Geethu Joy Anand- A beautiful singing of highest Caliber

A very Super Special blog:

Ever since we started the blog this is one of most closest to heart feature to write here. It is a long time wish to write a blog in the honor of the living legend Play back singer K.S. Chithra. Let it be any department of  singing, be it expressions, feel, sangathies, pronunciation, delivery of a complete product, there is no other female vocalist in the industry other than K.S. Chithra that earn for that perfection in every song she recorded. Youngsters who aim for perfection look up to her to learn the techniques she display in the singing.

We are also so happy to have Geethu to agree to be on this feature where we honor a legend. She herself is an ardent music lover and fan of Chithra. When approached for this purpose she rightfully agreed and said this ” If it is for music I am all in, and will fully support any efforts to encourage quality singing.But don’t know if i am the singer to go on a week with a legend. But i am so happy you guys chose me for this.” It is such a pleasure to introduce Geethu as our featured singer here.

Geethu Joy Anand

We knew this singer ever since this blog existed. Wanted to find a right page to add her profile.  A smart friend and above all a great singer. Her profile conveys a disciplined and carefully made invites and collaborations. What strike the most from her profile is the perfection she yearn each time when she put out a song. When we chose her profile to be here we knew she was singing casually and not very much into a career focus. Yet we picked her profile seeing a tremendous potential to take singing seriously. Let us get to know from Geethu herself about her music.

She started off as thanking us for inviting her and write about her music here (You are most welcome, it is our pleasure to have you here). Geethu said, she read several of the features on this blog and she thought all the write ups are interesting and all the artists featured on the blog are some of her personal favorites. Now she is a part of a privileged league of absolutely great singers, she says she is ecstatic.

She is from the cultural capital of Kerala, Thrissur, settled at present in Dubai, along with her husband. Geethu is a super smart singer with a dual Masters degree in Engineering and Human Resources.

Asked to describe what is music for her, Geethu said “Although it is a cliche that people say “fallen in love with it and music is life etc, for me also I am no exception.”

Her first relation with music started at very young age itself; she remembers when one of her uncles made her sing a song for him; (which she still remembers “Azhage nin Mizhineer”, a famous Malayalam song from movie ’Amaram’); Geethu sang that like a professional at such young age. That incident left a profound impact on everyone in her family; and everyone ever since encouraged her to continue singing. Since no one else could sing in the family Geethu’s talent was immensely refreshing for everyone and hugely supported. Geethu continues  “I don’t remotely remember anyone singing in my family” yet she recollect her dad bragging that her talent came from him and Geethu like to blatantly believe that. Rightfully, a proud dad and he have a lot to be proud of this daughter.

Asked about her training in classical music, Geethu says “I started my first music classes around seven years of my age under my first guru Mrs. Geetha (A faculty of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, Thrissur) . Those early lessons she could continue for a short while until Geethu’s family relocated to UAE, from Kerala. That move disrupted her learning curve, because she still think, that first training she got back home had a profound effect on Geethu as a singer. Geethu think that the skill-set of the teachers back in Kerala were a lot better than anywhere else. Geethu practice her singing extensively herself now using references; like MS Subbulakshmi, for classical music and for popular music from Illayaraja songs, Jagjit Singh, S. Janaki and Latha Mangeshkar to name a few. She says” “Sangeetham is a shravana vidya” This reminds us of Swapnil’s mom who is a Gwalior Gharana singer said the same here in a feature we wrote few weeks back. The more you listen to it the more you learn. it is definitely a great advice.

Geethu participated in several competitive events. For her, more than to the competitive side of those events, it was the opportunity that they bring to compete with and see and hear a mélange of singers ranging from western to classical music. Geethu never gave up her music she managed both music and studies, taking both hand-in hand. Music, however always had taken a passive role most of her growing-up phase.

It was when a busy study and curriculum finished that Geethu pursued her classical lessons seriously again and gladly she says in 2010 her guru asked her to do the “Arangettam” (a first official performance). To top all that, she was fortunate to perform in the one of the grandest stages of Classical Music – Chembai Sangeethosavam and few other stages. Geethu remembers “It was a soul-stirring experience, wherein I got a feeling of fulfillment. Every time I sang a Keerthanam, it felt as if the gods were keenly listening to it.”

