I am in tears

That piece touched me very deeply... have saved it to read again.

Indeed.

cienu
Thanks for bringiing the words of Easwaran ! I was really wondering how that nonagenarian was taking the loss of his beloved wife! It is a poignant lesson for all of us moving in that direction!

CML, yes, that line shook me up pretty well, I could not do anything else for half an hour except to sit still, let it sink in, blow out and reflect. That powerful and highly personal statement tells me 'It is all about that'.

Every time a CM Icon disappears we express our grief and state how much CM will miss their loss. We tend to forget the pillars on which those icons were built. There would not have been a DKP were it not for Easwaran. As much as there would not have been a MS were it not for Sadasivam. We often fail to express an adequate measure of gratitude to the 'pillars'. I am sure in the midst of their irreparable loss it will be soothing for them to know how much we are indebted to them for the sacrifices they have made to gift us those beloved icons who we cherish.

Milton said most appropriately

They also serve who only stand and wait

Let me add accordingly along with the message of condolence to Easwaran our undying gratitude to him for supporting and shaping DKP over the years and presenting her to us CM Rasikas.

Yes, DKP was my guru's sister's mother-in-law.

Article about DKP singing for films
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/31/stories/2009073150540100.htm

cmlover, that is not only a very great point, but expressed with true humanity too.

I probably know less of the stories of such lives as DKP and other great artists of her generation than most of my co-rasikas, but it has occurred to me that, having overcome the orthodox background to take to the stage, all might have been lost without a husband that supported her. We are, indeed, very much indebted.

Nithyasree on DKP
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/31/stories/2009073151190200.htm

Nick , i suggest you read a book called " carnatic summer " by Sri.V.Sriram ( think you should be aware of this ) and that book has some amazing info about great musicians.

Sorry for deviating from the topic friends..

Arvind...

Is there a recording of the songs listed by Radnor Guy?

It is heart-rending to read these comments by Nityasree. DKP is indeed a great patriot along with being a pioneer woman of the upper caste in CM. I personally knew and experienced how emotive her songs were during the Freedom movement. She took enormous risks singing those songs in rallies which was considered a treason punishable by death. Though she herself was not arrested there were several who sang after her fashion were arrested and beaten brutally. While those who actively supported the British and requested them not to grant independance are hailed as the Father of the country it is indeed shameful that DKP (just because she belonged to the wrong caste) has not been adequately recognized or even accorded a State Funeral!

Again DKP's service to Tamil in CM is enormous. It was she who breathed life into several songs of Bharathi as well as those of P Sivan. Those were the times when senior vidvaans used to walk out of CM concerts when Tamil songs were sung! I wish DKP had beeen adequately recognized by the Tamil community during her Final Journey. Perhaps they did, but living far away I have not seen it !

I feel DKP should have been awarded the Bharat Ratna - she richly deserverd it.

The following Q & A speaks millions about how the demise of DKP was received by the TN establishment

கேளà¯ÂÂ

bigots

Translation please

Though it is painful I still translate for your benefit:

Q: Cho (editor of the magazine Thuklak) has said that the chief minister has not expressed condolence for the demise of the Musician D K Pattammal?
(from V Ananthi Madras-2)
A: J (Jayalalitha) has already done so, is that not enough for Cho? At least he (Cho) had this to find fault on the Doctor (CM)! Great!

(Reply by K Veeramani the leader of the DK and editor of the magazine 'viDuthalai')

It is never too late...
Forgetting for a moment her immense imprint on CM, forgetting the kind of human being she was, but just for the sake of her singing with fervor those great tamizh songs! For the way she sang every tamizh word in a crystal clear manner so that even a child could learn to sing those songs without making a mistake. For awakening a sense of patriotism among us by singing tamizh songs-- she needs to be honored by tamizh nADu.
avaL oru tamizhum pATTum vaLarta tAi (she was a mother figure who nourished tamizh and tamizh songs). I have no doubt MK and other leaders of TN hummed ADuvOmE paLLu pADuvOmE, veTRi eTTu dikkumeTTa, tonRU nigazhndadu, cinnanjiru kiLiyE and the countless songs they heard from all radios in the neighborhoods that they grew up in, the way they lined up to see movies like nAm iruvar.
When the government lavishes money on festivals and art projects of all kinds, it surely has to honor DKP by making her contributions known to future generations by celebrations every year with a festival, offering scholarships and offer studies of women like her, MS, MLV, KBS, other greats among men like SuddhAnanda bHArati, MMD and others, whose contributions to tamizh by way of muic is immense.
It is not necessary to have a statue in DKP's memory. Let there be living memorials for her kind so that their service to tamizh by way of music is well-recognized and this rich heritage is made available to the coming generations.
Ah, BArati who sang of freedom and the freedom of women. And the song birds who immortalized his verses!

Well said arasi! She is a women liberationist too in a sense Bharati defined. The irony is that MK himself comes from a family with CM connections (I heard he trained to play nadaswaram as a boy!). It is in a way hilarious that MK who extols DK, belonging to DMK is failing to recognize DK P

Let's be hopeful. His daughter Kanimozhi was trained in vINai and shows quite a bit of interest in CM. She is powerful too. Hope she exerts her influence both at home and in the cultural scene.

And one more on DKP titled 'Matriarch of music' by Gowri Ramnarayan
in the current Frontline (Volume 26 - Issue 16 :: Aug. 01-14, 2009)
http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20090814261609900.htm

Was particularly moved to read the following

[i]The problem of "Who will marry a girl who performs in public?"

My tribute to pattammal: http://www.thamizhstudio.com/isai_14.htm & http://www.thamizhstudio.com/isai_15.htm

S.Rajam speaks on Pattammal: http://varalaaru.com/Default.asp?articleid=902

gamakam - well written articles. Keep writing

-hari

gamakam
simply fascinating. Please share more of your writings. There are gems of information I have never heard before. Also share anecdotes that you know of other musical giants separately.

Many thanks...