Given That Title Or Not, They're Our Treasures--Sangitha Kalanidhis...

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 26 May 2016, 09:09

Exact thamizh quote from somu wrote: KAmbodhi
Enakku inda RAgathin mEL kAdal yErpada seythavar vidwan konnerirajapuram vaidyanatha iyer. avarudaya nanbar mannargudi rajagopalanidam sEnru vidwAnai pOla mEL sthayiyiL pAdi sAdhagam seythu rAgathai pazhaginEN.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 26 May 2016, 09:38

Well, Rajesh. How could he fall in love with it if he hadn't heard him in a concert? No radio, recordings, youtube...

So, he might have said: kOnEri vaithA I believe sang it beautifully, and so I went to see his friend etc.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 26 May 2016, 11:23

KAmbodhi
Enakku inda RAgathin mEL kAdal ......mEL sthayiyiL pAdi sAdhagam seythu rAgathai pazhaginEN.

https://archive.org/details/NarajanmaKAmbhOjiDasarSomu

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 26 May 2016, 18:39

It could have been Somu's guru Chitoor who would certainly have listened to Konerirajapuram and he would have told Somu. Also this Mannargudi Rajagopalan, who is called a friend of Konerirajapuram must surely be Mannargudi Rajagopala Dikshitar, a senior bhattacharya of the Mannargudi Rajagopalaswami temple. He was reputed to be a very knowledgeable person and it seems he would recite the archana mantras in ragamalika and even top musicians would be enchanted by his ripe jnana bhAvam. Rajagopala Dikshitar was a friend of many top musicians of the earlier decades of the 20th century and T.Sankaran has said that many musicians used to even clarify doubts in ragas from him. Rangaramanuja Iyengar learnt a lot from him. Dikshitar and Veena Dhanammal's second daughter Lakshmiratnam (T.Sankaran's mother and periyammA of Brinda-Muktha and Balasaraswat/Ranga/Viswa)were mutual admirers. When Lakshmiratnam went to Mannargudi for a concert she used to go to the temple and listen to Dikshitar's ragamalika archana and he in turn would ask her to sing 'srI rAjagOpAla' (sAvEri). Rangaramanuja Iyengar has written about Dikshitar in his book.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 26 May 2016, 19:01

RaviSri,
Thanks you for your illuminating post. You are a storehouse of musical history, as many at Rasikas.org know

Among our vidvAns and vidUshis members is Mannargudi Easwaran--Ambi Dikshithar's descendant. Hope he adds some more valuable information about Mannargudi's musical treasure at the temple.

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 26 May 2016, 19:29

Somu was a phonomenon no doubt. I have heard him start at 11pm and end at 3 am. It was a one man show and the accompaniments used to really struggle keeping up with his stamina. He had an obsessive passion for music and whoever sang became his close chum. His guru bakthi can be compared only with that of U.Ve. Saminathiar towards Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai. Unfortunately he became too involved with Tamil Isai especially after 'Marudha malai maamaniye'. In his later years he lost breath control too and I happened to listen to one in porutkaatchi. It was only a shadow of a great singing of those days.
I remember his AIR interview where he narrated how he used to sing while doing the job of a cow shepard and this kind of dedication only took him to the height where was. But I felt he could not bear the weight of his intellect........
Most unfortunate that he wasn't awarded the 'Sangeetha Kallanidhi'.

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 26 May 2016, 20:40

RaviSri wrote:It could have been Somu's guru Chitoor who would certainly have listened to Konerirajapuram and he would have told Somu. Also this Mannargudi Rajagopalan, who is called a friend of Konerirajapuram must surely be Mannargudi Rajagopala Dikshitar, a senior bhattacharya of the Mannargudi Rajagopalaswami temple.

It could be Mannargudi Rajagopala PiLLai too. . ( After his name appeared in a posting I did:
http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2014/01/28.html -- a concert poster in 44 ... some wanted more details.But I could not get much info about MRP)

He was the vocalist in Pazhani Subramanya Pillai's Arangetram (1923). He seems to have taught at Annamalai Univ.

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 26 May 2016, 22:23

arasi wrote:Mannargudi Easwaran--Ambi Dikshithar's descendant.

I don't think so.

I believe he's a descendant of Nilakanta Dikshithar, brother of Appaya Dikshithar (who did not have any heirs).

I too belong to the Appaya/Nilakanta Dikshithar lineage

, hailing from Paalaamadai in Tirunelveli district where Nilakanta Dikshitar settled. They were originally from Adayapalam in North Arcot district and belong to the Bharadwaja Gotra and Saama Veda. The MD lineage belongs to Kashyapa gotra and Yajur Veda I think.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 May 2016, 01:22

Uday,
Apologies. I MEANT Appaya Dikshitar and typed Ambi

Typos are to be watched.

Though not from the rich kAvEri delta where so many of them come from, our copper-hued riverside produced and was home to a number of great musical minds (then and now

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 27 May 2016, 02:24

Nilakanta Dikshitar was the grandson of Appayya Dikshitar's brother.

