A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

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arasi
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A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by arasi »

Here's a translation of an article from PasupathivugaL, Dr, Pasupathy's blog. You may go to Musical Morsels on the forum to see it. Even if you can't read tamizh, the illustrations are worth it...It was published in Dinamani Kadir on 14th Dec 1997 in their special music issue.


Intro:To follow the history of the city of Chennai is as exciting as a treasure hunt. How many fascinating things have happened here! Fiery religious conflicts and musical feuds to say the least. Here is where Ramalinga ADigaL's aruTpA-related and aruTPA Mantapa conflicts occurred. This is where vaLLalAr and the Brahma Samajis argued like lions, clashing with their different beliefs. Just as these belief-based fights, there were occasions of musical melees filled with malaise which could fill the pages of an entire book. mahA vidwAn Kala shikhamani V.S. Gomathy Sankara Iyer, a retired professor at Annamalai University, author of many books on music has described such a musical occurrence vividly in his book 'Isai kalai vallunargaL'. This book is a treasure. Here's an excerpt from it...

Though Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer owned neither crown nor scepter, he was the uncrowned king of music in his times. It all did not come easy. The trials he faced over the years were numerous.

He rarely visited Chennai. Once when he did, he stayed there for two months. By then, his fame had reached the city from the southern regions of Tamizh NADu. As a result, listeners came in throngs to listen to him.

(to continue)

arasi
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by arasi »

Chennai being a capitol city of the British Raj, VIPs of any genre wore shirts, long coats, anga vastrams and turbans. So, it surprised the populace to see the famed MahA Vaidyanatha Iyer shirtless, with a kuDumi, rudrAksha and vibhUthi. They found his music astounding. He was the talk of the town.

The elite of Chennai feted the governor with a dinner and a concert by MV ensued. He sang many tukkaDAs and English notes which pleased the governor no end. Still, it's never easy to please one and all. Among the audience, there were those who sat through the concert with frowns on their faces--they were the ones who had recommended that the famous Chennai Vidwan Venu Naicker should sing that day. Others overwhelmingly had voted for MV.

The gang marched to Venu Naicker's house to stir him up on this atrocity. Naicker was a mild-mannered person. He was quite a gentleman and was truly an excellent musician who could challenge the best of vidwans. He was adept at creating intricate patterns in pallavis with such ease and expertise. He was called Pallavi Venu for that matter. His title was such that
one would get breathless before pronouncing it: Sara vIra SUra GhaNTA maNi Pallavi Venu Naicker--you could sing three krutis before you tried to faultlessly reel out his title. A handsome person he was too. In sparkling white attire, fair of complexion, bejeweled. He had gained the GhaNTA maNi title in the contests of the Sivaganga SamasthAnam. As a sign of it, you could see on his right arm an armlet with three dangling gems. Adorned thus, you could see him arrive at the concert venue in a two horses drawn phaeton surrounded by rasikAs, looking like a maharaja. He was good-hearted too. Petty jealousies didn't touch him.
On the other hand, there was this gang which could even outsmart Dharmaraja with their persuasive prowess! How about poor Venu Naicker then in their grip?
Last edited by arasi on 22 Apr 2022, 06:40, edited 2 times in total.

arasi
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by arasi »

The mob had the right words to convince him: from where did this creature in a kuDumi, vibhUthi stripes and rudrAksha emerge? That too arrive at Chennai where you are as radiant as an utsava mUrthi? How did he end up singing for the governor when you are right here? While you are the unbeaten one in pallavi singing, how did he get to gain that mahA title too? Does he deserve such an honor? You certainly should stand up to it and call his bluff.
Thus went the Sakuni rAga AlApana. Venu Naicker who was not given to faulting any vidwAn lost a beat, this pallavi pro. He succumbed to their plot.

This Sakuni Sabha planned to hold a contest to which MV would be invited. He had to sing a pallavi filled with kaNakku vazhakku (intricate calculations) put forth by VN. MV should sing without missing a beat. Alas, the pallavi pro consented to go ahead with the scheme.
The announcement was readied: Photograph Masilamani Mudaliar was appointed the judge. Mudaliar was an expert in music, a seasoned violinist too. He was also VN's disciple and a close friend. It was proclaimed that the winner would get a ponnADai (really a ponnADai woven with threads of gold!), a gold hero's chain (with a medal?), a gold inlayed silver platter and a thousand and one rupees. With that money, in those days you could buy not only three or four grounds of land in the best part of town, but also with a bungalow in it!

arasi
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by arasi »

MahA Vaidyanatha Iyer was distressed. Why all this? I consider music as an offering to the Gods. Sparring like this brings about noise--not music. Why all this fuss about competing? Why unnecessary jealousies?
Others urged him to take up the challenge.

That day, right opposite the famed ShaNmugam PaTTaNam poDi (snuff tobacco) Company--known for its quality, strength and flavor and guNam (healing qualities??!!)in SAttAniyar st, in front of Ramaiah Pillai's house, the stage was set. The entire street was covered with a pandal. This was because added to the usual crowd which gathered for MV's concerts, the contest would draw even more attendees.

