Narasimhan Vijayaraghavan
“Dogs and Subbudu not allowed”. So ran the famous/infamous placard outside Music Academy, during the December season of 1980. It was in answer to the criticism of the Pithamaha of Carnatic Music Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, by the equally legendary music critic Subramanian, more popularly known as Subbudu.
“Dogs and Subbudu not allowed”. So ran the famous/infamous placard outside Music Academy, during the December season of 1980. It was in answer to the criticism of the Pithamaha of Carnatic Music Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, by the equally legendary music critic Subramanian, more popularly known as Subbudu. The “Karaam ( spice/heat) in his comments were stingier than in the ‘kaaramest’ green chilly, at times”, said a recipient of his barbs, inuendos, criticisms, wrapped in witticisms.
“Even the dreaded Emergency has ended, but this Semangudi has not”.It prompted the Academy to call for an emergency meeting to pass a resolution condemning Subbudu for his irreverence. I am no dog,no Subbudu. So had ease of access.
Good, bad or ugly, during the Margazhi Music Season, as long as he was alive and well, Subbudu was a welcome fixture in the calendar. He had a huge fan following, a retinue of rasikas , just for his critiques in British English and the vernacular.
Subbudu wrote, “When Sattur Subramanian sings Tamil songs, he should give importance to the lyrics. There should also be emotion. In Papanasam Sivan’s Athana Kirthana Ni iranga enil when Sattur sang, it appeared as if somebody was threatening a person who had got on to a tree to the effect that if you do not get down, I will break your leg.” Subbudu added a tail piece to his comment saying that he was completing his loud mouth exercise in verbal excess with that comment.
Subbudu could be scathing. ‘A Madrasi is the best second rate brain in the world”. He says this in the context of how the South Indians are honouring even second rate artists from the North and at the same time South Indian music is not appreciated in the North. He says “I am also listening to Hindustani music from my birth. I am also commenting upon them in Delhi papers. I am writing without being afraid of any one. In fact, there is nothing great in Hindustani music, apart from the purity of the shruti. It is because of the lack of purity of shruti that South Indian music is not perhaps appreciated in the North. Further in Hindustani music, every artist specializes in specific aspect – khayal, dhrupad, thapa, thumri etc. So far as rhythm (tala) is concerned, they are still at an elementary level”
‘Subbudu filled the hall, all by himself’ said a musician. And added for emphasis, “ When he arrived there was a buzz on the Medai and the artiste had to take note.There were some among us, who pivoted from their planned concert to please the man. Sometimes it clicked. At other times, it bombed. My guru said, always practice. And visualize the entire concert in your mind. Play it inside yourself. Stick to it. Take your accompanists into confidence. No point in being so spontaneous as to take them by surprise. You may surprise yourself and pay a price”.
This piece is not about Subbudu. Anyway, which lawyer has ever spoken about any case, without digressing all over the place. The ‘lawyerness’ never leaves you. Well, these thoughts and more went rolling in my mind’s eye, as I scanned the Academy hall to see a full hall. Season and daily tickets may get sold out. And placards may confront you that- ‘Full House’. But inside, there would many an empty seat. Not many, you may find when Sanjay Subrananian or RaGa were on song. One saw a goodly crowd this year for Sikkil Gurucharan and Tiruchur Brothers. Bothersome assembly for instrumentalists of even the highest class.
For RaGa and Sanjay, extra chairs are pulled out from the closet to fill the steps. This, quite apart from those on the Sadas viz. stage, and mini hall where there is a live video screen singing. It was no different for RaGa this time too. The sisters plan ahead. They synchronize magically. But back bending and throat throw Sadagams precede it. Roger Federer is quoted in David Epstein’s Range,” I am now a parent myself. I always tell parents- don’t let your children be carried away by the popularity bubble we live in. The glamour and spotlight. That is all fine. To get to the court and play day in day out, no matter the state of body, mind and weather is what gets us to where we are seen. Your children do not get to see what goes on behind. Let the children know what they need to sacrifice to get what they get to see”.
That RaGa gets to sing to a full house and not empty chairs, as if singing to the gods did not happen overnight. It has taken years and years of waking up early, singing lessons, school, college, and back to singing and more singing. Born into a family deeply involved in classical music, Ranjani and Gayatri’s musical talents were discovered at a very early age. The sisters, even as toddlers, showed an uncanny capacity to grasp the subtle nuances of Carnatic music. They started their violin training at the early age of nine and six respectively from Sangita Bhooshanam Prof. T.S. Krishnaswami at the Shanmukhananda Sangeeta Vidyalaya in Mumbai. Gifted with a natural aptitude for the instrument,they gave their debut performance within just three years. Despite early success as ‘duet violinists’ for a decade, they took to singing in 1997, as their guru and mother felt that ‘being a vocalist may take them ‘there’ faster with lot more popularity’. How prescient the guru is, is too obvious to restate and restate.
They claim ‘ that songs and singing was always in their ears for years’. You can see why. It is good that RaGas are willing to experiment. Like Mqhaperiyava taking religion to the slums, where it belongs, these singers have taken Carnatic music to even railway platforms. Of course, there is the ‘wretched social media’ as Harvard Professor echoes Ms.Shushan Zuboff echoes Jonathan Haidt, where such divine music is pure panacea not just placebo. Even Elon Musk’s with all the trolling and hate speech is rescued by such isllandish ( not outlandish) serenity.
