C P Ramasamy Aiyar’s memorable talk on MS Subbulaxmi – 1960 archive.

Recently, when I attended a concert for Parthasarathy sabhA (PSS) at BheemasEna Garaden, Mylapore, I got a copy of the magazine- Sangeetha Sarathy.

There was an article where Sir C.P.Ramasamy Aiyer was giving a speech after MS’ performance. It was made on 11th Sep 1960, before I was born !. It was re-published for the current-gen rasikAs by PSS magazine. It was amazing talk by Sir, for his vocabulary and the style of his English. I though it is good for reproducing in my blog. Such an article makes me feel, how English in good in those golden days.

There was also a photograph, MS her face down as a person who could not digest those accolades. That photo speaks a lot more than put in words…..

Thanks for PSS for reproducing in their magazine.. Here. It is.

“To those of us, who, like me, have been carried forward on the flood tide of Smt.Subbulakshmi’s mellifluous and expressive voice and who have enjoyed the potentiality of an inherited tonality of which she is a master, no further praise or encomium is necessary than the expression on my behalf and on behalf of all of you, our deep indebtedness to Smt.MS, for the musical treat to which we have listened and which has, in many of us, produced an abiding memory of possibilities of melodiousness of voice and expressiveness of mastery, of the spirit of preponderation in our inner mentality. She is always in a class striving for perfection.

There are some great performers instrumental and vocal, who seem to embody in their performance a full stop. (laughter). In other words, they feel conscious that they have achieved the performer’s perfection of utterance and of musical possibility.

There are others like Smt MS, who are never content with what has been achieved in the past and are always in a spirit and from aspiring ever towards higher heights of arts. And that is why she is commended as a master of the art which she expounds and that is why she has secured the recognition which is universal in this coutry.

She, aided and assisted by her husband, has been instrumental in making possible many infinite institutions to survive the pains of infancy and perils of youths and grow to maturity. (cheers)

About the sabha, musicans of immense reputation, of great accomplishments, like Sri Saraba Sastri, Thirukkodikkaval Krishna Iyer and Alaga Nambi and people of that type who had no comparers gave performance in this sabha.”

In 1960s – MS’ munificence has been in full praise by Sir CPR. MS continued the same tradition of good music and good charity. All she did with unbelievable humility. That is why, Bharat Ratna was presented to her house by former president Sri.APJ Abdul kalAm.

Excellant Concert by Ranjani & Gayatri at Vani Mahal- 2014

Ranjani & Gayathri

Bhaskar H.N

Manoj Siva

N.Guruprasad

Date- 14th December 2014

For Thyaga brahma Gana Sabha

Venue-Vani Mahal.

When we go to attend a concert, we have some expectation. The expectation, obviously, changes from artist to artist. For ex-if Abhishek raguram’s concert, it will be a“high voltage” concert. If it is Vijay Siva, it is “madi” kutcheri. Etc.,. If it is Sanjay- each and kriti was rendered exceptionally in his own way. TMK-at least one kriti in his concert “stirs” your soul.

I always go to R&G’s concert with high expectation as they exhibit a great performance every time.

On stage improvisation, I found MLV was an expert and after that I certainly say, R&G. Their success despends on a simple equation. Ie Gayathri is a sort of “dare devil’ whereas Ranjani is quite and singswithin the precincts of “musical law” and carries through the audience. Thus, they satisfy a normal rasika and also adventurous rasikAs.

I don’t see this combination with any “duo” artists. If you take Malladi Bros-both are quiet and deliver within the “strict” adherence to Gurukulam. If you take Trichur Brothers- both are two Abhishek ragurAms. Not so many like Trichur Bros because of this “over music”. I don’t see any other Sisters/Brothers in line with the above.

They rendered RTP in malayamArutham which merits special mention. kanda jAti triputa- RTP swaram, Gayathri rendered a mixture of Abheri-mohana kalyani –swara bhedham or griha-bhedam. (in swaram) This was stunning. A fresh Todi by Gayathri and a melodious Ranjani by “Ranjani” were truly the shot of the day.

Bhaskar needs to have a special mention here. RAnjani-return of swaram, he slipped a bit. But his todi and malayamArutham RTP– reply was superb. I saw a different Bhaskar today, compared to the previous two concerts.

Manoj siva and Ghatam’s tani was steady and soothing.

• nEE kEla daya rAdhu- sarasAngi- well rendered without chitta swaram which is rAmaswamy sivan’s special. But she finished with swaram in the same line.

