M.L.Vasanthakumari

Carnatic Musicians
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MaheshS
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by MaheshS »

kvchellappa wrote: 08 Sep 2017, 19:51 Has MLV sung thiruvempavai all songs?
Thiruvempavai Thirupalliyezhuchi by MLV

kvchellappa
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kvchellappa »

Thanks.

RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

SrinathK-> Thank you very much for the ragam information of Thiruppaavai songs. As a bonus, also for Thiruvempaavai songs. Your post gave instant inspiration this afternoon and thus began a website for MLV Songs with a grand opener ( your post on MLV concert). Kindly help me by suggesting songs ( not from films, however good, they might be) and links preferably to audio and if unavoidable , from you tube. Have a look at
https://sites.google.com/site/mlvasanth ... songs/home
Let us collect the BEST of MLV here.

RSR
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Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

wiki says "She (MLV) popularised the composition 'Kalyana Gopalam', composed by Narayana Teertha, in raga Sindhubhairavi. She also popularized the composition 'Venkatachala Nilayam' by Purandaradasa in the same raga".
I think, the latter song is available in tube upload but have not come across Kalyana Gopalam song. Can any one help with a link? ( downloadable mp3)

MaheshS
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by MaheshS »

RSR wrote: 08 Sep 2017, 21:22 wiki says "She (MLV) popularised the composition 'Kalyana Gopalam', composed by Narayana Teertha, in raga Sindhubhairavi. She also popularized the composition 'Venkatachala Nilayam' by Purandaradasa in the same raga".
I think, the latter song is available in tube upload but have not come across Kalyana Gopalam song. Can any one help with a link? ( downloadable mp3)
Check from about 5 mins off into this video.

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

MaheshS wrote: 08 Sep 2017, 21:39
RSR wrote: 08 Sep 2017, 21:22 wiki says "She (MLV) popularised the composition 'Kalyana Gopalam', composed by Narayana Teertha, in raga Sindhubhairavi. She also popularized the composition 'Venkatachala Nilayam' by Purandaradasa in the same raga".
I think, the latter song is available in tube upload but have not come across Kalyana Gopalam song. Can any one help with a link? ( downloadable mp3)
Check from about 5 mins off into this video.
@ 5:45 to 6:05 in that video, Sindhubhairavi to Thillang graha bhedam, my goodness! Now that was some idea...
Last edited by SrinathK on 08 Sep 2017, 23:08, edited 1 time in total.

RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

MaheshS . Lightning fast help. Superlative. Thank you, Sir.( my habit. Cannot give up easily, especially to people like you. ) A GEM is getting added to the website. that too in my favourite ragam

MaheshS
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by MaheshS »

RSR wrote: 08 Sep 2017, 22:15 MaheshS . Lightning fast help. Superlative. Thank you, Sir.( my habit. Cannot give up easily, especially to people like you. ) A GEM is getting added to the website. that too in my favourite ragam
You are welcome, it's a GEM indeed. The Mohanam in the beginning ain't too bad either :)

Sorry for the digression from MLV, but speaking of Kasturi Thilakam,Pandit Jasraj - Bhajan

varsha
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

Let us collect the BEST of MLV here.
https://archive.org/details/06MukthaviT ... RAgamAlike

varsha
Posts: 1978
Joined: 24 Aug 2011, 15:06

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

https://archive.org/details/VaVaVazharm ... haDhanyAsi
great centre forward.
makes the play , dashes down left , right , back.. to defend.
corners , headers , dribbles , ....
one great freekick , this track

CRama
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Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by CRama »

Thanks Varshaji for two gems of MLV. Please correct the lines as follows.
1, Muthamizh cholayile Muthamma Muruganai kandenadi
2. Vaa Vaa Valarmatiye- from the film Vanangamudi.

RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

MaheshS-> Sir, Excuse me for the delay in response. Spent a lot of time in creating the page ( it is posted in DKPttammal sectionalso) .today
https://sites.google.com/site/dkpattammalsongs/home/32
I would like to create a page like that for the two MLV SONGS in Sindhubairavi with lyrics, translation, annotation et al.
Kindly suggest many more songs preferably of the Trinity and Prurandharadasa. sung by MLV in her early years 1950-1960.
As for Talam information of the songs, i am absolute zero. Why not introduce the practice hereafter that the ragam, tlama, composer info is announced at the end of ecah song in the concert? Why not distribute the information as a pamphlet to all the attendees, as was done in UN I believe by Smt.MS? Why should we create video ayt all? We van just create the audio. edit it , and then upload to tube . with information about the instant where ecah song begins. it will be easier to extract individiual songs by videocutter. ( i am referring to parivadini concertts). May i have your ideas?

varsha
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

Please correct the lines as follows
corrected. :) thanks
An amazing track. Sorry for the recording quality.Been amplified beyond a point of no return.
https://archive.org/details/Vijayambike ... Agavathar3
MLV here shows all the spirit of an Edmund Hillary.
What can one say about this lady .Goddess.

SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

Here's a rare video of MLV's 60th birthday celebrations at Narada Gana Sabha :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5JlLNHDVz8

Shri. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Sri. Lalgudi G.Jayaraman, Sri. Yagnaraman & M. L. Vasanthakumari speak in the video.