In fact, in the early years they took to the violin, and luckily for us and themselves, chose to play violin with their throats not the fiddle. Thus was born the sensational singing sisters. Academy is the Lords of Music in Margazhi. It gets the ‘best out of the best’ as even TJS George quoted MS Amma once. RaGa go there. Vaikunta Ekadasi darshan becomes possible, a week in advance.
The siblings went ‘there’ early. It is now silver jubilee time for their singing career. But the phenomenon they are, is not in getting ‘there’. But in staying ‘there’. That ‘takes some doing every nano second, second, minute, hour, day of every week in every year, so long as you can last’ said the mesmerizing Messi. RaGa’s throat work matches his footwork. Their swaraprasthara dribbles are supremely magical. They let you feel the swarams. Touch them. Fondle them. Steal a few home too, as there is plentiful.
The raga alapanas suggest as if a Messi pickup on his side of the goal and weaving with it, as if the ball was strapped to his foot. Yet have the freedom to leave every player behind, as only he could. RaGa have honed their skills with such Sadhana that even before they begin the alapana, the raga peeps out with a sweet smile. And then they embellish it with their own brand of manodharma which is matchless, even to amateurs and amateurish me. The songs that follow are a seamless fall out, which any rasika with a keen eye can be ready to lap up. And RaGa have perfected the art of picking up Krithis – this day they picked up a fast paced song in ‘Marivere’ in shanmughapriya, to set the tone for the concert on 25th Dec,2022, to a house full assembly on a Sunday evening- that fit the occasion and the audience.
On to the immortal tyagaraja’s heccarikagA rArA hE rAmacandra heccarikagA rArA hE suguNasAndra- in hariksmboji. Mama next to me said- “Yendi, my day is made”. Mami, “ Illanna, Season is madeunnu sollungo”. Mylapore mamis always have the last word , you see. Even T M Krishna who derisively talks of ‘Mylapore Mamas’ would readily agree.
Heeding the call of the Chief Minister who inaugurated the 96th annual conference at the Academy, the sisters broke into shrI kAmAkshi kaTAkshi, in the vernacular in Vasantham. The words fell from their mouths as if honey draped in a home made jangri, and the ‘bale,bale’ from a middle aged mama behind, could be heard by even RaGa, who were possibly inspired. paTTi viDuva rAdu nA ceyi paTTi viDuva rAdu nA ceyi in Manhari was Vande Bharat, in bullet express mode. What synchronization between the siblings as if the two tangoed in one voice! Superb.
And Ragam Thanam Pallavi – (RTP) Nadopasanache – in Begada – was Regal. Terrific. Pure joy. RaGa are rock stars and still on the ascendancy. Sky and beyond is the limit. Already, they are in a stratosphere of few. The audience was rocking as the siblings exchanged phrases, tossing them up,down,right, left and center, and phrases lovingly obliged. It was a ragamalika treat like no other as the siblings said they were ‘uniquely juggling three ragas in the phrases/s and they were ‘trying’’ this tough ask. A Gundappa Vishwanath late cut of an Andy Roberts bouncer outside his off stump. Brilliant! A lesson in RTP timing and phrasing.
As they broke into Eppafi Padinaro- in Mohana Kalyani- a lingering doubt arose- which they have made their own Kurai Ondrum Illai of MS and Aruna Sairam’s Vishamakara Kannan-No Abhang?
Sorry, they fulfilled the anguish at 18.29, what with the Academy capable of rudely downing the shutters, with their finicky time conscious’ rigmarole. I assure, it did not happen- as we got to see Lord Panduranga joyously dancing on the stage. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Much obliged, as we say in Court.
Igor Stravinsky said, “It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.”RaGa do it through their vocal (musical) cords.Timing is everything. Sir Neville Cardus said of Don Bradman, “ When he hit, they stay hit. For he hits them at the right time”. Notes are the same with RaGa and their audience loves the ‘Reengaaram’ that lasts beyond the concerts.
The 150 minute concert whizzed in a jiffy. Time flies when you are involved. To sit and sift each composition, carefully chosen, and presented by them, would require a better skilled connoisseur. Not me, with my half baked knowledge and just a way with words. It would be injustice to the performers.
It was a class concert from class artistes. And the way they passed the swarams and phrases from one to the other m, was magical Messi at his mesmerizing best. Peak of his prowess. The singing reached such dizzying heights that a Mami dancing in the staircased aisle (while alighting) of the Academy, missed a beat, a step, and her loving mama beautifully held her hand, which he said he had first held 65 years ago. Some musical couple, that RaGa epitomized.
Such concerts and a full house at the Academy make it what Margazhi Music season is all about. Rest of the concerts are embellishments on the satellite mode. The only sad note to strike maybe, for the next concert, only empty chairs was the audience. Though the day’s ticket was for both concerts, rasikas were RaGa rasikas, it would appear, vacated their seats to go for a Sama Dosai ( what is it?) and Vazhaipoo Vadai plus Kumbakonam coffee, to head home to watch possibly an inane serial. Who knows?
Chennai is deservedly in the Creative Cities Network of UNESCO. One can go on and on. Even good things must end. As did this concert, but the memories one can carry, would be everlasting or at least last 65 years the marital/musical bond of the Mama/Mami has lasted till date.
( Author is practicing advocate in the Madras High Court)