Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Remembering musicians of the recent past
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harimau
Posts: 1819
Joined: 06 Feb 2007, 21:43

Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by harimau »

It is with profound regret that I place on record the death early this morning of Sri R Krishnaswamy, Secretary of Narada Gana Sabha.

cienu
Posts: 2387
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 11:40

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by cienu »

Heartfelt condolences to the family.
Sri R Krishnaswamy was an ardent patron of arts and a wonderful human being. We will all miss his guiding presence.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by rajeshnat »

Great great loss, an extraordinary sabha patron and advocate by profession. We both have talked personally, lot to write. His love is just not for music but for drama , dance etal. He is a gifted speaker. Sincere condolences.
http://www.mylaporetimes.com/2015/03/na ... sses-away/

mahavishnu
Posts: 3341
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:56

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by mahavishnu »

Sincere condolences.

thanjavooran
Posts: 2972
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by thanjavooran »

Heartfelt condolences !
Thanjavooran
19 03 2015

Ramasubramanian M.K
Posts: 1226
Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Condolences!! He was a great organizer and was a good friend of my late father--they used to "bounce" off ideas off each other--despite its proximity to the giant institution the Music Academy NGS--thanks to RK--was an equally powerful "magnet" for music lovers. He encouraged many young musicians,arranged the dance seminars like Natya Arangam--more importantly a great Institution-Builder--he may have ruffled "feathers" as he used to acknowledge to my father but they were all necessitated by a singular motto--Institutions have to be bigger and inclusive and yet not dominated by the whims and fancies of individual artistes however popular they may be.

Like the late Yegnaraman of KGS,and Srinivasan of MFA,he was instrumental in making listening to CM affordable thro his judicious management of sponsorships and patrons without compromising the Institutions.

He was a successful lawyer and contributor to magazines like Thuglak and juggled all the responsibilities with aplomb!!

Condolences to the family.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by rajeshnat »

Indeed RK sir was a pillar of strength and wisdom.
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 035617.ece

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by rajeshnat »

Invaluable service - write up from charukesi
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 035616.ece

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by rajeshnat »

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Tribute to Shri R krishnaswami of NGS from Rajesh
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If you listen/see to a lot of CM ,Drama and dance in chennai ,one sabha that kept pushing continous openings for many artists is indeed Narada Gana sabha. Few recollections that I only had with Late Shri Krishnaswami of NGS.

# In late 80's and 90's I saw him for the first time in late 80's ,where once prior to me writing my 12th standard exams , i had a chance to hear an emotive outpouring of Swami Haridoss Giri in NGS main hall where he gave a short introduction. One particular time I heard him speaking in raw thamizh about a Cho ramaswamy drama , I just learned many years later that he and Cho were classmates. i thought he gave lovely anecdotes and his words were measured but indeed razor sharp . My mind etched with NGS atleast then and I formed an impresssion that he was possibly a great speaker and more importantly that NGS is a great sabha - it is just worth it for me to travel away from nungambakkam and tnagar to taste few options in alwarpet - mylapore area. Looking back that move to go away from where you stay to possibly where there is more content has indeed rubbed on. For the next five years not much participation in any activity in chennai.

# In 95 Dec season , I had an opportunity to go to few NGS main concerts , I donot recall seeing him .

# In 2003 or 2005 , I started going bit more to NGS mini halls and for many many concerts he usually comes bit late and stays . The crowd texture of NGS main season evening is very very different from a NGS Mini season/non season evening and morning - generally the halls will be half full, where I used to notice him generally looking at crowd - I am assuming it was a cursory count of rasikas in his head that turns out as a parameter for him to push artist to main hall. If you kind of extrapolate over the years and looking at NGS slots , NGS has one main parameter called crowd and that dictates most of the slots - to an extent a lovely parameter - period.

# There was a symposium in 2006. Our Forum star Kulkarni was invited to participate in the group discussion with Sriram Parasuram ,NGS krishnaswami, Sulochana pattabhiraman , PS Narayanaswamy and few more. Kulkarni started bit late in communicating his views but it was a discussion that went without a clear agenda and it was all over the place - ranging from importance of diction, sabha slots, artists professionalism . In all that Krishnaswami spoke wonderfully - his communication was in english kind of realized then that he was as good in english as he was in thamizh. I remember during open house Q&A

Rajesh Question:
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On Sabha side problem statement:
I gave an example that since there is too much of concerts that too with established artists,can a vidwan select one sabha 1 this year/exclude sabha 2 this year and select sabha 2 next year/exclude sabha 1 next year . In that process will the vidwan's not be victimized by the sabhas???