And take a look at all those in the audience....

varsha
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »


RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

Here is another nice song donated by saregama to youtube. M.L.Vasanthakumari- Raa raa raajeeva lochana -Mysore Vasudevachar- one of the best in Mohanam. https://youtu.be/WatsdxQuIQA

SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

Unfortunately that link is phony. Saregama seems to have put in some other song of Lata into that video. I have a superb recording of MLV of rA rA rAjeeva lOchana which I will share after correcting for the pitch.

SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

Here's a rare home concert of MLV in Bahrain in the 1980s - there's even a video taken of everyone chilling out and having lunch before the concert. It's all Purandaradasa krithis. @Ramasubramaniam M K, your comment about MLV in the MSS thread comes to my mind.

The full set of videos may be found at the rasika's channel

The abhang - sadA majhE DOlA in peelu - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMQ7sGjKNM8


SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

@varsha, this lec dem is amazing and a testimony to MLV's incredible knowledge and capability! MLV demonstrates not only the width of the repertoire composed in this raga, but also the nearly infinite spectrum of gamakas in Thodi and their occurence in various compositions, and even how rubato gamakas (gamakas decoupled from the tala) where done on it, different ways of handling the swaras and phrases, tanam, a 4 kalai pallavi.

The recording seems to be incomplete though, there must still be more.

varsha
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by varsha »

The recording seems to be incomplete though, there must still be more.
This is ALL I can muster :(

kedharam
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Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kedharam »

Remembering the gem on Oct 31st with one of her glories :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sul4bSiJTG4

rajeshnat
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by rajeshnat »

29Th June 2018, Friday Review of The Hindu was almost exclusively dedicated to MLV

Charumathi Ramachandran writeup of her Guru MLV(I did not know that MLV honed her pallavi skills wth Alathur brothers and Mudikondan venkatarama Iyer)
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/t ... cky_footer

Lalitha Krishnan write up
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/t ... cky_footer

MLV- great master Perfect disciple by Rupa Gopal
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 278778.ece

Many roles she played By Sudha Ragunathan
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 278887.ece

MLV is with her always - A kanyakumari
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/t ... cky_footer

MLV - Brave Heart - P vasanthkumar (son of Late Sulochana pattabhiraman )
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 278695.ece

Fourteeen years with MLV guru - TM Prabhavati
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/t ... cky_footer

Light Rich and Classical - MLV with her film melodies - By Shankar Venkataraman
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/t ... cky_footer

Bonhomie Between MLV and Actress Padmini - By G Swaminathan
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 278936.ece

....
There are another 5 to 8 more articles. Rajesh is stopping here as it is becoming difficult to recollect the hardcopy text search in google and put the soft copy url. All great writeups with the great Mahavidushi Melody Layam Vidwat.

kvjayan
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Joined: 05 Apr 2014, 17:08

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kvjayan »

The following link provides access to the individual articles including the one (actually a reprint from 2002) by the late Sulochana Pattabhiraman:

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... epage=true

THE PACKAGE

The evergreen M.L. Vasanthakumari

Genius vocalist, M.L. Vasanthakumari's 90th birth anniversary falls on July 3. As a tribute to the glorious singer, we trace her musical journey.

Team Friday Review

kvchellappa
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kvchellappa »

T M Prabhavatgi link goes to A Kanyakumari.

rajeshnat
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by rajeshnat »

kvchellappa wrote: 02 Jul 2018, 09:24 T M Prabhavatgi link goes to A Kanyakumari.
Saraswathi Srinivasan, TM Prabhavati and other senior disciples are featured in the writeup. Sorry for the earlier goof up.
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 279642.ece

kvchellappa
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by kvchellappa »

I know that you are meticulous. My post is only to register that I keenly follow your posts.

meenaakshi
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by meenaakshi »



SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

An incredible Kharaharapriya - satatam tAvaka - Swati Tirunal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AypG0sNBipE


That's followed by
sAma gAna lolE - hindOlam - GNB
abhang - nAmadev
alasara paritApam - suruTTi - Swati Tirunal
saramaina - behAg - Swati Tirunal
hari smaraNE maDO - yamunA kalyANi - Purandaradasa
guruparanE pArvE - khamAs
tillAnA - dhanashree - Swati Tirunal
bhujaga shAyinO - yadukula kAmbhOji - Swati Tirunal


Definitely another one of those peak year recordings.

SrinathK
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

bArO krishnayya : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47AIVWQXeLE

(Note : I don't know what channel is this, it seems to be a channel by which commercial albums upload their collections, but it is not directly searchable. The copyright is claimed by Sa Re Ga Ma.)

RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

Can you please give links to non-film tamizh songs of early decades (1950's)? needs to be very brief ( 78 rpm record duration. about 6 minutes -both sides). the ragam to be not in the list of 40 already covered...general discussion--need for tamil songs

RSR
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Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »


SrinathK
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Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by SrinathK »

RSR wrote: 19 Feb 2019, 12:10 A great feast for MLV fans.
https://shankarkrish.wordpress.com/carn ... ntakumari/
This is better than striking a gold mine! Take a bow! :D 8-) :D

ajaysimha
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by ajaysimha »

i just saw a YTB video and thought of sharing it in the right thread.
Prathama sishya Saraswathi Srinivasan shares some of her experiences with MLV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPLln8YOkt4
the way smt.Saraswathi Srinivasan sang thiruppavai mayanai was like MLV herself sang it.
and here is a write-up:
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 279642.ece

RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

SrinathK wrote: 19 Feb 2019, 21:22
RSR wrote: 19 Feb 2019, 12:10 A great feast for MLV fans.
https://shankarkrish.wordpress.com/carn ... ntakumari/
This is better than striking a gold mine! Take a bow! :D 8-) :D
=========================================
May I know if MLV sang 'chonnathaith cheythida saahasamaa' ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TGfyrO3hj4

Was the lyric and music by GNB?
I remember to have heard the GNB record , long back.
May I have the lyrics and ragams in the ragamalika? ( confirmation)
of what is given there by srinivas dixit?
===================================
2)
another MLV ragamaalika
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVBOKZpcX44
who is the lyricisist? music-creator? ragams?
devalithan kulakkuzhanthai.......
lyrics? ragams?
--------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------

ajaysimha
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by ajaysimha »

shonnadai sheidiDa-rAgamAlikA-Adi tALA-GNB
viewtopic.php?t=6769

dEvaki tan kula-rAgamAlikA-rUpaka tala-Ambujam Krishna
https://karnatik.com/c4128.shtml

RSR
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Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

@287-> Sri.Ajay-> Thank you. I think, the ragams indicated are correct.
( first stanza?)

RSR
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

@SrinathK
Just now came across this wonderful upload of Thiruuppaavai songs ( all the 30) in a single youtube link.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... w0DPvsceZh
( more than one lakh views)
---------------------------------------------
Each song has been given in sequence. The slides have the lyrics in Tamizh.
Ragam information for each of these songs ( provided by
@SrinathK can be had at
https://sites.google.com/site/4mlvasant ... nformation

parivadini
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Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 22:44

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by parivadini »

On the 92nd birthday of the Mahavidushi - I publish this lovely interview she gave to Sampradaya - an year before her demise.

https://carnaticmusicreview.wordpress.c ... ampradaya/

The interview is rather long and in Tamil.

RSR
Posts: 3427
Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

at 290
@parivadini
Absolutely top class. A pity that it is in Thamizh , though. Why not create a brief translation , so that it reaches a wider audience. ?

sankark
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

parivadini wrote: 03 Jul 2020, 01:14 On the 92nd birthday of the Mahavidushi - I publish this lovely interview she gave to Sampradaya - an year before her demise.

https://carnaticmusicreview.wordpress.c ... ampradaya/

The interview is rather long and in Tamil.
A rough translation below.

A sampradAyA interview with MLV, by Vidushi Padmasini on 28th August 1989

Interviewed @ 22 North St, Sriram Nagar, Chennai 600018


P: Would request (like) you to provide a sketch about of your family, your early years first and then branch off into music, teaching music.

MLV:I was born in Chennai, on 3rd July 1928. We had a house in GeorgeTown then. There were a lot of women musicians in GeorgeTown then.

P: Do you recall which musicians were there?

M: Coimbatore Thayi, Veenai Dhanammal. And like many.

P: About your parents?

M: Father Ayyasami Iyer. Mother Lalithangi. Both were musicians. Father wasn't a performing artiste. He used to teach a lot. Worked at Sevasadan. He was a disciple of Kothavasal Venkatarama Iyer, the author of famous vernams like thOdi ErA nApai, etc. He had an admiration on Hindustani music. So he used to reside and learn HM in many cities like Calcutta, Hyderabad, Bombay.

Came back to Madras to teach a star those days, Thiruvarur Rajayee.

P: Is this Rajayee Pandanallur Jayalakshmi's mother?

M: No, this is a different Rajayee. She was the first woman artiste to perform an RTP. It was a time when dinamani vamsa, thanayuni brova etc. came out and were thought to be new kritis. As my father knew those songs, Rajayee wanted to learn from my father. Musiri (SUbramania Iyer), Ariyakudi (Ramanuja Iyengar) & Maharajapuram (Viswanatha Iyer) were some other artistes that learnt some kritis from my father. My parents met in such an occasion and were eventually married.

Mother was a performing artiste. She was a disciple of Coimbatore Thayi in her earlier days. And then she learnt from Flute Subbaraman. Then from my father. She suffered from asthma very much. Eventually even breathing became a chore. So by the time she was in her forties, she couldn't sing.

My mother is my father's second wife. So there was a big gap of 20 years between them. My mother passed away in 1955 at 49. My father passed away when he was eighty, in 1963.

My early days happened in musical surroundings. Lot of musicians will visit our home. So I had an attraction to that music. One could call me a 'child prodigy'. Pattammal, Brinda and Subbulakshmi, all popular artistes of today, were child prodigies. All had come to perform when they were 12-13 years of age.

I ascended stage when I was 8, to sing along with my mother. I have sung in children's programmes in Radio then. The agreement was 15 rupees to sing for 15 minutes. (pretty a good remuneration then - in 1930-1945 timeframe?)

I was studying in Presentation Convent. I wanted to study well and become a doctor.

When All India Radio came in to being after Corporation Radio, in 1938, there was a programme called 'Geeta Govindam'. To perform Jayadeva's Ashtapadhi in bhjanai paddathi in karnataka ragams. DKPattammal, GNB & my mothers took part in that programme. I went along with my mother. As I & DK Jayaraman (DKP's brother) were peers age wise, we spent our time together in the radio station, singing & playing.

Having overheard my singing, GNB has opined 'she is knowledgeable and capable. I would like to take her under my tutelage'. My father didn't indulge much in that and it just fell away.

