Madurai Mani Iyer

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 13 Jun 2008, 11:38

An Excellent Tribute to Sri MADHURA(I) Mani Iyer. I am spellbound by his Imaginative Swara Patterns. What a pleasure listening to these records-Kamalambam bhajare(kalyani);Koluvaiya(Bhairavi); Sithapathe(Kamach);Marivere Dikevaraiya Rama(Shanmukhapriya).

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 13 Jun 2008, 20:48

Nice writeup by Sriram in the hindu .
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/06/13/stor ... 110400.htm

Sri rama varma
Excellent writeup.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 13 Jun 2008, 21:11

And among the photographs bunched together in Sriram's article in "The Hindu" is a kutcheri in which MMI is accompanied by Tiruvalangadu Sundaresa Iyer and Palani Subbudu.(bottom left)

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 14 Jun 2008, 08:37

Thank you very much

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Jun 2008, 10:22

Cienu,
Indeed! Brought back childhood memories to me.

And the maNikkoDi group! I had met some of them in my childhood (Stalin Srinivasan's daughter was my classmate). I read some of their stories and writings without understanding them much but it was a magical world where intellect and creativity met. Their writings made a difference to the world around them--culturally, socially and in political thought.
My uncle, before launching on a career as an actor and then as a vocalist, had a short stint as a writer and worked at Ananda vigaDan
as an editorial assistant (Kalki connection). His love for the letters (and theirs for music, in some cases) brought these literary figures to his house and he took me to several such meets elsewhere where they would meet. I owe my literary leanings and love for music to him.
No wonder. MMI with his great music and his convivial nature, made them seek his company. In flourishing cultural times, the fine arts have a way of interacting and in exchanging their richness in thoughts and ideas.
When in the twenty first century we still bring in caste and creed and politics into our discussions on CM, it is interesting to note that nearly a century ago, MMI who was born of an orthodox brahmin family seemed to have erased the barriers of petty differences, a case where arts alone matter, and friends.
MMI and MS! Divine singers and and noble beings! Both from Madurai. Still living in the hearts of CM lovers and will continue as long as CM does.

Rajesh,
Yes, we were lucky to have heard MMI in concerts. It was a unique experience with his ringing voice, vidvat, soaring imagination and bhAvam. As I grew up, I realized his worth even more, and cannot forget the joy on hearing him in the season of 1963. The very last time for me. We did not visit India every year in those old days!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Jun 2008, 10:59

Rama Varma,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about MMI with us.Such details like his one of a kind phrases made me recall those unique phrasings and the abandon with which he sang. Music was his life, his joy--which he loved to share with his audience. Purists frowned upon his innovative way of singing and it was their loss, missing his concerts. Little did they know that he would live on forever in the hearts of rasikAs of CM, old and new.
On music breaking barriers (which is one of music's ideals), you are doing it too. Historical reasons apart, your love for music and being a musician too makes you say that you prefer to be called by your given name...

vidya · Post by **vidya** » 15 Jun 2008, 00:56

arasi,
Very interesting, which manikkodi writers have you met? I am also kind of amused to see your post mentioning Kalki and the manikkodi group in one single paragraph!

Have you seen this link? http://chitti.blogspot.com

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Jun 2008, 03:07

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...

Musique4ever · Post by **Musique4ever** » 15 Jun 2008, 10:15

Arasi ji....thank you very much. I am always thirsty for the recollections about people like Shri Madurai
Mani Iyer from people who have had the privilege to see them, hear them, interact with them and know them. When some of my friends envy me for having sung with accompaniments like T.N.Krishnan Sir, V.V.Subramanyam Sir, Umayalpuram Sivaraman Sir, Vellore Ramabhadran Sir, Palghat Raghu Sir, T.K.Murthy Sir, TVG Sir and so on, while obviously feeling blessed and privileged, I actually envy THEM for having accompanied people like Mama, M.D.Ramanathan, Chembai and others. So many posts in this thread make me wish yet again that I had been born 40 years earlier than I was, even if that might involve my being dead now

The silver lining on the cloud is the internet and good souls who are kind enough to share their photos, recordings and memories. Thank you very much for being one of them.

vidya · Post by **vidya** » 15 Jun 2008, 10:53

Arasi,
Thanks, Yes, stellar literary names a generation of us are only familiar through writings and through interacting with students of some of these stalwarts, and will soon be forgotten down the line.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 15 Jun 2008, 16:39

