Ananthalakshmi Sadagopan

Ananthalakshmi Sadagopan was born to AR Narayanan and Alarmelu at Madurai..

She had training under SSI,Neduneri,VV Sadagopan as also Sattur AGS…

She had rendered many concerts for AIR..She had tuned many compositions of  Smt Ambhum Krishna and rendered some of her compositions..She had also tuned Kumagurubarar’s Meenakshi ammai pillai Tamizh..

Madurai R Sundar on his Guru..

I was one of the few fortunate ones to grow up in a household where music was a part of the daily routine. Thanks to my aunt, Smt. Ananthalakshmi Sadagopan. Her sonorous and felicitous voice was my first introduction to Carnatic music at a very early age.

Later when I started learning from her during her visits to Madurai, I understood what a great tradition she had imbibed in her music. Learning from the illustrious Sathur Sri. A.G.Subramaniam, Semmangudi Sri Srinivasa Iyer, Nedunuri Sri.Krishnamurthy, Sri. V.V.Sadagopan and Smt. T.Muktha, she had one of the best kriti-pAtAntarams. She had training in Hindustani music from Sri.Vaman Rao Sadolikar. Her tutelage in Carnatic and Hindustani music brought a lot of creativity into her raga expositions. Her alapana of ‘Sowrashtram’ won her the prestigious Vocal-Ladies prize in Madras Music Academy in 1943. The versions of songs she presented always had the mark of authenticity and she strictly enforced that her students carried forward the tradition. Her felicitous voice could traverse octaves effortlessly in fast speed and at the same time peg itself at a specific note like it was a huge cricket playground. The RTP in four ragas (Shankarabharanam, Todi, Kalyani and Durbar) that she had recorded for HMV while in her early teens stood testimony to her musical prowess. She had impeccable memory. I could wake her up and ask for the 6th variation in ‘chakkani raja margamu’, she would know exactly what it was. Talk about random access memory to a computer savvy. She was an ‘A’ grade artiste of the All India Radio.

Even today her presence in my concerts make me nervous. While she has a lot of affection for me as her nephew, she is one of my fervent critics.

 More  about her is at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/musical-steps-in-the-1940s/article4733721.ece

I have some collections of her..

Listen at:

Unfortunately all her songs are in Albums which I suppose have copyright tag.. and are not available for free download....

 https://www.mediafire.com/folder/q7irghaagi35s/Ananthalakshmi_Sadagopan

Mani Krishnaswamy

Mani Krishnaswami, christened Mani Perundevi by her parents Lakshminarasimhachari and Marakathavalli, was born on February 3, 1930 at Kangeyanallur in the North Arcot district of Tamilnadu.

She had the unique distinction of acquiring and enriching her musical knowledge from several stalwarts. Not many have the good fortune of having a strong foundation laid, but Mani Krishnaswami was lucky to receive her initial training from musical giants like Jalatarangam Venkataramanayya Chetti and Tirupparkadal Srinivasa Iyengar.

Her decision to join Kalakshetra to do the Sangeeta Sironmani course was perhaps a major one that shaped her future.

 Kalakshetra was then run by stalwarts like Tiger Varadachari, Budalur Krishnamurthi and others.

Tiger Varadachari at Kalakshetra took a parental interest in Mani's musical education and she profited considerably under his influence. Other stalwarts at Kalakshetra included veteran Budalur Krishnamoorthi Sastrigal whose vocal prowess was no less than as a Gottuvadyam exponent and he taught her number of Kritis of the Trinity in the authentic style. Sri.T.K.Ramaswami Iyengar was another teacher of hers at Adyar. 

Her training further continued under Mudicondan Venkatarama Iyer (from whom she acquired proficiency in the Laya aspects), Mysore Vasudevacharya (special compositions, including his own), T K Jayarama Iyer and Musiri Subramanya Iyer.

She eventually was branded as an authentic representative of the Musiri style, with the special emphasis she laid on bhava. Her huge repertoire, and especially her expertise in the compositions of Mysore Vas  udevachar was a matter of common knowledge..

Her rendition of kritis like Koluvaiyunnade (Devagandhari), Sivakamasundari (Jaganmohini) etc will remain evergreen in the hearts of rasikas. Her voice retained its sheen and malleability throughout her concert career. It is perhaps a little-known fact that Mani Krishnaswami was also proficient on playing the violin….

