Prominent personalities who are CM rasikas

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 15 Feb 2009, 14:57

The thread on music training for IAS officers prompted the following question:
Who are some of the prominent (non-music) personalities who are also CM rasikas?

A few names come to mind:
- last Governor General of India and former CM of Madras C Rajagopalachari
- former president Dr S Radhakrishnan
- former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
- former president R Venkataraman
- the late Malayalam film director G Aravindan

It would be of some interest to learn about more such rasikas. Such people do have a significant influence on a large number of people.

Are the following sportspeople CM rasikas?
- chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand
- cricket players Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman

And how about the following:
- Infosys chairman Narayanamurthy
- Home Minister P Chidambaram

musicfan_4201 · Post by **musicfan_4201** » 15 Feb 2009, 15:46

Sri Sai Baba, Kanchi Sankaracharyas, TN Seshan, Nalli ..... Chetty are few that comes to my mind.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 15 Feb 2009, 16:13

At least 50% of the south indian middle class over the age of 60 is into CM to some extent or the other! So there should be several prominent personalities in the list. Anyway some names that struck me as interesting:

Khushwant Singh (!!)
CV Raman
Indira Nooyi (related to Aruna Sairam)
Ramachandra Guha (claims he is more into HM)
Rajmohan Gandhi
SM Krishna
Ramanathan Krishnan
Raja Ramanna
Mike Marqusee

I am not sure any of the sportsmen mentioned are into CM. Vishy Anand maybe...Srikkanth once claimed to have had a habit of singing Bhairavi during his (in)famous walks to and from the crease!

In his speech at the Academy, NRN claimed that he had some knowledge of CM but he is more in western classical. PC - no idea.

I am sure there are many more.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 15 Feb 2009, 17:23

few cricketers:
s.venkataraghavan- I once heard him talk about CM when he was invited as a chief guest in an old hindi film songs concert.
gundappa vishwanath - there was a mention sometime before that he listens to flute mAli

few politician(s) and public personalities:
durai murugan - minister now is a big patron of CM ,
karunAnidhi - CM
ms swaminAthan - noted green revolution agriculture scientist.
RM veerappan - ex minister

Few film stars:
vivek - the comedian
Late nAgesh - another comedian

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 15 Feb 2009, 18:39

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 15 Feb 2009, 19:58

Yes, I saw B.S.Chandrasekhar in couple of concerts in Bangalore!!! Didn't know karunanidhi hears CM... Kanimozhi - his daughter was reported attending few concerts though...

-hari

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 15 Feb 2009, 21:00

I did see Kanimozhi once when I went for a concert in Music Academy. She was quite a good lady. Not demanding attention like some people. She just came quietly and sat down in a corner. She heard for about 20 mins and left. Seemed to be a nice person.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 15 Feb 2009, 22:02

Ms. Kanimozhi, IIRC is/was a student of Smt Padmavathi (LGJ's sister, and guru of Smt. Jayanti Kumaresh).

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 15 Feb 2009, 22:03

Surprised that Karunanidhi listens to CM...

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 15 Feb 2009, 23:02

rshankar wrote:Ms. Kanimozhi, IIRC is/was a student of Smt Padmavathi (LGJ's sister, and guru of Smt. Jayanti Kumaresh).

Also a former student of Kalpakam teacher.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Feb 2009, 23:04

Mu Ka hails from the Isai vELaalar family. He practised Nadaswaram as a young boy!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Feb 2009, 23:23

I read that Kanimozhi was a student of Kalpagam Swaminathan and there was also a picture of them (Hindu? Saw it in Rasikas?). She was seen at Sanjay's concerts during the season.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 16 Feb 2009, 06:17

Mu. Ka. hails from tirukkuvaLi, near TIRUVARUR.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Feb 2009, 07:26

Since the list includes (late) personages, let me add:
Pt. Javaharlal Nehru
and
Mahatma Gandhiji
(who were kept spell bound by our Queen of Music MS..)

sindhupriya · Post by **sindhupriya** » 16 Feb 2009, 08:52

Cho. Ramasamy, Kathadi Ramamurthy, Radhu (playwright), Sujatha (writer)

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 16 Feb 2009, 09:01

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 16 Feb 2009, 09:09

Nehru's tribute to Smt MSS, I am only the PrimeMInister, you are the queen of music. gobilalitha.

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 16 Feb 2009, 09:13

How can we forget OUR OWN RajeeKrishnan(Arasi), A PROLIFIC WRITER. GOBILALITHA

kadambam · Post by **kadambam** » 16 Feb 2009, 09:49

Interesting topic.....

