Making the grade

KOCHI: City-based Reju Joseph is the voice behind  ‘Theekayum Thanthonnykattai’ in ‘In Ghost House Inn’ and his songs  ‘Vattolpoo Pattam Choody’ in ‘Vadhyar’ is yet to be released. This A-grade singer has been singing for All India Radio for the past 25 years and now the Audition Board has bestowed on him the A Top grade for light music (Malayalam) recently.“The Audition Board is granting A Top Grade in Light Music (Malayalam) for the first time, the other grades being  B, B High and A,” said Reju. “ Only A  Grade singers of AIR can applying for A Top grade.  Moreover, the music department of AIR has to recommend the singer to the station director for forwarding the application to the higher authorities in Delhi,” he said.  They listened to five light music songs of different genre to the accompaniment of harmonium and a tabala.“The Directorate General, Delhi called me to sing five songs for the National festival of light music and folk conducted in Coimbatore three months ago. There was a hidden jury and later the songs were broadcast and judged by top musicians,” said  Reju.“ I sang ‘Prapanja manasa veenayil’,  ‘Vrindavana sanjary’, ‘Niram charthy vidarumen’, ‘Sangeetha navarathna’ composed by Perumbavoor G Raveendranath  and ‘Poomundum tholathittu’ composed by M G Radhakrishnan for initial approval round for recording,” he said.  He got through that and entered the live session for which he sang ‘Ehuthiri kathum’, ‘Kalabha mazhayil’ and three other songs.  Reju is now basking in the glory of A High grade which he won after persevering for all these years.