A well-known music critic Subbudu commended her voice as golden and mellifluous..

• Sangeetha Choodamani, 1979 by Sri Krishna Gana Sabha
• Kalaimamani, 1991 by Tamil Nadu State Government
• Sangeetha Kalanidhi, 1992 by Madras Music Academy
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1987 by Sangeet Natak Akademi
• Padma Shri, (2002)

Carnatic music is poorer with the demise of one of the senior women vocalists, Sangeeta Kalanidhi Mani Krishnaswami, on July 12, 2002.

 . Will the vacuum ever be filled? - is the oft-asked question …

Suguna Purushottaman said  "Mani, Suguna Varadachari and I were extremely thick friends, all of us having learnt from Musiri. A couple of years ago, we celebrated his centenary year in a grand manner all over India, beginning at the Music Academy, Chennai….Unlike today, we never had the luxury of writing down the notations or recording our classes in those days. We had to totally cultivate and rely upon our memory. Mani also didn't like to refer to notes while she sang. Her rendition of compositions and other musical aspects were excellent…

Senior vocalist T R Subramaniam: "Mani Krishnaswami and hard work go hand in hand. Nowadays many artistes lack the kind of dedication that she had…

 Some of her songs are here:

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/itr45xiq0o49h/Mani_Krishnaswamy

T.R. Balasubramaniam

T.R. Balasubramaniam was prominent among pupils nurtured by GNB….

“T.R. Balasubramaniam was the one GNB sishya who could have reached a position of eminence in Carnatic music such as attained by MLV, had he not died prematurely young. He was a rising star in the 1950s, with his strong voice and pleasing style, reminiscent of his guru’s. He was one of the last of the old guard of disciples to experience gurukulavasa. He very efficiently managed GNB’s affairs including his family budget. Largely responsible for the publication of GNB’s Gana Bhaskara Manimalai, T.R. Balu died on the concert stage. He made a lasting contribution to Carnatic music in the form of his disciples Radha-Jayalakshmi. He was the first of a number of GNB sishya-s who bore his name — S. Balasubramaniam and T.S. Balasubramaniam (who has contributed to this commemorative volume) were among them. It was even jokingly rumoured that you had to be a Balasubramaniam to be accepted as GNB’s pupil!”-Sruti

Radha Viswanathan had her early training in music from T.R. Balasubramaniam among others….( http://www.saregama.com/song/karpaga-vinayaga_49228)

He had concert at MA  on 27^th dec 1947  with Sri Nellai Mani (Violin)
Sri P. S. Devarajan (Mridangam)…

Only very few songs are available courtesy Dr.Manjunath…

Sharing with you all..

