Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Remembering musicians of the recent past
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rbharath
Posts: 2326
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 10:50

Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by rbharath »

I just got to know that Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam passed away sometime ago.

May her soul rest in peace

harimau
Posts: 1819
Joined: 06 Feb 2007, 21:43

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by harimau »

Truly the end of an era.

A student of B Rajam Iyer (among others), she learnt the authentic versions of several Deekshithar krithis from him. A link from Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar all the way to today. She was known as Andhra's DKP as she spent several years in Hyderabad where her husband was working. A stickler for tradition and patantharam. A dedicated teacher. Encouraged upcoming artists by attending concerts of all and sundry while she was physically able to do so and gave constructive but honest feedback when requested. But above all, a gentle lady always ready with a smile.

That smile! That is how I will remember her, though I am overwhelmed by sadness at this news.

May she rest peacefully at the lotus feet of Sri Mahavishnu in Vaikuntham.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by arasi »

Bharath,
The sad news had not reached me until I read your post...

Harimau,
Thanks for your kind words, and for your kindness towards her. She went quickly, without suffering. Of course, she was not very much with the world or was active in the music world, the past few years...

pbk
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jul 2012, 19:02

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by pbk »

As the listeners find peace in the music, the musician attains everlasting peace! A fine Neelambari.
https://youtu.be/9mX--x7Nw4w
With homage to the departed soul,
Prashant Balakrishnan.

thanjavooran
Posts: 2972
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by thanjavooran »

Very sorry to hear.
May her Soul RIP.
Thanjavooran
14 07 2018

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by rshankar »

Condolences to her family (including Arasi) and disciples! May her soul Rest In Peace!

Ramasubramanian M.K
Posts: 1226
Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Very much saddened to her of Jayalakshmi Mami's demise. Our family has been privileged to know her closely for the last 40 years. We have hosted her in our house in NY many times. She breathed Music 24 hrs-7days and year. She was the greatest teacher for young students--patience personified--not the stern martinet that we have all heard of Music Teachers. Her teaching was geared to what the student can absorb.
She taught my daughter several Varnams and the one that sticks in my mind is her "Datsu Kovalena"(Thygaraja Krithi in Thodi)--the azhutham and Bhavam she emphasized in her teaching classes were exemplary. Suffice it to say when you have learnt under her--we used to call her Jayalakshmi Mami-- you do not have to "unlearn" anything--so pure and authentic. DKP had the highest regard for Jayalakshmi mami and Mami in turn adored her.

My ears are still ringing with the way she taught Samikki Sari Evare(kedaragowla)--every note and syllable accented wh Azhutham and Bhavam.
We heard her three years back--despite her ill health--at Nada Inbam in Chennai and the old fire was still there in her music despite the infirmities.

Despite her being a housewife and being away from Chennai for long periods did not cool her ardor and passion for Music.

Our family has lost a great friend and my daughter a great teacher. Every time we met her in Chennai during the season she would reminisce about the time she spent with us . To quote my wife in Tamil"MAMI ANBAI POZHIYUM VIDAME THANI"

Condolences to the family.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by arasi »

MKR,
I was thinking about you and Nirmala on this day of reminiscing. You add richly to the fond memories the family has of JS. Both J and SanthanamgAru connected with the extended family and friends in such a way that each one was touched by the affection they had for us. Yes, with music, she was particular, sought perfection, and it was serious business for her.Finicky she was, I would say. Yet, it made her happy to hear youngsters sing well, and she encouraged them no end. Against the odds of being born a prodigy and a woman in her times when family commitments came first, when living away in AP was not a blessing for a vidushi (Chennai still rules), she kept her vidwat alive. Gave regular performances on AIR, gave stage concerts every now and then.
A request, please. We have very few pieces of her singing when she was younger. What a voice she had then! Please do try and post a few of your recordings here, so that we can get to hear more. Her much younger day concerts, if AIR can kindly let us hear them--will be a blessing.
I spent some time (our singing mostly) in December with her. She beamed when there was music. Otherwise, she was quite lost in her own world...:(
At VVS's grand daughter's wedding in January, many in the family got to see her--happy, but with a sigh to see her vibrant self transformed into a mere shell...
A request to Harimau. If only you could bring her tanayuni brOva for us to hear...

