Madurai Mani Iyer

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 17 Jul 2010, 15:52

Thanks for sharing your musical-spiritual experience.

perarulalan · Post by **perarulalan** » 17 Jul 2010, 20:14

Balummi wrote: making many listen to his recordings ( sometimes forcefully!).

Dear Balu Sir,

My PraNAms to you Sir!
Prayathaksham Bala is absolutely correct in saying that you have contributed a lot to Carnatic Music. Probably if not for you, our own Coolji, Vishnuramprasad, VKV sir, we wouldn't have got as many recordings and anecdotes of MMI as we have now.
One thing that is certain with MMI's music is that, as Prince Rama Varma says in his blog, when someone is low in confidence or depressed, all that it requires is to listen to MMI's songs. It does more than pepping up a depressed person. What a joy, Sri MMI radiates when he sings!!!!
If his recordings alone can have such effects like making someone rejuvenated and refreshed, I can only say that we weren't fortunate enough to have witnessed his live concerts! What an experience it would have been to have sit through his concert, listening to his Uyes and aahs during alapana, besh, bale appreciations for his accompanists, the wonderful violin returns of TC or LGJ or TNK or MC.. and tanis of PSP, PMI, UKS ....
Be it the 6 minute Kambodhi RTP with ParimaLa RangapathE pallavi(There is no tanam in the cassette that I have!!) or 40 minute kANak kaN kOdi vENdum...Can any one still be depressed after listening to such a joyful rendition???
Listening to MMI rendering anudinamunu kAvumayya in begada and his neraval at kanakana ruchi nI rUpamu, makes someone who is not exposed to carnatic music also, get ecstatic! What a begadA!
SankarAbharaNam(ethanayO piravi in tUkkiya tiruvadi), kAmbodhi(aduthu vandha ennai in tiruvadi charanam), tOdi(tambura chakkoni and kAlinil silambu from koluvamaragadha and thAye yashodha),kaLyAni(vAsudevayani),bhairavi(chandra bimba mukHa malarAle from yAro ivar yAro) are sure to have MMI's stamp!
GMPMGRGSRG, the MMI copyrighted swara pattern in kAmbodhi or s'bharanam or his MDDNPPP in kAnada, and his swaram for entha vEdukondu, IMHO, can never be matched by anyone!

- Perarulalan

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 18 Jul 2010, 00:36

perarulalan wrote:Dear all
The following is the link
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1zo9f4

perarulalan, many thanks for the upload. This is truly a treasure. Never knew such a lovely recording of this great artiste even existed!
Btw, I noticed that this audio clip lasts approx 19 mins. balummi has mentioned that the original recording lasted 90 mins.
Wonder if the rest of the audio is available somewhere?
balummi - can you please help.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 18 Jul 2010, 00:57

I have the entire thing but am NOT WILLING to upload it as it has very personal statements about other topics& musicians tho' complementary. I consider them SENSITIVE myself but am willing to send a copy to you if you want it.My email is vkv@juno.com VKV

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 18 Jul 2010, 01:08

vkv - have sent you an email. Thanks.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 18 Jul 2010, 15:48

Dear ragam-talam ,
VKV Sir , myself , Vishnuprasad and Pune Sriraman have all the treasure of MMI 's recordings and in this Forum I think we are not supposed to discuss about sharing . You can contact any one of us for listening to the Calcutta talk and many more! My email address is
balummi@gmail.com or karthik_iitm@yahoo.com (underscore should come after karthik)

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 18 Jul 2010, 20:51

Dear balummi,
I have sent you email on this. vkv

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 30 Jul 2010, 16:36

Dear VKV Sir ,
My reply to your mail had not reached you , it appears . It is not found in the sent mail list also. I do not know what could have gone wrong!

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 30 Jul 2010, 16:53

Many thanks to ragam.talam , I nam now able to upload / send MMI music to eager rasikas through the link http://www.sendspace.com . Please send mail , esp. Perarulalan , Pratyaksham Bala to balummi@gmail.com

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 30 Jul 2010, 20:03

Balummi wrote:Dear VKV Sir ,
My reply to your mail had not reached you , it appears . It is not found in the sent mail list also. I do not know what could have gone wrong!

