Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

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chalanata
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Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 15:55

Post by chalanata »

once TN Rajarathnam pillai happened to visit a place where he heard a distant and melodious nadhaswaram recital. he was inquiring whether someone was playing his gramaphone plate and he was surprised to be informed that it was actually a live recital by the son of the temple 'pandaram'. that is how karukurichi started accompanying TNR and came to lime light. he was actually an 'ekalavya' worshipping the 'drona' TNR.

chalanata
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Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 15:55

Post by chalanata »

i've heard a story about veerusamy pillai. once a nadaswaram genius was sleeping after a booze. when reminded about his concert he it seems said in an irritated voice 'why mahalinga swami will not wait for a genius like me?' it was veerysami pillai who had control over the genius managed to prevail and made him ready for the concert.

kns
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Joined: 07 May 2006, 06:31

Post by kns »

I remember reading in an old vikatan something like Karukurichi and the great thavil vidwan Ragava Pillai died unexpectedly with in days of each other. This is right after performing together for "Theppam" of the famous Thiagaraja swamy temple in Tiruvarur. that was the last performance for both of them.

Can someone comment if this is so?

Narayanan

Sam Swaminathan
Posts: 846
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 08:45

Post by Sam Swaminathan »

kns....you are correct.........immediately after the death of Sri Raghava Pillai, there was a cartoon in Vikatan....there the cartoonist had depicted, Karukurichi standing at the heaven's gate and receiving Sri Raghava Pillai with a huge smile on his face and saying " vanduuteegala" !!! What a place to finish one's career and what a Samarpanam !!!

coolkarni

Post by coolkarni »

http://www.sendspace.com/file/b5o59j

features an amazing Sabhapathikku-Abhogi and also a breathtaking Kalyani (Sivakameswarim) from a Concert.
I keep pinching myself to make sure this is not some kind of hallucination.
can someone confirm that he indeed passed away at the age of 43 , as someone told me ?
Last edited by coolkarni on 30 May 2007, 22:11, edited 1 time in total.

vinayo
Posts: 55
Joined: 16 Feb 2007, 01:21

Post by vinayo »

coolkarni,
Yes KPA passed away when he was at his peak and at an young age of 43 (He was born in 1920). I distinctly remember Radio Ceylon break the (heart breaking news) during its evening popular tramsmission.

emyesbee
Posts: 11
Joined: 30 Oct 2005, 18:50

Post by emyesbee »

Coolkarni sir....can u plzz reupload sabapathikku and the kalyani piece :)

ajit
Posts: 149
Joined: 06 Jul 2005, 02:42

Post by ajit »

I am sorry but I have missed all the audio clips that have been uploaded. Can someone please tell me how I could get them? I am a big fan of Nadhaswaram and I would not like to miss these clips.

thanks,
ajit.
Last edited by ajit on 28 Jun 2007, 23:42, edited 1 time in total.

mahakavi

Post by mahakavi »

>>I would not like to listen to these clips. <<

Yes, you would! I am sure you meant to say "I would like to listen to these clips"

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Post by rajeshnat »

ajit
Look at Post #5 in this thread, thanjavur has already provided the url links for you to download...

ajit
Posts: 149
Joined: 06 Jul 2005, 02:42

Post by ajit »

Thanks. I will check the links. Yes, I meant I would like to listen and not miss these clips.

ajit.

emyesbee
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Joined: 30 Oct 2005, 18:50

Post by emyesbee »

rajeshnat.....thanks for pointing to the fifth post.....:)


That was an interesting read Vinayo and Rajeshnat :)

A.Pitchiah
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Joined: 24 Dec 2007, 16:36

Post by A.Pitchiah »

Hi,

I have posted a message on KPA under TNR. May please read the same.

I happen to be the son - in - law of KPA Mr.Coolkarni is referring to in his posting.

