=================================================================== The Semmangudi Phenomenon =================================================================== In spite of the accolades conferred on Semmangudi, he remains a humble artist in the true sense. =================================================================== SANGEETHA Sagara Sri Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer refused to cross the seas to receive a coveted award. The Carnatic Music Association of North America, confers the title of Sangeetha Sagara to eminent musicians, in acknowledgment of their life time achievements. This year, the award went to none other than Padma Vibushan Sri Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer. This award includes tours in the US and Canada, to perform concerts and present lecture demonstrations. The grand old man of Carnatic Music declined to go to America, in order to keep up his promise to his elder brother and guru, late Sri. Narayanaswamy Iyer. The Association, respecting Semmangudi's feelings sent its representatives to India to present the award to the living legend. Amazingly, the octogenarian gave a two hour concert after the award presentation. He comments, "I do not know. Performing at this age is a strain both on me as well as the audience, but still I sing. In the middle of the concert, my dentures gave me problem, so I removed it and performed a toothless katchery (concert)!" Whether toothless or not, it is a fact that this great musician still draws a good crowd, commands the same respect, and leaves his rasikas awe-struck by his splendid performance. "The two pre-eminent marks of excellence in Sri Srinivasa Iyer's music may be summed up in two words - dignity and depth. His music owes its dignity to his faithful adherence to the traditional school and its depth to the infinite pains he has taken to dive into the depths of the science," says a 1933 concert review. These words hold good even after sixty one long years. Seenu - as he was called in his younger days was born on 25th July 1908 to Sri Radhakrishna Iyer and Smt Dharmasamvardhini Ammal in a small village called Semmangudi in Tanjore district. Even as a child, he showed keen interest in music. He would repeat the music he heard. His maternal uncle, Sri Thirukodikaval Fiddle Krishna Iyer was already in the lime light as a successful musician. His cousin and Sri Krishna Iyer's son-in-law Sri Narayanaswamy Iyer was beginning to taste success as a musician. So, Radhakrishna Iyer decided that his son would follow his uncle and cousin and become a musician. Little boy Seenu's formal music training started on the Vijayadasami day of 1917 under cousin, Sri Narayana Swamy who was also living in Semmangudi. This tuition did not last long. Sri Narayanaswamy shifted to Kumbakonam. It became impossible for the boy to go to Kumbakonam and learn music. As luck would have it, Gottuvadyam Sri Sakharama Rao visited Semmangudi. He listened to little Srinivasan and was impressed. He instantly agreed to teach him music. Seenu left Semmangudi to live in Thiruvidaimarudur and learn music. Thiruvidaimarudur was a great cultural center those days. It was here that Seenu could listen to great musicians like Koneirarajapura Vaidyanatha Iyer, Madurai Pushpavanam, Fiddle Govindaswamy Pillai and others. He also listened to many Nagaswara concerts which widened his musical knowledge. Sakharama Rao took special liking to this young nephew of the illustrious Fiddle Krishna Iyer. Seenu progressed very well. Unfortunately when the Guru took ill, the tuition had to come to a full stop. It is to be noted that his love for his Guru and regard did not stop with the Guru's death. Semmangudi was sending money to the Guru's wife for many years after his death. For the next few months Seenu was under the tutelage of Umayalapuram Swaminatha Iyer. Then he went back to his brother - Sri Narayanaswamy Iyer. Seenu improved his skills and increased his knowledge. A sudden misfortune fell on the young learner. As every other adolescent, Seenu's voice changed not for the better but for the worse. Worse than anyone can imagine. It was such an unthinkable change that, it seemed the end of Srinivasa Iyer's musical career. Pudukotai Dakshinamurthy Pillai suggested Seenu might become a 'fiddler' like his great uncle. But no, Seenu persisted. He made up his mind to be a vocalist and none else. He fought his way up inspite of the greatest handicap any singer could have. At this stage, even his guru lost interest in teaching him. The guru-shishya arrangement ended there. This led the boy to the gurukulam of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer - an all time great who enjoyed success as a singer at a very early age. It was here that Seenu got molded into a great performer. The guru built up the young man's confidence by allowing him to sing in his own concerts. Dedication and determination were the only two slogans the youth had in his mind. It were these two that shaped him up well to overcome his greatest handicap - his voice. Adverse comments thrown at him