As a celebrated playback singer and performer, what motivated you to join The Pallikoodam and lead the vocal training courses?
Ranjith Govind: Actually, I did not join The Pallikoodam; the three of us started it together. We launched The Pallikoodam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the city being on lockdown, we managed to stay in touch and discuss various possibilities for engaging with the world and sharing something valuable. That’s when the idea of creating a course emerged.
Throughout my career, I’ve encountered many talented individuals who, when asked if they perform or showcase their skills, often reply that they had never been trained in music. This lack of formal training seemed to be holding them back from expressing themselves freely. During COVID, when we were all looking for meaningful ways to focus our energies, we thought about how we could help people engage in something they love. That’s how the idea of creating a course together came about.
The course was built on a series of questions that Nara, a co-founder and head of content, asked me about how I practise and play with music, what different things I did to build a certain level of skill set in the art, and how I developed a stronger relationship with the art. The responses to these questions then turned into a proper course that all three of us were convinced was good enough for the world to try out. So, that was the beginning of PaatuClass and, of course, The Pallikoodam.
Read full article: https://magazine.culturecrossroads.ca/editions/sep-2024/#/21
