Profiles of Artistes, Composers, Musicologists
Unless otherwise specified, the profiles in this section are
from
The Garland, Another Garland, Yet Another Garland and The
Fragrant Garland by Mr.N.Rajagopalan
M.CHANDRASEKARAN
- VIOLINIST.............(b.1937)
Charubala
Mohan found that her darling child had lost his sight while yet a baby.
And soon, she lost her husband too. Fortunately her musical training as
a student of Sangita Kalanidhi T.K.Jayarama Ayyar and the musical aptitude
of the child indicated the direction in which she should mould the future
of her son M.Chandrasekharan. And she did it with satisfying results. For
M.Chandrasekharan, she has been not only a mere mother, but was his Guru
and God. And the mention of her name brings tears of remembrance and loving
gratitude in his eyes.
Born
on December 11, 1937 at Calcutta of Mohan, Manager J.K.Cotton Mills, Kanpur
and Charubala, Chandrasekharan lost his eye-sight by the age of two. He
learnt music under his mother and later under Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavathar
and Kumbakonam Viswanathan; Jayammal taught him padams, etc. Vidyala Narasimhalu
Naidu also had him as his disciple. Chandrasekharan soon became an accomplished
violinist (and a vocalist) and made his debut in 1949 at the most befitting
venue of Thyagaraja Vidwat Samajam. In 1950, he won the prize for the best
violinist from the Music Academy, Chennai. He soon blossomed into one of
the prominent and top-ranking violinists of the day and he is kept busy
by admiring music lovers all over India during the last three decades.
M.Chandrasekharan
is an excellent accompanist eagerly sought after by vocalists as his play
blends with theirs like a flower and its fragrance and flows in rich unison.
He gives solos with his daughter, Bahraini Gopalakrishnan to second and
has won laurels. He had accompanied the top cream of Carnation music like
Maharajapuram Viswanatha Era, G.N.Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Ayyar &
practically all the present senior vidwans. His voco-violin concerts are
popular. He is free from eccentricity and is an artiste popular with colleagues
and the audience.
Recognition
and honours were prompt and copious :
Vadhya
Ratnakara - Vasar College, USA 1975
Ezhilisai
Vallal - Krishna Shaitanya Math 1979
Sangita
Choodamani - Krishna Gana Sabha 1981
Nadhasurarnava
- Bala Murali Krishna
Sangeetha
Mani - Ambattur Mouna Swamigal
Thanthri
Vilas - Sangeeth Peet
Kalaimamani
- Tamilnadu Eyal isai Nataka Mandram, Chennai
Sangeetha
Natak Academy Award 1986
Vocational
Services Award - Rotary Club, Chennai
Suswara
Sukha Laya Sangeetha - Sri Purandaradasa Thyagabrahma Mahotsavam 1987
Award
by the Hindu Temple Society of India 1984
Honoured
by Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha 1989
SALEM
D.CHELLAM AYYANGAR - VOCALIST.............(b.January 15, 1929)
G.Duraiswamy
Ayyangar had the distinction of undergoing gurukulavasa for such a long
period of twenty-two years under the distinguished Poochi Srinivasa Ayyangar
that he was the natural preceptor to his son, Chellam Ayyangar. At the
age of ten, Chellam Ayyangar made his debut at the Tyagaraja Aradhana at
Salem starting a five-decade long musical career. Since 1940, he had given
over 250 concerts on the All India Radio alone and since 1943 has been
participating in the programmes of Music Academy, Indian Fine Arts Society,
etc., with the accompaniment of reputed supporting artistes. His dedicated
and traditional concerts are well received.
Titles
received :
Gana
Bhaskara from Bangalore Baktha Jana Sabha
Kandar
Anubhuti Sikhamani from Bhavani Tirumurai kazhagam in 1966
Narada
Gana by Venkataramana Bhagavatha Mahotsava Sabha, Salem in 1969
Award
from the Music Academy, Madras in 1975.
NOOKALA
CHINNA SATHYANARAYANA - VOCALIST
Vocalist,
violinist and musical discourse performer, Chinna Sathyanarayana studied
under Kamalapati Akkaji Rao, Mangalampatti Pattabhiramayya, Dwaram Venkataswamy
Naidu, Narasinga Rao and Dr. S.Pinakapani. Was the principal of a music
college and giving concerts. Teaching is his favourite field of activity..
Title
:
'
'Sangita Kalasagara' by Visakhapattinam Music Academy in 1986
Sangeet
Natak Academy Award in 1988.
Padma Bhushan in 2010 nookala.com
Dr.
CHITTI BABU - VEENA ARTISTE.............(b.October 13, 1936)
Chitti
Babu was giving a veena concert at the Palace before the Royal Connoisseur,
Jeya Chamaraja Wodeyar of Mysore in 1967. The virtuosity and excellence
of his play was so enthralling that the reaction of the Maharajah was spontaneous.