hardened him further and he worked with renewed fervor and firmer conviction. The same person who suggested a switch over to fiddle played kanjeera for him in a concert at a later date. The year 1926 proved a land mark both in his professional and personal life. It was in this year he sang his first solo concert. After that, there was no looking back. Seenu climbed up the ladders of success steadily. One thing to be noted was that, Srinivasa Iyer gave his complete repertoire in each one of his concerts and with absolute resolution presented in his grand style. In the same year he got married to Thaiyu, the woman who played a perfect housewife till her death. She looked after him well. A con- noisseur of food, he was very demanding as far as his food was concerned. Starting from his morning coffee to the pickle he ate with his curd rice he had his own style - a man of strong likes and dislikes and demanded every dish to be prepared to his taste. Thaiyu took care of this very well. She in his own words was a 'uttama grihini' (the right housewife). To day when you talk to him - - the widower - you can notice tears swelling up in his wrinkled eyes. He still considers his marriage to this woman as one of the greatest things that happened to him in his life. After becoming a successful musician on stage, Semmangudi received an invitation from Travancore Palace to serve at the Swati Thirunal Academy. In 1941, he moved to Trivandrum and in 1942 he took over as the principal of the academy. In 1963, he took leave of absence and served a chairman in All India Radio Madras. Over the years, awards and accolades were showered on the great musician. Semmangudi's success story is one to be emulated by every young musician in the field. He heard harsh remarks all through his career. A critic even said, 'Semmangudi will do greatest service to music by retiring immediately.' But his musical interests never got sidelined. Perseverance - a quality which many young artists today must develop - took him to wherever he is today. He slogged day and night like a karma yogi. He breathed music. One still wonders how Semmangudi - inspite of his age and failing voice draws crowd. He has his set of rasikas who would go any length to his concerts. He is still a crowd puller - though not a gate crasher. What is the secret of his success? His success as a stage performer is phenomenal He gives his best in all his concerts. He never lets his audience down. His profound knowledge shines in every song. His concerts are well planned and well balanced. A meticulous selection of songs and ragas paves way for the success of his concerts. His handling of the five Gana Ragas has always been unique. Even today, people recall with awe, his presentation of Ragamalika in those five ragas. Another notable aspect is the swara rendering. No simile can bring out the real greatness and the impact it left on the rasika's mind. It still remains unparalleled. He never resorts to any gimmickry but adheres to strict austerity in music. Music apart, the grand old man knows how to supplement his short fall by his profound wit. In a concert in the Gayana Samaja, Bangalore, Sri T.N. Krishna accompanied him on the violin. At one stage the accompanist was surpassing the main musician. The audience went in to rapture after a raga was played by Krishnan and clapped continuously. The old man butted in. 'Can't you save a few claps for me?' He always respected his accompanying artists and requested the audience not to walk out for a break when the percussionists started their 'thani' (solo). It is quite unfortunate that great performers are hardly good teachers. But Semmangudi is an exception. He has taught music to a number of students, of whom some are performing artists today. A kind teacher, who not only taught music, but also took personal care of the welfare of his students. One of his students recollected, if we wanted to learn a kriti which he did not know, he would ask us to come the next day. He, by then would learn the song and be ready to teach the next day. "This itself is a sample of his greatness as a Guru". A sound body - most essential for a man - mattered a lot of him. Though a connoisseur of food, he takes great care of his health. On and off he would visit Kottakkal Arya Vaidhya Sala in Kerala, famous for it's massages and Ayurvedic treatments to tone up his body. He never had any bad habits - vices, as people call it today. The only bad habit was a sniff of the snuff to clear his nose. Even this started with a suggestion by Rajaji to help him out in improving his voice. Today, he stands all alone in his huge house on Lloyds lane in Madras enjoying his status as an all time great. In an interview for a T.V. documentary, he said, "I am happy and content today. I want to go up just as I am now." ====================================================================== by Janaki Viswanath in Articulations, Deccan Herald, Bangalore, October 2, 1994 ====================================================================== Article provided by: shankar@veritas.com (Shankar Balasubramani)