Madras Lalithangi

Carnatic Musicians
Post Reply
Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Madras Lalithangi

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

.
Gajavadana beduve - Purandara Dasa
https://youtu.be/QwkH76hQSEE

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »


Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

.
Adhrishtam Vandhittavudan - 78 rpm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvtk9SeqfHs

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

.
Thillai Darisanam - Gopalakrishna Bharati
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IibVMCTCopM

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

.
The-Indian-Listener (7th October 1943) mentions the following under the AIR TRICHY programme details of 26th October 1943 :-

8.0 LALITHANGI AND VASANTAKUMARI * Nidaya - Vesasta Bhairavi; Innamum – Keervani

----------

When this was broadcast, Lalithangi was aged 33, and MLV 15 !

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

.
Found this information in an auction site :

ODEON made in Germany 78 rpm recording of Tamil Song CHITTARANJANA DAS (Asaveri) on one side and PAINGOTTU MALAR PUNNAI THEVARAM PUNNAGAVARALI on the other side. Both songs are sung by MISS LALITHANGI (Madras) Record Ref No.A 243056a/b.

-------

1) Tamil Song CHITTARANJANA DAS (Asaveri) :
When Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, freedom fighter and poet, died in 1925, Lalithangi sang this elegy.
2) PAINGOTTU MALAR PUNNAI THEVARAM PUNNAGAVARALI
This Tevaram song by Thirugnanasambandar is in praise of Lord Shiva of Shenkattankudi.

Lalithangi was 15 years old when this was recorded !

Pratyaksham Bala
Posts: 4164
Joined: 21 May 2010, 16:57

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Pratyaksham Bala »

.
Madras Lalithangi
Extracts from the scholarly article
“How Purandara Dasa came to Madras”
by Sri Sriram V



“Madras Lalithangi made a mark for herself in the field of carnatic music in her time and was a pioneer of sorts. Her song, ‘Sudantira Deepam' in raga Kalyani is probably the first nationalist song in Tamil to be released as a gramophone plate. When Chittaranjan Das, the freedom fighter, passed away, she recorded an elegy.

Born in 1910, Madras Lalithangi was adopted by Perumalkoil Narayanamma, a devadasi who resided in the Chengam Bazar area in George Town, Madras. As was customary in a family dedicated to the arts, the child was given music lessons from a variety of gurus such as Coimbatore Thayi, Padam Pattabhiramayya, Fiddle Subba Rao and the redoubtable Veena Dhanammal. By the time she was in her teens she had become a vocalist of repute.

In the early twenties many women singers lived in the George Town area and one of them was Tiruvarur Rajayi. Kootanur Ayyaswami Iyer, a man who was known for his large repertoire of the works of Tyagaraja, but who could not make a mark as a vocalist came to teach Rajayi. Ayyar and Lalithangi met in the house of Rajayi. He began teaching Lalithangi too and soon they were drawn to each other and tied the knot in the mid-1920s.

Vasanthakumari was born in 1928 to this couple. There was an impromptu music performance by the great vocalist Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer during the cradle ceremony of the child. Young Vasanthi was taught music at home, even as she was sent to the Good Shepherd's Convent for formal education. This was short-lived. Lalithangi's frequent asthmatic attacks curtailed her concert opportunities and consequently her income. Her husband took to giving music lessons to children of affluent families.

One such family was that of Dr U Rama Rao, a physician who lived in Thambu Chetty Street. He was a prominent member of Madras society, who became President of the Legislative Council. He was also the founding President of the Music Academy. In 1935, Narasimha Dasa, a member of the Dasa Kootta or sect to which Purandara Dasa had belonged, visited him. The Dasa had a repertoire of the songs of Purandara and other saints. Dr Rao invited Lalithangi and Ayyar to listen to the rendition of these pieces. Lalithangi was so taken up with them that she convinced the Dasa to stay on in Madras and teach her whatever he knew. The process took over a year and by the time he left, the Dasa had taught Lalithangi more than 200 songs.

With his departure Lalithangi became the resident expert in Purandara Dasa kritis. Music critics such as Kalki Krishnamurthy were all praise for her. Encouraged, Lalithangi took on the ambitious project of publishing the songs of Purandara Dasa with notation. But money was scarce. The Second World War saw Madras being evacuated and many of Ayyar's music students had left the city. Concerts were difficult to come by. Undaunted, the couple enlisted the help of R Rangaramanuja Iyengar, an English teacher and musicologist who lived in Egmore and who was an ardent champion of musical causes.

