The fourth edition of the annual OuRJ concerts is scheduled to happen in Museum Theatre in Egmore on the 14th July. Organized by the Arjun Vasudev Benevolent Trust, OuRJ 012 is a tribute to Arjun Vasudev, a popular Chennai musician who tragically passed away in a road accident in 2009. This year, the performers include ‘Muttu Sandhu’, ‘83MPH’ and ‘Tails On Fire’, ‘TWKC’ and other concert regulars.
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The OuRJ concert series has been consistently providing a platform each year for promising musicians, promoting acts such as ‘TWKC’ (2009), ‘Public Issue’ (2010) and ‘Franks got the Funk’ and ‘Escher’s Knot’ (2011). The concerts have been rapidly gaining support from well-established institutions like The Unwind Centre and The L.V Prasad Film and Television Institute. Bangalore based ‘TAAQademy”, a music school run by Thermal and a Quarter, is also expected to participate in OuRJ 012.
Founded in 2009, the Arjun Vasudev Benevolent Trust is an initiative started by the friends and family of Arjun Vasudev as a way to keeping the spirit of RJ alive. The activities of the trust range from spreading road safety awareness and providing for the care and treatment of the needy to promoting music and theatre aspirants. This year, the Trust will attempt to organize an MOU with a few city hospitals to provide financial assistance for immediate emergency road accident victims
Apart from presenting the ‘Best Metal Guitarist’ award at the Unwind Centre’s Underground competitions and ‘Best Graduating Student’ and ‘Best Music Video’ awards to the Visual Communication department of the Loyola College, the trust has also presented 100 foldable walking sticks and 50 audio aided wrist watches to the Indian Blind Welfare trust and medication packages for AIDS patients at the Shelter Trust.
Every year the trust donates collections from the previous year’s concert to the cost of treatment of one identified patient. The donations have helped Ms.Sathvika, who was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder, and Mr.Niruban, who was treated for Cerebral Palsy. This year, the identified patient is Mr.Kiran Amarnath, himself a reputable young musician. Kiran, who was one of Arjun’s musical idols, had met with a serious road accident in 2005 and is still undergoing an extensive recuperative program.
The Arjun Vasudev Benevolent Trust runs on public support. For any donations, visit www.arjunvasudev.com.