A big billboard was set up, displaying the following text:

Vaidyanatha Iyer sports the title of MahA. Only someone who has known the depth and width of the ocean of music deserves to hold such a title. The purpose of this contest is to test whether he is worthy of the title. Venu Naidu who is a genius would choose a pallavi format. MV has to sing it perfectly without missing a beat and thus prove his scholarship. If he wins, he would be presented bracelets for both hands, a gold-yarned shawl, silver platter and a thousand and one rupees as a reward. Should he fail in his singing, he has to forego his title of 'mahA' and sign a paper right here saying that he would not hoodwink music lovers by claiming to be a mahA musician. It would also be advertised that he misused the title all these years. All the above gifts will then be handed over to Venu Naicker.
Last edited by arasi on 22 Apr 2022, 18:38, edited 2 times in total.

arasi
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by arasi »

Such an atrocious announcement would terrify even the best of musicians. To add to the agony, the front row was occupied by Pallavi Seshaiyer, Rudraiah, violin Kottappa Naidu, harmonium Kandasamy Mudaliar, Ponnusamy Nattuvanar,
violin Krishnasamy Mudaliar, Patnam Subramania Iyer and other luminaries. Still, MV was not fazed. Nevertheless, this circus saddened him.

As always, he started the concert with vAtApi GaNapathim bhajE. Next, he sang the kIrtanai ekkAlathilum maRavEnE. Listening to his heavenly music, the crowd sat there mesmerized. Then it was time for Venu Naicker to come out with the pallavi. MV asked about the rAgam to sing it in. At that time, pallavi was sung mostly in ghana rAgas like tODi, kalyANi, kAmbhOdi, SankarAbharaNam and bhairavi. MV was ready to sing it in any of them. He asked Venu Naicker to specify the rAgA. VN had detailed plans for the pallavis for all of those rAgAs. So, he wasn't concerned and just asked MV to start singing by choosing any rAgA.

Now, MV's older brother Ramaswamy Sivan who was with him on the stage said something to him in a coded language. The siblings were known for communicating this way. If someone asked them about it, they would say it was pANDava BhAsha! (Should you be curious, at the risk of tearing your hair out, go to the boxed section of this page!).* What he said was, mAshA gnA Oshai dAsu--which meant : sing nArAyaNa gowLa! The brother further instructed him about all the details which sketched the way to build the pallavi--all in pANDava bhAsha!

Now, the rAgA is quite a challenging one. It's not at all suitable for singing a rAgA at length or for elaboration. It's only meant for singing krutis in--surely not for singing a full-fledged pallavi. Taking up this difficult task, MV sang the rAgA for nearly an hour. The listeners were soaked in this musical rain and were thrilled. The front row vidwAns were stunned by the manner in which MV handled a rAgA like this for that long. Five minutes is about the time one could give to this rAgA. MV was pouring his heart out.
VNaicker was desperate. He struggled at trying a pallavi pattern and it turned out to be an impossible task. This rAgA has swara sthAnams like the 28th mEla HarikAmbhOdi. However much he tried, he failed to come up with one without the tALakkaTTu sagging. He went out and tried to figure one out away from the crowd. He still couldn't.

Meanwhile, MV had finished singing the tAnam. On not seeing VN there, MV asked the judge Photograph Mudaliar: what should I sing now as pallavi? Mudaliar was incensed by VN's disappearance. He felt ashamed too for him and said: you sing the pallavi the way you wish to.

The brothers conversed in PaNDava bhAsha again. The pallavi turned out to be grand.
VN appeared then and said: I will not accept it. Instead of choosing a pallavi-worthy ghana rAga, you sang it in an unworthy rAga. That's why I walked away. The judgement should be made, bearing this in mind.

MV said: VN refused to choose a rAgam when I asked him. He left the choice to me. He says NarAyaNa gowLa isn't a suitable rAgA for singing pallavis in at length. However, I sang it at length and faultlessly too.
Mudaliar agreed with him wholeheartedly and gifted MV with all that was duly his. He also proclaimed that the title mahA suited him perfectly...
* * *

The boxed material about pANDAva bhAsha can be seen in Musical Morsels. I can't reproduce it here. Even if I did, who can decode it!--Arasi

Sachi_R
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by Sachi_R »

Arasi
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏


Pasupathy
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by Pasupathy »

Thanks, Arasi, for the translation and thanks RSR, for giving the link to the Tamil article in Post #7.

arasi
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by arasi »

Folks,
In the boxed text: after pANDava bhAsha, there is a description of the pallavi line, the eDuppu and details in tamizh. If you are interested but can't read it in tamizh from the original article, someone kindly help. For lay people like me, it's good enough to know that the pallavi line is:
SambhO siva Sankara vibhO, SAmbha sadASiva Om hara hara--in Adi tALam, anAgata eDuppu.

RSR
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Re: A MUSICAL MELEE IN CHENNAI OF YORE...

Post by RSR »

@rajeshnat ,
@arasi madam,
May I request you to arrange for shifting this wonderful thread and translation by madam , to composers section -- Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan and merge with the existing topic at
viewtopic.php?t=20818

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