Music makes smiles blossom amid pain

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They say music is a universal language, and when words fail to express emotions, melody helps in communicating with the heart. When Carnatic music singer Bombay Jayashri discovered this fascinating aspect about harmony, she decided to reach out to children suffering from autism.

The singer who has performed at various national and international concerts believes that her classical music is just another way to interact with children. She says, “I used to do many concerts for charity, and one day I realised that I must do something for people we usually organise charity events for. I thought performing for them would be a great idea since they are the ones who usually miss out on attending such cultural events. So, I arranged a live performance for autistic children, and they responded to it very well. Since then, my students and I perform for these kids on a regular basis.”
Jayashri is also working with NGOs like Prakriti Foundation, SOS Children Village and Khili Khili to promote Carnatic music among young children. She says, “I love to sing and I have been learning Carnatic music from the age of three. I feel classical music is a very powerful way of communicating. Through music I try to connect with children suffering from autism and dyslexia.”
Asked about her unusual name, she explains that in traditional Carnatic music the name of the place where the singer comes from is used as a prefix in the name; hence she takes pride in calling herself Bombay Jayashri.
“A year ago I had also done a special album for young children recovering from cancer, I called it Endrum Vasantham, which means ‘always spring’ in Tamil,” recalls the singer.
Jayashri mentions that performing for special kids brings her great joy. She mentions, “During one of the performances I was so touched when a young kid told me to come back soon. I was later told that he was one of the naughtiest kids and after listening to Carnatic music he had mellowed down.”