Testimonial
K. Thillaikumaran, San Jose, CA
Dr. S. Palaniappan was involved in the planning of the arangettam of my daughter, Yazhini. I had wanted all the items of the program to be in Tamil. I sought Palaniappan’s help in selecting songs for all these items for proposing to Yazhini’s teacher. Palaniappan not only selected the songs but also provided the lyrics and their translations. Since many of the items were new items that had not been performed by Yazhini’s dance school, the teacher chose some items from the list we suggested and taught Yazhini these items. Palaniappan also helped with the introductory materials for the Master of Ceremonies for these items as well as the art of Bharatanatyam. In short, Palaniappan played an important role in making the arangettam a success.
Dr. S. Palaniappan is truly a treasure chest of knowledge, specifically in Tamil and Tamil literature. As a dance teacher, I have sought his assistance in translations and even original compositions.
When it comes to translations, he has provided the word for word meaning and the paraphrased meaning but he goes a step beyond and often times provides the context or references to the story that the lyrics allude to. He also provides the Tamil script and the transliteration to help in the correct pronunciations. As a choreographer, it helps me in not only accurately depicting the meaning but also helps in understanding the essence of the poetry and dig deeper and portray it in dance.
Dr. Palaniappan has written two original songs for my students. One on Mother Mary and the Velanganni Church and the second on Mother Nature and the current climate crisis. These were highly appreciated by the dancers and the audience.
With reliable translations of classics and relevant lyrics in new compositions, it has been a pleasure to choreograph pieces and teach my students.
Dr. Anu Sury
Teacher – Arathi School of Dance
Board Member – Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Dr. Elizabeth Samuel, Carrollton, Texas
In 2019 when Dr. Anu Sury approached me for any Christian piece that I would like to include in the Bharatanatyam Arangetram Margam for my daughter Leah Marie Joseph, I requested a piece on the Blessed Virgin Mary not only because it was Leah’s Baptismal name, but also due to our devotion. Anu asked for specifics. A piece on Our Lady of Health, Velankanni Mathavu was my response.
Dr. S. Palaniappan did not hesitate to take up the challenge of writing a unique song on Blessed Virgin Mary of Velankani. The song Annaiye Mariye is a beautiful tribute to the history of Velankanni Mathavu and the story of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary to the sailors on a Portuguese ship that was on the verge of capsizing during a storm. The sailor’s life was at peril and all they could do was to pray fervently to Virgin Mary to intercede to Our Lord Jesus Christ for safety. They promised to build a church in her honor wherever the ship would land safely. The sea became calm, and their ship landed near Velankanni on September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. To honor their promise, the Portuguese rebuilt the thatched chapel into a stone church. This was one of the Miracles in Velankanni. Apparitions of Mother Mary have been passed down through oral tradition since the 16thcentury.
Dr. Palaniappan wrote the beautiful song Annaiye Mariye incorporating both the history and divinity seamlessly with extreme depth and sincerity.
Dr. Elizabeth Samuel
Ramya Krishnan, Frisco, Texas
‘Eṅgaḷ aṉṉai iyaṟkaiyām’ – is a beautifully written Tamil song by Dr. Palaniappan that creatively describes how humanity should respect and preserve nature. This song was written specially for our daughter’s Arangetram to depict the love for nature our family has. The song starts off with how important the 3 main elements of Nature, Air, Water and Fire, are even though they may sometimes cause destruction in the form of cyclones, floods and fires. The song then goes on to describe how humans are exploiting the resources of Mother Earth in the name of industrialization, that has ill-effects such as pollution and deforestation, and ends beautifully with why it is important for us to protect nature. Dr. Palaniappan’s intricate Tamil knowledge and passion for the language can be clearly seen and heard throughout this song.
We are truly blessed that our daughter had the opportunity to be the first to perform Dr. Palaniappan’s ‘Eṅgaḷ aṉṉai iyaṟkaiyām’ song on stage and it will always stay close to our hearts.