MY GURU Maharajapuram Santhanam Dr. R. Ganesh was learning Carnatic music he offered to teach me and asked me while studying in the IX Standard to go back the next day. I could not I at the Kalyanasundaram Hr. Sec. believe my ears! I felt I was on top of School in Tanjavur. One day when I the world. went to visit my friend Giri, I heard The next day I went to Sir’s house melodious music which went straight with fruits and tamboolam for my to my heart. The voice had a magnetic first class. He taught me the Ata tala quality and it lingered even after I varnam Vanajakshi in Kalyani and returned home. The next day Giri’s asked me to attend daily classes. As mother played the music again for the days passed I could see he was me – it was Muthuswami Dikshitar’s happy with my progress, but he had Nandagopala in Yamunakalyani sung the knack of always pushing my by Maharajapuram Santhanam. From target a little beyond my reach. On that moment he became my idol. some days he asked me to stay in his My father had this habit of presenting house. Within a month I realised that gifts to me and my sisters for securing S. SANKARANARAYANA his home was filled with music – his high marks in the school exams. Sir’s house on Sivagnanam Road, sons and daughter would be singing While my sisters liked ornaments, I T. Nagar. As Sir was to sing at upstairs and my guru on the ground opted for cassettes of Maharajapuram Krishna Gana Sabha that evening and floor. I watched and tried to imbibe Santhanam and was thrilled to receive was resting his voice, I had to return as much as I could apart from what AVM’s new release. Playing his music home with his blessings. We tried to I learnt in class. It was almost like countless times, I started collecting fix more appointments, but in vain. a gurukulam for six years. He was a more and more of his recordings My father lost hope and returned to strict teacher and kept me on my toes. and became addicted to his masterly Tanjavur. Then on a Sunday I barged While teaching a composition he renditions. In school I sang his songs into the house of Santhanam Sir and explained its meaning, and provided at every opportunity and won many found him in the hall with friends and insights into its context and musical prizes. By this time I was determined family members. He recognised me nuances. He advised me to listen to to become his disciple. My father and asked me to sing. I sang Narayana the music of great vidwans, and attend M. Radhakrishnan, an ardent rasika ninna followed by Upacharamulanu lecdems. He felt that in order to do of Carnatic music, told me it was a in Bhairavi – songs I had learnt from justice to the manodharma aspects Utopian dream to want to learn from his cassettes. After listening to me of a raga, a musician must know at such a famous personality. However, least ten kritis in it to understand its he made it a point to take me Ganesh with his guru swaroopa. to Santhanam Sir’s concerts in Chennai and Tiruvaiyaru. He After sometime he chose me to introduced me and conveyed my provide him vocal support. I was desire to the maestro. Meanwhile, thrilled though apprehensive. On in 1986, I was offered a seat in the 9th August 1987, at Sri Krishna Namakkal Veterinary College, but Gana Sabha, I ascended the I pestered my influential uncle M. concert platform as his vocal Chidambaram to get me a seat in accompanist. He tested me on Chennai at the Madras Veterinary the stage by allowing me to sing College, which he did. I shifted some of the difficult sangatis in base to Chennai from Tanjavur, songs like Dayavillaya dayalo in and stayed in a relative’s house. Kharaharapriya and Ninnanodi in Soon after coming to Chennai, my Todi. It was a milestone in my life father escorted me to Santhanam – not only was I learning from 54 l SRUTI September 2013 him, but was sitting behind him and that S. Viswanathan of Enfield India presenting solo performances?” I was singing with him. absorbed me in his new company with dumbfounded and did not know how the freedom to sing in concerts ‘on to react. He probably had a plan and Soon I had the good fortune of duty’, with a handsome pay package. during the concert he insisted that I singing with him on many prestigious should render the Meera bhajan Main platforms like the Music Academy, When HMV decided to launch an to savariya as a solo – that was how Narada Gana Sabha, Krishna Gana album of tillanas of vidwan Lalgudi my arangetram came to pass! Sabha, and Tamil Isai Sangam G. Jayaraman with orchestration in Chennai, as well as in famous by the versatile M.S. Viswanathan, After the concert we went to the venues outside Tamil Nadu like the Santhanam Sir asked me to learn Uppiliappan temple. We were too Bangalore Gayana Samaja, the Siri the tillanas and sing the track in the many to fit into one car, but in a rare Fort Auditorium in Delhi, and the recording. After the recording, he gesture he made me sit on his lap, Shanmukhananda Sabha in Mumbai. remarked “I am proud of you” – a and it was the greatest moment of Often he would teach me a song in compliment I cherish to this day. It was my life. After calling on Dayananda the morning where we were staying, later recorded in my guru’s voice. I Saraswati Swami we proceeded to and I would be put to test on stage the completed the editing and Santhanam Hotel Rayas from where all of us same evening. With the grace of God Sir fixed a date for its release – 24th were to leave by car the next morning. and my guru’s blessings I succeeded. June 1992. This recording, a coming At 10 pm while I was massaging together of two maestros – one singing his legs, he suddenly told me that I I was the track singer for many of his the compositions of the other – is yet should not accompany them in the albums like HMV’s Govinda Ninna to see the light of day. It would be a car next morning but board the bus Namave Chanda, AVM’s Saravana fitting tribute to both. for Chennai that night. Taken aback Bhava, Dasara Padagalu, and I asked him if I had done something Bhajans of Swami Dayananda. On the night of 22 June, Ramu (Sir’s wrong. He quelled my fears and cousin), young disciple Baby Akila Santhanam Sir and his wife were very insisted that I leave immediately by and I left Chennai for Kumbakonam affectionate. He was particular that I bus. Did he have a premonition? As where Santhanam Sir had already should have my meals with him, and I was about to take my leave of him, arrived from Coimbatore with Mami. made sure that I ate well. He used to he asked me to prostrate before him He had a concert on 23 June at 4.30 pm regularly write to me whenever he and blessed me. I left the hotel and at Swami Dayananda Matriculation went abroad. Though not too fond of reached Chennai by bus at 6 am the School, Manjakkudy, with Nagai shopping he procured a wrist watch next day, but by then the colossus Muralidharan and Trichy Harikumar – my guru – had been snatched away for me from Dubai. It is still my prized as accompanists. My father too had by fate at Kooteripattu. The car they possession. He also made me his come from Tanjavur to listen to were travelling in had met with a track singer for many of his albums. the concert where I was providing tragic road accident. Besides, he also encouraged me to vocal support. While proceeding to edit his audio works, and prepare the the stage, Sir asked me out of the If I am somebody today in the field layout for inlay cards. One day around blue: “Ganesa! Why don’t you start of music, it is because of my guru. 9 pm he handed over a rough sketch He was in fact more than a guru to for eight new songs and directed me Ganesh me. He was a mother, father, guru to sing them at 8 am on the following and God – all in one. During the day at the AVM Studios to the time I lived in his house I learnt orchestration of vidwan L. Krishnan. not only to sing, but the art of The recording ended at 10 pm and the teaching, conversing, handling public last song was an instant hit – it was relations, and philanthropy – for Bho Sambho! he had all these qualities. He was a In March 1992 when I completed great human being. The years I spent my Veterinary Medicine course and with him were a golden period in my secured registration from the council life. True to his name, Santhanam that entitled me to prefix Dr. to my Sir was a ‘maharaja of music’ with a name, he was overwhelmed with joy. huge fan following, and none can I was immediately invited to join ever take his place. service but Sir wanted me to take up (The author is a musician, nama music full-time.