Those who won the title include brother and sister, father and son and guru and disciple.
Those who won the title include brother and sister, father and son and guru and disciple.
Unable to hold the much-awaited-December music festival in 2020 and 2021, the Sangeet Akademi recently announced three Sangeet Kalanidhis – vocalist Neyveli Santhanagopalan (2020), mridangist Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam (2021) and violinists Lalgudi Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi (2022). Of. , After two years of pandemic silence, the decision has brought the city’s music scene to life once again, with musicians and musicians already looking forward to this year’s Margazhi festival.
This is also the right time to see some interesting facts related to the award. Semmanagudi Srinivasa Iyer was awarded the title at the age of just 38 (a record). GN Balasubramaniam refused to accept the honor when he was first approached by the Academy. He had said that there are more experienced actors in front of him who should be honoured. He later accepted the title in the year 1958 at the age of 48.
My mentor ML Vasanthakumari was selected for the honor in 1977 when she was 49 years old. I had the privilege of providing vocal backing for his Sangeet Kalanidhi concert, which included a difficult and rare pancha-nadai (five-gated) Pallavi, encouraging me. To sing during nival and vocals. We also presented a melodious and memorable session on Purandaradasar and other Daskoot musicians. In those days, all seasons and sessions were conducted by Sangeet Kalanidhi in the main hall, which used to be full of rasikas.
Veena Dhanammal’s family holds the record for the most number of Kalanidhis – T. Brinda, T. Balasaraswathy (the only dancer to have been awarded this title till date), and T. Viswanathan (flute player and singer). In this context, Bala, as Balasaraswati was referred to, underwent intensive training in music before performing a dance inspired by Mylapore Gauri Ammal.
interactive session
Papanasam Sivan was honored by Rukmini Devi at the Sangeet Academy on 2 January 1972. photo credit: S_KOTHANDARAMAN
Bala’s dance always involved his sudden foray into singing on stage and his interactions with his singer, his mother, T. Jayammal. A kind of sudden jugalbandi unfolded between them, which was complemented by Vishwa (his brother) on the flute and the other players followed suit. Rasikas thronged to see and hear this rare amalgamation of dance and music. If Jayammal adopted the raga kapi for virutham, Bala suddenly walked up to the hanging mic (kept for him) to Hindustani Peelu, prompting Vishva to come up with his swift flourish. Improvisation or Manodharma ruled the stage.
When MS Subbulakshmi was awarded Kalanidhi, I remember the euphoric, beautiful ‘veldhari’ matching pure silk saris for MS and Radha and Vijaya (who accompanied her on stage) designed by Kanchi Muthu Chettiar. Every night, during the annual convention, T. Sathasivam and MS Amma host some well-known people, for delicious food from the Kalki Garden (their home) in the ‘pandal’.
for couple
Earlier the Academy did not award awards to duet musicians. Alathur Srinivasa Iyer (of the Alathur brothers) was the first to receive the title, and after a few years, his brother Subbair received it.
TN Krishnan presenting the award to the Sickle sisters Kunjumani and Neela in 2003. photo credit: T_A_HAFEEZ
In recent years, the flautists Sikal Sisters (Kunjumani and Neela), and the singer Bombay Sisters (C. Saroja and C. Lalita) were selected for the honor with separate medals for both.
Father and son have also been recipients – Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer and his son and disciple Maharajapuram Santhanam. So did siblings, DK Pattammal and his brother and disciple DK Jayaraman (but in different years).
The guru and disciple have also been conferred with the titles: Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar and his disciples KV Narayanaswamy and B. Rajam Iyer; GNB and Disciple MLV and Trichur Ramachandran; and Semmanagudi and disciples TM Thiagarajan and TN Krishnan.
Musicians like TL Venkataram Iyer, Ananthakrishna Sharma (for his pioneering work deciphering Annamacharya literature from copper plates at Tirumala) were musicologists Sangeet Kalanidhi. Musicians Mysore Vasudevchar, Harikesanallur Muttiah Bhagavathar and Papanasam Sivan were also conferred with the title. The first Nagaswaram scholar to receive Sangeeta Kalanidhi was Tiruvizhimazhalai Subramanya Pillai in 1956.
Many singers and instrumentalists have been honored over the years, but some eminent scholars like Nagaswara exponent TN Rajaratnam Pillai and his eminent disciple, Karukurichi Arunachalam, renowned singers MD Ramanathan and Ramnad Krishnan and veena exponent S. Balachander, misses to receive it. ,
The writer is a senior singer and musician from Karnataka.