REMEMBERING

D.K. JAYARAMAN The multi-faceted musician Manoj Siva

July is the birthday of Sangita while accompanying DKJ. Other 29 Kalanidhi D.K. Jayaraman stalwarts who had this quality (DKJ) – an extraordinary musician include Flute Mali, S. Balachander, who was not only my brother Vijay K.V. Narayanaswamy, M.D. Siva’s guru but also our family’s Ramanathan, and Lalgudi Jayaraman, guru. to name a few. The music world knows that both The musician DKJ and DKP were experts in singing DKJ’s music was deeply rooted in ragam-tanam-pallavi, especially nadai sampradaya, rich in Carnatic flavour. pallavis. This was imbibed from Bhava was his forte. His style of their association with the stalwart singing simple, pure and chaste, Kanchipuram Naina Pillai. appealed to the connoisseur and the The genius of DKJ was the way he set common man. His raga alapana, tunes to the lyrics of compositions. niraval and kalpanaswaram were One just had to give him a simple lyric pleasantly precise and crisp. They to which he would set a tune and bring captured the full essence of the raga SAMUDRI ARCHIVES it to life with his rendition. I recall and his emotive style of singing kritis vidwan Lalgudi Jayaraman mentioning Similarly, a tala is the physical was a sheer delight to rasikas. this once. He said, “When DKJ sang manifestation of the layam inside one of my tillanas, I could not believe His control over layam was amazing. you. That is why it is called “brahma that it was my own composition, as Layam is not just tala or mathematics layam” or “mano layam”. DKJ DKJ’s gnana-balam made it sound but a force which can be only felt was one of the rare artists with extraordinary.” and not seen. The perfect example is an extraordinary “brahma layam”. that of the planets revolving around Many senior mridanga vidwans DKJ and his music were held in high the sun, governed by a divine force acknowledged this aspect and were esteem by his fellow musicians who that cannot be seen but directs their at total ease when playing the tani accompanied him during his concerts. movements. avartanams with complex nadais These included Lalgudi Jayaraman,

D.K. Jayaraman with daughter Sukanya and Balaji Shankar (vocal support), K.K. Ravi (violin) and Manoj Siva (mridangam)

36 l SRUTI July 2015 M.S. Gopalakrishnan, V.V. “Soften your voice when you sing Subrahmanyam, Umayalpuram in the higher octave”. K. Sivarman, Palghat Raghu, and DKJ was very proud and fond of Karaikudi Mani. his students. For a concert of His was a vast repertoire of Vijay Siva at the Music Academy, compositions ranging from the J. Vaidyanathan played the music trinity to contemporary mridangam. DKJ was sitting in the composers. A major contribution front row beside my father and I. of his to Carnatic music was in Trichy Swaminatha Iyer, a very popularising and propagating senior vidwan, came up to DKJ many compositions of the Trinity and said, “Jayaraman, I hear that especially Muthuswami Dikshitar. Vaidhyanathan is your son. DKJ He also popularised the compositions D.K. Jayaraman with D.K. Pattammal quickly replied, “The boy who is of contemporary composers singing is my student.” What more were afraid that he would fall like Papanasam Sivan, Muthiah proof do we need for the love he down. He repeatedly told her that Bhagavatar, Spencer Venugopal and had for his students! he was overjoyed that she had come Tanjavur Sankara Iyer. to his performance. Such was his The man I have listened to his rendition of regard for Brindamma. Saundararajam asraye several times, DKJ was a very simple, practical, Another musician he held in high and every time I am touched by his and down-to-earth person of great esteem was Palghat Mani Iyer. Vijay soulful rendition. Similarly, every courage and had a good sense of Siva recalls that on many occasions time I listen to his Manadirkugandadu humour. He was a cricket buff and DKJ’s eyes became moist when he my eyes become moist. loved to discuss the sport. spoke about Mani Iyer, as the stalwart His emphasis on perfection was was instrumental in encouraging DKJ I have had the fortune of accompany- exemplary. His son J. Vaidyanathan to give solo performances. ing him in a few concerts. One which narrates that before presenting a new holds a special place in my heart kriti on stage, DKJ would practise it The teacher is the concert in which I accompanied him on the occasion of Narayana for a minimum of fifty times – a trend My guru Palghat Raghu used to say Teertha Day at Sastri Hall in 1989. followed by many great musicians of that DKJ was a teacher par I was seventeen then. The other his generation and earlier. Such was excellence who could make even accompanists were T.S. Veeraraghavan their dedication to their art. a stone sing. He had an uncanny (violin) and V. Suresh (ghatam). method of understanding each D.K. Jayaraman was D.K. Pattammal’s R.K. Shriramkumar provided vocal student’s potential and taught him brother and her prime disciple, but support. DKJ encouraged me a lot or her accordingly, so as to raise the he imbibed several musical elements during the concert held in the student’s prowess to a high standard. from other stalwarts including august presence of stalwarts like His teaching extended beyond just T. Brinda, Semmangudi Srinivasa M.S. Subbulakshmi, M. Balamurali­ music and he was concerned about Iyer, and Madurai Mani Iyer. He spoke krishna, and Lalgudi Jayaraman in his students’ well-being. All his highly of Rajaratnam Pillai and had the audience. I remember two students loved and respected him great respect for the music of his senior memorable remarks he made during as he was egoless. They enjoyed colleague Ramnad Krishnan and his the concert. Looking at MS, he said his company and engaged in contemporaries T.M. Thyagarajan and here was an avatara of Saraswati discussions about subjects other than K.V. Narayanaswamy. Devi. He also compared Shriram­ music too. He had a special liking for T. Brinda’s kumar’s relationship with him as music. Once, when he presented I had the opportunity to learn vocal Swami Vivekananda’s to Ramakrishna a programme of Kamalamba music from him in 1990. I learnt a Paramahamsa. Navavarana kritis with his disciples few kritis but unfortunately, he died He regarded his sister D.K. Pattammal at Narada Gana Sabha, Brinda in January 1991. During my classes, as his guru, guide,����������������������� ����������������philosopher, and was in the audience. After the I enjoyed the way he used to teach friend till���������������� his last breath. programme, DKJ rushed to greet and bring out sangatis, which her, literally standing on the edge I couldn’t get right. I remember one (The author is a mridangist and a blogger of the dais. People around him thing he told me when teaching, http://nmanojsiva.blogspot.in)

37 l SRUTI July 2015