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 27 May 2016, 07:08

Thanks KVC, now that you reminded me of it, I did know that. He was a minister in the court of Thirumalai Nayakan.

Arasi
No apologies needed. Just being pedantic...since we're in that mode

. Yes, Thamiraibarani is a really pretty river and many parts of Tirunelveli district are lovely. Not just music, but many spiritual savants, including the great Appaya himself, and Swami Shivananda in more recent times, lived or hailed from the copper-hued banks.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 May 2016, 07:21

Uday,
bhArathiyai viTTirE! (How about BhArathi?)

HMB too...

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 27 May 2016, 09:33

What about his friend Subbarama Dikshitar (wherever he is from - he belongs to tamraparNi eventually)? What about T.L Venkatarama Iyer and his father Lakshmana Suri?

Once RK Sriramkumar blurted out ( somewhat carelessly in a private conversation) - "kAntimati karuNA mIra (kalyANI) - Tirunelveli Jilla people composed it for themselves!". I had to challenge him ( he being a Dikshitar Buff) where all those treasures came from - and who propagated it ( including Sundaram Iyer , AnantaKrishna Iyer et. al.). He being a kannadiga has no bone in this Tanjore/Tirunelveli fight - but somehow took sides - kAvEri affinity or what?.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 27 May 2016, 10:39

I believe Rudrapatnam is on the banks of Kaveri.
I do not take either side.

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 27 May 2016, 10:58

#shankarank, RKS could have made it as a jocular remark. In any case not worth in dissecting too far ..kaveri et al

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 27 May 2016, 18:20

Purist wrote:#shankarank, RKS could have made it as a jocular remark. In any case not worth in dissecting too far ..kaveri et al

My post is also in the same lighter vein. My intention is not to malign him rather share some tidbits for our own relish.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 May 2016, 01:55

(Continuing Manian's article after our getting a bit distracted

)

Somu became a student of Chittoor Subramnia Pillai to learn vocal music. Lord SubramanyA's grace was also his. Somu's first concert was at Tiruchendur murugan temple in 1946 (?? We realize it was much earlier--1934? Deivat tamizh manRam brochure says that). A medal of a gold coin and seventy five rupees were gifted to him. Murugan's grace continues to this day for him...

I would only be second in rank among Somu's fans. Somu is the first and foremost in his savoring a neraval or a svara pattern. He will exclaim 'murugA!', 'gurunAthA!', will get emotional, and even stop singing for a moment.

I've asked him about this with a smile.

"When I'm on stage, I do all kinds of gymnastics. It has become a habit. I'm trying to tone it down a bit. Yet, if I reduce the amount of my calling out to them, I feel I may not find that much strength to sing! Well, whatever the reason, as they say, it's all ANDavan pichai--what He bestows upon us (even the dramatic expression!). Isn't it so?"

As Somu sings, he beckons his rasikAs to join him, and makes the very gathering an emotionally charged drama. His heart-melting music touches us. his humor makes us laugh.

A snake was once drawn to his music when he was singing punnAga varALi at murugan's SwAmy malai temple. He requested the audience not to get excited or try hitting the snake. He continued singing, and after listening to it for a while, the snake went his way.

Somu's needs are but a few. He lives simply. "Manian, get four black-bordered khAdi vEshTis for me", he would ask. The simplicity seen in his nature and in his words are reflected in his clothes as well.

We both are bound in another way too, being bhakthAs of kAnchi paramAchAryA. We consider going to kAnchi to have a darSan of him regularly as an essential part of our lives.

Supine on a cot in the coconut grove, periavA would listen to Somu singing
kIrtanais, padams and tirukkural and would get absorbed in his singing. "Keep singing to the world and be hale and healthy!", he would bless.

PeriavA bestowed him with the title gandharva gAna maNi...

When Somu got sick, he went to periyavA and wept about his pain and anguish. "andak kuLathilE pOI kuLi. ellAm sariyAiDum"(go bathe in that tank. All will be well), he answered.

Somu came back consoled. He's feeling better now.

I have heard his endless number of fans praise him wherever I go. Of all my life-long desires, this is one:
All his fans should gather together like a sea of people and honor him with the title
mahA vidvAn Somasundaram Pillai!

(Thanks to idayam pEsugiRadu and Raju Asokan).

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 May 2016, 02:29

Sorry, deleted. Repeat post

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 May 2016, 02:29

Conclusion of Manian's article:

Sampurna Ramayanam was being filmed at Ratna Studios in Salem. In that film, rAvaNA sings a rAgamAlikA song (T.K. Bhagavati as RAvaNA, Chidambaram C.S. Jayaraman lending the voice).

At the same time, Madurai Somu was also in the studio for the recording of 'maruda malai mA maNiyE' for the film Deivam. Sound editor T.S.Rangaswamy recorded it.

