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Photo: M.Periasamy

Emotionally charged Nithyasree Mahadevan during the book release function.

Nithyasree Mahadevan presented a brief but emotionally charged concert after the release of a book on her grandmother D.K.Pattammal. ‘Gana Saraswathi D.K.Pattammal - Dimensions of a divine songster,’ has been brought out by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), Coimbatore Kendra.

The book was the initiative of music lover and patron C.R.Gopinath. Nithyasree began with the Abhogi kriti, ‘Guruvarulum Thiruvarulum Enakkarulum Ganapathiye’ and sang some of the songs popularised by DKP. There were wholesome kritis like Tyagaraja’s ‘Mapaala Velasika’ (Asaveri), Dikshitar’s ‘Kanjadalayadakshi’ in Kamalamanohari, Syama Sastri’s ‘Devi Brova Samayamidhe’ in Chintamani and Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Swamikku Sariyevvare’ (Kedaragowla).

Nithysree managed to include favourites such as ‘Eppadi Paadinaro,’ ‘Theeraadha Vilayaattuppillai,’ ‘Enga Naattukkendha naadu eedu,’ and ‘Shanthi Nilava Vendum.’ As she concluded the less- than 60-minute-recital with the vibhakthi kriti, ‘Sri Abhayaamba Ninnu’ (Sri), the audience got the satisfaction given by a full concert. Nithyasree took care to sing the songs the way DKP would without letting her imagination interfere with the original.

The spacious auditorium of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan seemed too small to accommodate the large number of Pattammal rasikas. N. Vijaya Siva sang the perfect prayer, ‘Maanikya Veenam’ from ‘Shyamala Dandakam’.

N. Murali, president, The Music Academy, Chennai, and Managing Director, The Hindu, released the book. The BVB Coimbatore Kendra Chairman Krishnaraj Vanavarayar described the book authored by Nithya Raj as the story of the evolution of music in Tamil Nadu.

D.K.Pattammal’s acceptance message expressing her happiness and gratefulness was read out by her elder granddaughter Gayathri Sundararaman. Nithyasree pointed out amidst applause that her grandmother was not an ordinary Pattu, but ‘Kaanchi Pattu.’

R. Vedavalli spoke in detail about Pattammal’s penchant for classicism, her utter simplicity, clarity of diction and her ability to present Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi.

She remarked with gratitude that it was Pattammal, who after much of struggle, paved the highway on which today’s musicians are travelling comfortably.

R. Krishnaswamy, president of the Federation of Chennai Sabhas, focussed on the divine blessings Pattammal received from Ramana Maharshi and Kanchi Paramacharya at a very early age. He also referred to her immense love for her gurus, a ‘Telugu Vadyar,’ who taught her music during her early years and Ammukkutti Ammal, the headmistress of her school, who gave her a lot of encouragement.

He made particular mention of Dr. Srinivasan, her husband’s uncle who had assured DKP’s father that he would make his nephew marry her.

But for this, DKP’s father would not have allowed her to sing at all and Carnatic music would have been denied a golden voice.

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