Diwali Edition of KBF's Arts and Medicine Programme a Big Hit

The Ernakulam General Hospital bore a festive ambience as music band Teen Taal belted out a Diwali special of the Kochi Biennale Foundation's (KBF) 'Arts and Medicine' programme recently.
There was a palpable increase in audience strength as the 17-member band, aged between 10 and 20, performed at a larger space adjacent to the regular Wednesday venue.After all, the band featured an impressive array: jazz drums, five violinists, a keyboard player, four table players and a guitarist, apart from the singers.
The youngsters, kitted out in smart grey vests and jeans, opened with a prayer song from the 1991 movie Amaram. Their repertoire included Malayalam, Hindi and children's songs and also aptly the Michael Jackson-hit Heal the World.
Berny of composer duo Berny Ignatious-fame manages the band in which his two sons are also members. 'Teen Taal is not just a band of talented young musicians, who have won several competitions and some of whom were reality show finalists,' said the award-winning composer. 'It is a social commitment. The kids are keen to use their talents to lend a helping hand to the less fortune.'
At the start of the forenoon show, the youngsters ' 13 boys and 4 girls ' made a donation to the paediatric ward of the hospital. Also in the audience were former RAW chief and Kochi-Muziris Biennale trustee Hormis Tharakan.
'We have been able to bring a range of artists to participate in this project,' said KBF Research Co-ordinator Bonny Thomas, who organises the Arts and Medicine programme at the hospital. 'Only last month, we had a 109-year-old sopana sangeetham singer and today we have these talented youngsters. We hope to continue this programme with interesting artistes.'