With this posting, we bring you that ‘grand old lady’ of our Carnatic musical heritage and Padma Bhushan, Smt. D.K. Pattamal, about whom we find ourselves unable to add any more to the extraordinary amount of material that is already out there. As the year winds down, however, we remember with certain sadness, that it was only this July that she passed away from our midst. In her wake, however, she has left behind such a rich and lasting legacy that we feel that our own lifetimes may be insufficient to absorb even a sufficient amount of her.
In paying homage to her, we would like to just remind ourselves of the core things that made up her personality,the formative years of her life and just how rare were her gifts and accomplishments.
“…She received no formal Gurukula training. As a child, (she) would sit through the concerts, and on returning home, would notate the kritis she heard, and key phrases of ragas…She would also sing simple devotional hymns and songs that her father had taught her…Later, she received tuition from an unnamed Telegu-speaking musician, whom she would call "Telugu vadyar" or "Telegu teacher"…. At age 8, she won first prize for singing Thyagaraja’s "Raksha Bettare" in Bhairavi, at a competition…”
“(In later life) her knowledge was encyclopedic and she was considered as an authority on Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositions.…(She) was also the first woman to have performed the Ragam Thanam Pallavi (RTP) in concerts…She was not just a musician, but a patriot and freedom fighter who used her art to propagate the struggle for Indian independence...."
We leave you with a snapshot of Vidushi D.K.Pattamal performing in "Parvathi" in 1976 with Vidwan D.K. Jayaraman, Vidwan Seshagiri Rao (violin) and Vidwan Kuniseri Krishna Mani Iyer (Mridangam, and teacher of Vidwan Mannargudi Easwaran) along with the audio from the concert
If the audio doesn't play, please click here
[01-Varnam-Pantuvarali; 02-Evarani-Devamruthavarshini; 03-Sujanajeevana-Kamas; 04-Nadachi Nadachi-Kharaharapriya; 05-Sandehamu-Kalyani; 06-Elavatarame-Mukhari; 07-He Kamakshi Ekambreshwari-Yadukula Kambhoji (composer 'Andavan Pichai') ; 08-Mohanarama-Mohanam; 09-Bhajare-Abheri; 10-Mamava PattabhiRama-Manirangu; 11-Neenaayako-Ragamalika; 12-Nan Oru Vilayattu Bommeyya-Khamach; 13-Shloka & Theeradavilyattu-Ragamalika; 14-Kavadi Chindu-Bhairavi; 15-Rama Enniro-Vasantha; 16-Thillana-Bilahari; 17-Bhavayami Raghuramam-Ragamalika ]
