Recital of Tirukkural couplets in Carnatic ragas at Tamil meet

Chennai, Feb 21 (UNI) Recital of Tirukkural couplets in Carnatic raga by 1330 school children, symbolising the 1,330 couplets, will be the highlight of the one-day second Tamil conference to be organised by the International Tamil Center (ITC) here on February 23.

Talking to reporters here, ITC, India Chapter, President and noted Carnatic vocalist Sudha Raghunathan said for the first time, students would be singing the couplets of saint poet Thiruvalluvar in carnatic ragas.

''About 1330 seventh to tenth standard students, drawn from seven leading schools in the city, will sing select couplets from ten Tirukkural chapters in ten different ragas,'' she added.

''We have already circulated a demo CD to the schools to enable the teachers to impart the training. This is the first ever such venture and it needs lot of practice and togetherness,'' she said.

''The rehearsals have been taking place for the last one month, in which the 1330 students were taught how to sing in chorus,'' she added.

Ms Sudha said the conference would also have music, dance and literary meet programmes.

Release of a CD on development of Tamil, a workshop on importance of Tamil in Tamil Nadu, promoting Tamil in every department, a cultural show and release of conference souvenir by DMK Rajya Sabha MP and Chief Minister M Karunandihi's poetess-daughter Kanimozhi were the other programmes scheduled for the conference.

''If the event, especially singing of Torukkural couplets in Carnatic ragas, picks up momentum and triggers passion, we might even consider holding this event, twice a year,'' she added.

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