USUALLY if you hit the reply button on your computer it works. Also if you resend the email I will be thankful. VKV As you know my email is vkv@juno.com & it will say sent if the transmission is succesful.

ashoksekhar · Post by **ashoksekhar** » 16 Aug 2010, 07:09

This is a message following up on discussions in this topic from a year back (#300-326) on the MMI concert featuring tatvamariya tarama, tiruvadi charanam etc. (there is no Ma janaki in this concert in what I have) and on the identity of the mridangam artist. My apologies for posting a year late, but this sublime concert is very close to my heart, and I stumbled upon this thread only yesterday.

The mridangam in this concert is supreme and it is a great loss that we don't have the tani from this concert. Initially, I was also of the opinion that the mridangam artist is Palani Subramaniam Pillai. However, since the concert is from 1966, it cannot be him. I have been come to the conclusion that it is Ramanathapuram Murugaboopathy. I feel that the style compares favorably with the style in MMI's 1952 Music Academy concert (with Murugaboopathy) and is in contrast to the styles in the 1959 MMI Music Academy concert (with Palani) and the concert link in post # 326 (with VR). Of course, I must say I am no expert at identifying mridangam styles.

In any case, irrespective of the identity of the mridangam artist, the concert is amazing. Apart from MMI's brilliance, the concert is an outstanding illustration of the levels to which the violin and mridangam can embellish a concert. It was very heartwarming to find a section of this thread completely devoted to this concert!

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 16 Aug 2010, 14:44

Dear Ashok ,
I have a concert of MMI starting with Tatvamariya and containing Thiruvadi Charanam
Vijayambike( a fantastic Vijayanagari piece for 25 mts.), Vinayakuni etc. We call it the "Vijayambike" concert. I got two versions of this same concert one saying that it was held in Calcutta and the other saying it was a Mayavaram Concert. May be you are refering to this concert. The violinist was TN Krishnan and mirudangam , one version says it was Mani Iyer and the other says it was TK Murthy. May be Mr. Vishnuprasad will be able to enlighten us .

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 17 Aug 2010, 03:59

1. The recorded cassette I saw showed Vellore Ramabhadran as the mridangamist --it was written in hand
2. As regards the Vijayambike item of that mmi concert , apart from his usual tilting swaras , I found that both mmi's and tnk's rendering of the alapana was particularly sublime and touching enough to lift your moods everytime you listen to that piece
3.Apart from this recording is there any other piece of mmi 's Vijayanagiri available? I wish mmi had rendered this raga more often!

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 17 Aug 2010, 07:24

VR is the mridangist & I was told it was a concert in Mayavaram - a Rama Navami concert?-...VKV

ashoksekhar · Post by **ashoksekhar** » 17 Aug 2010, 07:39

Thank you very much for your replies! The complete list of songs in that concert is as follows: Tatvamariya tarama, suryamurte, o jagadamba, nijamarmamulanu, vijayambike, cheta sri, subramanyena, tiruvadi charanam, vinayakuni, taaye yasode, tatvamerugatarama, shanmukapriya RTP and the english note. When the concert was uploaded digitally on sangeethapriya.org, it was classified as a 1966 concert held in Bangalore.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 17 Aug 2010, 13:26

MMI was a very popular artist in those days and whenever he sang at the Kapaleeswar Temple there used to be unmanageable crowd extending upto Alwarpet ! He had to cater to the popular taste who want him to repeat his popular numbers in every concert and only about 10% of the rasikas want new compositions / in rare ragas to be introduced! Hence Vijayanagari or Vijaya Saraswathi, the ragas invented by his guru Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar are left to be sung by MMI 's renowned desciple Sri Thiruvenkadu Jayaraman . I do not think that MMI had sung more than once the Vijayanagari piece Vijayambike in public concerts.
Rasikas may not know that it was at the instance of Sri Muthiah Bhagavathar that MMI made the " the unknown" and rarely sung raga in those days , SHANMUGAPRIYA , a popular one . Sri GNB and others made the raga more popular.