In Bangalore Ramovstava Concerts during 1960s, I have attended Sri MMI's concerts. The Kalyani Pallavis- undarushanum kadeikkimo nataraja dayanidhe & bhajare mAnasa raghu vIram;the kanada song- sukhi evvarO still lingers in my ears........even today.What lovely concerts organised by Sri Rama Seva Samithi( earlier @ City Institute & now @ Fort High School Grounds). The Inaugural Concert was always by Chembai..........the Concluding Concert was by Smt MSS. In between, MLV; DKP;Sunderambal;Ariyakudi;GNB;MMI;Semmangudi etc;etc so many excellent concerts day after day----for almost a month of concerts.....so enjoyable;so refreshing.Great Golden Days!

The Latangi Pallavi - Rajamathangi Pavani Paripurani ; Rathna bhushani Manonmani; Enduko peddala(shankarabharanam);Meenakshi Me Mudam(purvikalyani) ; Sri Subrhmanyaya Namasthe(kambodhi) aired by AIR,Chennai MMI concerts are everlasting.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 27 Jun 2008, 06:32

sri vEnkatAchalapathe - a manipravala song of MD having Sanskrit, Telugu & Tamil was popularised & sung by MMI.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Jun 2008, 03:03

Fan(atic) mail:

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/06/27/stor ... 280300.htm

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 28 Jun 2008, 10:05

Dear rshankar,
I wish to bring to your attention your highly insensitive comment: "Fan(atic) mail:"
Just to either show you are smart or clever you have insulted countless fans of MMI. I am sure that was not your intention.

Please read "Sadarana Manidhan" by Narasayya & "carnatic summer" by V.Sriram to learn about Chitti Sundarajan who knew MMI from day one & wrote MMI'S presidential addresses at M.AS& TAMIL ISAI SANGAM AT MMI'S REQUEST. The person who wrote the editor in Hindu is Chitti's son to whom many MMI fans are greatful for writing about his recollections. It is a pity as a culture we do not properly know or cherish the greatness of the past.
Any one who knew about Manikodi writers or heard a SINGLE concert of MMI AT MANIMANDAPAM:
- I was fortunate- with Tiruvalangadu Sundaresayer & Palani as accompanists will say that they have experienced HEAVEN ON EARTH.......I hope smart persons like you will do BETTER than my generation in promoting & letting future generations know the glorious things that happened & are continuing to happen today...Regs, vkv

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Jun 2008, 11:08

We are not just fans of Madurai Mani Iyer. We want to be identified as fanatics of Madurai Mani Iyer!

S.Venugopalan, Chennai.

Sri vkv,

I was merely quoting what Sri S. Venugopalan had written in one the letters that was published in the column. I had so hoped that people would read it!

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 28 Jun 2008, 18:53

Dear rshankar,
Thanks for your clarification. vkv

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 29 Jun 2008, 21:39

vkv sir or others who lived in that league,
I have heard thru grapevine that shri MMI has given the best of best concerts at mAyavaram when he settled for few years in 1940's to 1950's. By any chance can you recollect any of those super memorable concerts of shri mmi in the villages -temples around mAyavaram - kumbakOnam area.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 29 Jun 2008, 22:15

Dear Rajeshnat,
I can recommend sri.V.Narasimhan of Thiruvanmaiyur Asthika Samajam(Secretary)- his phone no. is in Chennai telephone book; you can call the no. for Asthika Samajam also- who ACTUALLY has attended far more than me in the time period & location you are interested . Actually in the MMI Rememberance Day Celebrations I organised feb 26 '08 at Ragha Sudha Hall MMI'S neighbour at Mayavaram came all the way from Mayavaram & I am hoping to get someone from that era to talk in the second edition of that function next february.
Pl contact me at vkv43034@yahoo.com if you are unable to get his number. You can tell him I suggested that you contact him. Also if you have ideas of what areas we shd. cover in that meeting pl write me. One of the technical areas we are hoping to address is MMI'S Sarva laghu approaches. Unfortunately I can come to Chennai only during MID JAN-mid March & THE MEETING also will be held on FEB TIME SCALE.
Let me take this opportunity to REQUEST anyone interested in learning/exploring any aspect of MMI to email me at above address or discuss it in this forum. I am trying to come up with something in concrete for the 100th Anniversary & solicit ALL ideas. vkv

unixguru88 · Post by **unixguru88** » 05 Jul 2008, 13:39

Could any one post marukelara in jayantashri by mani iyer. Apparently there is an old 1930's recording of it. Thank you.

