Profile of
Fr.Devadhas PaniAdimai, RYTHM as
a
Pastor,
Music Educator, Singer, Composer, Recordist, Counselor and Music Therapist
The founder , programmer and the
Music Therapist Devadhas PaniAdimai (known
as iraiisaichemmal Deva), a self
taught Musician, is a creative and arresting keyboardist cum peculiar composer with
varied interests in music, counseling, multi media ministries, originally from
the diocese of Kottar, India. His date of birth is 24 May, 1966. His parents PaniAdimai and Barbarmmal ,
a fishman Family, are his inspiration, who used to be an
extremely adaptable and in their young age they were fully in the choir ministry
and were also a good vocalists. And his well disciplined mother especially used
to sing and he would be also moved sometimes by her singing. It showed him
indirectly that he had a passion and inborn instinct towards music which he wanted
to develop for the good of society.
When he was 15 years of age he would sit with a very tiny keyboard alone and
join with his brother in performance and occasionally he would be allowed to
accompany him for the liturgical choirs and many of the friends and classmates
began to discourage his interest and passion, saying 'WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT
MUSIC'. But he did not give up; rather he continued to learn on his own by
practicing three to four hours every day practically. This way he has been enriching
techniques of learning the styles of great Harmonists and adopting whatever was
good and challenged in them. It is so conspicuous that he had natural flairs
for rhythm. At the early age of 16, he could step into
the big league by playing for Church Choir. His sound practical
knowledge made him to accompany great musicians in the choirs and concerts from
the time of schooling. One by one he had begun to learn Harmonium, Keyboard,
guitar, violin, Table on his own way. He became a self -made musician and was
known for his dexterity and delicacy in handling the instruments. He was
catering the art of music not only to the erudite scholars in music but also to
poor children and laymen. The way of his play could reflect different moods and
the demands of his audience with whom he established and enjoyed rapport. He
has been also a mini-singer and very innovative composer. His performances with
the group were a huge success always. He had given hundreds of performances
with leading musicians. Few encouragements from his few friends and fans bucked
up his sagging spirit in music. Many seemed to advise him to take up MUSIC as a
second string to the bow. Spreading the gift of music has been his one of the
passion and duty to do.
As
Zahir Husain says, the success of his musical ministry is that of his 10
fingers, but with the blessings of the people.Gradually he was made a music
director while playing the keyboard and guitar as part of the orchestra for the
choirs all around.
He has been composing more than 500 tunes of both religious
and positive songs in a very peculiar and soothing ways and he has been a
very good innovative liturgical singer and music consultant. He has also
directed and set and designed music and has been an occasional lyricist too.
Thus he was given the title of ‘Giant of Sacred Music’ (Iraiisaichemmal) by the Tamilnadu Region Art Association in
Madurai. Moreover he has helped to release 20 music Albums in Indian languages. To be a gesture of recognition of his music one of his compositions
has been used by A.R Rahman, the great Music Director in harmony in his one of
the feature films namely Mariyaan,
acted by Dhanush. This added to his love and life of Music.
Eventually
he was given
a chance to upload himself with formal Indian music knowledge through Annamalai
University, Chidambaram, St.Andrew’s Fusion Music College, Mumbai to learn
Fusion Music and technical of Sound Designing and recording. He has done his masters through Distance education in Social work
in view of making MUSIC as a tool for Social reformation and psychology and
M.Phil in Psychology in Annamalai University, Chidambaram.
His melodious and clear voice takes
the listeners to a divine world of peace and sheer enjoyment. He has begun
extensive research studies in Carnatic Music with the help of the library in
Kalai Kaveri and under the guidance of its principal and late Muthappa
Bhahavathar, the Carnatic vocalist from Nagercoil.
He,
known as Giant of Indian sacred music,
has deep faith in the therapeutical merits of music. So he tried to step into a
study and the research on the medical benefits of Fusion Music and various
Indian Ragas. Along with the music he, as a pastor, wished to foster new
evangelization through means of music. His introduction to music therapy
was through his own experience with his Uncle Soosai who was recovering from a
coma stage before his death.
