(Relatively) unknown vidwans and vidushis

kannan · Post by **kannan** » 26 Jul 2005, 02:05

There are quite a few vidwans and vidushis who are for some inexplicable reason not that well known. Thanks to the people here I have come to know of a few. I thought it would be a good idea to have separate place where we could share recordings and thoughts on such unknown gems.

To start it off I thought I would another remarkable recording I found of Smt Kalpagam Swaminathan: abhayaambaayaam (sahaanaa). Even her rendition of the word 'abhayAmbAyAm' is sufficient to show how us how to render MD kritis. I wish I could find more recordings by mami.

http://rapidshare.de/files/3352236/abha ... m.mp3.html

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 26 Jul 2005, 05:32

kannan

thanks for starting this thread.and also for these lovely clips.

I have put up two clips.

One by Singanallur Radhankrishnan on AIR- a scintillating Dasar Pada in Ranjini
(violin-Gnanambal-Mridanga-Mayilswami)
http://rapidshare.de/files/3118651/neen ... n.mp3.html

and an alapana in Durga by Panthula Rama

http://rapidshare.de/files/3356615/Pant ... m.mp3.html

this is from a rtp in durga.concert at chennai-unfortunately my pocket recorders batteries let me down , creating problems with speed in the thanam and pallavi sections.
(no need to worry about other issues here.we have presented her with a copy of the concert and our upload here will be taken in the right spirit.)

kannan · Post by **kannan** » 26 Jul 2005, 08:02

Kulkarniji,

Panthula Rama is also very, very good! That was a very profound durgA. Wish the recordings for the tAnam and pallavi had worked out

Hope and Smt Sudha Rani get the props they deserve. Looks like both are from Andhra. I am not sure if that is the reason why they are not being acknowledged as much as they should be.

vnbharadwaj · Post by **vnbharadwaj** » 08 Apr 2009, 04:15

let us not sow any seed of discrimination between states lest it boomerangs on us in giant proportions

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 08 Apr 2009, 06:53

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 09 Apr 2009, 08:17

pganti · Post by **pganti** » 09 Apr 2009, 16:38

Both Pantula Rama and Manda Sudharani are students of Sri Ivaturi Vijayeswara Rao garu. Once in a Tyagaraja aradhana, RamA sang appa rAma bhakti with so much bhakti that I went backstage to tell her it took me to another world, but I could hardly speak anything and tears started rolling down, she just smiled at me and continued talking to my mother(my mother and she were classmates in MA music).

Also another instance that my mother narrated to me was, after a brilliant performance at her college,one of the girls came up to her and said, after hearing you I feel it is useless for people like me to attempt singing, we should just listen to people like you. For that Rama said, it means there is something wrong in my sadhana, if I inspire you to learn more that means my sadhana was right, please do not stop learning.

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 09 Apr 2009, 17:15

Yes, yes ... this happens all the time.

KVN:
"The most outstanding quality of my Anna's (Ariyakudi's) music was its felicity, its fluent ease. The music would sound so simple that I would think I could sing it straight off. But when I attempted it, the results would be disastrous. I wouldn't get the finish, the sangati-s simply wouldn't fall into place the way they did when he sang. It used to be a bugbear with me and I used to agonize. But the yearning grew within me--you could call it an obsession even--that I must sing like him.

It got to a stage that I became totally frustrated and asked myself: when am I going to achieve anywhere near the musicianship of Anna ? The whole exercise appeared a futile one, an exercise in mere wishful-thinking. Abruptly one day in December in 1946 or 47, I decided to forget music altogether. I ran away.

[Narayanaswamy recalls at this juncture the brief episode of his leaving his guru and trying to enter Gandhiji's Wardha ashram, and of his eventual return, after a couple of months, to Ramanuja Iyengar.]

When I returned to my guru, like a truant child, I realized how much affection he had for me. He did not openly show his affection to any of his disciples--in fact, no guru should--and some observers felt and said that 'Iyengarval treated his students badly' but this was not at all true. He could never hurt anyone, he was like a child himself. He didn't get angry at me or anything like that. He simply asked me: What is this ? Here I was wanting to make a musician of you and you just run away without a by-your-leave ? Why did you do it ? I apologized profusely to him and told him I had been a fool to go off like that. But he was happy that I had come back. He asked me to sing with him in a recital he was giving that day. But even before he said anything, I had already taken over all the other tasks to be done for him that day -- washing the clothes. cleaning the vessels for water, tuning the tambura to perfection, etc. "
http://www.narada.org/kvn/intview1.html

We can't say we'll get in the pool only after we've mastered swimming!