sasa110 · Post by **sasa110** » 05 Jul 2008, 20:25

Hi all, please do check out the latest episode of Sanjay Subrahmanyan's podcast

http://media.libsyn.com/media/sanjaysub ... de_002.mp3

It has some interesting thoughts on creativity and features a great neraval by MMI

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 08 Jul 2008, 05:08

unixguru88 wrote:Could any one post marukelara in jayantashri by mani iyer. Apparently there is an old 1930's recording of it. Thank you.

I will look for it; my email is vkv43034@yahoo.com write me a note. vkv

new1 · Post by **new1** » 13 Jul 2008, 17:26

For his 100th birth anniversary, it will be nice to have a book brought out that has observations/articles by people that have known and observed him closely. My own father has heard numerous concerts of his when MMI was at his peak as well as when he was weak and ravaged by illness, and often talks about them.

This could be accompanists that are still around as well as ordinary rasikas and the knowledgeable ones. With the passage of time, we will only have left with us recordings of his music and nothing else as those who have seen him in flesh and blood will also be no more.

Talking of recordings, a systematic cataloging of them would also be nice. I saw a nice excel spreadsheet in sangeethapriya posted by someone, that has concert dates, venues, accompaniments etc. If we can match that to known/available recordings, we will have a nice way of organising his music over time. I tried matching that sheet with what I have through downloads and from vkv sir but given my knowledge limitations it is difficult. For instance I would not know if the violinist is LGJ or TNK or MSG unless it is mentioned in the mp3 file. Some others will know it offhand. Same goes for mridangam. If available downloads/recordings are numbered or cataloged I think that will enhance their appeal and rasikas can see them in the context of the periods they were recorded.

Efforts by vkv sir and others to collect his recordings and distributing them are acts of great 'punyam' that cannot be described in words.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 13 Jul 2008, 21:24

Dear new1,
I am hoping to spend most of my time in Chennai ( jan15-march15th) collecting data from anyone who is willing to share- not necessarily recordings as many may not share them for various reasons- precisely to bring out a book in a multi-media fashion. Hope to talk about it in the MMI Remembrance day celebrations in the feb time frame period this year (like last year at Raga sudha Hall) & ask for practical suggestions, participation etc. Thanks for your suggestions. I am hoping this will be a joint effort by MMI Rasikas. I am willing to co-ordinate & participate in a sustantive fashion on this effort. vkv

balusatya · Post by **balusatya** » 13 Jul 2008, 22:32

There are people in our midst -One person prominently coming to our mind is Sri .Narasimhan-Asthika samajam,Thiruvanmiyur-Chennai-600020- who used to quote many instances related to his music."In one of the private concerts in kumbakonam MMi had finished singing Thodi/kalyani alapana before a group of people( coming by walk covering more than 15 Kms).could reach the place of concert. When he was told that the group had come to listen to tha raga, MMI again took up the raga for elaboration-having given a totally different dimension from the earlier version."

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 14 Jul 2008, 04:12

How wonderful!
We are discussing in another thread (Ramblings...) the very same thing! MMI was not the kind of singer who forgot himself in 'bhakthi'only while singing in his puja room! The way he made the fans who arrived late as happy as the listeners who were there already, shows the largeness of his heart. Singing the same rAgAs over again was not an chore but a pleasure to him. The pleasure was in making others happy. It was his devotion (to music? bhakthi? the rasikAs?).The late comers did not arrive in a fancy car (VIPs), nor did he have to catch a train or flight to be in some other part of the world.
After all that is said, it is the 'sharing their joy' quality that keeps the greats unforgettable in rasikA's minds.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 14 Jul 2008, 09:57

arasi wrote:After all that is said, it is the 'sharing their joy' quality that keeps the greats unforgettable in rasikA's minds.

Well put. It is not just in formal concert settings that the older generation usually showed their best... instances like MMI singing Kalyani again for some late rasikas, or Chembai offering to teach anyone and everyone who wanted to learn music, or MDR singing with great dedication for just a handful of rasikas who decided to show up for a concert, are all legion.

