The driving force behind this band is Penangite Vijayanathan Dhaharasen – better known as Jay – a composer and singer.
Made up of kids aged 12 to 18 from Tamil schools in Klang, the band, called Jay’s Odyssey Music (JOM), started as a small initiative – but over the years, they’ve grown to perform on grand stages, even playing for renowned Indian composer Ilaiyaraaja, who was in Malaysia recently for his concert.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Jay retraced how it all began.
“There was once I attended a big national event, and I noticed there were children from Malay and Chinese schools on stage, but I didn’t see any Tamil kids performing. I asked why, and they said most Tamil students didn’t know how to read notes – they can only play by ear.
“That’s when I felt a little distressed. I knew that if taught, any child could learn music.”
So in 2019, his music school, Jay’s Odyssey Music, offered free online music and vocal lessons to children primarily from Tamil schools.
FMT Lifestyle spoke to one of the band members, Pritika Puvanesvaran, 15, about her experience.
“We actually began learning music by drawing a keyboard on paper and practising that way. Then we shifted to a mobile app. Even my parents weren’t too confident about it,” she said with a laugh.
Practice turned into progress, and the students were soon musically fluent. When Jay saw their potential, he was determined to form a band.
As a trial, Jay rented a space in Brickfields, gathered the students, set up a few keyboards, and wrote down the notes for a song.
“When the kids finally played, they were so surprised – some even had happy tears. That’s when I knew we were really doing this,” he said.
Soon, they were performing at various events, often for free. What sets this band apart is that each student is multi-talented: they all sing and play every instrument, and even have skills in audio mixing.
During FMT Lifestyle’s visit to their practice session, the band performed a variety of popular Tamil songs, including “Usuru Narambulay”, “Valaiyosai”, and “Aatharanga Marame”.
With finances tight in the beginning, two to three children would often have to share a single keyboard. Jay said the band survived largely because of the support of fellow teachers and the children’s parents.
Their efforts paid off when they were recognised last year by the Asia Book of Records as the youngest team to form a music band.
And their big break came during a wedding performance when they caught the eye of Ravivarman Vicraman, organiser of the recent Ilaiyaraaja concert. Impressed, he invited them to perform at the press conference in Shah Alam on Feb 10 – in front of Ilaiyaraaja himself.
Jay, who idolises Ilaiyaraaja, admitted he was shaking with nerves, despite usually staying calm. FMT Lifestyle spoke to the band members about this milestone moment.
Yuvanya Ramesh, 14, said: “I was shocked to learn we’d be performing for maestro Ilaiyaraaja. Even our parents couldn’t believe it.”
Since then, opportunities have been pouring in. Despite being an all-Indian band, their recent cover of Siti Nurhaliza’s “Cindai” went viral on social media, racking up over 140,000 views.
That’s when Jay set his sights on a bigger goal.
“I don’t want to stop here with these children. I would love to make this band bigger, and I’d be more than happy to make this band multiracial, like The Alleycats.”
As for the kids, each one has a different dream.
Kirthika Ramalingam, 16, shared: “Music is my passion. I would love to continue playing till the end of my life.”
Trishan Akileshwar Eswaran, 15, said: “I want to become like Jay Sir in the future, and complete a degree in music as well.”
Meanwhile, Pritika concluded: “I hope this band remains united and achieves much more in the future.”
Follow Jay’s Odyssey Music on Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.