Instrumental Tribute to the Great Masters

Vid. Emani Sankara Sastry 1973 Ramanavami

Reflections by R. Sachi

We present this festive season a wonderful instrumental ensemble- the redoubtable maestros Vid. Emani Sankara Sastry and Vid. M. S. Gopalakrishnan, accompanied by Vid. Guruvayur Dorai and Vid. Manjunath. They performed to a full house in the Ramanavami festival of 1973 at Parvathi, Mysore.

The concert has a wonderful flow of melody and a beautiful dialogue between the two masters, Emani and MSG. Emani fills the concert with musical masterpieces from Saint Thyagaraja and presents his trademark virtuoso melody, combined with great musical understanding between the accompanists. MSG produces his trademark violin responses, filled with an incomparable sweetness and matching the main artiste’s manodharma, throughout.

The main ragas are Vachaspati, Shankarabharana and Shanmukhapriya. Of course there are Jagadanandakaraka, Ganamurthe, and Nadaloludai, songs made famous by Emani’s renditions on many occasions. But the raga elaborations and song presentations in Vachaspati and Shankarabharana are vintage classics. The RTP in Shanmukhapriya is warrants that we will listen to it a few times to soak up its beauty. The Tanam is unforgettable.

The Thyagaraja composition in Vachaspati celebrates Lakshmana’s devotion as a true karma yogi. His construction skills when he erects the hermitage in Panchavati are so impressive that Rama feels ecstatic. He embraces Lakshmana and says Lakshmana’s deep empathy, righteousness as well as craftsmanship are such that Rama feels the presence of their dear father in Lakshmana! The hermitage construction is wonderfully described by Valmiki, the Adikavi:

Come, let us relive this vintage concert!

Concert Details

Emani Sankara Sastry --------------- Veena
Parur M.S.Gopalakrishnan ------------- Violin
Guruvayur Dorai -------------------------- Mridangam
K.S Manjunath -------------------------- Ghatam
on 19-4-73 at Parvathi

Song List

01 Jagadanandakaraka-Nata- Thyagaraja *** 02 Shobillu Saptaswara-Jaganmohini- Thyagaraja *** 03 Vachaspati –Kanta Judumi-Thyagaraja *** 04 Nadaloludai -Kalyana Vasantha –Thyagaraja *** 05 Nee Bhajana-Nayaki- Thyagaraja *** 06 Swararagasudha- Shankarabharana – Thyagaraja *** 07 Shanmugapriya RTP *** 08 Surdas Bhajan(Emani sings with Veena) *** 09 Folk song(Emani sings with Veena) *** 10 Krishna nee begane- Yamuna Kalyani- Vyasaraya *** 11 Japa (Veda) *** 12 Mangalam ***

Music's Bylanes X : Ways of Honoring A Parent

[ 1996: K. Puttu Rao-Palghat Mani Award to Guruvayur Dorai ]
[ Lalgudi Jayaraman Presides ! ]
[ First 3 Images are all Courtesy: Percussive Arts Center,Bangalore ]
[ Music Research Library ]

Aug 21, 1955 - Visionaries All !
K.Puttu Rao with Sir. M. Viswesvaraya & Governing Council Members
National Institute of Engineering, Mysore

A Building to Behold

Among the many spectacular monuments, buildings, temples and architectural pieces that India projects in its landscape, there is one that is a great testimony to India’s modern architecture.

This is the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, one of the many attractive buildings in the design of an entirely modern city. The city as we all know is Chandigarh, and its famous architect was Le Corbusier, a French Architect.

[ Courtesy: Punjab and Haryana Government Web Page ]

We also show you (below) the very rich and attractive type of tapestry that Corbusier himself created, one to each courtroom, to cover the entire rear walls. Le Corbusier encapsulated a number of symbols of man, earth, nature, emblems of India and the scales of justice in abstract, geometric patches. They were also created in this way for acoustical reasons.