Sreeni Rajarao · Post by **Sreeni Rajarao** » 09 Apr 2009, 18:42

coolkarni wrote:http://www.esnips.com/doc/d4090150-35d4 ... nachalappa

Can someone share more information on Arunachalappa- featured here on the harmonium in a BMK Viola concert , Please ?

Kulkarni Sir!
I wish I can get hold of a book I had read many times in the 1970s. This book published by IBH bookhouse in Bangalore was written by Vidwan A Subba Rao, the vocalist, who had spent significant time with Sri. Arunachalappa.
With some effort, we should still be able to find this book. I hope IBH publications in Bangalore still have this book. It used to cost Rs. 1.50 for this book in the mid-70s!

I also remember my Father reminiscing how great Arunachalappa was, as a person and as a musician.

I believe his time frame was from 1880s to 1950s (not sure). Arunachalappa was known to have trained many students free of charge, and providing them shelter and food in his home.

I believe he was an entrepreuner as well and founded the famous Aruna Musicals in Bangalore (not sure if he founded it or his family).

A Veerabhadrayya was his son and was a well recognized violinist in karnataka music circles. He was very active in the founding of karnataka gana kala parishat and served as it's treasurer for many years.

A V Kashinath is A Veerabhadrayya's son and is currently a leading percussionist in Bangalore.

I will try to contact Sri. Kashinath and see if I can get more information on Sri. Arunachalappa.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 09 Apr 2009, 21:11

erode14 · Post by **erode14** » 09 Apr 2009, 22:25

Thanks coolji, for remembering Singanallur Radhakrishnan.

The days we spent together at home and in classes were memorable moments.

Palladam Shri V.Ramachandran Sir and Singanallur Shri Radhakrishnan would visit Erode every weekend and we had fun filled classes. Lalgudi Jayaraman Sir has accompanied him. He was very creative, quick witted, well versed in singing different types of calulations, had a great jnAna in layam and appreciated innovative ideas. He had a unique future of singing open throated in sruthis from 2 to even 4.5.

He had encouraged me a lot and visited my home whenever he found time. He had been having the art of easy mixing with people. He would go to the kitchen straight away and ask about menu, could offer tips for tasty food too!

My father joined their group of three people which used to go to Thiruppathi (pAdha yAthra) from Erode, every year and made it 4(na gachEth brAhmaNa thrayam!).

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 10 Apr 2009, 07:55

Srini,
So, this was another Veerabhadraiyya?
Mrudangist Praveen's father's name is the same, I have heard. He was a mrudangist, was he not?

Sreeni Rajarao · Post by **Sreeni Rajarao** » 10 Apr 2009, 17:14

arasi wrote:Srini,
So, this was another Veerabhadraiyya?
Mrudangist Praveen's father's name is the same, I have heard. He was a mrudangist, was he not?

Arasi avare,

Yes!

M L Veerabhadrayya (Praveens' Father) was a great mRdangist of his times. (I have pamphlets with me from 1940s where my Father was accompanied by Sri. M L Veerabhadrayya. These were ticketed programs at Gayana Samaja and other places with tickets costing something like 3 ANas!).

How I wish I or someone from Karnataka would have recordings of these maestros!

H Puttachar and M L Veerabhadrayya were two "big name" mRdangists in Karnataka 1940s thro' 1980s.

H Puttachar's son H P Ramachar carried on his legacy and was a successful mRdangist and kanjira vidwan himself. I believe Sri. Ramachar passed away relatively recently (past 3 years or so).

As a child, I was privileged to hear their music and meet all these vidwans, and "overhear" great conversations whenever all these vidwans visited my Father, or at music conferences or events at karnataka ganakala parishat, Gayana Samaja and such places.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 10 Apr 2009, 19:57

Thank you Srini! Ticketed and three annas were a big deal in those days!
Yes, Ramachar's playing was something to hear. He played for the Mysore Bros at the celebration concert in India of our son's wedding. I heard him play in a few concerts after that, and he was gone. I have heard his daughter Lata's playing the khanjira too. Is she performing these days?