Accompanist of high calibre
V. SUBRAHMANIAM
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Ariyakkudi, GNB, Mali… Palghat Raghu has played for them all.
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Photo: K. V. Srinivasan
RHYTHM EXPERT: Palghat Raghu
True, his playing technique has been that of his guru Palghat Mani Iyer but Palghat Raghu has given it his own stamp of individuality, with the classical dignity clearly standing out. His sophisticated rhythmic patterns emerge with absolute accura
cy. Chosen by the Music Academy for Sangita Kalanidhi this year, Palghat Raghu looks back on the journey that began seven decades ago.
Did music run in your family?
I think I inherited the jnanam from my maternal grandfather who was highly knowledgeable in music, though he did not present concerts.
How did the initiation happen?
We were in Rangoon, Burma, (Myanmar), where I was born in 1928. As a child I used to drum on whatever I could lay my hands on and my innate sense of rhythm was spotted by my grand father. Mridangam Vidwan Tinniam Venkatarama Iyer during one of his visits to Rangoon observed this and gave me a small mridangam and taught me during his visits. He also said that I should join him as his student when I came over to India. On account of the Second World War we had to leave Rangoon and move over to Madras in 1940 and I joined Venkatarama Iyer for lessons. But the war forced us to move to Palghat, where I joined school. Incidentally, the prefix Palghat does not mean that I belong to that place. My native place is Thriparayar in Trichur.
How did the association with Mani Iyer begin?
The disc records of great vidwans accompanied by Palghat Mani Iyer became available in Rangoon as soon as they were released at Madras in those days. The moment I heard his mridangam, I decided that I had to learn from this great master. When we moved to Palghat, my grandfather took me to Mani Iyer. After two or three visits and losing several school days in the process he made me play and said that there was no need for any intense teaching. However, he taught me certain fingering techniques and told me that I should listen to major concerts. He also made me accompany many young artistes such as K.V.Narayanaswamy and others who gathered at Mani Iyer’s residence for practice.
What was the first significant concert that you performed as accompanist?
In 1940, I was teamed up with Papanasam Sivan for his concert on a Purattasi Saturday. I had the privilege of accompanying such greats as Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar while I was still in school. GNB, Madurai Mani Iyer, Alathur Brothers, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, flute maestro Mali, etc., — I played for all of them. Their encouragement and affection have made me what I am today. Guru Palghat Mani Iyer was so fond of me that he got me married to his niece when I was hardly twenty making me a member of his family. As an accompanying artiste the musicians considered me their equal. I was well appreciated whenever I successfully handled challenging rhythmic patterns and pallavis presented by great artistes as Alathur Brothers. And it was their humility that always amazed me. They never thought that they had done something that was not accomplished by the seniors.
You were the only graduate among musicians in those days, apart from GNB who was a B.A. (Hons) and I remember your name being mentioned as Master Palghat R.Raghu, B.A.
My grand father did not want me to take up mridangam as my profession. I graduated in Mathematics. It was God’s will that music should become my career.
Any musician in the family?
I have taught my son Ram Kumar mridangam and he has featured in many concerts. My grandson Abhishek Raghuram is a talented vocal and kanjira artiste and my daughter’s son Anand is also well trained in mridangam. I have quite a few noteworthy sishyas.
Goes places
Invited in 1960 by Yehudi Menuhin to participate in the Bath festival in the U.K. and again in 1963, to participate in the Edinburgh Festival.
First visit to the U.S. was in 1965 as visiting Professor in Wesleyan University, Connecticut. Also presented concerts teaming up with Pt. Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha. This combination of mridangam and tabla accompaniment for the Sitar became very popular. The combination continued with other Hindusthani musicians as well.
Invited by the American Society For Eastern Arts to teach in Berkeley, California, and to play concerts in several centres in Europe and the U.K. Visited Australia in 1988 to participate in the Adelaide Music Festival.
Accolades
Palghat Raghu has been conferred titles by various institutions.
In 1978 on behalf of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha Palghat Mani Iyer conferred on him the title Sangeetha Choodamani.
Other awards include the Fellowship of the Sangita Nataka Academy, Kerala (1980), Palghat Mani Iyer Memorial Award for the first time in 1983, Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award in the same year, Padma Sri in 1984, and the latest Sangita Kalanidhi by the Music Academy, Chennai.