• manasAra madhiyEni- sAramathy- Thanjavur Shankara Iyer kriti. This kriti has a special element, the name of the rAgA comes in the kriti, that to in the first line itself. Maharajapuram Santhanam, once rendered this.

• Ranjani-rAgam by Ranjani followed by kannadA kriti “kAriruvEnAnu”- by Ambujam Krishna. Surprising that AK has penned kriti in kannadA. Swaram in “pAdhambujagala pUjaya mAdi”. Special mention about Gayathri’s swaram in this Ranjani. Well well well…

• SoundararAjam – Brindavani- Kriti by Muthuswamy Dikshitar on Nagappatnam SoundararAja perumAl. Going with the tempo of kriti was very soothing.. Like taking the lower berth on a night train, keep the door half open…..

• Todi-Ragam by by GAyathri- followed by dAchUkOvalEna –Thyagaraja’s another mAster piece. Swaram in “sowmitri ThyAgarAju”

• Tani

• Gowri manOharA-gowri manOhari-P.Sivan

• RTP-MalayamArutham-pallavi-“kaNNan tiruvadi eNNuga manamE, thiNNamazhiyA vaNNam tarumE”- pallavi rAga mAlika- husEni, Arabhi-mohanakalyAni, madhuvanthi & mAnd.

• dEvAram - kAdhalAgi kasindu- kAmbodi

Adiya pAdhanAi ninRa- Abhogi & Chenchurutti- followed by Chidambaram pOgAmal iruppEnO-

GopAlakrishna bhArathy.

• Abhang-Chandrakauns. (yesteryear actor and stage actor NEElu requested from the audience)

Mangalam

Such a concert is rare. Thanks R&G and Team for that wonderful evening.

A Suryanarayan- Exit of a Gentleman

In my career, I have seen many of my seniors left from the Organisatisation and I did not have the habit of writing “Service obituary” for those. There are no many reasons for a person, of any position, leave. I, too, left so many Companies on my own for so many other reasons.

I don’t know why I feel ASN’s exit as CEO of my Company created a sort of vacuum in my heart. We all love our staff whether seniors/Juniors in our office. ASN is another person, as a passenger in a train ,of our life. But, his exit made me to write oat least one page for him.

ASN joined as CEO a year and half back. The Company, basically, has been reeling under difficult times with overall economic scenario being bad and also some of the existing projects resulted in loss. Someone, joining at this juncture, as CEO, one might have to weigh the situation and start taking drastic action.

We were all reeling under lot of pressure and planning to bring this Company to a better level.

The Company witnessed least 3 CEO in the past 4 years that shows the pressure situation. He, as soon as joined, wanted to review each and every line of the project specs and tried to diffuse the problem areas immediately.

ASN has held many high positions in few companies in our Group. With great reputation to his credit, his joining in this company was the unanimous choice of the Group.

He could see the problems from the very bottom and started correcting it one by one. Very interesting to observe his weekly meetings and way, he stood by his decisions. Many meetings with me, as a Finance head, provided a great experience for me too.

His monthly meeting was also methodical. He never compromised on vague replies by the Project Manager and instead, attempted a conf-call and finalized the point.

It is not something uncommon to CEOs but what is important was that he did with a calm approach. He never got emotional and he had an excellent sense of humour without smiling. Rarely, you see a person with that attitude.

Under tremendous stressful situation, he looked like having a “deep ocean syndrome”. Very calm and not such type of yelling at a person and complain about x to y or vice versa.

It was unfortunate that he could not go well with his colleagues, especially next level in all departments. Some controls, he brought, was not liked by all. He did not trust anyone at first sight and with the past records of some executives, ASN started exercising stricter approach to him.

In a corporate environment, you take some decisions, proceed in a way and that might work or back fire. A Company of our nature, either way, it should not work.

He might have shown more control notwithstanding the reciprocation he got from others and demanded more. He could have involved them in decision making instead he distanced the Head of other Departments that proved fatal to him.

For me, he is a great person. I moved well within him and never shown any disrespect and delayed my deliverables. I cherish those days I spent with him in the conference room. I knew, by my heart, that his decisions are good for the Company in the long run. If he had wholehearted support of his next lever and a collection decision making would have made things better…

Thank you sir, I learnt how to be calm and prosaic to achieve the mighty task. You are an amazing person for me, worth a page or two for you in my blog.