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OBITUARY

R. Visweswaran: Bridging the North-South divide

usic was his passion, so Chaurasia, Rajesh Roshan, M.S. he opted to make it his Viswanathan, Ilayaraja and A.R. profession. Music to him Rehman. was an elixir which, combined with M He presented solo Carnatic vocal his unswerving faith in his spiritual guru Mataji Vithamma, brought recitals. Married to the famous him back from the jaws of death dancer Chitra in time and again. 1972, his vocal accompaniment and music compositions for her dance R. Visweswaran was totally immersed have also contributed to the aesthetic in music. This multi-talented artist sensitivity of her dance presentations. was adept at playing In this capacity he participated in on the , Western classical music major cultural festivals in India and on the Flamenco guitar, BGM for abroad. One of our readers A. Seshan, capacity. His guru remarked at a films, and Hindustani music on the a critic, writer and connoisseur of special function organised to santoor, composed music for dance music, writes from : “I would honour the memory of Viswe- and strummed on the surmandal always remember Visweswaran for swaran in , that the credit as he sang for his wife Chitra’s his brilliant and bhava-laden singing for bringing the santoor to the Bharatanatyam recitals. of nee on a TV channel while South goes to Viswes. Born on 9th May 1944, Viswes or accompanying Chitra. It is the best Vichechu as he was affectionately Noteworthy among Visweswaran’s rendition of the song I have ever called, belonged to a family steeped concerts abroad were performances heard.” at the Munshi Centenary in music. He was the nephew of The Chitra-Visweswaran dance- celebrations of Bharatiya Vidya the legendary GNB and the son of music collaboration started off with Bhavan, London; the official R. Ranganathan who served the the latter playing the veena for the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Madras Music Academy as its former’s dance. In 1980, on a trip to celebrations in Paris; the Montelimar secretary for many years. Even as a UK, acceding to a casual request by Festival in France; and the Fete de la child he had an instinctive feel for an organiser friend, Viswes took his Musique (International Jazz Festival) music. He learnt Carnatic vocal music seat in the wings and for the first time in Rouen, France. His interaction from mother Rajeswari, veena from shared the vocals for Chitra with well- with musicians of international vidwan Pichumani Iyer, and went known singer Rajasekharan. A spinal on to equip himself as a licentiate in repute, such as John Kaizen Neptune, surgery and a severe heart attack teaching in Western classical guitar Shakuhachi flautist of Japan and in 1984 cut short his busy career in from the Trinity College, London. Terry Allen of U.S.A. culminated in film music. It was only after that, in He had specialised training in music albums. 1985, that he took to singing full padam-singing from T. Muktha. Viswes was a graded artist of All time for Chitra’s dance programmes. A Chartered Accountant by India Radio and recently released On the one hand it ensured that the education, Viswes gave up accounting a Hindustani santoor CD titled In couple could be together and Chitra to pursue his first love — music. Contemplation. He was featured on could take care of him, on the other Multidisciplinary in his musical BBC Television, SBC (Singapore) they were happy that both could skills, “Pandit Viswes” was one of the and several other TV channels in together do what each one loved best seniormost disciples of the santoor India and abroad. Prior to his active — music/dance. He had a melodious maestro Shiv Kumar Sharma, and performance career in the classical voice. Singing for Chitra was quite had the rare distinction of being arts, he worked with stalwart film a challenge as she often performed the only South Indian to play the music directors like R.D. Burman, more than twenty sanchari variations Kashmiri santoor, in a professional Laxmikant Pyarelal, Hariprasad for a line. The combined talents of

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this couple have influenced audiences Culture, Government of India, on around the world. the comparative study of the application, presence or absence of The couple established the Chidam­ gamaka in different systems of world baram Academy of Performing music. He was a learner all his life. Arts in Chennai in 1975. The main thrust of the institution is to instill Viswes also worked on the presenta- an awareness of India’s rich art tion of Carnatic music on the and culture in their students. Both santoor. He first presented Chitra and Visweswaran taught kriti-s at the aradhana at dance and music to more than Tiruvaiyaru in January 2007 and 100 children at Lalit Kala Mandir at the Cleveland Tyagaraja run by their spiritual guru Aradhana festival in April. This Vithamma. well as provide vocal support to Chitra. was followed by a hectic tour Viswes composed music for many The seriousness of his condition in U.S.A comprising dance advertisement jingles and ad films. did not deter him from successfully performances, santoor and vocal As a classical composer, he scored the completing his Senior Fellowship recitals. It was his last overseas project awarded by the Dept. of tour. He died of cardiac arrest on music for over 30 dance presentations th comprising solo, group, thematic, June 28 2007 in Chennai. dance-dramas and dance theatre The Chidambaram Academy of Viswes was simple and unassuming, presentations. He has composed Performing Arts (CAPA) organised a special function to celebrate with a remarkable sense of humour. several anjali-s, jatiswaram-s the memory of R. Visweswaran There was never a dull moment and tillana-s (including one in on 2nd September at the Bharatiya in his company and his ready wit Rasikapriya), and set to tune a Vidya Bhavan Hall in Chennai. sent you into peals of laughter. number of sloka-s and bhajan-s. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Mrs. YGP, M.S. Viswanathan, Prof. C.V. He said that “Life without humour In 1995 Viswes fell critically ill, but Chandrasekhar, Chitra Visweswaran is like a tumour.” He was always his passion for music, his positive and Mataji Vithamma paid rich humming a raga and liked to attitude to life, and his faith in his tributes to his memory. He was analyse the sanchara-s of a musician brought to life through his music spiritual guru helped him make a — excerpts were played from his as he walked out at the end of a slow but steady recovery. The vocal and santoor recordings; the performance. His reaction to an award of the Tamil students of CAPA danced to his unsatisfactory recital would be: “It Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram compositions; his disciples sang was mu-sick!” followed by a chuckle. came as a timely shot in the arm. He and a two-CD pack comprising a selection of Visweswaran’s vocal soon made a short trip to London to Visweswaran was a perfect gentleman and santoor presentations was and a good human being. play the santoor at the Nehru Centre released. and at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, as S. JANAKI

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