Musicians,events,anecdotes and tid-bits

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(This interview with Dr. Balamurali was done in 2003.)

Padmavibhushan Dr. Balamuralikrishna needs no introduction. This legendary musician’s greatest asset is his vibrant magnetic voice over which he has tremendous control in all the three octaves. The maestro was in the city to release a music album on Swati Tirunal kritis by his disciple Rama Varma.
BORN to Pattabhiramayya and Surykanthamma, in Andrapradesh Balamurali made his debut concert at the age of eight and was conferred the title of Ganasudhakara when he was 11.

This multifaceted plays violin, viola, ghatam, ghatam , ganjira, veena and mrudangam with ease. Also a prolific composer, he has composed songs in all the 72 melakartha ragas. He has enriched the repertoire of carnatic music with varnams, krithis, tillanas and javalis.

Mahati, sumukham, Thrisakti, Rohini, Vallabhi, Lavanki are a few of the ragas, which he has created.

He is one of the towering figures, in contemporary carnatic music. He is not only one of the most admired interpreters of the carnatic classics but also a respected composer in the traditional form.
“I never sing. It is music that sings.” HE SAID. “Your voice is young, sweet soothing and tranquilizing even at this age. What is the secret?”
He laughed. “I take everything-like oily food, and ice-creams. Nature will take care of my voice. If anything happens to it I would stop singing at once” he was serious.

HIS ALAPANA HAS MAGNETIC CHARM. He speaks the language of the music. His unpredictable swara combination that flowed with impressive ease has mesmerized the audience all over the world. He has proved his talent as a ply back singer, music director, and actor in several languages. “I never work for it. It comes naturally. There is no definition for classical music. Anything that lingers in your mind is a classic” he opines.
(Chandrababu Naidu had created a ministry for music and Balamurali was appointed as the minister for music with cabinet rank.)
“Classical music is a vast ocean. The more you know and then you know how much less you know. Today singing cannot guarantee a happy living. So the musicians’ concentration gets diverted. I am very proud of my disciple Rama Varma. He is highly dedicated, and capable of contributing something solid for music. It is assured” he said.
Regarding bouquets and brickbats, he said he would take both with equal spirit.
He has popularized maximum number of Tygaraja’s compositions and has accompanied GNB, Ariyakudi, Chebai on viola. His compositions are a blend of poetry with music. The VARIOUS EXPRESSIONS OF HUMAN EMOTION and different phases of devotion, abound in his works.
The unassuming singer keeps his audience spell bound for hours. When he sings he take us to another world. It is this versatility that made him popular. He is the only the musician who has won all the three national awards, namely, outstanding classical musician, the best music director and popular play back singer.
All awards including Padmavibhushan have come naturally and these have only prompted him, to better his performance and encourage him to excel.

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THAMARAIKKUDI RAJASEKHARAN: (MORSING ARTISTE)
Is morsing one of the upatahala vaadyas on the verge of extinction?
According to Thamaraikudi Rajasekharan one of the senior artiste “It is on the path of revival.”
My father Thamaraikkudi Raghavan Pillai was an ottam thullal and kakkarissi natakam artiste. He learnt mrudangam, and vocal music from Puthoor Raghavadas, Manakkala Gopalan, and Pattazhi Tyagarajan. After completing his course from Swati Tirunal Music Academy he happened to meet T P Venkitachalam Iyer a popular morsing artiste of yester generation.
“He is the one who trained me. Being a mrudangam artiste I could learn it easily” he said. He beautifully palys the four inch long instrument by holding its edges between his teeth and plucking the protruding metal piece with the index finger of the right hand.
“It is difficult adjust the sruthi. But by applying the a little bee wax, it can be achieved” he revealed. This is the cheapest but riskiest instrument. It costs just Rs. 100/. The chance of getting the tongue in between the sharp edges while controlling breath is the hazard, he explained.

He has accompanied popular tala vadya vidwans like T K Murthi, Mavelikkara Velukkutti Nair, Mavelikkara Krishnankutti Nair and Guruvayoor Dorai. He has accompanied Sasang and U Srenivas.
“Foreigners watch me perform the morsing with awe, recalled Rajasekharan. Its position is after mrudangam, ghatam and ganjira. A few mrudangam artistes behave indifferently when the morsing gets applause. Many even had the audacity to remove the mike while thaniavarthanam was progressing. The ego is unbearable” he remarked.
What happened then?
“I performed unmindfully and received more lingering applause.”

