Gowri Ammal

jayakamala · Post by **jayakamala** » 23 Oct 2008, 09:21

My father Swamimalai K Rajarathnam Pillai SKR Had it. I will check with my mother and send.

devan_l · Post by **devan_l** » 23 Oct 2008, 17:29

thank u very much...

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 23 Oct 2008, 17:36

Welcome Jayakamala! Great to see you posting here. Can you please introduce yourself and your dad?

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 23 Oct 2008, 22:54

Welcome Jayakamala

I remember seeing a story and some photographs of Gowri Ammal in the Sruti Magazine many years back.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 24 Oct 2008, 07:46

Welcome, Jayakamala!

dnayar · Post by **dnayar** » 24 Oct 2008, 19:05

There's a nice article in the Hindu that has a picture...

http://www.hindu.com/ms/2006/12/01/stor ... 180600.htm

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 24 Oct 2008, 20:18

Nice to see her picture, dnayar.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 25 Oct 2008, 06:38

Arasi, that article also gives the gurus of the Travancore sisters as a bonus.

The doors of the Academy were also opened to a famous couple from Kerala, Guru Gopinath and his wife Thangamani, who created a special impact with their innovative "oriental" dances based on Kathakali and other Kerala traditions. Like a magnet, this couple attracted viewers.

Their pupils, like the Travancore sisters, Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini, who sparkled on the silver screen, found their way to the Academy's stage, filling up the hall as no one else ever could.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 25 Oct 2008, 07:51

My, Ravi!
Gopinath and Tangamani! How could I forget them! He actually looked a bit like Gopikrishna, the khatak dancer and the star of Shantharam's Jhanak jhanak pAyal bAjE. They were a pair of lively dancers. Did not connect them with Lalli, Pappi, Ragi to this day! That is where the 'Oriental Dances' label for the Travancore sisters come from!
I cannot forget them for another reason. When S.S.VAsan (Gemini) celebrated his daughter's wedding for four days with music and dance continuing through the span of the wedding--I remember sitting next to the couple for the duration of a concert (don't remember the artiste--I listened to quite a few). How friendly and unassuming they were to a mere child!

dnayar · Post by **dnayar** » 25 Oct 2008, 18:43

Incase you missed it, a nice article on Guru Gopinath by reputed Ashish Mohan Khokar...

http://narthaki.com/info/tdhc/tdhc1.html

jayakamala · Post by **jayakamala** » 12 Dec 2008, 20:43

Thank u all who have welcomed me. sorry for replying late. Hope my father kalai mamani Late Swamimalai K Rajarathnam Pillai needs no introduction, for Bharathanatyam lovers. Any way it is my pleasure talking about him here. He was the prime disciple of Padmashree Vazhuvur Ramiah Pillai, my maternal grand father. My father taught for the frontline dancers like Malavika sarukkai, Priyadharshini Govind, Vidhya subramainiam, Srinidhi Chidambaram [ Rangarajan] etc. He was known for his golden voice .All his programmes were enhanced by his soulful singing and intricate jathis.i remember elders saying, the great Kamala Lakshman's Progs attracted crowd by vazhuvuraar's nattuvangam and my father's singing. Many dancers of today have been influenced by his techniques and nuances which they feel proud to admit. He passed away on 12/8/1994 after his successful long tour in USA with his group performing Meenakshi Kalyanam and Shivanjali. I have been following his foot path and teaching his style of dance in Chennai and Bangalore.