Interviews and Performances - Video List
AP 80 to 71

Manohar Thomas in conversation with Dr. Joseph J. Palackal, CMI on Pravasi Channel, USA.

This image for Image Layouts addon
AP 76 - Manohar Thomas in conversation with Dr. Joseph J. Palackal, CMI on Pravasi Channel, USA.
Call Number

AP 76
Part Number Part I - Syro Malabar Church
Title Manohar Thomas in conversation with Dr. Joseph J. Palackal, CMI on Pravasi Channel, USA.
Duration 1:09:16
Place of Recording St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Maspeth, New York.
Date of Recording 3 April 2017
Youtube URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-vUdAbqm88&t=157s
Video Segment (s)

AP 76a and 76b
Notes

Dr. Joseph J. Palackal, CMI on Pravasi Channel, USA Manohar Thomas in conversation with Dr. Joseph J. Palackal, CMI.

This hour-long interview is interesting because of the wide range of topics that it covers. Manohar Thomas is a well-known social leader among the Keralites in New York, and is well versed in the literary and cultural history of Kerala. It was the Aramaic Project that caught his attention and led to his decision to interview me. His master plan for the interview helped the flow of this candid and comfortable conversation on topics ranging from my early exposure to music at home, the Christian family background, the inspiration from Palackal Thoma Malpan (1760-1841), and to my revered Guru, Prof. N. V. Patwardhan. Manohar directed the conversation to situate the relevance of the Aramaic Project in the larger context of the cultural history of India. The question and the answer on my singing OM in my first Long Playing record of “Christian Bhajans” (1979) took an unexpected turn. I am immensely grateful to Sunil-Tristar, Manohar Thomas and the Pravasi Channel for organizing this interview and televising it on the Pravasi Channel. I already received many positive feedbacks from viewers in USA and Canada. Publication of this program on YouTube will help reach to a larger international audience. Thank you, Manohar Thomas and Sunil-Tristar.

Dr. Joseph J. Palackal, CMI
New York
20 October 2017

Topics

  • 6:35 Autobiographical. Early exposure to music and Christian stories from mother.
  • 10:40 On the collateral ancestor, the saintly Palackal Thoma Malpan
  • 17:59 Connection to the revered Guru, Prof. N. V. Patwardhan
  • 21:26 The journey to the world of the Aramaic language and music
  • 33:15 Aramaic language is an essential component of the Indian culture.
  • 33:51 The urgent need for financial support
  • 44:58 Interlocking of Syriac and folk melodies in Kerala. Example from Arnos Pathiri's "Genova parwam"
  • 50:20 Uniqueness of Indian Christianity in connection with Indian history. "India is not a country, but a concept"
  • 1:00:24 Preserving the Aramaic language is a duty of the Indian Government with the support of UNESCO
  • 1:01:30 OM and Christianity. "If OM is Hindu, electricity is Christian!"

Video Segments

Print   Email