, Harijyothissu S, Feiga Meiphullung Gangmei and Richin Kuzhikkad composed music. Sindhu Peter penned the lyrics. The melodious song shot in the picturesque Kumbalangi and Ezhupunna features how a joint family including elders and children all decked up in traditional attire preparing for Thiruvonam.

Adding a happy note about the initiative of his students Alphons says, “As their teacher it was a matter of immense pride and joy to sing the song composed by my students and also to get featured in the music video. The daughter of playback singer Sithara Krishnakumar, Saawan Rithu, who is also one of our students, joined us in the song”.