Regards,

A.Pitchiah

A.Pitchiah

A.Pitchiah
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Joined: 24 Dec 2007, 16:36

Post by A.Pitchiah »

I have met KPA's co - artist, KNA, a few times. KNA usually would attend our family functions ( I am one of KPA's sons - in - law). He was there at my marriage too. He confessed to me that he had not touched the instrument after KPA's death. He took to agriculture.

I also understood from him that Nachiarkoil Raghav Pillai too fell sick, perhaps as a strange coincidence and hardly played tavil afterwards; he passed away within a short sapn of time after KPA's death.

varsha
Posts: 1978
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Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by varsha »

Did not find a thread for this Vidwan . Though I remember posting a track or two recently .
In case one exists , I request Mods to merge it with that. Hope to share some delightful recordings here .

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/wkl5m2z ... PA_(9).mp3

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by rajeshnat »

Mods,
Merge this with karukurichi arunachalam . The link is below http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... runachalam .

CRama
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Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by CRama »

varsha, that sathinchane is simply out of the world. Thanks for sharing.

rajeshnat
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by rajeshnat »

yeshprabhu from another post in kutcheri review wrote: At fast speed, it is not possible to sing with either bhakthi or bhaava. Speed and bhaava, or speed and bhakthi, are incompatible.
....
It was at one such concert in the junior slot that I heard Sri Srivatsan singing the unforgettable Nattakurinji alapana.
Nattaikurinji is a raga that has very limited krithis , infact most of the krithis that are sung in usually slower tempo very notably BuddhamasrayAMi (Dikshitar) and manasu vishaya /kuvalaya dhala (both of Thyagaraja) are perhaps my top picks. Certainly I immensely like the slow /medium paced gait of the majestic nattaikurinji

But does that mean krithis donot have bhaava or bhakthi when sung or played fast. As stated by Yesh PRabhu ,Speed and Bhaava OR Speed and Bhakthi being incompatible is a fallacy . It is incompatible if you have say a little slow paced mrudangist who cannot run . As of now when you have say Neyveli Venkatesh, Anantha R Krishnan, Trivandrum Balaji,Arjun Ganesh etal and ofcourse the brilliant mahavidwan Trichy Sankaran you can go speed unlimited with bhaava and bhakthi intact. THere are few who have speed but they also bang 1 out of 2 times atleast and I will keep those names with myself .There are many many mrudangist who donot make it well with speed. The dearth of high quality mrudangist who demonstrate controlled speed with fast fingers and right volume in proportion to vocalist is the problem.

Here is one of the finest nattaikurinji , karaikkurichi Arunachalam is perfect in both speed and slow numbers . Check this swati tirunal rendition in nattaikurinji by Karaikurichi. Roughly a year back in one of the concerts where I asked AKC Natarajan some krithi/raga if that can be played fast, he just called me and said Unakku mandolin srinivas teriyumA , avar eppadi kaiandirukkar , antha kuzhandai vasikkum bOthu antha vegathoda bhAvatha pAthu naangallam bayandirukkOm.(He said DO you know mandolin srinivas, how he has handled , when he was a kid we were all amazed with his speed and got bit frightened with bhavam)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz5JVFD ... u.be&t=635

ram1999
Posts: 534
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 17:20

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by ram1999 »

rajeshnat wrote: 20 Feb 2019, 10:14
yeshprabhu from another post in kutcheri review wrote: At fast speed, it is not possible to sing with either bhakthi or bhaava. Speed and bhaava, or speed and bhakthi, are incompatible.
....
It was at one such concert in the junior slot that I heard Sri Srivatsan singing the unforgettable Nattakurinji alapana.
Nattaikurinji is a raga that has very limited krithis , infact most of the krithis that are sung in usually slower tempo very notably BuddhamasrayAMi (Dikshitar) and manasu vishaya /kuvalaya dhala (both of Thyagaraja) are perhaps my top picks. Certainly I immensely like the slow /medium paced gait of the majestic nattaikurinji