He had participated in a fusion concert of rhythm at Paris.

Rajasekharan has been teaching music at Kodiyathoor PTM High School for the past 25 years.

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Child prodigies are rare in music but even rarer is the instance of a child prodigy developing into a consummate musician. Ravi Kiran is one such musician whose efforts to popularize chitraveena (also known as Gottuvadyam) to unimaginable heights exploring all its possibilities is worth mentioning.

THE instrument to the layman the gottuvadyam appears as a strange hybrid, between the veena the sarod and sitar. This instrument has been sidelined so far has more takers these days. Chithraveena Ravikiran as he is popularly was born on February 12, 1967 as the grandson of Narayana Iyengar one of the pioneering exponents of Carnatic music on Gottuvadyam. When he was three months his father saw him responding to music. At the age of 2 ½, Ravikiran could identify many ragas. At five he gave his first vocal concert.
His father Narasimhan himself a musician was instrumental in channeling the talent in the right direction. He started teaching his son music at a very early age and the intricacies of gottuvadyam later.
This instrument has references in Natyasastra. It is fretless. This fretless nature of the vadyam and gliding nature of the gottu, help to produce a rich melodious and continues flow of sound in close approximation to the human voice.
The playing strings are contacted through intervening object of mechanism. Slider as it is known is glided over the strings it is provided with sympathetic strings with facilities for the accurate adjustment of the sruthi. Normally the slide is made up on black wood or buffalo horn. Ravikiran uses Teflon. Wood for the bowl and the dandi is taken from the same tree to ensure uniform responsiveness over the whole compass of the instrument. As the strings are not pulled aside like veena for grace notes, the strings are kept in full tension.
“There is a general belief that, it is tough to master has prevented many from learning this instrument. There is an upward trend today” feels Ravikiran. There have been very few exponents of this rare instrument namely-Sakharama Rao who devised this, Narayana Iyerngar, and Budalar Krishnamurthi sastri.

They represent two different schools. I have imbibed the best them. I have composed nearly 500 songs and has developed new scales like kesavapriya, mohini, sivamohini, and snehapriya.
How do you practice?
“I accompany the recorded music of Ariyakkudi, GNB, Alathur Brothers, MDR and Semmangudi. He played this instrument for 24 hours continuously in 1985. Sruthi suddam, swara suddam, sahitya suddam, raga chaya, kalapramanam, padanthara suddam, and manodharmam are the essential qualities that a musician should adhere to. He should primarily be a good listener” he concluded.

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LECTURER’S TRYST WITH TABLA: _

Thak dhin dhin thak thaa dhin dhin…..The reverberation of the Tabla beats ascended to a crescendo and gradually faded. A momentary pause, and continued.
Tread along the narrow alley behind Parthas, pleasant beats of Tabla beats greet yours ears, as Prof. Manohar Keskar, dexterous fingers against the black surface of Tabla in swift rhythm.
For the Thiruvananthapuram audience his name may ring a bell for he has accompanied many Hindustani musicians on Tabla.
Parents of this lecturer turned tabla-palyer Narasimha Gopala Keskar and Prabhavati, were trained musicians. Their songs were recorded way back in the 1930s by the HMV. “My father was a police prosecutor. He initiated into music, when I was a boy. I had accompanied my sister on Tabla many times but never took it seriously said Keskar. He joined Chetana College of Commerce at Babdra as an English Lecturer. Later I left for Tanzania. I was a part of a circle of Indian musicians. Circumstances forced us to settle in this city, where my wife Gayathiri had her roots.
The family earned a living by teaching English, and we reserved the week ends for music. The couples are currently engaged in translating Thirukkural in Marathi.
“In fact Devarajan master, popular composer (FILM MUSIC), INVITED ME. I WORKED with him for a brief period” he said. So far he has trained 300 students. He is in charge of Kerala and Tamil NADU branches of “AKIL BHARATIYA GANDARVA VIDYALAYA” established by Vishnu Digambar Puluskar in 1901 at Lahore.