In 1940s, my parents tried to publish a book on Purandara Dasar's songs. Purandara Dasar's songs weren't in much currency or circulation then in Tamilnadu.

P: So, how come your parents got interested in Purandara Dasa's songs?

M: My father then was teaching at U Rama Rao's, Music Academy's first president, home. At that time a descendant of Purandara Dasa, Narasimha Dasa, was staying there. A Vedic Brahmin. And an ayurvedic physician. He knew the tunes of many Purandara Dasa's keerthanais. My father got interested in those through conversations with him.

When he was about to leave Madras, my father asked him to come stay with us and teach my parents Purandara Dasa's keerthanais. He agreed to do so and stayed with us for about an year.

He used to stay in a small room at hour house; he used to cook his own food. And taught about 150-200 Purandara Dasa's keerthanai's to our family. That's the origin story for our Purandara Dasa connection.

My parents thought of those as a treasure and wanted to popularize them. My mother learnt music through a guru but wasn't adept at notating kritis or keerthanais. Rangaramanuja Iyengar helped in notating them. Nagaraja Sarma was a professor in Presidency College then. He was a Kannadiga. He helped to translate the sAhityam. Still a few errors cropped up. Even though my mother was literate in Kannada.

Concert opportunities for my mother were a trickle and so we were running on my father's meager income then. So we didn't have the heft to publish the book. My father went the route of donations to realize the publishing of the book. That was the time of WWII; still The HIndu's Kasturirangan helped with the paper (newsprint perhaps). My father approached few musicians for donations. At that time, GNB asked, "I had asked that your daughter learn from me. Been more than 2 years but nothing has moved in that', to my father. My father had responded, 'She is more interested in studies than music'.

GNB then has claimed, 'She is going to a musician'
.
(One can surmise that MLV started her music tutelage under GNB then)

In 1942, when the war was at its peak, there was an exodus out of Madras, GNB went to Kumbakonam. We shifted to Thiruvallur. I was in 9th standard then. My studies were interrupted because of this. Still, I traveled to Kumbakonam to continue to learn from GNB.

When shifted back to Madras, GNB asked my father to stop studies and to focus full time on music. My father agreed to do so. I learnt from 1940 to 1951 GNB. So my bAni is based on GNB's bAni. As I had a facile voice, that bAni fit me pretty well indeed.

VRS Mudaliar was a convener of a Sabha in Bangalore. He had arranged for a concert of my mother then, with Abhiramasundari (is that veenai dhanammal family person?) on violin and Hamsadamayanthi on mridangam. As my mother couldn't perform, that programme had to be cancelled. Then GNB has suggested 'Let her (MLV) sing, She can manage'. Even though I was just 13 then, I could sing ragam swaram even then, a bit (understatement of that decade perhaps!). GNB interacted with the Sabha and arranged for my concert. That was my first concert, as the main performer.

It wasn't a thing then - to have an Arangetram. Nobody then thought of marketing oneself or kith and kin as a 'child-prodigy'. My father was a stickler in music. He firmly believed that praise upfront runs the risk of arrogance or overconfidence. When I opined, why not ask little more in way of remuneration, he was very cross with me, 'Have you become so mature?'. Since then, may be because of that, I don't have an habit of negotiating for concert remuneration; neither ask for high a remuneration.

That's the start of my life with music. Believe I have covered quite a good ground about the background about my music journey.

P: Do you have any siblings?

M: I am an only daughter (by my mother she means). My father's had a daughter by his first wife too. Way older compared to me. She is no more.

P: When did you get married?

M: I was married in 1951. My husband is from Madurai. He was a stand up comedian. He acted in 3 - 4 movies too. We were acquainted since our childhood. It wasn't a love marriage; it was a traditional arranged marriage. My father chose him to be my groom since he was an artiste himself and he was also in to music. So there was no hindrances to my music because of my partner or marriage. My son Sankar was born in 1952 and my daughter Vidya was born 1953.

Vidya was a dancer but she left it when she got married. She is acting in movies now.

P: She is also a popular artiste as you are, being in movies. Isn't she?

M: She sings too. She learnt under B Krishnamurthy for 10 years. She has learnt about 300-400 keerthanais. She didn't practice to the level of exploring ragam or swarams in a concert. She is a good light musician. Sings urdu ghazals too, well.

Rest after a break. Quite a long interview it is.
Last edited by sankark on 06 Jul 2020, 08:09, edited 3 times in total.

RSR
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Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by RSR »

@sankark
Wonderful service Sir. Thank you. The translation is faithful and lucid.
Eagerly awaiting the next part.

Nick H
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by Nick H »

As this is an important document, I will mention two typos that I spotted:

My father passed away when he was eight --- Eighty?

She is also a populate artiste --- popular?

Many thanks to Lalithram, and to sankark for the translation.

sankark
Posts: 2321
Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

P: On your fathers side, were any others else involved in music? Similarly on your mother's side?

M: Not aware of anyone on my father's side. My father developed an interest through interactions with artistes like Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer, Simizhi Sundaram Iyer, Madurai Pushpavanam, and Kothavasal Venkatarama Iyer.

On my mother's side, yes there were. My maternal grand mother, Narayani Ammal, was a danseuse. She didn't come into the limelight though. An aunt of my mother - Rukmani - used to sing. One could say I have followed in my mother's footsteps, to sing in concerts.