But does that mean krithis donot have bhaava or bhakthi when sung or played fast. As stated by Yesh PRabhu ,Speed and Bhaava OR Speed and Bhakthi being incompatible is a fallacy . It is incompatible if you have say a little slow paced mrudangist who cannot run . As of now when you have say Neyveli Venkatesh, Anantha R Krishnan, Trivandrum Balaji,Arjun Ganesh etal and ofcourse the brilliant mahavidwan Trichy Sankaran you can go speed unlimited with bhaava and bhakthi intact. THere are few who have speed but they also bang 1 out of 2 times atleast and I will keep those names with myself .There are many many mrudangist who donot make it well with speed. The dearth of high quality mrudangist who demonstrate controlled speed with fast fingers and right volume in proportion to vocalist is the problem.

Here is one of the finest nattaikurinji , karaikkurichi Arunachalam is perfect in both speed and slow numbers . Check this swati tirunal rendition in nattaikurinji by Karaikurichi. Roughly a year back in one of the concerts where I asked AKC Natarajan some krithi/raga if that can be played fast, he just called me and said Unakku mandolin srinivas teriyumA , avar eppadi kaiandirukkar , antha kuzhandai vasikkum bOthu antha vegathoda bhAvatha pAthu naangallam bayandirukkOm.(He said DO you know mandolin srinivas, how he has handled , when he was a kid we were all amazed with his speed and got bit frightened with bhavam)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz5JVFD ... u.be&t=635
There is no doubt that speed distorts the bhava. Whilst the speedy music perhaps sounds good for the ears, it definitely is not as beautiful as sung or played in vilambakalam or madhyamakalam. U Srinivas would have played at high speeds in his early days which definitely showed his virtuosity and control over the instrument, however, the music matured with his age. It was mellowed down and more beautiful with reduction in speed.
Of course, artists such as Karikurichi, Mandolin Srinivas etc were all of great calibre who could make anything look beautiful :D

yeshprabhu
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by yeshprabhu »

ram1999 wrote, " There is no doubt that speed distorts the bhava. Whilst the speedy music perhaps sounds good for the ears, it definitely is not as beautiful as sung or played in vilambakalam or madhyamakalam. U Srinivas would have played at high speeds in his early days which definitely showed his virtuosity and control over the instrument, however, the music matured with his age. It was mellowed down and more beautiful with reduction in speed."

I am writing this response after such a long time, because I saw ram1999's comment only today. I had not been accessing this website or reading reviews here in over a year. However, after reading ram1999's comment, I felt I must respond. I agree entirely with what you have written. Speed not only distorts the bhaava, but it destroys bhaava and bhakti. Dr T S Satyavathi, in one of her videos on appreciation of Sri Deekshitar's compositions, said that singing Chetashree Balakrishnam, in Dwijavanti raga, very fast, bestroys bhaava completely. It should be sung in chowka kaala only. At higher speeds the beauty of the composition is lost. Same with Deekshitar's Balagopala in Bhairavi raga. Infact Sri Deekshitar wrote specifically that he composed those kritis to be sung in chowka kaala. I remember asking a rasika who admired fast singing, and also a vocalist who was addicted to singing at excessive speed, "Is there such a thing as saying a fast prayer with bhakti? A fast prayer is no prayer. One must take time while saying a prayer with bhakti."

Yesh Prabhu, Mylapur, Chennai

arasi
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Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by arasi »

In the tamizh literary section of Rasiks.org, in the thread Musical Morsels, Dr. Pasupathy brings us this article penned by one of the illustrious tamizh writers, ku. azhagirisami in Navasakthi, on 8 April 1964. This was published a week after vidvan Karukuruchi Arunachalam left our midst. It was reprinted in Dinamani Kadir in the issue dated December 10th, 2000. I request Dr. Pasupathy to add the original article's link here for those of us who can read tamizh...

