Great composers of Kerala
SULOCHANA PATTABHIRAMAN
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The contribution of Kerala to Carnatic music extends well beyond Swati Tirunal. A quick glance.
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Neelakanta Sivan
When we consider the contribution of Kerala to Carnatic music, naturally the name that is predominant in our minds is Maharaja Swati Tirunal. There are also other great composers who are perhaps less known but whose qualitative contribution is as impressive.
Irayimman Thampi was a genius adorned the court of Maharaja Swati Tirunal in Travancore. He was born in 1782 at Kizhakke Mathom, his parents being Kerala Varma Thampan and Parvati Tankachi, daughter of prince Ravi Varma, the nephew of Kartiga Tirunal Rama Varma. He was named Ravi Varma but in course of time it became Irayimman with the family title Thampi added to it.
Kartiga Tirunal so impressed with his latent gift for poetry and sensing his abundant potential conferred on him a pension that was periodically increased by subsequent rulers. He was very closely associated with Vadivelu of the Thanjavur Quartette and Palghat Parameswara Bhagavathar. Maharaja Swati Tirunal made him the "Aasthana Kavi" and awarded him the `Virasinghala,' a golden chain that was the highest honour at that time in Travancore. He enjoyed the patronage till his death in 1856. He was married to the daughter of his maternal uncle and they had a girl child, Kutti Kunju Thankachi who was also a gifted composer and perhaps her father's only disciple.
Cradle songs
Irayimman Thampi's creations so far known comprises 33 kritis, five Varnams, 22 Padams, three Operas and the beautiful cradle songs Kummi and Tiruvatirappaattu belonging to the style of folk music. He mostly composed in Sanskrit and the rest are in Malayalam.
Many compositions of his have been attributed to Swati Tirunal because the signature of the Maharaja `Padmanabha' is also found in many of Thampi's compositions. The forte of Thampi was the padam.
Parameswara Bhagavathar was a towering personality in the spectrum of music for more than half a century. He had an outstanding record of being the Samasthana Vidwan in the royal court of four successive rulers of Travancore, Swati Tirunal, Uttiram Tirunal, Marthaanda Varma, Aayilyam Tirunal and Vikram Tirunal. He was born in 1815 in Noorani Agrahaaram in the town of Palghat. He lost his parents quite young and was brought up with a lot of affection and care by his uncle at Guruvayur. Even at the young age of 16, he had a sound knowledge of theory and the practical aspect of music. He became adept in composing songs in Sanskrit and Malayalam.
Swati Tirunal Maharaja was so captivated by his performing skills that he straightway appointed Bhagavathar as the Asthana Vidwan of his court. Bhagavathar was the first musician to receive his honour from outside Travancore.
Bhagavathar was also proficient in playing the veena, violin and the swarabhat. He was an excellent Harikatha exponent and his rendering of the Utsava Prabandham, composed by Swati Tirunal in Manipravalam, was very widely acclaimed.
Parameswara Bhagavathar
Parameshwara Bhagavathar's greatest regret was that because he was tied down to the duties of an Asthana Vidwan at Travancore, he did not have the good fortune to meeting the great Saint Tyagaraja at Tiruvaiyaru.
Rukmini Bai Tampuratti was born in 1810 A.D. In spite of having to care for a large family including her husband, five sons and a daughter, she dedicated her heart and soul to music. Her genius enabled her to start composing even at the tender age of six. However, only a handful among the more than 100 she composed are available.
As was the wont of the royal composers of Travancore, Rukmini Bai sang many songs extolling Lord Padmanabha. Her songs reflect her mastery over the language as well as her deep knowledge of ragas and thalas. The Mukhari kirthana "Sri Kantesha Pahi" is a gem with a pallavi, Anupallavi and five charanams. Her compositions Sarasijanayana in raga Puranira is unique for the Sahitya each part of which begins with each of the Saptaswaras.
Rukmini Bai was a noble, kind hearted soul. Unfortunately she lived only for 28 short years. She was an excellent veena player whose contribution to music has been remarkable. It is unfortunate that her work does not find any representation on the concert platforms of today.
Another Kerala composer was K.C.Kesava Pillai, an erudite scholar in Sanskrit and Malayalam. He was respected as Sarasagayaka Kavimani. Born in 1868 at Paravur village in Quilon district, he was a worthy "Vaggeyakara," having to his credit compositions in Sanskrit, Malayalam, Manipravaalam, Sangeetha Natakas and folk music songs. His in-depth study of Ramayanam Kilipaattu, Bhagavatham Kilippattu, Malayalam literature and music earned for him respect and regard in the areas of music and literature.
GIFTED: Kesava Pillai.
Narayaneeyam translated
His translation of Narayaneeyam was known as the Kerala Bhasha Narayaneeyam. His three plays and the Mahakavya Keshaveeyam for which he was given the title of `Mahakavi' are all testament to the literary greatness of the Vidwan. Brilliant in composing instant poetry, Kesava Pillai was called `Nimishakavi." His output was stupendous, considering his short lifespan of 46 years.
Some of the other luminaries in the firmament of Kerala's contribution past and recent were Poonthanam, Ennapaadam Venkataramana Bhagavathar, Neelakanta Sivan, T. Lakshmana Pillai, etc.
There were a number of compositions based on Carnatic classical music with the title `Christian lyrics' that were part of Church rituals and domestic ceremonies. It can be emphatically reiterated that some of the best musicians and composers have hailed from Kerala.
(Inputs from biographies by distinguished writers.)
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Multi-lingual skill
Swati Tirunal's output encompasses all the important musical forms such as Varnam, Kriti, Padam, Ragamalika, Swarajati, Tillana and Bhajans. Tirunal was a multi-lingual composer who wrote his songs in Sanskrit, Malayalam, Manipravaalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindustani.
Swati Tirunal.
It is rather strange that there are no Tamil compositions credited to him. He is the only South Indian composer who has used the major forms of Hindustani music such as the Dhrupad, Khayal, Tappa and other Hindustani genres with distinction. His kritis are based on the pattern of Margadarshi Sesha Iyengar. His group such as the Navaratri kirthanams, the Navavidha bhakti songs and the Vairagya kirthanas emphasising the efficacy of Bhakti as a means for salvation are totally spiritual and philosophical in content. Fifty of his padams are incorporated into the dance form of Mohiniattom, the Kerala version of Tamil Nadu's Bharatanatyam. Among royal composers other than Swati Tirunal, Karthiga Tirunal, Balaraama Varma, Aswati Tirunal, Aayilyam Tirunal, Raama Varma were some of the other distinguished royal composers.
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