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 17 Aug 2010, 14:36

Balummi wrote:MMI was a very popular artist in those days and whenever he sang at the Kapaleeswar Temple there used to be unmanageable crowd extending upto Alwarpet!

No doubt MMI was very popular! I have attended a few of his kutcheries at Kapali Temple. The temple had its own limitations to accommodate even a reasonable crowd. So, a number of rasikas used to sit on the low wall around the temple tank. But the crowd extending upto Alwarpet? A wild statement! Let me repeat: MMI was a very polpular artist.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 17 Aug 2010, 16:19

This statement that the crowd extended upto Alwarpet where horn speakers were provided was made by Mr. Subramaniam ( I think that is his name) , the city Music Sabhas Secretary in one of his public talks . The period was between 1950 & 1960 and I was barely 10 years old. This was confirmed by Sri Ramakrishnan who used to write in periodicals during music seasons and he is the brother of the famous editor of IDHYAM PESUGIRATHU , Sri Manian . Can VKV sir give his comments?

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 17 Aug 2010, 20:17

Balummi wrote:MMI was a very popular artist in those days and whenever he sang at the Kapaleeswar Temple there used to be unmanageable crowd extending upto Alwarpet ! He had to cater to the popular taste who want him to repeat his popular numbers in every concert and only about 10% of the rasikas want new compositions / in rare ragas to be introduced! Hence Vijayanagari or Vijaya Saraswathi, the ragas invented by his guru Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar are left to be sung by MMI 's renowned desciple Sri Thiruvenkadu Jayaraman . I do not think that MMI had sung more than once the Vijayanagari piece Vijayambike in public concerts.
Rasikas may not know that it was at the instance of Sri Muthiah Bhagavathar that MMI made the " the unknown" and rarely sung raga in those days , SHANMUGAPRIYA , a popular one . Sri GNB and others made the raga more popular.

I have heard it two more times-Vijayambikae- myself once at my request! Unfortunately no one apparently recorded them....VKV

mankuthimma · Post by **mankuthimma** » 18 Aug 2010, 09:13

I was barely 10 years old

.

Glory be , to that lost childhood . If only I could be a child again.

When my Dad was the strongest man in the world/
When my Mum was the most beautiful Mum in the world.
When my Home was the finest home in the world .
When the world came to its limits at the seashore ...(The sea which hid a thousand dragons !!!!)
And....
When the crowds extended all the way to Alwarpet.

A childs mind has a 1000 eyes .
Thanks balummi for reminding us a bit of that childhood

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 18 Aug 2010, 15:10

What poem can I expect from MANKUTHIAMMA if I reveal that Sri MMI sang from 4.30 pm to 9.30pm at our house in Kumbakonam for my first birth anniversary in 1948 . It was all listeners' request and my father tells me that he even sang Sakalakala Vaniye in Kedaram besides Vatapi & Sarasasamadana. It seems there were many horn speakers all along the 4 streets. My grandfather's brother Sri SA Venkatrama Iyer was the miridangist whose daughter is now the world renowned Ethno Musicologist and a honourary visiting professor in many Universities world over, Smt. SAK Durga. Too much of personal details is boring even to me. The point I want to stress is that Sri MMI refused to receive any remuneration and the Rs.100 he was forced to receive was handed over to the violinist. Atleast 50% of his concerts were held in temples and he would be furious if anything was offered except prasadam . "Do you want me to receive remuneration from Bhagavan who gave me everything including music"

mankuthimma · Post by **mankuthimma** » 18 Aug 2010, 15:31

What poem can I expect from MANKUTHIMMA

Balana Manegey Madhura Mani Bandanthey ???

rkiran · Post by **rkiran** » 18 Aug 2010, 18:21

Touche!

mankuthimma wrote: Balana Manegey Madhura Mani Bandanthey ???

mankuthimma · Post by **mankuthimma** » 18 Aug 2010, 23:14

Translating for Balummi ( just in case he has not understood)
Balana Manegey Madhura Mani Bandanthey
Just like the appearance of the musically sweet Mani at Bala's home Inspired by that Ugabhoga made famous by MLV

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 19 Aug 2010, 02:26

I think a Tamil translation with the same words would go like this:

Balavin manaiku madhura Mani vandaara???

