Sangeetha Varma, a composer, singer, and lyricist, sees music as a unified whole. "All of the parts should blend so that the listener experiences it as pure music," she says. Sangeetha, one of Kerala's few female music composers, considers it a unique experience to be able to give a song words, melody, and voice.
Her most recent song, 'The Identity,' will be released on March 8, International Women's Day. 'Engum Pakaliravil,' a song she wrote and composed, is a powerful take on the strength of a "ordinary woman." The film, written and directed by R Chandra Vadhana, who runs the NGO Prayaana that works to empower women, urges women, particularly housewives, to wake up and realise their worth.
“As a woman, I felt close to the theme and it is universal. Every woman would be able to relate to it in some way,” Sangeetha says. As I was captivated by the theme, the lyrics and melody flowed to me naturally. She continues, “I wanted it to convey the idea of a resurgence, of hope,” she adds. Ramadevi Thyagarajan has sung the song.
Sangeetha created the music for Rajan Sankaradi's 2013 trilingual film Cleopatra, starring Manoj K Jayan, Vineeth, and Sudha Chandran. She treasures the opportunity to work with K J Yesudas and S P Balasubrahmaniam. “Being in the studio with Das Sir in itself was a dream-come-true for me,” she says.
“SPB sir sang the song for the Telugu version of the film. He treated me like a daughter and we spoke at length.” She has collaborated with the majority of the industry's top singers, in addition to Yesudas and SPB.
She claims that music composing is still predominantly a male domain. “In the history of film music, we have had few women as composers. Those days, composers had to spend long hours in studios as recording and orchestration would often run into the wee hours. The environment was unsuitable for most women as they had family responsibilities to take care of,” she says. she explains. The sector has seen a significant transformation as a result of technological advancements.
“Everything is done remotely and in the confines of our own homes. With COVID-19, this even became the norm.” Technology has also opened up new avenues for female composers to showcase their work, she adds.
Sangeetha, who holds a postgraduate degree in music from the Government College for Women in Thiruvananthapuram, was introduced to music by her father, Kochappan Thampuran, who served as her first guru. She worked on songs during the lockdown and would tune songs written by other lyricists. “Being a woman, other women find it easier to communicate with me. I have had many of them come forward with poetry they had written and wished to listen to as songs. Music, ultimately has to bring people together,” she says.
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