All these people were motivated to just share their music with anyone that cared to appreciate it, not bound by contractual or other obligations as in concert settings or album releases.

How many of the top performers of today will come forward to throw their music open to the masses who cant afford to pay for concert tickets or buy cassettes & CDs? That will be the real test of intentions that show a real desire to propogate music to the masses.

One more thing that I can identify as a distinction between MMI's generation and the following ones is that in their generation, no musician demanded that the rasikas know anything formal about classical music as a pre-requisite to appreciate their concerts.

Today the situation is such that, the more elitist and unaccessible a vidwan's music is to the laymen, the more the vidwan thinks that he is doing a great service to music by keeping it so. I dont see any of the current big names being remotely likely to be able to attract the common-man who doesnt know a thing on carnatic music.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 14 Jul 2008, 19:12

If we define "rasikas", they are listeners, learners, singers and followers of music.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 14 Jul 2008, 22:55

and vidwans like me are rasikas first......

J.Balaji

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 14 Jul 2008, 23:35

Today the situation is such that, the more elitist and unaccessible a vidwan's music is to the laymen, the more the vidwan thinks that he is doing a great service to music by keeping it so. I dont see any of the current big names being remotely likely to be able to attract the common-man who doesnt know a thing on carnatic music.

Hanging around in our forum, we may also get a skewed picture of the general situation that the trend is towards eliticism and technicalities. Definitely, many rasikas here want rare krithis, 20+ sangathi renditions are considered very commendable, technical imperfections are highlighted much more than in off-line discussions about music, innovations are encouraged etc. I am wondering if the overall orientation of the top ( younger generation ) artists has changed that much. If so, srkris has a valid point.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 15 Jul 2008, 00:41

No, singing more saMgatis cannot make someone's music elitist. Nor do rare kritis make it so. I would say it is the relative insensitivity to the needs of the first-day rasika that makes it elitist.

Standard CM is not necessarily opposed to popularity, while eliticism most definitely is. There is nothing too technical about singing more saMgatis or rare songs. But one shouldnt promote/encourage eliticism, its a bad trend. It creates a schism between the knows and the know-nots.

I have heard many carnatic musicians of the younger generation referring to CM as a niche art. So this view has come to be taken for granted, like some kind of fate that cant be changed. Very dangerous, this is exactly what I am speaking about.

Let us take two great vidwans from different time periods - MMI and TNS. Who do you think will be more able to attract an audience of newcomers?

Instead of making standard CM more accessible, some are diluting the standard.

Just MHO, no offence or bias against any particular musician or generation.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Jul 2008, 02:17

Srkris,
Well said. Elitism in appreciation distances the uninitiated and the fringe rasikAs. As VK points out, we have several of us here who like analysing music and musicians to the nth degree--which is both good and bad!
Good because it helps us get more selective, teaches us a thing or two about rasanA and heightens our sensibility.
Bad because criticism sometimes ceases to be constructive. One tends to forget that there are a lot of people out there who are interested in CM but are awed by the kind of opinions that are held by these rasikAs.
On the one hand, we want CM appreciation to spread, and yet, elitism and a certain 'we are the guardians of CM' kind of attitude on the part of some listeners can chase away rasikAs in the making. That is why I am delighted when a few youngsters post on the forum. Two in a row, there are reviews of concerts from them in the past couple of days. Then there is mridangam kid from the US who is in India now for his classes and they all surprise me with their interest in CM. It proves that CM has the capacity to appeal to many, if only they can overcome their hesitation in geting close to it --because of the attitude of a few raskiAs who think that it is exclusive stuff.
Yes, srkris. Diluting CM to reach a large number of listeners is not the way to go. To make CM more 'approachable' is what should be aimed at.
If kids growing up away from the culture of the homeland of their parents are getting interested in CM so that they would go all the way to India to learn it, I am sure this can be expected of those growing up in India in the proximity of sabhas and temples...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Jul 2008, 02:22

By the way, just as there is a program of taking classical dance to the rural areas, is there any effort on the part of CM artistes to familiarize the rural children with CM by performing for them and for their parents in their villages?