Ranganayaki
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by Ranganayaki »

Thank you for this mention today. I had never heard of this vidwan. I’m discovering this on S-Priya.

arasi
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Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by arasi »

Yes, you can read it in the original, Ranganayaki.
My translation follows, for those who cannot read tamizh….

arasi
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by arasi »

This is what Ku. Azhagirisamy, the noteworthy author wrote:

After Sangeetha Chakravarthi Tiruvaduthurai Rajarathinam's demise, his vacated throne was occupied by his disciple Karukurichi Arunachalam. Yes, carnatic music had lost its emperor of nadaswaram, but soon it was evident that his tradition stayed on in the form of his student. It's hard for cinema fans to ever forget Arunachalam's beautiful playing of 'singAra vElanE vA, vA' in the movie 'konjum salangai. As for lovers of carnatic music, every one of his piDis with their cajoling appeal and mellowness are memorable.
In the past ten years, Arunachalam had garnered a lot of accolades in the world of music. He deserved them even in the earlier decade. It took a long while for his greatness to travel north of Madurai until then. More than ten years ago, I read a review written by E.Krishna Iyer, perhaps in Ananda vigadan about his playing. He praised Arunachalam sky high, and deservedly so. Our Arunachalam's concerts are going to happen more and more in Chennai from now on, I thought. Veterans like E. Krishna Iyer are praising his playing, and my happiness was boundless. Soon, his fame would spread all over tamizh nadu, I reveled.
I had known Arunachalam from the time he was eighteen. Karukurichi, in Tirunelveli district is in Ambasamudram taluka. It is a big village and even has a railway station. Relatives from his village live in my village Edasevel near the town Koilpatti and in Kurumalai. He married Edasevel Muthiah Pulavar's youngest daughter Ramalakshmi. That was when Arunachalam was doing gurukulavasam with Rajarathinam in Tiruvaduthurai. After the wedding, the couple stayed in my village for a month.
Since his brother-in-law was my friend and classmate, I had the chance to pay him a visit every day.
A group of us would also go for a walk in the evening with him. I remember his relating in detail a court case which was then going on between Ramalinga Navalar and Ramalinga Adigalar.
Arunachalam had a tuft then. He had such long hair and looked like a young lad. He was very friendly towards all.
He was born in the caste of pulavars who were also called paNDArams. Humble folk of that caste were flower sellers and also performed pujas in Kali temples and those of grama devatas. As the name pulavar denotes, they were well-versed in tamizh. Many were proficient in playing the nadaswaram as well. His wife's older sister too was married to a nadaswaram vidvan from Kurumalai.
Arunachalam's father himself was a nadaswara vidvan.
Several years after his marriage, Arunachalam got a house built in Karukurichi and named it Rajarathina Vilas. His guru graced the gruhapravesam (house warming) by his presence and by playing for the occasion.
Arunachalam and his wife did not have any children for many years. With the accord and help of his wife and her family, he married again. Kurumalai Kandasamy Pillai's daughter it was. It's interesting that soon after getting married, they were feasted at his first wife's parent's house. The whole village welcomed them.

arasi
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by arasi »

Contd in the next page...
Last edited by arasi on 12 Apr 2020, 06:34, edited 1 time in total.

shankarank
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Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by shankarank »

There from @varsha

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27164&p=297967&hili ... al#p297967

If it is 05 - there could be 4 more before that. Since most links dropbox and sendspace must have expired. Here is an unexpired link.

https://archive.org/details/KaraikurchiConcert05


One anecdote about him. I have heard a very senior rasika who hailed from paavoor in that region, tell me once: whenever Thiru aruNAcalam felt hungry , he will say Shanmugam koopidutu (Lord Shanmuga is calling!)

shankarank
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by shankarank »

The Music Academy guest speaker of 2019 sadas, Suresh Krishna quotes his mother Smt. Ambujam Krishna from her notebook of compositions. At his request , she made anecdotes on when and what situations she was inspired to compose. One of them is the vIti ulA (procession of the deity) of PerumAL at Thirukurungudi , a garuDa sevai. She noted that the composition came to her listening to Thiru Karukucci AruNacalam playing for the vIti ulA.

