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Music & Dance
Worth its weight in Platinum
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Four icons of classical music, who have maintained a high standard of excellence for 75 years, are being honoured by the Music Academy. LAKSHMI VISWANATHAN profiles them.
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D. K. Pattammal
THE MUSIC Academy completes its Platinum Jubilee year with the annual festival scheduled to be inaugurated by the President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The customary honours list this year will be enhanced by the presentation of the Platinum Jubilee medals to four great musicians who have stood the tallest amidst changes in the 20th century. They are Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, M. S. Subbulakshmi, D. K. Pattammal, and Pt. Ravi Shankar. As icons of classical music, they have set the standards of excellence for 75 years, and have enriched our tradition of music each in their individual and inimitable way. While Semmangudi and DKP are respected wherever Carnatic music is heard, MS has earned a wider following with her spiritual songs. Ravi Shankar is a world class musician who has been the greatest cultural ambassador of India. Those who have been lucky to hear the music of these maestros can cherish the experience as the high points of their lives. These great artistes are also extraordinary human beings, whose lives are an inspiration for coming generations. They have been `friends' of the Music Academy, premier institution that has been synonymous with the best in classical music.
Sangita Kalanidhi Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, `Semmangudi Mama' as he is fondly referred to by all his rasikas was born in 1908 in a family of musicians who included the legendary Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer, and learnt from them before undergoing Gurukula training in a formal manner with Umayalpuram Swaminatha Iyer and Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer. He epitomises the rich Thanjavur heritage of music, with all its attendant cultural values and customs. Starting his musical career in 1926, he went from strength to strength using his extraordinary abilities to hold his audience for hours with his repertoire. Recognition came early to him and he used it to set very high standards of classicism for all to follow. A Semmangudi concert always sparkled from the very first Krithi he sang, which set the pace for what followed. Connoisseurs have likened the flying start to the ``Gopura vasal darshanam" of the Adhikara Nandi at the Mylapore Kapaleeswara temple festival. Percussionists and violin accompanists have always revelled in his concerts for he planned a heady mix of ragas, rhythm, and deep Bhava which drew listeners to concentrate and listen to him. Gradually his style of singing came to be identified as the Semmangudi `bani'.
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
His tenure as the Asthana Vidwan and Principal along with Muthiah Bhagavathar in the princley state of Travancore brought about a renaissance in Carnatic music in Kerala, perhaps surpassing the contribution of Vadivelu of the Thanjavur Quartet, who laid the foundation a hundred years earlier.
His career of 75 years has seen him rise to the position of a Pitha Maha (Patriarch), influencing a large number of musicians including an impressive array of his own disciples. Widely revered, his sparkling wit endears him to all. An affectionate family man, who is also deeply religious, he has a phenomenal memory which makes him an engaging conversationalist. For 75 years he has been closely involved with the Music Academy both as singer and in it's functioning, first as vice-president and later as advisor.
Pt. Ravi Shankar
Divinely aesthetic
There is not a single day in the life of the people of South India that goes by without hearing the golden voice of M. S. Subbulakshmi. Either as Gandhi Anjali or as Venkateswara Suprabatham and other devotional hymns, her music has come to define the spiritual aesthetic of our lives.
Born in Madurai in 1916, she first learnt music from her mother Veena Shanmukavadivu, and started her concert career at the age of twelve. At 16, she stormed the bastion of male singers at the Music Academy, and eventually conquered it by becoming the first woman to be honoured with the title Sangita Kalanidhi in 1969. Her concerts have always been events to which people clamoured for seats.
Planning an eclectic variety of compositions, she always soared into a realm beyond the ordinary with her magnificent voice. And when she touched the higher octave in the raga Sankarabharanam she took her audience with her to that peak of experiencing the beauty of a perfect note. Whether it was a Tyagaraja Krithi or a Kavadi Chindu in Tamil, M.S. imbued it with her own originality, making it her song thereafter.
