THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “It was a spontaneous liking that developed between Devarajan Master and Johnson, since their first meeting,” remembered music critic T P Sasthamangalam, who had introduced the young musician to the veteran. “In fact, Devarajan Master was not someone to approve of youngsters easily. He must have recognised the flicker of genius in Johnson,” said TP, at a memorial meeting held in the city on Sunday as a tribute to the musician who passed away recently. The meeting, organised by Navarasam Sangeetha Sabha, a city-based cultural organisation, also paid tributes to actor Shammi Kapoor. Recollecting the near-fatal train accident that Johnson had a few years ago, TP said that the gifted musician had ever since battled a blackout that could strike at any moment. “The doctor had advised him to lie with his face pressed down into a pillow until the haze cleared. It was a debilitating and disturbing condition that he had to reconcile with. The most difficult situation where he had to brave the attack of the condition was during the marriage ceremony of his daughter,” TP said. Violinist Muttara B N Raveendran played songs that Johnson composed in ‘raga’ Kalyani, which was known to be his favourite ‘raga’. He also spoke on the nuances of the ‘raga’ that the music director brought out in these compositions. G Jayarajan Valiyasala, secretary of the Sabha and a freelance photographer, shared his memories of meeting Shammi Kapoor, during the shooting of Balachadra Menon’s ‘Sukham Sukhakaram.’ The movie was the Bollywood doyen’s only tryst with South Indian film industry. “His graceful persona, deep voice and kind demeanour could win hearts. I had camped at the set in Kochi throughout the shoot of the movie and was surprised at the simple and unfussy nature of the superstar,” he said. Prasad G, senior cameraman with IGNOU, and Kalamandalam Sindhu also spoke. Paravaty Raj, a student of Carmel High School, sang some of the notable songs composed by Johnson.
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