Sivaji, who acted as Bharatan in Sampurna Ramayanam was returning from a set rehearsal and met Somu after his recording. "Somu aNNE! I would like to hear you sing a song!" he exclaimed. Somu obliged by singing the rAga mAlikA 'gowri manOhari, kalyANi', and then a song on murugan.

Sivaji was thrilled."Here's a gift for your singing!", he said. Taking off the necklace he was wearing, he put it around Somu's neck and people around them applauded. The chain weighed about eight sovereigns, and had a pendant with two tiger nails embedded in it...

(Thanks to Cinema Express and Raju Asokan).

To read Pasupathi's original in tamizh, go to his blog: http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2014/01/27.html
or to Musical Morsels thread of his in Tamizh Literature forum here at Rasikas.org.

vgovindan · Post by **vgovindan** » 28 May 2016, 07:19

Thanks to Pasupathi and Arasi for this brief but insightful anecdotes.
Let this thread not get concluded here. Let us draw some lessons - at least a lesson as to why Somu is Somu.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 May 2016, 08:12

VG,
Thanks for posting. In a while, I will (or others can too) bring two more segments plus a related post. Pasupathy might come up with more. Kudos to him for all that he's doing on his part in sharing.

I'm taking a very short break now, while we can mull over what has been posted so far.

By the way, every time I go to Tyagaraja vaibhavam and see the marvelous work there of yours, I keep wondering--how could he do it? Well, your devotion for T(and company) motivates you, of course, but I keep wondering. Then I think, It's all about sharing...

kvjayan · Post by **kvjayan** » 28 May 2016, 16:18

[quote="arasi"]

Sampurna Ramayanam was being filmed at Ratna Studios in Salem. In that film, rAvaNA sings a rAgamAlikA song (T.K. Bhagavati as RAvaNA, Chidambaram C.S. Jayaraman lending the voice).

At the same time, Madurai Somu was also in the studio for the recording of 'maruda malai mA maNiyE' for the film Deivam. Sound editor T.S.Rangaswamy recorded it.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Something seems to be mixed up in Cinema Express/Raju Asokan's account.

Sampurna Ramayanam was released in 1958 (with scintillating songs by CS Jayaraman) and Deivam in 1972 when 'maruda malai mA maNiyE' by Somu became a big hit. Does not look like Deivam was filmed and recorded in 1958 and released at a later date (unlikely given the cast and music director).

The Somu-Sivaji encounter could well have taken place, perhaps under a different context.

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 28 May 2016, 18:08

kvjayan wrote: Sampurna Ramayanam was released in 1958 (with scintillating songs by CS Jayaraman) and Deivam in 1972 when 'maruda malai mA maNiyE' by Somu became a big hit. Does not look like Deivam was filmed and recorded in 1958 and released at a later date (unlikely given the cast and music director).

The Somu-Sivaji encounter could well have taken place, perhaps under a different context.

I agree. But I think it is just the imprecise way the Cinema Express report seems to have been written. One has to assume that it is just another film Somu was booked to sing at same time as Ramayanam.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 28 May 2016, 18:44

A typical case of 'nam viSEsha nirupar saraDu'! Our special correspondent's 'yarn'

Just goes to say how being particular about checking and recording the time of any event was not a priority in our history of reporting. We have to be happy it's changing in modern times. Otherwise, we will be stuck with it as with indian standard time!

Raju Asokan just happened to read it when it was published, as we do now. He was also a reader like us who happened to save this snippet about Somu.

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 28 May 2016, 20:36

Arasi, Thanks . The "real" account may be different too!
e.g. here's another account :
திரையிசையில் மதுரை சோமு:
சம்பூர்ண இராமாயணம் திரைப்படத்தில் இராவணன் கதா பாத்திரத்திற்கு மதுரை கோமு 4 பாடல்கள் பாடியதாக தெரிகிறது. ஆனால் இராவணன் பாத்திரத்தில் நடித்த டி.கே.பகவதிக்கு இவர் பாடிய வேகத்திற்கு வாயசைக்க இயலாத காரணத்தால் இவர் பாடியவை அப்படத்திலிருந்து எடுக்கப்பட்டுவிட்டது. சிதம்பரம் எஸ்.ஜெயராமன் பாடினார். அதிலிருந்து சினிமாவில் படுவதில்லை என்று முடிவெடுத்தார். அதன் பின்னர், 'தெய்வம்' படத்தில் கிருபானந்த வாரியார் கேட்டுக்கொண்டதால், 'மருதமலை மாமணியே முருகையா' என்ற பாடலை கச்சேரி அமைப்பில் பாடினார். இப்பாடல் உலகப் புகழ் பெற்று நிலைத்து நிற்கிறது.
From : http://maduraisomu.com/somu_varalaru.htm

kvjayan · Post by **kvjayan** » 28 May 2016, 21:42

For a somewhat more authentic account see:

http://maduraisomu.com/somuvaipatri/thiraipadathai.htm

The Somu-Sivaji encounter happened during the filming of Sampurna Ramayanam itself and the account also dispels the story about TK Bhagavathi being not upto the mark.