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 15 Jul 2008, 03:09

I think Shri Balsaubramanian of 'Brhadhwani(he is the brother of Smt.Rajeswari Padmanabhan, of the Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer family) is doing something in this direction. Do not know much details.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 15 Jul 2008, 04:04

arasi wrote:By the way, just as there is a program of taking classical dance to the rural areas, is there any effort on the part of CM artistes to familiarize the rural children with CM by performing for them and for their parents in their villages?

Tiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam had a vigourous organised effort to do precisely what you have written about. do not know what the current status is. vkv

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 15 Jul 2008, 07:29

VKV,
Thank you for the information. Hope T. Bhaktavatsalam's work continues.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 15 Jul 2008, 08:52

MMI immortal audio

http://maduraimani.tripod.com/id6.html

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 15 Jul 2008, 09:28

Link to a short but sweet prathapavarali
http://www.sangeethamshare.org/manjunat ... varALi.mp3

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 15 Jul 2008, 09:30

and a superb jayantahsena
http://www.sangeethamshare.org/manjunat ... hasEna.mp3

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 17 Jul 2008, 17:55

some of these audios have a very low volume. In spite of keeping the PC Volume to the MAXIMUM ,the output reception is quite low ? Any Solutions please ??

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 17 Jul 2008, 18:43

If you use iTunes to play your tracks, you can use the equalizer to pre-amplify the sound - I have a special preset that I use for 'old' tracks - noise reduction+pre-amplification. Seems to work for my requirements.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 18 Jul 2008, 17:21

rshankar- thanks, I will try this route.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 18 Jul 2008, 18:25

gmohan wrote:and a superb jayantahsena
http://www.sangeethamshare.org/manjunat ... hasEna.mp3

rasikas can now understand how DKJ used to sing this song so very well- DKJ was a student of MMI also.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 19 Jul 2008, 09:38

MMI used to put Swaras in two places after making nereval in a Kriti.
For eg. mInakshi mE mudham( MD, gamakakriya)- the popular nereval is done @ madhurApuri nilaye.

MMI used to put swaram at madhuraUpuri followed by another swaram at nilaYe. I think, as it's "madhurApuri" starts with an eduppu of two akshramas & putting swarams at two places in the same charana was quite enjoyable and fascinating too.

Request rasikas to provide links to this song sung by MMI.
Also it will be nice to have links for understanding dasha gamakas of CM
which is intelligently woven in the lyrics of this song( "dasha gamaka-kriye") by Nada Jyothi Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar.

gmohan · Post by **gmohan** » 20 Jul 2008, 14:02

link to MMI, MeenakshiMemudam

http://www.sangeethamshare.org/murthy/1 ... shitar.mp3

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 20 Jul 2008, 22:07

gmohan-Thanks

SEKAR · Post by **SEKAR** » 09 Sep 2008, 21:31

Can anyone advise me where I can get a C.D. of MMI singing "KANA KAN KODI VENDUM " ,and THAYE YASODHA".

from SEKAR
New Member

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 09 Sep 2008, 22:18

SEKAR wrote:Can anyone advise me where I can get a C.D. of MMI singing "KANA KAN KODI VENDUM " ,and THAYE YASODHA".

from SEKAR
New Member

If you email me at vkv43034@yahoo.com I will mail you a CD with these+ some other renderings of MMI. vkv

sriraman · Post by **sriraman** » 11 Sep 2008, 18:25

Understand MMI used to sing earlier Mamava pattabhirama (Manirangu) & Marivere ( Ananda Bhairavi).Is anyone having these?Is it possible to get a copy?

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 15 Sep 2008, 19:22

Was listening this wonderful concert with chowdiah and PMI
Wonder if the call at around the 8th second of this clip is that of the rikshawwallah !!
The Call for Eppo Varuvaro that we read so often.

http://boomp3.com/listen/c0zb7dzj5_y/th ... kshawallah

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 15 Sep 2008, 20:43

coolkarni wrote:Was listening this wonderful concert with chowdiah and PMI
Wonder if the call at around the 8th second of this clip is that of the rikshawwallah !!
The Call for Eppo Varuvaro that we read so often.

http://boomp3.com/listen/c0zb7dzj5_y/th ... kshawallah

Dear Coolkarni,
I would like to write you outside of this Forum about MMI. mY EMAIL IS VKV43034@YAHOO.COM. vkv