Madurai Mani Iyer

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 30 May 2009, 18:14

link to latangi RTP

http://sangeethamshare.org/gvr/Concerts ... atangi.mp3

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 30 May 2009, 19:07

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 30 May 2009, 19:37

My pleasure. Beautiful opening phrases soulful and Latangi written all over it. In fact the entire concert is simply superb. A very good charukesi too.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 30 May 2009, 20:15

Agreed. That is one hell of a latAngi (and concert as well).

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 30 May 2009, 20:27

link to kalyani RTP in 2 parts

http://www.mediafire.com/file/jnmiaxm2xjm
http://www.mediafire.com/file/kqzyamyj02q

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 31 May 2009, 08:20

bilahari-RTP in Kanada was enjoyable. It appears Govindaswamy Naicker on the Violin.
The RTP in Keeravani was also very enjoyable. In the ragamalika swarams Kanada is sung, it's just SUPERB Kanada swarams. What Soukhyam. Lalgudi has added further beauty and MMI appreciating his kanada is also very enjoyable.

Finally, My 5o years old memory has revived two treasures.
Thank U very much gmohan for providing the links to the requested RTPs in Kalyani & Lathangi.
By the by, Lathangi & kalyani are sisters with a dhaivatham in difference.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 31 May 2009, 10:04

gmohan- I request u'r Search Engine to UNEARTH another Kalyani RTP(MMI) - "undarushanam kaddaikimo nataRaja- dhayAnidhe"

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 31 May 2009, 10:42

VSM, will upload and give you the link

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 31 May 2009, 11:04

VSM, uploaded Kalyani RTP to Mediafire

http://www.mediafire.com/file/eww0yybmyno

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 31 May 2009, 15:51

gmohan - THANK U VERY MUCH. Totally enjoyed the RTP.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 31 May 2009, 18:30

Dear Mnjunath ,
I am surprised to note that MMI had sung Lathangi RTP starating with the Pallavi " Raja Mathangi " I am only familiar with his Pallavi " Thenparamgiri Velane " . This is news to me. Can U give me a link ?
Do U know that he had sung a superb RTP in Shanmugapriya with the Pallavi " Rama Govinda Mukunda Murare"
in Ayodya Mandapam on 1-4-1964? This was scintillating and I listened to it almost eveyday for one month in March 2008. Part of this RTP was played in Feb'09 in a function arranged by Sri VKV at Chennai in honour of the great singer!
balummi

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 31 May 2009, 21:57

Balummi wrote:Dear Mnjunath ,
I am surprised to note that MMI had sung Lathangi RTP starating with the Pallavi " Raja Mathangi " I am only familiar with his Pallavi " Thenparamgiri Velane " . This is news to me. Can U give me a link ?
Do U know that he had sung a superb RTP in Shanmugapriya with the Pallavi " Rama Govinda Mukunda Murare"
in Ayodya Mandapam on 1-4-1964? This was scintillating and I listened to it almost eveyday for one month in March 2008. Part of this RTP was played in Feb'09 in a function arranged by Sri VKV at Chennai in honour of the great singer!
balummi

I thank Balummi for his reference to the2nd ANNUAL MMI REMEBERANCE function held in Chennai. I wish to say in advance that every year we hope to have a similar function (it will be in JAN in Chennai) in 2010 also with emphasis on different aspects of MMI & HIS LIFE AS WELL AS MUSIC.
I request ANYONE with any ideas to share it in this forum or write me at vkv43034@yahoo.com We intend coming up with a multi-media book during 2012 for his 100th anniversary. Several persons like Yessel Narasimhan, Vishnuprasad are also involved. Obviously we are in touch with all WELL KNOWN & key persons like Balummi & others so we can come up with the BEST we can in trying to cover the life,career & assessments of a TRULY GREAT& VISIONARY GENIUS LIKE MMI......VKV

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 31 May 2009, 22:29

Incidentally, balummi/vkv sir, is there ANY video of MMI singing?

divakar · Post by **divakar** » 31 May 2009, 22:41

so good to listen to RTP - Latangi...
as coolkarniji says... so very right.. cant guess if anyone can sing this way..
listened to it many times before, but in the context, i listened to it again.. super.. TNK was very good too.

just how great this man is (MMI), just one phrase (few swarams) is enough to know the raaga..sometimes just one swaram is enough for a knowledgeable one to get to know the raaga.. possessor of extraordinary creative ability to hand down anything in simple terms.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 01 Jun 2009, 01:41

bilahari wrote:Incidentally, balummi/vkv sir, is there ANY video of MMI singing?