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 29 May 2016, 01:12

Thanks, kvjayan.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 29 May 2016, 05:19

kvjayan wrote:http://maduraisomu.com/somuvaipatri/thiraipadathai.htm

Arasi - more for you to translate....

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 29 May 2016, 08:07

Ravi,
I have been reading a number of entries in that blog. A lot of fascinating stuff there.

As for translating, there is so much--as much as Yadugiri's book about Bharathi! Do I have the stamina and time as I had then?

One thing I can do is post some excerpts from it. First, let me translate part 3 and 4 of Pasupathy's posts. He might also want to continue his Somu series with material from this blog. If he does, I will try and translate that.

In my view, every word in this blog need not be translated because of the stance. Somu is the focus, and we don't want us to be distracted by the points of view. The rich material we find here is valuable in that it is written with love for Somu's music and admiration for the man that he was.

bhArathi was an influence in my growing years, and I was encouraged to think that castes and social levels matter not in human connections and transactions. There are others who may not feel the same way. Still, we all meet with our minds and hearts when it comes to music. So, concentrating just on Somu and his music seems to be the fitting thing to do on this thread.

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 29 May 2016, 18:22

Thanks. Though I was aware of this blog , I still have not read all of it! -yet.

I have now given this link (to this blog) in my 2nd article to this info about Sivaji-Somu meeting ( after the Cinema Express excerpt) .

I agree with Arasi that rather than a full translation, just a summary is enough in such places.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 30 May 2016, 08:45

rajeshnat wrote:
somu nAdaswara kutcheri- part 3

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 30 May 2016, 08:51

SOMU (Part 3)

From Pasupathy's Blog

SOMU'S NADASVARAM CONCERT!

In the ANNAmalai temple, Somu gave a 'nAdasvaram' concert. Are you intrigued? Well, he did sing, but it didn't sound like a voice at all. What a kalyANi, aiyyA! A rare quality about Somu's voice is that there is a uniqueness about his mellina and vallina prayOgAs. More than that, as TyAgarAjA described, his voice rose from his nAbhi and through his heart journeyed to his throat and the nAda pravAhA it brought out sounded like a nAdasvarA!

Somu doesn't have the attitude of some vocalists who just come to the stage, deliver their concert and hurry back, business-like. In Somu's concerts, audience participation is the key. He would encircle his listeners with his music and encourage his supporting artistes. Watching a cricket match kind of air prevails there.

His voice sounds like a gentle breeze this minute, blows like the wind in the next, gets as gusty as in the month of ADi. Then comes a storm, and then a TsunAmi. SvarAs in twos and threes join hands and do their gymnastics as in a circus. It all makes us hang on to the edge of our seats. All this comes to him effortlessly! The kalyANi he sang the other day contained all those elements and made us feel as if we were in a nAdasvaram concert! Joy flooded the hall it seemed.

He encouraged violin Kandasamy endlessly and made the concert shine even more. Compared to some musicians who would go as far as to discourage fellow artistes, Somu stands alone in being generous and encouraging to them.
*
Subbudu--in Ananda VigaDan, year 1971--In a music and dance review.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 30 May 2016, 09:02

Somu was awarded Indian Fine Arts Society's Sangita Kala Sikhamani in 1984. Here's an article which appeared in Kalki with a photo which Rajesh will bring now

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 30 May 2016, 09:23

rajeshnat wrote:
sikhAmani somu - part 3

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 30 May 2016, 19:03

SIKHAMANI SOMU

He is about sixty five. His greatest gift from god he says was learning music from Chittoor Subramania Pillai. Gurukula vAsam, of living in his house for fourteen years as part of the household meant washing clothes, running errands, fetching grocery and other duties. Those were the first steps as it were for him in learning music. If you made mistakes in your singing, you could even get hit for that!

Indian Fine Arts Society is conferring the title Sangita Kala Sikhamani on him this year.

Somu admires many musicians. Ariyakkudi, GNB, Musiri and so on. He seems to be attracted to GNB the most."He is adept at singing rAgAs with imagination and with popular appeal at the same time, and that's an outstanding quality about GNB's singing", he says.

Somu believes in popular appeal and believes firmly in pleasing the audience, and it is evident in all his performances.

On November 1st, he was invited to sing at a trade fair in Delhi. It was an hour and a half concert!."I'm not used to singing for such a short time. Still, I was there. A turbaned punjabi gentleman signaled to me that I should conclude the concert at one point. I started singing a Kabir's bhajan and the restricted time was overlooked it seemed, and I could sing a bit more!

Somu makes it a point to learn and sing songs about the deities at Tiruverkkadu, Kottayam and other places. Singing in temples gives him joy. Starting at nine thirty at night, he would go on until 2-30 in the morning. He adds, Madurai Mani Iyer loved singing in temples too.

