Where Ariyakkudi sang for idlis

[venkatakailasam]

Artists from all over South considered it an honour to perform for PSS.

Among the vintage concert recordings that abound, there are at least three where the performance is pierced by a shrill whistle. Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar must have clearly given instructions for a complete halt when that happens, for next we hear the huffing and puffing of a railway train. The concert resumes once the train recedes into the distance. In a Musiri Subramania Iyer concert, the whistle is aligned completely to his high pitch. And in a Mali concert, he imitates the whistle on his flute, much to the amusement of the audience.

A concert interrupted by a whistle invariably meant a performance at the Perambur Sangeetha Sabha (PSS), one of the veteran music organisations in North Chennai. In fact, it is one of only two survivors from what was once the very hub of Carnatic Music, the other one being the Tamil Isai Sangam.

Perambur owed its growth essentially to the railways and the nearby industrial areas; the composition of its population therefore being middle and lower middle class. Those interested in the arts had to travel to distant George Town, Triplicane or Mylapore. The Perambur Sangeetha Sabha was therefore founded in 1933, to bring the arts closer home. The organisation’s live wire was S.G. Subramania Iyer, its secretary and the venue of its concerts was the historic Dharmamurthy Rao Bahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty High School just off what is now the Gandhi Park.

More at..

http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 195730.ece

[cmlover]

புட்டுக்கு மண் சுமந்தார் சிவனார்
இட்லிக்கு இசை அளித்தார் அரியக்குடியார்..

[thanjavooran]

This PSS has been adjudged as one of the best sabhas by Tamilnadu govt. An age old organization , Shri Sethuranan along with Lakshmanan as Treasurer and Srinvasan as secretary [ all Railway officials ] was running it efficiently with enough loss incurred personally. His association with all stalwarts of CM was note worthy and they performed for a meager sum as sanmaanam . In RBCC school under the thatched roof with platform slightly elevated and Rasikas seated on the carpet was a unique one like a temple concerts of olden days. Vidwans were having good interaction with Rasikas seated closely to them. As I am a member of this PSS for over 50 yrs I recollect few pleasant memories. There were two concerts in the evening on some days. Perambur Arts Academy a rival sabha was short lived and not functioning now. Shri Sethuraman's dream to build a memorial for ARI was not fulfilled. The plot he bought at Perambur for this, was later sold for running the sabha. In that plot TSB performed Harikatha for 3 weeks in late 60 s. Shri Sethuraman once narrated his meeting with ARI. Madurai Krishnan arranged for this and while accompanying him shri Sethuraman took Rs 10/= from his pocket and bought a basket full of oranges to greet ARI All Vidwans were willingly gave their performances and were having high esteem for shri Sethuraman. Once TL Magarajan / Deepan Chakravarthi who attended Mandolin Srinivasan's concert gifted him with his golden chain he was wearing on the dais itself.
Thanjavooran
07 08 2013

[cmlover]

Thanjavooran
Thanks for that personal elucidation..

[PUNARVASU]

I remember attending a few concerts there while we were staying at ICF quarters nearby. What is still etched in my mind is the veena concert of E.Gayatri, may be her 2 nd or 3 rd concert. She was a young girl in 'pavadai, chattai' and what music came out of her veena!

[arasi]

Punarvasu,
Your father would have had more memories to add, had he been around...

[PUNARVASU]

Arasi, yes. I was thinking the same thing. My father was a regular there. We started going only after we shifted to the Rly. Colony.