[ Courtesy: Punjab and Haryana Government Web Page ]

While readers may be wondering what all of this has to do with Music? (and Carnatic Music so down south), we just wanted to tell you of a spontaneous discovery that we made in our Internet world:

“ The High Court was the first building to be made wholly of concrete. A sum of Rs 4 Million (then) was spent on its construction. The commendable success for the completion of the building by the target date was entirely due to the able administration of Shri P L Verma, Chief High Court building under construction Engineer and Secretary Capital Project and his assistant Mr R C Singh, Executive Engineer.

The construction of this unique building, which opened a new phase for concrete construction, was done by Messrs Hindustan Construction Corporation Ltd. Bombay under the supervision of Shri K C Iyya.

It is one of the most beautiful High Courts in India with 40 spacious and luxuriously furnished courtrooms; 3 Bar rooms; a well-equipped Judges' library, a dispensary and a very good canteen. Its location in the lap of Himalayas beyond the limits of the city, beside Assembly Hall and Sukhna Lake adds to its beauty."

Amongst the many things, we just wanted to introduce you to Shri K. Puttu Rao’s First Born. With this we have come somewhat full circle in a mention of all of the nearest family members, directly or indirectly, in our pages.

The Core of Carnatic Music’s Appeal is the Krithi

VID. MAHARAJAPURAM SANTHANAM - 1977 RAMANAVAMI CONCERT

AN APPRECIATION by R. SACHI

We feature this time a typical ebullient concert of Vid. Maharajapuram Santhanam. Vid. Santhanam established himself as a classical concert crowd puller in the ‘70s and ‘80s with his virtuosity, voice timbre, and concert repertoire. He was particularly popular in rendering the songs with sowkhyam and madhuryam, especially the ragamalikas. In this concert, we have a major example, Nalinakanti-mati, with a huge bouquet of ragas.

Gurvayoor Dorai, H.P.Ramachar, Maharajapuram Santhanam, M.Chandrasekharan

We feel that the principal appeal of Carnatic music lies in its ocean of krithis or lyrics. The krithis, especially of the Trinity, Purandara Dasa and other great composers, provides an incomparable fund of joy, with devotional meaning as well as musical richness. Many musicians confess that to master a raga, what they must do is learn and practice well the major krithis in that raga. So the krithi goes beyond just wordy delight. The krithi is in fact the infrastructure of Carnatic music.

Vid. Santhanam covers a wide array of krithis in this concert. From his favourites like Mohana and Garudadhwani, he also forays into many other popular numbers. His obvious delight in rendering the “Nalinakantimati” ragamalika is infectious. The accompanists- Vid. M. Chandrasekharan and Vid. Guruvayur Dorai, have provided spirited, innovative accompaniment. As we have said in this blog elsewhere, it is not difficult to understand why Vid. Chandrasekharan has been a perennial favourite for violin accompaniment. His totally committed, virtuosic, tonally nectarine, accompaniment has made many a concert in Parvathi memorable. Similarly, Vid. Dorai is a very solid mridanga vidwan and his deep and measured strokes always enhance the musical impact.

We also want to quote the translation from The Spiritual Heritage of Thyagaraja for the Garudadhwani song. Like many others, this song’s musical appeal somewhat hides the deep spiritual import of the saint composer’s thoughts:

It is only fitting that Saint Thyagaraja’s image adorns the stage in the photo of this concert.

