ICCR to release music video ‘Life Again’ this weekend

Musician Mysore Manjunath invites artistes from India, abroad for initiative

Life Again. A Mysuru-based musician has conceptualised and composed music for a video, in view of instilling confidence among the people, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twenty global musicians, from various coronavirus-affected countries, are part of the music video. Incidentally, Wang Ying from Wuhan in China has played erhu.

“I invited musicians from both India and abroad to be part of the initiative. They proved that this is a time, only for social distancing, not emotional distancing. When seer Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swami of Avadhoota Datta Peetham learned about the initiative, he offered to pen the lyrics. He also recited his creation for the video. The seer himself is a great musician, a connoisseur, and patron of music,” said Mysore Manjunath, a renowned violinist.

“By the time the video was ready, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), under Union government, offered to release it online, on its platforms. The video will be released by ICCR on Saturday (June 13) evening,” he said.

Mysore Manjunath

Ends with positive note

“This is a unique international collaboration of eminent musicians, produced by Alter Ego Frames and edited at Laya Digi Studios. Pravin D Rao has compiled and arranged. It is in Raga Charukeshi. The song portrays emotions of all — agony, distress, and suffering and ends with a positive note. Thus it is named 'Life Again’,” said Manjunath of Mysore Brothers duo fame. His elder brother Mysore Nagaraj is also a part of the initiative.

“The pandemic has affected the whole world. The world has come together, like never before, to fight against the pandemic. The pandemic has provided some productive moments for all — to ponder over life, for introspection, and to plan for life beyond the pandemic. The lockdown has provided an opportunity for exploring one’s strengths and to be creative,” said Manjunath.

Beauty of music

“Concerts and music festivals have been cancelled around the world, to check the spread of the virus. While the industry is coming to terms with the challenging times ahead, the role of music in bringing the communities together has been more powerful. This is a unique and special music video, aptly using the power of music to bring communities across the globe together. Music is the ultimate unifier and universal language. This is an amazing collaboration of internationally acclaimed and celebrated musicians from different genres, asserting the beauty of music and its positivity,” he said.

“It is a nice combination of the tone of different musical instruments, adding special texture to the song. All musicians have played and done the recording at their respective place, Manjunath added.

Life Again Music releasing on June 13

Musicians

The musicians featured in the music video are: Mysore Manjunath, Mysuru, violin; Ned Mcgowan, Netherlands, flute; Giulianno Moderally, Italy, guitar; Mark Wood, New York, viper electric violin; Helen Wilson, London, piano; Soheyl Tafaghodi, Iran, kamanchen; Wang Ying, China, erhu; Akram Abdulfatrah, Israel, violin; Tejendra Majumdar, Kolkata, sarod; Luigi Corda, France, double bass; Ronu Majumdar, Mumbai, bhansuri; Julliane Southwel, Oregon, violin; and Laura Kaye, USA, vocal; Mysore Nagaraj, Mysuru, violin; Varija Shri, Bengaluru, vocal; B C Manjunath, Bengaluru, mridanga; Ravishankar Upadhyay, New Delhi, pakawaz; Guruprasanna, Bengaluru, khanjira; Karthik, Chennai, ghatam; and Pramath Kiran, Uttara Kannada, creative percussion.