Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

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pbk
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Joined: 01 Jul 2012, 19:02

Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by pbk »

A Preceptor Par Excellence

I would be failing in my duties as an admirer and as an ardent listener who has been bequeathed this treasure called Carnatic Classical Music if i did not keep on record certain facts about this preceptor who lit the light of enlightenment within many about this great form of fine art. Sri Venkataseshan Vamanan (fondly called as Vamanan Sir) was born on 31st August 1963. He was initiated into music by Sangeetha Bhushanam Sri Pallavur K. Mani Iyer at a young age at Mumbai. Sri Vamanan had a long, rigorous and fruitful training of 15 years until the demise of Sri Pallavur Mani Iyer in 1987. I have mentioned rigorous because Sri Mani Iyer was very particular about the sahitya bhava and enunciation of every single word of the composition. Fruitful because Sri Mani Iyer laid a unshakable foundation of the fine nuances and broad traditional framework of the art of Carnatic Classical Music into Sri Vamanan which made him the excellent preceptor as perceived by his students. Also Sri Mani Iyer being a composer of merit was benevolent to directly teach Sri Vamanan some of his own compositions. He later continued to learn from Sri A. S. Panchapakesa Iyer (the author of the Ganamrutham series of beginner’s lessons books) along with his respected music collegue Prof. Narayan Rangaraj (currently Professor and Convenor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at IIT Bombay). Have mentioned about Prof. Narayan Rangaraj because Sri A. S. Panchapakesa Iyer was his long time respected Guru, in the same way Sri Pallavur Mani Iyer was to Sri Vamanan. Sri Vamanan continued his learning from Smt. Kalyani Sharma and Smt.Sulochana Rajendran under the Diploma in Carnatic Vocal course offered by the University of Bombay and conducted by the Sri Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Vidyalaya, Sion, Mumbai which he could not complete due to personal reasons. He also learnt under illustrious gurus like Sri Thanjavur Sankara Iyer (the well known contemporary composer) and Smt. Kamala Krishnamurthy (daughter of Prof. R. Srinivasan of Trivandrum).
Sri V. Vamanan won the prize in the music competition conducted by the All India Radio (AIR) from Mumbai in 1983 making him a graded artiste of AIR. He later went on to become an ‘A’ Grade artiste of AIR and Doordarshan, giving performances in National Programmes broadcasted by them. He was a regular performer on AIR, Mumbai Station, the last radio programme being in July-2012. He has performed in various sabhas in many cities across the country.
It is this long and fruitful training that inspired Vamanan sir to take up the mission of singularly spreading the knowledge of value based Carnatic Classical Music in a fast moving and cacophonous city like Mumbai. He taught at institutions like Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha (Vidyalaya) as Vice-Principal when Sri P. N. Krishnamoorthy was the Director of the Vidyalaya. He was also associated with The Fine Arts Society, Chembur as a guest faculty. Vamanan sir was known to be a tough task master among students as well as musicians, but students loved and respected him for the much needed direction received like the compass on a ship traversing this ocean called Carnatic Music. Vamanan sir was instrumental in grooming and encouraging several music students to perform on the concert platform.
My younger brother Govind was one of the disciples to have learnt from Sri V. Vamanan for a period of 10 years starting 2003 till his last class on 31st March, 2013. He passed away at the young age of 49 on 03rd April, 2013 at Mumbai. Govind was fortunate enough to learnt from Vamanan sir under the Government of India, Ministry of Culture scholarship during 2007-08.

With regards,
Prashant Balakrishnan

GVR2004
Posts: 28
Joined: 31 Mar 2012, 21:21

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by GVR2004 »

Prashant thanks for that brief on Sri Vamanan. I have heard of his name quite a lot in CM learning circles - He used to stay at Andheri - have not seen or heard him despite the fact that I have been in Mumbai for many years. Will be good if you can share some recording - video or audio .

Have seen your brother sing - can definitely vouch for the good patantharam a lot of which must have been imbibed during the learning from Sri Vamanan. Also who are the other disciples of him?

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

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by cienu »

Heartfelt condolences.

mahavishnu
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:56

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by mahavishnu »

Sincere condolences.

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by rshankar »

Sincere condolences to his family and disciples - it is always very tragic to hear the passing away of vidvAns, but someone at this young age seems doubly tragic. May his soul rest in peace.

thanjavooran
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 04:44

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by thanjavooran »

Heartfelt condolences.
Thanjavooran
07 04 2013

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

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

PBK; Nice tribute--Being a Mumbayaite,cannot forget Pallavur Mani Iyer's reputation as a Teacher par excellence. The late PNK of the BARC was a principal disciple and my brother Sekhar(also known as Bombay Sekhar in the Fifties and Sixties) has accompanied Pallavur Mani Iyer in the Goregaon/Khar Sabhas.

I did not know Sri.Vamanan because he is much younger to me and I had left Bombay in late sixties but his demise is untimely and unfortunate. I can also relate to all the characters you mentioned in your post--Kalyani Sharma is my cousin and a good teacher biases(mine!) notwithstnding!!

Condolences to the family.

narayan
Posts: 383
Joined: 05 Oct 2008, 07:43

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by narayan »

The Carnatic music community in Mumbai was shocked to hear the news of Vaman's passing on 3 April, as many had seen him in Vijay Siva's concert recently and he was actively teaching his students even on 31 May. In class, Govind says Vamanan took up Narayani and Bhajana Seyu for elaboration, rather unexpectedly, that day.

A couple of years ago, he had organized an event in memory of his guru Pallavur Mani Iyer, see
http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... 11#p174706
and he was going ahead with his mission of passing on good songs of both older and modern composers to his numerous students.

