TRIBUTE

NEDUNURI KRISHNAMURTHY A voice with soul

angita Kalanidhi Nedunuri He was the recipient of several Krishnamurthy is no more. prestigious awards including the SThe veteran exponent of the Sangita Kalanidhi and the Central SANKARANARAYANA S. Pinakapani bani, a role model for Sangeet Natak Akademi award. young vocalists, was 87 when he With his tremendous work on passed away at Visakhapatnam in tuning the songs of Annamacharya, the early hours of Monday, 8th Nedunuri leaves behind a rich December 2014. He was ailing from legacy of both great singing and lung cancer. devoted academic work. Nedunuri leaves behind an Sruti published a cover story impressive brand of vocalism, on Nedunuri Krishnamurthy in exemplified y b his prime disciples February 1992 (Sruti 90). His the Malladi Brothers. His music interviews have also been published was soulful, steeped in classicism, in later issues of the magazine. and had a lingering quality to it. SAMUDRI Shaping our understanding of art

slow Ma Ga Sa phrase provides he moves to the nishada and tara of rendition of Nedunuri garu’s music a meditative beginning to sthayi shadja. a purity that she said went much the Kedaragaula alapana. A After an exciting passage at Ni, beyond the realm of the voice. Following it up with a Ri Ma Ga Sa where he explores multiple ways of Listening to the music of Nedunuri phrase, the vidwan then goes on to exploring the Kedaragaula nishada, Krishnamurthy has changed my explore the ragam in all its regal glory. the alapana hits a crescendo at the tara understanding of several aspects of He takes his time, explores the mandra sthayi rishabha, with a flurry of brigas, the art. His renditions of such sthayi and expansively sings sancharas exciting phrases and poignant pauses. classical ragas as Bhairavi, below the panchama. The multitude of When the doyen finishes and rests atSa, Dhanyasi and Kedaragaula have ways in which he expresses Ri Ma Pa I hear spontaneous applause coming changed the way I understand notes pushes us to the tether of our in from the radio. I then switch off the aesthetics of these ragas. His imagination, and gives a sneak peek into the radio. For, I want to soak in the renditions of Tulasibilva, and the the intellect of this erudite musician. I powerful, emotive music that we charanam line, Uramuna mukhamuna, have come to associate with Nedunuri am enraptured by a particular usage of Siramuna bhujamuna, describing the Krishnamurthy. Ri Ma Pa, where he intelligently mixes beauty of the Lord, were emotional. I syllables, voice modulation and raga Students of music like me, were once learnt a pallavi from a recording of bhava to produce an electric effect privileged to listen to him live, Nedunuri garu’s – Tamarasadalanetru, that sounds like “rm-mp-pddp” in witnessing his artistry and erudition, Tyagarajunimitru, in Bhairavi. This the fast speed, but this swara and collecting a wealth of his enhanced my understanding of reproduction pales in comparison recordings. My guru Neela Ramgopal pallavi singing. His pallavi singing to the effect when the vidwan sings this always tells me that music is to be was without frills, but filled with phrase. The alapana then progresses imbibed, absorbed, and internalised. intricate sophistication. This taught in pace and length of passages when She often alluded to ����������������the sheer purity me that art is not necessarily

58 l SRUTI January 2015 flamboyant or ostentatious, but Guru, he also established a marriage something that appears to be of “seeming” contrasts – purity simple, until we scratch the surface with excitement, felicity with quiet and go deeper to discover hidden thoughtfulness, and rare and the new. beauty. We will always be indebted to his trendsetting work in popularising the His understanding of core classical works of many composers including ragas was deep. In a commercial Annamacharya and Bhadrachala recording, he unraveled Dhanyasi, Ramadas. and explained how the nishada is there without quite being there, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy was a and a recording of Ni chittamu was vidwan in the truest sense of the word fascinating. His explorations of – a brilliant musician, artist, performer, less-heard ragas such as Kalanidhi teacher and thinker. He will live on in followed by Chinnanadena with a our lives through the purity and power crisp kalpanaswaram were cerebral. of his music. PRIYANKA C. PRAKASH Everything Nedunuri garu sang (A young Carnatic vocalist and disciple of was classical, and chaste. Like my Sangita Kala Acharya Neela Ramgopal)

MS and Chinnani: a rare friendship Gowri Ramnarayan

Chinnani Mami is no more.” recognised the famous Carnatic film. Sadasivam always came to take The news of the death of the late vocalist who had come to shoot for the the sleeping child away late at night “M.S. Subbulakshmi’s close friend film ‘Savitri’. Overcome by surprise when the couple returned from the day’s of over six decades came soon to learn MS was a neighbour, she shooting. MS could not bear to be away after that of the passing away of marvelled at how totally unconscious from Radha for long. Their attachment another Mami, A.R. Sundaram she was of her celebrity status. “MS was deep. The only time Narayani (Sunda), an early disciple of Sangita was famous even then.” The startled watched the filming was when a scene Kalanidhi T. Brinda. Though Narayani Narayani recovered her composure involving Subbulakshmi singing the Mahadevan, aka Chinnani Mami, enough to accept the invitation. It was ragamalika viruttam Agni enru ariyayo was not a musician, she was very the start of a life-long friendship. in Yama’s court was being shot. well known in music circles because of her proximity to MS and because The young Subbulakshmi was “just There was much music in the she was the wife of music critic the same as she was later — gentle, Mahadevan household. Narayani K.S. Mahadevan. soft spoken, sensitive, worried about had learnt the violin from Papa not hurting or giving offence to Venkataramiah’s father Srikantiah. The bonding between Kunja (M.S. anyone. She was so timid that little The couple soon moved to Bombay, Subbulakshmi) and Chinnani was things terrified her. She needed her where they were regular listeners at the unique. So close were they, that husband’s approval for everything, but Shanmukhananda Sabha, where all the soon after launching the magazine despite her innocence she knew how giants of Carnatic music performed. Kalki, Subbulakshmi’s husband to assess people, she knew sincerity “MS thrilled everyone,” Chinnani T. Sadasivam felt free to insist that when she saw it. MS had this aura said. “The hall was always packed to K.S. Mahadevan send him an annual of divinity about her right from the bursting point. Not a single member of subscription of Rs. 3. early years.” the audience left until the last note of the mangalam. None of us could take our Narayani and MS first met in Calcutta Narayani’s two children quickly eyes off her expressive face.” back in 1941. As she was leaving the made friends with four-year-old flat of a relative in the neighbourhood, Radha, who was with her parents MS looked forward to her concerts a woman climbing the stairs smiled at during their nine-month long stay in in Bombay, where she could catch up her and said, “Please drop in at my Calcutta. Narayani looked after Radha with Chinnani. It was another film place before you leave.” Narayani when Subbulakshmi was busy with the however that brought them together

59 l SRUTI January 2015