CONCERT DETAILS

Ramanavami Festival, Parvathi (3 April 1977)

Vid. Maharajapuram Santhanam – Vocal
Vid. M. Chandrasekharan – Violin
Vid. Guruvayur Dorai – Mridangam
Vid. H.P. Ramachar – Khanjira

Song List

01. Seetapate----- Khamach- Thyagaraja *** 02. Samajavaragamana-Hindola- Thyagaraja *** 03. Tatvamerugatarama-Garudadhwani- Thyagaraja *** 04. Evarura-Mohana- Thyagaraja *** 05. Sloka & Lalgudi Tillana – Brindavani*** 06. Nalinakantimati-Ragamalika- Madurai T Krishnaswamy *** 07. Ragamailka – continued *** 08. Tungateera- Salagabhairavi – Kamalesha Vitthala Dasa*** 09. Bansiwale – Mohanakalyani – Swati Tirunal *** 10. Mangalam ***

The man who immortalised "Harivarasanam" – K. J. Yesudas

Friends and mutual admirers: Yesudas, Srikantiah, Vishnuvardhan, Bharati

Vidwans (L to R): Guruvayoor Dorai, Yesudas, Mysore Manjunath

During January 2013, the media is full of news about the Kumbh Mela, a conclave where several million people are going to visit the holy confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers at Allahabad for a dip during this auspicious period and to get blessings of holy men, as ordained in the Puranas. Both BBC and the Harvard School have taken interest in documenting this great human congregation. Perhaps no less in magnitude and complexity is the human phenomenon of the Sabarimala annual pilgrimage, which just ended this month.

We reproduce information from several sources:

The shrine of Sabarimala is one of the most remote shrines in southern India and yet it draws three to four million pilgrims each year. Surrounded by mountains and dense forests, Sabarimala is believed to be the place where Lord Ayyappan meditated. The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. A pilgrim attending the Mandalapooja should observe austerities for 41 days.

Harivarasanam is a devotional song composed in the astakam metre, recited at Sabarimala before closing the temple door every night. The song was written by Kambangudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer and was recited the first time by Swami Vimochanananda at the temple. Though there have been many versions of this song sung by many renowned vocalists, the Sabarimala temple plays the rendition by K. J. Yesudas of a musical version composed by the renowned music director G. Devarajan every evening after the final pooja.

The story goes that VR Gopala Menon, from Alapuzha used to accompany Thirumeni Eashwaran Namboothiri, the Melshanthi (head priest), to Sannidhanam every time, and would stay there by himself even when the temple was closed, remaining undisturbed by the wild animals. Later, when the Devaswom Board was formed, it is believed that he was asked to move out. He eventually died at a tea estate at Vandiperiyar.

Gopala Menon used to recite Harivarasanam with devotion during his time at Sannidhanam, and the news of his passing away deeply saddened Thirumeni Eashwaran Namboothiri. Once, at the end of the day's rituals, the Namboothiri was about to close the doors of the Sannidhanam when he remembered the dedication and sacrifice of Gopala Menon and he then began to recite Harivarasanam starting a nostalgic tradition that remains unbroken till date. Today, as the final verses are being sung, all the assistant Santhis (priests) leave the Sreekovil one by one. As the song ends, only the Melsanthi is inside. He extinguishes the lamps one at a time and closes the doors for the night.

It is interesting that this song Harivarasanam challenges the usual stereotypes in Carnatic music. It is associated with a lesser known Hindu deity, Hari-Hara putra Ayyappan. His temple is in a remote forest in Kerala. Harivarasanam has been set to tune by G. Devarajan, who was a self-confessed Communist/agnostic. It has been sung by K. J. Yesudas, who is not from the typical Tamil Brahminical mould. And yet it has moved millions for a long time, and is broadcast in the Sabarimala temple every day in Yesudas’s voice.

Thus, Vid. K. J. Yesudas, one of the most gifted, recognised and honoured musical voices in Indian cinema, should also be recognised as the voice that immortalised Harivarasanam .

Mr. K. Srikantiah’s close friend for many years, Sri Yesudas has come and performed in Parvathi on more than 20 occasions, to large crowds of eager fans. In the 2007 concert we feature here, his energy and enthusiasm is undiminished at 67 years. He sings a large number of his hugely popular numbers, both classical pieces and film songs. In fact, the Kannada matinee idol Mr. Vishnuvardhan (featured in the photo with Mr. Srikantiah, Mr. Yesudas and Mrs. Bharati Vishnuvardhan, another famous film star) sat through this concert, and enjoyed the song “Ellellu Sangeethave” from his hit movie Malaya Marutha, sung by Sri Yesudas!

