Remembering Papasami
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Alleppey Venkatesan's concert was a fitting way to pay homage to Parthasarathy Iyengar, popularly known as `Papasami.'
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SRI SWATI Tirunal Sangeeta Sabha and Papasami Foundation, Alappuzha, jointly organised a musical evening on January 22 at Sree Karthika Tirunal Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram, as part of the `Papasami' centenary celebrations.
K. Parthasarathy Iyengar (1904-1977), popularly known as `Papasami' by his friends and admirers, was a multi-faceted personality. A leading lawyer, an ardent lover of Carnatic music, an accomplished educationist and a great philanthropist, `Papasami' was one of the first disciples of the legendary Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyenger. Palakkad T.S. Mani Iyer made his debut in Alappuzha as a nine-year-old in a vocal recital by `Papasami'. Another great performer, violin maestro T.N. Krishan was nurtured under the care and guidance of Parthasarathy Iyengar. `Papasami' was associated with the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for music and commerce in the then Travancore University, a member of the Programme Advisory Committee of All India Radio, Thiruvananthapuram, and Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Kerala.
A vocal recital by Alleppey Venkatesan, son of `Papasami' followed. He was accompanied on the violin by M. Chandrasekharan and on the mridangam by R. Ramesh. The `Anaiayya' composition `Bhajana seyave o manasa' in `Kedaram' was the opening number. `Seshachala nayakam' in `Varali,' a Dikshitar kriti followed.
The connoisseurs of Carnatic music could discern the `Ariyakudi' style of singing when Alleppey Venkatesan sang the Papasasam Sivan composition `Soundarya Vellam Thanil' in Mohanavam. The Mohana raga alapana was rendered with great beauty and soft touches by the vocalist and equally well played on the violin.
The `Sarasangi' (Melakartha No. 27) piece by `Maharaja Swati Tirunal,' `Jaya Jaya Padmanabha Murare' was applauded by the appreciative audience. The last but one item of the evening was the melodious Swati Tirunal kriti `Alarsharaparithapam' in Suruti.
S. Ramachandra Iyer
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