P: Your initial lessons were under your parents. Then learnt under GNB. Does your music fit under GNBs style in toto, or does it still have traces of your parents style?

M: There are still traces of my parents style; but it is mostly GNB''s style. I admire his style (I would rather say I am in awe of his style). I am in awe of his teaching methodology; explaining the nuances in music; writing about music; to be able to notate a song, in short hand fashion, while listening to radio. In each and every thing he did.

He had such a deep knowledge at swara level. He could explain music in scientific way. He could determine the extent possible for a gamakam scientifically. I too teach my students music nuances not as a dry theory but make it interesting. As an example, it appears to me that it would behoove well to explain conditioning the voice and the correct intonation of swarams at frequency level scientifically, make use of mathematics to delve into layam; historicity in the context of the past masters and explorers and make use of geography to discuss variations in music.

(the conversation is veering into music. She is giving a context about the music those days before delving into GNB"s music)

Based on what I have heard, a change was afoot when Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer came about. I don't know about the generations before. I have listened to Nayana Pillai. I was very young then and so I don't recall anything. Those days, women that used to sing didn't indulge in RTP. Even my mother used to be touch and go in raga exploration. Thiruvarur Rajayee and my mother and a few others used to sing pallavis. They weren't as elaborate as they are today.

Mostly women's concerts were centered around keerthanais. They would ask the violinist to play a ragam and then sing a keerthanai. One would ask the violinist to play sankarabharanam as a prelude to their swara rAga sudha. Bangalore Nagarathnamma used to conclude a keerthanai with a short raga elaboration of that ragam, mostly in mmkaaram.

In my time, since I was educated, GNB used to discuss a lot about nuances in music. Especially on concert days, he would hold forth enthusiastically in depth, for hours, if the concert was grand.

He was a little moody. So lot of folks misunderstood him. He used to be content, with what he got. Didn't have an habit of asking other's help either.

(a pause in talk., perhaps living in memories of the yore. she is diverting into a diff subject on resume)

I have a big grievance. Because of circumstances, I had to start to earn. So I had to start performing soon and thus didn't practice well; even now I think I didn't practice sufficiently. But I had a flying start, I had good opportunities from start. I established myself through concerts even though I hadn't practiced sufficiently.

To sing (practice) at home.

(She is pivoting again as she realizes that there is a diversion)

I approached GNB to learn through a guru. He opined that, "she has good knowledge but her voice is pretty thin (then). But as she matures the voice will acquire a gravitas and she will shine. It would fit your family circumstances if she starts performing rather than go into studies". Thus brought me into music him.

Subbulakshmi (MS), Pattammal (DKP), Vasanthakokilam (NCV), Sundarambal (KBS) were some of the women artistes ruling the roost then. Ariyakkudi (ARI), Semmangudi (SSI) were those from the other gender. In fact, 1940s to 1967 was the golden period of music (she never says Carnatic Music. It is just music. Only other genres get an adjective/qualification). Nadaswaram had Thiruveezhimizhalai brothers, Rajarathnam Pillai (TNR), Veerusami Pillai, Thiruvengadu Subramania Pillai. In vocal it was Ariyakkudi, Semmangudi, Chembai, Musiri, Alathur (brothers), Madurai Mani and GNB; so many stalwarts. And for accompanists there were such greats - Rajamanickam Pillai, Chowdiah (in violin); Pazhani Subramania Pillai (PSP), Mani Iyer (PMI), Muruguabhupathi in mridangam.

I came to the forefront when they were there. DKP & MS were 10 years senior to me. My ascendancy started in 1940s. Others that started at the same time, like Sudamani, MASundaram, Lawyer Saraswathi etc. were gone from the music scene. Savitri Ganesan and NCV, they passed away. By gods grace, I have been performing for the past 48 years. Come January 1991, I would finish 50 years as a performing artiste.

(As fate would have it, she passed away in Oct 1990).

GNB was the the king of the hill/flag bearer when I started. So he could pave way for lot of opportunities for me.

Got diverted from what I wanted to elaborate.

Maharajapuram's (MVI) music was a little different to the music of Ariyakkudi et al. There was a noticeable impact of Hindustani music on MVI's music. It was a novel and fresh experience then. GNB expanded on that.

His (GNB's) voice was his biggest asset (varam). Brigas were so clear in his voice. That doesn't mean he wasn't into sedate music.

(Pivoting into the misunderstanding about GNB's style)

Lot of people today have a misunderstanding about our school of music.

There is another reason for those misunderstandings. It is a style that pulls you in, automatically. The generation that came after GNB tried(s) to follow in his footsteps. There is a methodology to follow. But when one doesn't follow that methodology it leads to a problem.

GNB chose his style to suit his voice and knowledge/capability. One has to adopt that style to suite one's own voice and knowledge/capability. To take an example, a sangati will have differences, when sung by a male and a female. A sangati will sound different according to the voice. The way of the voice, the microtonal details (anuswarams), the pace of the sangati all lead to variations, unavoidable. Its all but impossible for two voices to replicate each others music. When duos (brothers/sisters) practice so much to sound in unison it creates an effect of artificial, mechanical rendition.

sankark
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

(conversation comes back again to GNB's bAni)

GNB took ARI's concert paddathi as base. I liken ARI to a departmental store. Like one would get all groceries, ARI's music had variety: thyagaraja and other vaggeyakara keerthanais, tamil songs, RTP, patriotic songs, etc. He established this paddathi. Even if there were lot of rAgams. they will be measured; never would there be a sagging moment. One can't say he brought lot of spontaneous imaginative aspects, but there was a wholesomeness (perfection?) in his music. He had his own tempo/pace. It used to be held then that ARI was the one to do a 4 kalai chowka pallavi. (that's a revelation!)

