Singapore: Tirukural is a renowned ancient Tamil literary work. It is one of the most translated, non-religious book in Tamil. Tirukural, literally means ‘sacred verses’ consists of 1,330 couplets or kurals. It deals with human being’s everyday virtue, morality and ethics.
It’s meaning stand relevant to all people, all time universally. Tirukural was written by Tiruvalluvar.
It was the effort of Mrs Soundara Nayaki Vairavan to sing the first ten couplets of Tirukural from the part ‘Kadavul Vazhthu’ in Carnatic raagas like Hamsathvani, Revathi, hindolam, Madyamavathi, Mohanam, Shanmugapriya in a Music Album, which was released on 17.11.2018 at the Bishan Library by the former Nominated Member of Parliament Singapore, Ms K Thanaletchimi.
As English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil are the four official languages of Singapore, Mrs Vairavan wanted to reach the values of Tirukkural to all the four races and so have included the explanations for the first ten couplets in all Singapore’s four official languages from the authorised sources.
Mrs Vairavan is a journalist and this is her third Music Album. The Music Album Launch had the elements that epitomised Singapore’s multi-racial culture.
During the launch, Mr Khalid Bin Supandi, a Malay sang the tenth couplet and read the explanations from the Music Album in English, Malay and Tamil. Mr Jireh Koh Yi, a Chinese who sang the fourth couplet and read the explanations from the Music Album in Chinese and English. Six Chinese girls from Singapore Raffles Music College performed Indian dance for the first couplet.
The hall was packed and the audience were enthralled seeing the Chinese and Malay perform for an ancient Tamil Literary work and many claimed that this can only happen in Singapore.
