Bengaluru: He is not yet an internet sensation. And aerospace scientist Dayananda G N, 56, says he not aiming for that either. But, his latest song titled 'Does the universe beckon you or…?' appears to have created ripples among the scientific community.
An expert in polymer composites, smart materials and wind energy, Dayananda is the head of the Centre for Societal Missions and Special Technologies (CSMST) in Bangalore. He is also the chairman of the Societal Cluster at National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bangalore. Over the years, his team at CSMST has developed niche polymer composite related technologies which include large aerospace grade autoclaves, airborne and weather radomes, micro air vehicle air frames and small wind turbines, in addition to propelling basic science research.
"There are a few motivating factors behind the song. The awe, admiration and reverence I hold for the universe. The inspiration I draw from my fellow Indian scientists and their relentless quest to discover the universe. Lastly, I have a passion to fuse music and science for the benefit of the masses," he says.
The scientist-composer says the title of the song connects life on earth with the universe.
Passion for music
Dayananda used to write short poems and essays in English since his school days. He felt a strong urge to write poetry in Kannada, his mother tongue, during his stay in Western Europe in 1999.
"After my return to India, I attended Carnatic music classes for five years. I also began to pursue Kannada literature seriously. Legendary writers, such as D V Gundappa and U R Ananthamurthy, and the vibrant Kannada Sangha at NAL had a huge influence on me," he says.
Dayananda has written 13 songs - three in English and 10 in Kannada – so far. All the songs have been composed and sung by S B Shrinivas, a music tutor. Dayananda also authored a popular Kannada science fiction Chinnaari Gaana Mangala Yaana, which portrays the aspirations of a young school boy to study aerospace sciences.
"My first song was in Kannada and it described the aspirations of a young school boy to travel to Mars. The song was shared widely on many social media platforms," says Dayananda.
Some of his songs have been dubbed into Malayalam and Tamil. "My songs express a strong fervor and concern for the vernacular and that is why they are being dubbed into other south Indian languages."
Dayananda feels music and science can team up perfectly to reach the masses effectively. "This rare fusion can inspire young minds as well. These are changing times and even scientists need to ring in new ideas," he says.
Does the universe beckon you or...?
It is hard to say what I feel,
I'll never know how to convey ,
The relentless quest to unravel,
the infinite fabric of space & time.
The more you ponder, the more
unsettling; the oscillatory,
the reciprocating models
of the Big-Bang hypothesis.
Nevertheless it beckons me,
Yes; I am sure & I swear,
For I am the quintessential
speck, craving to embrace.
It is hard to say what I feel,
I'll never know how to convey,
The relentless quest to unravel,
the infinite fabric of space & time.
(The writer is an independent aerospace and defence journalist, who blogs at Tarmak007 and tweets @writetake.)