On top of all that, he gave primacy to the medium tempo. Impossible to sing at a fast pace for long. And it drags when you sing slow paced for long. Medium tempo & the middle octave - these have the primacy in our music. ARI established that firmly. Even if didn't indulge in much complex kalpana swarams but hewed to sarvalaghu mostly, he used to do a lot of interesting swara variations for half and one avartanas.

(she illustrates with poruththam's at bhAmA mani in madyamAvathi)

These were his big strengths. Along with such accompanists like Palakkad Mani Iyer, Papa Venkatrama Iyer, his concerts would enthrall the rasikas so much that their attention will not be diverted even for a minute.

(conversation veering to Rajamanickam Pillai as the topic is on accompanists)

Rajamanickam Pillai used to play appropriately for all. He could illustrate a ARI shadjam and GNB shadjam. He used to liken a accompanist to a mother - like when a mother doesn't partake in buttermilk when a child suffers from cold. Very closely connected with our family. He used to stay with us whenever he came to town. He used to ask me to sing and accompany me at home. Similar is the case with Mani Iyer (guess she refers to Palakkad Mani Iyer).

(conversation comes to ARI again)
ARi showed a way to structure a concert.

P: In the history of karnataka music, this concert structure was an important milestone. What propelled ARI to establish this structure? It is not known that this structure was there before him, isn't it?

M: I have heard from my father that medium tempo started to get the primacy even during Poochi's time (Ramanadapuram Srinivasa Iyengar), ARI's guru. But one could say ARI expanded it and established it firmly.

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

P: Would it be that as the concerts shifted out of a chamber or a regal court character, supported by the local landlords and wealthy, with only knowledgeable audience and participants to a more mass characteristic?

M: Yeah, one could go by what you say - that ARI adopted his style to attract the masses & the learnt both. He had his own way, inclusive of a wide repertoire that included 'rAttinamE' and 'enRu thaniyum' during the Indian freedom struggle, well before the Tamil Music movement came about. As I mentioned earlier, he is kind of like a departmental store.

GNB had such a great appreciation and admiration for ARI. He would just stand up to show respect even if you just utter ARI's name. We used to ask GNB, 'What is so great about ARI's music?'. He used to get angry and tell us 'You won't understand now. When you are about 40-50, you would understand. You all aren't fit to talk about ARI('s music)'. Once, on a (Muthuswami) Dikshitar Day, GNB played tambura for ARI and sang along, in Academy. And said, 'Only when one sings along with him (ARI), one can come to understand the finer aspects and problems of that style'.

So GNB took ARI's structure and style as the base and then mixed Maharajapuram's (MVI) novelty (guess she is referring to the Hindustani impact) as his own base.

I have listened to MVI's concerts when his voice was in the prime. Incredible voice. The fast sangathi's come out so beautiful in that voice. He comes back to shadjam now and then while singing, landing precisely at shadjam every single time. A voice that pulls the folks in despite being a little lacking in power. Fantastic knowledge of the lakshyA. Doesn't pre-plan his sangathis. Just lets his imagination take the flight and the sangathis comes out just right.

GNB used to work in the radio station. One day there was a MVI concert in the radio station. GNB called me on the phone. I was living near by in Edwards Elliots road. "Come immediately. One doesn't get to hear such a mukhAri now and then". I was preparing for a trip out of town and so couldn't make it and informed him so. "What to do? You aren't fated to listen to this" thus spake he and cut the call.

One more aspect of GNB's music is the imaginative flight aspects of Rajarathnam Pillai (TNR). GNB assimilated ARI's structure, MVI's novelty & TNR's imagination to craft his style. That's my take on GNB's music.

P: Could you elaborate on TNR's imagination?

M: Haven't heard of anyone exploring rAgam as he (TNR) used to do. Doubt if there will be anyone again too. He owned ragams like thOdi, shanmukapriya. He didn't have a wide repertoire of keerthanais. A small anecdote. GNB and TNR were close. Once TNR asked GNB, 'I play ragams. Don't know many keerthanais. And am not much interested in layam. Nowadays, people ask me to play lot of songs. So you would need to teach me few songs'. I was present there when this conversation happened. GNB replied 'There are a lot of us for those items. Leave it to us. You stay there where you are, at the higher plane. Your play is like a permanent record of grandeur'.

So, GNB's style is impacted by these three, ARI, MVI & TNR. I learnt this from GNB.

He used to tell us, "I have few shortcomings too. Don't adopt them from me".

(conversation goes towards what state GNB was in when he would have said so)

People still claim, GNB couldn't even land on shadjam. No one seems to grasp his specialty or strengths. He wasn't into sedate/stately music, is another accusation. He liked sedate/stately music much. He used to say "One shouldn't ornament (oscillate/move) a swaram too much in the name of gamakam.". Lot of criticism when he started srutibhEdam. But "modal shift" is part of the music course syllabus. (Harikesanallur) Muthiah Bhagavathar created valaji out of abhOgi by shifting the tonic to madhyamam.