Geethu had to give her music a back seat to play the role of a wife, mother and busy family life for a while. It was after a long break she was searching for a platform to again re-initiate her passion in singing. That is where we all happened to hear this wonderful really passionate singer Geethu through Smule Sing app. This story of her music journey is unlike any other story we wrote here. Coming from a family of no musicians and learn classics to such extent, and her love for classical music and finally able to sing at the music events honoring Chembai. That is real dedication and focus and interest towards music. Kudos!

Geethu described her Smule experience like this “The very concept of singing with anyone across the globe in itself is an awe-inspiring experience. I see Smule as a platform where I get to practice; put my best effort and sing as close to perfection as I can. For any singer, acknowledgement and appreciation is the best known motivation. The high that I get when people across the globe, appreciate and provide feedback in itself is the greatest gift a singer can get.” Rightly said and what a powerful way the music appreciation has changed over the past years.

Asked about what type of songs she like she says ” I adore all types of compositions; especially Ilayaraja, ARR and Johnson music and their songs. Melodies are my favorite genre.” She surprises us by saying this suddenly “Another artist I admire and constantly listen to is Yanni.” Of course that tells volumes about Geethu’s statement of her music taste that she like all types of music and as her profile reads an “Ardent fan of music”

Geethu did not forget to thank rightly her family and friends and said this ” They all had been the biggest pillar of strength.” She quickly added one important thought “Before my marriage, I was involved in a band in which my husband was the lead percussionist. Since he is an avid music lover himself, his constructive criticism helps me learn and improve.” Aha… we all know how she met him.

Geethu say she would like to study more music. More of Carnatic, Hindustani and learn to play a musical instrument, that she hasn’t yet decided on.

Geethu actually not singing to pursue a career. For her all she want to do is to sing more and sing to her heart’s content; express herself through music. Geethu would like to make unplugged covers in the future. She specifically mentioned her favorite music bands Masala coffee, Agham , Thaikudam Bridge and Avial; “They all opened a new world of music to us. As much as I love listening to it, someday I would like to try my hands at .”

To end her music story here is what Geethu have to say  “Every time I sing, all I wish is to be a little better at singing than I was before. If that passion can lead to an opportunity knocking at my door I would happily take it.” All the best Geethu. You deserve that more than anyone else. You dedicated so much of your time to the cause of good music, hope it all paid off, at least through this small recognition.

Let us hear her singing without delay. Here she sings a beautiful melody “Aaro viral meeti“. Arun Mohan is our very first male featured singer from Malayalam and a super talent. It is a feat to hear talents like Geethu joins such talents. A perfect rendition of the song.

Here Geethu sings the young music director also a member of Smule community Kailas Menon’s super hit Jeevamshamayi; probably Geethu was one of the first to pick this song and make an invite on Smule. No matter, this song had been a sensation on Smule Sing having the music director himself join Smule community and constantly encourage new singers. Here Geethu is joined by another very fine singer Nithish Shaji. Listen.

Geethu singing a “Enthe kannanu karuppu niram“. Geethu singing her favorite music director Johnson master song. Enjoy.

Geethu joined here by another great singer Nithii. We featured him when we wrote a feature on (Manjari Jayendran: like a sweet whisper that touches your heart every time at a different level). Here Geethu joins him to sing another phenomenal play back singer song Najim Arshad song Thottu thottu  who is also is a part of Smule community and also featured him in our celebrity feature section.  

Geethu’s voice and the feel in this is awesome. Effortless singing is Geethu’s signature.

Geethu sing her favorite music director ARR song En veetu thottathil with a beautiful singer Ramakrishnan. Some where this song touches ones heart, a very close to its original version singing here. Some of the music made by ARR make us speechless. Listen.

Kannam Thumbi– a Chitra chechi song. Beautiful singing by both singers. Parvathy’s songs were featured with other features here. A popular song on Smule but very effective track. Listen.

Before we leave you all to know more about Geethu, we just like to wish her all the best in her family life and her music journey. It was one unique story each week we get to bring to you. But Geethu’s story was like no other we heard. Please visit her smule page and follow this singer. Here is the link to her page. Please keep reading our special feature about K.S. Chithra.

Anecdote

K. S. Chithra – A singing voice of celestial expressions

More than 20K songs and an innumerable number of awards that can fill pages, she can not ask for anything more. She is the most pleasant celebrity personality who lights up anywhere she is present. She had seen the changes in the playback industry where orchestra was ready to play during a recording (live recording), to a modern click recording. She worked with almost every music directors in India’s music industry. Listening to her experiences in many interviews of her, we think that her interactions she had with Illayaraja in Tamil industry seem to strengthen her confidence and establish her presence easily in other South India’s regional languages.

