Attached is the Invitation for the 52nd Guru Puja of Mridangam Legend Palani Shri M Subramania Pillai. Request all members to attend. Kindly note every year we arrange the function at Narada Gana Sabha Mini hall but this year we have arranged at Main Hall as it is a major function with a release of DVD on Palani. The DVD will be screened for the viewers also.
With master Rohith Ashok on mirudhangam [ both disciple of Shri Kalidas]
Kathanavariki Thodi
Ms Mythili vocal
Master Harshavardhan Mirudhangam Disciple of Shri Krishnamachari
Theliya lethu rama Dhenuka
Flute and vocal [ brother and sister ]
Ekkalathilum Maravene Nattai kurinchi was excellent
Few artistes participated with different Mirudhangam and violin [names not announced]
Following are the song list
sudha madhurya
Matha Innum Sri ranjani
Sri Kamakoti peeta nilye Saveri
Thanigai valar thodi
Sarasa samadhana Kapi narayani
Upacharamu Bhairavi
DVD release function started at 10 40 hrs with
S/S Kalidas
Dr BM Sundaram
RT Chari
NGS krishnasamy
RVedavalli
SB kanthan and
Lalith Ram on the dais
Some of the points noted are as given below
J Balaji welcomed the gathering.
First copy of CD was handed over by Shri Sudhakar of Swati solutions to NSG and he released it and received by RT Chari
Shri Kalidas
NGS Krishnasamy , BMS and R Vedavalli are closely associated with this Gurupuja since 20 yrs
SB Kanthan is an expert in documentation and to his credit has produced films on GNB , TNR ,SSI and other stalwarts
RKrishnaswamy
This sabha is meant only for promoting and for the welfare of Artistes
For the past 20 yrs PSP's gurupuja is being conducted in NGS
PSP was a genius and once LGJ mentioned in two words that ' Gowravam means Palani and vice versa.
PSP was not liked by his father and by few vidwans in those days, as he was a Left hander.
SSI once remarked that mirudhangam is Palani and Palani is mirudhangam
SB Kanthan has musical back ground since being the son of TSBShastrigal.
RT Chari was his Guindy engg college mate
It is very apt that he receives this First copy of DVD
Rasikas go out in numbers Just like school boys go out at the ringing of the bell
This should be noted and if accepted Thani can be given in the middle as observed by Kalidas in his recent lec dem.
R Vedavalli
She is one amongst the sishya family of PSP
MVI, PSP were all neighbors
Dignity is important and PSP was maintaining it through out his life.
Shri Kalidas has promoted number of desciples and performing gurupuja every year continuously with out break.
PSP was playing kanjira too and all the phrases produced by two hands he would bring it with a single hand on kanjira.
Without ego he used to move with all freely.
The title of Pole star of Laya suits him correctly.
Dr. BMS
His first guru was PSP
Thanjavur Maratta court Kamakshi bai was the first LH mirudhangam player.
iluppur Panchapakesa pillai known as Malaikottai Panchami was PSP's first guru.
His elder brother was Nageswaran. He was also a mirudhangam player
PSP underwent humiliation under the hands of his step mother too besides from his father.
His step mother was Anjugam a great musician was the first woman to perform RTP in those days
In earlier days the main duty of the Mirudungist was to enhance the beauty of the vocalist
talent.
The services of SBKanthan is praise worthy as there is no proper history for music in olden days.
SB Kanthan
His father TSB was having high regard for PSP and was also a close associate.
His soul will be happy on the release of this DVD
The concerts were all of 1950 with a single mike facing the vocalist and no additional instrument for mirudhangam and violin. Therefore the recordings available though of poor quality he made it little possible suitalble for this production of DVD using the NGS's audio
facility.
Shri kalidas was kind enough to offer financial assistance and proved his humbleness by the word ' samarpanam ' for the production of this DVD
At the end J Balaji offered vote of thanks
DVD was sold at RS 130/= with a rebate of 20/= to mark the occasion.
At the end the full DVD was screened. The quality of audio and video is excellent.
My observation
The enitre proceedings were in Tamil.
Though the function was arranged in the morning hours yet the [ main ] hall was half full till the end .
As usual J Balaji was very busy with the stage arrangements. Kudos to the organizers.
The function was planned and nicely executed. Some important points would have been omitted. Corrections are invited.
Great Artist who deserves to be remembered and venerated for ages to come.
I was extraordinarily fortunate not only to hear him play but also serve as an errand boy whenever he visited Mumbai ad stayed at our house. He was the epitome of gauravam,culture and dignity. A great epicurean,immaculately attired but never gaudy-although his Kutcheri dress was simple--a Khadar halfshirt and veshti--he took extraordinary efforts to get his hair parted the right way--pitch black--no dye(Now do not ask me how I know--just trust me!!!!).
One of the tasks for me was to get him to the concert hall in time-- the hair-parting and the immaculately perfect Chandu Pottu(Black)-acts would consume most of the time!! A great connoisseur of good perfumes--no expense would be spared to get the best!!! An anecdote( I may have mentioned it eons ago in the PSP thread--folks bear with me!!)
This was referred to in my father's Book "Writings and Reminiscences"(p.436) I quote:
" I had him for lunch at my house and when it was over we were chatting about all and sundry things when my wife happened to open the Godrej door to take out something. Out came a strong "whiff" of compelling perfume which surprised Palani. He asked about the source of this captivating smell and was shown a bottle of Jarda-scented tobacco which the great dancer Balasarswathi had left behind when she visited us earlier. Immediately Palani took the empty container with him and in Narasu's Desoto( a private taxi operator in matunga used extensively by Shanmukhananda sabha, proceeded to Abdul Rahman Street in Girgaum/Kalbadevi area (where a bomb went off recently). A small container of this scented tobacco cost Rs. 150--an expensive luxury in those days(Mid Fifties) but not to Palani ".
Above all to our Family he was a great friend. One of his gestures which our family would never forget:
For my sisters' wedding in 1954,we had arranged KVN for the Janavasam(he was a family friend and my sister's guru) and for the wedding evening reception Radha and Jayalakshmi wanted to sing(as they were very close to us too) . After these concerts were arranged my father as a courtesy when he visited Trichy before the wedding extended an invitation to Alathur bros a courtesy. PMI happened to be with him at that time. Alathur bros(Subbudu) immediately said we would like to sing for mahadeva Iyer's daughter's wedding--PMI chimed in and said if Subbier is willing so am I. My father was in a dilemma--as to how to accommodate--so he came up with the idea of a night concert after the wedding reception-most of the social invitees would have left leaving behind only avidrasikas. So the concert was arranged for 9 P.M. on the wedding night- when my father went to PSP to hand in the invitation and mentioned the concert details PSP said he would like to play kanjira-- PSP had a concert in Vani mahal for GNB the same day--an evening 5 P.M. concert--he requested GNB to finish the concert by 8:30 P.M. so that he could play for Alathur bros. A The wedding was at theAbbotsbury in Mount Road--since converted into a big hotel--proximate to the DMK Arivalayam.--and Vani mahal to Abbotsbury was a 10 minute taxi ride(thro Vijaraghavachary road. PSP made it to the concert--Alathur-TNK=PMI-PSP. The audience was quiet-close friends and music-minded cohorts-- the concert was (a 3 hour affair) out of the world(we did not have recording facilities in those days).
PSP played for over 6 hours for two heavy-weight musicians.
Forumites should not mistake this narration as a boast but PSP was like that to his true friend-- A man of great principle and values.
KALKI MAMA(KRISHNAMURTHY )SUMMED IT UP NICELY BY SAYING "IT WAS LIKE INDRA SABAI").