Sri Yesudas turns nostalgic in the middle of the concert and narrates how his father (his first guru) was a famous theatre artiste and sang at an impossibly high pitch and with unbelievable felicity in the higher octave in the days when there were no mikes. He explains how being totally surrendered to the guru and learning from the masters in person as well as continual, rigorous practice are crucial to one’s progress as a musician. He cautions youngsters that they should never imagine that there is a short cut to success by merely learning music from tape recordings. He says his success is entirely due to his father’s and gurus’ blessings and encouragement.

We get also an insight into the spiritual appeal of Sri Yesudas’s music when he explains how he feels the godhead in every phrase of his music and how God pervades all beliefs and faiths equally.

We are happy to share such a lovely concert with excellent recording quality during the Sabarimala season.

[ Text due to R. Sachi ( click ) ]

CONCERT DETAILS: Ramanavami festival, 29 March 2007

K.J. Yesudas – Vocal
Mysore Manjunath – Violin
Guruvayoor Dorai – Mridangam
GS Ramanujam – Ghatam

Song List

01. Sarasija Nabha – Varnam _ Nata – Palghat Parameshwara Bhagavatar *** 02. Adiyali Gajamukhana Archisu – Hamsadhwani – Purandara Dasa *** 03. Guruvina Gulama – Hamsanandi – Purandara Dasa*** 04. Ela Nee Dayarada – Athana – Thyagaraja *** 05. Rama Sadguna – Todi- Jagannathadasa*** 06. Ragasudharasa – Andolika – Thyagaraja *** 07. Enduku Peddala – Shankarabharana – Thyagaraja *** (followed by Tani) *** 08. Brochevarevarura – Khamaj – Mysore Vasudevachar ***09. Dasadasara maneyadasa- Hindola – Kanakadasa *** 10. Thiruparkadalil Pallikondaye – Bhairavi – G. Devarajan ***11. Ellellu Sangeethave – Saramathi – Vijayabhaskar *** 12. Krishna Diwani Meera – Bhajan – Ravindra Jain *** 13. Enu Vara Bedali Nanu *** 14. Oru Neram - Dwijavanti *** 15. Speech *** 16. Swami sangeethadindolise – Abheri *** 17. Harivarasanam – Madhyamavati - Kambangudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer+G. Devarajan *** 18. Mangaladarshanadayike Mookambike ***19. Agre Pashyami, Yogindranam – Narayaneeyam *** 20. Mangalam ***

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Dr. Emani Sankara Sastry – the one man symphony in Carnatic music

A handsome young veena maestro came to Mysore in the 60’s and stirred up the imagination of the Carnatic music lovers with his cuckoo song and his rosewood veena. That was Sri Chitti Babu.

This chronicler (R. Sachi) remembers how that vidwan’s guru himself came and played some months later. Looking every bit a grand master of the grandest of Indian musical instruments, the veena, the guru produced such a range of musical sounds from his veena that he could be hailed verily as a one man symphony.

That was Emani Sankara Sastry. His music was a wide spectrum. Some lilting silken streams of sound and some majestic cascades. Some sounds that were so vocal you had to pinch yourself to remember it was the veena, and some vibrant and emphatic patterns that spurred the percussionists like a military march. This maestro simply left you bemused. At last you understood why Carnatic music did not need a 50-piece orchestra. The veena alone was enough. No wonder Lord Shiva played the veena. In addition to Goddess Saraswathi and Sage Narada. And even Ravana.

