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
Sandhyavandanam Srinivasa Rao.........(1918-1994) “With the growth of styles and of
personal interpretations, the ideal of pata
integrity has suffered eclipse. This is a major
factor which has contributed to the decline in the
quality of classicism in contemporary cutcheri
music. In this situation, the contribution of the
“impersonal” classicist Srinivasa Rao, who swears
by strict pata discipline assumes extraordinary
merit and significance. He serves heroically by
swimming against the current” - NMN, “The
Hindu” Dt.2-111990.
Sandhyavandanam
Srinivasa Rao's exposition of Classical music is
steeped in the purest tradition. His command over
techniques of Raga Vistara, Svaraprastara, Neraval
and Pallavi singing is highly impressive and indeed
excellent. Doyen of Music was well known for his
purity of Style, Raga Bhava, Patanthara Suddham and
wide repertoire. His expansive raga delineations in
Kalyani, Yadukulakambodi, Bhairavi, Kedargowla,
Sahana and Dwijavanti were not only rich and
scholarly, it won the hearts of Titans in Karnatak
Music. Rao had mellifluous voice and his shruti
suddham was the connoisers delight.
Srinivasa Rao was born on 21-08-1918, at Penukonda,
Anantapur Dt., Andhrapradesh to S.Narayana Rao
(Advocate) and Smt.S.Ganga Bai, both belonging to
Dasakoota parampara . His ancestors were natives of
Srirangapatna, Mysore. Rao did BA and BL and
practiced Law for a brief period. His wife
Smt.S.Saraswathi gave him total support to him to
realize the potential. He has five sons and one
daughter. He attained Lord's feet on 25-01-1994.
Great Maestro's like Dwaram Venkataswamy Nadu,
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyyengar, Musiri Subramani Iyer,
G.N.Balasubramaniam and Semmengudi Srinivasa Iyer
paid encomiums and opined:
• He exhibited rare perseverance
and devotion in learning.
• He is Idealist, who expounds
emphatically and they bear a fine outlook and
musical thinking.
• His repertoire is quite huge.
• One can easily guage great
passion in his music.
• He teaches the students with a
gusto and he endeared himself to the students.
• He is a profound musician of
Karnataka Music, equally at home in the theory as
well as practice of music.
• He is one of the most talented
and extremely well qualified musician in the field
of Karnatak Music.
• He has specialized in
Muthuuswami Dikshitar kritis and his repertoire may
be described as a golden treasury of the great
composers works. His mastery of the compositions of
Haridasas, Thyagaraja, Shyama Sastri, Kshetragna and
Bhadrachala Ramadoss are equally comprehensive and
authentic.
Srinivasa Rao started performing at the age of 12
and has performed for well over six decades, all
over India . A few excerpts of reviews of his
concerts by Subbudu (Indian Express), NMN and RV
(The Hindu), Music critics of Times of India and
Hindusthan Times read :
• To those who complain about the
absence of a second line in Karnatak Music,
Srinivasa Rao, a fitting answer.
• Rao retains his clear vision
relating to what is authentically classical. It is
transperantly classical. Whatever aspects of music
he touches, quality carries the eternal flavor of
carnatic classicism.
• Uncompromising traditionalist
with a clear prescription of classical prescriptive
aesthetics of refined quality that determines the
traditional color of Carnatic music.
• Rao is among the few Karnatak
Musicians who do not sacrifice quality for
quanitity. Without an eye on applause or a desire to
play to the gallery, presents brilliant exposition
of ragas.
• His recital was majestic and
moving, a model of how ragas should be imbibed and
exhibited. He emphasized the simplicity of the
renderings, be it raga or svaram, as the secret of
appeal in Music.
Srinivasa Rao received initial training from Pallavi
Pakka Hanumanthachar, Tirupathi Rangacharyulu,
Chilamathur Ramaiah. He received advance training
from Great Maestros like Tiger Varadachar,
Maharajapuram Viswantha Iyer, Dwaram Venkataswamy
Naidu and Mysore Vasudevachar. Rao also received
special training from T.L.Venkatarama Iyer
(Muthuuswami Dikshitar kritis), C.S.Iyer (Shyama
Shastri kritis), Vijayakrishna (kshetragna padams)
and Tanjore Ponniah Pillai (Pallavi and rare
compositions)
Rao served with distinction, AIR, Madras and
Vijayawada - 1944-1947 and 1954-1964 in various
capacities, including Emiritus Producer. His
introduction of Bhakthi Ranjani programme, became
trail blazer. Trained by him, the Karnataka Vadya
Vrinda programmes playing Trinity compositions,
Thyagaraja's Nowka Charitram and Prhlada Bhakthi
Vijayam music operas, raga darshana and sangita
sikshna programes, were immensely popular. He was
widely acclaimed for his stewardship as Principal of
prestigious institutions like Central College of
Kanatak Music and Teacher's College of Music of
Music Academy, both at Chennai, in the years
1964-1978 and 1978-1980. He was selected for the
most coveted post of National Professor of Karnatak
Music (For the First Time) by the Centre's HRD
Ministry, but due to his sudden demise, the
appointment order had to be cancelled. He served
various governing bodies like Experts committee of
Music Academy, UGC grants committee, Sangeeth Natak
Academy, audition committee of AIR as member and
Chairman. Rao also served as Special Officer, Dasa
Sahitya and Annmacharya Projects of T.T.D. and set
to tune several compositions of rare merit. His
lecture demonstrations on various aspects of
Karnatak Music and it's practice were well received
and acclaimed.
Srinivasa Rao received many honors and titles during
his illustrious career and some of the presitigious
are Sangita Natak Academy award, Sangita Kala
Acharya, Sangita Kala Ratna, Swar Vilas and Doctor
of letters, Honoris cause, Asthana Vidwan of TTD.