Appreciating other artistes and in complimenting them is in his nature. "There is no equal to Chembai who sat in the front row and encouraged young artistes, showering them with bhalE! and bhEsh! Such a quality is rarely seen these days in musicians, Somu regrets.

Somu heads the department of music at Annamalai university.

He loves watching movies, especially bhakthi films. He is also an ardent cricket fan. "Gavaskar is a great player but he could not get many runs in the Bombay match. The reason? The pitch there wasn't good. It's the same with us singers. Can't pull it off at every venue!"

Somu's eldest son works at ICF (?). His second son is a commerce student at college. Both are keen on music. The older one is also a mrudangam player.

Interview by Damayanthi Photo: Damu

(Thanks to Kalki)

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 May 2016, 05:14

Here's another review

Essentials and Non-essentials

Madurai Somu is building a new house in Nungambakkam. Perhaps that's the reason that when he sang at the Nungambakkam Cultural Association concert, his enthusiasm knew no bounds.

Here comes Maharajapuram, it seemed to me, as he expanded on mOhanam. He became Bade Gulam Ali Khan when he tackled darbAri kAnaDa. Besides mimicking, he spoke out the lyrics at times. He explained compound words by separating them, just as in a class room. The nAdasvara sangatis were accompanied by
a nAdasvara vidvAn's finger movements and gestures.

This enthusiasm which Somu couldn't contain, made it difficult for violinist Chandrashekaran. Somu encouraged him. "Chandru, koDuthu vAngu! (let there be an exchange!)... "You are not going to be reticent, Chandru!", he cajoled at another time. Then, "Chandru goes a step ahead!", he marvelled. At times, when Chandrashekar started bowing, he would come out with a line of some song. At one point, he sang 'maname nI ISan nAmathai', to pay homage to MKT!

Coping with all this with patience and care, Chandrashekar was playing traditionally. Yet in Ananda Bhairavi, he got into a kummi, kOlATTam and DappAn kUthu (old word for pop music) mode! So, you can imagine how Somu sparkled that day!

Chandrashekar got out that mode and played a darbAri kAnaDa which seemed as though he was conducting a durbAr. He played it regally.

We are aware that non-essentials abound in Somu's concerts. Is it because his fans expect them?

Pop music is popping up everywhere now. Holding the mic in their hands, they sing, dance, even roll on the floor. As if that isn't enough, they invite the audience to come on stage and perform! The men and women who choose to get up on stage consider it an honor and move their hands and hips wildly as they dance!
Has Somu introduced non-essentials into his concerts because of the fear that in a musical scene like this, Carnatic music is losing ground?

Or, does he feel that a classical concert is serious and solemn, and needs some fun elements in it too?

We may not know the answers to these questions, but we know one thing for certain. Even those who cannot bear with non-essentials in a carnatic music concerts are charmed, seem bound, and stay glued to their seats for the full three hours!
* *
(Pasupathy, no clue as to who wrote this and where! An amusing eye-opener which says times may change, but the tug of war between traditionalists and the moderns remains unchanged

--Arasi)

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 31 May 2016, 05:52

arasi wrote: (Pasupathy, no clue as to who wrote this and where! An amusing eye-opener which says times may change, but the tug of war between traditionalists and the moderns remains unchanged --Arasi)

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 31 May 2016, 09:53

rajeshnat wrote:
somu - avasiyam and anAvasiyam - part 3

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 May 2016, 19:49

Another Snippet...

Aboard the Train...

Somu was traveling from Kumbakonam to Chennai on the Trivandrum Passenger train (passenger trains were slow coach trains--in case the younger set wonder what they mean). He had given a concert at the Tanjavur Mariamman temple and was returning home with his accompanists in a reserved compartment.

"Somu aNNE, vaNakkam!", greeted mrudangam vidvAn Ganesan (son of Ariyakudi's second wife Dhanammal).

As the train left the station, people kept dropping in. The train reached Mayiladuturai and a co-traveler exclaimed: I've heard maruda malai mAmaNiyE fifty times, and the song doesn't get stale at all!

Somu said, "Listen to it for the fifty first time", and sang it.

A woman traveler asked: How many rAgAs are there in the song 'viLaiyADal kANIro?' which you sang at the Music Academy, and who composed it?
"It has twenty one rAgAs, and I composed it."
"Kindly sing it for us."

Somu started singing--mOhanam, kalyANi, khAmbOdi, SankarAbharaNam..."It will take forty five minutes to sing the entire song. It's already nine at night."

"Has Somu sir eaten?", asked mrudangam Ganesan.
"Not yet. Shall we wind up the listeners' request session now?" asked Somu.