Emani Sankara Sastry (1922- 1987) was born in Draksharamam, Andhra Pradesh. He came from a family of celebrated classical musicians. His father Vainika Bhooshana Veena Acharya Emani Achuta Rama Sastri was a famed vainika and sastragna; a contemporary of Sangameshwara Sastri and Veena Venkata Ramana Das of Andhra. After graduating from Andhra University, Vidwan Emani Sankara Sastry worked as the music director in Gemini Studios. Emani joined All India Radio in 1959 as producer of music at Madras. Soon he rose to the position of director and composer of national orchestra and chief producer of music at AIR New Delhi. He was the asthana vidwan of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and a member of the University Grants Commission. He was conferred among many titles the prestigious title of Maha Mahopadhyaya by the Banaras Hindu University – the first Carnatic musician to be so honoured.

He was invited to perform at the United Nations in the 60’s. He won the admiration of violinist Yehudi Menuhin and at his special invitation participated in the festival of international music council at Paris in 1974. This concert was named the concert of the century by discerning reviewers. He also performed for the UNESCO at Alma Ata, Soviet Union.

Emani played memorable Jugalbandi duets with maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Halim Zaffar Khan. The featured concert is a duet with Vidwan M.S.Gopalakrishnan.

When this chronicler had the good fortune to meet Vidwan Emani in Delhi, the maestro was all grace and charm. When the Vidwan spoke about music, there was a twinkle in his eye. He recounted his prodigious training from a young age under his unsparing father. At his home, there was a painting of his father playing the veena holding it vertically, as Lord Shiva has been depicted in ancient sculpture.

While playing a recording of his famous UN Concert featuring Kalyani, the vidwan remarked to this chronicler how it was vital that the artiste addressed the veena with reverence, and pleaded, “mother, kindly allow me to play some music”. That was his approach to music always.

Vidwan Emani composed Adarsha Shikhararohanam, an orchestral tribute to the conquest of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay in 1953. He also composed another opus, Indu Chakra, to symbolise the significance of the Indus Valley in Indian culture (and the great river projects of the ‘50s) using the six ragas in the first melakarta cycle. His orchestral pieces were liked so much by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the then President of India, that he was known to hear the recordings almost every day.

In this concert, we have a treat of symphonic genius, from both Vidwan Emani and the redoubtable maestro M.S. Gopalakrishnan. Emani expounds Meru samana with peaks of emotive grandeur to do justice to Thyagaraja’s imagery of Rama standing battle-ready like the Meru mountain. He transports you in every song to realms beyond conventioncal Carnatic song. The way he strikes the first notes of Purvi Kalyani is colossal. And when he announces the Surdas bhajan and sings the lines, you know what a master artiste he is.

The sheer tonal delight of MSG’s violin enhances his perceptive collaboration here. MSG does not fiddle to distract in the middle of the veena passages, and bides his turn to provide apt counter points at every stage of the concert. His honeyed bow seems to dance in the swarm of resonant bees that the veena conjures up. A remarkable concert indeed, from Viriboni to Veda mantra.

The rasikas at Parvathi were treated to this torrent of virtuoso excellence in 1971. We are indeed lucky, after 39 years, to have a chance to listen to this recording, thanks to Sri K. Srikantiah’s munificence.

PARVATHI CONCERT
Emani Sankara Sastry---Veena
M.S. Gopalakrishnan-----Violin
Guruvayoor Dorai----Mridangam
on April 10, 1971.



[ 1. Veeriboni -Bhairavi Atatala varnam- Pachimiriyam Adiyappa *** 2. Vatapi Ganapathim –Hamsadhvani – Muthuswami Dikshitar *** 3. Merusamana –Mayamalavagowla – Thyagaraja *** 4. Orajoopuchu – Kannadagowla – Thyagaraja *** 5. Gnanamosagarada – Purvikalyani – Thyagaraja *** 6. Raghuvamsha –Kadanakutuhalam – Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer *** 7. Brochevarevarura – Kamach – Mysore Vasudevachar *** 8. Sudhamayi – Amrutavarshini- Muthaiyya Bhagavatar *** 9. Ragam Tanam Pallavi – Kharaharapriya *** 10. Surdas Bhajan – Misra Hindustani Todi *** 11. Jagadoddharana – Hindustani Kapi – Purandara Dasa *** 12. Veda Mantra *** 13. Mangalam. ]

