Vellayambalam, Trivandrum: Go to the Jawahar Balbhavan here, and you will be amazed to find the number of people flowing in. If one thinks that people lack interest in music these days, one is wrong. Take a look at the music fair, organised by Viji Musics, Ernakulam. This reporter found it hard to even have a word with the man-in-charge, who was surrounded by visitors ready to pay their bills and take home their favourite music collections.

Viji Musics is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Based in Ernakulam, the company tours other districts every year. “It is the fourth time we are in Trivandrum,” says BV Ramachandran Nair, the proprietor of Viji Musics, who finally got free, 45 minutes after the closing time of the fair. “People were there till now,” he says.

People browse through the CD collections at the music fair

If you are wondering what could possibly be the attraction, it is nothing but love for music. Koshy, a visitor to the fair, says: “They have got old collections. I came to buy it and also bought Christian devotional songs.”

Ask Ramachandran Nair what the aim of the fair is and he answers in two words: “Promote music.” Everything from folk songs to hard core classical of the likes of Bhimsen Joshi is available. “People come for the rare collections like the music of Ravindran, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, etc.”