They conduct seven years course in music and dance and have 900 branches all over India.

“When I came to this place very few people could appreciate Hindustani music. Now we have more opportunities to listen to Hindustani music. Many approach us to learn this” informed Keskar the founder of Tanzen Sur Sangam. Regarding the instrument, he said-“we have no expert Tabla makers here. The thickness of choru composition of the powder and its method of application is different from mrudnagam and it is a trade secret.”
Keskar bestowed the popularity of tabla it enjoys today to Alla Rakka. With Pandit Ravi Sankar they have taken the world by storm.
Hinduatani music should be accompanied by Tabla. It is tremendously adapted to join any instrument adapted to join any instrument enhancing the beauty of the orchestra even in the west” said Keskar who has accompanied luminaries like Neela Bhagavath, Alka Dev Marulkar, and Pandit Vinayak Torvi.
Keskar’s beats are uninhibited, flexible, and would suit even to contemporary jazz. It is so individualistic, and different that the beats thak, dhin, dhin, thak, tha dhin dhin..keep ringing in our mind even after hours of hearing him.

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The music lovers in the city got a golden opportunity recently to listen to the vocal concert of Mavelikkara Velukkutti Nnair-ace mrudangist. Be it vocal or mrudangam he clothes the swaras in his own way. Velukkuti Nair was accompanied by Umayalpuram Sivaraman on mrudangam. His crystal enunciation of the sahitya, unpredictable swara combination which flowed with impressive ease and Umayalpuram’s rhythm mesmerized the audience.
Born into a family of musicians Velukkutti Nair does not remember when it all started. My father Muthukulam s kumarapillai was a mrudangam player.
At the age of nine, I could accompany musicians, with perfection, though I was unaware of the technicalities-he says.
I started learning vocal music under Kannanmangalam Velu Panicker. At 11, I accompanied Mavelikkara Veeramani Iyer-a great musician of that time and that was my arangetram-remembers Velukkutti NAIR.
He had the opportunity to accompany Sebastian kunjukunju Bhagavathar, Vakkam Vasudevan and Malabar Gopalakrishnan. He had his advanced training in mrudangam from none other than Palakkad Mani Iyer.

“Mani Iyer insisted to remove the mike while performing thani avarthanam” remembers Velukkutti Nair. “But with Yehudi Menuhin, he had performed with mike” he quickly added.
Today organizers are keen to bring top artistes for the show. But they are not at all bothered to provide the best sound system. Hence the essential and distinct features of music like delicacy, subtlety, the fine waves and trills were badly affected-he said.
“Once I had the opportunity to accompany Alathur Brothers and that was the turning point in my life” he said and continued, “Semmangudi Srenivasa Iyer was then the Principal of Swati Tirunal music Academy. He appointed me as the head of the department. He encouraged me a lot.” He has accompanied all great masters like Chemabi Vaidyanatha IYER, Semmangudi, GNB, KS Narayanaswami, KVN, MLV, DR. Balmuralikrishna and Yesudas.

The knowledge of vocal music is a must for any instrumentalist. But very few performs both. I think it is better to stick on to one and excel.

He has a list of disciples like Parassala Ravi Trivandrum Surendran, T V Vasan, B Harikumar and R. vaidyanathan. “The blessings of my guru, the recognition, and the encouragement given by the music made me what I am today” he said with gratitude. He has received many awards and accolades, including the Kerala SANGEETHA Nataka Academy.

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MAHA VAIDYANATHA IYER

(1844 TO 1893)

Born in 1844 at Vaiyacheri near Thanjavoor, he had his training in music under Anayya and Manambuchavadi Venkita subramania Iyer, a disciple of Tyagaraja.

Panchanada Iyer his father once happened to sing in the street of Thiruvaiyar. Tyagaraja happened to hear him. He blessed him by saying that his tow sons bring laurels.
Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer (MVI) and Ramaswami Sivan were born to him.

Qualities of MVI’S VOICE:_
Rich in harmonics, wide compass in three and half octaves (compass of veena), the ability to sing all the six degrees of speed, and hence his music was called Gandhrva ganam.

