Thiruvananthapuram: Alleppey Ranganath was a music director and lyricist who created a world of devotion in the minds of Malayalees through Ayyappa devotional songs. Swami Sangeetham was born during the early days of Tharangini Studios, owned by Yesudas in Thiruvananthapuram, when he was the Scripting Scrutinizing Officer. Yesudas commissioned Ranganath to compose and record songs about Ayyappan. Vrishichikappompulari, Enmanam Ponnambalam, Swami Sangeethamalapikum and Sabari Girinatha’s 12 songs on the cassette ‘Swami Sangeetham’ released in 1982 became hits. Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions of these songs were also widely accepted. More than 25 cassettes were made for the wave.
Alleppey Ranganath also had the experience of making Yesudas cry by singing Ayyappa devotional songs. That too twice. The first incident took place in 1982 during the recording of Tharangini’s second Ayyappa devotional song cassette. Yesudas burst into tears when he sang the line ‘Adiyanasrayameka God Hridayamithil Vazhum, Akilandeswaranayyanayyan Saranamayyappa’ in the Anupallavi of the song which starts with ‘Enmanam Ponnambalam’.
The second incident took place in June 2018 in Chennai. Yesudas forgave Ranganath for singing Ayyappa devotional song for Tharangini. Staying at Yesudas’ house in Chennai and recording in the nearest studio. Yoshudas’ throat throbbed when he sang the lyrics of the song “Poor Poonkuyile” in Sabarivanam, “Give me your voice, Manjuveena, to sing the music of my Lord”.
Swami Sangeethamalapikum is a song that Yesudas regularly sings during his Sabarimala Darshan. Yesudas will never end a concert without singing this song. Yesudas loves that song so much. For Malayalees.
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