MA-MAL-05-DCS-270

Ajaganapaalakaa
അജഗണപാലകാ

George-panjara- Vocal

Track 2 from Christian Classical Music By George Panajara

This is track no. 2 from George Panjara’s first commercial release (pre-recorded cassette. 1985) of his original compositions of Karnatic classical music with Christian themes. This indeed was a breakthrough in the recent cultural history of Kerala. After gaining access to the treasures of Karnatic classical music, Panjara decided to compose his own lyrics with Christian themes for his concerts. In this cassette, we hear Panjara at his best both in the matter of lyrics as well as music. It showcases the range of his voice, his deep knowledge of the Bible, extraordinary knowledge of the Malayalam language, and his his mastery of the nuances of South Indian classical music. This recording, by all means, is a treasure.

We are indebted to one man, Fr. Joseph Ampatt, who was the director of Chavara Cultural Center, a CMI initiative, at Ernakulam. Fr. Ampatt discerned the uniqueness of George Panjara’s talent, and organized his debut performance at the Chavara Cultural Center, which is dedicated to the cofounder of the CMI Congregation, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara (1805-1871), who was as much a poet as a social reformer. Fr. Ampatt went further to produce a pre-recorded cassette of Panjara’s compositions. It was the first of its kind; and it was a prophetic move.

It is almost a miracle that this cassette remained intact with me all these years in spite of the several transfers of residences, both in India and the USA. We gladly present this recording of a precious poet-composer of Kerala to the classical music lovers and cultural connoisseurs, as well as music historians of India.