Up until now, Vechoor may have been famous for its unique breed of cows but today, it's also home to a group of singers who are winning over hearts. 'Vechoor Voice' was founded by Anand Raj, a passionate music lover, who is also the Sub Inspector at Thevara Police Station. It was his dream to do something related to music and he gave wings to his dream by forming Vechoor Voice, three years ago. The music troupe comprises 10 singers from different walks of life.
Anand, who has 22 years of service in Kerala Police, founded Vechoor Voice along with his friend Pradeep K., an official at Kerala Irrigation Department. The group was recently in Kochi to perform as a part of the 'Arts and Medicine' programme organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation at the Government General Hospital, Ernakulam.
Sangeetha Sudarsan, a nursing tutor at Indira Gandhi Co-Operative Hospital, Kadavanthra, and Shailendran, a businessman, who are also members of the troupe, performed at the 222nd episode of the therapeutic show along with Anand and Pradeep. With their soulful rendition of soothing melodies, the troupe helped in creating a positive vibe in the hospital.
Though his work keeps him busy, Anand still finds time to practice music. He says, "Music is the only thing that makes me feel alive."
What makes the troupe all the more special is that the members are perfectly in sync despite not practising together. Surprisingly, they have not had even one rehearsal together before any of their performances. "We practice separately and when it comes to performance, fortunately, we manage to be in sync," he smiles.
The team will prepare a minimum of 25 songs for each performance. Vechoor Voice has covered 60 stages so far. Most of their performances were at Vechoor, where they could identify with the pulse of their own people. After listening to him sing, one would be surprised to learn that he is a self-taught singer but Anand is not disappointed that he missed out on learning music during childhood. "Self-learning has made me a keen observer and listener of music," he sums up.
