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Events & Personalities

Songs sung true

By Parinaz M. Gandhi · December 21, 2012
"The eternal cliche that ‘music is a universal language’ has special meaning for all at the Happy Home and School for the Blind (HHSB). We are truly proud of our choir and young musicians who have excelled and brought joy and smiles to innumerable faces including our President, Dr Abdul Kalam, our Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as well as Nobel Peace Laureate, Mr Mohd. Yunus,” announces the School website.
To create greater inroads with their soulful music HHSB has now brought out an audio CD titled A Musical Medley of our Favourite Songs, with 16 tracks reflecting the versatility of the choir singing in Hindi, English, Spanish and even Turkish. Beginning with an introductory prayer Shri Ganesha and ending with Halelujah, the songs in Hindi include popular numbers Ashayein, Ajeeb Dastayen, Kaisi Paheli, Karadenis Turkusu, a traditional Turkish song, and La dama de Mallorca, a traditional Catalan song. The English renditions include What a Wonderful World, Sway, La Bamba, Imagine and six Christmas carols.
"Helping with the music arrangement and harmony was Shireen Irani,” conveyed Meher Banaji, director of the School. The visually impaired ex-student’s contribution is greatly valued by the current staff and students. Designing the CD cover was Khurshed Poonawala of Comart. Among the many professionals who rendered their expertise to the production of the CD made in October 2012, were Tanu and Zubin Balaporia as also Rehan Balaporia.
Banaji said she was keen to capture the voices of her students before they progressed to college. The choice of songs to be included in the CD "was left to the children.” In addition to the music teachers at School she even arranged for special Spanish and Hungarian teachers to tutor the children. The peppy collection of songs can be heard for free as the School is not selling the CD but distributing it to their well-wishers. Those interested in a copy can approach the School on tel: 24923198 or email: happyhome_school@hotmail.com
In mid-December the School was readying for its annual exhibition sponsored by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation as also the Taj Group. In the days leading up to Christmas, the School choir will be singing carols at the Taj Palace, Taj Wellington Mews and Taj Lands End.
Founded in 1925 by Coomi Sohrab Bharoocha in a restricted, rented space with only five blind boys, today over 200 boys with visual/multiple impairment avail of the facilities offered at HHSB.

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