His hands imperceptibly removed the Golden Pendant from his neck, while
he proclaimed
'We
have been waiting to give this pendant, and the title 'Vainika Sikhamani'
which was given to Sri Veena Seshanna a hundred years back to some renowned
Vainika who reminds us of the Great Vainika and that Day has come now'.
The
illustrious royal patron and man of letters honoured Chitti Babu with the
pendant and the title. A gifted artiste, Chitti Babu coaxes out of veena
'the esoteric secrets of sound that it treasures in the depths of its soul'.
He is noted for sweet, pleasing rendering rich with intricate and subtle
turns, graces and embodiments. He is highly popular and his concerts are
noted for dignified play on the celestial instrument.
The
only child of Challapally Ranga Rao and Sundaramma of Kakinada, he was
a child prodigy. Made his debut at the age of twelve. He had his initial
training under Appalachariar for three years and then under the distinguished
Emani Sankara Sastri. He had been giving hundreds of concerts on the All
India Radio including National programmes, Television, Sabhas and elsewhere
in India and abroad. His 'koel' song is a remarkable piece. A film called
'Kalai Koil' has come out based on his veena play.
Honours
& Titles :
'
Vainika Saarvabhouma - H.H. Sri Sankaracharya in 1964
Vainika
Sikhamani - Maharajah of Mysore in 1967
Veena
Gana Praveena - Cultural Associations in 1967
Asthana
Vidwan - Tirumalai Tirupathi Devasthanams in 1972
Kalaimamani
- Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram in 1972-73
Vainika
Kula Alankara - Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar in 1974
Gandharva
Kala Nidhi - Vijaya Sankara Kala Bharathi in 1975
Gana
Kala Bharathi - Visakapattinam Gana Sabha in 1976
Vaineeka
Samrat - Poughbeepsie, USA & Indian Cultural Association in 1976
Tantri
Vilas - Sangeet Peeth, Mumbai in 1979
State
Artiste - Appointed by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu in 1981
Veenai
Isai Vendan - Semmangudi Srinivasa Ayyar veenachittibabu.org
MYSORE
T. CHOWDIAH - A Violin Virtuoso.............(1895 - 1967)
"It
is a feature of a violinist's career to burst abruptly into view", Menuhin
has said. This is very true of ace violinist, Shri T.Chowdiah. His studies
were stopped in boyhood to enable him to concentrate on music, in which
his mother imparted early lessons. His uncle then took him to learn music
under the veteran musician, Sri Bidaram Krishnappa of Mysore. Their association
lasted fro about 20 years, during which Chowdiah progressed from discipleship
to accompanist. Sri Chowdiah was a very painstaking sishya and mastered
on the violin, ragas, kritis, swaras, etc. When he made mistakes, his guru
used to chastise him & all this rigorous training enabled Chowdiah
to become a mature and full-fledged violinist.
In
the second and third decades of this century, Chowdiah came to notice the
lowering of Adhara Shruti by vocalists. Amplification was not known then.
The accompanist was therefore at a disadvantage, as his violin sound did
not carry well and far enough to the audience. This set Chowdiah's active
mind working on a method of rectifying the handicap. With the aid of a
craftsman, he was able to fashion a seven-stringed violin, the sounds from
which were agreeable and voluminous. Mysore Asthana vidwan Seshanna is
reported to have been greatly impressed by it. Handling such a complex
stringed instrument, however, needed skill to tailor it to Carnatic music.
Chowdiah showed the way, which was later followed by his disciples C.R.Mani,
the late Sethuramaiah and others.
Chowdiah
was a powerful and popular violinist for many decades. He was called upon
to accompany veterans like Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Ariyakudi Ramanuja
Iyengar, Alathur Brothers, G.N.B, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa
Iyer and Madurai Mani Iyer. Percussionists like Dakshinamoorthy, Palghat
Mani Iyer, Palani Subramanya Pillai were fellow-accompanists to him in
dozens of concerts. Sri Chowdiah became Mysore Asthana Vidwan in 1939.
The Music Academy, Chennai conferred the title of 'Sangitha Kalanidhi'
in 1957 on him. He was also known to give solo violin concerts along with
Gururajappa, C.R.Mani, Mysore Doraiswamy Iyengar, etc. His wide ranging
accomplishments included his own inspired compositions like kritis, thillanas,
etc.
Honours
& Titles :
'
Made Asthana Vidwan in Mysore Court in 1939
'Sangita
Ratna' by the Maharaja of Mysore in 1940
Presidential
Award in 1956
Nominated
to the Mysore Legislative Council in 1957-58
'Sangita
Kalanidhi' by the Music Academy, Chennai on January 1, on his birthday
in 1958. Title of 'Gana Kala Sindhu' conferred
'Sangita
Ratnakara' by Sri Sankaracharya of Sringeri Math in 1960
