யாருக்கும் தெரியாத ஒரு பெரியவர்தான் ஹீரோ. யாரும் பார்த்திராத ஒரு நடுத்தரவயது பெண்மணிதான் ஹீரோயின். படமோ அந்தக் காலத்திற்கு எதிர்மறையாக மரபிசையைப் பிரதானமாகக் கொண்டது. நாங்கள் படம் பார்க்க போனபோது டிக்கெட் கொடுப்பவர் ஈ ஓட்டிகொண்டிருந்ததில் ஆச்சரியம் ஏதும் இல்லை. அன்று எங்கள் தமிழ் வாத்தியாரும் அந்தப் படத்திற்கு வந்திருந்தார். படம் முடிந்து வெளியே வரும்போது அவரைப் பார்த்தோம். உணர்ச்சி மேலோங்க அவர் கண்கள் கலங்கியிருந்தன. அவர் கைக்குட்டையால் கண்களைத் துடைத்துக்

DKP was the first girl to hail from an orthodox Brahmin family in a small town and perform a formal stage concert in classical music and to subsequently sing for films. She was the first woman to sing the pallavi elaborately, which was a male domain till then. She was one of those rare species of a career woman, who for the sake of her growth in music, settled in marriage only at the age of twenty. During the freedom struggle, she was most willing to kindle patriotism in the nation through her music. She had the honour of singing the popular “Aaduvome pallu paaduvome” in the All India Radio, at the momentous midnight of 15th August 1947.

Chennai Oct. 31. “The last of the Titans has gone, it is the end of an era.” The cliches throb with new meanings when we join the mourners at his home in Lloyds Lane. No more will visitors find Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer in the front hall, reclining on his easy chair, ready to greet you with his charming smile, impish jokes and pungent raconteuring about music and musicians.

Today, 13 April 2008, marks the 18^th death anniversary of the legendary genius from Madras, Padmabhushan Veena Vidwan S.Balachander, who passed away suddenly at Bhilai, while on a trip, on 13 April 1990. He was barely 63, having been born on 18 Jan 1927. Heaven knows what great further heights he would have achieved if he were alive today. He was my maternal uncle, the younger brother of my mother Saraswathi. I shall try to maintain objectivity and not get the relationship vitiate this tribute in terms of bias.

“Iyengar” in Carnatic music has always meant Ariyakkudi. He was hailed in his times as the ‘golden mean’ of Carnatic music and as the senior most among all musicians. He stood for dignity and presented music that was brevity personified and yet had condensed in it all that was essential for a good performance. His was a rich voice, deep and with a tremolo that added to its timbre. A greatly respected guru, he left behind several disciples many of whom became popular musicians. He set Andal’s Tiruppavai to music, besides composing a few tillanas himself. He was in short an all rounder, a ‘compleat’ musician.

The maestro Carnatic violinist, was born in September 17th . Sri. Lalgudi Jayaraman the maestro took birth in the lineage of one of the disciples of saint Sri Tyagaraja Swami. Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman had in his blood, the true gist of Carnatic music from his great father, Late V. R. Gopala Iyer, from whom he got his initial training. As he bids farewell, he has made an enormous vacuum in the world of carnatic instrumental music.

Listeners who are embarrassed at their inability to properly pronounce the names of Indian musicians should take comfort in the presence and importance of the clay drummer who is most often known as Mani Iyer. And a probably even larger segment of the music listening population, folks who don’t approve of long drum solos, will also appreciate the fact that one of Iyer’s missions in life has been to get mridangam players to cut back their tani avarthanam,

CHENNAI: Time was when the rickshaw-pullers in Mylapore would assemble for Madurai Mani Iyer’s concert, requesting their customers to wait until the event got over. Such was the verve with which Mani Iyer approached each raga in his natural and vibrant style. And that’s the reason why an evening to mark the 103rd birth anniversary of the veteran Carnatic vocalist turned out to be special on Sunday.