Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer

[vijay.siddharth]

@Jigyaasa - This varnam is not by Kothavasal Venkatrama Iyer OR Patnam Subhramanya Iyer. This is by TK Govinda Rao. Kothavasal has composed a varnam with the same starting words, but it starts as R-G-M-RS and is dedicated to Venkatesa, not Parthasarathy.

[rajeshnat]

A month back or so I just heard thru grapevine or thru Lalitharam(now not recollecting the source ) that Semmangudi in 2001 performed in a concert in indira nagar , madras . I am not sure if he sang or just spoke etc. I was told the musical supernova semmangudi did the honours in indiranagar to mark the occassion of 80th birth day celebrations of the famous patron Ananda Lodge Kittappa from Tanjore . By any chance since the year was just 2001, did any of the forumites attend this , by any chance do you vaguely recollect what he sang and all his accompanists . I am also assuming the indiranagar could have been hamsadhwani sabha .Semmangudi was 93 years in 2001 and he moved on in 2003. Even small nuggets of first hand experience of that semmangudi day in 2001 would be great.

Ravisri,
Making a small hunch that you may know some thing about 2001. Any one else other than ravisri can also add

Pratyaksham Bala,
Any detective work on semmangudi 2001 - indira nagar will help.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Pratyaksham Bala,
Any work on semmangudi 2001 - indira nagar will help.

For detailed info on this concert, please check from Post #18 to #24 at –
viewtopic.php?t=23280

As indicated in Post #24, our fellow member Shri M.R.Nathan may be able to help upload the concert.

[rajeshnat]

PB,
Thanks that was semmangudi-vvs-rajamani@Ananda Lodge kittappa 80 (Indira Nagar, Chennai)on year 2001.

M r nathan ,
If u are in the forum seen this post do post the song list and also recording . If u have difficulty to convert and upload
please send me a private mail. Please post reply to my query

[Pratyaksham Bala]

M r nathan ,
If u are in the forum seen this post do post the song list and also recording . If u have difficulty to convert and upload please send me a private mail. Please post reply to my query.

I note that Shri M.R.Nathan had participated with just 7 posts - all in one thread on Tajore Ananda Lodge G. Kittappa. Shri Nathan's last visit to rasikas.org was on 08 Apr 2014. I wonder whether your request would catch his attention. The best option would be to try contacting him through email via rasikas.org.

[rajeshnat]

M r nathan ,
If u are in the forum seen this post do post the song list and also recording . If u have difficulty to convert and upload please send me a private mail. Please post reply to my query.

I note that Shri M.R.Nathan had participated with just 7 posts - all in one thread on Tajore Ananda Lodge G. Kittappa. Shri Nathan's last visit to rasikas.org was on 08 Apr 2014. I wonder whether your request would catch his attention. The best option would be to try contacting him through email via rasikas.org.

PB
I sent an email to M r Nathan , no clue if he will also read the private email.

Others
Any inputs on Semmangudi last concert at age 93 for Ananda lodge kittappa that was held@Indiranagar, chennai on year 2001 would be appreciated

[kcn]

The user who had it on youtube has removed it . I want to listen to it a million times and more. Where can I find another version?

[Purist]

Here is the link. Though wrongly listed as Bangalore concert 1971, this one is popularly known to be Airport concert held some where near Tambaram,
http://www.sangeethamshare.org/sreeniva ... lore_1971/

[Purist]

A write up on this concert can be seen here:
https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/KA9lWU ... drone.html

[FiddleJagan]

The Tiruveezhimizhalai Bros, Subramanya Pillai and Natarajasundaram Pillai, nAgaswaram maestros were known for their exquisite rendering of Thyagaraja kritis with due importance to sahitya bhava. They got their collection of Thyagaraja kritis rather in a strange way. They sent their younger brother Kalyanasundaram Pillai to Kanchipuram to do gurukulavasam under Naina Pillai. Kalyanasundaram was a student of Naina Pillai along with Brinda-Muktha, Chittoor Subramanya Pillai and N.S.Krishnaswamy Iyengar. Kalyanasundaram, when he went on leave to his village, would sing the songs to his elder brothers and they learnt it from him. For a long time Naina Pillai was not aware of this arrangement until, once, he heard the Bros play Thyagaraja kritis at a marriage. He expressed surprise to the Bros that their version of the kritis corresponded with his, upon which the Bros had to let the cat out of the bag. Naina was amazed and exclaimed, "Oh, what a way to learn!" This is only a prelude to the next moving story.