He used to listen to music broadcast in the mornings from Bombay radio station. One day, hindOl by Roshanara Begam was broadcast. Having listened to that, GNB had told my father, 'This ragam is so beautiful'. My father had a compendium of arohanam and avarohanam for more than 2500 ragams. That compendium is lost now. Having consulted that, my father informed that that ragam is called sunAdavinOdini. We learnt that the panchama-varjya shubapantuvarali ragam that Hindustani musicians sing is called shEkarachandrikA.

That hindOl came out as sunAdavinOdini (again) in Karnataka music. He tuned a song in that ragam and sang it. Having listened to that in a concert in Bangalore, Mysore Vasudevachar created dEvAdi dEva in sunAdavinOdini.

People criticize GNB for having identified new ragams. So then one has to go back to Thyagaraja, who has sung in so many new ragams. If one looks for the ragams in Purandara Dasa period, based on the available notes, only few ragams were in circulation/practice - like dEsya thOdi, thOdi and bhairavi. Many new ragams came out because of/during Thyagaraja's period.

sankark
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Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

P: Since you mention PD, I ask. We have the lyrics. But, how truthful are the tunes that we get for his songs?

M: Few of the tunes are time tested/have continuity. For example, take bhAgyAda lakshmi; one can listen to the womenfolk sing that in homes, in and around Udupi. If you take songs in Kalyani, the tunes won't change much, the same tune would be used again and again. Still, he brought about the standardized exercises saraLi jantai alankAram geetham etc. He was a visionary & laid a new path, in the structure of the songs to be divided into pallavi, anupallavi and charanam.

For other songs, one doesn't need a multitude of tunes for the same song. I had put forth a request recently in Bangalore - for fine tuning & standardizing the tunes for these songs, either a government body or another organization. Hasn't gained traction.

(Comes back to GNB)

GNB used to say of briga 'if a briga is for 4 aksharams, one should scale it appropriately for next speed (8) and the next (16) accurately. If one doesn't have the voice felicity to do so and so shortchanges the duration/aksharam count, better not to sing that brigA at all'. He also used to opine, 'We are ornamenting too much (gamakam). If you ornament a swaram, the next one should be left plain (illustrates thOdi gA ga rI ri). If you ornament gA, then leave ri plain. One should do anything without spoiling the inherent beauty and sing having internalized that. One can't place the nose in the back of the head in the name of innovation. People sing well today. But they should move to the next level to internalize and then sing it with that internalized perspective.'
.
P: Is there a compulsion for them to come onto concert stage soon? To show one up as a 'child-prodigy' is becoming a necessity?

M: There are real child-prodigies amidst us. Ravikiran & Mandolin Srinivas are two. Born geniuses. I would even aver they are the next avataram of GNB or MMI or TNR. Looking at them, lot of copy cat blunders to bring all other kids onto the stage.

As a general rule, vocal (music) is declining. More instrumental musicians are coming up. Someone brings a child @ 10 onto the stage but then at 14 when the voice breaks, they don't know what to do and suffer.

Its a bit better in Hindustani music scene. I was in Calcutta recently. Heard a recording of a Rashid Khan. Was very good. Still his guru said, 'He has to wait (imply more practice and a maturity) to come on to the stage and perform'.

They have created ways and means to preserve each gharanA, in ITC (what is this ITC?). They pay teachers well and along with lodging facilities for the students to stay and learn well. Here we have created enmity amidst the artistes and listener factions. We have a big appreciation of the music of veenai dhanammal. My mother learnt lot of padams and javali's from dhanammal. I prostrate to Brinda whenever I come across her. But those that write for media and those that are near and dear to the artistes, don't think so and so they let the enmity grow amidst the artistes through whispering 'This should not be allowed. This is proscribed. This isn't good. This is defective. etc.'.

Can you box this into some boundaries? Its an art form. Would every painter follow the same style that Ravi Varma adopted. At the same time, I also don't support/condone the attitude of 'What's with the old traditions and mores? What's the purpose? Who is the deciding authority? I will do as I please'. It is but to attain that knowledge that one should learn from a guru.

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

P: Will GNB teach formally?

M: As I mentioned earlier, it all depends on the mood that day. Some days, he will keep quiet the entire day. Sometimes he will notate a keerthanai and give it; and will illustrate once through singing the same. Other than that, we have to correct ourselves based on what we listen to in concerts. At times, I have sung some kritis that I learnt that morning in the evening concerts the same day. He will get cross & say 'Is it good to treat a kriti as a readymade dress, to just put it on? One has to to work so much to polish a kriti'

CK Venkatanarasimman, a close friend and schoolmate of GNB used to help us a lot. He will ask us to come to his house when he gets to know that GNB isn't in the right mood and won't teach that day. PMI and other musicians would have assembled there. So we will practice the entire day in his house - including having all our meals that day there. If GNB also joins there that day, he would talk enthusiastically about music with all else. I have seen GNB and PMI polish songs. GNB used to keep PMI in an exalted place, as PMI was a senior to GNB in music. He would ask for PMI's opinion about the sangati's he can sing in keerthanais.

Many a times it is not formal sit down & instructions; but whatever he illustrates and explains would be such that they can be imbibed well.

(illustrates few flourishes and nuancesi in rAghavA of marugElara O raghavA)

One can't learn this all listening to just recordings.