I, VISHNUPRASAD & BALUMMI(he&V.P. work together) among others have chased down JUST one video- actually a 16mm film made in Calcutta for ever& ever peractically. Finally I found the original which was totally FUNGUS disintegrated to the point of disintegration; I have spent 10 years working on restoring fungus affected tapes etc (with a friend Vijayakumar who likes to be anonymous) but this one could not be saved.....A tragedy indeed as those who have not physically attended a MMI concert WILL NOT be able to realise the full impact of MMI; There is in tamil an expression "MEYMARANDU " & thats the closest in any language I know of how to describe a MMI concert; If one has heard him without the aid of Microphone, public address system the only way to describe is to refer one to the ultimate MUSICAL DESCRIPTION by GOPALAKRISHNA BHARATHIAR of Nandanar seeing the Gopuram at Chidambaram! I am glad at least the voice has been preserved & the ones who have heard him & known him are FINALLY expressing themselves. VKV

annamalai · Post by **annamalai** » 03 Jun 2009, 23:26

Any recordings of Madurai Mani Iyer concerts accompanied by Palghat Raghu on Mridangam ?

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 04 Jun 2009, 07:59

annamalai wrote:Any recordings of Madurai Mani Iyer concerts accompanied by Palghat Raghu on Mridangam ?

I have one which says raghu but I have to locate it & make sure it is really raghu! Will look for it but am quite tied up right now. vkv

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 04 Jun 2009, 15:00

Dear Annamalai ,
I have a recording of MMI with Lalgudi & Raghu . It is only a portion of a concert mainly containing RTP - Mohanam , Ka va Va , Veyuru Tholi etc.
balummi

birminghamKrishnan · Post by **birminghamKrishnan** » 10 Jun 2009, 18:47

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/06/10/stor ... 180100.htm
Please check out Shri TVG's, memories about MMI and his kutcheries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BF72HCe7fM
Prince Rama Varma gives samples of the Madurai Mani Iyer bani of music (shankarabharanam) which he loves so much.

tkpradha · Post by **tkpradha** » 17 Jun 2009, 08:55

Anyone who refers to our great Madurai Mani Iyer will immediately talk about the swift swaraprastharams n his speedy renditions, which will make anyone to get into a very happy mood.

But a rendition of "Koluvamaragadha" (Thodi) by him in the accompaniment of Lalgudi n Palghat Mani will give totally a different picture of him. The neravl in "Thambura chegoni gunamula..." is nothing but a meditation. For about 14 minutes he sang the neraval only in "keezhkaalam" out of total 17 minutes neraval, rich in bhaavam, taking us to a meditative world. Equally good is Lalgudi and Mani Iyer's Mridangam adds to the meditative mood.

Each time we listen to this, different dimensions of bhava or feeling we get. It is simply superb n very different from all other renditions of our great Madurai Mani Iyer.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 17 Jun 2009, 09:00

Pl do provide Audio link for the benefit of rasikas.

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 17 Jun 2009, 09:06

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG34HGwWhCU

The very tempo is magical!

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 17 Jun 2009, 14:11

I have also started listening to this " Koluvamaragatha " frequently and

it is simply ecstatic! Thank U tkpradha

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 17 Jun 2009, 19:28

everytime mention is made of mmi's greatness, i remember however many times he has rendered Sarasamukhi in gowdamalhar each time his swarams for the same has been different and provide a charm of its own. I heard in person one such version of Sarasamukhi in malleswaram sangeetha sabha, Bangore kutcheri in 1958 accompanied by Govindaswami naicker , Murugabupathy and Alangudi Ramachandran. At one point suddenly Murugabupathy also resonates on the mridangam to the swaram and before a hilarious laughter from the rasikas dies down Alangudi also responds to amidst renewed laughter!

