Music's Lady Virtuoso : M. L. Vasanthakumari

A lady musician, just 26, was conferred the title Sangeeta Vani in Madras in 1954. Her accomplishments were worthy of being recognised at a function graced by some of the greatest music exponents of that era including Rajamanickam Pillai, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, T.L. Venkatarama Iyer, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, C. Saraswathi Bai, K. B. Sundarambal, and M.M. Dandapani Desikar; and connoisseurs like Dr. R. Krishnaswami, Dr. U. Krishna Rao and finally the Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari. That lady virtuoso was none other than Dr. M. L. Vasanthakumari or MLV.

[ Courtesy: South Asian Woman's Forum ]

MLV went on to win many more laurels including the Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1977 as the youngest woman recipient till now (49). Among the legion of her fans, her acronym was expanded also as Melody-Laya-Vidwat. MLV was born into a musical family, but during those difficult times, she needed strong encouragement from a musical celebrity like GNB to dare choose a career in music. That she became his most famous disciple is the stuff of legend.

MLV's mother Madras Lalithangi once met a saint visiting from Karnataka who initiated her into the rich treasure of Purandara Dasa kritis. It made such an impact on her that Lalithangi and her guru-husband Mr. Iyer spent all their fortune to bring out a compilation of kritis, “Sri Purandara Mani Malai” during the difficult times of World War II. It was Life's way of honouring the family's unremitting efforts that MLV was conferred a doctorate by Mysore University in 1976 for her contribution to the propagation of Dasa Sahitya.

MLV was much loved and honoured in Parvathi. She performed there many times. In 1971 she was honoured along with Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar and the function was followed by a brilliant MLV concert. We are privileged to offer that recording here.

[ Mr.M.S.Swaminathan IAS, Divisional Commissioner of Mysore, Presides ]
[ Sangeetha Natak Academy Award Winners felicitated in "Parvathi" 1971 ]
[ Dr. M.L. Vasanthakumari and Vidwan Doreswamy Iyengar ]

The concert itself is remarkable on many counts. Following an emphatic rendering of Begada -something rare from a lady vocalist, MLV proceeds with a wonderful Kalyani. There are many moments of explosive creativity in the rendering. The kriti Rama Ni Vadukonduvo is a rarely heard Thyagaraja piece in Trishra Nadai, and it is a feast. Then comes an elaborate Bhairavi RTP. Add to that a Pancharatna kriti and some splendid Devaranamas, and you have a quintessential hallmark concert with the stamp of MLV's musical genius. It is doubly satisfying to feel the camaraderie and virtuous collaboration from the violin and mridangam accompanists. The ensemble's delightful musical journey is akin to a joyous family's travelling in good old times on Chamundi Express from Bangalore to Mysore, savouring every tasty treat and scenic delight on the way. What a blessing indeed!

The Concert
Ramanavami Concert - 8 -4- 1971.

M.L. Vasanthakumari – Vocal
T.M. Prabhavathi – Vocal Support
Tiruvallur Subramanyam – Violin
Tanjavur Krishnamurthy Rao – Mridangam
? - Ghatam



01. Vanajaaksha- Mandari varnam – Mysore Vasudevachar*** 02. Pranamaamyaham- Gowla- Mysore Vasudevachar*** 03. Jagadaanandakaaraka – Naata Pancharatna – Thyagaraja *** 04. Laalisidalu magana – Aarabhi – Purandara dasa *** 05. Shankari neeve – Begade- Subbaraya Shastri *** 06. Raaka Sashivadana - Raga Takka – Thyagaraja *** 07. Rama Ni Vadukonduvo – Kalyani – Thyagaraja *** 08. Mariyaadagaadayya – Bhairavam – Thyagaraja *** 09. Bhairavi RTP + Bauli-Saama-Kiranaavali ragamalika *** 10. Shloka and Yaadavaraaya- Basant Bahar-SindhuBhairavi-Durga –Kanaka Dasa *** 11. Uga Bhoga, Yaake Nirdayanaadeyo – Ragamalika (Bhairav, Kalavati, Bhimplas) – Purandara Dasa *** 12. 12. Vaame Bhoomisuthaa – Shloka – Hamsanandi, Saveri, Shubhapantuvaraali, Suruti *** 13. Dhanashri Tillana – Swathi Thirunal *** 14. Mangalam

CHERISHED MEMORIES OF DR.MLV IN "PARVATHI"

Even after so many years, her name brings a hush in the "Parvathi" household. It is a hush caused by reflection on so many beautiful and personable moments of her having been there. There is even one, that includes her coaxing family members to join her in singing (yes, there are some recordings of that too!).

So we egged on, someone, who was almost like a daughter to her. Here are the words of 'that' daughter, captured solemnly:

"What really can I add to the things that have already been said? She was everything to me! I have but only very fond memories of 'dear MLV aunty'.

When I was a child, she would almost, always , bring me the gift of a beautiful doll, an expensive frock, or some such thing whenever we visited each others homes.

Later on as I grew up and started to sing, after each of her concerts in "Parvati", and as we used to relax, she would invariably ask me to sing old Lata Mangeshkar's songs. She would appreciate them so much, that she would ask me to sing more and more. She would make me feel as if I was on top of the world!