A correction to the press copies: she was born in 1933.

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by Nick H »

I 'liked' your post. Don't understand why that made the count - 1!

cienu
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Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 11:40

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by cienu »

Heartfelt condolences to the family including our own Arasi. Smt Jayalakshmi Santhanam was such a wonderful person and a great supporter of young and upcoming artists whose concerts she used to attend regularly and encourage them. May her soul rest in peace

Kindly find below a picture of my late mother Smt Radha Viswanathan & Smt Jayalakshmi Santhanam taken at the Cleveland Aradhana in April 2010. Sangitha Kala Acharya Prof D Pasupathy is on extreme right

Image

rbharath
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Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 10:50

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by rbharath »

I am moved by all these posts. Personally I have been blessed to know her and have interacted with her. Still remember visiting her home in desikachari road. May have accompanied her to her residence or even dropped her at her home once or twice. These instances and details don't stay in memory as much as her music or her persona.

Though one has been rather absent from concerts, one will definitely miss Jayalakshmi mami.

My condolences to all.

rbharath
Posts: 2326
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 10:50

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by rbharath »

A write-up about mami has come up in Naada Inbam website

https://naadainbam.wordpress.com/2018/0 ... santhanam/

Ramasubramanian M.K
Posts: 1226
Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Arasi: Re; Js's recordings. I will try--being a digital neanderthal I have to go thru our archives. I am sure Nirmala. can unearth the same.

Our family was extremely fortunate to have known her and moved with her. No matter where she happened to be she managed to attend my children's marriages in Chennai.Her repertoire was wide- and she would willingly and enthusiastically share it with others and teach them all that she knew.
Such teachers are rare--from my over 7 decades of experience with teachers and music..

To young Vidyarthis,my advice would be to find a teacher--dedicated like JS-and pursue it with passion the way she did!!!

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by rajeshnat »

What a sad news to hear about JS mami demise . I and she became bit more close courtesy it started with arasi introduction .Actually for few years i did know her even before i knew about her family connection to Arasi. JS mAmi was genuinely caring and nurturing great carnatic music .She never and ever showed her seniority , she was very unassuming stays from the beginning and surely till the last nee nAma roopamulaku . She with her smile when she recognizes me bit later was always making her happy. She never minced words in terms of being a great critic, I really reconnect almost all her comments , her favourite comment was Innum nallA vAzha thirandhu PAdalAm. I particularly liked those years say 2005 to 2010 or so when TRS and JS were there for almost every concert in ragasudha , ps high school et al. We certainly did not hear her best of music , her best days were probably lost to non existence of recordings . As she was based mostly in andhra - hyderabad even writeups are scarce. She only earned the title andhra DKP but atleast I have not tasted her music to back up those statement.I recollect that she continued to learn bit more towards the end of Smt DKP's demise. Her concert particularly in her last years of performance was mostly in margazhi season and that too in bharat kalAchar.For the very little that i heard her in live concerts there is a lot of mix of many composers and many languages , As i typed i forgot some number that she sang of arasi and I forgot what kalki number that she sang one day in bharat kalachar, here is my review of JS concert

viewtopic.php?t=15397

Here is her vidwan and vidushi thread
viewtopic.php?t=2447

Truly a great vidushi with a far greater heart than many musicians. TRS and JS atleast in my memory go in the history as the most passionate and active performance retired rasika to come and encourage artists.
Last edited by rajeshnat on 16 Jul 2018, 15:15, edited 1 time in total.

arasi
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Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by arasi »

Thanks Bharath, Cienu, Rajesh, Varalakshmi Nandakumar and all, for your kind posts about JS.
We are, in the family circle, steeped in memories about JS. Maduraimini and I have more hours coming, of exchanging recollections of the happy moments we have had with her--the two of us who have lived away from India. About her child-like qualities, and in contrast, her terribly serious and professional involvement with music--she would sing like anyone else in any gathering, as soon as she was asked to, alongside apaswara mAmis too. She put on no airs at all, was naive, and did nothing much to further her career. The old-times prodigy was not ambitious...