(Illustrates mAra janakan of mAramanan)

How to combine hard and soft? How to sing open throated? Where to constrict the voice but without too much stress are certain things one can learn in person. We sing with mikes. There are pros and cons to that. Women might need to come close to the mike when singing in lower octave. For few sangathis it would be better to move a little away from the mike but not too far. The sound folks (mikemen & audio technicians) should have knowledge of music. One can't place the mikes helter skelter - then it creates a tension between the main artiste and the accompanists. The listeners are left with headache!

(having realized that the conversation is digressing, she comes back to the main thread)

Got into this because, one should lay a strong foundation through learning from a guru. Beyond that, its all based on one's voice, capability & knowledge. One thing more. We all came via a family tree; we just didn't show up. So its bound to happen that we have the imprint of those. Same with music.

Few critics accept if one stays true to the (implies their favorite) bani. But the same would criticize call us as copycats with no originality. The ragam sounds modern. As if the ragam has been dressed up with suit-coat. Thus write some critics. What is a modern ragam? GNB discovered sivashakthi. He was a Srividya upAsaka. Especially in his last 10 years, his focus was fully on those rituals only. Srichakra has 9 faces, four for Shiva & 5 for sakthi. So shivashakthi had 4 swarams in the arohanam and 5 in the avarohanam. He said I named it thus just so. It was a janya of karaharapriya.

My disciple Sudha sang this in Academy. And for that the critic in The Hindu wrote: "Out came suddenly a modern ragam". What's modern in that? So why not call Thyagaraja, who has sung in ragams that weren't in vogue then, modern? So, whether something is modern or not depends on the person and the lineage. They have got into a mentality - to criticize at the mere mention of GNB.

There is raghuvamsa sudhA in kadanakuthuhalam. GNB chiseled couple of songs to bring out different facets of kadanakuthuhalam.

Sometime ago before GNB passed away, I went to Chengalpattu station to send him off. I recall what he said then. "I have experimented a lot. I have sung lot of rare ragams But the core & specialty lies in abundance in the gana ragams Even though they have been in vogue for years and years and have been explored so much, that's where new ideas and facets gush forth. Think about the effort one needs to put in to take them and make the listener happy, the ragams that have been sung by so many past masters. You are all knowledgeable. Think. Let not imagination run a riot but to leverage it appropriately without spoiling the raga-ness. I have realized on my own experience what our elders held true: the essence of our music is in the gana ragams"

sankark
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Joined: 16 Dec 2008, 09:10

Re: M.L.Vasanthakumari

Post by sankark »

The critics arent aware of all this. They think that GNB damaged the music through novel stuff. I say this to record this. I record this with so much sadness.

One misapprehension about us is "They don't know tradition. They all are constructing ragams and keerthanais on swarams". On the other hand though, it is but true that there were a few that didn't understand this methodology in depth and got onto concert stage half baked and thus contributed to that misapprehension. If one sings a briga sangathi, s r g m p d n s, each of the 8 swaram should be clearly articulated; it can't be approximated or sung with no clarity. To sing with that clarity and wholesomeness is GNB style. There is a recording of thOdi by GNB in his last days. When you listen to that one would understand what I mean. The brigas fall just so in his heavy voice.

There are two ways to sing: perfection & adventure. One would encounter failures and fall short in the path of adventure. Especially in vocal music the chances are high. Its but human voice, isn't it? It takes but a good confluence of the artiste's physical well being, the state of ones voice, their mental state and the assembled audience to ensure that good music comes out at that time. Some days one can't bring out what was conceived. When one gets to execute the conceived idea well, it appears like there is nothing else better. Where you go for perfection, this issue doesn't exist. Its not a lesser path. We aren't against those that go for perfection. One can go for both and both can co-exist.

Few come to concerts to identify faults. Who is blemishless? Thyagaraja says "rAma, you are but a human being. Even the time that vasishta fixed for you coronation went waste!". So when the lord came as a human being, even He had to be faulty!

There is a variety of rasikas too. Despite all the obeisance to devotion and tradition, its true that we sing for livelihood (money). When you have paying rasikas, its the bounden duty of the artiste to sing to their wish. One can sing at their own home happily and in devotion if one doesn't want ot cater to the rasikas needs.

Karaikkudi Sambasiva Iyer used to sing/play only at home. Ask him for a concert and he used to say "I am not fit for that. I will play what I know at home. Come listen to that at my home". Would all be able to follow in his foot steps?

Its not a license to cheat once you ascend the stage. Lets imagine that some body from North India has come to ones performance. Let it be a Hindustani musician. Because of that can one sing a bhajan. Would they sing 'rAmA nI samanAmevaru' if they sing in a concert here? They make fun of such things.

If MS can sing bhajans in a concert, its because she has put in the effort learn it. It fits her voice well. So one can accept that. If everyone tries to copy that, it is neither here nor there and ends in confusion. These confusions should be done away with.

This confusions aren't common in North India. Those that sing ghazal, thumri, kayal, troupe music and folk music keep it separate without any confusion or confounding. In ITC they have given importance to each gharanA and have teachers to preserve each gharAnA for posterity without difference between each. That should come here too. Open minded approach to all styles and to enjoy the good of each style is a must.

GNB was like that. At the same time, once he has decided against something, its impossible to change that. I dind't get graded at the top level in Radio till he was alive. He used to say, "She still needs to mature" and postponed that. I got graded at the top level 2 years after he passed away. I wasn't cross with him because of that. That's what he was.

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