Seems like there is no concrete proof that Mu Ka is a carnatic fan(especially with anti-Brahmin views)
Late MGR was a carnatic fan, he was even related to the legendary Papanasam Sivan.

Ramaprasad · Post by **Ramaprasad** » 16 Feb 2009, 09:56

Shri Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan, former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations (student of Musri)

Dr. Raja Ramanna, Nuclear Physicist

rajumds · Post by **rajumds** » 16 Feb 2009, 10:23

J Jayalalitha

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 16 Feb 2009, 10:42

kamal hassan sometimes seems to show interest in the carnatic style. once he was talkign about varali. but enjoys a hyperbole of people. once balamurali told that he would like to sit with kamal hassan and do a concert . at times, balamurali speaks erratic also

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 16 Feb 2009, 10:53

rajeshnat wrote: karunAnidhi - CM

Yes. I have heard that muka used to attend late kunnakkuDi vaidyanAtan's violin kutcheri's at tamil isai sangam. I think this was mentioned in nayyanDi darbAr or some program like that.

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 16 Feb 2009, 10:53

I might have some interesting MGR anecdotes to share from a very senior IAS friend of mine, now retired, who served both in the planning commission as well as the TN state government.

Apparently, MGR was a great CM rasika and his favorite vocalist was KVN. So this gentlemen used to provide MGR with casettes of KVN recorded from AIR archives through an inside contact. Among other favorites of MGR were MSS, SSI, LGJ and PMI. Impeccable taste, one might say !!

When the Bharathiar centenary was celebrated in 1982 in Ettyapuram, the autocratic and whimsical MGR declared that a great violinist known to all of us, perhaps the greatest in Carnatic history and certainly my favorite (although not so much his solos), should perform in the inaugural concert. It turned out that the violinist in question had a prior engagement on the same day in Bombay. Try telling that to MGR, huh !! In any event, the Bombay folks were assured that the violinist would be flown there at state expense on any other mutually convenient date, and he was on for the Ettyapuram engagement. As it turned out, the great violinist made an outstanding Bharathiar-oriented presentation, and MGR stayed for the whole thing immersed in the music.

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 16 Feb 2009, 10:57

Uday_Shankar wrote: As it turned out, the great violinist made an outstanding Bharathiar-oriented presentation, and MGR stayed for the whole thing immersed in the music.

Uday: Is there a recording available?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Feb 2009, 12:18

Gobilalitha is swept over by abimAnam and rasikAs spirit (thanks for your enthusiasm, GB), but prolific writer I am not and I am the least known of scribes

Prattler rasikA, yes--high up on the list for sheer quantity of posts.
Mods, please remove GB's post. I don't belong with the above mentioned. Gosh!

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 16 Feb 2009, 15:15

Other prominent rasikas:
- RK Narayan
- Shabana Azmi (?)
(she 'sings' a Carnatic song in a recent movie)

How about Srinivasa Ramanujan, that mathematical genius from India? It seems maths and CM have a direct relationship at the brain level.

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 16 Feb 2009, 15:41

how about chalanata?!!!

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 16 Feb 2009, 16:21

chalanata ,If there is a heading'prominent persons with the names of raagas ', yourself,bilahari. kaapi etc(all forumites) will qualify. similarly,personalities(not prominent) writing in the name of women,I will qualify. gobilalitha

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 16 Feb 2009, 17:28

Who knows Chalanata may be a prominent personality behind an obscure handle!

Ragam Taalam - did she sing it or was it playback...if it was just a soundtrack in a film she acted in, I don't think it qualifies! If RK Narayan is in, I suppose RK Laxman is as well

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 16 Feb 2009, 18:23

Shabana did learn CM for some time prior to acting in Rajiv Menon's Morning Raga.

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 16 Feb 2009, 18:56

Vijay, it was playback singer of course (I think Bombay Jayashree). Which is why I said Shabana 'sings' in the movie. Being the kind of consummate actor she is, I thought she may also have picked up an interest in CM.

G Aravindan, a great director of Malayalam movies, was a big fan of MDR. So much so he named his house 'Kedaram'.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Feb 2009, 19:33

arasi
I would very much like to oblige your request but am too scared lest some of the members (CML hate club

)will pounce on me like a tiger for interfering with their Freedom of Expression! Certainly my weak heart cannot stand yet another sermon from Arun

On the other hand, you are genuinely a wonderful writer (published or not (since I have read..and waiting to read more)). Your language and style are reminiscent of 'kalki'/dEvan/(and at times RK Narayan). In fact in my opinion you are a better scribe than a poet

In short you are indeed a kuDatthuL iTTa viLakku (a lamp lighted and hidden under a bushel!)

kadambam · Post by **kadambam** » 16 Feb 2009, 19:49

If Shabana took some vocal class for acting in the film, then that shows that she is a professional actress. Had she continued the vocal class after the film was made then that would confirm her interest in CM.

