2024-04-16 01:21:00
# Ravi Menon
April 16, 2024, 06:51 AM IST
There are days when I asked myself if the soul of my dead brother would forgive me if I didn’t sing; Jayan in memory
KG Jayan | Photo: P.P. Binoj | Matrubhumi
Reprint of article published in December 2023
GeeThe stage at which the seed experiences the most emptiness. Jayanmaster still gets teary-eyed when he remembers those moments when he was exhausted on the stage, not knowing how to overcome the shock of his brother’s untimely death.
After Vijayan’s memory, Jayan tried to escape when he was invited to perform a solo concert with the two brothers as part of the aarat at the Nagampadam Shiva Temple. But the organizers were not easy to back down. “It was a big test. Many times during those days I have asked myself if my dead brother’s soul would forgive me if I did not sing. It was as if someone inside was saying: ‘Go. You must go and sing.’ “There are no wounds that music cannot heal.”
Jayan returns to the stage with a heavy heart. I have never experienced such loneliness in my life before or since. As he began to sing the devotional songs he had immortalized with Vijayan, his eyes filled with tears; The voice stuttered. Jayan was tired on the stage, unable to sing the song.
Again there were such experiences. However, Jayan was slowly coming to terms with the reality by immersing himself in theology and music. Later, Jayan had one thing fixed in his mind while arranging the songs for the album ‘Mayilpeeli’ (1988) at the loving insistence of Yesudas. The paternity of these songs is not only Jayan. Jayavijaya will be victorious. Mayilpeeli composed by Ramesan Nair and Jayan (Jayavijaya) has become one of the best-selling albums in the history of devotional songs in Malayalam. When Chembai stopped playing, you made me a singer, Radha Tan Premathode, Eor Pti Avilam… songs were taken up by the fans with full heart.
Jayavijaya has not done many songs in the film. But at least some of them are still lovingly hummed by the Malayalis today: the starlights in Nirakudas twinkling (Yeshudas), the past events of Kurutikalam resurrected (Yeshudas), the melody of ‘Sneha’ and we are exhausted (Jolly Abraham) and the whirlwind of Balachandra Menon’s debut film ‘Utrataratri’ with rapid movements (Yeshudas). , Manju Pozyanundu Mamaram Kochannu (Vani Jayaram), from Pallanayat (Yesudas) in ‘Matoli’… all unfussy, expressive songs.
The misfortune of the Jayavijayans was that the films containing many songs did not see the light of day. But the songs became super hits. Examples are the songs Hridiya Devalaya in ‘Theruvugita’, Brahmamuhurtam in Bhajagovinda and Pranasakhi. Cinema was only one of the many fields that Jayavijayanmar had ventured into.
Mridangavidwan T.V. Gopalakrishnan takes the Jayavijayans to Chembai Swami. The beginning of a long mentorship relationship. ‘Swami had indescribable love and affection for us. I remember the first concert we sang together. It was at the Krishna Ganasabha in Mambalam. After singing a couple of songs, Swami called out to the mike operator: “Give each of these two boys a mike.” The operator was skeptical. Back then, it was not customary to give mics to the singers. But Swami said: “Kandippa is needed. Let people hear their song too.”
KG Jayan and K.G. Vijayan and | Photo: Mathrubhumi Archives
In the 1950s, actor Jose Prakash named the twin brothers Jayavijaya while composing the song for the play ‘Priyaputran’. I still remember his words: “Look, this new name will bring you good luck.”
Reprint
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