SHRI SRIKANTIAH RECALLS ' GNB '

"...man, I tell you when that person called GNB sat on the platform, in his very first concert in Mysore …I swear, I thought I was in some 'Swara loka'...what a 'roopa'!... those diamond ear rings...hair so neatly groomed …I was so crazy admiring him that after the performance I went up to him and asked him “Sir, what is the scent you are wearing?” Unhesitatingly, he said ‘Swag’! …my God to hear his 'bhirkha'...the 'vaikhari'…the new trend in Kalayani...in Carnatic music he introduced us to a totally new wave. It just arrested me... I just went crazy for GNB. Then slowly over time a friendship developed...GNB would come home...he came to sing at my elder brother’s wedding...for that he was accompanied by Chowdiah and Palghat Raghu...even to this day that performance is etched in my memory... then you know there was a big blow to all of us in his passing away at Tiruvananthapuram, in his fifties...he was then a principal of the college there... all in all he was my hero!.....ah, now I remember that other song from 'Shakuntala'... ”Premayil…” (Sri Srikantiah regales once again)…Can you believe all this is somewhere between 1939 and 1942?...”

"...now, the Bidaram Krishnappa Mandiram secretary, Advocate Ramachar, is Vasudevachar's great friend and he has started the Saraswati Samaja Music Sabha...their first concert is in Town Hall...GNB, Mani and Chowdiah were invited first time to inaugurate it...GNB was simply in terrific form that day...it is my privilege to be there and I am sitting next to the great Octogenarian Vasudevachar ...then GNB chooses 'Khamach' and starts to sing 'Brochevararevurara'...the rendering is electrifying...at that point Vasudevachar turns to me and says "Magu" (he always called me Magu-young man),..."Nana Kriti nalli ishtu merugu ide anta ivvate gottu aitu " (only today have I come to realize that this composition of mine has such a glitter!). ... man, was I thrilled!...as soon as the ‘kutcheri' was over then I jumped onto the platform and went straight to GNB and said “this is what the composer has said to me…”...Immediately GNB girded the sash around his mid waist came down with me and bending down touched the great man’s feet...saying that this was his greatest honour to receive such an acknowledgment from the master composer himself.

Where, I ask you, do you see such incidents of respect these days?..."

Madurai Somu – music that stormed Mysore from "Parvathi"

Inside "Parvathi" and feeling very happy, indeed! - Palghat Raghu, Madurai Somu, M.S. Gopalakrishnan

