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KARAIKUDI MANI - MRIDANGIST At school, he won prizes for singing and later won prizes for expert play on the mridangam in contest held by the All India Radio. Noticing his special aptitude for laya, his father, a teacher placed him under R.K.Ranganathan, tutor in mridangam in the school run by Karaikudi Muthu Ayyar. Later, he had his tutelage with Muthu Ayyar himself. He had ample scope to improve his expertise when he joined the Ganesh Vidyalaya run by Harihara Sharma. A top ranking
mridangist, he has pleasing play, rich artistry, virtuous and innovative
styles, clarity and appealing rhythm. Connected with 'Sruti Laya Seva',
Chennai, he is training a large number in advanced courses.
He had his
earlier lessons in music from his mother, Sampoornam Ammal and then under
Babu Ayyangar and Dr.P.C.Sitarama Ayyar. He had worked as Assistant Director
with M.S.Viswanathan for seven years for films and this has equipped him
with a large repertoire of classical music in films and his demonstration
concerts draw enormous crowds. His classical music is rich with raga, kriti
and swara exposition in the highest traditions.
'Laya', says R.Rangaramanuja Ayyangar, 'is a comprehensive term embracing a keen sense of rhythm, tempo, arithmetical precision, etc. A firm grip over laya is indispensable for the central, leading figure in a concert ensemble.' 'Laya' (predominance) imparted considerable tension to the atmosphere and the audience was breathless with excitement'. Manpoonida Pillai and his associates gave emphasis - perhaps natural for percussionists - to predominance of Laya at concerts and prominent vocalists became votaries to that style. Dr.U.Ve.Swaminatha
Ayyar mentions about Kanjira Krishnamachariar and Tiruvidaimarudur Kanjira
Radhakrishna Ayyar who belonged to a generation earlier tp that of Manpoondia
Pillai, whom he describes as 'competent to play for any vidwan'.
This shows that kanjira was in use earlier too..
Ethai kandu
ichai kondal - Kalyani
Excellently
conceived, highly innovative and suggestive, his songs present rich scope
for imaginative dance presentation and hence few abhinaya recitals happen
to omit his pieces. There is no regimentation of words or artificiality
in composing as seen in most of the modern compositions built up brick
by brick, the artificial nature of which stands exposed. Marimutha
Pillai's devotional compositions started when he was ordained to compose
a 'Prabhandam' in praise of God to get back his first son who had renounced
worldly life and left. 'Puliyur Venngaba' was the result and Pillai
was blessed with the return of his son. He had spent his life in
pursuit of the Lord through his compositions of undying and unfading appeal
and beauty.
Vaidyanatha Ayyar, fondly called Vaithianna, took Murthy to Tanjore, where Palghat Mani Ayyar and Thambuswami, brother of T.M.Thiagarajan were under training. Murthi was not a mere disciple. He was taken like an adopted son by the Guru and his noble consort. They bestowed love and care on him. They were prevented from taking him in adoption with religious rites but the abscence of that formality only bound the aged couple more closely to the bright boy, whom they called 'sittu' after the sparrow, small, alert and dynamic. Thus, born of Mahadanapuram Thanu Ayyar, T.K. Murthy found his mentor in Tanjore Vaidyanatha Ayyar, to whom he offers ceremonial oblations and rites still as a true son should. Did not Rama perform the obseqies of Jatayu, the venerable bird? More so, here as religion ordains that, 'he, who teaches one with merit, is also a father'. T.K.Murthy is as singularly unique in his praiseworthy conduct as he was singularly lucky in reaching that guru by chance. Vaidyanatha Ayyar even declined to release him when as offer came for appointing him as asthana vidwan when he was twelve as he (guru) feared that it would spoil his training and development. Murthy made his debut at the age of twelve at Coimbatore in a concert of Musiri Subramania Ayyar with Karur Chinnaswami Ayyar on violin and Tanjore Vaidyanatha Ayyar on mridangam. He accompanied M.S.Subbulakshmi regularly in all her cocnerts including those at Edinborough Festival, the United Nations, Europe, United States of America and Sri Lanka and has accompanied all other great artistes. He sings well
in Carnatic and Hindustani styles. His leanings to Hindustani music
can be observed when he plays for bhajans and tukkadas and brings out the
nuances and gentleness of the tabla on the mridangam itself. He has
played for celebrated musicians of the North like D.V.Paluskar and Narayana
Rao Vyas. he had left nothing untouched as he had played for street
drama, puppet shw, natyam, etc. The senior mridangam artiste is a
respected and popular figure with his rhythmic exploits, uncanny anticipation,
subtle tonal variations and rhythmic phrases and patterns. He has
received several honours including-
