Music, Memories, and Moments(WT-13)

The Music I carry with Me

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Music is something I admire and enjoy. Music has simply been a part of my life — woven into memories, routines, journeys, and family moments.

Music and emotions seem to share a special relationship. A song can make us smile, calm us, energize us, or bring back memories we had long forgotten.

That is why music feels so personal. Different people connect to different songs, ragas, and voices based on their own experiences and emotions.

What sounds joyful to one person may feel nostalgic to another. What feels ordinary to some may become unforgettable to someone else.

Most often, I listen to songs during my commute to and from the office or while traveling. Other than that, I am not someone who keeps music playing in the background while working.

What feels different today is the way we consume music. Earlier, listening to music was often a conscious activity. We played a song, listened to it from beginning to end, learned the lyrics, and connected with the melody.

Now, with reels and short-form videos, music often reaches us in fragments. We recognize a catchy line or a few seconds of a tune without necessarily knowing the full song.

At home, my sister learned Carnatic music and later became a music teacher. Our home was often filled with her singing and practice sessions. More than the actual songs, it is her voice that I remember. After marriage, I realized how much I miss those everyday moments of music floating through the house.

My Personal favourite from my sister

She sings devotional albums and there are many available in youtube. Here is one devotional song recording of my sister which is also one of my favourite.

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My playlist is a mix of Carnatic music, Tamil songs, Malayalam melodies, devotional songs, and instrumentals. Its really hard for me to only list out a few pieces. I will try my best to keep it minimum. These are the songs I play it voluntarily from my playlist.

Carnatic Compositions

1. Among Carnatic compositions, the Pancharathna Keerthanas hold a special place in my heart. There is something uplifting about listening to them. Whenever I listen to Endaro Mahanubhavulu, I am reminded of the richness of our musical tradition and the countless musicians who have kept it alive across generations.

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2. Alai Payuthey Kanna is another all-time favourite. It is a familiar favourite in many Tamil Brahmin households. At family gatherings and special occasions, my relatives would invariably request my sister to sing it. No celebration seemed complete without hearing it at least once in her voice.

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Tamil Melodies

Malare Mounama

A beautiful romantic melody, Malare Mounama has one of the most refreshing opening background scores I have heard.

The song also carries a personal memory. At a family event, my sister and her husband performed it as a duet, making it even more special whenever I hear it now.

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Nadhiye Nadhiye (Rhythm — Tamil Movie)

I love all the songs from the movie Rhythm. What fascinates me is how each song is connected to one of the five elements of nature. The lyrics, the music, and the theme come together beautifully, making the soundtrack memorable even years later.

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Malayalam Melodies

Pavizha Mazhaye (Athiran Movie)

This song immediately takes me back to my days in Japan.

My daily commute involved a 30 to 40-minute walk from my accomodation to the office. On rainy days, with an umbrella in hand and earphones on, Pavizha Mazhaye (Rain song) would often accompany me.

Even today, when I hear the opening line, “Pavizha Mazhaye…”, I do not merely remember the song — I could almost feel the rain, the wet roads, the grey skies, the quiet walk, and the feeling of being alone yet completely accompanied by music.

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Instrumentals

I enjoy instrumentals as well. Sometimes, music without words speaks the most.

1. The Kaapi Dance is one of my favourites by Mahesh Raghavan and Nandini Shankar. I never missed to play this when I really dont want to think which song to play.

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2. I also enjoy listening to Sandeep Narayan and Raagini Shankar instrumental at one of Isha Shivarathi Performance. I always look forward for Sandeep Narayan’s performance especially in the Mahashivarathri event. His choice of songs and music amazes me.

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I also love Manavyaalakinchara from Agam team. I also love their perfomances.

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Music has been a quiet companion throughout my life. I may not actively seek it every day, but it has a way of finding its place in my memories.

A raga heard at home, a song played during a journey, a devotional tune, or a familiar voice singing in the background — each becomes attached to a moment in time.

Years later, it is often not the song itself that returns to us, but the memories it carries along with it.

Tagging Dr Radha Narayanan , Parvathi J hoping they can relate to my playlist..

Tagging Inbaa Sivasankar and B. S. Aishwarya Valli for this challenge.

Tagging Monika Mahadev and Sumedh Pimplikar , for providing this wonderful challenge.

— Soumya Viswanathan

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