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 19 Aug 2010, 02:51

Chembai - it will be 'bAlAvin manaiku madhura maNi vandArpOl'

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 19 Aug 2010, 04:12

the translation requires a minor correction
Balavin manaiku Madhura Mani vandaaraam!

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 19 Aug 2010, 16:07

I am very much touched by Mankuthimma's words . MMI was not a stranger to us . He always stayed with us whenever he came to Kumbakonam or Thiruvaiyyaru Aradhanas. In fact I was with him severaltimes at his residence after my college hours were over at Vivekananda College , Chennai. Once I had even escorted him to cross the road to reach Mylapore Fine Arts Concert as Sri Vembu Iyer had gone to the Sabha in advance to look after the arrangements and Mic settings.The Sabha Hall was barely some 200 metres from his residence. There were no dias like we have today. A wooden raised platform is erected at the centre and we all sit around for the concert! There was a private concert in Kilpauk , Miller's road and MMI had selected to elaborate SURUTI and sang Angarakam the alapana and the swara korvai were magical and I still have the recording with me!

VISHNURAMPRASAD · Post by **VISHNURAMPRASAD** » 21 Aug 2010, 13:06

Just a few words about Balu sir....

We used have many commercial collections of MMI as cassettes and i used to play them frequently when i was in my high schools. I had a natural attraction towards MMI's music since my childhood days. One day i was listening to sahasrakara mandithe - vachaspathi which was recorded from AIR's special broadcast for its golden jubilee. There was Balu Sir who was passing by my house, just barged in and started asking who is playing MMI's music. He did not know us and neither we knew him. My grandpa (who was a great fan and a very close friend of MMI) had mentioned about me. He immediately walked in and spoke to me with sparkles in his eye of having seen another MMI fan that too a school going boy. He opened his diary which had about 10 concerts (which were not commercial ones) and asked if i had something like that

I said i could only take from him and nothing to give him

. He immediately gave me his address and then on started those wonderful saturdays, i used to even bunk my schools / tutions to go to his home at Egmore, where i was treated as their family member. We used to listen to those recordings again and again that made me a fanatic of MMI. From then on we were also trying to collect as much as we could by reaching out to various sources and contacts (like Shri Rajappa, Shri Vijayaraghavan, who had lots of spool tapes). Sri Balu sir took mammoth efforts to convert those spool recordings into cassettes. I can say that atleast 70% of MMI collection that is being floated now are sourced by Balu sir. The greatness here is his genorosity to share readily the prize of his hard work out of sheer love of MMI both as a man and a musician. If you go to his home, you can see him copying some music for somebody who recently got acquianted to him through some source! It is because of such great people we are able to enjoy such soulful music of great masters.

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 23 Aug 2010, 23:32

Like quite a few of us , many countless rasikas in the age group of 80 and near abouts who may not be computer saavy even now discuss and happily recall their interesting and exciting experiences of personally hearing live performances of MMI in their yesteryears which cannot find their way in the internet. Only six months while attending a marriage , I happened to meet a cousin of mine now nearing his 80's who recalling his kutchery experiences was telling me " Ah, MMI was unique, there cannot be another one like him , how can I forget his kaanada swarams! "--"Nor, do I," my elder brother also in his 80's , nearby listening to our talk , intervened to tell "can I forget his Aduththu vanda ennai niraval in Thiruvadi charanam "

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 23 Aug 2010, 23:34

sorry, i regret the error -it should read 6 months ago!

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 24 Aug 2010, 08:31

Dear Kapali& others of that period,
YOUR RECOLLECTIONS ARE PRECIOUS & ALL OF US WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR RECOLLECTIONS. VKV