The early fame brought on by the power of Cinema, never diminished once she stopped acting. She has always attracted a huge fan following which includes celebrities in other fields. With painstaking effort she has made a staggering number of recordings that are truly the most precious gifts anyone can make for the continuity of the rich heritage of Carnatic music. Along with her husband the late T. Sadasivam she has been a big philanthropist. Awards and honours have been part of her life, not affecting her innate sense of modesty. Her close association with the Music Academy has been a long one in which the Academy has benefited by her generous fund raising concerts.
M. S. Subbulakshmi
Steeped in classicism
If one were looking for the ideal musician who has never departed from the strictest codes of classical Carnatic music, and yet has reached the hearts of a wide selection of music lovers, then it is D. K. Pattammal. Her music has been a simple and direct address to Devi, the divine soul of music, and her listeners have felt grateful that they can in some way share the resulting blessings.
Born in Kanchipuram in 1919, Pattammal's talent was first nurtured by her father Krishnaswamy Dikshitar. She was the first woman from an orthodox Brahmin family to give public concerts, opening the door for innumerable artistes like her to follow suit. As a young girl she caught the eye of connoisseurs, who offered to teach her the intricacies of Carnatic music.
Her voice became familiar in every household when she sang the patriotic songs of Subramanya Bharati, in films and on records. Coming under the influence of the Naina Pillai style of music, Pattammal became an exponent of the Pallavi. Her remarkable grasp of `laya' and her distinct clarity of tone, combined to make her singing of the great composers, particularly Muthuswamy Dikshitar, essays in deep classicism and Bhava. The formidable mridangam wizard, Palghat Mani Iyer, accompanied her in concerts, acknowledging Pattammal's phenomenal expertise in `laya' (rhythm).
With an unhurried approach to details and nuances, Pattammal's music moved the listeners to a realm of profound introspection and beauty. Whether it is a song on Devi, or a sacred place visited by Dikshitar, Pattammal would bring her original vibrancy to the composition, making it seem so simple, yet full of deep emotion. Pattammal's repertoire is virtually a treasure trove of the greatest compositions in Carnatic music. She has been like a magnificent river, flowing ever, nurturing everything that it touches, and giving new life to those who drank deep in its waters. Among her disciples was her brother Sangita Kalanidhi D. K Jayaraman. The Pattammal style of singing has many followers, and to this day, she teaches with the care and love of a truly generous mother. Her grand daughter Nithyashree is keeping up the family tradition in music.
Pattammal and her husband Sri. Iswaran have been associated for 75 years with the Music Academy, giving the institution their support and guiding it in its musical path.
Global star
Pandit Ravi Shankar is the definition of charisma. A man of extraordinary intelligence and imagination, Raviji, as he is fondly addressed by all, is the most exciting Indian known the world over. He has done more for the image of India globally than anybody else; and that includes statesmen, sportsmen, god-men, and others.
With hard work and perseverance, Ravi Shankar has shone as a star in every worthy concert platform in the world. And this is apart from his appearances in Monterey, Woodstock and other festivals associated with Pop and Jazz music. As a composer he has been respected by great artists like Yehudi Menuhin, Zubin Mehta and others. Honoured by many institutions, Ravi Shankar has received no less than 17 doctorates from international universities.
Ravi Shankar was born in 1920 in Benares as the youngest of four brothers. The oldest, Uday Shankar made him a member of his troupe that performed in Paris when he was a mere child of ten years. Ever since, he has been an international artiste, becoming, in due course, a star. After learning in his early days from Ustad Allaudin Khan, he evolved a style of his own. His music is a combination of skilful virtuosity, and melting melody. He was the first to explore South Indian ragas on the sitar, establishing the oneness of Indian classical music. He was also the first to adopt the ``tani avarthanam" in his concerts, giving the tabla an unprecedented prominence, which it now enjoys in a dazzling manner. He has composed symphonies, played with George Harrison, one of the Beatles, received awards all over the world, written music for movies, won two Grammies for music albums, and also trained an impressive array of disciples.
Ravi Shankar belongs to the world. We are lucky that he is an Indian. He has been a friend of the Music Academy, gracing the annual festivals several times.
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