S.G.Kittappa, a very great singer and drama actor

[gobilalitha]

Here is a sample of S.G.Kittappa'ssong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBedNF7dzxA

[thanjavooran]

Shri Gobilalitha Avl,
Many thanx for the link. Andholika is very nice. My uncle once told me that he used to commence singing from the green room itself with the assistance of his brother S.G Kasi iyer on foot bellows, sothat entire audiance can hear his voice, imagine those days no proper mike facilities were available. No doubt a great vidwan.

Thanjavooran 07 02 2011

[venkatakailasam]

To quote P. V. Subramaniam (Subbudu), "...The late S. G. Kittappa, for many years the lone star of the Tamil stage had for an accompaniment his brother, Shri S. G. Kasi Iyer, on the Harmonium. His rich, sonorous and pliable voice could be matched by notes which could be coaxed only out of the Harmonium. All other instruments were unequal to the vocal challenge. To dismiss Kittappa as a stage singer would be doing injustice both to his music and to his artistic genius. It is said that the great composer Gayaka-sikamani Muthia Bagavatar used to test his own competence with Kittappa's vocal chords. The flashes of musical variations with which Kittappa illuminated Karnatak music compositions, classical, semi-classical and light, attracted admiration and emulation by great stalwarts like Violin Govindaswamy Pillai, Nadaswaram Rajaratnam Pillai and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. These masters were regular first-nighters at his stage shows.
I have some collection of his songs at mediafire.



S.G.Kittappa- Geetharthamu~கீதார்தமு~ ராகம்~சுருட்டி
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOInk943TnQ

venkatakailasam

[rajeshnat]

For me this kOdaiyillE ilaipaatri(especially the start of ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ pantuvarAli and kApi segment) is the most defining number of his , I came to know about this when suryaprakash sang this few years back . This Kittappa number is just out of the world open throated singing, vocal honesty at its best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bjnj7AZorQ

[gobilalitha]

ThANKS, Rajeshnat.I felt very happy to meet you along with my son at ChennaiTHERE WAS YET ANOTHER SINGER , Bhavani Sambamurthi who starred in the movie 'Dakshayagnyam'(Tamil movie) who used to sing in high pitch in his melodious voice. The song in raaga maand ' unnale anro ullam maghizhnden' in that movie was a fantastic one. I have not been able to get an audio or video . i have posted about it once or twice in our forum .Not able to get it, In the early forties AIR Trichy used to broadcast it gobilalitha

[venkatakailasam]

MEMORABLE TAMIL MOVIES-
Chandragupta Chanakya(1940)

STARCAST

Bhavani K. Sambamurthy N. C. Vasanthakokilam Brihadambal T. K. Kalyanam S. S. Kokko, P. Saradambal

http://www.hindu.com/cp/2009/05/08/stor ... 371600.htm

Read at http://www.galatta.com/community/blog_e ... ry_id=5767

[smala]

Your best bet might be emailing or contacting RandorGuy of the Hindu who writes weekly on films and history in The Hindu.

He has already written on Chandragupta Chanakya (1940) starring Bhavani Sambamurthy and N.C. Vasanthakokilam (link below).

http://www.hindu.com/cp/2009/05/08/stor ... 371600.htm

[venkatakailasam]

It happens to be the same link given above!

venkatakailasam

[smala]

It happens to be the same link given above!

venkatakailasam

So what? Posts were made at the same time!

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

Folks: The few snippets that are floating around the You Tube and other media forums DO NoT DO adequate justice to SGK's genius. How much he was respected (and even feared that he might take the concert stage!!) by his peers at that time --SSI,GNB, TNR etc--an anecdote:

Once I asked Semmangudi Mama (this was in the early 2000's--a couple of years before he died in 2003) WHAT he thought of SGK-- he told me that he and other musicians would sneak around attending his dramas and his exact words were "Engal Vaithile Puliyai Karaikkum Avan Padinal( our stomachs would churn with fear as to what would happen to us if he were to seriously pursue the concert circuit.

I have over 25 of his discs recorded on cassettes--not good quality but my sycophantic ears have learnt to filter out the hisses and noises!!(our family had it once upon a time-- my maternal grandfather--not much knowledgeable about music had bought all of his records in the late twenties and early thirties(he died in 1935 @ 28 --dying of liver cirrhosis due to excess of alcohol(part of the justification was that he needed the boost for his all-night dramas where he had to repeat the songs more than once by Popular demand-- and even songs that did not belong in the particular play.

My own musical appreciation was very much enhanced by listening to SGK--my favorite "demo" before bemused artists we used to host in our home was the Kodayile- Rajeshnat is right on the money for his observation of the Panthuvarali and the Themmangu sangathi in the Bilahari bit(medayile urukindra)

Oh I could write a thesis on SGK-- his Elloraiyum Polave in Suddhasaveri is a mini clinic on Suddha saveri-(especially the line Jadai Therindu Kollal vendum with a slight pause after therindu)-Mahasukritha Rupa Sundari(staring with Kapi and forays into melodic scales that would not fit into any raga but could still be a delectable feast!!) Deva Amuda Mozhiyale in Yamun Kalyani is a classic so is the kambodhi piece Nee Bhajana Gana-- some of them might seem too pedestrian and primitive in the modern era but if you carefully scrutinise it you will notice the Lakshyam bursting forth like a torrent--he combined the Brigas with fast Gamagams and made it Janaranjakam--

so much to write--lots of SGK trivia if forumites are interested!!!!!

[veeyens3]

And his favourite entrance song was evarani" in raga called natachintamani? in those days and starting with anupallavi

[smala]

...so much to write--lots of SGK trivia if forumites are interested!!!!!..

Please do so. There will be interest, I'm sure. Also, if you can upload the old music you have as mp3 - that would be a prize.

[gobilalitha]

Thanks to Sri MKR for his elaborate post about S.G.Kittappa. I started this thread since I found that many of the present day generation do not know any thing about great musicians of the past with my limited titbits of facts about . Happy that many knowledgeable members have posted about him GOBILALITHA.
I also request members for information about BHAVANI SAMBAMURTHY

[rajeshnat]

Mods
Can we move this thread , to vidwans and vidushis and just name as S G Kitappa