Vidwan Madurai S. Somasundaram (1919-1989), popularly known as Madurai Somu, is one of the most remembered vocalists who adorned the "Parvathi" concert platform for many years and shone brightly in the firmament of artistes who left their mark on the Ganapati and Ramanavami festivals and in the memory of T. Chowdiah, there. Hailing from the Chittoor Subrahmanya Pillai school, Madurai Somu brought incredible energy and passion into every concert. His concerts invariably lasted 3-4 hours and he was always featured with top-notch accompaniment of stalwarts like Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, M. Chandrasekharan, Palghat Raghu, Guruvayoor Dorai, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Vellore Ramabhadran and so on.When Madurai Somu first came to "Parvathi", Mr. Srikantiah could not reconcile his diminutive figure and mild conversational voice with his reputation as a resonant vocalist. But once he went on stage, he lit the stage aglow with a vibrant, sruti-aligned voice that scaled a wide range from 'mandara' to 'tara sthayi' and held the audience captive right from the four-speed varnam to the final devotional pieces. True to the Chittoor bani, laya was his forte and the accompanists exulted in his racy delivery. Somu etched himself into every one’s heart with his colossal manodharma and profound rendering of ragas of substance that are the quintessential treasures of Carnatic music. His concerts in "Parvathi" always drew mammoth crowds who filled the pandal as well as the surrounding areas outside the compound wall. In fact, Mr. Srikantiah would announce that the concert would end by 10 PM out of consideration to students in the adjoining Maharaja’s College Hostel . But the students themselves would loudly remonstrate that the concert should go on, as they wanted to enjoy Somu's music. Call it coincidence or otherwise, Somu’s concerts most often brought a welcome downpour in the city. The "Parvathi" pandal was built sturdily with 32 tarpaulins for waterproofing and a gabled roof that rose more than 20 feet. But the public power supply often played truant when it rained. And yet the music would soon resume after a brief interruption with generator back-up for the mikes. Once the downpour ended, the people listening outside would gladly reassemble from the surrounding residential areas where they had sought shelter during the downpour. Somu once rendered a memorable Sriranjani and sang the kriti Sogasuga Mridanga Talamu. When he came to the words, “navarasayuta-kriti che bhajiyinchu”, he seemed overwhelmed with emotion and stopped singing, with tears in his eyes. It took several minutes for him to regain his composure and continue. Later he confided in Srikantiah that just the previous day, during his concert in Salem, there had been an ugly incident caused by miscreants during the Lord Sri Rama procession. He recalled that sad incident at that point on the stage and felt immense grief. Such was his passionate devotion and involvement in the singing.

1971 - another view under the "Parvathi" canopies - Palghat Raghu, Ramachar, Madurai Somu, Lalgudi Jayaraman

Somu sang the 'manodharma sangeetha' that was his hallmark for a good 2-3 hours and then regaled the audience with more, in the lighter segment. He sang a trademark kriti that extolled all the famous deities in South Indian temples like Meenakshi, Kamakshi and so on in a delightful ragamalika. He was always requested by the audience to sing in the end his famous film song, 'Marudamalai Mamaniye Murugayya' from the Devar Films’ production Daivam. Madurai Somu sang over a dozen times in Parvathi, starting in 1971. The crowds always asked when his concert was billed. Somu's unique music continues to endure in the rasika’s memory for its classicism, emotive appeal, verve and weightiness. Likewise, Somu also dearly loved to perform in "Parvathi", and said with feeling that his music always rose to a new level being next to Sri Rama who was enthroned under the Parijatha tree.

[Excerpted from R. Sachidananda's "Recorded Conversations with Advocate Kunigal Srikantiah" (a private collection) ]

AND NOW FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE .....

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1975 "Parvathi" - Madurai Somu, M.Chandrasekharan (Violin), Guravayur Dorai (Mridangam), H.P. Ramachar (Kanjira), M.A.Krishnamurthy (Ghatam), Nagaratnam (Morsing)

[01 Ninnu nammi naanu – Shuddha Dhanyasi varnam ; 02 Shakti Ganesham – Shuddha; 03 Seetapate naamanasuna- Khamach; 04 Parameshwaram Jagadeeshwaram – Kumarapriya ; 05 Abhayamu chakkave – Ahiri; 06 Banturiti – Hamsanadam; 07 Pakkala Neelabadi – Kharaharapriya; 08 Sogasuga Mridanga – Sriranjani; 09 Koluva maragatha – Todi; 10 O Rama nee nama – Poorvikalyani; 11 Rama namamu – Athana; 12 Ninnai Kada neramillai – Bageshri; 13 Enna kavi paadinalum – Shivaranjani ; 14- Maduraiyil Meenakshi – Ragamalika; 15 Elumalai vasanakku – Abheri; 16 Viruttam – Ragamalika; 17 Marudamalai maamaniye – Darbari Kanada ; 18 Bhajo re bhayya – Desh?; 19 Nada bindu kala swaroopa – Jhinjuti; 20 Vande mataram – sloka – Madhyamavati ; 21 Pavamana –mangalam - Sourashtra]