Amara - Madhura - Sundara : Timeless Gems from Somu

Vid. Madurai Somasundaram - Gems from many Parvathi Concerts

Spring is in the air. The Parvathi Ramanavami Pandal is all set up. The deities are shining in their full glory surrounded by garlands and a shower of Parijata flowers. The hall is full of eager rasikas. And who is going to sing today? Of course, Vid. Madurai Somu!

Imagine this scene which was repeated year after year in the heritage home. Students came for the April concerts unmindful of their exam schedules. The Mysore Police were happy to regulate the traffic and allow the concert to go on far into the night. The best of accompanists exerted themselves to match the maestro in his energetic Manodharma, on-the-spot improvisations, audience-regaling antics, endless repertoire, niravals and swaras that took your breath away, and the constant spirit of "let's sing better, let's actualize Rama, Devi, Shanmukha or whichever deity we want right here, right now!"

This timeless experience is being presented in our Finale with selections from many concerts spread over many years. Lalgudi, Chalakudi, MC and... on the violin. Raghu, Dorai,... on the mridangam. The best of ghatam and khanjira accompaniment too. What more can you ask for?

The major ragas in this upload? A Kalyani to bring Devi dancing. A Kharaharapriya to make Sri Rama smile from his Mandapa. A series of songs that will make Shanmukha's peacock dance!

Carnatic Music and its inherent strengths

Vid. Madurai Somasundaram 1977

Reflections by Shri R. Sachi

We are very glad to share a spectacular concert of Vid. Madurai Somasundaram from the 1977 Ramanavami series at Parvathi. Rasikas are quite familiar with our love for this unique vocalist. He brought to Carnatic music an energy and creativity unmatched. He exulted in the company of great accompanists. He engaged the audience in an inimitable empathy. He sang songs we wouldn’t hear from anyone else perhaps. He made up songs for the occasion at will. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He left a deep imprint on our hearts.

This concert is no exception. We are unable to catalogue the names of composers for many items. But suffice it to say that we attribute it all to Vid. Madurai Somu. Because these songs live and breathe through his musical genius. He also thrives on some excellent violin and mridangam accompaniment by the very melodious Vid. Chalakudy Narayanaswamy, and the energetic Vid. Tanjore Upendran. Not to forget Vid. Seshagiri das-Khanjira, and Vid. Krishnamurthy-Ghatam. Egged on by the redoubtable Vid. Somu, they all combine to create impactful percussion at several points in the concert.

Vid. Somu also refers affectionately to Sri. K. Srikantiah, and sings a song on the lord Srikantheshwara of Nanjangud. Vid. Somu attributes his melody-soaked music to Saint Thyagaraja’s guidance, and at once launches into Ragasudharasa. His approach elicits many bursts of encouragement and applause from the audience. If you see closely, the photo below shows the world-famous writer R.K. Narayan (bespectacled) sitting at the edge of the stage with characteristic intensity.

The major ragas in this concert are Thodi and Kharaharapriya.

At the end of it all, we can only feel bemused by the inherent richness of Carnatic music. What variety, what lyrical abundance, what an expanse of ragas and talas, what a scope for improvisation, for team work and finally spectacular peaks of aesthetic pleasure. Only a great World Cup tournament of the beautiful game football, in exuberant Brazil, can approach to being a distant parallel to our beloved Carnatic music.

Concert Details

Madurai Somasundaram -------- Vocal
Chalakudy Narayanaswamy ----- Violin
Tanjore Upendran ------------ Mridangam
Sheshagiri Das -------------- Khanjira
M.A.Krishnamurthy ----------- Ghatam
on 6-4-77 at "Parvathi" during Sri Ramanavami Music Festival.

Song List

01 Varnam- Thilang? ***
02 Vallabha Mahaganapathe-Gomethakapriya ***
03 Manasuloni-Varamu-Thyagaraja ***
04 Pasupathi Shankara-Dakshayani ***
05 Thodi alapana ***
06 Rama Bhadra Ra Ra-Thodi-Bhadrachala Ramadasu ***
07 Evarani-Devamruthavarshini-Thayagaraja ***
08 Ragasudarasa-Andolika-Thyagaraja ***
09 Kharakarapriya alapana ***
10 Chakkani Raja- KHP-Thyagaraja ***
12 Srikanantheshwara-Sindhu Bhairavi ***
13 Bhajamana Bhajare-Jhinjhuti? ***

The course of Kalyani, all beneficences of life - Madurai Somu waxing eloquent

In our humdrum lives, it is easy to pass by the true beneficences of life, busy as we are “getting and spending”, as Wordsworth said.