(Thanks to Kalki and Raju Asokan)

To read Pasupathy's thread in tamizh, please go to the Literature forum thread Musical Morsels or to his blog http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2014/02/30.html

End of Part 3

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 31 May 2016, 20:52

rajeshnat wrote:
Rasika request in a running train - end of part 3

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 01 Jun 2016, 16:22

rajeshnat wrote:
Chitoor Subramania Pillai with Madurai Somu - start of somu part 4

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Jun 2016, 19:22

SOMU 4

We in our family started appreciating Somu's music in the fifties, I think. AIR Tiruchi used to have a program called--From TillaiNagar. They relayed the Arunagirinadar Festival from there. We could hear entire concerts of Alathur Brothers and others. Somu sang too!

I heard him for the last time in the eighties in a tiruppugazh festival concert at Vada pazhani. The Arunagirinadar festival took place there around the 15th of August. They were in the habit of including Somu's name in the program, even without asking him, and he sang every year without fail!

I reached there when he was describing how RTPs lay hidden in Tiruppugazh's different anga tALA-s. Somu sang a verse in the rAgA bhavAni. It started with a detailed AlApanA. That was the day's special from him. I haven't heard a more beautiful bhavAni to this day! The AlApanA was at first in the CM mode. Then, with nAdasvarA playing gestures, he sang with ravai sangathis as with the instrument. Then, he raised his hands (indicating the northern part of India) and sang the rAgA in hindusthAni style! I was amazed by it all.

A family friend (Tiruppugazh sabha's then president) Sambandam asked me to garland Somu. I requested him to sing an AlApanA in nIlamaNi. I was hoping he would follow it up with a tiruppugazh. That didn't happen. He sang Adiseshayyar's enna kavi pADinAlum...

An unforgettable experience it was. That was the last time I heard him...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Jun 2016, 20:42

When Somu passed away in 1989 at the age of seventy, Ananda Vigadan published this article ...

SANGITA SINGAM (The Lion of Music)

(by MI PA Somu, author and scholar in literature and music)

The year was 1941 and I was working at AIR's Tiruchi station as an announcer. I was there to announce the concert of the musical genius Chittoor Subramania Pillai. Before the start of the program, he would give me the name of the kriti and would look back at the youngster who sat behind him and he would smile. Then he would tell me what he was going to sing next and look back and again, a smile from the
youngster! It went on, and only the songs which elicited a smile became the song list of the day!

That youngster, his trustworthy disciple was Somasundaram, known to us all as Somu. From getting the stage ready for his guru to wiping his sweat away with a towel during the concert, he showed his devotion to him in every manner.

Once, I asked Somu why he didn't give concerts on his own to which he replied: talaiyirukka vAl ADumA? (which means, I'm nothing, he's the thing!).

Some years later, he came to see me to say he was giving solo concerts now and invited me to come and listen to him.When I heard him, I forgot everything else. What powers resided in that voice of the youngster with the smile I had seen at the studio who merely played the tambura! I marveled at his singing and called him an iSai payilvAn (music's champion wrestler/athlete!).
(isai payilvAn, payinRAn, pADinAn Somu

-Arasi)

A robust and healthy voice with no trace of weakness whatsoever in it, one which would at the same time not fade away or get scratchy--however high it soared, but staying with the Sruti all along! It will descend reaching the svara sthAnam expertly (reminding us of the merit of its existence).

From 1963, Somu was a member at Tamizhisai Sangam's expert committee. He worked along with me from choosing the awardee for isai perarinyar to planning the programs list. He worked in harmony with the committee and with the organizers in a fine manner.

Madurai Somu was a lion in the music field in whom scholarship and a rich voice combined and took residence. He sang for discerning rasikAs and for all the rest of us who love music. Though he is no more with us, his majestic voice will be ringing in our ears--a voice which sang the lyrics in a song with their full impact...

(Thanks to Ananda Vigadan)

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Jun 2016, 20:42

Finally, from Dinamani Kadir in 2003

Lineage

MADURAI SOMU

by Appanasamy

kusti on one hand and music on the other...

There is a temple in
(be back soon!)

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 01 Jun 2016, 22:13

rajeshnat wrote:
Somu - one side wrestling another side music - somu part 4

rajeshnat wrote:
Somu and MGR - somu part 4

rajeshnat wrote:
Somu and his wife saroja - somu part 4

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 01 Jun 2016, 22:14

arasi wrote:Finally, from Dinamani Kadir in 2003

Lineage

MADURAI SOMU

by Appanasamy

kusti on one hand and music on the other...

There is a temple in
(be back soon!)

The Lineage article by Appanaswamy has the above 3 photos , the fourth photo I will post after arasi posts the article . Over to Arasi.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Jun 2016, 08:28

Lineage

Wrestling on the One Hand and Music on the Other
By
Appanasamy

In Madurai's Chembuk kiNaRu street, there is a temple. Bench court Sachidanandam pillai lived on the street. His sons Paramasivam (Somu) and Minakshi Sundaram, after finishing their chores at home, appeared in the temple every morning. One Muthu vAdyAr taught wrestling, jousting and other martial arts there. His students were trained all day at the temple. Of the two brothers, Meenakshi Sundaram became the number one champion of the state. The other, not only had won tournaments but also was to become a number one musician.