Needamangalam Meenakshisundaram Pillai who was hailed as Abhinava Nandi was the stock tavil accompanist for the Tiruveezhimizhalai Bros. Their playing of 'chEtulAra' in the company of Needamangalam was exquisite and was looked forward to by rasikas and vidvans alike. When Needamangalam died in 1946, the Bros felt they were orphaned. They stopped playing 'chEtrulAra' in their programmes. When pressed they would say that Needamangalam had taken the song away with him and that without him, their playing of the song would just resemble a skeleton.

If I remember accurately, there was also a gentleman named RAGHAVA PILLAI who used to be either the 1st THAVIL player along side MeenaakshiSundaram Pillai or vice versa. He was a legendary player too! I REMEMBER my father telling us about all these maestros and not to forget he used to often say "Nobody could play a better TODI than T. N. Rajaratthinam Pillai on Nadaswaram".

[FiddleJagan]

A different question on the SSI rendition of Chetulara. I assume the youtube title is wrong, it is not karaharapriya but bhairavi right?

Chetulaara is definitely Bhairavi Ragam.

But the way SSI sings 'jēsi' of ''cētulāra śṛṅgāramu jēsi" sounds quite Karaharapriyaish to my ears. It is probably me, would not dare to question the doyen,

Checked the Ramani version here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6BABhzyquE and that phrase comes across more bhairavish.

[RSR]

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer-Nathajana-
78 rpm-Pts 1 & 2
upload by Sri. APKoil N Sapthagireesan
https://youtu.be/Xe4PJt-qFDE
Simmendramadhyamam Ragam
-----------------------------------------------------------
Nathajana Paripaalaya ( mis-attributed to ThyagarajaSwami?)
composed by Sri.K.V.Srinivasa Iengar
( brother of 'Tiger' Varadhachariar?
-------------------------------
see @ 490 also.
Raju Asokan upload
---------------------------------
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Nice upload by veteran Sri.APKoil N Sapthagireesan
https://youtu.be/OFu7xRUxxes
78 RPM record
Ragam-Simmendramadhyamam
'iha param' by Papanasam Sivan
sung by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.

[shankarank]

Semmangudi Mama on Sabha Secretaries - he had been one too!

https://youtu.be/CH1--syZfK0?t=291

[Lakshman]

Has anyone come across Semmangudi singing the Anandabhairavi varNa sAmi nIpai by Vinai Kuppier?

[shanks]

Has anyone come across Semmangudi singing the Anandabhairavi varNa sAmi nIpai by Vinai Kuppier?

Yes, in one of his concerts at the Music Academy.
You can listen here https://shankarkrish.blog/carnatic-voca ... vasa-iyer/
It is the sixth concert with Lalgudi Jayaraman and T K Murthy; an excellent concert.

[Lakshman]

Thanks so much.

[shankarank]

https://youtu.be/-pkvQegWjW4 - what a concert! The kiravANI rAgam in RTP beginning is grand with all the jArus. I kept walking with it and could not stop - had a longer walk!

[rajeshnat]

https://youtu.be/-pkvQegWjW4 - what a concert! The kiravANI rAgam in RTP beginning is grand with all the jArus. I kept walking with it and could not stop - had a longer walk!

Keeravani taanam is not just for humans , it is for even God. Semmangudi has a tone bit recalcitrant , not a voice that is melodious , but no loss of shruthi to me. Such voice throw and felicity , jaarus , sudden flash of brigas - he only wants to get the raaga devata all the time .