sitaraman iyer · Post by **sitaraman iyer** » 27 Aug 2010, 06:37

I am Sitaraman.I am nearing 80 .I now live in Canada after spending my working life in Bombay till 1988. During my chlidhood days I was in Devakottai where the Thiagaraja Utsavam used to be conducted in a grand manner in the 40s. It was next to Thiruvaiyaru in importance. I have heard MMI for the first time in1941 or 42. I think he had a tuft at that time.In those days Ariakkudi, Maharajapuram viswanthaIyer, musri,mudikondan,tiger, mazhavarayanendal subbarama baghavathar, karaikudi Sambasiv Iyer (veena),Palladam Sanjeevarao (flute),Mali, Alathoor Bros.,Sattur Subramaniam etc. used to come year after year.
I became a fan of MMI since then and I had the opportunity of attending his concerts (about 45)till 1956. During 1955 or 1956 during one of his concerts
in Shanmukananda Sabha in Bombay, I had occasion to meet him one Sunday morning when he was talking leisurely to two or three people. It was then I mentioned to him that In spite of him not feeilng well ,he dishes out such enjoyable music, he casually said that when people inherit wealth they enjoy life and similarly when one inherits ill health, one should smilingly welcome it.
I was amazed at the simplicity of the statement and the sincerity of the person.

I spend most of my time to listen to MMI music. It is evergreen.

mankuthimma · Post by **mankuthimma** » 27 Aug 2010, 07:09

Sing a song of Glory, and you will be that Glory
Nothing , are you , but a song ; And as you sing, You are.
You thought you were the teacher.
And you find you are the one who is taught.
You thought you were the seeker,
And you find you are the one who is sought.
Sing a song of Glory, and you will be that Glory.
Nothing , are you , but a song; And as you sing, You are.

A SUFI CHANT

MMI being sought , in faraway land, after sooo many decades.
Glory be, to the power of such Music.
I am not afraid of old age , anymore

S.Balaji · Post by **S.Balaji** » 31 Aug 2010, 11:32

Can I get the notations for the Western notes which MMI popularised .

krvramani · Post by **krvramani** » 03 Sep 2010, 17:00

Dear Param, None of the links you gave in sangeethamshare work out, as only "ERROR" messages are repeated. Can you pl. do something, as I am a deep fan of Maduarai mani Iyer. KRVRamani

krvramani · Post by **krvramani** » 03 Sep 2010, 17:03

param wrote:I am posting a link of a concert of MMI accompanied by LGJ and VR.

Trust you enjoy this treat.

http://rapidshare.de/files/11985049/01. ... igaula.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985074/02. ... _Paras.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985084/03. ... anjani.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985124/04. ... alyani.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985148/05. ... Khamas.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985175/06. ... Arabhi.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985311/07a ... _Thodi.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985341/07b ... rtanam.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985367/08. ... avanti.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985468/09. ... mbhoji.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985486/10. ... Varali.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985495/11. ... mbhoji.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985552/12. ... irvani.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985563/13. ... anandi.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985578/14. ... anandi.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985596/15. ... unpuri.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985607/16. ... h_Note.wma
http://rapidshare.de/files/11985612/17._Mangalam.wma

Happy listening

Dear Param, None of the links you gave in sangeethamshare work out, as only "ERROR" messages are repeated. Can you pl. do something, as I am a deep fan of Maduarai mani Iyer. KRVRamani

SKA · Post by **SKA** » 03 Sep 2010, 17:30

Hi Everybody - I would like to know if anybody has authored a Biography of Sri Madurai Mani Iyer or is there a book on collection of Anecdotes on him ?

krvramani · Post by **krvramani** » 03 Sep 2010, 17:38

Dear MS.Arasi,
I am happy to contact MMI's ardent fan like you. I am one such right from my school days and I got taste and interest in Carnatic Music only thro' MMI's charming music!
By the way, the best combination for melodi to our ears is the combination of MMI-Lalgudi-Vellore Ramabhadran or MMI-T.N.Krishnan-Vellore Ramabhadran . Can you upload some rare songs in this combination, if you have? Regards. KRVRamani

