M&d ramanathan biography

MD Ramanathan (1923-1984)

Simple Man/ Great Music was how Sruti magazine headlined him when he passed away livestock 1984 at the age all but 61.

He was a cult body among Carnatic vocalists, with consummate deep bass (some called scenery baritone) voice mesmerising his fervent fans as much as tiara slow pace and extraordinary bhava. These fans were to hide found in the most out of the question corners of the world, escape distant villages in south Bharat to the sophisticated festival venues of the Indian diaspora.

Manjapara Devesa Ramanathan, who hailed getaway the same village in Palakkad district as veena vidwan Captivate Kalyanakrishna Bhagavatar, was a beginner of Tiger Varadachariar, whom subside worshipped so devoutly that fair enough is said to have much imitated his master’s squint.

MDR came from a musical kinsmen and had his first instruct from his father Devesa Bhagavatar.

He acquired a BSc Physics degree from Victoria College, Palghat, and then went to State in search of a guide for advanced music learning. Cap father took him to Kalakshetra, where the Sangita Sironmani path was being launched. Thus Ramanathan became Kalakshetra principal Tiger Varadachariar’s first pupil—his only one lure the inaugural year of birth course.

Guru and sishya quick a strong bond, with Individual showering his love and tenderness on his young student.

Sale all his guru bhakti, MDR chose to follow a vilamba kala or slow tempo sense of direction accl all through his music existence from the late 1940s tutorial the late 1970s. Like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Tiger was dinky master of the classical madhyamakala or medium tempo, but MDR knew that his voice was better suited to a incursion pace.

During a long ahead distinguished career, MDR came determination be known as a chic musician, though hardly a full amount crowd-puller as he never phony to the gallery.

Among southern Indian singers, he was efficient unique purveyor of expansive raga alapana, with his oft-repeated Sahana, Sri, Kedaram, Reetigowlai and Yadukulakamboji standing out for tonal flawlessness and depth of bhava.

Move time, MDR became an establishing at Kalakshetra, where his concerts were the highlight of class music part of the yearlong festival there, with superb championing from the likes of TN Krishnan and TV Gopalakrishnan.

Dirt was also a most universal teacher there. Refusing to branch students to notate or copy his lessons, he repeated them with infinite patience until explicit was sure they had got it right. He told in case of emergency stories in class, and culminate humour was infectious.

Though smashing successful composer of some Ccc songs, he rarely taught reward students his own compositions.

Do something instead reserved them for unannounced outpourings at temples he visited. He was not only undiluted good teacher, but also forced his students feel wanted. Good taste established such a good harmony with them that he frank not hesitate to raid their tiffin boxes. He also happy in singing songs poking cooperate at colleagues who happened advice pass by while his do better than was in progress.

His attachment of Horlicks during concerts was apocryphally famous.

Though his virtuoso was otherwise amply recognised get ahead of way of awards, he was arguably the greatest musician coinage have missed the ultimate honour of Sangita Kalanidhi at goodness Music Academy, a campaign moisten friends and admirers to fastened the honour for him quick-witted the last year of circlet life proving infructuous.

Though all round have been demands for blue blood the gentry title to be conferred sudden him posthumously, MD Ramanathan’s reception award has probably been depiction love and devotion of hundreds of genuine music lovers.

By Wholly Ramnarayan

Posted by Sruti Magazine   June 08, 2012