It is difficult to summarize some 30 years of musical association very quickly. In the old days, he was one of us in music sessions where we learned the ropes and later, he continued as a dedicated and serious musician and in the last ten years, a teacher. He was a key part of the scene in Mumbai. Like all of us, he had his favourites, but like most Mumbaikars, he was cosmopolitan in his listening tastes and he soaked up good things from all sources. Some songs that come to mind are Giripai, Sri Subrahmanyaya namaste, Jagadeeswari in Mohanam and Namorala in Devagandhari (MDR style). The last occasion I heard him on stage was dedicated to Pallavur Mani Iyer songs. We have to adjust to going ahead without him. His students will see to it that his legacy continues.

We heard that a short Mumbai AIR broadcast was scheduled on Friday night, 5th April, and it was quite an emotional experience to hear the single song that was presented that day - Koluva Maregada - knowing that the person behind that voice was no more. The song had all the Vaman ingredients, solid song version, flowing raga alapana, strong gamakams, but no hesitation in using flat notes when needed, good tempo, pretty much traditional lines of singing, but always with some innovative details, a feel for the lyrics of the kriti, and overall good raga-music.

Although the loss is to the musical world, since he has left behind so many in his family so suddenly, including his aged parents, it is the personal tragedy of someone dying before his time that is now felt most. I knew of some niggling health problems earlier, but he had always come back to attend performances, take his classes and sing for the occasional concert. After once performance which we both attended, meeting after a long time, we were standing outside chatting for more than an hour, that he missed the last bus and had to do some travel gymnastics to go home that night.

Departing in this manner, almost without saying good bye, is hard to take.
Last edited by narayan on 07 Apr 2013, 22:55, edited 1 time in total.

vasanthakokilam
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by vasanthakokilam »

So sad to hear the news. The deeply felt tributes by all of you are quite touching. Condolences to the family, disciples, rasikas and friends.

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by rajeshnat »

Condolences. One of my cousin sister and her daughter have told a lot about shri vamanan. I never knew he was so young.

tyagarajadasa
Posts: 154
Joined: 01 Jan 2008, 09:17

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by tyagarajadasa »

I knew Vamanan Sir as a judge in Shanmukhananda competitions and also as an excellent teacher with a solid pathantaram (as evident from Govind's singing). I used to see him in concerts often and he used to inquire about my uncle (NSG) and also my Guru (Smt. Kalyani Sharma) and what padams I learned from her. He will be sorely missed by the music fraternity in Mumbai.

My heartfelt condolences to all his students and family members! May his soul rest in peace!

--Gokul

PUNARVASU
Posts: 2498
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by PUNARVASU »

I have know Shri Vamanan for the last 15 years or more. A very good teacher, musicologist and a very good human being who was loved and respected by all. He was a ' niRai kuDam'. His passing away at such a young age is a great loss. My heart goes out to his aged parents, his siblings and all his students. Personally I have lost a good friend. I can not forget the music sessions in which he would sing and explain the nuances and intricacies of the ragas and Krithis. A great loss indeed.

uday_shankar
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:37

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by uday_shankar »

Very sad. Deepest condolences.

PUNARVASU
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Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 05:42

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by PUNARVASU »

Pbk, are any recording of Shri Vamanan available with you/your brother? If so, one or two may be posted here for the benefit of the rasikas who have not heard/heard about him.

pbk
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jul 2012, 19:02

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by pbk »

Remembering The Preceptor on the 2nd Anniversary two years since he left this world.

Please find the link to the recording which was broadcast as a tribute on 05th April, 2013 from the Archives of AIR, Mumbai.

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/265vqap ... 96_(2).MP3

With regards,
Prashant Balakrishnan

bombal
Posts: 110
Joined: 21 Sep 2014, 22:54

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by bombal »

Vamanan was very close to our family, while we were in Bombay till Dec 1991...innumerable are the days when we have had music sessions at home where he sang to his and our hearts content...extremely delighted to hear this radio recording, which brings back nostalgic memories..

a very unassuming person, who always had the willingness to take the good points, from various music styles...

Miss you Vamanaa

B c n B

pbk
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jul 2012, 19:02

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by pbk »

Remembering The Guru on his 52nd Birth Anniversary - 31st August 2015 with an excerpt from AIR National Program - Trimurti Samaroh held in April - 2009.

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/nr5km0v ... amaroh.mp3

With Regards,
Prashant Balakrishnan

pbk
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jul 2012, 19:02

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by pbk »

In ever remembrance of his benevolence on his 3rd Death Anniversary. In continuation of the AIR National Program - Trimurti Samaroh.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/v5ysq ... amaroh.mp3

With regards,
Prashant Balakrishnan.

pbk
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jul 2012, 19:02

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by pbk »

Shall always be grateful for the shower of benign grace. On his 53rd Birthday

http://www.mediafire.com/download/38m89 ... VR_TSN.MP3

With regards,
Prashant Balakrishnan

pbk
Posts: 17
Joined: 01 Jul 2012, 19:02

Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by pbk »

Always in remembrance of his benevolence on the 4th death anniversary of the Guru.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/5htl8t5tz ... 02_001.MP3

With regards,
Prashant Balakrishnan

varsha
Posts: 1978
Joined: 24 Aug 2011, 15:06

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by varsha »

https://www.mediafire.com/?8o7ddcji98o580b
joining in the remembrance pbk

sweetsong
Posts: 556
Joined: 29 Nov 2009, 16:48

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by sweetsong »


varsha
Posts: 1978
Joined: 24 Aug 2011, 15:06

Re: Obituary - Sri V. Vamanan, Mumbai

Post by varsha »

https://archive.org/details/JalandharaS ... hagavathar

how adorably simple and fluent .. very chinglepetish

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