Guest Column - an email received.

Recently I received this email from my cousin sridhar.
His reaquest and reasons to buy original thiruvasagam CDs.
Please kindly go through this message.
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Dear Muthukumar,
I would like to tell you more details about how hard
it was for making this noble project.
I have been visiting a forum which was one of the
prominent location that had visitors from various
locations who now have been active members of bringing
this TiS (Thiruvaasagam in Symphony) into reality.
Tis-USA is founded for this very reason.  One of the
main persons of this foundation is Dr.Sankar Kumar.
He is a regular visitor of that forum.
Right from the time the idea was mooted I came to know
about this project thru that forum.  For the past 2.5
years I have been hearing about this project.
IR (ILayaraaja), we all know, has not released his
symphony which he did in Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
(RPO) London a decade back.  A lot of reasons for that
are told - ranging from his personal confusion(my
guess) to critic of Western classical music didnt
accept that to big music producing & marketing
companies like had deserted him.
This TiS is a noble venture for which IR didnt want to
face the same fate.  In addition to that he himself
has said that, in olden days even though the wealthy
and king could themselves have contributed  100% and
built a temple, they never did it on their own.  They
wanted contribution (even monetary) from all, the
logic is let the punyam go to everyone.  As IR himself
said that it is a noble one he too wanted public
contribution.
IR got this idea of giving a Oratario format for
thiruvaasagam sometime during his visits to
thiruvaNNaamalai some three years back (oratario is a
western classical music form wherein sacred hymns are
tuned, sung by people and chorus with symphonic
orchestra playing).
Tamil mayyam is a chennai based foundation spearheaded
by Rev. Fr. Jagath Gasper.  The foundation's main aim
is to promote the treasures of thamizh to the world.
It was the wish of HIM that IR's idea came to know to
Tamil mayyam.  Tamil Mayyam was immediately ready to
do.  It is not so easy.  The money involved is going
to be in crores.  The mayyam had nothing in its hand
except a paltry sum.  IR and mayyam started to go
ahead leaving everything to HIS hands.  This time Dr.
Sankar Kumar, Sridhar Seetharaman, Sridhar
Balasubramanian and many such people who are in the US
were also ready to contribute both in paying from
their hand as well as collect from people.  Tis-USA
was also formed.  They contacted their friends,
appealed thru many forums including IR yahoo groups,
and the forum I too visit.  Many contributed whatever
small amount they could.  At the same time many had
expressed their doubt that this album too will not see
its light.  Time rolled; some expressed their dissent
of the way, what they felt, things were not clear
about what, how much money was contributed and what is
happening to that as they dont see the outcome to be
released in near future.
IR and mayyam had their priorities clear - they want
the best of the resources of the world to be utilized
to the first showcase of our treasure to the world.
So it means it needs a lot of money.  But contribution
from public was not flowing as much and as fast as
expected.  So Fr Jagath, Dr SK and many had borrowed
loans, pledged their properties to raise the amount
which are in 10s of lakhs of rupees, as the more the
delay in generating money the more will be the trouble
and pressure.
After so much of pressure, so much of negative
feeling, so much of doubts, above all lot of
outstanding debts they could fund for the project and
complete the album.
Then came next hurdle.  From what I believe,
negotiation with some biggies for marketing the album
was not fruitful.  Finally, somehow they found the
people to market this product, after 2.5 years of
trouble with outstanding debts the album is released
now.
I hear that the album is hit among the people and at
the same time also sad to hear that illegal copies
(mp3 etc) are being floated in net to share amongst
friends.  The official US price is fixed at $15 for
the CD and $20 for the premium CD and distributed by
tis-usa, DVD online and others.  Some people do bulk
order in India ship them here and want to sell it in
$5 to $10 illegally and want to make quick money.  One
thing it shows how popular this noble venture has
become but at the sametime we also have to note that
this way of distribution does not help those good
hearted people of mayyam, tis-usa and many who have
toiled a lot to bring it to us.  We should give
respect to this noble project by way of listening to
it by buying the legal copies.
It is not a cinema album.  Many people including IR
have melted themselves for this noble cause.  So let
us also, as consumers, contribute towards this by
buying the legal copies, urging our friends to buy
only legal copies and asking those who traffic illegal
copies to stop and discourage them.
May I request you to spread this message amongst your
friends.
Thanks
Sridhar