Rohit Jayaraman & Asha Ramesh
“Nothing is too precious, yet everything is precious.”
‘Manam’ is a musical opus by the mother & son duo of Asha & Rohith Jayaraman in which they explore the topographies of their own hearts to recognize and express their innermost reflections on some fundamental issues of society pertaining to colour, caste, religion and public opinion.
Strongly guided by their Carnatic roots, they venture boldly into the stylistic realms of spoken word, jazz, rock and more in between. What stands out most about the album, above even the majestic musical virtuosity and honesty of the message, is that it evokes a clear and positively hopeful image of what we can make of ourselves and hence the world around us, if we invoke our inner strength and humanity and focus on the process of growing, adapting and marching forward in life. Thus, it serves as a perfect reminder to us all to retain and nurture our human-ness in a fast-expanding and ever-evolving world, and furthermore, to be at the forefront of this evolution.