Kochi Fights Diabetes

27/10/2024

This was written by my dear friend, Salil Lal Ahmed. Thank you, dear Salil.

AN EYE FOR MUSIC
# Biju Raju

There are two types of musicians - the ones we know and the ones we don’t know. There are many example of the known ones - on TV, film YouTube radio etc. But for unknown you dig in you school college circles, basement gigs, church choir, temple festivals, fringe music concerts etc. Qualitatively the known ones if they have talent produce high quality music - the ones that we loop, dance and feel our emotions with. They have the best of technology and equipment. The unknown ones bowl you over with raw talent. They are in this perpetual state of music pursuing a particular riff and perfecting a tone. Their music is purer because they play for the joy of music.

Biju Raju is in the second category. His musical overture is diverse - influenced by the best of music from the 80’s and 90’s - Dire Straits, Sting , 13AD, Carnatic, Junoon AR Rahman and popular music from that era. A Vitreous Retinal surgeon during the day, he is a musician day and night. This cover of Joe Satriani’s WHY is testimony to his immense talent and passion. Biju handles this technically and musically challenging piece with such control that it would be hard to distinguish it from the original. It is pure delight to watch Biju play- his entire body is in rhythm and with the perfectly assembled video it is the ultimate live experience that you can get on your handheld. He has detailed his process in the note below.

For Biju music is instinctive and comes naturally from the core of being. In a recent school get together he along with George Joseph and George Johnson went on playing till we had run out of requests. The joy that Biju exudes while playing is infectious. Biju is a multi-instrumentalist Guitar bass/lead/rhythm, Jazz, Veena, Mridungam and what not. He shoots, edits and audio mixes sleek videos like these in his home studio. It is remarkable the way he has used the possibilities of light in the making of WHY- akin to a professional music video. He has another set of videos documenting his Vitreous Retinal surgeries using mobile phones fixed with DIY lens packs that makes the inside of the eye look like a beautiful sunrise. Coupled with his thriving practice in Ophthalmology he could easily be the polymath of our times.

So what makes Biju known only in his circle of friends and Joe Satriani a world wide rock legend. It is definitely not talent. After all in absolute terms it might only be a a small difference. In Biju’s case his interest in the wonders of the eye and helping people see is equally strong as his instinct for music. There are many musicians in his generation who has made it big in the commercial circuit. He probably didn’t see music as a career. Music could have been more elemental to to his being to let it be dictated by the market. That is why pioneering art has to be subsidized - by the state or another job or personal suffering. It is time that we pamper, produce and encourage the invisible artists around us.

Check out Biju’s YouTube channel for his complete body of work.

Hi! I am Dr Biju Raju, a Vitreoretinal Surgeon practicing in Kochi, India. I am a multi intrumentalist and can play few musical instruments at an intermediate level of expertise. Through my YouTube channel, I wish to share my videos - on all good aspects of music, life and clinical experiences. Than...

26/10/2024

"All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme" - Mark Knopfler, Romeo and Juliet, 1980.
Open G tuning [DGDGBD] with a Capo on the 3rd fret giving an open B flat and on a Dobra Resonator Guitar; Knopfler’s signature Boogie-woogie mix of classical picking; and of course, the unique voice of Mark Knopfler - enough to keep even the best in the field intimidated. So it was no surprise that a part-time musician like me always looked up to this song, Romeo and Juliet, with awe. I knew that I could never do justice to the great song.
When Deepak Dev, music director, composer, an amazing musician, and one of the best in the field, agreed to record this song with me, I was on cloud no 9. Deepak has a Resonator guitar, or the DOBRO, which has a resonator cone in place of the guitar's sound hole - just holding Dobro gave me goosebumps!
We were joined by a handsome young lad; Marc George, a budding engineer with a passion for music and tech. His energy rubbed off on us and he kept us on our toes.
Deepak recorded my vocals and guitar tracks at Dev’s Wonderland studio - a state-of-the-art recording studio in Kochi. And when he said he would play the Keys and Piano for this classic, I was thrilled to bits. The guitars were recorded on a Neumann. The vocals were recorded on the most powerful mic modeling system - the Sphere DLX from Universal Audio. The audio was perfectly mixed, and mastered and the genius of Deepak Dev is written all over this mix with all the sounds perfectly glued with their own soundscape - as though sounds are embraced by Deepak’s warm hug in the mix!
Once the audio track was mastered, it was time for the video.
Deepak graciously offered his videography skills for this track, and I was amazed at his creative options and how he captured the shots. The frames of the Dobro cutting through with its brilliant shine and the way he captured the energy of the final verse were fantastic. Add to that the energy of Young Marc, whose innate sense of videography made for some amazing captures on the DJI.
This was my first experience in such a well-equipped studio and I have no words to thank my dear friend, Deepak, for our amazing time. His level of skillset in audio production and his creative prowess in videography are superb. And he was humble enough to spend his precious time with a nobody and amateur like me. Hats off to you, Deepak and thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
Hope you enjoy this work.
The song was written by Mark Knopfler and released in 1980 in the Dire Straits album, Making Movies.

Romeo and Juliet, a cover by Dr. Biju Raju, featuring Deepak Dev"All I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme" - Mark Knopfler, Romeo and Juliet, 1980.Op...

21/10/2024

Need all the blessings and support from all my wonderful friends!
A big thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the encouragement! See you on 9th Nov 2024 @ On stage!

13/10/2024

Finally, one of my biggest bucket list dreams is taking shape! Please stay tuned for more updates, and I look forward to your support and encouragement!
Thank you, EXODUS the BAND, for all the encouragement! Thank you, dear Pauly, for the inspiration and guidance!

12/10/2024

03/09/2024

The song "Alliyambal Kadavil" is a popular Malayalam song from the 1969 movie Rosy. It was composed by Job Master, with lyrics by P. Bhaskaran and sung by K.J. Yesudas. The song is cherished for its beautiful melody and poignant lyrics. It is a timeless classic and the entire population of Kerala knows the lyrics by heart.
I have done a Guitalele cover of this classic and added a motif from Shan Rehman's Anuragathin (Thattanthin Marayathu).
This video was shot at Malarikkal Ambal fields. It was stunning to see the Alliyambals in full bloom! Hope you enjoy the video.

The Malarikkal Ambal Garden is located near Kumarakom, a well-known backwater destination in the Kottayam district of Kerala. This garden, famous for its nat...

28/05/2024

To the amazing King Kohli, who is an inspiration! He has been a great inspiration for me and my Son, Ishaan. We all know - that form is temporary and class is permanent. So we will see Virat Kohli on top once again. Go for it, King Kohli!!!
Thank you, Laju, for the inspiration to cover this amazing song. Your motivation inspired me to be “more than I thought I could be.” I hope you enjoy my version as much as I enjoyed playing it. It was a roller coaster ride for me.
To one of the greatest singers and performers, Whitney Houston!
To Dana Winner for her inspiring performance that ignited the spark!
I am so happy to present my version of this inspiring classic song. Hope you enjoy it.
"One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston and written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, produced by Narada Michael Walden for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Mom...)
Thank you, Manoj Jons David, for the advice and tips on EP and Gated Reverb. It made the mix much better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfUhW2LCW54

For King Kohli | One Moment in Time | a cover by dRbR, India's One Man BandTo the amazing King Kohli, who is an inspiration! He has been a great inspiration...

28/03/2023

Diabetic Retinopathy is a sight-threatening disease
All diabetics should check their eyes, especially have a dilated evaluation of the retina once a year.
Check YEARLY to SEE clearly