Voice Care: it is said that he seldom talked. He adhered to a restricted diet and abhorred all pungent varieties. On the days of oil bath he did not sang.

Royal felicitation: The Maharaja of Pudukkottai, invited the brothers. He was impressed by their rich voice. He had them seated in the royal carriage and had them in procession.


The title: The title of MAHA was conferred in 1856 at the age of 12 by Subramania Desikar.

SCHOLAR: - He was well versed in Tamil and Sanksrit. He was a great composer and Karikatha performer.

Concert: He was asked to sing Vatapi Ganapathim thrice in a concert. H eonce expounded a pallavi in SIMHANANDANA TALA-the longest of the 108 talas.

The 72 mela raga malika the pride of carnatic music, and the longest composition ranking along with Ramaswami Deekshithar’s master piece, the 108 raga tala malika was composed by him. This composition is his magnum opus.

This is a little bit of information I have gathered. Dear readers, please add on whatever info you have on this great singer.

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Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavathar:_
(1847 to 1903)
Harikatha:-

Born in 1847, Krishnan had acquired proficiency in palying violin, swarbat and mrudangam. He had his advanced training in music from Tillaisthanam Rama Iyengar one of the disciples of Tyagaraja.

His Kalshepa was replete with bhava and rasa. The audience felt that the incidents happened live before them. He even incorporated dance in his performance. The cymbals and the ankle bells mingled with his golden voice provided great enjoyment. He performed regularly at Ayyaval ulsavam ay Thiruvisanalloor. He learned Nandanar charitham from its author Gopala krishana Bharathi and staged kalakshepam on it. “The story has assumed a special charm in your hands. You have given a fresh breath to my humble work” said Gopalakrishna Bharathi a true encomium indeed.

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TIRUKKODIKKAVIL KRISHNA IYER:-
(1857-1913)

Born in the village Marattuturai in Thanjavoor, his ancestors were greatly acquainted with music.
His father Kuppuswamy Bhagavathar was an excellent harikatha performer. Krishnan had his initial lessons in music from his father, then under Kottavasa venkitaramam Iyer. His father took him to Panchanada Iyer for violin lessons.

HE PRACTICED THE SARALI AND VARNAS EVERY DAY, BESIDES THE SWARA EXCERCISES IN FOUR STAHYIS. He had accompanied Mahavaidyanatha iyer, Pattinam subramanya iyer and Sarabha sastrigal.

He was at his best in solo. Once he played alapana and pallavi in Saveri for four hours. His fingers reproduced all the thoughts that generated with in.
An anecdote:


Kishna iyer was accompanying sarabha sastri. In the course of kalyani raga alapana prati madhayma (f sharp) was taken as the amsa swara. They performed with enthusiasm. Sastri remarked thus, “The region of prati madhyama is entirely yours” He had to exert himself to level the torrential music of the accompanist.

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She is the first performing artiste from the family. Geetha Krishna murthy lecturer at Ethiraj College Chennai and wife of the chief election commissioner Krishanmurthi, gave a three hour long veena concert at the chembai trust.
Chitti babu veena maestro was our family friend. I learnt veena out of his compulsion only said Geetha. He taught right from the basics, and she had her debut concert in 1987.
“My husband deeply interested in classical music. He encourages me a lot. I practice two hours at dawn and four in the evening. I am not a purist to the core who zealously guards the precious tradition. We are exposed to different schools and hence there is merging of styles. I do respect tradition and at the same I am open to new innovations” she said. Like her mentor she is capable of producing long unbroken melodic phrases. Her rendition of Sankarabharanam was marked by strong gamakas, that brought out the essence of the raga, without compromising on melody. Javeli in Bharavi and the lilting tillana in Dhansree were distinctly melodious.
Geetha is now undergoing training under Nedunury Krishnamurthy, and D Seshachary. She has made some modifications in the instrument. “The six inch long tuning knobs which were susceptible to any weather change always create problems. So I have replaced them with tiny screws to ensure precise tuning” she said. (DECEMBER 2004 INDIAN EXPRESS)

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swati puraskaram is conferred to the popular mrudangist Umayalpuram Sivaraman. The award consists of rs. one lakh and a citation and a momento