Therefore do we need to thank every moment our heritage, upbringing, and childhood experiences that foster a love for classical music. Our music combines so many life-affirmative resonances that nobody can ever feel totally down and out if he or she can even faintly recall the joy of music. Carnatic music insightfully combines all musical values - melody, rhythm and lyric - into a worship of life. And one of the high points of Carnatic music is Kalyani. Kalyani means not only the popular raga but also benediction, the Cosmic Mother, a cool pool of holy water we can immerse ourselves in… so many connotations. And the raga Kalyani celebrates life like none other. Hence every composition in Kalyani is such an enriching experience.

Madurai Somu, the eternal favourite of Parvathi rasikas, begins this concert with Kalyani. MSG follows his raga contours closely, and we have a solid foundation for the song that follows, śivē pāhi mām , of Thyagaraja. The saint refers to Kaveri, the nectarine river that courses through every Carnatic music lover’s veins...

Thyagaraja addresses the mother goddess as kAvErijOttara vAsini kAtyAyini dharma samvardhini , meaning, “ You are Katyayini, known as Dharma Samvardhani residing on the north side of Kaveri river”. This composition is one of his Thiruvaiyaru khestra compositions.

The neraval and swaras are executed very melodiously, with some great accompaniment by MSG and the redoubtable Raghu. Raghu intones the words so well on the mridangam, modulating each stroke to match the melody.

What strikes you is the fine fettle of Somu’s voice, matched by the sweetness of MSG’s violin, as well as Raghu’s measured percussion. An elaborate Bhairavi has a fullness to it. Somu lends a tangy flavour to the nishada, and MSG replicates it. Raghu takes off in the neraval and swara like only he can. The result is a virile treatment of Bhairavi lasting over 40 minutes. The audio quality of this home recording done 41 years ago is outstanding.



Madurai Somu is all praise for MSG as the honeyed flow of Abheri from his violin simply heightens the mood of this ever popular raga. We just got the happy news of MSG’s being honoured as Padma Bhushan in today’s Republic Day honours. A richly deserved recognition by a grateful nation of this outstanding violinist.

The Shanmukhapriya RTP is a feisty improvisation. Even here, Raghu revels in the rhythmical segments like a homing bird.

Among the following items, the impromptu shloka in Jijhooti and other ragas is highly memorable.

THE CONCERT
1971 Gowri-Ganesha Festival in "Parvathi"

Madurai Somasundaram – Vocal
Parur M.S. Gopalakrishnan ---- Violin
Palghat Raghu ------- Mridangam

01. Sive Pahimam – Kalyani –Thyagaraja *** 02. Manavi aalakincha- Nalinakanthi -Thygaraja *** 03. Shri Rajarajeshwari – Bhairavi –TBA*** 04. Shankaraparane – ragamalika –TBA *** 05. Nagumomu – Abheri – Thyagaraja *** 06. Shanmukhapriya RTP *** 07. Unnai Bharata – Hindolam – TBA *** 08. Azhagiya mayil – Basant Bahar – TBA *** 09. Bhaja mana bhajare – Bhimplas – TBA *** 10. Swarna Gowri Srimahaganapathe – Shloka – Jinjhooti, Punnagavarali, Sindhubhairavi, Natakurinji, Kambhoji, Saveri Kalyani Bhairavi Kamach Kanada Kedaragowla *** 11. Nadabindukala – Jinjhooti – Arunagirinathar *** 12. Bhajore Bhayya – Desh, Mand – Kabir *** 13. Mangalam ***

A Musical Downpour called Madurai Somu

Our blog rasikas have already rejoiced in two full concerts we have posted before, of Vidwan Madurai Somasundaram from the '70s. Simply put, come spring and summer, Mysore waited for Somu, or in other words a downpour. And Mysore is known for its early showers around Ramanavami, showers that cool down the whole town and instil a sense of well-being in people. Like the proverbial peacock whose dance heralds rain, Vidwan Somu invariably brought rain with his music at Parvathi. It was perhaps an example of what Karl Jung called synchronocity, the experience of two or more events, that are apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance, that are observed to occur together in a meaningful manner.

We think the best way to describe Somu's music is to call it a musical downpour. The way rain builds up, from a patter to a drizzle to a downpour and finally a roar. Music that floods our consciousness like an overflowing Cauvery. Momentarily we forget the raga, the song, the tala, and experience the pure joy of musical expression. His voice may be husky, his words may be indistinct, his phrases may be sporadic. Yet the music takes us to a different plane. We experience this at many places in the current concert (1973). We must warn you that the actual downpour (=rain) that day disrupted the recording many times and therefore you get to hear only a truncated version. There are some gems nevertheless. Evarani, Ragasudharasa, and a lovely Kalyani. Both Lalgudi Jayaraman (a bow that stresses its beauteous presence like Mysore jasmine) and Palghat Raghu (what a stamp of emphatic percussion!) have given superb accompaniment in the concert, and Kalyani brings it all together uniquely. Apparently it was Somu's own composition in Kalyani, wrought in Trishra Nadai, full of evocative words to worship the mother goddess: Paradevathe Sowbhagyavathi Maam Pahi Rajarajeshwari Kalyani Surasevithe Sukumari Gowri Aravinda nayani Atmarupini Karakamali Kamani Katyayani Chamundeshwari Amba Chandrakaladhari Sringerivase Vagaeeshwari Shyamakrishnasodari