arasi
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by arasi »

Continuing Ku. Azhagirisami's article from last page:

Friendliness was Arunachalam's hallmark. Even in a big crowd he would spot those whom he knew and would take pleasure in conversing with them. Even after the passage of many years, he remembered them. One can find only a handful of such vidvans with humility in tamizhnadu.
Arunachalam had come to give a concert in Chennai in December 1958 at the All India Writers Conference. I was in the hall conversing with ti.ja.ra, Chidambara Subramanian, Sundara Ramaswamy and others when Arunachalam arrived. I had not met him in ten years or so and he was at the acme of fame then. Would he still be as friendly as before, I wondered, but he eagerly walked up to me and spoke warmly to me. I introduced ti.ja.ra and chidambara Subramanian to him. The latter said: After Rajarathinam, you are the one who's playing the instrument like no one else now. When you play, we feel as if we are listening to him.
Arunachalam protested and said repeatedly: oh no, there are many vidvans who can play the nadaswaram much better than I do. To this day, it gives me goosebumps when think about it.
ti.ja.ra had requested him to play the English note that day. What he played was matchless. I hadn't heard even his guru play it that vividly.
Arunachalam sang as beautifully as he played the nadaswaram. While singing, he would pause every now and then, get emotional and say: you should have heard my guru play this! He would marvel at his guru and uphold him as a genius.
To Arunachalam, his guru was his very soul and the god that he bowed to, and the guru had as much love for his student.
Whenever Rajarathinam came to play in and around Tirunelveli, Arunachalam was in attendance. When his guru had another student accompanying him on stage, he would sit at the rear end of the stage and listen.
Before the concert ended, two things happened without fail. His guru would beckon him to come to the front and ask him to massage his tired fingers. Then he would ask Arunachalam to play with him for half an hour. This happened whether the organizers had asked for it or not.
When Rajarathinam Pillai had come to Malaya to perform, I said to him: there's no boundary to the devotion Arunachalam has for you. He laughed and said: that's why he plays so well. He was happy and proud. I added: his vocal music is wonderful too. Rajarathinam said: really? I had no idea!
In 1946, when Arunachalam's brother in law's brother got married, he was there and we asked him to sing. He sang Natabhairavi for nearly one and a half hours. "I would have given vocal performances too, but I was hesitant that my guru might feel that I wouldn't give as much attention to my nadaswaram playing if I took that up," he said.
He had a beautifully sweet voice, the tone of which enhanced it even more. He would employ all sangatis of the nadaswaram in his singing. He handled difficult piDis effortlessly with the richness of his voice and vivid imagination.
Something of a feat only possible for Rajarathinam, Vilathikulam Nallasami Pandian, M.S. Subbulakshmi and a few others.
Whenever his guru played in Koilpatti area, Arunachalam informed us, the friends circle without fail and asked us not to
miss the concert. If he himself had an engagement for which he had to travel through our region, he would find an hour or more to stop by. He would ask us: do you want me to sing? I get the chance to sing rare classical rAgAs to you. In many concerts, the requests are mostly for cinema songs and maguDi...We would take pleaure in asking him to sing rAgAs like Kanakangi, Ratnangi, Vakulabharanam, ramanArAyaNi and such. He would steep us in joy and continue on his journey.
Many such memories of Arunachalam as I knew him as a friend come flooding to me. When I think of his endearing qualities, his demise brings me great sorrow. The music world has lost a treasure in his passing away.
Those of us who moved with him in his younger days feel the loss of a friend of our youth. He possessed precious and great qualities too. Our richesse, one of India's treasure is gone. May his soul rest in peace.