There was another regular at the temple--Narayana Konar who sang bhajans divinely. After his physical training, Somu would sit down with a Sruti box to take music lessons from him.

Madurai Somu belonged to a long line of a musical family. Tanjavur Swamy malai Chinna Nagarathinam and Peria Nagarathinam were Somu's father's great grandmothers. Somu's grandfather Srinivasa Pillai was a well known nAdasvara vidvAn. But his parents did not like Somu to get absorbed in music. Somu started learning nAdasvaram from Subramania Pillai and while playing, cut his gum with the chivaLi. His mother Kamalammal forbade him from learning to play it.
(They had come to live in Madurai because Sachidanandam Pillai was a bench court clerk and was transferred there).

Coming from Kanchipuram Nayana Pillai's Sishya paramparA, Somu too was drawn to body building! Nayana Pillai, with a body built like a stone fortress, would make wrestling gestures on stage (out of habit) while singing a pallavi!

Children and parents don't often see eye to eye about what they should pursue in their lives. If his parents insisted that he should attend to his studies, Somu would be busy with his physical training. He wouldn't mend his ways. Frustrated by his parents' admonitions, he ran away to join a drama company.

His parents then realized how serious he was about his music. They brought him back home and sent him to
Naina Pillai's student Sundaresa Bhattar to learn music. Somu also had lessons from Madurai Lakshmanan Chettiar in singing tEvArams.

Chittoor Subramania Pillai came to Madurai to give a concert and Somu was enchanted by his singing. He yearned to be his disciple. Seeing his determination, his parents packed him off to Chennai at the age of 13, to learn from the master...
(to be continued)

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Jun 2016, 21:21

Somu did gurukula vAsa for fourteen years. Chittoor had twenty seven other students. Lessons were given once a week. Somu, with his immense talent, became his prime student. He was the one who carried the tambura to the concerts. As years went by, Somu got better and better and was allowed to give his own concerts.

The year was 1944. It was customary for some senior vidvAns to look for new talents at the Rasika Ranjani Sabha's afternoon concerts. Tiger Varadachari was there that day when this short, body builder-looking youngster sang. He sounded as strong in his voice as he was in his physique. To begin with, in mantra sthAyi, the voice was a bit gritty. Then it soared. Tiger sat up. When Somu showed his mettle in the uruppaDis (songs), Tiger said 'shobhAsh!' (his way of saying it). A single shobhAsh from him merited as much as an SK title. That was not all. Somu got many of them that day (when he got so many 'SK's at that very young age, where was the need for him to get the one at MA

Also note that his grand daughter's father-in-law did get one from the Academy very recently. You will find out a little later!-Arasi).

The very next day, Chittoor had a concert there and Tiger ran into him and walking behind him with the tambura was Somu. Tiger happened to see him and exclaimed, "ChittoorvAL, is this your student? BhEsh!
I heard him sing yesterday. He will keep your tradition alive and make you proud!" (unga pErai kAppAthiDuvAn!).

To hear this from a great vidvAn like Tiger about his dear student made Chittoor say to Somu later, "nI nallA varuvEDA, Madurai vIrA!" (you will come up well as a musician). 'Madurai vIrA' was the guru's way of expressing his affection and appreciation for his student whenever he was pleased...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 04 Jun 2016, 01:27

Somu's concerts went on through the night, most of the time. If musical greats and refined rasikAs appreciated his immense talent, so did the rest. His including tamizhisai in his concerts made him very popular. Even those who were not initiated into music while young started listening to him. This Madurai vIran, just like NainapiLLai of his musical family's ancestor, gave full bench concerts.

Somu loved listening to others sing. Greats like S.G.Kittappa, MAriappa SwamigaL, VilAthikuLam SwamigaL,
Maharajapuram Viswanata Iyer, Musiri, and GNB. He also loved hindusthani rAgAs.

When well-known personages walked in at his concerts, Somu liked inserting their names in a line in his
singing, and add a 'vAnga!' (welcome)!

His tODi AlApanAs were replete with nAdasvaram piDis. Whenever he chose to sing in the manner of any other artiste, he would announce their names!

Somu and Saroja got married in 1948. Saroja's grandfather was a renowned nAdasvaram player. Her father, a mridangam player and a naTTuvanAr.

Their children are Shanmugam, Harihara Sutan, Rajarajeswari and Ramasubramaniam.

Somu was born on February 9th in 1929 and left this world on January 9th in 1989.

Somu and Saroja's son Shanmugam trained for twelve years in playing the mridangam. He is a graded artiste at AIR Tiruchy. He also got trained in the martial arts like his father when he was young. He also works at the ICF factory in the accounts department in Chennai. He and his wife Vijaya have three daughters--Mahita, Yogita and Somu Bhavitha. Mahita's husband Malarvannan is tavil exponent (SK!) Valayapatti's son!