The Concert Details Madurai Somasundaram ---- Vocal Kazhugumalai Kandaswamy ----- Vocal Support Lalgudi Jayaraman-------Violin Palghat Raghu-------------Mridangam Vinayakram--------Ghatam On April 11, 1973 at Ramanavami Festival, Parvathi. Song List 01-Mahaganesham-Jaganmohini-TBD-I *** 02-Pranavaswaroopa-Triveni-TBD *** 03-Krupajuchutaku-Chayatharangini-Thyagaraja *** 04-Paradevathe-Kalyani-TBD *** 05-Evarani-Devamruthavarshini- Thyagaraja*** 06-Ragasudharasa-Andolika-Thyagaraja *** 07-Raga-Kharaharapriya-I *** 08-Marudamalai-Darbarikanada-TBD *** 09-Bhajore Bhayya-Desh,Mand-Kabir *** 10-Nadabindu-Jinjhuti-Arunagirinathar *** 11-Elloru Varingal -continued *** 12-Rajarajeshwari Stotra-Ragamalika *** 13-Pavamana-Saurashtram-Thyagaraja ***

(I – Incomplete, TBD – to be determined) ( Please Note: The player does not roll over to the next piece of music. You may have to do it manually by clicking the right arrow )

Grapes and Wine – Madurai Somu, Lalgudi Jayaraman and Palghat Raghu

The Biblical story of how Jesus at Cana miraculously turned water into wine was the subject of an essay for Lord Byron when he was a school student. He wrote, revealing his famous romanticism, that “Water saw her Creator and blushed.“ 

 The symbolism of wine for a divine quality that goes beyond normal sensory appeal very aptly applies to music. Especially vintage music from the masters, preserved and cherished by connoisseurs. Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita that as the moon (Soma), he instills the juice into life forms on earth: “puShNAmi cauShadhIh sarvAh sOmO bhUtvA rasAtmakah”. We begin to understand that heavenly intoxicant called Soma. 

That is the same juice that courses through music. We have already mentioned how Somu gave of his best in the inspiring environs of Parvathi. This Parvathi concert of 1971 by Vidwan Madurai Somasundaram in the company of stalwarts Lalgudi Jayaraman and Palghat Raghu is heady vintage stuff. It is said that grapes are sweet, but a culture on their surface ferments them into wine. The culture of Parvathi rasikas surely seems to have helped the great vidwans to render this classic heady fare. 

The first song starts appropriately in “Deva Manohari” and the concert from that start is a feast fit for gods. There is another saying that when it comes to good food and good wine, it's hard to choose: "Food and wine. Decide which is the soloist, which the accompanist." That is precisely the atmosphere in this concert. Both Lalgudi and Raghu have delighted in rising to greater and greater heights on the spur from Somu and the result is an unending flow of fantastic virtuosity. 

We thought of grapes and wine after hearing the extremely sweet sound of the maestro's violin, which draws time and again much appreciation from the master singer. Similarly Raghu's mridangam play is such that the concert throughout is ripping with rhythmic embellishments. The tempo never flags and one can only conjecture the impact it would have had on the fortunate rasikas who heard the concert live. 

The concert has many bright moments but the best are during Kharaharapriya improvisations. Again the RTP in Kambhoji has Somu waxing eloquent, singing “Rama Jayarama Raghurama Ravikula Soma”. The names encompass all the artistes on the stage!

THE CONCERT 

 Madurai Somasundaram ---- Vocal 

Lalgudi Jayaraman ----- Violin 

Palghat Raghu ------- Mridangam 

H.P.Ramachar ------ Khanjira 

at Parvathi on April 5, 1971 

 

Song List

01.Ninnu nammi –varnam – Deva Manohari *** 02. Mahaganesham *** 03. Neelakantha -Kuvalayabharanam – Indira Natesan (?) *** 04. Rama Neepai – Kedaram – Thyagaraja *** 05. Gurulekha yetuvanti – Gowrimanohari- Thyagaraja *** 06. Ninne Nera Nammi- Pantuvarali- Thyagaraja *** 07. Chakkaniraja - Kharaharapriya - Thyagaraja *** 08. Sankarabharane Devi Ragamalika *** 09.O Rama nee namam - Purvi kalyani- Bhadrachala Ramadasa *** 10. Ramanaamamu -Athana – Thyagaraja *** 11. Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi in Kambhoji *** 12. Madu meikkum- Desh *** 13. Enna Kavi Paadi *** 14.Madurayil *** 15. Viruttam *** 16.Bhajo re bhaiyya – Kabir *** 17. Hara hara Shankara *** 18 Tiruppugazh *** 19.

 Ragamalika Mangalam ***

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]