.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by rajeshnat »

Arasi
Great posts. I personally like karaikurichi bit more than some times TNR . There is so much melody and sowkhyam with too much tear in your ears , when sangathis are even fast ones .One of my favourite is Karaikurichi playing huseni with a lovely alapana and an extraordinary sadguru rAMA ninnE krithi in huseni with rapid fire swaras .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IViKFTt-JVY

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

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by Ranganayaki »

I’ve been listening to KA in the last few days, and I’m just happy to have found someone who plays with swara Shuddhi. But I’m not sure I enjoy this style of constant speed. I’m still listening to hear more, though.

I tried to record a “like” on Arasi’s post. I get an error msg. Are others having this experience?
Last edited by Ranganayaki on 13 Apr 2020, 06:15, edited 1 time in total.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9907
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by rajeshnat »

I also got the like error
AJAX ERROR
The routing file "/home/ramsur/rasikas.org/forums/ext/shredder/sitemap/config/routing.yml" contains unsupported keys for "shredder_sitemap_controller": "pattern". Expected one of: "resource", "type", "prefix", "path", "host", "schemes", "methods", "defaults", "requirements", "options", "condition", "controller".

Mods
Please fix

arasi
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Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by arasi »

Rajesh,
Though several of our old musicians were known to be disciples who worshipped their gurus, as I was translating, I thought of Madurai Somu.. As I skimmed through the thread on him, which ends(for the moment) with Lalitharam's impressive work on him, many other posts caught my attention. One of our valuable senior members, dear departed Venkatakailasam has brought us countless pieces here andso many on his blog-- has a post where he mentions Somu's singing often his composition in Abheri about SIva and Vishnu, and also of his own devotion to his guru. Of course, many of the posts there speak of his ardor...



shanks
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Joined: 25 May 2006, 22:03

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by shanks »





parivadini
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Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 22:44

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by parivadini »

If it was physically possible - I will meet each one of you and share this story in person.

For now, here is the link (In Tamil):

https://solvanam.com/2021/03/14/%e0%ae% ... %e0%ae%be/

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by CRama »

LALITHARAM, the story was very touching. Thanks a lot.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by rajeshnat »

Lalitharam
Reading what you wrote in #64 appears like a story that appears in films . But it is a true anecdote. Music is all about having a scarcity to start with . Shri vembu had the scarcity. If there is maniyachi, kadayanallur and other hamlets are the rasikas base , just see then at that era . For some one to earn say close to 1000 bucks is equivalent to may be 7 lakh rupees as of now . I know in 1950s to 1960s one ground of land in porur or valasarawakkam or ambatur was just few thousands then.

But right now how many have an inclination to hear even once Karaikurichi to hear the depth of Carnatic music . What a musician was Karaikurichi , his huseni always rings my ears when i heard for the first time .

As usual your post in #64 was well written and it appears too good to be true.

parivadini
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Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 22:44

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by parivadini »

Rajesh: I heard this story during my recent trip in search of the maestro.

First part of the travelogue can be read here: https://solvanam.com/2021/03/14/%e0%ae% ... %e0%ae%bf/

RSR
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Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by RSR »

just a story - nothing more. Would be good if the lqst para is removed.
It is such additions , which over time, become 'history' while being just myths born out of a writer's imagination.
Janakiraman , the writer would never have passed it off as real incident.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Karaikurchi Arunachalam

Post by rajeshnat »

Lalitharam,
I know for sure that you have done due diligence . If i did Sound i was questioning i was not. RSR may have a different opinion . The last para is indeed a great gesture for a true artist to reciprocate with a true rasika. Shri Vembu financials was easily guessed by Karaikurichi and after he came to know he reciprocated and only revealed by action. Neither the artist or the rasika indulged in empty talk.

For many in that era , CM indeed was very deep in their psyche that too with zero globalization distraction. Once I heard from some rasika in madras about 15 years back , he said to me that in a congress meeting in 1950s or 1960s, karaikurichi was slated to play in that Congress Meeting where Jawaharlal Nehru made a remark saying the crowd has come to hear karaikurchi (Have you heard this you are deep may be you already know that share that anecdote) .