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 17 Jun 2009, 19:55

infact Madurai Mani along with the accompaniments joined in that laughter at that instant!

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 17 Jun 2009, 22:03

tkpradha wrote:Anyone who refers to our great Madurai Mani Iyer will immediately talk about the swift swaraprastharams n his speedy renditions, which will make anyone to get into a very happy mood.

But a rendition of "Koluvamaragadha" (Thodi) by him in the accompaniment of Lalgudi n Palghat Mani will give totally a different picture of him. The neravl in "Thambura chegoni gunamula..." is nothing but a meditation. For about 14 minutes he sang the neraval only in "keezhkaalam" out of total 17 minutes neraval, rich in bhaavam, taking us to a meditative world. Equally good is Lalgudi and Mani Iyer's Mridangam adds to the meditative mood.

Each time we listen to this, different dimensions of bhava or feeling we get. It is simply superb n very different from all other renditions of our great Madurai Mani Iyer.

YOU have indeed captured the gretness of MMI! VKV

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 17 Jun 2009, 22:05

kapali wrote:everytime mention is made of mmi's greatness, i remember however many times he has rendered Sarasamukhi in gowdamalhar each time his swarams for the same has been different and provide a charm of its own. I heard in person one such version of Sarasamukhi in malleswaram sangeetha sabha, Bangore kutcheri in 1958 accompanied by Govindaswami naicker , Murugabupathy and Alangudi Ramachandran. At one point suddenly Murugabupathy also resonates on the mridangam to the swaram and before a hilarious laughter from the rasikas dies down Alangudi also responds to amidst renewed laughter!

GREAT& SO AUTHENTIC TOO! PL WRITE MORE OF YOUR RECOLLECTIONS./ VKV

matterwaves · Post by **matterwaves** » 18 Jun 2009, 13:32

http://www.sangeethamshare.org/sripathy ... /Concert1/
The link above has a out of the world MMI kambodhi Pallavi with Lalgudi. He seems to be in sublime form. Im wondering if rest of this concert is uploaded somewhere.

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 18 Jun 2009, 15:33

MMI is always in sublime form =), I have never heard him out of form!

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 18 Jun 2009, 17:20

I and some of my family associates still possess MMI's above Sarasamukhi recording and also a short but soulful Sukhi evarro from the same cocert but in audio cassette retrieved from the reel tape.These have not been uploaded as the concerned persons having these are aged in the late seventies or 80's and so belong to the non computer saavy group! An excellent Ravichandrika item(with detailed alapanaand superb swaram and Lalgudi accompaniment)---Niravadhi Sugadha -AIR Bangalore relay from Mysore Ramanavami festival is also available among others inreel/audio cassette form.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 18 Jun 2009, 17:38

Dear kapali,
I am having a truncated Malleswaram Concert of MMI - with
sarasamuki . Sogasu Chooda , Niravathi Sugatha & Note with lalgudi
The full concert is not available . these pieces are available with me in digital form uploaded by somebody from bangalore about 2 years ago.
Are U refering to this concert ? Pl. give me some lead to get the full concert. Spool tapes can be digitalised in no time . Recently I have digitalised some 10 concerts of MMI from Mr.Hari of Bombay in a week's time. The problem is I have not so far uploaded any music
and I do not know the technic.

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 18 Jun 2009, 20:33

dear Balumni,

The MMMI with Lalgudi concert of Niravathi Sugatha,followed by Sogasu Chooda with a short Sarasamukhi which i have heard is AIR ,BANGALORE 1 hour relay of open air Ramanavami festival concert at Prasanna Rama mandiram at Mysore in the early sixties. You can hear birds chirping in the background as it was open air concert.The swarams for Sogau Chooda both by MMI and Lalgudi was superb and probably cannot again be excelled!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 18 Jun 2009, 21:18

Is there any recording of shri madurai mani iyer with UKS or palakkAd raghu in mrudangam ?

sankirnam · Post by **sankirnam** » 19 Jun 2009, 06:06

Not sure about Raghu sir, but there are several recordings of MMI with UKS sir floating around. One of my favorites is an AIR concert with TNK and UKS sir, in which MMI sings Sarojadalanetri as main piece, the mood is completely different from other concerts of MMI.