Yogitha has a BA degree. Youngest is Somu Bhavitha (bearing her grandfather's name), and she is a student of GNB's disciple Sivaramakrishnan.

Somu's second son Hariharasutan is a farmer in Tirukkavur. He and his wife Kanchanamalai have three children--Gurunathan, Savitha, Somasundaram who are all at school.

Somu's only daughter Rajarajeswari has a masters degree. Is married to Muralidharan, an auditor in Coimbatore. Their son Anand is studying to be a chartered accountant.

Somu and Saroja's youngest son Ramasubramaniam is married to Latha and their children are Dinesh and Mohanesh. They too live in Coimbatore.

(Thanks to Dinamani Kadir and Raju Asokan)

(End of Part: 4)
* * *

I am glad I could translate these four parts on Somu from Pasupathy's blog which he shared at Rasikas.org's Language and Literature forum in his Musical Morsels thread. Thanks to him and to Rajesh for helping out with the pictures.

Raju Asokan! Can't stop wondering how much of a contribution we have received from his rich trove in music and writing! A big thanks to him

I think KVC is ready with another segment about Somu

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 04 Jun 2016, 19:01

The Slap I got
(by Kavignar Vali)

I saw in Murasoli my name among the composers of Tamizh songs for the musicians to sing in concerts. The author of the article was Thiruvarur Thyagarajan.

As I was reading the article, a friend of mine, a year elder to me and a musician, visited me. I shared the article with him. He asked me in half sneer, “Oy, do you compose kirthanas?” I showed him a publication of my kirthanas with notations by Darapuram Sri Sundararajan.

As he browsed through it, when he came upon one item, he remarked, “Oy, is this your creation? I have heard over time many musicians like Madurai Somu, MLV, Sudha R, Bombay Jayasree, etc. sing it. Why, I myself have sung it in my concerts. I know only now that it is your kirthana. Pardon me for mocking.”
The song is ‘KUvi AzhaitthAl kural koduppAn.’

For long there has been a feeling that Kodambakkam and Thiruvaiyaru are poles apart. That is totally false. There is a film company in Coimbatore by name ‘Vani Films’. Its partners are Vid. T Chowdiah, Vid. T R Mahalingam, and Chembai. K B Sundarambal and Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer have acted in Nandanar. MS and GNB have acted in Sakuntalai. Smt. N C Vasanthakokilam acted in Haridas. Papanasam Sri Sivan acted in Thyaga Bhumi and Bhaktha Kuchela. Sri M M Dandapani Desikar acted in Nandanar. In the unreleased film Sudarsan, Smt. MLV and Sri P U Chinnappa acted. Sri Balamuralikrishna has not only acted as Narada but has sung for many films. Sri TNS has acted in a film by Kunnakkudi. Sri TNR, nadaswaram maestro, has acted in the lead role in Kaviraja Kalamegam. Smt. DKP has sung for many films. Sri V V Sadagopan was the hero in Madana Kama Rajan. One can go on.

From an early age I had contacts with musicians. Sri Gopalakrishna Iyer of Marungapuri, a famous violinist, lived in Srirangam. He would conduct Thyagaraja Aradhana in his house. There was no vidwan who would not sing in it. I was the errand boy there. I had to take Chitthur Subramanya Pillai to Kaveri for bath, iron the clothes for Madurai Mani Iyer, fill the snuff from time to time in GNB’s snuff-box, get ‘degree coffee’ for Kumbhakonam Rakamanikkam Pillai, and so on.

Vittal, a Srirangam friend, and I had terrific affinity for one Vidwan. He used to write to me if he was to give a concert in the vicinity of Tiruchi. Vittal and I would go to Asoka Hotel to meet him and accompany him to all his concerts in the nighbourhood. He has set many of my compositions to tune and sung them. In course of time, I used to play on the tambura for him.

Once, his concert extended to early morning. There was milling crowd. I dozed off and leaned on him with the tambura. Just then he was singing RTP fully absorbed in it. Disturbed by my act, he slapped me on my cheek. My head swirled. He was a trained wrestler!

Days passed by. I became famous in film industry. My friend Vittal had become a minister in MGR cabinet. Vittal is the nickname of Tiruchi Soundararajan!

Many years hence, that Vidwan had come for singing in a Devar Films production, ‘Shashti Vratham.’ I had composed the song. Seeing me, he remembered slapping me and felt awkward. I took hold of his hands and said, “Elder brother, you are a great musician, an ocean of music. Even today, when you sing all through the night, the hall is jampacked. The Chennai sabhas have pleasant goosepimples when your name is mentioned. The slap you gave me many years back is the cause for my becoming famous in film industry.”

Saying this, I fell at his feet. He took me up in his hands, and blessed me in the traditional way.

He is Sri MADURAI SOMU
(This is translation of the post of Sri Pasupathi http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.in/2013/07/18.html)