In my era through the forum and anecdotes of many in this forum and sangeetham.com .For eg Tanjore Ananda lodge Kittappa for GNB Music etc. Once i talked with Arusuvai Natarajan for his adulation of Madurai Somu .Even our own VK Viswanathan Sir had the same love for Madurai Mani. Karaikurchi was in the near same anthasthu as GNB or MMI or even MS Subhalakshmi but this era being different not many will relate Karaikurchi as much as GNB, MMI or MS Amma etc .

It is nice for you to bring in these anecdotes. keep writing and share more.

parivadini
Posts: 1190
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 22:44

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam

Post by parivadini »

rajeshnat wrote: 17 Mar 2021, 15:53 Lalitharam,
I know for sure that you have done due diligence . If i did Sound i was questioning i was not. RSR may have a different opinion . The last para is indeed a great gesture for a true artist to reciprocate with a true rasika. Shri Vembu financials was easily guessed by Karaikurichi and after he came to know he reciprocated and only revealed by action. Neither the artist or the rasika indulged in empty talk.

For many in that era , CM indeed was very deep in their psyche that too with zero globalization distraction. Once I heard from some rasika in madras about 15 years back , he said to me that in a congress meeting in 1950s or 1960s, karaikurichi was slated to play in that Congress Meeting where Jawaharlal Nehru made a remark saying the crowd has come to hear karaikurchi (Have you heard this you are deep may be you already know that share that anecdote) .

In my era through the forum and anecdotes of many in this forum and sangeetham.com .For eg Tanjore Ananda lodge Kittappa for GNB Music etc. Once i talked with Arusuvai Natarajan for his adulation of Madurai Somu .Even our own VK Viswanathan Sir had the same love for Madurai Mani. Karaikurchi was in the near same anthasthu as GNB or MMI or even MS Subhalakshmi but this era being different not many will relate Karaikurchi as much as GNB, MMI or MS Amma etc .

It is nice for you to bring in these anecdotes. keep writing and share more.
Rajesh: What you say is indeed true. This anecdote is already recorded in a magazine decades ago and is laso documented in a documentary movie produced in the nineties. Karukuruchi family in Tirunelveli were kind enough to share them with me during my recent trip.

On the Nehru remark: Karukurichi was closely associated with Congress (He chose to wear only Khadi from the 1950s - he had played in several inaugural public functions including the famous 1955 Avadi Congress). In the post-independence years, there was a time when Nehru was the chief guest for 3/4 events within a span of few weeks in which Karukuruchi Arunachalam was to play a concert. Nehru has remarked that, "I know that this huge crowd is gathered not to listen to me but to listen to Karukuruchi Arunachalam."

I do understand that the rasikas who turn ecstatic about Nehru's remark on MSS that he is just a Prime Minister in front of the melody queen would find it difficult to digest that the then Prime Minister would have showered such compliments on the maestro.

On rasikas taking the extra step - I do think such people exist even today. I have been a beneficiary of such benevolence - despite me being just a curious rasika (and not a performer).

RSR
Posts: 3427
Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by RSR »