If some one wants to hear the pinnacle of the best of best of carnatic music it is to listen semmangudi singing taanam with mrudangam. I may have heard atleast 50 times , that too when i usually like Keeravani which is simply superb for RTP. Semmangudi mostly sings only single raga RTP and he thinks that day it is either me or rather that raga chosen no distraction with ragamaliga -asura saadhakam. The melakartha 21 devathai falls at the feet of electric cheenu , especially when he sings the pallavi brahmai .... sathguru. Some times i feel why SSI is not singing that long swaras in RTP just like my another favorite who edges bit SSI , but in the whole context of the concert he keeps you engaged. Also SSI in his pallavi does not believe tri kaalam mathematics that is also bit adds to his super sharp raaga bhavam

Needless to say this 1964 concert is atleast 3 hours . Why the hell academy has reduced nowadays in the last 35 years to 2 hours and 30 mins , with that we lose musicians idea and mostly raaga bhaava of RTP is censored.

[shankarank]

In SrI Semmangudi I find the level of flair and singing with abandon that I see typically with Hindustani Alap or more closer to home with nAdasvara vidvans. Voice timbre issues are effectively surmounted. No 21 certainly at his feet. No 22 is a different play thing for him - but No 21 is a rAgA that exudes bhavam for me. The latter operates under the zone of how Bhairavi goes - not that they are any similar - but approach to jArus in the GAndharam have a grandeur of the same level!

Another point in that concert , his short and crisp , but a serine rItigAuLa - full of kArvais and makes the tambura pleasant to hear, fills the air with sound. Gets a reluctant applause from the audience. He makes a funny chirp of a laughter and hums with violin as though he should have sung more - some unfinished work in his mind.

Little would he know that the audience is basking and soaking in that serene treatment - poor Cheenu always looking to ensure his audience are visibly happy!

[RSR]

ref:,p-517,p-518,p-519
-------------------
Nādabhṛṅga is pleased to bring to you a wonderful concert by Vidwan Sriman Semmangudi R Srinivasa Iyer at the Music Academy, Madras, on the evening of the 31st of December, 1964. The programme details are:

Semmangudi R Srinivasa Iyer
P S Narayanaswamy - Vocal Support
T N Krishnan - Violin
Umayalpuram K Sivaraman - Mridangam
T H Vinayakaram - Ghatam

1. Mahāgaṇapatim Manasā Smarāmi - Nāṭṭa - Ādi - Muddusvāmi Dīkṣita [00:00]
(7 mins)
2.Pālayāśumām - Gauḷa - Ādi - Muddusvāmi Dīkṣita [07:20]
(8 mins)
3. Narasiṃha Māmava Bhagavan - Ārabhi - Khaṇḍa Cāpu - Mahārāja Svāti Tiruṇāḷ [15:20]
(8 mins)
4. Māmava Mīnākṣī - Varāḷi - Miśra Cāpu - Muddusvāmi Dīkṣita [25:44]
(22 min)
5. Nāma Kusumamulacē Pūjiñcē - Śrīrāga - Ādi - Tyāgarāja [47:24]
(19 mins)
------------------
-------------------
6. Vinarādā Nā Manavi - Dēvagāndhārī - Ādi - Tyāgarāja [01:06:13]
( six minutes)
7. Janani Ninnuvinā - Rītigauḷa - Miśra Cāpu - Subbarāya Śāstri [01:12:16]
(21 mins)
8. Kṣīṇamai Tirugā Janmiñcē - Mukhāri - Ādi - Tyāgarāja [01:33:55]
( six mins)
9. Muttukumaraiyyanē Bhaktarkkaruḷ - Śaṅkarābharaṇa - Tiśra Ēka (4 kaḷai) - Rāmasvāmi Śivan [01:39:35]
( 7 mins)

======================
10. Rāgam-Tānam-Pallavi (Brahmaivāhaṃ Kila Sadguru Kṛpayā) - Kīravāṇi - Tiśra Tripuṭa (2 kaḷai) [01:46:24]