I also cannot forget the affectionate, encouraging and appreciative words that she spoke during my cassette release function.

Personally, I put her in the number one spot amongst carnatic vocalists. What 'shaareera' ! What gamakas! What ease with which she sang! and what creativity!, be it 'alapana', 'neraval', 'swaraprastara' or 'sloka'!

SHE IS SARASWATI TO ME!

I was sitting listening to that very same Karaharapriya which is posted on this blog, when we got the news that she was no more.

Above all, what a fine human being she was! Never spoke a harsh or ill word about anyone. She lived just for the sake of her art.

These few words of mine are just MY VERY HUMBLE OBEISANCE to this great soul... "

- Mysore Prabha

AUDIO DOESN'T PLAY? CLICK HERE

"Where is your abode?" - Vidwan Maharajapuram Santhanam

Imagine that you ask someone, “Sir, where are you from?” And he replies: “I was born in the land of kings.'' A great start to a conversation about credentials!

It so happens that one can translate the name Maharajapuram Santhanam to mean 'one born in the land of kings'. Once you have a name like that, its a big task to live up to. With Vidwan Santhanam's music, you feel his music reflects the regality in his name. Vidwan Santhanam was the son and disciple of Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, a monarch in the world of Carnatic music. Hailed in his time as first among equals, he ruled supreme on the concert stage. People to this day recollect his incomparable renderings of ragas like Mohana and Mukhari, and his explosive creativity.

[ Courtesy Carnaticdurbar.com ]

Vidwan Santhanam, whose scintillating concert at Parvathi we have already featured several months ago, is our artiste again this time.

Vidwan Santhanam came into his own in the '70s, after his father's demise. He rose in popularity for his resonant and sweet voice, his great stamina, and the ability to please audiences with engaging, happy music. He put his trade-mark on songs such as “Srichakraraja Simhasaneshwari”and “Narayana”. He was conferred the Sangeetha Kalanidhi title in 1989. The music world lost him prematurely - he died in a car accident in 1992.

In this concert, in the company of the ever-excellent Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, Santhanam presents E Tavunnara in Kalyani. This song is popular for a long time and makes an instant connection with the listener. Like so many other songs of Saint Thyagaraja, this song also has several layers of meaning.

The meaning given in the Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja is this: “Which is your place of abode? You are not easily to be found, however closely you are searched for.

Is it in the feminine forms of the deity like Sita, Gouri and Saraswati or is it in the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether or in the innumerable worlds or among the Trinity?”

To this writer, the song unveils three layers of God's presence in one's spiritual discovery. The first layer, encountered through the stirrings of bhakti, is that of grace. The mother goddess personifies grace through benign protection (Durga), the gift of intelligence (Saraswati) and prosperity (Lakshmi). After passing this phase of basking in God's grace, the aspirant starts to experience God's immanence: His all-pervading presence in this world, finally composed of the five elements. As Krishna says in the seventh chapter of the Gita, prakriti personifies Him. But the bhakta's journey finally takes him to the point when God is pure transcendence- all this and more. The ultimate conceptualisation of God in Hinduism is that of Trinity- the Creator Brahma, the Protector Vishnu, and the Destroyer Shiva. This song is just one way of saying that for a true bhakta like Thyagaraja, Lord Rama is grace, immanence and transcendence all combined.

Come, let us now enjoy the feast of music from Vidwan Santhanam, in the Ramanavami festival of Parvathi 1979.

The Concert

Maharajapuram Santhanam ------Vocal
Lalgudi Jayaraman ------------ Violin
Vellore Ramabhadran -------- Mridangam
M.A. Krishnamurthy ----------- Ghatam
on April 5, 1979 at Parvathi during Ramanavami.

Song List
01. Orajoopu – Kannadagowla – Thyagaraja *** 02. E tavunara – Kalyani – Thyagaraja *** 03. Haridasulu – Yamuna Kalyani – Thyagaraja *** 04. Ragam- Tanam – Pallavi – raga Kharaharapriya *** 05. Narayana - Shuddha Dhanyasi – Purandara Dasa ***

This Yamuna Kalyani is the version other than the version employed in the famous Krishna Nee Begane).

Red Flag: Embedded audio player not picking correct song names

BENEVOLENCES FROM MYSORE

The mere roll of names like Maharajapuram Santhanam, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, The Bidarama Krishnappa Rama Mandiram, Mysore Vasudevachar, HH Jayachamrajendra Wodeyar, and "Parvathi", and all of it in one breath, stands to create a huge welter of emotions. For, it presents a world of great charms once beheld, of a world of kings and courts and composers and gentle Musical strains, not just Carnatic, mind you, but a far flung one with inroads, too, into a European culture.

Through a few collections, some ours and some from the other great souls of erstwhile Mysuru (as found on the Internet), we connect you to a grand era, which with each day's passing seems to roll away from our eyes into an indistinguishable distance.

From 1970 we show you (below), the very popular Chief Minister of Karnataka D. Devaraj Urs, alongside Mr. K. Srikantiah, unveiling the photograph of Mysore Vasudevachar in "Parvathi".