Now Christmas carols in Carnatic ragas

Chennai, Nov 29: After the pathbreaking ''Thiruvazhagam'' in symphonic oratorio and Mozart Meets India, 'Tamizh Maiyam', a forum founded here in 2001 to promote cultural, artistic and literary dialogue, will now come up with a collection of Christmas songs tuned in Carnatic ragas.

Announcing this at a press conference here yesterday the Forum's Director K Pandia Rajan said the new venture titled 'Indian Christmas'', would relive globally known and evergreen Christmas carols, like 'Silent Night', 'Jingle Bells', 'O come all Ye Faithful'', will be tuned in select Carnatic ragas.

He said for instance, 'Silent Night' will be set in Neelambari, ''Jingle Bells' in Kathana Kuthukoolam. Veena, sitar, bamboo flute, mridangam and tabla and classical violin have been used, keeping in identity Carnatic and Western harmony traditions.

Eminent singers, Bombay Jayasree, Srinivas and Kritika have rendered the songs, he said, adding the work is inspired by African music which entered the American society through Church.

UNI