R Krishaswami answer:
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Since I directed that question to Shri Krishnaswamy of NGS . His answer was definitely somewhat convincing and I liked his openness.He talked about that they have a group called Federation of Sabhas and he told once he had tried what I said where they clubbed artists and spread it in sabhas and even emoluments to the vidwans were hiked and clubbed. But somehow the sabhas which have the artists excluded for that year, give an award and ask that artist to sing them in the concert.The whole federation breaks .


# Once I liked his narration on Papanasam sivan , such lucid words . That was the time I was just beginning to think papanasam sivan is a uttama vaggeyakkara , that particular day I think papanasam sivan's daughter Rukmini Ramani talked and prior to that Krishnaswamy talked . His presentation with "content" is immaculate and there was no overselling or over praising at all. For most part he mixing a liberal dose of thamizh and english was perfect .That thanglish is my personality and that is what suits me . Bit overdrive in either of one language and showing off quotes of "urupadAda english or meandering thamizh" is not right for me. I particularly liked his explanation of sivan then how he keeps iterating in many cases to get a perfect krithi, little quote of upanishad or vedantam just a sprinkle , the touch points of vintage thamizh cinema and a liberal praise of sivan's daughter Rukmini Ramani and Late Neela ramamurthy in notating Sivan's songs.

# Then around 2007 or 2008 I went to day long NGS sammelan or Pazhani subramania pillai day where there was an hour and half break where he just sat next to me in NGS mini and he himself talked with me . I just asked him the history of NGS . He told the hardships that he had to face in 80's and how the sabha rivalry and few key individuals tried to put a case and not allow NGS to be constructed . Most importanly towards the end , there were litigations on FSI and inadequacy of parking raised by those who are in the 1 to 2 km radius . There were enough hurdles and blocks and few did not want the sabha to be built. It appeared his professional practice as an advocate indeed helped the cause and I told him unga tirunelveli buddisAli thanam (the intellect side of his) indeed helped that.


# Around 2009 or 2010 ,the complexion of NGS in dec season changed . The main hall was not rented in mornings or afternoons . With he knowing me I went and asked him why you are not giving main halls of NGS and only keeping two back to back concerts in NGS evenings. There were viewpoints from my side to pursue NGS main slots to be opened in morning and afternoon but Every point was not well received by him - but there were situations like two lawyers talking and presenting different viewpoints . He always welcomes debate and there was no puffed up attitude as though he is running a big sabha . The last time I talked to him was when i heard an abhishek raghuram concert and asked him bit later after few days when I met him in NGS bit later as to why he is given just two hours .The usual response was it was already 9pm and that is why he had to wrap - another round of two viewpoints was bit on . Overall between me and him there was more talks and we kind of became friends . Few occassions he smiled at me from distance and I had no inclination to talk with him as he was with other artists or vips.

Who is now runing NGS?
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I remember reading in an obituary few months back where Krishnaswamy has two sons . I am not sure who is now heading the NGS sabha. Certainly not easy for any one to take his legacy which was shaped by courtesy, communication, encouragement,to a great extent fair mindedness, and above all a lot of street smartness. (Attn Harimau do you know who is heading the NGS now)


Few Great articles
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There have been few good articles that came up and also another blog those links are just added for your reference.

http://veeraam.blogspot.com/2015/03/r.html

http://srutimag.blogspot.com/2015/03/r- ... ayaka.html


In short:
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In short he has indeed shaped cultural landscape of chennai . While all the other sabhas did have a longer legacy ranging from 50 to 100 + years , NGS is just around 30 years or so . The balance of drama, dance and music was always there and certainly we all owe a lot to R krishnaswamy Sir .

I (?We) will miss you Sir .

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by arasi »

A good Eulogy to a man who shaped Chennai's musical scene in all his years of active service to the arts he loved.

He was there to speak kindly of my first CD. You were there too, but only later, for the concert of Sumitra Nitin.

Ranganayaki
Posts: 1760
Joined: 02 Jan 2011, 06:23

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by Ranganayaki »

A nice tribute, with so many anecdotes presenting so many facets of this gentleman's personality. It seems he had a thoughtful, hands-on approach to the events in his sabha, and he sounds approachable, open-minded and courteous - rare qualities ? Obviously he touched you deeply...

Ramasubramanian M.K
Posts: 1226
Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33

Re: Sri R Krishnaswamy, RIP

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Rajesh: Nice fitting eulogy--with MA and MFA literally within a stone's throw from NGS,there were several voices asking where there is a need to have aNOTHER Sabha--RK steadfastly went about his dream,without trying to "pontificate" as to how NGS is going to fill the "void" created by the older institutions !!

Most importantly his contribution to the Dance scene in Chennai--a la Natya Arangam-cannot be overstated.
He was one of the speakers @ my late father's 90th Birthday in 2003 and" dwelt" on my father's Tirunelveli connection(pride b y association!!!)more than his other contributions(he was a staunch Tirunelveliyan amidst a horde of Tanjoreans!!!!

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