Md Ramanathan (1923-1984)
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REMEMBERING M.D. RAMANATHAN (1923-1984) Vocalist of inimitable style K.K. Gopalakrishnan rom Manjapra, one of the most When MDR survived a massive heart picturesque villages of Kerala attack in 1972, his physicians strongly in Palakkad district, with advised him to retire from his active its rich tradition of folk arts, there musical career, but he did not listen F ARCHIVES SAMUDRI emerged a maestro of inimitable to them. During the last couple of style who breathed only music and years of his life he suffered from lung surprisingly became dearer to music cancer too, and he died at 61 of a aficionados after his demise. This is a cardiac arrest. tribute to M.D. Ramanathan 25 years MDR’s last concert was at the after his death. Mylapore Fine Arts Club, Chennai, Krishnamurthy, an ardent fan of accompanied by Lalgudi Jayaraman MDR, is a retired school teacher and T.V. Gopalakrishnan. “Due to settled in Tripunithura, the breathing problems he could sing only cultural town of Kochi. Ever since for an hour and a half. He sang Giripai the demise of legendary vocalist in Sahana, one of his favourites, as the M.D. Ramanathan, Krishnamurthy’s main composition of that evening,” annual rites for his father, who died records Krishnamurthy. when he was a teenager, are only complete with rites for MDR too. music at a very young age under his MDR possessed an inimitable style. father and had his maiden public His music was for the sake of music: Krishnamurthy listened to MDR’s concert at the age of nine. Along with for him the audience was only a second live concerts only on five occasions music he continued his academic priority. His song never originated during his post-high school years, but education and graduated in Physics from his head or throat but from he spent his life savings on collecting from Palakkad Victoria College. But the ‘nabhi’. He sang for himself with recordings of MDR wherever they MDR’s only passion was music that focus on bhava and gamaka, in a deep were to be found; today it is believed made him move Madras in 1944 for voice in a slow speed. Nevertheless, that he has every available recording higher studies. He joined Kalakshetra he ensured the individual sweetness of MDR. His years of research into as the first and only student for the and subtlety of each raga and did not the music and life of MDR finally led Sangeeta Sironmani course. It also much advocate the complications of him to write a Malayalam novel on facilitated his regular interaction arithmetic in kalpana swara-s. He MDR with the title Kedaram, one of with Rukmini Devi and Tiger even added words extempore, like the favourite raga-s of MDR. Varadachariar who later became his ‘Sree’ or ‘nee’, taking artistic liberties “I think MDR is yet to be judged mentor. MDR’s tutelage under Tiger on compositions, thereby drawing and analysed in terms of musical lasted six years, until Tiger’s death. criticism and appreciation equally. aesthetics,” Krishnamurthy said Being the only student for the course MDR did not sing in a prepared recently after watching in Trissoor enabled a special bondage between format or for middle-brow tastes, so the Kerala premiere of Samam, a the guru and sishya. even his accompanists were unable brilliant 45-minute documentary During MDR’s debut recital to predict which lines he was going film on MDR by Mumbai based Keli on earning the degree Sangeeta to repeat or how many times. Many Ramachandran. Sironmani, Tiger declared, “Whatever found it extremely strenuous to Manjapra Devesa Ramanathan, born I have is transferred to this young accompany him. His stage mannerisms on 21st May 1923 to Carnatic vocalist- chap. He will bear the torch of my including physical expressions like cum-violinist Devesa Bhagavatar and musical legacy.” On his graduation hand movements, frowning face Sitalakshmi Ammal and popularly MDR was appointed to the faculty of and other physical contortions were known as MDR, was initiated to Kalakshetra. a sharp contrast to the melody that 25 l SRUTI June 2011 REMEMBERING streamed out. Audiences always The Kerala Sangeet Nataka Academy The mosaic of sound was enthralling felt the deep underlying feelings award (1964), Padma Shri (1974) and in resonance and amplitude and gradually emerging – both from