The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Relationship between Tamil, music has long history'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Relationship between Tamil, music has long history'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 21 . With Tamil having been declared a classical language, musicians, composers and organisations, which promote and preserve Tamil music, should launch joint efforts to spread its fame across the world, the Chairman of the 12th Finance Commission, C. Rangarajan, said here today.

Inaugurating the 62nd annual festival of the Tamil Isai Sangam, Chennai, he appealed to people to learn the basics such as `raga' and `taala' of classical music from an early age as music had the power to give mental peace.

The relationship between Tamil and music had an ancient history. The 2500-year old Tamil treatise, `Tholkappiam' dealt with the nuances of music. The language alone had the distinction of having established associations of scholars several thousand years ago. The poems of the `Sangam Age' had rare information on music. Ancient Tamil literature such as `Kalithogai', `Paripadal' and `Kurunthogai' were in musical form. Tamils of that period developed music according to geographical divisions. They used musical instruments, including `yaazh', `kuzhal' and `muzhavu'. Even the Tamil epic, `Silappathikaram' was acclaimed as a treatiseon music, he said.

Though Tamil music passed through a difficult period at some stage, the Nayanmars and the Azhvars infused new life into it through devotional songs. In fact, for these saintly poets, music and God were inseparable, Mr. Rangarajan said. Many followed their tradition.Poets including Subramanya Bharathi and Bharatidasan enriched Tamil music through their contributions.

It was against this backdrop that the Tamil music movement was launched by the late Annamalai Chettiar in 1943. He was supported by stalwarts including Rajaji, T.K. Chidambaranatha Mudaliar, R.K. Shanmugam Chettiar, `Kalki' Krishnamurthy and C.N.Annadurai. The movement had grown from strength to strength since then.

The Sangam's president, P.R.Gokulakrishnan, recalled the role of the organisation in reviving Tamil music. The apprehensions of those who opposed this genre were baseless, he said.

A.R. Lakshmanan, Supreme Court judge,said a branch of the Sangam should be established in New Delhi.

The Sangam's honorary secretary, A.C.Muthiah, recalled the services of Nattuvangam expert, K.J.Sarasa, in training young artistes in her 44-year-old Natya school.

Mr. Rangarajan conferred the Sangam's `Isaiperarignar' award on Ms. Sarasa. Prizes and awards were distributed to winners of competitions conducted by the organisation.

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