Encomiums showered on musicologist
LAKSHMI VENKATRAMAN
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FELICITAION Senior musician S.R.Janakiraman was conferred the title, `Naadha Yogi' by Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha recently.
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Photo: K.V. Srinivasan.
COMPARATIVE STUDY: S.R.Janakiraman.
As a highlight of its 106th year music festival, Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha honoured vidwan Prof. S.R.Janakiraman with the title `Nada Yogi.' This award is meant for the person who has dedicated his life to the cause of Carnatic music. It was conferred by Nalli Kuppuswami, president of the Sabha. The title was a suggestion of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, when other vidwans were honoured. SRJ was felicitated by Nalli, vidwan P.S.Narayanaswami and A. Natarajan, former Director of Doordarshan, Chennai.
It was mentioned that SRJ had tutelage under stalwarts such as Tiger Varadachari, Budalur Krishnamurthy Sastri, Thiruppamburam Swaminatha Pillai (his first Guru), Musiri Subramania Iyer and Prof. Sambamurthy. SRJ was referred to as a `Paripoorna Vidwan' blessed by God, according to Narayanaswamy. The felicitation remarks mentioned SRJ's skill with over half-a-dozen languages. He is perfectionist and a multifaceted artiste being a musician, musicologist, vocalist, composer, choreographer and teacher.
The Sabha's journal, Sangeetha Sarathy was released by Nalli and received by Narayanaswami. It contains useful articles by musicologists.
Lec-dem presented
Earlier in the morning Janakiraman presented a lecture demonstration on ``Some similar themes of Annamacharya and Tyagaraja." After singing a Gurustuthi on Annamacharya by an unknown composer, SRJ rendered his own composition in praise of Tyagaraja, a varnam in Vandanadarini. It was mentioned that Annamacharya was known as Annamayya before he received Upadesam from his Guru Sadagopa Muni.
SRJ touched upon a Bhairavi composition of Annamacharya on his Guru, while mentioning that Tyagaraja had compsoed many on Narada whom he considered his Manasika Guru and sang `Varanarada.' The shapes of many ragas given by Annamacharya are not known now. But SRJ presented a song ``Sakajavaishnavacharyavarthanula" in a rare raga called Samantham, which he said branches from the next Melam to Sankarabharanam and admired the excellent choice of words and `Prasams.'
In Thyagaraja's `Dwaithamu Sukhama' in Reetigowla, one could appreciate how well he has used the swarams to suit the meaning, such as `ma' for questioning. SRJ cited several examples where Tyagaraja seemed to have had similar ideas as Annamacharya.
The former's `Manasunilpa' in Abhogi takes the same idea as `Lethu Bhayamu' of Annamacharya. This song has been set in Vasantha by SRJ, declaring he had no fear of death when the Lord is with him.
Delightful sarcasm comes into play in Tyagaraja's Mukhari song `Chintunnade' and Annamacharya's `Ekkadi Naragampula.' This original Saranganatta piece has been set to Mukhari by SRJ.
While Tyagaraja has composed straight forward kriti on the Dasavatara, Annamacharya had said `the hand which did' and mentioned the respective incarnations in two Avartas each; this one has been arranged as Ragamalika by SRJ. Both the Vaggeyakaras have addressed the spouses of their Ishtadeivams namely Alamelumanga and Seetha in many songs. Now and then Janakiraman stressed the need for proper pronunciation of Telugu words, as otherwise the meaning could turn out to be quite undesirable.
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