the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi the rasika-s felt inspired and the musician and his listeners. award (1975) were bestowed on elevated to witness the transition him, among several other honours of the aesthetic depths into He enriched the Carnatic music including a variety of titles from repertoire with over 300 compositions, music amazingly mooladhara- in Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu, in various sabha-s in Chennai and based.” (The Hindu, May 1999). In which, as homage to his guru, MDR elsewhere. MDR was considered a different vein, mridanga virtuoso used the word ‘Varadadasa’ as mudra for Sangita Kalanidhi of the Music Palakkad Mani Iyer once told (stamp of identification). Academy – the top honour in NMN (The Hindu, 22 January, 1978): Chennai circuits – during the 1983- “M.D. Ramanathan had wasted A keen devotee of Rama, MDR 84 season, but for some inexplicable his gift of a very rich voice by was equally proud of being fourth reason the title was not conferred deliberately going in for an extremely generation disciple of the Tyagaraja on him. To his fans he was a born thaggu sruti.” (The Hindu Speaks on lineage and the disciple of Tiger. sangeeta kalanidhi. Music). The enriched folk musical Tiger was a student of Patnam heritage of his picturesque village Reporting the observance of Subramanya Iyer who was groomed Manjapra was so strong in MDR’s MDR’s 75th birthday, SVK noted by Manubuchavadi Venkatasubba soul that it bestowed ethnic flavours that “the style of MDR has Iyer, one of the direct disciples on his music. of Tyagaraja. Though he taught relevance today when speed, scales for decades at an institution like and swara-s are the ruling motivation Decades after MDR’s demise, the Kalakshetra, MDR could not produce of musical aesthetics. MDR’s marga vacuum is still unfilled. Sagara a disciple of his stature as his music in music was entirely different from sagaropama, – an ocean can only be was very individualistic. even those of his contemporaries…. equated with an ocean. n Experience of a lifetime S. Sivaramakrishnan t was in 1962. The venue was the on every occasion. More luckily, innate, resonant sruti-aligned voice. Vadakke Samooha Matom hall in my father would take me to the T.N. Krishnan and Palghat Trissoor where a concert was on. Bhajanapura palace where vidwans Raghu accompanied him on most II, a five-year old then, was there with stayed. My father used to pay his occasions. Chalakudy Narayanaswamy, my parents. But I was soon whisked respects and have a word or two with T.K. Murthy and Umayalpuram away by my friends to join them to them well ahead of the concerts. I Sivaraman also played a few times at play outside the hall. It was then that was thrilled and excited to see the the mandapam. the experience of a lifetime occurred. great MDR interacting so simply On arrival at the venue, serenely An arresting musical phrase fell on and unassumingly with people. dressed in panchakacham, anga- my ears and I rushed to the hall to vastram and a chain with rudraksha find the vidwan literally acting out a He did everything himself. He fervent appeal. “It’s O Jagadamba in would take immense care to tune pendant, MDR prayed in front of Anandabhairavi, sit and listen,” my the tambura to ‘half-kattai’ pitch. the deity before taking his seat for mother whispered into my ears. That K.V. Narayanaswamy – whenever the recital. The kutcheri often started was it; I was initiated into the great around – volunteered to assist him with the Nata varnam Sarasijanabha, music of M.D. Ramanathan. in the task and advised Narayana with grand snatches of the raga. A Iyer, the tambura player particularly brief but enduring sketch of Kedaram From 1965 to 1985, in Tiruvananta- on how to ‘handle’ the mandra for Paramanandanatana mam pahi puram was the musically golden shadja string which frequently would follow. The venue and the period of my life, when I could attend played truant. M.A. Kalyanakrishna listeners’ hearts reverberated when he the annual Navaratri Mandapam Bhagavatar, the grand old vainika, touched the mandra panchama – a concert series without a break. once asked him: “Unakkenthukku hallmark note of the raga. He further MDR’s concerts had been unique tambura?” in appreciation of MDR’s traversed down to mandra shadja 26 l SRUTI June 2011.