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Album features President Kalam's poems

October 31, 2006 20:48 IST

India's President A P J Abdul Kalam, who turned 75 on October 15, is a man of many talents and faculties. Besides being a scientist, he is also known for his writings, including poems.

As a tribute to him, New York-based Oriental Records has produced a musical albumĀ  Samarpanam, containing two of his poems, O Manidha Jathiye and O Annaiye, Annaiye.

The poems were set to music by Rangasami Parthasarathy, composer and founder of the Oriental Records. O Manidha Jathiye was sung by S P Balasubramaniam and O Annaiye Annaiye by P Unnikrishnan, both celebrated playback singers.

The CD also contains O Kutti Maane, Kutti Maane, an emotional tribute to Kalam sung by Balasubramaniam and written by Y S Rajan, who, with the Indian President, co-authored India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium.

Madhidha Jathiye reflects on the mysteries of man's little time on the planet. Annaiye pays tribute to the author's mother, who brought her family through a great many problems.

'When I heard [O Annaiye Annaiye] my mother appeared in front of me and tears rolled down my eyes,' Dr Kalam said in a letter to Parthasarthy.

'The music composed by you on the three poems is excellent and the right choice of raagas,' he said.

'You have indeed taken it as a mission,' the President said in his congratulatory message to Parthasarathy and the artists.

A Correspondent in New York