arasi wrote:Vidya,
What a fascinating link! Thank you! Though I am a writer--shame on me--I missed out quite a bit on the scene by being away.
Yes, those were the days when creative people did not observe the rule of today of keeping to their own kind of writers or artistes. I see it happening due to political divisions and internal politics. Even when party politics do not enter it, it is the same, perhaps. Of course, there must have been personal jealousies here and there in those days too, no doubt. However, the freedom movement brought out the best in all, and even if one were a communist, one's intellect was admired and differences were forgotten and not acted out, I guess. A child's eye view??
Anyway, to answer your question, though it was all beyond me, a mere child of pre-teens, I did not miss the charged atmosphere of those gatherings. I distinctly remember Ramiah, Stalin Srinivasan, nA. Pitchamurthy and a few others I am not able to name.
As for Kalki, it was interesting that he remembered me every time he saw me even without my uncle during my high school years and again, whether I understood it all or not, I eagerly attended literary events in the vicinity on my own or with friends and he would be happy to find me there and even ask me to sing an invocation, out of the blue!
There was an advantage of growing up among adults in my family (they came in all varieties--uncles, aunts). This is what I got from them when I perceived them the way they were: you saw a person as an individual on encountering one. The thought of his or her caste or background did not enter into it. Again, I consider it a blessing because I left India in my youth and have spent forty five years away from it, and cannot think in terms of 'them' and 'us'. Of course, I have my prejudices, but they are not about the identities of people. It is rather about how they conduct themselves...

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 05 Sep 2010, 18:24

Dear Kvrramani,
Iam unhappy that MMI's music has not reached through param's uploading of files in the wma format . This is the same experience with me also . It is safe and easy to send music through sendspace.com in the MP3 format . I am keeping lots and lots of MMI's music and nobody seems to be interested in them . I am very much disappointed that lots of his music is going waste and eventhough I am thrusting them on seemingly willing ( but actually not interested)
persons and there has been no reaction to them . If you can send your request to my email address balummi@gmail.com I shall send his music to you.Iam sorry to find that it is not possible to send them to the general website rasikas.org
Thank you
Balu

Ramasubramanian M.K · Post by **Ramasubramanian M.K** » 05 Sep 2010, 20:59

Dear Balummi: I have a suggestion--for the forthcoming centenary celeb for MMI which VKV is spearheading,why not you down load selected portions of his concerts that YOU loved most and bring it to the function. I offer to help in "parsing" and "explaining" WHY we in our generation liked most about his music and that it was more than a "fad" and it has certain emotive components to it that people should seek for amongst today's musicians--in his times he was regarded as more of a populist singer who could entice large crowds and entertain them with his soul-filling music that touched the hearts, but lacked the support of people in higher places because of his simple and straightforward demeanour lacking the guile and one-upmanship that was the vogue in those days.

We can all caterwaul all day long as to how he was unappreciated by the powers-that-be but does not do any good for the current crop of eager,objective rasikas as some of the younger forumites are --- unless we the admirers of his music do a 'demo" of what are the basic building blocks of his music--which nowadays we seem to take for granted but seldom hold our Vidwans' feet to the fire!!

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 06 Sep 2010, 15:39

Dear Ramasubramaniam,
Sri VKV Sir is already on the job on the lines suggested by you and he is the fit person to do that and there is no point in duplicating it . My idea is to reach as many individuals as possible and to enjoy the great man's music together with individual viewpoints.
I want to stress the point about MMI's music as expounded by Sri SUBBUDU the wellknown , contravertial music critic. In one of his interviews in a Tamil Periodical , when he was asked " Why he had always crtisised only the male singers including Semmangudi Mama , Balamurali and all others and never said a word about female singers?"
His answer was " I had listened to Madurai Mani Iyer. hundreds of his concerts, and to my best knowledge I could not find even a single flaw and had come to the conclusion that I was incompetent to do that . Was not MMI a male singer?"This same point was stressed by Sri MDR . "Today the critic may say that MMI's music was not upto the mark and tomorrow they may even find fault with Thiagaraja , who knows ?" and had a hearty laugh . It was he who advised me not to say "Sabash" or "besh" when great musician like MMI is singing and it was not appropriate. But I differed very much on this point and musicians can not face a silent audience as in concert halls in the west where the stress is more on discipline than on content.

In an interview to Doordarshan Smt. DKP , advising youngsters who were to become concert performers, until the age of 20 or 21 or whatever the age until there guru feels that they are ready to become performing artists, they should listen only to the recordings of Madurai Mani as otherwise they would get confused!