Another good one is one with LGJ and UKS sir, with Sukhi Evvaro as main piece, in the thani for that, UKS sir builds up the farens portion to such a pitch as nobody else can, and the audience spontaneously bursts into applause in the middle!

tkpradha · Post by **tkpradha** » 19 Jun 2009, 08:37

vs_manjunath wrote:Pl do provide Audio link for the benefit of rasikas.

I have the audio of "Koluvamaragadha" in digitised form but I don't know how to upload the same.

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 19 Jun 2009, 08:51

MMI and a number of situations were responsible for my initiation in carnatic music. I've blogged about how it all started - http://shripathi.com/2006/06/08/carnati ... l-started/
http://shripathi.com/2006/07/17/carnati ... ed-part-2/

tkpradha · Post by **tkpradha** » 19 Jun 2009, 13:38

shripathi_g wrote:MMI and a number of situations were responsible for my initiation in carnatic music. I've blogged about how it all started - http://shripathi.com/2006/06/08/carnati ... l-started/
http://shripathi.com/2006/07/17/carnati ... ed-part-2/

Indeed, what Mr. Shripathi told his correct. That "Madhisekaran Maganae" yaaraithaan mayakaadhu ? Adhai munu munukkaadha vaayum dhaan undo ? (Sometimes only the native tongue gives out the exact expression of feelings). Yaar endha mano nilaiyil irundhaalum, indha paatai kettaa, udanae, kudhoogalam koppulichundu odi vandhudum, manasukkullaa. Our great Madurai Mani Iyer oru Mandhiravaadhi dhaan, nammalai yellaam katti pottu vaechirukkira oru Mandhiravaadhi......

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 19 Jun 2009, 14:55

Talking of MMI's Sankarabaranam , The neraval " Kori Vachina in Srojadala , "Badari Vananda" in Akshayalinga, "Ethanayo Pirvi" in Thookia Thiruvadi simply take U to very great ecstatic heights
It has to be experiened and can never be explained! in words as Sanjay Subramaniam explained in his website. I want each & every music lover should experiece it as I am now. With great sigh I have to leave the disussion now due to obvious reasons. Thank U all

chetants · Post by **chetants** » 27 Jun 2009, 01:37

Does anyone possess Sri MMI's Himagiri Tanaye in Sudha Dhanyasi composed by his Guru Sri Muthaiah Bagavathar? Most of us have already heard Sri GNB's rendition of this masterpiece with MSG and CSM. In fact, I have read somewhere that Sri HMB had commented that he had composed this only for GNB!.

I have heard from my brother-in-law that Sri MMI's rendition is also equally good but could not come across this so far. Sri GNB and Sri MMI being mutual admirers of each other, was wondering how Sri MMI would have rendered it in his own unique way.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 28 Jun 2009, 14:08

Regarding the relationship between GNB & MMI , Sri GNB refused, I was told , to accept 'Sangeetha Kalanidhi' award citing the reason that MMI had still not got it in 1958! Politics should not play in the most coveted award. Let the award be given to MMI and being junior (Though senior in age) , let me receive it the next year . The academy people approached MMI and on his repeated requests Sri GNB accepted it with the assurance that MMI would be given the award the next year. Sri Ariyakudi while speaking on the occasion of the award giving ceremony to Sri MMI in 1959, chided the Academy people and said that Mani should hae been honoured some 10 years earlier. The irony was that the award itself was initiated
by Sri Muthiah Bhagavathar, MMI's Guru!
Talking of Himagiri thanaye , I had not heard it from MMI , as I had the privilege of attending atleast 50 concerts of him. He was almost a grandfather to me, when I used to be with him after the college hours , and he used to sing almost all the prevailing(that I know of) kritis with ease and he never sang them in concerts!

chetants · Post by **chetants** » 29 Jun 2009, 19:49

Thanks Balummi Sir for those interesting anecdotes as well as for the clarification. Now I need to catch hold of my BIL. Its like having smelt the aroma of nice hot dosais when one is hungry, but still being made to wait with an empty plate

