Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

MUSIC

KARNATIC VOCALISTS visited the US for the first time in 1966 on an invitation by U. Thant to give a special concert for the UN General Assembly on UN Day, the magnifi- cence of her music enraptured the assembled digni- taries. In 1940 she married T. Sadasivam who became a great strength and main force in shaping her life and career. The meeting with Gandhi was another important event. She was the first woman to preside over the Music Academy Conference, Madras, 1967. She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Karnatak Vocal Music. In 1956, she was awarded D.Litt. from Rabindra Bharati University. In 1967, she received the title of Sangeeta Kalanidhi from the Music Academy, Madras, in 1968, title of Isai Perarignar from Tamil Isai Sangam, in 1970, Doctor of Letters from Sri Venkateswara University, and in 1971 D.Litt. from Delhi University. In 1974 she became the first Indian musician to be given the Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service. She was also the first musician to get the Padma Bhushan in 1954 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1975 and received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in Oct 1990. She commands the same degree of popularity in the North, East and West as she does in the South. Her golden voice has mesmerized audiences every- where by the virtuosity in singing and the depth of feeling which comes through.

M. S. Subbulakshmi has acted in tour films "Seva Sadanam ", "Sakunthalai", "Savitri" and "Meera”. "Sakunthalai" and "Meera" are hailed as classics of Indian cinema. MIRACLE INDIAN MUSIC (this is how the San Fransisco Chronicle titled the report of its critic): “Mrs. Subbulakshmi brought her ensemble to the San Francisco Museum of Art to present a series of miracles. Elaborate vqcal filigree, some- times sung in unison of octaves with her daughter Radha Viswanatha were unbelievable in their poised ease and constancy of flow. Indian music relies on poetry (words) and reiteration. She sings with a reedy yet dark voice and the most extraordinary flexibility. Like sleight of hand, she throws out embellishments almost too fast to hear. Some of these approach electronic music velocity." “Vocal flexibility offers many things tuned instruments cannot. So one heard some very un- usual individual notes along the way. The scale of the Varali raga for example contains a true double E flat. On our instruments this would just be another fancy name for D. But singing the real thing, Mrs. Subbulakshmi got a pitch down in the crack between D and E flat on the piano. Contrasted with the more normal pitch levels, it made for a wonderful tense sound that enlivened the entire work.”

Madurai Shanmugavadivu Subbulakshmi was born on Sept. 16, 1916. Her mother Shanmugavad- ivu was a famous classical musician and a brilliant exponent of the Veena. Young Subbulakshmi learnt her early lessons under her mother and became an excellent Veena player. As she was gifted with a melodious voice, her mother decided to train her as a vocalist. Very soon, M. S. Subbulakshmi sang at the veena concerts of her mother and began to build a reputation for herself. In 1932 she began cutting discs of her songs like "Maragathamam”. "Senthoor Velandi" and "Anbara Chidambaram Kanden". She is known for her devotional songs, especially Meera Bhajans. She gave concerts in the Edinburgh Festival, 1963 and UN, New York, 1966. When Subbulakshmi

Eminent Vocalists Iyer (L), Mysore K. Vasudevacharya, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Gudalur N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, Mudikondan C. Venkatarama Iyer, D.K.Pattammal (L), B. Devendrappa,Chittoor S. Subramanyam, T.Brinda(L),M.R. Srirengam Iyengar,C. Venkata Rao, Alathur S. Srinivasa Iyer, Dandapani Desigar, M.L. Vasanthakumari, N.Channakeshaviah, T. Mukta (L),B.S. RajaIyengar, M.D.Ramanathan, M. Balamurali Krishna (L), K.V. Sripada Pinakapani(L),Madurai S. Somasundaram, SeerkhazahiS. Govindarajan, Radhaand Jayalakshmi (L), T.M. Thiagarajan (L), D.K. Jayaraman, Maharajapuram V. Santhanam, Voleti Venkateswarlu, :AriyakudiRamanuja Iyengar,Semmangudi R. Srinivasa

Naray

Puthukode Krishnamurti, B. Rajam Iyer (L.), Nedunuri Krishna Murthy (L.), Madurai N. Krishnan (L.), Mani Krishnaswami (L.), Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana (L.), Titte Krishna Iyen- gar (L.), T.V. Sankaranaryanan (L.), S. Rajam (L.), K.R.Kumaraswamy Iyer (L.), Trichy Swaminatha Iyer (L.) * (L) Living

Thyagaraja Aradhana - Thiruvaiyur

R.K. Srikantan Carnatic Music vocalist

(Right to Left) 1. Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer 2. Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar 3. Palghat Mani Iyer - Mridangam 4. Palladam Sanjeeva Rao - Flute 5. H. Ramachandra Shastri - Flute