Tavil Vidwan Coimbatore Ramaswamy

Carnatic Musicians
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cacm
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Joined: 08 Apr 2010, 00:07

Post by cacm »

Coimbatore Ramaswamy who was station artist in AIR, Madras in the fifties & sixties? & accompanied MMI during that period? VKV

Nick H
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Post by Nick H »

Yes, I believe so, Coimbatore N Ramaswamy.

But this is history that I know little about, other members (such as yourself!) will be far more informed.

My guruji's father was Muthukrishnan, who, I believe, taught mridangam at the Government Music College

cacm
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Joined: 08 Apr 2010, 00:07

Post by cacm »

Cimbatore Ramaswamy was a Thavil Artist BEFORE becoming a Mridanga Vidwan & his Laya expertise WAS unique because of that experience perhaps. He was known to be a REAL expert in Layam; Great Artists of the period like MMI, GNB had him as an accompanist tho' PMI& PSP had pretty much demolished any aspiring Mridanga Vidwan at that time.....VKV

Nick H
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Post by Nick H »

My guruji told a story of a Thavil artist who accepted a challenge to learn mridangam in one month.

When our student mouths fell open, guruji said, "Why not? It is not the fingering that is the most difficult thing, it is the understanding --- and he had that already". I don't know if he was speaking of his own teacher.

appu
Posts: 443
Joined: 20 May 2007, 09:46

Post by appu »

I know nothing about him and even less about the tavil. Any rasikas who can educate me on the origin and evolution of the instrument please do so.

Thank you in advance.

knandago2001
Posts: 645
Joined: 05 Sep 2006, 10:09

Post by knandago2001 »

I wasn't aware that he played on the tavil. unless it is a case of mistaken identitiy on my part, he was a mridangam vidwan.

"COIMBATORE N. RAMASWAMI - MRIDANGIST: (b. 1920)
Parents : Natesa Pillai and Mangammal
Born in a musical family, he had his training in tavil under the maestro
Needamangalam Meenakshisundaram Pillai and took to mridangam later
adopting the style of Palani Subramania Pillai. Has given accompaniment to
prominent musicians and has been honoured with the titles Thannumai
Pulavar' and 'Kalaimamani' by the Tondaimandalam Adheenam and the Tamil
Nadu Sangeetha Nataka Sangham respectively."

cacm
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Joined: 08 Apr 2010, 00:07

Post by cacm »

Historically, broadly speaking Tavil is considered to be indigenous to SOUTH esp Tamil Nadu area & the style of what is generally called the Pudukkottai school - Pazhani Subramanya Pillai being an example- & it has lots of complicated calculations(kanakku) + other subtelities. The other major school is Thanjavur style - Palghat Mani Iyer is associated with this style- which actually originally is supposed to have come from Maharastra to Thanjavur court etc. This school has absorbed various influences like Chendai(from Kerala) & other influences. In reality artists like Palghat Raghu & Tiruchi Sankaran have imbibed the best from both schools & now a days when MOST persons are not even aware of the origin of most of the stuff they are playing & names like even PMI& PSP are not well known to practisioners as the innovators of what they are playing....Coimbatore Ramaswamy came from the Thavil background & was an accompanists like MMI & GNB who appreciated his precision as well as his knowledge.....VKV

knandago2001
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Joined: 05 Sep 2006, 10:09

Post by knandago2001 »

Sri. N. Ramaswamy has also played for Smt. T. Brinda's concerts.

cacm
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Joined: 08 Apr 2010, 00:07

Post by cacm »

YES. I was just trying to cover the NUMEROUS & so called "popular" performances. SMT. Brinda was an artist's artist. Only now persons are talking about her greatness. When she was at her peak the audiences that came to her concerts were ones which knew what the " cream de la cream" was & even then there were not that many! VKV

rajanp
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Joined: 19 Nov 2007, 13:39

Post by rajanp »

Aum Gurunathar Thunai
My Guru Sri MNK told me in 1981 that Sri Ramaswamy Pillai was such a ardent disciple of Sri PSP that even during the time when Sri PSP was alive, Sri Ramaswamy would perform GURU POOJA at home for GURU PSP, his guru Bhakti was beyond the norm my guru said.
He was a very great mridangam player and was the stock artiste to T Brinda and T Muktha especially in the days when he was at AIR, i do have many recordings of him as well.
My guru spoke highly of him, close to the time of his passing away, my gurus disciple Sri M V Udayshanker obtained from Sri Ramaswamy mridangam shells made from a very rare striped wood dark in colour that was in 1983, just before Sri M V Udayshanker became Mridangam professor at Tirupathi music college.
I have also some rare photos os Sri Ramaswamy, if someone can tell me how to paste a photo here without using a link to another site.

Aum Gurunathar Thunai

Nick H
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Post by Nick H »

It wold be great to see those photos!

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