(32 mins)
11. Tani Āvartana [02:18:41]
(12 mins)
------
12. Parulannamāṭa (Jāvaḷi) - Kāpi - Rūpakam - Dharmapūrī Subbarāya [2:30:12]
(4 mins)
13. Appan Avadaritta - Kharaharapriyā - Ādi - Pāpanāśam Śivan [02:34:29]
(4 mins)
14. Maulau Gaṅgā Śaṣāṅkau (Śloka) - Rāgamālikā - Appaiyya Dīkṣita [02:38:11]
(11 mins)
15. Jagadīśa - Nādanāmakriyā - Ādi - Mahārāja Svāti Tiruṇāḷ [02:49:09]
( three mins)
16. Tillānā - Jheñjuṭṭi - Ādi - Vīṇā Śēṣaṇṇā [02:52:34]
(4 mins)
17. Enna Colli Aḻaittāl Varuvāyō - Kānaḍā - Ādi - Ambujam Kṛṣṇa [02:56:23]
(3 mins)
18. Nī Nāma Rūpamulaku (Maṅgalam) - Saurāṣṭra - Ādi - Tyāgarāja [02:59:5
(very short)
19. Maṅgalam Kosalendrāya (Śloka) - Madhyamāvatī - Vālmīki [03:00:17]
-------------------------------------------------------
As pointed out by a comment in youtube, the first five are in the ragams of pancharathna kruthis.
-----------
Most songs are of about 7 mins duration ( two sides of 78 rpm record)
-----------
He was only about 55 years young in this concert.
and the reviewers must have been toddlers then!
Goes to show that it is possible and even desirable to appreciate concert songs without being physically present there.
Without the RTP and 'Tani' , the duration would have been just 2 hours.,30 mins
Ideal
The SriRagam , Mukhari, Ritigowlai, NaadhaNaamakriya kruthis are nice compositions.
Can we now expect such reviews of the past concerts before 1968?
Nadabrunga is uploading many such

[shankarank]

One of the reviewer wasn't born yet and wouldn't get to appreciate via recordings Semmangudi Mama until about 2002. I heard him in a doordarshan telecast once in 1990s, a speech in 1997 in a Dr. BMK concert. Also saw him helped out of an award ceremony in Chettinad Vidyashram - Jaya TV Margazhi utsavam ~ 2002. I was going to hear a Mridangam fusion by SrI Karaikudi Mani - an odd place to encounter Mama. But I did not see lot of people flocking around him - found it strange for a legendary musician. His disciple SrI TMT was walking alone out!

But I tell you, I heard enough of traditional musicians live before I could appreciate SrI Semmangudi's music. And that is important. Many of them were bridges.

[RSR]

p-519

No 21 certainly at his feet. No 22 is a different play thing for him - but No 21 is a rAgA that exudes bhavam for me

Puzzled. The song list under reference has only 19.
A typo?

[shankarank]

@Rajeshnat is referring to the mELam number!

[RSR]

p-523
Thank you.
https://sites.google.com/site/4carnatic ... a-keyboard

[rajeshnat]

I heard once the great semmangudi speaking in Krishna gana sabha in 1990s. That is all i could manage. He was witty cannot recollect any thing now. No luck ever to hear my top #3 carnatic vocal trinities -what can I say i dont qualify as i was not born to ever hear MMI and GNB, and even SSI was missed .

In early days of Sangeetham.com we all could have been intimated by some one . i came to know few years back for one patron by name Tanjore Lodge Kittappa , famous for being a maha paithiyam of GNB and many many musicians where SSI sang just after 2000 may be 2001 or 2002 . The occassion is for Tanjore Kittappa - 80th birthday concert , Hamsadhwani arranged it , i am guessing it should have been their indiranagar chennai venue.

I missed hearing SSI for ever. I could have bragged for rest of my life to future generations , hey you have never heard live Semmangudi but that chance I missed for ever. I think the last of best recordings available of SSI is nanganallur where the age of 88,he is singing for atleast one hour plus(I think the year is `1992- SSI was born in 1908) . That nanganallur concert SSI is taking up Sri DakshinamoorthE in shankarabharanam as main- what a phenom he was. He never compromised the depth of CM which is the key learning for future generations!!

[shankarank]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xyqWRdBqsk - Nice small documentary by Mudhra team!