He was born on November 15, 1877 at Punalveli near Sri Andal's Srivilliputtur, of musician Lingam Ayyar and Anandam Ammal. Muthiah Bhagavathar's grandfather was Muthu Subba Bharathi, a composer-musician and his uncle was the scholar M.Lakshmana Suri. Music was the staple of the family. On the demise of his father, he came under the tutelage of his uncle at six. In 1886, he was placed under Tiruvaiyaru Muthu Ganapatigal for the study of Vedas. Fortune had guided him to the Centre of Carnatic music ostensibly for studying Vedas but his natural instinct and aptitude lay elsewhere. Even as a boy, his folk songs were the rage of the people. The chiding slap on his cheek by his outraged uncle for taking part in Kalyanarama Ayyar's theatrical shows drove him to the disciple of Maha Vaidyanatha Ayyar, violinist Vidwan Sambasiva Ayyar, one in the disciple-line of Tyagaraja. In 1893, he returned home for intensive practice for three years. At Tiruvaiyaru, he came into contact with Mysore Vasudevachar and at Tiruvidaimarudur, he resumed his friendship with Kallidaikurichi Vedanta Bhagavathar, both budding trainees then. Made his debut at Tuticorin at the age of seventeen and was presented with a tambur. He quickly shot into fame and his brother, Hariharan too got trained and joined him. Travancore State made the first demand on his services in 1897 and the ruler Moolam Tirunal made him Asthana Vidwan. His voice turned turtle and so musical discourse came to be his area of specialisation. His earlier training under Appakudam Sastri and Krishna Bhatt, scholarship in Sanskrit and Tamil, vast reservoir of wit, humour and episodes, engaging melliflous speech in Tamil, crisp digressions and innate musical talents soon carried him to the pinnacle of glory. He had plenty of grit and overwhelming ambition that knew no defeat or discomfiture. he gave musical discourses on Tyagaraja spread over several days, though initially he was performing only Valli Kalyanam. This was facilitated by his ujourn at Thanjavur, contacts with T.L.Venkatrama Ayyar, help in research and theory from the famous Abraham Pandithar and the prevailing vibrant intellectual atmosphere. Trouble with
voice had changed the lives of many. But an incident narrated
by Leslie Ayre may be mentioned here for the sudden problem it created
and how it was resolved. In a performance of 'Boheme', the boss who
was singing colline whispered that he had suddenly lost his voice and could
not sing his aria the COAT SONG. The great tenor told him to move
his lips and, turning his back to the audience sang bass aria for him.
This can happen in Western music or a drama but not in Carnatic music concerts.
These were all composed by the eminent Tamil poet Muthu Thandavar who lived in the sixteenth century at Sirkali in Tanjore district. Sirkali is a place of pilgrimage sanctified by Goddess Parvathi suckling the crying baby, Tirugnana Sambandar, one of the 'Great Four Saivite Saints.' Thandavan,
as he was originally called, was doing service in the temple at Sirkali.
He felt drawn towards a woman doing service there drawing the wrath and
contempt of all. Deserted, driven by hunger and suffering from affliction
and despair, he turned to the Almighty and his prayer was granted when
a teen-aged girl in the garb of the daughter of the temple priest appeared
and advised him to go to Chidambaram for salvation of his ills. He
obeyed. Chidambaram, the seat of the Cosmic Dancer, Nataraja, witnessed
an outpouring of songs from Muthu Thandavar which have been the delight
of the public through the centuries. His padams are couched in dignified
romantic terms. Tiruppambaram Swaminatha Pillai, Flautist and Pedagogue
had set his songs to music. Sixty kritis and twenty five padams are
in print.
Meenakshisundaram was the word for dynamic excellence. He drew crowds wherever he went. A grandmaster in percussion, he was affable and genial and he played with ease but with inexhaustive energy. A creative artiste, few could match his innovative artifices and combinations, sound permutations and laya intricacies. Wizard Panchami, who died young as genius perhaps has to, once told Pillai, 'I cannot produce your rhythm and melody.' A rare tribute by another titan. Kanchipuram Naina Pillai told Dakshinamurti Pillai that 'mere professionalism is not a guarantee of intelligent listening' and picked out one from the crowd at Sri Kapaleeswarar temple who kept the beat with precision and perfection even during the three-speed tempo pallavi. When he made a request for the 'perfect' listener to come, he found to his surprise that it was Meenakshisundaram Pillai and in choking voice declared: Meenakshisundaram Pillai had his gurukulavasa with Needamangalam Govinda Tavilkarar and Nagapattinam Venugopala Pillai. Made his debut as second to Mannargudi Narayanaswami Nagaswarakarar in his twelfth year. Quite strangely, he died in the midst of a huge gathering of well-wishers, relatives and admirers who had gathered for the marraige of his son. A good singer, he kept a very accurate diary and used only pure kahadi. |
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