Film Personalities
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Nedumudi Venu
Vinu Chakravarthy
Janakaraj(seen him at the academy few times)
Rajiv Menon
K Balachander
Y G Mahendran

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Feb 2009, 19:59

Mon ami,
There are more CML fan club members on the forum than you can imagine--not forgetting Arun

Sometimes, even when we get carried away with an idea or two, the common bond we have among us is unaltered. In those impassioned exchanges of ideas, our responses show a kaleidoscope of expressions--some which we sometimes wish we hadn't given vent to! I still feel that such exchanges get aggravated because some who are new among us either take our exchanges literally, or cannot figure out the spirit that binds us which makes us boldly say certain things and express ourselves the way we do, as members in a healthy family do, joking around.
A collection of my tamizh poems came out in December and I got some positive responses to it from a handful of those who have cared to read the book. I will send you a copy as soon as I get home. No big bang, just a whimper. Still, I think you will like them. After all, we belong to a MAS (mutual admiration society) as well! Thank you for the confidence you have in me and for caring

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Feb 2009, 20:11

bien dit!
Ceux qui ne peuvent pas digÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â©rer humour devrait mieux mourir de faim

Merci

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Feb 2009, 20:16

Let me now add
yehudi menuhin and the Beatles (though primarily fans of HM)
Queen Elizabeth II as well as U Thaant (a la Ms's UN/Edinborough concerts)
(This should provoke folks to think of Western afficianados of CM..)

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Feb 2009, 23:01

John MCLaughlin, a super fan of CM...

money · Post by **money** » 16 Feb 2009, 23:04

Rangarajan, the former Reserve Bank governor.
I have heard that Mu Ka is actually a good rasika of BMK.
Ilayaraja.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 16 Feb 2009, 23:57

...and Todd Michel McComb who maintains the Mutthusvami Dikshitar Compositions site...
(Of course John Higgins is one of us as is our beloved Nick

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 17 Feb 2009, 05:02

Todd is hardly a prominent personality but just a Westerner or non-Indian who enjoys CM. There are many other non-Indians and academics who love Carnatic music.

vganesh · Post by **vganesh** » 17 Feb 2009, 12:15

Good ! I am slowly digesting the fact that I am rubbing shoulders with some of the greats (Arasi Madam

) I only belong to the admiring class not the MAS

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Feb 2009, 16:30

Ganesh,
When it comes to rasikAs, some of them on the forum are formidable in their knowledge of music--I am at elementary school level. Then think of all the vidvans and vidushis who are members of the forum!
IN the field of writing, I am small fry, if at all. Don't be carried away by MAS utterings.The admiring class that you say you belong to is valuable commodity. The MSS (mud slinging society) is what one has to be wary of

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 17 Feb 2009, 16:39

How ungrateful are we to forget our own CM LOVER, a prominent person , a very efficient moderator skilfully managing 5000 members of different mindsets with a very calm mind accepting bricks and boquets(SPELLING MISTAKE?) gobilalitha

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Feb 2009, 20:05

Dear GBL
Now that we have descended from the sublime to the ridiculous I hate to add my comment lest rajumds (my inner conscience

pounces on me asking for the relevance to CM whence the chorus will join for the closure of this thread

leaving me between Scylla and Charibdis.

It is now the responsibility of ragam-talam (the author of this thread) to salvage (my) sanity

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 18 Feb 2009, 10:21

Some more additions:

Gopalakrishna Gandhi
E Sridharan (of Delhi Metro)

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 19 Feb 2009, 09:44

From 'THE HINDU ' Bangalore, Our beloved former PrimeMinister Sri ABVajpayee, recuperating at AIIMS,Delhi expressed a desire to listen to some soothing music.Attending doctors gave the nod,saying it would have a calming effect. He is now listening to old film musicand poetry on the AIRFM GOLD Radio station.Let us pray for his speedy recovery to normalcy to conrinue his valuable service to the Nation. gobilalitha

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 19 Feb 2009, 15:55

Why no one has joined me in my prayers? gobilalitha

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 19 Feb 2009, 21:34

I pray for his quick recovery. He is showing, per latest report, signs of improvement.

gowri narayanan · Post by **gowri narayanan** » 19 Feb 2009, 21:35

my prayers too for his speedy recovery