p-70
----
Mr.'PARIVAADHINI'- You may not know that I am an admirer of your values and activities. and am a regular reader of your writings since varalaaru com days. I like your style of thamizh writing. Also, I share your admiration of Naagaswaram players. and steps that you are taking to promote it. I am all admiration and respect for your efforts to help indigent artistes through your trust.
That said, as a writer occasionally given to hype, imitating Janakiraman in style, ( I have read ALL his writings even from the days when they were serialized) , I do feel that you are crossing the line. -- sensationalism stuff.
-----
I am revolted by your outburst in your post which you had the good sense to remove. My posts are not meant for currying favour with anybody. ' Do not have pent up emotions'. Pipe down
Atleast , I lived in those years from 1945 to 1965 with sensitivity to political , literary and cultural/ spiritual environment of those decades.
Hype is the worst enemy of admiring any person.
Your 'story' in 'solvanam' is ok as a story.. but the incident of Vembu Iyer selling his wife's 'thaali' to raise funds is a bit too much . And how could the Vidwan get to know and arrange to return it? Sounds like a figment of imagination . Seriously, you cannot expect everyone to verify things. Not worth it. Just add a disclaimer that it is a story .
Gandhiji is said to have remarked about Jawaharlal Nehru that people throng Nehru's meetings just to look at him though they may not understand his speech and message atall.
Such hyped stories are irritating. and unrelated to serious appreciation. Just because, certain stories had appeared in magazines , or even books, they do not become facts. Nor do they really matter much.
My remark was not about Kaarukurichi Arunaachalam but about the last line in your story.
Smt.MS you may not know, was much more than a musician. She had very advanced political views as well , not known to many. She differed with the politics of Rajaji in later years. which she had revealed in an interview with Mr. V.Srinivasan. ( not her grandson).


As you are very much young- around 45 if I am not mistaken, you are just relying on second-hand reports and reminiscences.

parivadini
Posts: 1190
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 22:44

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by parivadini »

RSR - I agree with the "crossing the line" part in your post. Thankfully we have a ignore option. I am going to use that option for your posts. Feel free to use yours (May be - I shouldn't advise you as you have been there and done that. My apologies!) This will be my last response on this subject.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9907
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by rajeshnat »

RSR wrote: 17 Mar 2021, 17:07 Hype is the worst enemy of admiring any person.
Your 'story' in 'solvanam' is ok as a story.. but the incident of Vembu Iyer selling his wife's 'thaali' to raise funds is a bit too much . And how could the Vidwan get to know and arrange to return it? Sounds like a figment of imagination . Seriously, you cannot expect everyone to verify things. Not worth it. Just add a disclaimer that it is a story .
RSR,
1. Anecdotes of 1950s picked up by a guy Lalitharam who is born may be late 1970s or early 1980s is itself rare that too on a forgottten subset of nadaswaram is indeed very very rare.

2. He has taken all pains to document some layman (Mr Vembu)who sells POli in a small town but wishes deep inside to associate the great karaikurichi to play in his small home town.

3. He gives another writeup to state additionally all the information that Mrs Vembu gives thali which as per you , you donot have problem

Till that you believe no qualms for you

4. What you dont believe is Karaikurichi knowing that incident has gone possibly to the pawn broker to get back Mrs Vembu's thaali and gives back the thaali at the end of his concert . Karakurichi has not revealed how he got it and all this incident just happened and all of them moved on with their daily lives.

Only #4 , you donot believe . It is ok for you not to believe it . Keep it either 99 1 or 50 50.It is an anecdote where lalitharam also has given photos , digged archives and found out as best he could . The key is as best as he could . There is no way even if a billion dollars is given to Lalitharam he can bring proof.

All these questioning we can do it for any anecdotes comparing to possibly many reel stories and there is no fact checking . We can apply to any anecdotes from 1940s till say backtrack to 1700s .

It all boils down to you knowing bit more about lalitharam and his credentials over the period of few decades. He takes time , collates and puts all that he knows and shares even those photos who shared who are mostly in their 80 plus in age who are all spread mostly in rural tamilnadu . You can just take it or leave it . I can for sure say If it is falsehood and if lalitharam knows bit later , he will be the first person to write that and redact it. Period.

parivadini
Posts: 1190
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 22:44

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by parivadini »

Thavil Maestro Thanjavur Govindarajan's reminiscences on Karukuruchi Arunachalam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joEXEemiO10

Pasupathy
Posts: 7868
Joined: 26 Jan 2013, 19:01

Re: Karaikurchi Arunachalam - KalpanAteetha Music

Post by Pasupathy »

Here's Tamil writer Ku.Azagirisami's article ( in Tamil ) which Arasi had translated last year.( i read her request to me to give this link , only now.)
http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2020/04/1512-225.html

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