On many evenings, Ayyar, Lalithangi and Vasanthakumari, would walk all the way from their 108, Anna Pillai Street residence to Egmore, not having the money to hire a horse carriage or rickshaw. Ayyar sold his family lands to raise money for the book and Rangaramanuja Iyengar got Kasturi Srinivasan of The Hindu to supply paper free of cost. The book, Purandara Mani Mala, put together by Lalithangi and Vasanthakumari, was finally released on October 10, 1941 and was the first Tamil publication of Purandara Dasa's works.

Earlier in the same year, both mother and daughter traveled to Bangalore where Lalithangi was scheduled to give a concert. She came down with an asthmatic attack and her daughter was asked to perform in her place. Young Vasanthi had no choice but to agree.

The publicity handbills, which mentioned Madras Lalithangi, were altered to read Madras Lalithangi Vasanthakumari and thus a star was born. As for the mother? Madras Lalithangi enjoyed her daughter's growing success in films and on the concert platform. She lived to see the family shift from the narrow George Town to spacious Edward Elliots Road (Radha Krishnan Salai) and there she passed away in the 1950s.

Today, the book of Purandara Dasa kritis and a few 78 rpms are all that remain to speak of Ganakalabhooshani Madras Lalithangi, the musician. But if Purandara Dasa songs retain their popularity in Tamil Nadu, it's mostly due to this artiste's efforts.”

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Ponbhairavi »

The publication ofthe book Purandara dasar kruthies and a few 78 rpm by madras Lalithangi have of course played a major role in helping musicians to learn the compositions
But many of these kruthies were already in vogue in oral tradition in Tamilnadu thanks to the pracheena sampradaya bhajanai .Sri marudanallur sadguru swamigal , a couple of centuriesback , has travelled through various parts of our country and was acquainted with the various forms of popular worship prevalent in those regions.He codified a bhajanai padhdathi incorporating the compositions of various Saints . It was a national integration by bhakthi tradition.Called sampradaya bhajana utsava padhdathi, thisstarts with thodayamangalam by vijayagopalas wamy, followed by guru vandhanam of Bodhendral Sridhara Ayyaval.then we find the ashtapathies of jayadevar (set to carnatic music ragas ),tharangam by Narayana theerthar, compositions of badrachalaRamadasar, PURANDHARA DASAR ,Sadasiva brahmendral Thyagaraja,oothukadu venkatakavi,Gopalakrishna bharathy, in a sequential order.It Should Be also noted that in his padhdathi, Sadguruswamigal has provided appropriate slots to Meerabai,Kabirdas,Tulsidas, tamil siddhars, and marathi ABHANG.
The role of bhajanai sampradaya, and harikatha is undeniable in the preservation , propagation and perpetuation of the musical compositions of Saints and Sadhus in bhakthi cult by oral tradition.
To the question as to how Purandara dasar came to madras, the first answer is by bhajanai sampradayam and harikatha, may be smaller in number but deeper in bhava. But How they have been taken to concert platform is definitely through the works of madras LalithangiM L.V and their disciples.
Similarly,this year,s sangeetha kalanidhi designate and the Ra Ga sisters are instrumental in taking the marathi ABHANG(Namadevar and Thukkaram ) on to the concert platform but they have been already in vogue in bhajanai and Unchavrithi since centuries back
Th e Purandaradasar compositions as well as the Abhangs Are in praise of the Lord Vittal of Pandarpur(north of karnataka and south of maharashtra..

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

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by RSR »

Ponbhairavi wrote: 24 Sep 2018, 21:57
The role of bhajanai sampradaya, and harikatha is undeniable in the preservation , propagation and perpetuation of the musical compositions of Saints and Sadhus in bhakthi cult by oral tradition.
To the question as to how Purandara dasar came to madras, the first answer is by bhajanai sampradayam and harikatha, may be smaller in number but deeper in bhava. But How they have been taken to concert platform is definitely through the works of madras LalithangiM L.V and their disciples.
Similarly,this year,s sangeetha kalanidhi designate and the Ra Ga sisters are instrumental in taking the marathi ABHANG(Namadevar and Thukkaram ) on to the concert platform but they have been already in vogue in bhajanai and Unchavrithi since centuries back
Th e Purandaradasar compositions as well as the Abhangs Are in praise of the Lord Vittal of Pandarpur(north of karnataka and south of maharashtra.
.

Wonderful post Prof.
Thank you.

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Madras Lalithangi

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Thanks Rajesh,RSR ,P.Bala

Post Reply