Onam hit song inspires charity for flood victims
13-year-old singer and composer’s initiative catches attention of Dr Moopen who contributes Rs500,000
Abudding Indian singer and an Indian singer-composer from Dubai donated the proceeds from their Onam hit song to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Relief Fund on Sunday.
Suchetha Satish, 13, and Ajay Gopal released their song titled Mazhayilum mayathoru Onasmrithi (‘Despite the rains, a song that didn’t vanish’), dedicated to the Kerala flood victims, in August.
The song was posted on YouTube and caught the attention of Dr Azad Moopen, chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare. When he came to know about their intention of giving the song’s proceeds to the flood victims, Dr Moopen donated Rs500,000 (Dh25,000).
“We just thought it would be a good cause. We wanted to do something for the victims,” Satish, an 8th grade student in Dubai, told Gulf News.
Satish is a double world record holder for the ‘most languages sung in one concert’. ■ She sang continuously for 6 hours and 20 minutes in 102 languages in January.
“I feel proud and happy that I’ve done something for my motherland. I’m glad I could do something for the flood victims. If there’s anything else I can do to help, I’m most certainly willing to do it,” she said.
Gopal, a playback singer, lyricist and composer, penned the lyrics for the song in August upon seeing the destruction in Kerala. “Usually, Keralites write Onam songs but they are happy songs because it’s the harvest festival. I wanted to write something about Onam that in spite of the flood, we want to recollect the memories of the great King Mahabali, who once ruled in Kerala where there was only love and care and no hatred in the community,” Gopal said.
“We want to live with happiness and we have a duty to help others. And this is our way of helping them [flood victims],” he added.
Gopal said this is the last of four songs that he composed for Satish for this year. The first three were released during Easter, Ramadan, and during Eid.
Sumitha, Satish’s mother, said seeing her daughter donate proceeds of the song to the flood victims was a moment of pride for the family. “She’s proven that music can do so much apart from entertainment,” Sumitha said.