Has anybody heard of Palghat Ramchandran?

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mridangmkid1
Posts: 2
Joined: 08 Aug 2022, 07:14

Has anybody heard of Palghat Ramchandran?

Post by mridangmkid1 »

Hi all,

I am wondering if anybody here has heard of a mridangist by the name of Palghat Ramachandran? I have heard first hand from multiple senior mridangist praise him and have been told that he was "better" than Palghat Mani Iyerl! One such artist taught me a mohara composed by Palghat Ramchandran in misra chapu and it is one of the most complicated moharas I have learned (in terms of it being off beat).

Alas, all information I have heard about him have been from first hand account, but I did not find any information online. I am hoping to see if anyone has heard of him, and could maybe share their opinion. Are there any living recordings? Any information would be great!

Thank you!

Rajan Padiachi
Posts: 10
Joined: 10 Jan 2020, 11:47

Has anybody heard of Palghat Ramchandran?

Post by Rajan Padiachi »

Namaskaram.

apologies for the late reply.
Yes i was told of the great vidwan Palghat VA Ramachandran by my Guru Ramanathapuram MN Kandaswami.
He said the vidwan a older brother of Palghata VA Sundaram, was very very great in mridangam playing calculation and composing complex mridangam morhas , korvays etc.
Guru MNK told that both the brother were very intense about their music and practice and overly absorbed in the music 24 hours around the clock.
Guru MNK told me as a result of that intensity, both brothers suffered of mental problems as some current musicians and rasikas may have noticed when they saw Vidwan VA Sundaram, he use to speak to himself or utter / whisper to himself. this i witnessed myself as i was very close to him during my music studies in Chennai. Guru MNK told me that the great man VA Ramachandran actually died of the mental illness eventually as it had a impact on his overall health and well being.
And yes Guru MNK did say that if the great vidwan lived he would have been far superior to vidwan Palghat Mani Iyer.
Aum

shankarank
Posts: 4042
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Has anybody heard of Palghat Ramchandran?

Post by shankarank »

I remember an anecdote from Prof. Trichy Sankaran, that Sri Pazhani will ask him or take him to listen to Palghat Ramachandra Iyer playing for concerts.

Sri V.A Sundaram, I have listened myself playing in IITM Music club with Sri Raghu. They were both an intense pair.

mridangmkid1
Posts: 2
Joined: 08 Aug 2022, 07:14

Re: Has anybody heard of Palghat Ramchandran?

Post by mridangmkid1 »

Very interesting!

I too have heard of his mental illness. Funnily enough I heard "black magic" may have played a role (of course these are just silly rumors). Regardless, considering we have heard from many different sources of his brilliance and multiple people mentioning he may have been superior to Palghat Mani Iyer (a very big claim to make), I wish there was some surviving recordings of his. It's one of the bigger "what ifs" in Carnatic Music history.

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