Hemavati traces the life and music of Parasala Ponnamal, who gently broke the glass ceiling, was the first woman to perform at the Navratri Mandapam.
Parasala Ponnamal, who gently broke the glass ceiling, was the first woman to perform at the Navratri Mandapam
The recently released biography of Parasala Ponnamal (Sarovaram Books) sheds light on Hemavati, a Carnatic musician from Kerala who was known outside his native state at the age of only 82. He later received several prestigious awards, which was the capstone of Padma Shri in 2017 at the age of 93.
The authors, Hari Sundar G. and C. Ramakrishnan chose Ponnammal as his subject, admirable in its own right, often written about only the most famous, especially in classical music. It should be noted that most of the book was written when Ponnammal was alive (he passed away on June 22, 2021), and he personally reviewed the Malayalam manuscript. Thus, unlike books written posthumously, the biographical aspects of the book may be considered accurate, requiring reliance on third-party anecdotal accounts. Many of Ponnammal’s accounts have been meticulously recorded, including experiences with other musicians.
Concert of Parsala Ponnamal at Sri Shyama Satri Aradhana Utsav on February 11, 1989. , Photo Credit: Photo: The Hindu Archives
The author introduces the reader to the life of a girl from a conservative family, who was raised in the sleepy town of Parasala, 34 km from Thiruvananthapuram. On the strength of his talent, he made a place in Swathi Tirunal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, the most prestigious institute of Carnatic music in Kerala. Its faculty included Semmanagudi Srinivasa Iyer (whom Bani Ponnammal mainly followed), NV Narayana Bhagavatar, and MA Kalyankrishna Bhagavatar. The authors say that Ponnamal enrolled in the college on the suggestion of the principal Harikasanallur Muttiah Bhagavatar. The book refers to great artists such as Muttiah Bhagavatar, Chembai Vaidyanath Bhagavatar, and GN Balasubramaniam, who appreciate the young girl’s concerts.
In addition to Ponnammal’s familiarity with veena playing, (she learned from KS Narayanaswamy among others), we also understand that she had personally met Papanasam Sivan, and learned many of his compositions from him. He recorded several Ambujam Krishna compositions, which he noted, while Semmanagudi tuned them in his presence.
Ponnammal’s years before and after joining the college faculty, are illustrated along with the various concerts she performed.
Navratri Mandapam Concert
In 2006 at the invitation of Prince Aswati Tirunal Rama Varma, Ponnammal performed at the Navratri Mandapam festival, thus becoming the first woman to perform at the 177-year-old event; Also covered in detail with a photo of the meeting. This unprecedented opportunity made Ponnammal popular. His self-deprecating acceptance and preparation for the occasion are encapsulated, giving readers a picture of a musician’s thought processes, seemingly devoid of pretense.
book cover. , photo credit: special arrangement
The book mentions outdoor concerts that began with KN Sasikiran for Carnatic after his Navratri Mandapam performance (a clip aired by Prince Rama Varma on his YouTube channel), and a tour of America centered around Cleveland adoration. The Sangeet Akademi and the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha also awarded Ponnammal with awards, and PS Narayanaswamy mentions in the book that he should have been recognized earlier.
While the book covers key aspects of Ponnammal’s personal life, the authors put significant effort into detailing his repertoire through extensive interviews of Ponnammal, his students and co-stars, Ragam by Ragam. .
They also mention notable aspects of her singing style and what appears to be an exhaustive list of her co-stars. First-person accounts of students and other longtime collaborators are attached at the end of the book.
People who write biographies do so either because of the popularity of their subject or because of their admiration for the protagonist. Here, the author acknowledges his unbroken devotion to Ponnammal and its music and his long association with it.
The flow of the book is rather steady, perhaps due to the difficult nature of the two authors attempting to mix different manuscripts. Switching between first and third person is confusing at times. Careful proofreading to improve these aspects could have facilitated the overall narrative. However, all can easily be fixed for future reprints, which is clearly a labor of love for music-loving writers.
The author is Kalpalata Fellow for Classical Music Writing for 2022.