From India, got to see a short family video this morning when she met her sis-in-law (Mrs. VVS) recently. How she perks up when sAmikku sari evvarE is being started by the family, and with a gleam in her eyes, she joins in with glee!

HarishankarK
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Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by HarishankarK »

This is very sad news. She was a great Vidushi and sang with superb classicism and bhavam. I listen very frequently to her Broohi Mukundeti in youtube - not many of her videos are available

Suryaprakash
Posts: 62
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 10:09

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by Suryaprakash »

It was in the year 2006, my debut year at the Cleveland Aradhana. Amidst all the excitement and awe, Jayalakshmi mami's morning concert in the festival put many of us in contemplative mood. It was pure, unadulterated sangeetham. Even though I had listened to mami's concert several times before, that particular concert is still etched in my memory. Shri.R K Shriramkumar was on the violin, from what I remember and he called her 'Suswara Latha' . Her madhyamavathi neraval (Sarva dharma..) and eppo varuvaro were ethereal. On a personal note, mami was very appreciative of my music and used to attend many of my concerts. She always had good words to say about my full throated articulation.
Jaya mami's passing is a great loss to music world and a personal loss to me. An era of vintage music has ended.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by arasi »

PBK,
Thanks for posting the nIlAmbari in post# 4 . Harishankar speaks of brUhi mukundEti from the same program.The
seventies? She looks serious (almost glum--unlike her). Was it because TV was a new medium for the radio artiste?

Suryaprakash,
Touched by your fine words about JS...
As for me, she was the one who introduced me to you and to your music! We had started coming for the season, didn't know many modern day artistes, and she insisted that we should listen to you. UnakkudAn, MaNi, TVS pATTu rombap piDikkumE! kaTTAyam kELu (you adore MMI and TVS's music. Listen to him!) I remember the day. Your Brahma Gana Sabha concert, and I spot her there. After the concert, she grabs my hand and takes me to you as you come out of the hall. Says: Look, this is my niece. She's so happy to have heard you today. nAn rom...ba chonnEn, kELunnu (I kept saying you should listen to him!).
She was something else...

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by rshankar »

Arasi - very nice recollections.
Forgot to extend condolences to Madurai Mini, as part of JS' family. Must be tough...

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by arasi »

Thanks, Ravi. Needless to say, Maduraimini and I have a lot to share. The entire extended family everywhere is thinking and talking about her, so too friends of the family...she reached out to so many of us, with her own brand of affection--a mere child at times, and a figure of stature when it came to music, always saying: enakku pATTaip paTRi oNNumE theriyAthu, pADaththAn theriyum! I know nothing about music, I know only to sing!

gardabha_gana
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Joined: 24 Dec 2006, 07:44

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by gardabha_gana »

Deep and heartfelt condolences, especially to arasi m'am. Truly a huge loss.

Nick H
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by Nick H »

Very sorry for your loss, arasi

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by arasi »

Thanks g-gana and Nick, on behalf of all her family, especially her children...
Hope we can listen to a bit of her music here that rasikas happen to have--especially the ones from her earlier recordings...
Last edited by arasi on 19 Jul 2018, 08:50, edited 1 time in total.

maduraimini
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Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by maduraimini »

Thanks to all, for sharing their memories about JS. Arasi and I are far away from the family and these are the times you want to be with your family. JS was not just an aunt, but a friend. She stayed here with me in 2005 and we had a very good time. I asked her to teach me a couple of songs and she did just that- not just to me, but my friend also. She never said 'No' to music. Music was her life. Nice to hear her Nilambari and Bruhi Mukundethi. Thanks for sharing them with us.
R.Shankar, thanks for your sympathy. I am sorry I am late, but didn't feel good enough to write.
Will share more memories, when I feel better. We will miss her very much. She was a fun loving person.

Sreeni Rajarao
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Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 08:19

Re: Smt. Jayalakshmi Santhanam no more

Post by Sreeni Rajarao »

Sorry to learn about the passing of Smt. J S. Condolences!
I enjoyed that recording provided by pbk in #4

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