This experience made him also to study more on therapeutically the mode and
properties of music so he joined the NADA Institute of Music and Raga Therapy
in Delhi guided by Dr.Sairam to start his learning more about this. Completing
this study, to pursue more on the clinical and physiology area of ministry he
enrolled himself in Indian Board of Alternative Medicine in Kolkata and then continued
in Chennai School of Music Therapy and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College in
Pondicherry for Post Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy and internship and as he
completed to be a music therapist now and continues to be a
full-fledged therapist through his ongoing research in the centre with the team
of diet therapist which deals also with naturopathy.
According to the
critics his music should be a treat to ears and a food to soul and Life shouldn’t be an error without music and
there is no life without rhythm. To promote value-based Holistic life
through music in the multi-cultural capital he has been conducting classes,
trainings, worships and workshops. His wish becomes to handle all the people
especially poor children, teens, young, the elders especially uncared and
children and emotionally disordered people and through Music and Music Therapy
and with the means of multi medias more of digitally and give them apt music and
establish it to give a healthier situation for them to have holistic and happy
long life. Additionally equipped with knowledge in music, multi media he is
enriching in this regard to do something concretely through the service of RYTHM (Remedy
through Healthy diet and Music).
And he strongly and hopefully believes that Music and proper Diet
counseling is one of the powerful tools that can be used for a new
Evangelization and heal this universe spiritually and clinically. So he
co-opted few dieticians and Nutritionists to join hands for the promotion
of happy and healthy life where they
are also musically inclined. Being creative music composer, educator,
consulter, counselor, sound designer, producer, arranger, singer, lyricist and
Recordist he has innovatively dedicated and committed fully with the full
conviction into this sphere of new mission through music education, music
therapy and diet as natural resources. Believing in the positive energy cum encouragement
and support of the well wishers he has placed his humble service in front of
the people through RHYTHM in Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District, South tip of
India. It’s purely a service oriented mission with all your support of
encouragement and assistance alone.
Moreover he has I have not been only producing 500 religious
and positive songs but he continued to play and teach keyboard, guitar and
violin and coaching the singers being a full timer as a pastor. Being a
Melodious singer he got mobbed in churches and on streets in his diocese. A bit
of disciplined character also adds to his handsome personality as he tried to
cherish to be a good priest.
He has been undertaking lot of ministries as Parish priest, chaplain for
Tamil speaking Catholics, director for liturgy, small Christian communities,
social media communications, catholic media press and evangelization. Obviously
his music is very peculiar and catchy and It upbeats and gently plugs God and
feel. Songs and music and media speak about the heart of God of music and Human
dignity and about us, the loved ones.
After his therapeutic pursuit he used to be very cool nowadays, to be
notorious, cheeky and naughty. He does not see himself frustrated but all his energy
has been redirected musically. Personally and socially he befriends especially
with those of so called sinners and uncared in this society and decided to
spend a day with the sick people once in a week at least.
As most of composings and singings illustrate he wants to give hope to
other people through his words and music.
Of course he has been a challenging priest and fighting man where he has
been getting lot of enemies in his ministerial life. It does not bother him
much now days. Music helps him so personally to be like this.
He could say ironically that the bifurcation of the Diocese allows him to
do this special music work more now he loves best. By nature he becomes a
evangelistic musician and pastor. He goes out on the streets and get into
houses and talk to the people very humanly and spontaneously.
Of course He was brought up in a fully catholic culture and he wishes to
be a regular person and regular priest. He never seeks attention of others. His
role is to make God famous for which he is an instrument. Priests are now a days so busy with
administration and sacraments. As much as he also loves the sacramental life he
tries to spare his time musically more for and with the people because priestly
work is more of repetitive, relentless and solitary. Once he has been doing the
same thing in parishes for 23years it’s now for him to reset his life and
ministry more of musically and meaningfully.
Let God unite everyone in music and Please journey with him musically and
melodiously for the same God and people of God.
Sing to the Mercies of the Lord forever
I will live of the mercies of the lord.
May our Lives be in tune to the music of
Gospel.
Few quotes:
When we allow the music to hit we will
be healed...
Music speaks what cannot be expressed,
soothes the mind and gives it rest,
heals the heart and makes it
whole, flows from heaven to the soul.
Music produces a kind of pleasure which
human nature cannot do without.
When the pain penetrates the music
resonates…
Come and drink the water of music and
get healing to your soul..
Music can change the world because music
can change the people
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