[rajeshnat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX3R2gNVo5Q

Happy Navarathri 2021 especially to all performing carnatic music artists of today . We all have to celebrate with the most brilliant and longest live performer of CM , who is semmangudi. Semmangudi in above link is singing the great muttuswami dikshitar krithi Akhilandeshwari in dwijAvanthi. Personally once heard Semmangudi mama speaking in SKGS , thats it . I have never heard him in any live concerts despite SSI being alive till 2003. He has sung perhaps last for tanjore kittappa 80th birthday in indiranagar, chennai . That may be his last live concert. I am assuming LGJ and the living legend Trichy Sankaran are accompanying (some one can correct if I am wrong)

With this damn covid which has pushed the rasikas to only hear streamed concerts ,there is this live magic that is getting lost along with attention to classicism. Certainly young brigade stars like say Abhishek Raghuram , Amrutha Venkatesh certainly are comparable to SSI for sure, but i hope they get the patronage from next generation rasikas just like SSI had in 1940s to 1990s.

Hope with this navarathri and may be from 2022 there is resurgence of more and more live concerts in sabhas . That is my only wish . No more 90 mins (s?)crap live concerts please.

Enjoy Electric cheenu running along with TS and with brilliant return from LGJ .paa paa ri , ri ri ga ri sa.....(hopefully LGJ and TS is right).

[rajeshnat]

Very recently a brilliant second generation disciple NJ Nandini sang this song . She must have learnt from vidushi parassala ponnammal or her vechoor family based musician who must have learnt from Semmangudi

Hear this lovely song of one of the greatest nayana pidi vidwan semmangudi singing the rare krithi of ST. Tx to CRama who gave me this song . There is so much verve as always with Semmangudi. Semmangudi is accompanied apart from 3 disciples by Chalakudi Narayanaswami and the living legend UKS mama. This is AIR recording with no AIR gap from SSI or UKS or chalakudi

Sree Ramachandra (N,S)- Todi - ST
https://bit.ly/3wDt31j

[CRama]

Thanks Rajeshnat for posting the immortal Semmangudi's rare song. This is from a Navarathri Mandapam concert.

[Pasupathy]

Excerpt from a Rare Book on Semmangudi ( Tamil article).
2242. சங்கீத சங்கதிகள் - 330
செம்மங்குடியின் குரல்
தொகுப்பாசிரியர்: காரைக்குடி எஸ்.சுப்பிரமணியன்
எழுத்தாக்கம்: எஸ்.வைத்தீஸ்வரன்
https://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2022/09/2242-330.html

[Pasupathy]

Semmangudi : About T.N.Krishnan
2293. சங்கீத சங்கதிகள் - 335
டி.என்.கிருஷ்ணன் பற்றி ....
செம்மங்குடி
https://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2022/11/2293-335.html

[RSR]

"Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
- Lalgudi G Jayaraman -
Trichy Sankaran -
K S Manjunath"
.,
https://youtu.be/lOOu90iNO0Y?si=j-lFLtaJEc4Vlfhtl
..
Song list and time stamp given in description

[RSR]

"Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer -
Live - Early 70’s,
Outstanding Concert"
..
https://youtu.be/7BYNZTNHH8c?si=v4jkZ2J9sjb3b
..

1. Deva Deva Kalayamide - Mayamalavagowla - Rupaka talam - 0:00

2. Adamodi Galade - Charukeshi - Adi talam - 12:14

3. Nama kusumulace - Sri - Deshadi talam - 16:54

4. Birana brova - Kalyani - Tisra Gati Adi talam - 28:31

5. Chakkani raja - Kharaharapriya - Adi talam - 44:22

6. Shri Balasubhramania - Bilahari - Misra Chapu talam - 1:05:40

7. Sarasa Samadana - Kapi Narayanani - Deshadi talam - 1:14:00

8. Amba Neelayatakshi - Neelambari - Adi talam - 1:18:07

9. Marubalka - Sriranjani - Adi talam - 1:29:23
............

10. RTP - Kambhoji - 1:42:27
11. Thani-avartanam - 2:14:07
......

12. Smara sundaranguni (Javali) - Paras - Adi talam - 2:21:32

13. Ramajogi - Khamas - Adi talam - 2:24:25

14. Slokam - Ragamalika - Varali, Dhanyasi, Kedaragowlai, Shanmukhapriya, Saveri, Bhairavi, Hamsanandi, Kapi - 2:31:06

15. Parulanna mata - Kapi - Rupaka talam - 3:00:21

16. Sharanu Sharanu - Cencurutti - Misra Chapu talam - 3:04:13

17. Appan avadarita - Kharaharapriya - Adi talam - 3:10:00

.