I regret to inform fellow rasikas that my father-in-law Shri Soolamangam M Rammohan, rasika par excellence and the founder of Sunaadam Trust passed away this morning at 9:30 AM at 17/9 5th Cross Karpagam Gardens, Adyar Chennai 600020 (tel 24460663). He was 79.

One of the early veterans in the IT field, Shri Rammohan was a gifted musician, engaging raconteur of stories and anecdotes and an excellent public speaker. He continued his grandfather Shri Soolamangal Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar's and his father Shri Meenakshisundaram's tradition of conductiing annual Radha Kalyanam Utsavams. His bhajanai sessions in Zambia in the 60's and 70's are the stuff of legends. Such was his musical ability that he could play the tabla, khanjira or mridangam and sing simultaneously.

Shri Rammohan's recollection of vivid memories of first hand experience of the great musicians of yesteryears staying and performing in his grandfather's house and his personal interactions with them in the 1930's, 40's and 50's were a vital link to a glorious past...such stalwarts as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavathar, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, Tiger Varadhachari, TN Rajarathinam Pillai, Tiruvalangadu Sundaresa Iyer, Thanjavaur Vaidyanatha Iyer, Palghat Mani Iyer and others came alive in his recollections.

It is a matter of great personal regret that I am stuck in the US at this time .

Uday
Condolences to you and your family

Heartfelt Condolences Uday.

Condolences.

Uday,
Sorry to hear of his passing away. Last year, even though he was not feeling well, he worked with such devotion in conducting the annual festival which he cherished. A rich life indeed. He will be missed by many. I met him and your mother-in-law briefly last season. Sympathy to all the family.
May his good work continue.

Shri Udai avl,
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family

Thanjavooran

Uday: Sorry to hear the news. May his legacy motivate CM torch bearers and soul rest in peace.

Uday, My condolences to you and family..

Sathej

Uday - heartfelt condolences to you and and your family!

Deeply grieved! Pl accept our heartfelt condolences.
This is a serious loss to the Rasika Community. Trust both you and Radhika will carry on his Tradition...

sincere condolences.

Heartfelt condolences to you and your family.

uday, radhika and meera,

my heartfelt condolences for the loss. may god give u courage to overcome this.

bharath

Uday, Condolences to you, your wife and family.

Uday, shocked to know about the demise of your father in law. Such a towering personality, full of enthusiasm for all good things in life. It is a big loss to the music world. My heartfelt condolences.

Dear Uday,

It is indeed a sad news that a great traditionalist passed away. I could not reply earlier because of login problems. Hope our generation would do something to remember the contribution of Soolamangalam family.
Shivadasan

My heartfelt condolences to you and your family, Uday.

My memory goes back 60s when computerisation was introduced in Integral Coach Factory Madras and when I had to interract with Sri Rammohan who was drafted to the newly formed Data processing group. Might be due to our personal interest in music in general and Nama sangeertham in paticular, we spent more time discussing music than devising system procedure. After his departure to Zambia, i lost contact with him.My heart felt condolences to his family May his soul rest in peace

Uday,

Belated condolences to you and your family. It is indeed a great loss to the carnatic world.

Do you live in the LA area?

On behalf of the family, thank you all for the outpouring of condolences both here and by email. Carnatic music is an amazing thing that bonds people.

Ninja, I'm visiting Pittsburgh. Will be back in Chennai next week.

veeyens sir,
We are thrilled to hear of your recollections of Shri Rammohan at ICF. I hope we can visit you when I'm back in chennai. Please email me all particulars via rasikas.

Uday: After my return from Cleveland when I was thumbing thro my late father's archives I came across a booklet that was released in 2003-a brief reproduction of a series of articles written in the fifties outlining Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar's(SVB) pioneering efforts to start the Thyagaraja Aradhana--and things started to fall in place. in my memory. Around 2002 or so,I remember your FIL Mr.Ram Mohan visiting my father in R.A.Puram and my father presiding over a function honoring SVB's contributions--I am not sure whether it was a list of Krihis or a book release.

I recall my father introducing me to him and lamenting(as my father always does) about the indifference of the Chennai sabhas towards pioneers like SVB and their heirs who have preserved traditions. Going thro the booklet I mentioned(it is titled in Tamil Thiruvaiyaru Sree Thyagabrahma Aradhanai Utsava Varalru(an Account of the origins of the Thiruvaiyaru Aradhana tradition written by Soolamangalam V Radhakrishna Iyer--S/O of SVB) one can see what dedication SVB had towards the Saint and what obstacles he faced ,

Mind you-- it was a full 60 years after the Saint had passed away--several musicians in the lineage--Patnam, Subramani Iyer,Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer who all followed soon after the saint's death and yet it remained for SVB coming fifty years later to initiate the concept of homage to a Great Saint.
Condolences to you and your family and hope some of the archives that your FIL must have assiduously accumulated could be revived.It would be interesting to see whether Thyagaraja's compositions could be laid out in some period order that might give some insights into the Saint's own mellowing over the years considering that he lived till he was eighty.

Enjoyed our tete-a-tete @ the Cleveland Aradhana in the company of Ajit,VKV and Trichur Ramachandran. Come December 2010 if you would be in Chennai let's round up some of our rasikas and have a ball reviving old tales and music!!!

Sri Uday, I am denied the pleasure of meeting you in Chennai as I am based in S.California and as on date I have no plans of visiting India in the near future. May Sri Rama bless yo u, veeyens