Thursday 24 October 2013

Profile of Fr.P.Devadhas, RYTHM

 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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