Spiritual songs, monajats

Kumi Daroowala, doyenne of Rustom Baug and president of the Zoroastrian Winter Relief Fund has brought out a CD of religious songs and monajats titled Yazado-Maa-Yazad in memory of her late husband Jemi.

The CD was inspired by the monajats taught to the children of Batha High School, Panchgani and Bai Dhunmai Cawasji High School, Khan-dala by Khorshedbanoo Kotwal and others, and proceeds from their sale will be used for charitable purposes, as per a write-up received by Parsiana from Daroowala.

Rumi Baria, music director from Navsari took up this project on cost basis, working for several months to present the community with this compilation. Pankaj Parekh, the singer, who had grown up in a Parsi mohalla near an agiary in Navsari, has rendered the songs soulfully. Having experienced, during his youth, the vibration of the bells during the change of each gah, he was inspired to give back to the community what he had received by way of spiritual upliftment, the write-up notes. The songs include O Ahura Mazda noor mand, Zalakto keblo noori, Sauti saras raah ekaj, Sau mali Parsi among others.

The CD was released at Jamshed Baug, Navsari by Yazdi Karanjia, the popular dramatist from Surat and at the Sir Ness Wadia Pavilion in Bombay’s Rustom Baug by Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia. Priced at Rs 130, the CDs are available at the Dadar Athornan Institute, Fare­doon and Burjor at Dhobi Talao and from Daroo­wala at 16/1, Rustom Baug, Sant Savta Marg, Bombay 400027 (telephone: 23724492, 23705512).