Biography:

Andrilparavai :
Nickname given by herself for vocal: The fourth child of the Thamizh Nadu literary figure Paavalareru-Perunchithiranar, the vocalist was born in Cuddalore, Thamizh Nadu, spent her early childhood in Cuddalore, and later in Chennai. She was graduated from the University of Madras at Chennai and at the University of Arizona in the United States. Presently she resides in Tucson, Arizona, USA, where she teaches mathematics and Japanese language in college.
For more information about Andrilparavai, visit www.andrilparavai.com

Meaning:
Andril - A name of a bird that sings calmly and lonely. Paravai- bird
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Story of making this CD: -
Andrilparavai

Still I hear my father’s (1932-1995) words quietly in my ears; “We have to do something good for the world when not many people think of doing good.” The music CD is made for not only Tamil people but also for those all over the world. Having started this CD myself, I worked with musician Todd Hammes to produce and Peter Fine to record. Todd Hammes also played most of the instruments. Peter Fine took care of the recording and also played two different kinds of Veenai and a guitar while enjoying the melody and rhythms. This music CD stands as a unique project, gives life-advice to all people in the world. It is sung in ‘Thamizh’, made with Eastern and Western instruments and played by western musicians. The three of us brought this CD into life, combining Tamil and Western flavors with our personal tastes.

Over the summer of 2006, I read many simple poems from my Appa’s (father’s) published books. I looked for poems that offered advice on life, and selected ten that applied to all human beings. As of today, I am looking at the world and seeing that people everywhere are the same. Since I have lived abroad for more than twenty years, I look at myself as one of them. I understand deeply what my father wrote in those poems for all people. I decided to bring up his thoughts of advice as much as possible in music to the world. I was trying to put melodies to those poems according to the power of the meanings, words, emotions, environments, context, situation and the beauty of the language. I spent about a month composing the melodies. I believe that the best of my father’s thoughts and feelings emerge from those songs. When each melody was composed, I recorded it while it was still fresh in my mind. That means instead of writing musical notes, the melody was recorded immediately with my vocal on a simple audio tape.

While composing the melodies, I looked for a few musicians to support the music. Also I looked for a male Tamil vocalist. I found two of them, but they soon backed off for the reasons of difficulties of the language and constraints of time. Then I strongly decided that I had to sing as a solo. Understanding my father’s mind through his words, I believed that I could bring the same feelings through my voice. For the next step, I approached a Middle School music teacher Mrs. Freida Denson, whom I knew before. After she heard my voice and melodies with my father’s words on tape, she looked for a musician who was interested in Eastern music. She found Todd Hammes, a well known Tucson musician (presently he resides in Wisconsin), who is talented in both Western and Eastern forms. I met Todd in a Tucson coffee shop with Freida, and afterward Todd listened to a sample of the melodies in my car. He expressed that we would surely do the project. When I met Todd at his home, I briefly explained the meaning of the songs from my tape. While we listened to the taped melodies, he searched for the Harmonium and drum beats to guide my practice and studio performance. I was pleasantly surprised by his humbleness and understanding of my tape as mental notes. With my thankful tears I am grateful for his understanding of the goal of honoring my father’s poems. Peter Fine is a wonderful person who also tried to understand the meanings of the songs and enjoyed the melody and my voice each time he recorded. It is a pleasure to have Todd and Pete as my team. Freida Denson was free in heart to give positive support for the music project, and in the beginning, accompanied me regardless of whether it was a night or a weekend. She rode with me while I drove to the recording studio, which was located over the hillside, slightly isolated and 12 miles away from my Tucson home.

Todd became a producer for the first time in both of our music lives. He respects my language and understands my goal of making this CD. He cared for each and every song to match his interest with my opinions, and elicit the songs’ environments. Since he understands the meaning of the song in its context, he made very suitable instrumental music to go with the feelings and the expressions of the vocal. Now both Todd and Pete are very familiar with all songs in detail.

My heart felt thanks to Todd Hammes and Peter Fine. As a team, we pleasantly brought this music project to all on this earth! My grateful thanks to Freida Denson who was filling my heart with her enjoyment of our music all through to the end!

At last, I was so much pleasantly surprised and pleased that those “non-Thamizhans” did the work with such singular Thamizh soul.

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