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 30 Jun 2009, 13:47

I don't understand BIL . I am ready to provide Onion Rava Dosai with Sambar ( Lalgudi Sir) & Chatny( Palghat Mani Sir or ......) for free. But people like only Lolly Pups & Fast foods . I do not know how to go about.

tkpradha · Post by **tkpradha** » 02 Jul 2009, 17:27

Balummi wrote:I don't understand BIL . I am ready to provide Onion Rava Dosai with Sambar ( Lalgudi Sir) & Chatny( Palghat Mani Sir or ......) for free. But people like only Lolly Pups & Fast foods . I do not know how to go about.

BIL = Brother-In-Law

cpblog · Post by **cpblog** » 10 Jul 2009, 00:22

Rasikas,

There is an audio posted of a brilliant rendering by MMI with Chowdiah-Shivaraman-Vembu Iyer-Seshgiri Das at

http://chowdaiahandparvati.blogspot.com/

from the fifty years of performances by Vidwans at a house called "Parvathi" in Mysore. We are still sifting through reams of music. There is also a speech (if you understand Kannada) eulogizing the Vidwans in that concert.

If you enjoyed this piece or the few others posted please send a feedback to the email provided in the blog.

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 10 Jul 2009, 20:02

Does anyone have a digital version of the MMI/TNK/VR concert that features 1) tatva mariya tarama 2) suryamoorthe 3) O Jagadamba 4) Nijamarmamulanu 5) Vijayambike 6) cetashri 7) subramanyena rakshitoham 8) tiruvadi caranam 9) vinayakuni valenu 10) thaye yasoda 11) tatva meruga tarama 12) RTP - Shanmukhapriya. I haven't able to locate this on sangeethapriya.

Even though the mridangist in this concert is listed as Ramabadran sir (and "confimed" by many sources), somehow I can't reconcile to that - I feel it is Pazhani (a "side-by-side" comparison of krithi # 4 and krithi # 10 of a Ramabadran sir concert and this concert will tell the difference - the style seems so different!!). Unfortunately my audio tape doesn't have the thani in it

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 10 Jul 2009, 21:20

Davalangi, voila:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9bfc05
MMI TNK VR(?) Bangalore 1966
This is a really lovely concert. But mine doesn't have the thani either.

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 10 Jul 2009, 21:53

Bilahari - Thanks much!!

Yes, a very nice concert! The vijayanagari alapanai is incredible - the measured way in which he sings it is an absolute delight! Similarly the build up of the swarams in umabharanam is brilliant

Not to mention the neraval in tiruvadi caranam and thaye yasoda......too bad the thani has been edited out

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 10 Jul 2009, 22:43

If the year 1966 is correct it cannot be pazhani.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 11 Jul 2009, 13:36

Dear davalangi ,
In my version of the 1966 concert with the same accompanists ( TNK & Ramabadran) , the concert was held in Calcutta!. the compositions sung by MMI is in the same order as mentioned by you. The recording quality is excellent and it was digitalised by me in 2004 and all MMI fans here in Chennai are having it! Some feel the concert was held in Mayuram. I was with MMI frequently during this period (1962 to 1968) and I very much in doubt that he was carried to either Bangalore or Calcutta or even Mayuram . I was witness to his being carried to the concert platforms in Chennai, in a small chair either by Sri Vembu Iyer or by TVS in 1965.

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 11 Jul 2009, 20:41

I happened to find that my son-in- law was in possesion of exactly the same audio cassete recording when i first visited him in Boston in 1998, he still has it and the title in his handwriting reads------"MMI, TNK, Ramabadran, Viladri, Mayuram-1963( He does not remember from whom and how he got it) while my late brother seems to have been in possesion in Bombay in 1993 of the exactly the same recording of the second portion of the concert (though, no titles was written on the audio cassete except MMI)FEATURING SONG NOS 8,9,10,11,12, though he was ALSO unaware of how he came to be in possesion of it. I am not surprised that like me Bilahari has also been captivated by MMI`s Vijayanagiri alapana with its touching sangathis. Incidentally the thani is preserved in these recordings.