It was her family friend music director Late M.G. Radhakrishnan who introduced her talent to the Malayalam movie industry. MGR was a very popular music director when Chithra was forming her music. She says It was her dad who is really behind her success, while her mother always wanted her to stay in music education and was very scared about a girl from the family getting into a taboo stricken film world. The very first song she sang for the Malayalam movie industry is Pranaya vasantham with Dr. K.J. Yesudas. For her, if the music director MGR is like an older brother all other music directors were her admirers. All the music directors were in line to make her sing their songs. She went onto sing for many other Malayalam music directors like Jerry Amaldev, Ravindran, and Shyam and established herself in Malayalam Play back.

Her real break or hit in a single in Malayalam could be this song. “Alorungi arangorungi” from “Ente mamatty Kuttyammyaku”. The movie was a super hit with the most adorable child actress Shalini in the focus of this movie; and no-one could forget this beautiful child artist. She was the Shirly Temple of India. With Chithra’s hit song in her most melodious voice, Malayalees started get used to a very different Malayalee girl’s voice.

Her fame did not stop in Kerala. She was suggested by many movie directors like Fazil to music directors like Illayaraja. Like many singers we write about here, it was big dream for Chithra as well to sing for Raja sir. The following video was Chithra’s very first song she sang for Illayaraja in Tamil. She says in one of the interviews the story behind this. She went to meet Raja sir for auditioning to sing in a remake of a Malayalam movie “Noketha Doorathu Kannumnattu“. Listening to her singing, Raja sir called her the next day to sing this song. Here enjoy her first Tamil song for Raja sir. She says most of Tamil music directors are very organized and extremely hard-working and entire Tamil industry sounded from her descriptions very demanding. Poojai ketta poovithu.

Some of her songs like Padariyen Padipariyen from Sindhubhairavi is by far bring out the best of the best of her singing we think (an out of the world melody). Listen to Chithra herself singing live with an orchestra for Aisanet TV channel.

The above song she sang for Illayaraja from movie Sindhubhairavi and in Malayalam movie the song “Manjal Prasadavum” that introduced a new music director Bombay Ravi to music industry established Chithra beyond doubt as singer to stay; and rest is history.

At her 30 years of singing career she went onto start an Institute where she is planning to provide financial assistance to singers who have no retirement assistance. To our knowledge there is no other singer in India ever done anything like this. She was recently touring USA and happen to meet her personally. She was all enthusiastic about her efforts and was talking about it to anyone and everyone who will listen.

The stories we bring to you about any established singer, it is an obvious fact that they all get there through simple efforts; they all have put a best effort in everything they did; rest all happens around them. We leave everyone with two of Chithra songs. Rajahamsame and her entirely different style of singing in Oru Murai vanthu parthaya. The latter one made actor Shobhana and her character portrayed in the movie an all time legendary status in India’s movie industry. It may be compared to an iconic Hitchcock’s Psycho and the actor Anthony Perkins character Norman Bates status in Hollywood. Give a listen. All these movie scenes used here are legendary scenes made in Malayalam movies and Chithra have a significant part in them. That is where she became a living legend.

Oru Murai Vandhu Parthaya- from the movie Manichithra Thazhu. The actor portrayed here is National Award winning Shobhana.

And again this feast of Shobhana in her best on stage performance to portray what Chithra try to bring through her singing effectively live in front of the viewers. The latter part of the song is sung by Shreya Ghoshal.

END NOTES:

When we finish writing about Chithra in this feature the one thing that comes to mind over and again, is the humility and sincerity that over rides our feelings. Chithra always come out as simple as one could imagine. It is probably that purity of music she brings to us all is reflected as her personality. There are dark days in her life despite all these achievements. Out of all that dark places some thing divine that is her music that kept her thriving. For many who sing on Smule the singing is something that help them heal and forget their worries. Music has super powers that can heal a broken heart, it can make you forget a sad memory. Keep singing and keep reading and come back each weekend to support another singer. Please feel free to write to us.We love to hear from you all. Last week was a record number of emails poured in so much good words. There is no words to describe the feelings of people work so hard behind here. It is precious family time that is dedicated to bring these features to life week after week. It is all for the love of music and musicians. Be kind to each other.