Srinivasa Rao had the rare privilege of teaching
special compositions to Great Maestros like
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyyengar, Semmengudi Srinivasa
Iyer, M.S.Subbulakshmi, M.L.Vasanthakumari,
M.Balamuralikrishna, S.Ramanathan, Radha &
Jayalakshmi, Trichur Ramachandran, R.Vedavalli,
Sugandha Kalamegam, Prapancham Sitaram. His
prominent disciples are his Sons and disciples
Madhvamuni Rao and Poornapragna Rao, Smt.Arundhati
Circar and Shashank.
Srinivasa Rao's music was quintessential amalgam of
his various Gurus' rich music and he was hailed as
an institution by himself to uphold the true ideals
and values of Classical Karnatak Music. Indeed, he
was Nada Yogi.
(Information
provided by S.Madhva Muni Rao, Son & Disciple of
SSRao, Bangalore, Mobile: 98453 36203, email:
munirao2001@hotmail.com)
SENGALIPURAM ANANTARAMA DIKSHITAR -
UPANYASAKAR.........(1903-1969)
Anantarama Dikshitar was born on 2nd
July 1903. He was a Srauti scholar and also was a
great exponent of the art of upanyasas on various
subjects in Hinduism. Born in the Thanjavur
district as the first son to Sri Subramanya
Dikshithar, Anantharaman was initiated into the
learning of the Vedas under his father Subramanya
Dikshithar, who was also known as chinna
Muthannaval. His brother of Sengalipuram
Vaidhyanatha Dikshithar was Periya Muthannaval.
Anantharama Dikshithar had his Aksharabyasam from
Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri. Then he further studied
other Shastras and Vedangas from eminent scholars
of repute including Kadalangudi Natesa Sastrigal
who also was his father in law.
Inspired by the pravachans of Guru
Brahmasri Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Anantharama
Dikshitar took up Upanyasa as his career. An
ardent devotee of Sri Guruvayurappan, Sri
Anantharama Dikshitar made a significant
contribution to propagate the Narayaneeyam of
Meppattur Narayana Bhattathiri all over the world.
The available portions of the recordings of His
discourses rendered in public were brought out as
cassettes and CDs as per the gracious directions
of Sri Kanchi Paramacharya. The proceeds are to be
used for Sri Adhishtaanam of Sri Deekshithar who
attained Sidhi on 30-10-1969, after taking Abat
Sanyasa.
(Information
provided by C.R. Kaushik,Texas, USA)
K.M.SOUNDARYAVALLI (July 22, 1914 - October 8, 1994)
K.M.Soundaryavalli, a Tamilian lady, was
the eldest child of Sriman Nadadoor Ammal
Narasimhacharya. She was blessed with the gift of
composing in Tamil as well as in Telugu and
Sanskrit. Her childhood training in music enabled
her to set her own compositions to music with
ease, in chaste Carnatic tradition.
Details
(pdf)
SATTUR A.G.SUBRAMANIAM -
VOCALIST.........(1916-1977)
Born in Angarai, Tiruchirapalli district
of Ganesa Sastrigal and Thailammal, he obtained
his Sangita Bhushanam diploma in 1936 from the
Annamalai University. A.G.Subramaniam had the good
fortune of having distinguished maestri at the
University like Tiruvaiyaru Sabhesa Ayyar and
Thanjavur Ponniah Pillai as his preceptors. He was
well conversant with Sanskrit, Telugu, Hindi and
Tamil and his rendition was rich and soaked in
bhava-rasa. A purist to the last, his raga alapanas
and pallavi elaboration in different ragas
were masterpieces of expertise, lakshana -
lakshya elegance, high level artistic
exuberance of manodharma which endeared
him to the top artistes of his days like Ariyakudi
Ramanuja Ayyangar, Madurai Mani Ayyar and G.N.B.
He was given the privilege of inaugural concert at
Sri Rama Navami Celebrations at Coimbatore
consistently. Fortunately, two gramaphone records
and three cassettes of his rendition have been
retrieved and a beginning to popularise the same
was made with the release of a cassette on August
15, 1995.
Subramaniam was a dedicated guru adored
by his disciples like Sirkali V.R.Subramaniam,
Sirkali R.Jayaraman, Musiri Rangarajan, Tiruchi
N.Natarajan, Sulochana Pattabhiraman, Sitamani
Srinivasan and a host of others including his
musical daughters. His disciples celebrated his
Eightieth Jayanti on the Independence Day, 1995
with rare devotion and dedication. Subramaniam had
an enjoyable voice and his music was orthodox with
laya and sruti suddham. A devoted
guru, a gentleman and a good musician, he was
lovable. He came of a religious family and was
capable of nothing but heed to the Divine Call.
SULAMANGALAM (JAYALAKSHMI,
RAJALAKSHMI) SISTERS - VOCALIST
DUO...............(b.April 24, 1937 ; b.
November 6, 1940 - 192)
Born in Sulamangalam near Tanjore - a
village with musical heritage, of Karnam Ramaswmai
Ayyar & Janaki Ammal, the sisters had their
training in music from K.G.Murthi of Sulamangalam,
Pathamadai S.Krishnan, Mayavaram Venugopalayyar.
The duo-sisters were very popular for their
inimitable rendition - particularly of national
and devotional songs. They had a hectic practice
for about three decades and were much sought after
for providing background music in films. Their Kandar
Shashti Kavacham disk is very popular.
Honours & Titles:
Muruga Ganamrtha, Kuyil Isai Thilakam,
Isaiarasi, Nadakanal and Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai
Nataka Mandram's Kalaimamani in 1992.