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 07 Sep 2010, 00:29

mkr, balummi& rest of the rasikas,
I had written in a separate thread about MMI Remembrance day at Ragasudha hall on Jan 9th (5-9:30 P.M.)where I promised to write periodoc updates: As of now there will be THREE Speakers in a Lec-Dem+commentary Style on various aspects of MMI'S Music: 1) MKR(M.K.Ramasubramanian) on MMI'S renderings of various compositions. It covers ALL aspects of his musical style as well as other aspects. 2) Uday Shankar- Engineering Scientist, musician, inventor, Researcher+expert in various systems& aspects of music will share his expertise & aspects of his research& insights intio MMI'S RAGA SINGING.3) Dr.Narmadha will make a presentation on the appeal of MMI & aspects of Janaranjakam which contributed to it....Vidya Kalyanaraman will be accompanied by Dr.Narmadha on the violin; Mridangam TBD......VKV

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 07 Sep 2010, 14:24

From the several mails that I have been receiving , It gives me the impression that rasikas are of the opinion that I am an exclusive listener of MMI . I had listened to more of Semmangudi Mama , DKJ , Maharahapuram Santhanam , MLV, GN Sir , Alathur Bros, Nedunuri , MDR,Neyveli Santhanagoipalan , Sudha Raghunathan and many others . Till the year 2000 from 1960s during December season from the morning till late in the night I could be found in one of the concert halls. I have more recordings of SSI and others, but recently I have become an addict of MMI like an alcoholic and want to become sane again .

kapali · Post by **kapali** » 08 Sep 2010, 00:58

Balu MMI, need not feel unique as there are many more similar rasikas like us who grew up to get initiated in appreciating Carnatic music after hearing MMI( especially after directly listening to him) and then become completely addicted to his style of singing though we still enjoy listening to other great musicians !

cpblog · Post by **cpblog** » 10 Sep 2010, 15:39

Respected Rasikas,
It has taken us a while to restore the original 1963 Ganesha Festival concert of MMI in "Parvathi", Mysuru along with Chowdiah, Vembu Iyer, Sivaraman and Seshagiri Das (we were able to post only a few pieces about a year back as the tape was in a really bad shape). We are not fully there, but please enjoy our best at http://chowdaiahandparvati.blogspot.com/

P.S. Also added later (in remembrance of Sri Lalgudi's 80th Birthday coming up) a picture of him with other Vidwans - at lunch!

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 10 Oct 2010, 13:59

Dear Cpblog,
It is really too late to give a response to your hosting of MMI's Mysore concert .

I was really waiting that somebody would be responding . as there has been no respnse , I have decided to write. If we leave the thread the page itself will lapse !
The concert that you had uploaded had already been in my listening list since 1990. anyway the recording is not as bad as you had expressed.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 25 Oct 2010, 08:55

98 years have been completed today since MMI was born on the 25 th of oct 1912 . A remembrance get together has been arranged at No.9 , Vidya Vilasam , 3rd cross street , Thiruvanmayur , Chennai - 41 , behind Sastri Nagar .at 5.30 pm on saturday the 30th of Oct.
Samples of his recordings for about 100 mts is to be played on that occasion.
I have just finished listening to the enchanting AKSHAYALINGA ( 1962) of the maestro
and came to the conclusion the rendering of the Kirtanai and the free flow of swaras is much superior to the other maestro to whom this particular song is attributed . If I mention his name in front of MMI , I am sure he would thrash me to pieces. The same predicament I would be put in in the case of VASUDEVA ENI .

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 25 Oct 2010, 09:01

Balummi wrote: I have just finished listening to the enchanting AKSHAYALINGA ( 1962) of the maestro

I thought in the last 3 to 4 years after shri vkv gave me a set of MMI , I covered hearing everything that was sung by MMI. I dont think there was a akshayalinga vibhO of MMI. May be if it is not commercial you can pass it.

Balummi · Post by **Balummi** » 25 Oct 2010, 13:19

Dear Rajeshnat ,

The only way that I know to send music files is through sendspace.com intoduced to me by ragam.talam . Hence send a dummy mail to my email address balummi@gmail.com so that by way of reply I can send Akshayalinga . I think you must have a gmail id to receive my uploading as others to whom I had sent music through have not so far received them properly. they were all highly distorted !