TRIBUTE

OUR GURU SEETHALAKSHMI VENKATESAN A loving teacher Saralaya Sisters

eethalakshmi Venkatesan, preferred extempore sarvalaghu and Carnatic vocalist and teacher, raga bhava to calculations. She often passed away on 18th November shared her guru Semmangudi’s advice: S2012 at Bengaluru. Born on 12th June “God has given women beautiful 1926, she had over 70 years of music voices, so there is no need for any to her credit – singing, performing unnecessary circus in manodharma”. and teaching. She had a resonant voice When we first went to Mami – as with a majestic metallic timbre to it. we all called her – we did not know Her concerts are frequently aired on anything about the manodharma All India Radio and Doordarshan. aspects of music. She gradually guided When Seethalakshmi was only seven, us into the beautiful fold of ragas, her parents, the Sahasranamams, niraval and kalpana swaras. She had noticed the talent in their child and this incredible ability of making us put her under the tutelage of Palghat learn the toughest facet of Carnatic Vaidyanatha Iyer in Trivandrum. She music with the utmost ease, without made her debut at the age of ten in the feeling frustrated or disheartened. presence of Maharani Sethu Parvathi The vast number of compositions we Bai who gifted a gold chain to the learnt were first taught to us without child. Seethalakshmi was married at notations. Only after we learnt the the age of 13 to Venkatesan, an ardent As her students for 25 years till a kriti would she give the notation lover of music. His encouragement week before she passed away, we feel for reference, and not to learn the and support helped her blossom into blessed to have learnt her repertoire sangatis. and style. She was an excellent a fine musician. Another aspect of her style was her teacher, and there developed a deep perfect concert planning. Till the She had the good fortune of being bond between us. She was an integral trained in the gurukula paddhati by week before her demise, she guided us part of our lives. Every time we went Tanjavur Sankara Iyer at Tanjavur, on the list of songs to be included in to her class we found something new and later learnt from Semmangudi a particular concert. Mami made sure to learn from her – new compositions, Srinivasa Iyer at Chennai. Be it her we sang one suddha madhyama and tips on raga rendition, niraval singing, impeccable rendering of compositions, one prati madhyama raga for the main unique kalpana swara patterns, delineation of ragas bearing her and sub-main pieces in a concert. In or rounding off a composition. stamp of individuality, or emphasis addition she took care of the varied on raga bhava, her singing provided She was very affectionate, but talas, tukkadas and devotionals that the essence of raga music. also took the liberty to scold us go into a particular concert. when she thought it was necessary. Seethalakshmi learnt Hindustani Mami had an insatiable thirst for music from Pandit Rama Rao Naik, Niraval singing was her forte. Raga knowledge and took all the trouble which helped her render bhajans passages were an expression of her to learn something new and teach and ragas in the Hindustani style feelings, and she rendered them it to her students. She meticulously with great beauty and ease. She had without compromising on grammar. planned what to teach in the next a deep love for Hindustani ragas like However, she did not adhere to the class – this made her a treasure Brindavani Sarang, Hindol, Behag, formula of building a raga from note house of compositions old and new. Kedar and Yaman to name a few. In to note. She had this innate ability to Her memory was remarkable even at handling such ragas, she touched a paint a beautiful picture of the raga the age of 86 – she rarely referred to chord that few are capable of. in all its hues. In swaraprastara she books while teaching or performing.

55 l SRUTI February 2013 TRIBUTE

We called her a ‘walking encyclopedia of music’. Some titles and awards v Sangita Kala Acharya from The Music Academy, Chennai (2006) Some of her senior disciples are T.S. Rama, V.N. Padmini, Vembu, Chitra v Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award (2001) Srikrishna and Aiswarya Vidya v Sangeeta Kalaratna from Bangalore Gayana Samaja (2000) (see photo below) Ragunath. She also formed a group v Sangeeta Ratna from The Academy of Music, Chowdiah Memorial, Bangalore called ‘Saptaswara’, comprising seven (1995) women vocalists, with Mami in the v Gana Saraswati from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (1978) lead. It was a unique platform where v Karnataka Kalashree from the Karnataka State Sangeetha Nritya Academy all seven could perform individually and in unison. It was a great success. v Sangeeta Raga Nidhi from Ramakrishna Bhajana Sabha, Bangalore She performed many times in sabhas like the Bangalore Gayana Samaja, Madras Music Academy, Karnataka Gana Kala Parishat, Tamil Isai Sangam, same. It was she who introduced us to Mami was fun-loving and had an Chennai and Sri Shanmukhananda the Chennai season 23 years ago. excellent sense of humour. We went Fine Arts, Mumbai, to name a few. out with her many times for lunch or Her refined taste was evident in dinner and even on vacation. She was Mami loved to listen to good music the way she kept house, and in her an excellent cook and we have tasted from artists young and old. She immaculate style of dressing – with many of her gastronomic delights. attended concerts and mentally made diamonds and sarees in colours she notes of points she could learn – such thought suited her best. She was at Her passing away has left a deep was her humility and reverence for home in Kannada, though Tamil void in our lives. We have lost a the art. She diligently attended the was her mother tongue. Apart true friend, philosopher and guide. Chennai Music season for over 50 from this she could communicate (The Saralaya Sisters — Kavitha and years, and encouraged us to do the eloquently in English and Malayalam. Triveni — are Carnatic musicians)

56 l SRUTI February 2013