 https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ry17u9ma96y6a/TR_Balu

Vairamangalam Lakshmi Narayanan

Vairamangalam Lakshmi Narayanan

Vairamangalam S. Lakshminarayanan

VAIRAMANGALAM S. Lakshminarayanan (`Vairamangalam,' as he was popularly known), the foremost disciple of the late T. K Rangachary, established for himself a revered position in the music world.
As a versatile musician, gifted with both `lakshana gnanam' and `lakshiya gnanam,' he could, with consummate ease, improvise and bring out the subtleties and nuances of ragas which call for expressions through meditative comprehension of their subtle promptings — ragas such as Nalinakanthi, Nayaki, Narayani, Kamalamanohari, Subapanthuvarali, Kalyanavasantham, Behag, Valaji, Ranjani, Natakapriya, Devamanohari, Nagaswarali, Dharmavathi, Janaranjani, Huseni, Poornachandrika, Andholika, etc. He would also, as a refreshing change, bring out in his concerts, the essence of certain vivaadi ragas such as Rasikapriya, Ganamoorthy, Neethimathi and Chandrajyoti.
Inheriting truly the `padanthara' and style of T.K. Rangachary, through `Gurukulavasam,' Vairamangalam was also inspired and influenced by Ariyakkudi, GNB, Semmungudi and Rajarathnam Pillai.
He was also motivated during his formative years by the classical tunes of M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and S. G. Kittappa, as also the outpourings of Dhandapani Desikar in the film, "Nandanar," which he had the opportunity to see again, a few days before his death, after nearly 50 years. Vairamangalam would often recall, with nostalgia, particular presentations of the masters of yesteryear and also narrate how as a novice, he was once coaxed gently but effectively into swaram singing, for an Useni composition by Rajamanikkam Pillai, who while accompanying Rangachary in that concert, observed that he unexpectedly left it to his young disciple to continue the swara singing.
This prompting of Rajamanikkam Pillai proved to be a major motivating incident in Vairamangalam's career.
Vairamangalam's in-depth `swaragnanam' was such that he could, as if he were an accompanist, keep pace by singing the corresponding swaras, simultaneously with a musician who rendered a raga.
Though in possession of such scientific and `lakshana' knowledge, he however felt `lakshiyam' was highly important as this brings out the spirit of each raga through the process of grasping the essence of the `bhava' and `sanchara pidis' of that particular raga or melody.
He would explain how great musicians such as Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, demonstrated the practical working of such concepts on concert platforms.
As a person, Vairamangalam was not merely unassuming but also willing to involve himself, without any reservations, in what he himself referred to as `Vidhya Dhaanam' — sharing and imparting knowledge.
Not concerned with time occupation, he would passionately teach his students. Rarely was he concerned with awards or recognition and never went out of his way to win laurels or titles though many of these visited him as a natural sequence.
The `Kalaimamani' Award of the Tamil Nadu Government was conferred on him a few months before his death.
Other honours and awards from certain organisations were also received earlier, commencing with the sub-senior musician award of the Music Academy in 1971.
The Department of Culture of the Government of India conferred on him, in 2000, the Senior Fellowship, for his project of setting to music about 65 verses from `Divya Prabandhams.
As Professor Emeritus of the Kalakshetra Foundation, Vairamangalam leaves a host of disciples. Jayasankar, the young visually challenged performing artiste, exclaims in anguish, "Where will I find another master like him?"
His senior disciples Jaya Krishnan and T. Shyamsundar, as also all those who knew him, remember with fondness his greatness as a person, as a teacher and as a musician.
K. VIJAYARAGHAVAN  in the hindu..

 You can reach some of his files here:


 https://www.mediafire.com/folder/6m1iv82ytna6g/Vairamangalam_Lakshmi_Narayanan

Salem Sri G Deiskan

Salem Sri G Deiskan (July 7, 1926 - March 18, 1986) was the foremost acharya of Carnatic Music in Salem City. He was “ blessed with a golden voice and unimaginable creativity that can lift the world around him into the heavens. “

He has produced a host of talented musicians and has been instrumental in spotting talent.

He was a vocalist as well as a Vainika (Veena Player).

Born of D.Gopalachar, Advocate, Salem, a patriot who relinquished his practice to support national struggle, G.Desikan had his musical training under Sister Lakshmi, a disciple of Salem Doraiswami Ayyangar.

He made his debut performance at Devakottai in his twelfth year.

 Desikan had made intensive study of the music and styles of eminent vidwans of Carnatic and Hindustani music and was practically a self-made vidwan having moulded his vidwat by sheer observation and dedicated practice.

 His voice was melodious, attractive and praise-worthy.

His services were availed of by Annamalai University to tune songs in Tamil as part of the efforts to popularise Tamil Isai.

He was a great admirer of the styles of eminent vocalists of the time and of the Nagaswara maestro, T.N.Rajarathinam and inspired by them, used to bring out flashes of their styles at his concerts, which exuded lakshana and lakshya graces.

Desikan founded the Sangita Samrakshana Sabha, in  Salem  in 1958  along with  Salem D Chellam Iyengar and other  friends.

He had trained many including Jayalakshmi Ramachandran, Neela and Eachangudi N.Ramamurti Bhagavatar.

He had given a large number of concerts (vocal and veena) for All India Radio and sabhas.

Padma Desikan, his wife, is a veena player. Desikan was also manufacturing veenas according to specifications.

He visited the then USSR (Russia) under a Government sponcered program and gave performances at Tashkent and Moscow.

Honours and titles : 
Gana Kala Chandra - awarded by Tiger Varadachariar 
Gana Kala Paripurna -  awarded by T.N.Rajarathinam 
Sangita Samrat - awarded at Bangalore

Some of his songs are here:

 https://www.mediafire.com/folder/sg40lhv2hn2ef/Salem_G_Desigan

Audio link provided by my friend Shri Sapthgirieswaran through mail