1970 - A Watershed Year

[Photo Courtesy: Academy of Music, Bangalore]

President of India A.P.J.Abdul Kalam at the Chowdiah Memorial 25th year Jubilee
honoring eminent musician Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

[Left to right: President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Chief Minister Karnataka N. Dharam Singh, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Music Academy President K.K. Murthy (who invited the President), Karnataka Governor T. N. Chaturvedi and Transport Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge.]

[Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/22/stories/2005112220680300.htm]

We have hinted, in many of our earlier postings of how 1970 was the ‘watershed’ year in the Chowdiah Memorials coming up.

The popular newspaper The Hindu, in attempting to capture the same sentiment on the 25th anniversary celebration of the Memorial in 2005, wrote inline “As he walked one morning in a park, K.K. Murthy, former chairman of the BDA ruminated over M.L. Vasanthakumari's concert he had heard the previous evening at the Ramanavami music festival. "I remember the concert went on till midnight and it was heaven," recalls this working president of the Academy of Music, an independent registered body that administers the Memorial Hall.”
K. K. Murthy’s words "the previous evening" related to April 15, 1970, the evening in “Parvathi”, Mysore, honoring the memory of T. Chowdiah.

The Mysore event had been inaugurated by Karnataka Governor Dharmavira (a very popular Governor in India) along with Karnataka Industries Minister Rajasekhar Murthy, who by then had both become close friends to the house of “Parvathi”. T. Chowdiah’s violin was on display to the thronging crowds of his native town and the joyousness of the occasion coupled with ML Vasanthakumari’s music, her eulogizing Chowdiah and the aftermath of dinner with those that mattered culminated in the ‘Sankalpa’ that there must be a fitting memorial to the memory of such a great stalwart of Carnatic Music.

But, as the earlier Hindu article also pointed out, this was an act easier said than done! As the son of the man who spearheaded the project K.K. Murthy recalls in a posted video on the blog , the bank balance was but an astronomical figure of only Rs. 500! ($10 in today’s conversion).

What followed, is something for the history pages to decide, as we leave you here with some connecting pictures, a full concert by Vidushi MLV and her speech, all for your enjoyment.

Minister Rajasekhar Murthy addresses, while an attentive Governor Dharma Vira listens

An evening of 'trupthi' with Vidushi ML Vasanthakumari and party

[ 01_Jagadanandakaraka_Nattai;02_Manasu Nilpa_Abhogi;03_Saketanagaranatha_Hari Kambhoji; 04_Bhagayanayya_Chandrajyothi;05_Eduta nilachite_Sankarabharanam; 06_Mariyadagadayya_Bhairavam; 07_RTP_Shanmukhapriya;08_Yake Nirdaya_Ragamalika; 09-Shloka, Amrutahuni goad, Baliyamanege,Baro Krishnayya_Ragamalika; 10_Pavamana Mangalam_Saurashtra; ]

AUDIO PROBLEMS? CLICK HERE

Leading by example? Academy of Music President K.K. Murthy occupies a front row listening to MLV.

That 'rapt attention' would pay dividends later!

Some others too with a rapt attention on MLV!

Prof. H.S.K. Iyengar, India's great novelist R.K. Narayan and Agaram Rangaiah, Editor "Sadhvi".

Ah, even a Governor eats with his hands when the dinner is in "Parvathi"!

Minister Rajasekhar Murthy, K. Srikantiah, Governor Dharma Vira, K.K. Murthy

Finally, remembering the man who came to the support of a Memorial !

Advocate Srikantiah's family at home to Chief Minister Gundu Rao and Mrs. Varalakshmi Rao

Academy President Murthy ,too, remembers in gratitude!

Felicitating Mrs. Varalakshmi Rao with Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh

Chowdiah awards for Lalgudi

It was but only fitting that the brothers K. Srikantiah (as the President of the Chowdiah Rama Seva Samthi, Mysore) and K.K. Murthy (as President, Academy of Music, Bangalore) should have considered honoring the living legend Lalgudi Jayaraman in the name and memory of a past legend, Chowdiah. Though differing somewhat in age, both violinists shared memorable years in each other's company, occupied many of the same platforms in the exalted music venues, accompanied the stellar vocalists and other percussion greats of their times, had been their own stars in solo performances and generally regarded by the consensus as the all time greats of their music.

Of course in Lalgudi's case, he was a seasoned world traveller and had won accolades from whichever corner of the world his accomplishments took him.

As this initial story about Lalgudi narrates

"It was not long before even his senior contemporaries in the violin field recognised his genius and talent and were unstinting in their praise and appreciation of his skills as a violinist par excellence. Sample some of these showers of praises from his contemporary senior violinists of those days: Chowdiah remarked: "All of us must stop playing now that this boy has appeared."

Attending Lalgudi's marriage, Chowdiah again said: "He was born Raman; he took up the bow and became Kothandaraman; with his marriage he has become Kalyanaraman; since he triumphs everywhere we can call him Jayaraman."

[http://www.carnaticsangeetham.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&p=69]

K. Srikantiah honoring Lalgudi in "Parvathi" Mysore in 1980

Karnataka Chief Minister Gundu Rao and K.K. Murthy hold the plaque honoring the maestro in Bengaluru with The First Chowdaiah Memorial National-Level award in 1982.

Padma Bhushan Lalgudi Jayaraman was a long time performer in 'Parvathi' leaving behind his remembrances in 1958, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1990. In the latter years he would combine for duets with his equally famous children Lalgudi Vijaylakshmi and/or Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and sometimes the children would either go solo or combine with themselves.

We produce for your listening pleasure an audio stream of a full Lalgudi Violin concert held in "Parvathi", Mysore in 1973 with Palghat Raghu (mridangam) and Vinayakram (ghatam). The musical pieces rendered are:

01-Sadinchane-Arabhi; 02-Janakiramana-Shudhaseemanthini; 03-Brovabaramma-Bahudari; 04-Ramanee-Kharaharapriya; 05-Marugelara-Jayanthasree; 06-SukhiEvaro-Kanada; 07-Rararajeevalochana-Mohanam; 08-Hachariga-Yedukulakambodi; 09-RTP-Shanmukhapriya; 10-Thillana-Dhanshree; 11-Krishnanee-YamanKalyani; 12-Shivaranjani; 13-Ragamalika; 14-Mangalam.

(Note: We are unable to correct the track names in archive.org for lack of password. Apologies!)