Rajam Pushpavanam

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 14 Oct 2017, 05:27

Rajam Pushpavanam, a famed musician who sang in Kutcheris in the early 1930s till about 1943/44 when she gave it all up due to the sudden passing away of her year and a half old first son in an attack of pneumonia, while she was away from Chennai for a concert.
She decided that raising children and family were more important than singing in kutcheris. A great sacrifice.

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 14 Oct 2017, 06:52

She was the daughter of Madurai Pushpavanam Iyer and cousin of Madurai Mani Iyer.
Her first record was released in 1930, a copy of which is with Kiran Ravindran of Thiruvananthapuram, avid collector of records.

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 14 Oct 2017, 20:58

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 16 Oct 2017, 09:03

First Music Director - Female

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 16 Oct 2017, 09:28

V.Sriram, Historian, on Rajam Pushpavanam being the first woman carnatic musician to drive on her own...

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 16 Oct 2017, 10:49

Smt Rajam in her 60s

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 16 Oct 2017, 11:10

Sri V.A.K. Ranga Rao

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 20 Oct 2017, 12:45

Smt Rajam Pushpavanam's eldest daughter passed away a few days ago at the age of 73. She was ailing from cancer.

Her daughter in her younger days...

At her dance arangetram...

Six years ago....

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 23 Oct 2017, 16:45

vsn69 wrote: ↑20 Oct 2017, 12:45 Smt Rajam Pushpavanam's eldest daughter passed away a few days ago at the age of 73. She was ailing from cancer.

She learnt classical music, vocal from her mother and bharatanatyam from Vazhuvur Ramaiah Pillai.

She's survived by her husband and two sons who are in the US.

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 23 Oct 2017, 20:23

Smt Rajam's youngest son passed away in 2009 at the age of 59 due to a sudden heart attack.

He is survived by his wife, son and a daughter.

thanjavooran · Post by **thanjavooran** » 24 Oct 2017, 07:42

Thanks for sharing more details.
Thanjavooran
24 10 2017

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 24 Oct 2017, 08:06

Dear vsn1969
Thank you for a such a treasure of information.

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 24 Oct 2017, 16:44

thanjavooran wrote: ↑24 Oct 2017, 07:42 Thanks for sharing more details.
Thanjavooran
24 10 2017

cienu wrote: ↑24 Oct 2017, 08:06 Dear vsn1969
Thank you for a such a treasure of information.

Dear Sirs,

Thank you.

Regards

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 24 Oct 2017, 17:09

Posted in another thread but putting them all here.....

A young Rajam Pushpavanam

Smt Rajam and Sri Venkatraman

A young Sri Venkatraman, in a play

Sri Venkatraman was the son of the Dewan of the Ramnad Kingdom, Sri Swaminatha Iyer

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 24 Oct 2017, 18:15

Smt Rajam sang in the All India Radio for many, many years. Her recordings should be there in their files.
It will be great if someone can get them....

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 26 Oct 2017, 20:19

Smt Rajam's Driving Licence, corrected for change of address...

She would proudly say that there were only 4 women who drove in entire Madras then and she was one of them...
SD Subbulakshmi was in that quartet; I am unable to recollect the other two.

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 27 Oct 2017, 14:27

When she was in her 60s...

The younger son, a year before his passing away...

VISHNURAMPRASAD · Post by **VISHNURAMPRASAD** » 02 Nov 2017, 15:25

Dear VSN Sir,

Many thanks for sharing the recordings and information about the great vocalist Smt.Rajam Pushpavanam.

By any chance did your mother live in Mambalam at any point in her life? My grandfather,Shri Ananthanarayana Iyer (of Railways, GoldenRock, Trichy) who was a close friend of Madurai Mani Iyer, used to always recollect how vast her repertoire and has infact taken my mother to her for learning couple of songs. My mother used to regularly learn sangeetham from Shri Kalakkad Ramanarayana Iyer and later from Shri D.K.Jayaraman, apart from learning many compositions from various vidwans between 1960 to 1990.

My mother (name Smt.Rajalakshmi, now in her early 70s) used to fondly remember Smt.Rajam Pushpavanam for her great voice and graceful singing apart from being very kind to her in teaching some krithis.

Sir is there any rare family photo with Madurai Mani iyer being part or some hand writings of Shri Mani Iyer (I run this website : maduraimani.tripod.com) that you could share with us?

Namaskaram, VishnuRamPrasad

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 02 Nov 2017, 18:48

VISHNURAMPRASAD wrote: ↑02 Nov 2017, 15:25 Dear VSN Sir,

Many thanks for sharing the recordings and information about the great vocalist Smt.Rajam Pushpavanam.

By any chance did your mother live in Mambalam at any point in her life? My grandfather,Shri Ananthanarayana Iyer (of Railways, GoldenRock, Trichy) who was a close friend of Madurai Mani Iyer, used to always recollect how vast her repertoire and has infact taken my mother to her for learning couple of songs. My mother used to regularly learn sangeetham from Shri Kalakkad Ramanarayana Iyer and later from Shri D.K.Jayaraman, apart from learning many compositions from various vidwans between 1960 to 1990.

My mother (name Smt.Rajalakshmi, now in her early 70s) used to fondly remember Smt.Rajam Pushpavanam for her great voice and graceful singing apart from being very kind to her in teaching some krithis.

Sir is there any rare family photo with Madurai Mani iyer being part or some hand writings of Shri Mani Iyer (I run this website : maduraimani.tripod.com) that you could share with us?

Namaskaram, VishnuRamPrasad

Namaskaram Sri VishnuRamPrasad,
I do have one where the whole family including Sri Pushpavanam's Father-in-Law, his brother Sri Ramaswamy Iyer, their respective spouses, Sri Madurai Mani Iyer's sisters and Madurai Mani Iyer in Sri Pushpavanam's lap.
I have posted that in the thread on Madurai Pushpavanam. If you desire I can email you a copy.
For hand written notes, Sri TVS would be the best person who would zealously guard them. I wonder if his sister would have them too. I shall see if I can a copy...

And glad to know that your mother Smt Rajalakshmi fondly remembers Smt Rajam Pushpavanam. Yes, she was in Mambalam. Earlier to that in Mylapore. She would remark that a ground was only Rs 25 a one time in Mambalam and though she had the opportunity to buy 10 grounds she ruefully did not.

VSN

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 06 Nov 2017, 13:22

Smt Rajam Pushpvanam's second daughter. She learnt Carnatic music vocal and Bharatanatyam

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 06 Dec 2019, 18:47

Posted in another thread and posting here also

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 16 Dec 2019, 08:54

https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugx2DCPRLUEXgJomhzJ4AaABCQ

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 13 Aug 2021, 18:09

Mr V Sriram's talk on women musicians

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQkvFu9J7RE

He talks about my mother, Smt Rajam Pushpavanam from 58:24

Cheers

vsn69 · Post by **vsn69** » 14 Nov 2023, 15:16

https://youtu.be/Fx27PIGcu5E?si=3FLNu0DY6XsaHfFj

rasikas.org

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